Why are most American houses built with wood?

Question

I am asking this question in the context of so much damage and destruction brought about by natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes. Would it not be reasonable to construct with solid materials like cement blocks?

Answer 1

I think in the east coast the houses are mostly made out of brick, more like in the northeast. And in the west coast they are made of wood. The reasoning behind this, I would have to guess is because in the west coast there are more earthquakes and the house would have to be "flexible." In Florida, it makes it much faster to rebuild with wood than with brick, I think.

Answer 2

The reason why many American houses are built with wood is because Americans appreciate the beauty of wood. You see you are more likely to appreciate something that you have seen,  tasted, smelt, touched, and heard while growing up. People tend to have a lower appreciation for what is unfamiliar.

When settlers came to the Americas, they were happy to just be on solid ground. They had to build shelter quickly before the winter months struck. No time or effort could go into quarrying stone so they used what was in abundance; wood.

Using wood served multiple purpose for the settlers: first, clearing the land allowed for setting up settlements and farmland; secondly, it provided fuel for fire; thirdly, it was relatively easy to split and shape for constructing log cabins and fencing to keep wild animals at bay.

Well, over the years with the development of lumber harvesting, processing, and curing techniques. Lumber became stronger, lighter, easily repairable, and more resistant to the elements. Framing techniques were developed which cut construction time dramatically. It's easy to shape thus craftsmanship became increasingly affordable, while stone craftsmanship remains today a luxury few can afford. Also, its beautiful painted and could be easily maintained by painting every few years.

Well, imagine all the kids growing up in wooden homes, with soft warm wooden floors. Homes built with wood are a romantic flashback that is repeated in pursuit of the the American dream.

People continue to use wood to build because now a new wooden home (preferably using reclaimed or renewable wood) is often accented with masonry but is given greater value and status because of the beauty, variation, and versatility of the wood used to make it.

As for the natural disasters having less of an impact on harder materials like cement blocks, you can make case for; but, a poorly designed home can be dangerous regardless of the materials used and each material has its pros and cons. Interestingly, modular wood homes (not trailers) built off site and then assembled on site have been tested and shown to be safer then most conventional homes be they wood or brick. These days exterior walls often are covered with noncombustible material or fire-retardant treated wood.

Americans, simply put, love their wood.

AnthropologistCarl

Answer 3

Maybe that is their best chose!

Answer 4

availability and speed,

if you want to be cheap and organic ,one can build impressive houses with Adobe  

,or check out Earthships .lots of info on the net.(made from waste material,

in the tropics Bamboo is a great solution

,and straw bale homes have the best insulation there exists and are a third of the cost ,and the straw is not exposed or visible ,to be a fire hazard or have insects

it is covered with plaster

Answer 5

Easy, Fast, Cheap, bio-digradable. Re-newable. Strong.

Wood is a traditional building matterial with most cultures of the planet.

Answer 6

Because wood is a common source, easy to get to.  Easy to shaped and build with.  Metal has to me molded and is more expensive.

Answer 7

i live in a brick home  but i have my wife's relatives who live in the Philippines and their homes are brick and it is not attractive to the eye..maybe this is the reason..it looks like a warehouse and not a home

Answer 8

Because the building companies would do anything to save a buck and squeeze every penny out of their workers just to make a proffit.  My last house was brand new and made of high density waferboard of all things.  A strong wind, not even a tornado is all it would take to do damage.  They just don't make them like they used to.

Answer 9

cheaper.

Answer 10

wood is natural, cheaper, easier, and most of all abundant