Why are houses built with wooden frame works, covered with cladding or brick, while we need to keep trees?

Question

There is no need for wooden frame works. Double brick walls are a far better option to keep a house cool or warm with the opportunity to put insulation in between as well. Double brick walls give a sound construction. This would save millions of trees!

Answer 1

Brick and mortar houses last longer and are safer in the case of tornadoes, fires, floods, burglar.

Answer 2

the best reason for timber frame is here http://www.permaculture.co.uk/PP/Grand_D...

Ben Law's Woodland house, self built from his own sustainable managed woodland.

Timber frame houses consume far less energy in construction than brick and the trees should be replanted.

Timber frame can also have lighter foundations, and use less concrete generally.

Timber is easy for untrained people to self-build without the need for powered construction equipment, as in the Walter Segal method.

Other low-energy building options such as rammed earth, can be found at http://www.cat.org.uk.

Answer 3

we'll agree full brick built for furnace or ancient buildings.

Using the wood materials, we can easily make on suitable length  and feel it better than brick. We like the nature as trees , I think.  I am sorry for my self-considering.

Answer 4

Why not build new trees?

Answer 5

In Mexico we do not use wooden frameworks to build houses, we use cement, therefore Cemex, the Mexican cement and concrete giant does good business here, in fact, we buy our cement at a higher price than you do in the USA. But the point is they know we do not have enough trees for housebuilding because we are destroying our forests and care little about it, so the construction business resorts to cement and concrete. Construction standards in Mexico are pretty bad, bricks are more expensive than cement and concrete and do not even think of insulation between two walls. Here the houses are like sieves, hot in summer and cold in winter. Also, brick houses are hot, at least where I live the climate is hot most of the year and really cold only a few months. You should see what we spend on electricity and gas just to keep cool or warm, but the funny thing is that all houses in Mexico, whether the climate is hot or cold, are built the same. The houses radiate heat at night, a real inferno after a hot day, and on really cold days without a heater, the inside is colder than the outside. Wood has seemed to be a better option, you can remodel in a snap, here we have to destroy thick walls. I can relate to your point of view, but the unrestrained construction of houses has made the climate in my city much hotter. There are solutions to both problems, but neither your government or mine seem to be very interested in working towards finding the right one.

Answer 6

Because that is what people are used to.  We also use metal frames for homes and businesses.  Consumers need to put more pressure on FOX AND JACOBS AND CENTEX  to build more green homes.  Another good option is straw bale construction.

Answer 7

Yes and it would drive construction cost way up. A lot of things are about money.

Answer 8

The energy required to manufacture and dry the bricks, then the additional energy needed to ship them around the country because they are so much heavier than wood and the poor insulation qualities they have make that option not energy efficient. Most energy efficient alternatives are the cheapest because the cost of energy is priced in.

Answer 9

When a tree matures its rate of growth slows.

It is then less capable of removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

When it dies and rots, and that carbon is re-released back into the environment.

We are far better off harvesting mature trees and using them for other purposes which can permanently store the carbon and prevent its release back into the environment.

Replace the old trees with new trees that grow quickly and thus, remove more CO2 from the atmosphere.

The manufacturing process used to make concrete and mortar creates tremendous amounts of CO2, therefore we should avoid their use as much as possible.

I know this is contrary to the answer you wanted, but check it out. You'll find out I am correct.

Answer 10

Well, first of all, double brick walls are poor insulation, though you could put some between, if you want 1 foot think walls.

Secondly, they would cost far more.

Third, it would take far more energy I believe.

Fouth, the trees grow back when the forest industry plants them and the house is excellent "carbon capture."

I think the 2nd reason is by far the biggest reason.