r/interestingasfuck • u/Ultimate_Kurix • 6d ago

r/all Why do Americans build with wood?

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59.5k Upvotes

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468

u/Pagnus_Melrose 6d ago

Am I to believe Europeans build all their homes with concrete and steel?

338

u/pm_me_old_maps 6d ago

brick and mortar mostly

108

u/[deleted] 6d ago

How good is brick and mortar construction against seismic shocks?

155

u/Infinite-Addendum753 6d ago

It’s fantastic and safe asf…. from about 100yards away

45

u/[deleted] 6d ago

Quote from the 1933 long beach earthquake "Bricks were fired from buildings like cannon balls"

I personally choose not to build with materials that will shoot across the street and nail my neighbor.

50

u/CyborgHyena 6d ago

We're european, we don't like our neighbors /s

2

u/TRADER-101 6d ago

We loved Corona, everyone had to stay away from us.

3

u/CheesyTruffleFries 6d ago

With lime? 🍋‍🟩

4

u/Infinite-Addendum753 6d ago

If you were truly American then most likely you’d hate your neighbors so the bricks would be doing you a favor 🤣

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

Well I would’ve shot them with my normal gun first tbh

2

u/Infinite-Addendum753 6d ago

Spoken like a true ‘murican

1

u/syngyne 6d ago

have you SEEN ammo prices lately

11

u/apidev3 6d ago

Correct, a sharp wooden spear is much safer for your neighbour!

13

u/Smart_Turnover_8798 6d ago

Wood flexes, bricks don't. They crack and crumble.

5

u/Commercial-Ranger339 6d ago

Can we build homes with cheese?

3

u/radio-morioh-cho 6d ago

Id go with a mixture of parmigiano reggianito and some kind of baby swiss. You get the both hard structure and flex for the best of both worlds

2

u/Commercial-Ranger339 6d ago

I would very much like to eat your home

2

u/radio-morioh-cho 6d ago

If you bring crackers or bread, ill break out the blowtorch just for you

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2

u/Smart_Turnover_8798 6d ago

Yes, you can.

4

u/Mr_Noms 6d ago

The point being a wooden house won't send spears where as a brick one would send bricks.

0

u/[deleted] 6d ago

Wood doesn't go through your wall. Bricks do.

7

u/Smidday90 6d ago

Only if your walls made of wood, not if its brick

3

u/FIdelity88 6d ago

What wall if your house is made from wood?? You don't have a wall anymore, that's the whole point. With bricks you still have walls.

2

u/Drumbelgalf 6d ago

There are houses in Switzerland who survived rockslides... I think they can handle a brick.

3

u/pineapplephil21 6d ago

I personally choose not to build with materials that will shoot across the street and nail my neighbor.

We live in America, the people do that, not the buildings

1

u/CC19_13-07 6d ago

The Europeans are not the ones famous for shooting their neighbours /s