BRITISH GUY Reacts to How AMERICAN HOUSES are built!

Just a British guy reacting to how American houses are built, this BLEW me away!
www.twitch.tv/adamcouser

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Twitch streams - www.twitch.tv/adamcouser

[@138NastyNate]

Hey you should check out a video of Amish Barn Raising Time lapse...The Amish here in the US are a religious people who do not participate in modern society here. They mainly farm. They do not believe in using Electricity and other modern conveniences. They do not own cars. They still use horse and buggy. Anyway they live in big communitys and when something bad happens like a barn fire the entire community will come together and build a huge barn in one day with very little modern tools or heavy equipment. Its something to behold. Check one out just type in Amish Barn Raising Timelapse in the KZbin search bar a bunch will pop up...These barns are huge and built really well.

[@138NastyNate]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJeunKiQotGrbLc&ab_channel=VisionVideo

[@JoeSchwartz-yx3jg]

In the US we have a lot of trees, lumber is more cost effective over stone and its faster to build plus the fact if something happens storm tree falling on the home it is easier to fix over stone brick.

[@JoeSchwartz-yx3jg]

Hurricanes can damage homes it is the water aspect however tornadoes are more damaging to the structure of the home those winds can rip apart almost anything where as a hurricane does have wind but to a lesser degree hurricane water tornado high winds (acts as a vacuum).

[@JoeSchwartz-yx3jg]

I am in Wisconsin my home is made from wood.

[@memelord3117]

Your over thinking it. Our houses are mainilly made out of wood bc we have enough trees that it makes timber cheaper. Also our storms are just ways stronger in certain parts of the country

[@MoreAdamCouser]

That makes sense!

[@jonadabtheunsightly]

This is the most important reason, yes: in areas where trees grow readily, wood is actually cheaper than stone or brick. And trees absolutely grow readily in the eastern US. Just about everything between the Atlantic and the Mississippi (that's not underwater) is naturally forest if you don't regularly mow or pave it. Given the climate in this part of the world, if a farmer's kids don't want to farm the land but don't want to sell it either, and they just let it sit unused, it takes about 20 years to go from fields to woods without anybody doing anything. If you *plant* fast-growth pine saplings, you can have full-grown trees in 5-7 years. (This is also why paper is cheap.) An unused asphalt parking lot takes more like 50 years to revert, but it will happen entirely on its own. You don't have to do anything, the forest will reclaim the land. So yeah, wood is affordable. As it happens, most of the American population, lives in this region. This is likely not a coincidence: land that gets enough rain to grow trees, ipso facto also gets enough rain to grow a variety of other things, and so it can support a substantial population. Secondarily, wood-frame walls are also much easier to build, maintain, and adjust as needed, and easier to run cabling and conduit and pipe through. You don't have to surface mount anything, you can just run your pipes or conduit or whatever between the studs before you put the drywall on, and if you later decide you want to add some more wiring or whatnot, you don't have to fuss with drilling out masonry, you just knock a small hole in the drywall, run the wiring between the studs, et voila, patch up the drywall when you're done. So in the eighties when you want to add a phone line to your teenage daughter's room so you don't have to listen to all her long phone calls in the living room, you can. Then in 2002 when you decide you want to run cat5 ethernet cabling for the home network, you can. If you want to add an extra sink on the opposite wall of the kitchen from where the main sink is, you can. You want to take out the kitchen window and put in a sliding door in its place, you just grab a skill saw, cut out a couple of 2x4 studs, nail the new ones into place, and you're ready to go for the new configuration. And so on and so forth. It's all just very much easier to manage than if all the walls are stone or brick.

[@memelord3117]

@@stephenpmurphy591 hahahhahahahaa incorrect

[@ChuckHuffmaster]

​@@MoreAdamCousermost of the lumber for construction comes from tree farms

[@CaptAoife]

Homes are built to certain codes. They need to meet a bare minimum Federal Code. Local codes (state, county, and city) will address possible local conditions (earthquakes in California, hurricanes in New Jersey, snow in New York, etc) but they can't fall below the requirements of Federal requirements.

[@robsuffridge9298]

Wood framing is the norm throughout America. America and Canada has tons of lumber so it keeps cost down. Most framers will end up with back injuries, for me double spinal fusion and a lumbar discectomy laminectomy, this is hard work! In California we have earthquakes, wood gives a little and can sway back and forth without breaking apart. Brick and concrete blocks in earthquakes tend to crack and fall apart. This was an add on addition to a house that was already built. And yes if you had seven or eight guys that know what they’re doing a day or two for something this size to frame.

