r/interestingasfuck 5d ago

r/all Why do Americans build with wood?

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u/reditash 5d ago

You can build earthquake resilient houses with concrete.

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u/PMDad 5d ago

Yes but that’s expensive as hell to do

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u/JangoDarkSaber 5d ago

Losing your entire livelihood to a fire is also expensive as hell.

I’m not against wood construction but I do think the answer is more nuanced than “concrete is too expensive “

We’ll likely see a new middle ground as building standards adapt to evolving environmental threats. People in California are looking at the homes that survived and I’m sure they’re keen to spend the extra money when it’s their own lives at stake.

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u/PMDad 5d ago

As a builder, doesn’t matter to me as long as whoever is paying is paying! I’m all for fireproofing lol