[HarryWho?]

Originally Posted by LeePage

Where are you getting this info from? I would have to disagree. Maybe 4th Wealthiest in South Florida... You can still get single family res with oceanfront in Vero for less than 1mil...

Condo maybe... No single family homes I've seen lately.

[LAH9292]

Don't worry! I live in a wood frame house with a shake roof in Vero Beach on the oceanside
that has withstood both hurricane Francis and hurricane Jeanne with almost zero damage. In fact, second to metal roofs, shake roofs were rated second best in terms of the amount of wind damage sustained.
It may sound counterintuitive, but unlike concrete walls which have little give, wood frame breaths better
with the wind, which is especially important in buildings that are 2+ floors. The most important factor
is the type of hurricane straps (single or double) that your roof has as well as whether you have impact glass and high quality shutters. Again, my house is a 1989 wood frame and has sustained a number of hurricanes
with almost zero issues. Concrete block is sturdy and desirable, but don't underestimate frame either! ☺️

[tallrick]

Amazing that after all these years of posts I have moved into a new home I built 6 years ago and it is still concrete inside and out, concrete roof and terrazzo floor. The no maintenance freedom of concrete is amazing and I love the mid century modern look. My neighbor's wood frame two story home just had the bathtub fall through the floor and since it was built in 1983 it has had nothing but problems. I live in a clean, insect free home with no drywall or mildew ever. If you want more freedom, build without wood!

[JTUSMC]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Amazing that after all these years of posts I have moved into a new home I built 6 years ago and it is still concrete inside and out, concrete roof and terrazzo floor. The no maintenance freedom of concrete is amazing and I love the mid century modern look. My neighbor's wood frame two story home just had the bathtub fall through the floor and since it was built in 1983 it has had nothing but problems. I live in a clean, insect free home with no drywall or mildew ever. If you want more freedom, build without wood!

Wait, so you don't have any kind of framed interior walls (steel or wood with Sheetrock) to run plumbing and wiring?

[kokonutty]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Amazing that after all these years of posts I have moved into a new home I built 6 years ago and it is still concrete inside and out, concrete roof and terrazzo floor. The no maintenance freedom of concrete is amazing and I love the mid century modern look. My neighbor's wood frame two story home just had the bathtub fall through the floor and since it was built in 1983 it has had nothing but problems. I live in a clean, insect free home with no drywall or mildew ever. If you want more freedom, build without wood!

So your neighbor allowed a leak or termite condition to exist for years in his home and that should be a reason for everyone to live in a bunker?

[smarino]

While concrete "may" be better, I much prefer a wood home because it will breathe. Concrete will sweat and get clammy in certain weather conditions. Subject to molds too. A properly built wood home is very safe if it's built correctly. They can also be retro fitted if they're older. Your roof is the main thing. I have replaced sheet rock in homes and it's child's play. All you need is a sharp utility knife, a tape, a square and a power screw driver! So if the inside gets wet, easy to address.

Mildew and molds will grow on anything (tiled bathroom anyone?), and loves to grow on concrete. The stuff is air borne, it's in the air not the structure, it just lives on the structure in the right conditions.

As for termites, yes, I would be concerned about that, but a product called Bora care is inexpensive and a permanent fix, and not that hard to apply yourself. Not toxic unless you drink it or something, yet will last as long as your structure.


BORA-CARE® » Nisus Corp

[gypsychic]

I posted ages ago in this thread, but as a LIFELONG resident of Florida who has lived in many homes both concrete and frame, I have to recommend concrete by a million miles. Frame has too many problems in Florida, not to mention high high insurance.

My little older home is a bunker, concrete covered with stucco and terrazzo floors. Every single wood home I ever lived in started getting eaten up with termites among other issues. And I have WAY less mold in this house than I did in the frame ones. But of course a lot of that has to do with keeping water out and also not being in too much shade.

[upgrader]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I posted ages ago in this thread, but as a LIFELONG resident of Florida who has lived in many homes both concrete and frame, I have to recommend concrete by a million miles. Frame has too many problems in Florida, not to mention high high insurance.

My little older home is a bunker, concrete covered with stucco and terrazzo floors. Every single wood home I ever lived in started getting eaten up with termites among other issues. And I have WAY less mold in this house than I did in the frame ones. But of course a lot of that has to do with keeping water out and also not being in too much shade.

I hope you are right! I just bought a poured concrete home, after living in two wood frame homes. Both of those "stick builds" have been disasters for me.

I think a properly built and maintained stick home (with proper siding) can work in florida. I think the worst possible Florida build is stucco over frame.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by upgrader

I hope you are right! I just bought a poured concrete home, after living in two wood frame homes. Both of those "stick builds" have been disasters for me.

I think a properly built and maintained stick home (with proper siding) can work in florida. I think the worst possible Florida build is stucco over frame.

I agree. Avoid like the plague!

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by JTUSMC

Wait, so you don't have any kind of framed interior walls (steel or wood with Sheetrock) to run plumbing and wiring?

The interior walls are mostly concrete block, and I ran the plumbing and electrical inside the block. All electrical, including data lines run through conduit. Plumbing runs through the floor and electrical is attached to the bottom of the concrete roof. The ceiling is homemade concealed grid ceiling tiles, the only correct ceiling for mid century design. I applied mortar mix to all the walls and sponged to a sand finish throughout my home except for the bathrooms and kitchen which I finished with a trowel. The top coat is veneer plaster. Using these materials allows you to wash your home with a hose and not damage anything. The outside facing walls have 1 1/4 inch styrofoam adhered to it using an asphalt spray. and expanded mesh is attached to the walls using 3/16 wire embedded in the concrete blocks when laid. Mortar mix provides two layers of plaster and in the kitchens and bathrooms a smooth veneer.

My house breathes better than any wood rot box. The air conditioning system relies on a floor duct return system and an exhaust port that can be controlled. When I had an antique radio go up in smoke in my library the whole room filled with smoke, by the time I came back in to put out the fire the room had almost cleared of visible smoke. When a brush fire was in my area I just closed the vents and was able to stay inside and not smell any smoke. Wood is nice to look at but when hidden it is like a time bomb ready to ruin your life. I have wood paneling and shelving in my library and varnished plywood doors on my steel frame kitchen cabinets. My interior doors are wood veneer over a fireproof gypsum core.

By the way I also included a floor duct system to allow future expansion of electrical or data lines. In the living room there is even a brass floor outlet that can be used for the coffee table. I call my home the future proof structure.