[@dlmullins9054]

These houses are very well insulated. Brick or stone walls don't help much if any during a Tornado. I am 71 now and have built houses all my life. I always put the subsiding (and sometimes the actual siding) on before raising the walls. Back in the sixties when i first started houses were not built as well as now though. There are so many rules to go by now and today's homes are rock solid even when made of wood. My crew would frame an average of one house per week depending on size. Siding, decks etc.. took another week or so, but i built them right and didn't skimp.

[@danielmcgraw7908]

Those spaces, you asked if they were for insulation, are actually the design of a manufactured I beam. The panels they are laying atop the joists ( I beams) are the sub floor of the first floor of the house.

[@dylanowens70]

My house is wood framed with a rock facade all the way around which was a popular style in Oklahoma during the 80s also the shiney stuff is the underneath side of the wood i believe its a vapor barrier

[@terryjones3827]

Even brick homes usually have wood frames, so most homes are built in this way, unless they opt for metal frames instead of wood. The brick will go on when the wood frame is complete.

[@dag221]

Most houses in the US are built in a similar fashion to this although some are a bit different. Even when you see brick or stone covered homes they are mostly all built with wood frames and the stone or bricks are more of a decorative fascade than a structural part of the house.

[@WayneGardnerMIHS]

my house is concert block and every other block has concrete pumped in to it, so its filled ground to roof .. BUT I live in Florida ... in the 1980's they started 150 to 200 home per month ... a home was completed in 90 days ..

[@BurakkuHishou]

Yes essentially this is how buildings are made in the USA. At least the wooden ones because some houses are still built with brick or concrete and obviously large corporate buildings are steel/concrete. I sell this kind of stuff all the time in my place of work and it helps to know this stuff so i'll give you some pointers i know: -Generally walls are made of either 2x4 or 2x6 studs (2 inch by 4/6 inch wood) and then depending on the builder the length of the board will either be 8' long or 92-5/8 inch (combining the bottom sill plate and top plate will make a wall a true 8' with a 92-5/8" board. Using an 8' board will make the wall slightly taller.) -Standard spacing between studs is either 16" on center or 24" on center ("on center" meaning measuring from the center of the board and not the open space in between the boards) -OSB (Oriented Strand board) or what some people call "Wood chip board" adds a ton of structural strength once on the walls. It prevents the studs from leaning over too far while also serving as an outer wall. This can be substituted for "Rated Sheathing Plywood." -Trusses are generally spaced 16" on center and are rated between 4/12 - 6/12 pitch normally (The ratio is defined as how many inches does the roof increase for every foot of horizontal distance). Again OSB or RSP is added on top of the trusses to provide sheer strength and prevent trusses from leaning over. -Insulation is MUCH easier to add to wooden homes and adds a lot more insulation value. 2x4 walls can take R-11, 13, or 15 while 2x6 walls take R-19, 21. These roll or batt insulations put fiberglass wool in the walls increasing it's insulation value. *Pro tip:* It is not the material that makes the insulation value, but the number of air pockets. After all, thermal transfer happens easily through solid objects, but if it has to change the temperature of hundreds of little air pockets, while your internal climate control is doing the same from the opposite side, it's gonna take much more time and energy to get through. If you read that last sentence and thought "Well aren't studs solid?" There are sheets of foam that you can add to the outside of your wall below the siding that reduces that energy transfer even further and protects your studs too (Same problem concrete houses have). -Those floor beams you see are called I-joists, and while you can put insulation between them, it's entirely unnecessary and if you do, it's more intended for sound proofing; it's more used for the transfer of plumbing and HVAC systems in the house. These are water pipes, electrical wiring, and ducting for things like central heating and cooling. I believe i have covered most of the things you were curious about in this video. I know a bit more stuff so if you have more questions i can try to answer them. While some longer videos that you may have to edit, i highly recommend searching up "The Perkins Brothers" on youtube. They build mountain homes, and it's basically the entire process from start to finish.

[@SunshineJoleen]

What astonishes me is that the houses are made of paper yet... SOOO EXPENSIVE

[@T1625-w7d]

As far as the heat I live in Texas and most homes are brick. Air Conditioning is one of the greatest inventions.

[@oldschool72]

What your seeing built is a Cheap Built House with no basement. A well built house uses Heavy Timber, Steel Tresses and No Plywood or Chipboard. These contractors build these type of houses pretty cheap because they are cheap made. Fortunately my farmhouse is over 160 years old with Massive 4 by 10 inch ( true measurement ) floor joices, Stone wall basement, 14 x 2 inch shiplap outer walls. Where I live these cheap built houses would not be allowed because of Building Codes. There are actually a lot of old brick and stone homes in the US.

