DIY & Home Improvement

NYC_SKP

(68,644 posts)

3. Frankly, they're correct about thinner walls and some component's ability to last.

Sat May 23, 2015, 03:59 PM

May 2015

If we're talking about tract home quality or average middle-low quality, they're sort of correct.

A 1920 home would have had significantly larger framing members. A two by four was actually two by four inches.

Subfloors were tongue and grove, one inch or better, then hardwood floor over that.

Ceramic tiles were laid in a thick bed of mortar, seriously thick and sturdy!

Tubs were cast iron, not fiberglass.

As engineers learned how to trim here and there, they did that and the utility of things didn't suffer that badly.

Today, the best built homes are using bigger framing members, 2 x 6's, and the tile is set in thick mortar, and they'll use 5/8 drywall.

Just like the old days!

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question about residential construction in the past versus now [View all] steve2470 May 2015 OP

What's the urban legend stuff to which you refer? Architect and builder here. NYC_SKP May 2015 #1

oh, just muttering over... steve2470 May 2015 #2

Frankly, they're correct about thinner walls and some component's ability to last. NYC_SKP May 2015 #3

my condo is exhibit A, sort of steve2470 May 2015 #4

You can put a fist through a modern wall. Don't try that with a pre-war home. NYC_SKP May 2015 #6

the resistance is because the local industry is afraid it will hurt sales ? steve2470 May 2015 #7

Part of it is frontier resistance to big government, and the energy lobby. NYC_SKP May 2015 #9

Thanks for your time with this, NYC_SKP steve2470 May 2015 #10

You're welcome. I now work entirely in the realm of energy efficiency and renewables. NYC_SKP May 2015 #11

she is! steve2470 May 2015 #12

Generally speaking, standardized building codes Warpy May 2015 #5

I think we all know that older homes murielm99 May 2015 #8

I suspect that there are a lot of regional differences Mosby May 2015 #13

To yer question Wash. state Desk Jet May 2015 #14

thank you so much for your input steve2470 May 2015 #15