The 1950s saw a construction boom. New materials and appliances, as well as lower-cost materials Lumber was decent (better than today), but they strayed from actual dimensional sizes. So if you look at a house from this time, it might have good design elements, but be poorly constructed. The problem is that builders took advantage of the fact that people didn't know any better.
Houses were generally built with cheap lumber, which often caused problems later on. For example, wood expands and contracts with humidity changes, so gaps appear over time. Or consider flooring: Hardwood floors are beautiful, but they're also expensive. So many homeowners chose to install linoleum or vinyl tiles instead. These materials don't expand and contract like hardwood, so any gap between the floor joists will cause cracks over time.
Builders also used rickety construction techniques designed to save money. For example, they'd use two-by-four studs for the frame, rather than four-by-four posts. This made the structure easier to build and less expensive, but it also meant there wasn't much strength behind the walls.
Finally, builders tended to put up a lot of brick and stone exteriors. While these look nice, they're also very expensive.
Finally, in the 2010s, words stressing artisanship and nature emerged, such as hand-textured walls, handscraped hardwood floors, and natural light exposure. Homes have also grown in size recently, particularly since the 1990s: homes built in the present decade are 80 percent larger than the median 1940s home. There's a lot of space inside these houses, with 2 bedrooms on average being more than 1,000 square feet.
The increase in size and age of today's homes has created a need for better building techniques and materials. Concrete used to be poured by hand and had to cure before any other work could be done on the site. It was difficult to use and required plenty of time to dry. These days, pre-cast concrete panels are mounted on steel frames which allow them to be placed faster while still providing strong, durable housing.
Painted wood is now used instead of stucco for exterior siding because it is more eco-friendly and less toxic. Wood is also used instead of brick or stone for interior walls because it is cheaper and easier to maintain. Manufactured wood flooring has become very popular because it is so durable and easy to clean. Vinyl flooring has come back into style because it is affordable and looks good most any kind of decorating scheme.
Carpeting the whole house used to be common but now we see more open layouts with hard surfaces, like ceramic tile, polished concrete, or stainless steel.
It's difficult to realize, but a house erected in 1970 is already over 50 years old! Homes from this era are perfect for remodeling since they are old enough to be dated, but the structure, as well as the wiring and plumbing, are usually in good condition. If you are thinking about doing some work on your home, try to find houses for sale in the area that have been on the market for a long time; these tend to be cheaper than new builds.
The best way to tell if a house is old is by looking at its construction materials. Concrete blocks or brick should be able to date a building back at least 30 years, while wood frames with sheathing and siding will probably indicate a construction date of around 40 years ago or more. The age of your house doesn't matter if it is in good condition; you just want something that is stable and won't fall down when the wind blows!
You can take advantage of modern amenities while still saving money by living in an older house. Older homes tend to be less expensive to buy and to renovate because there are so many others like it on the market. These properties often have small footprints and easy parking configurations, which are attractive features for most people.
To everyone's amazement, the data revealed that virtually all of the cruck structures studied were constructed between the 1260s and the 1550s, a long time before the 17th-century vernacular threshold. The only exceptions are two gabled roofs from northern Germany with late 14th- or early 15th-century origins.
Crucks have been popular in Europe since at least Roman times when they were used for housing poor people. During the Middle Ages, they were used as barns, warehouses, and even churches. One example can be found in the town of Bruges which has three medieval cruciform churches on its site.
In England, there are about 250 known examples of cruciform houses dating back to about 1180. They are found everywhere from small villages to large cities. There are also many cruck buildings in America. In fact, according to some estimates, about one out of every five buildings in Pennsylvania was once part of a cruck house.
The typical cruciform house has a tall central tower or spire called a turret. It is usually the only room on the top floor. The other floors are divided into several small rooms called bays. The walls typically contain small windows and often have decorative brick or stone work. The roof is made of heavy wooden beams with panels of shingles or slate covered in clay tiles.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