[@soniamarqez2070]

It really depends what the person's preference is and what the budget that they can afford

[@robertgray6631]

I’m new here. Where’s the video of how they build houses there?

[@VirginiaPeden-Harrington-qd5zu]

Bricks and stones are no guarantee against a tornado or hurricane. When they are knocked down by a storm they just add more hard flying objects. Most houses in the northern states are made of wood as well as the houses in the south. Lumber is still less expensive than bricks in the US.

[@narr0wm1nd49]

Wood also does better in earthquakes. It tends to shake and recover where brick is brittle and cracks loosing its strength.

[@FullMetalAttackTitan9tailsHero]

Modern wood homes with proper coded bracing and all those annoying simpson tie downs that are required nowadays are way stronger than a brick only house. Maybe a solid block wall with rebar reinforcement and filled full of concrete would be as good but honestly mortar wears over time and can ruin a wall in no time if not kept up.

[@dylanowens70]

The issue is always where the roof attaches to the walls and no matter the type its a weakness. Only house i have ever seen capable of withstanding it was a solid concrete house including a poured roof however it would be extremely vulnerable to earthquakes due to being rigid.

[@TampaCEO]

I have to disagree with this comment. I came from Massachusetts where homes are built from wood. I now live in Florida. In the early days, Florida homes were garbage. They were made from the shoddiest construction. Then, in 1992, Hurricane Andrew destroyed South Florida. After that storm, the state changed the building codes. Now all homes must be built on concrete slabs with concrete cinder blocks (or poured concrete). Since then, dozens of storms have hit us. Most recently, hurricane Maria (which destroyed the Bahamas) cane straight through Florida as a category 5. There was nerely ZERO wind damage. Unfortunately, Ft. Myers was destroyed by the storm surge which flooded the town, but you can't do anything about that. Lastly, look at videos of Japan's Tsunami. Literally every building was destroyed. The only buildings which remained were CONCRETE buildings. So... YES, it DOES make a difference... a BIG difference.

[@VirginiaPeden-Harrington-qd5zu]

@@TampaCEO Thanks for the info. I am certainly not against concrete slabs and cinder block foundations. But they are not the same as building walls out of brick and mortar, which I was responding to. I lived in military base housing several times over my husband's 26 year career and they were often built just as you described, solid and built to last.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Guys thank you for the recent support and love ❤

[@TheCrazyDamon]

I love these US videos I hope you do more!

[@johnpauljones9244]

Absolutely Adam! You have a great channel, well done 👏!

[@bobprivate8575]

Where a building is, in proximity to other buildings is also a factor in materials used. If you're adjoining another unit, or within a certain number of feet of one, Fire Code is going to require a fire barrier between them- and often brick is used for that purpose. You see a lot of brick in cities, because buildings are all closer to each other.

[@stormangelus6638]

You're welcome! I've recently just subbed. Also, no, it doesn't get put up in a day. ^_^ It's more a thing that setting the frame up gives an easier line for wiring & pipes to go around and through the house. Once that's in place, they can use insulation to proof it against heat & cool loss. It's not as easy as it looks -- the heat during the warmer seasons (which is when most things are built to help keep it easy) can creep up on you quickly & dehydration is a serious issue. It's fascinating to watch! You'd like watching woodturning videos. Woodturning is the art of crafting wood into magnificent pieces.

[@jdanon203]

Wood also flexes better if it comes under mother nature's forces like wind from hurricanes and earthquakes. Plus would you rather be buried under a pile of bricks or a pile of wood if things got bad enough?

[@Tijuanabill]

That's not really how it works. Your house doesn't lift up and fall straight down. Where it lands, is anyone's guess, and what lands on you, is anyone's guess. Maybe its the neighbors house, his barn, or his truck.

[@FullMetalAttackTitan9tailsHero]

Yup block and brick walls dont like uneven vertical disruption. Kinda crazy how weak those walls can be

[@revgurley]

Unlike the UK, trees are abundant in the US, so it's easier to use lumber than stone in most places. However, in some parts of the US, like Florida, many of the houses there are made with concrete block, have "hurricane belts" (a metal rebar-like that goes all around the house to hold it together in high winds), and the pitch of the roof is almost flat (again, so winds can go over easier). Northern states that get snow usually have high-pitched roofs so the snow & ice can slide off easier instead of accumulating on the roof - it's heavy!

