Practically Classics Forum

I beg forgiveness if this sounds insensitive, but:

Why would anybody who knows anything about the weather in Oklahoma build a house out of sticks?
And
Why would anyone purchase a house that was made of sticks?

Does anyone have any genuine experience of construction in these places?

not sure about america, but how many homes in the uk have been built on flood plains etc?

Moved to "Off Topic"....

Couldn't agree more, every time I see American houses flying about in bits I think "Well, try building them with masonry....."

Maybe it's the American "easy come easy go" throw-away mentality, i.e. they're cheap to build and so cheap to replace. Also, I believe I'd right in saying that in many parts of the states there is a lack of local building stone or clay to make bricks, therefore stone or brick-built houses are even more expensive than you'd think as they have to transport the heavy materials for long distances.

Whereas a lot of Britain is built on or close to massive stone deposits, and what isn't is often on clay - ideal for bricks. Hence the different building materials you see around the country - local geology will dictate this, particularly in old houses (a passion of mine).

But I might be really wrong there....

I take your point on the costs Luxobarge. I think that I'd at least build a little bolt-hole out of something solid like mass concrete. Maybe a bathroom or store cupboard or something. Somewhere to go when things get scary. Bury it under the wooden house, even. Would it not be a big selling point for your property?

Did you see the news clip with the nice old lady who's dog was discovered while she was being interviewed? Her house was completely levelled. You can't tell where it started and where it ended!
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50147264n

Apparently the 3rd major tornado since 1999, when 40 people were killed.

Yup, I'd build it out of something stronger than matchwood, too.

Pictures:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22605020

Maybe if they hadn't cut down all those trees there'd be less extreme weather?

I've got a" friend " on another American forum ,he's half Indian if i recall .. He said:

The Great Plains should have never been settled.

Living there, doesn't work. Floods, tornadoes, drought...

It's a land for nomads and buffalo.

pryantcc wrote:I beg forgiveness if this sounds insensitive, but:

It kind of does

pryantcc wrote:Why would anybody who knows anything about the weather in Oklahoma build a house out of sticks?
why would anyone purchase a house that was made of sticks?

Why would anyone want to live stacked on top of each other,pay 20% sales tax and 40% on anything over 32k GBP while paying $8-9/gallon of fuel?

Unless you're on income support, the upside is much better. This house is on almost 5 acres and is about 30 miles north of Dallas http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhom ... 7404-64456. 30 miles North of Dallas means that you can get into Dallas by car in 30 minutes

What can 190K GBP get you in the UK?

pryantcc wrote:Does anyone have any genuine experience of construction in these places?

Yep, and for the most part, I'm very happy with it.

In the end, it's about lifestyle choices. example: a town about 30 miles north of Dallas.

Median resident age:34.7 years
Median income: $100,843
Median house value: $197,500
Unemployment : 5.9%

http://www.city-data.com/city/Allen-Texas.html

zipgun wrote: .. He said: The Great Plains should have never been settled.

That would be a tough sell given that the area of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas combined is about 5 times the size of Great Britain.

im tempted, running a small buisness over here is a nightmare...

I can't see many houses built in the UK in the last 50 years standing up to winds of that magnitude. OK they may end up with a few walls standing, but would probably need to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch anyway. I agree having a safe room would be a good idea, but only if you can get to it - and get out again afterwards. And I suspect that statistically, the risk of losing your house in a tornado is pretty miniscule even in "Tornado Alley". Average deaths are only around 60 per year, so while this one looks horrendous, it hardly justifies any major change of lifestyle or building practice.

alabbasi wrote: Why would anyone want to live stacked on top of each other,pay 20% sales tax and 40% on anything over 32k GBP while paying $8-9/gallon of fuel?

I'm not questioning why the people live there, but why they build such flimsy houses in a place known as Tornado Alley. I live in Ireland which is probably even less attractive than the UK. It rains a huge amount here, but my house is built away from any flood plains, has a very good roof, is well insulated, has drainage systems to cope with the rain. I like it here because its home. If Oklahoma was home, I think I'd build a house out of something more solid than light timber sitting on top of the ground. That's all I'm saying.

alabbasi wrote: Unless you're on income support, the upside is much better. This house is on almost 5 acres and is about 30 miles north of Dallas http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhom ... 7404-64456. 30 miles North of Dallas means that you can get into Dallas by car in 30 minutes

What can 190K GBP get you in the UK?

It depends on where you want to live. This would be something which appeals to me:
http://www.tspc.co.uk/details.asp?id=104614
and is quite close to civilisation. I agree though, you can certainly get more space for your money in rural/suburban America.

pryantcc wrote:Does anyone have any genuine experience of construction in these places?

alabbasi wrote: Yep, and for the most part, I'm very happy with it.

Do you live in a tornado zone in one of those wooden houses? If so, don't you mind that it might get blown away?

alabbasi wrote: In the end, it's about lifestyle choices. example: a town about 30 miles north of Dallas.

Median resident age:34.7 years
Median income: $100,843
Median house value: $197,500
Unemployment : 5.9%

I agree completely, but if I were to choose the Oklahoma lifestyle, I think I'd choose not to have my house obliterated any time a tornado sweeps by. I think I'd build a solid one. That is my point.