[@TheCallMeCrazy]

New homes in tornado-prone areas have higher-pitched rooflines as well because a low pitched one can act as an airfoil.

[@Beans-1111]

Wooden house are cheaper then other materials.. And they last hundreds of years.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Makes sense!

[@nomohakon6257]

Excellent joke!

[@commonsence1129]

Also makes it cheaper and easier to build an addiction.

[@stephaniecolburn]

😂 So that’s why all across Europe there are castles and row houses that are centuries old…..yet here in America with our stick built homes they rot away easily and are easily destroyed by fire and natural disasters. Not to mention the number of beautiful homes condemned and torn down for disgusting apartment complexes all over.

[@commonsence1129]

@@stephaniecolburn We have houses here in the USA that were built in the 1800s and are still standing. I go past them every day.

[@usmc24thmeu36]

We build with wood because it's very plentiful. And when storms come through they sway they don't crack like cement and brick do. We have wooden houses that are over 200 yrs old. And in the south we have strict building codes for hurricanes.

[@davidkeese3372]

So this was just the framing portion I’m sure you have figured out. A 2k square foot home or roughly 186 meters squared can be completely framed in a day depending on the crew. That and if it’s paid by job or paid by hour

[@MoreAdamCouser]

That’s crazy!

[@c.s.wallis7118]

My home in New England was built prior to the American Revolution. It was originally a clapboard timberframe (12" square hand-hewn beams) but around 1830 the owners bricked the exterior. When I was restoring the house (It had been boarded up and derelict for many years) the contractors were all astonished that the roofline and the floors were still dead level--even after 270 years. Craftsmanship is a true art.

[@Tijuanabill]

Homes like yours give folks the false impression that things were made better then. In reality, they made a lot of stuff in that same year yours was made, that no longer stand. So we are seeing the best of the best, that still survive today, not the average.

[@FullMetalAttackTitan9tailsHero]

Not even a humble brag lol...just a full blown flex 💪. Those victorian and old style homes with handcarved decorative trim and moulding is breathtaking. I dont even have the patience to try making minorly simple moulds w a router and other power tools let alone do it by hand. Gods they were

[@Vanessa-ok3ys]

@@TijuanabillWell no, they were very susceptible to fire because of the chimneys among other things but fire was one big reason many arent still standing today. Most of them though were at some point pulverized for development. There are several “living history museums” up here in New England that are basically whole towns of 2-300 or more yo buildings, Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth NH for example. Many of the houses there today, that isnt their original location they were moved there to be part of the museum so they wouldnt be destroyed. Its actually relatively common up here someone will buy the land an old historic home sits on because they want the land but intend to tear down the house for any number of reasons so they will advertise anyone can take the house for free or very cheap if they are willing to pay the cost of having it moved. So anyway, kind of a tangent but they were built better, theres just not as many today because they either burned down or were destroyed before anyone really took any interest in preserving them. We do still have a ton of them up here though, thankfully.

[@Vanessa-ok3ys]

Thank you so much for restoring and preserving your historic home. I love that so much.

[@c.s.wallis7118]

@@Vanessa-ok3ysIt has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Thank you for your kind and supportive words.😊

[@ESUSAMEX]

Stone and brink homes are death trap in the areas where hurricanes are common-- the east coast and the south. They are also horrible in earthquake areas like on the west coast.

[@RogCBrand]

In Oregon, we had the Spring Break Quake about 30 years ago. The wood houses did fine, but the brick city hall, movie theater, etc. all had to be torn down or have major and expensive repairs. They don't seem to understand that bricks are stronger than wood, when wood can flex while brick will crumble!

[@Tijuanabill]

@@RogCBrand Its the mortar that falls apart, not the bricks.

[@JamesBoswell-f8o]

I live in South Florida where every house is made out of cylinder blocks, my house has been through eight hurricanes, I only lost trees.

[@SunshineJoleen]

​@user-ue1xl6im8p I was going to say this. I'm from the Caribbean. Our houses are made of hollow concrete blocks. Wooden houses are much more vulnerable to gale-force winds (they are just lighter), and the wood is susceptible to pests (termites omg), mold and rot in the humid climate. I suspect that the high humidity/ rainfall in the UK also makes wood an inferior option whereas their brick and stone has been standing for centuries.

[@annaugustine1882]

@@JamesBoswell-f8o In the South, a major concern is bugs that aren't frozen out with winter so they are huge. Hence, the masonry block construction. In fact, wood frame homes are downgraded in value for that reason. Few Florida homes have a 2nd floor or a basement.

[@WoosterCogburnn]

I build commercial buildings for a living (hospitals, car dealerships, airports, malls). It’s pretty much the same, except we use metal studs, and we build everything in place instead of standing it up.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Nice!

[@tinahairston6383]

You should check out a video from Faris and Lisa. They do a year long time lapse from purchasing/clearing land to every step in the process and how much they spent. Granted it's not what most American's can afford to build but at least you get a proper idea of how homes are made. Homes are made from wood frames because wood is plentiful here but not all homes are made from it. You are correct on how and why they're made the way they are dependent on where you are in the US. There are several shows on HGTV that you can watch them build and/or remodel homes of all kinds.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

I will do!

[@bambamnj]

That last metal piece with all the holes in it is called a "hurricane strap" and literally ties the house to the foundation or one floor to another floor, with the idea being that if the house is tied together and tied to the foundation it become much more difficult for a hurricane or a tornado to pick up the whole house. However if the winds hit the house directly.. the rood is always the first thing to go.

[@johnniekight1879]

We have more trees than we know what to do with, hence, lotsa wood houses. Tornadoes will destroy a house made out of anything. Hurricanes do damage but rarely destroy homes. This house has no basement so it's most likely down south somewhere. Also a flat roof means they don't get snow.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Makes sense with the wood!

[@Joe-gd2wu]

@@MoreAdamCouser Like anywhere in the world, Product Availability. It is also why every field in your country is bordered by stone walls

[@rogerscurlock2927]

Low slope roof structures have very little correlation to snowfall totals. I've been on low slope roofs that had feet of snow on them with no problem. The primary determining factor for steep vs. low slope is, respectively, residential vs. commercial. I'm guessing you have only done residential work in a small geographic area or have done none at all and are just making assumptions. Either way...

[@eyesacthehoodrat]

You should watch a video about how ironworkers build skyscrapers, being an ironworker myself I’d say it’s quite interesting

[@MoreAdamCouser]

I will do!

[@Tijuanabill]

I'm a former electrician, and let me just say, there is no trade like iron workers. You guys are some interesting humans, to say the least. Pretty fun to be around though.

[@eyesacthehoodrat]

@@Tijuanabill appreciate that brotha 👊🏻

[@TGriffiths-ve6nw]

Yes an Ironworkers video would be really good to watch your reaction. I started working commercial construction in 1973 and had my first experiences with ironworkers. This was in the days when riding the ball was still normal and the use of harnesses were not like they are today I knew hundreds of them over the years and I can honestly say that I only ever met a handful that I didn't like. I started as a surveyor and I used to lay out all of the gridlines and anchor bolts. It was a point of pride to not have the ironworkers have to slot a single bolt on the job. Deadly or go home. I then moved on to high rises and ran forming crews on the concrete core style buildings that you don't see too many of any more. Concrete cores that contained all of the elevator shafts etc,,, often with corbels with anchor bolts or embedded weld plates. Pretty precise stuff. We were up several floors above the ironworkers so I was looking down on them as they did the connecting. Saw some pretty gnarly stuff Lol . I had more to walk on and hang onto than they did though. Lol. But swinging around on the ends of the cranes was lots of fun. Loved it. I miss the comraderie of working up there.

[@SwimCoach8]

This is fairly typical framing. We live in a framed home with brick over the exterior wood frame. Why wood? We have millions of acres of forests and timber/wood framing is cheap and durable. A framed home can easily last 100 years or more. Yes, tornados and hurricanes wreak havoc on framed homes. However, the framed roofs and window of your masonry homes would also me blown away in these type of storms. The framing nail gun has a trigger. It also has a spring loaded safety at the tip where the nail comes out. The trigger must be depressed and the safety pressed into the wood before a nail is allowed to be shot. (So you don't kill everyone on the job site) If you squeeze the trigger(holding it in) and bounce the end of the gun....It will shoot a nail every time you touch the end to wood. It can shoot nails nearly as fast as a machine gin.

[@johnzubil2875]

as I posted, can you imagine running wiring, plumbing and heating through stone walls. And can you imagine the cost and manpower to do a remodeling job on a stone structure.

[@briansmith48]

​@@johnzubil2875. I believe those brick houses still have framing on the inside. Wood or metal. They run the electricity and plumbing thru that.

[@briansmith48]

Also those nail guns didn't always have the safety switches on the fronts. 😮

[@johnzubil2875]

@@briansmith48 wrong again. Apparently you have never watched how they build their homes.

[@briansmith48]

@@johnzubil2875 . How can I be wrong again??? When was the first time? 🤔

[@revgurley]

A suggestion for future videos - check out Schoolhouse Rock. It was an American thing from the 1970s-maybe 2000. They were short - commercial length - that they'd play during cartoon time on Saturday mornings (kids have to learn somehow). It used catchy tunes, memorable lyrics, yet taught math(s), grammar, and US history/civics. They're really awesome, and few people have reacted to them. But anyone over 30 in the US knows Schoolhouse Rock. Try "Conjunction Junction" or "I'm Just a Bill."

[@Artfrg4]

Yes! Schoolhouse Rock!

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

Don’t forget “No more kings.”

[@greggwilliamson]

Did that for a few years. The "key phrase" was: "If you fall, you're fired before you hit the ground". Can't sue me, when you found out gravity sucks, you were unemployed.

[@timothydixon2545]

I’ve done electrical for 30 years and I can tell you been saying that since I can’t remember lol

[@godofdeath6455]

well unfortunately unless you were given paperwork stating that you were fired and or it's in a system also stating that you're fired then unfortunately still responsible

[@OscarMoreno-cg1og]

They told me I was on the clock until I hit the ground.

[@Tijuanabill]

@@godofdeath6455 Its a joke we all tell, but you aren't really fired if you fall; you are just dead.

[@anjoleeeickhoff6800]

I’ve actually saw the Amish here in central Illinois build a two story house in one day. It was amazing to watch them work. I went by early in the morning and they were laying the foundation, I went back by a little later in the afternoon and they had all the walls up and closed in. Went by in the evening when the sun was beginning to go down and there were like 20 guys on the roof finishing it off. It was unbelievable how fast they worked together and without modern electric tools.🇺🇸

[@tylerhackner9731]

I love how fascinated you are by us

[@MoreAdamCouser]

I’m obsessed hahaha

[@rogerscurlock2927]

With residential buildings, a huge determining factor for construction method is the readily available material. If you move up to commercial/industrial structures. The construction method is very similar in the majority of developed countries. In the US, trees are abundant, especially the ones we use as building material. Pine is the most common. It also grows quickly. So, it's a readily available resource that is replenished relatively quickly. Side note, this video shows a "stick built" home(completely constructed on-site). We also have "prefabricated" homes. Those are built at a different location(generally a huge factory), and they're transported in large sections and placed on a foundation that was constructed on the site. Our building codes for residential homes vary a lot depending on location. The most strict building code we have is the "Miami-Dade standard". It's used in Florida to build homes that will experience hurricane conditions.

[@thelasticonoclast9467]

On a construction site like this, the boss will tell you “If you fall off the roof, you’re fired before you hit the ground!”

[@MoreAdamCouser]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@johnstup4479]

Your reactions and facial expressions to these videos are just priceless Adam. You're on a roll dude. Keep'm coming!

[@JPMadden]

This house lacks a basement, so it's being built on a concrete slab. My 1950s ranch-style house was a modest 1000 square feet (93 square meters) in size before an addition, but it also has 1000 square feet of storage and additional living space in the climate-controlled basement.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Nice

[@Pinnfeathers]

I love my 1959 ranch with finished walkout basement. 1938 sq ft on each level, but looks like a much smaller house from the street. It’s a “little” house that lives large.

[@JPMadden]

@@Pinnfeathers Does "walkout" basement mean it's larger than the ground floor or that it has a bulkhead for outside access?

[@Pinnfeathers]

@@JPMadden Walkout basements have access to the outside, typically with a door and windows, it’s not underground like a standard basement. It can be any size, it just needs to be accessible from the ground level with standard doors and windows. Sometimes they’re called daylight basements (because you can see daylight in it.) A basement with bulkhead doors is not considered a walkout basement.

[@JPMadden]

@@Pinnfeathers Thanks

[@randykillman6475]

We have lots of trees to use for building and also brick does not do great in earthquake country. Stone or brick does not give well at too much pressure it breaks

[@woodsea434]

Brick and stone also do not do as well in weathering earthquakes, so for those of us on the west coast of North America and other earthquake prone areas, wood homes tend to be more resilient to earthquakes. Adobe houses are more common in the US southwest, and some people do prefer brick, rock, or concrete homes.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

The more you know!

[@woodsea434]

​@@MoreAdamCouserin some places in the US people build straw-bale homes and there are also "earthship" homes which are quite cool.

[@jonadabtheunsightly]

Hurricane damage is mostly water damage, from the flooding that they cause. There is also some wind damage, but it's a lot less than the water damage. In colder states, the walls are still essentially made like this but then the exterior walls will have a couple of inches of styrofoam (in large sheets) over the outside of the wall, underneath the siding; and inside of that, between the studs, there may also be fiberglass insulation between the studs. Fiberglass insulation is the stuff that's usually either yellow or pink and comes in rolls; the width of the rolls is the same as the usual distance between studs, so to install it (from inside the house) you staple the insulation backing to the 2x4 that runs across the top of the wall, unroll downward, cut when you get to the bottom, staple it in place in a few more spots, and then eventually put the drywall over the top just like you would do if the insulation weren't there. And then you make darned sure your windows are the good ones (where each frame contains three parallel panes separated by vacuum), so the windows don't leak heat like nobody's business. Typically you the double-hung windows so they're easy to open in the summer and easy to clean; and you get the ones with built-in screens on a second set of tracks. There are a lot of ways to scrimp and save when building a house, but do NOT scrimp too much on the windows, you WILL regret it. Cheap flooring can be easily replaced later. Cheap woodwork can be painted. A room can be added on, a larger garage built, etc. Replacing all the windows in the house is more of a pain. Don't cheap out on the windows.

[@Sin_Alder]

Not quite done in a day, but depending on various factors, it's definitely doable to construct a house in under a week. A lot of times it'll take significantly longer for various reasons (sometimes sourcing the right window that you just can't live without, or you want to construct it somewhere that's difficult to transport materials to), but if you have what you need, have the permits, and know what you're going to do, having a crew to work on it, a few days is a possibility.

[@WhatDayIsItTrumpDay]

Like @memelord3117 was saying is that the #1 reason we build our homes with a wooden frame structure like this is because we have a thriving timber industry. There are some parts of the country that are essentially lumber farms...the Pacific Northwest is a major source of timber. And yes, when a plot of trees is cut, it is replanted and then about 20 years later it's ready to be cut again again. That may sound like a long time, or even short time, but there's just so much land covered in trees that it kinda takes that long to having to need that plot of land again. The #2 reason is because wooden framed structures can survive Earthquakes better than stone, brick, or mud ones do. If you notice that when there's an Earthquake within the Mediterranean or southern Asian region, it usually results in massive structural damage and lots of death. You don't see that in the US with wooden frames. Why? The wood can give just enough so that it doesn't crumble or snap. There's a major fault lines in the US. The San Andres out in California, the New Madrid in the Midwest, and another in the Northeast around NYC. (They just had a 5.0 there a month or so ago.) But there's other shakes events that go on as well. Mine blasting is one such thing. Back in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, we had strip mines near my house. Every so often, they'd blast rock, and we'd get a mini earthquake here. The house would shake for a few seconds and that'd be it, right. No damage, just a trinket may fall off the wall every now and again. But if our houses were built out of brick or stone, they would have crumbled in no time. They've done seismic tests to see which building materials work best under ever increasing seismic disturbances. They tested Mud, Stone, Wood, and Steel. They all failed in pretty much that order. Mud crumbles right away. Followed rather quickly with Stone, but the Wood survives for quite a long time, and then the steel the longest as it too can give a little, steel as we know can flex without breaking. But yes, you're right. Wooden structures tend to get blown away pretty easily in Tornadoes and Hurricanes, but they do quite well in straight lime winds if not directly hit or for not long sustained times. Like for Father's Day 1998, my neighborhood was hit with a a major Downburst. There was a lot of tree damage in the area, but hardly any of any at all house damage. If there was any house damage it was because a tree fell on the structure. But yeah, if it's a tornado with 85-200 mph winds and the funnel hits your structure...it's gone. But I'd say that it'd fuck up a stone or brick structure pretty bad too. In fact, we just had brand new Walmart Supercenter and adjacent stand alone stripmall built in our town in 2011, and we were hit on Leap Day 2012 with an EF 3 tornado and it totally destroyed that stripmall. It was built with cement block and steel. So there ya go.

[@wannabegeek519]

America has more trees now than in 1900. We plant trees like crops. Lumber is cheap. We build with what is abundant and cheap (and sturdy) Most houses use this type of construction method. It is a method that has developed over the years that allows for quick and accurate construction. These houses can last 200 years if the roof is maintained.

[@storminight]

I like watching you watch things we take for granted. And you’re funny as shit. 😂

[@Dr_Kyutoko]

Nope, Northern state dweller here, brick houses are not common. Most are indeed made of wood. Now if you go to larger, older cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, there are brick houses, mansions really, in the "old part of town". Can't remember why, but I think it has something to do with how windy it gets in some parts and the wooden houses are more supple and can easily bend and adjust, whereas the brick houses are firmer and can't handle the strain off high winds as well.

[@bobevans3209]

There is a healthy mix of building types in the US. I live in a brick home.

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Nice!

[@tj_2701]

One reason U.K. Homes have a history of not being made of wood is because at one point the U.K. nearly chopped down all of it's trees. So home grown wood was reserved for the military aka ships.

[@rawyin]

Hurricaines will take out stone buildings. We have techniques involving controlling pressure, air movement, joints and fastening. Also anywhere in rhe US you'll get occasional 100+ weather but we wre guys and we take kur shirts off. As for if other houses are built like this, I'd say almost all houses are built like this. Some of the tech like the wood i-beams is a new thing from the last 20 years, but outside of that we've been doing this stick frame construction for decades. Actually kind of struggle with the idea that it's not found in other places in the UK as well.

[@tj_2701]

Adam have you ever seen a big building made of brick or block and steel get hit by a tornado? It doesn't take the strongest tornado to wreck even big strong non-wooden buildings. There have even been tornadoes that have removed the foundation from the property, forget the house anchored to and built on it.

[@ur_quainmaster7901]

It's sort of a chicken and egg situation. Most guys who build homes know how to work with wood. Getting someone to do structural brick or concrete would require expensive specialist contractors and such. The hardware stores are all geared around wood and getting the right anchor bolts and whathaveyou for concrete wouldn't be so easy. Possible, but difficult for most. Plenty of homes are covered in brick, however it's just a facade and doesn't support anything. Also, building a wood home rated for hurricanes is not that difficult or expensive compared to a normal home. But it is more expensive, and homebuilders are mostly into mass producing the cheapest thing that will pass inspection, while still having fancy molding and granite countertops to jack up the sales price. Adam if you ever find yourself mystified by something in the US, the answer is probably profit.

[@mitchellgildea254]

Mainly houses are built like this because of cost and availability of materials and the time to build; wood is more readily available and cheaper than stone and brick, and it's faster to build than one that uses brick or stone

[@MoreAdamCouser]

Makes sense!

[@Loveduff]

East coast as is New England, Maryland, DC, Delaware etc many many homes are built with brick stone. As well as cobblestone streets, I know quite a few built with brick and some stone in Montana, Oregon, Washington State. It depends on the type of weather where you live. And brick and stone are more expensive. And quite a lot more wood aka trees America.

[@Amber-mv8wz]

These guys are framers & depending on the job getting the frame, sheathing, & roof sheathing on is usually all they do. Other crews will come in to do shingles, siding, doors & windows, plumbing, electric, sheetrock, painting, flooring, etc. Yes, most US houses are built in this way because we have lots of trees & also, we're morally opposed to giving hurricanes & tornadoes bricks & stones to throw at us. With our weather it's not that the wind is blowing but rather WHAT the wind is blowing. lol Seriously, brick is probably the second most common house material with stone being a distant third.

[@johnpauljones9244]

There are special straps added for hurricanes in areas needing that for the roofs. In colder climates, the walls are thicker for more insulation.

[@kramermccabe8601]

Flooding is the major concern in a hurricane

[@kramermccabe8601]

@maine-lygamingtips2039 yes it is. A tidal surge can travel hundreds of miles inland like a tidal wave. During Katrina it wasn't the wind that demolished New Orleans.

[@rollieb8944]

Tornadoes don't discriminate, they'll level a brick and mortar house just as quickly as a stick built. Tornadoes jump, they can decimate a neighborhood and not touch several of them. If it's an F 5. Your only safe if you're underground in a shelter

[@revgurley]

If all your walls (except the one room you mentioned) are stone, are they all "supporting walls?" Maybe that isn't a thing there. In the US, some interior walls are just walls separating spaces. But some are "load bearing walls" which means you can't take them down unless you add another beam on top to support the weight of the second story or roof. This is quite the issue as many of us buy a house, and make it our own with additions, opening of spaces, etc. But you have to know which walls are okay to take down inside, and which will collapse the house.

[@derred723]

Houses are wood because the entire country because lumber is plentiful. At a time. half the country was forested. In the Western US houses are made of wood because brick does not flex in earthquakes and crumbles and kills everyone. Brick homes are more common in places like the east coast that rarely suffer earthquakes. I can't speak to if brick or wood is better in hurricanes. I'd do know you can make homes highly resistant to hurricane by using the more expensive metal reinforced joints. But I know in Florida it's not required. Part of that is it's a Republican run state and part of the Republican philosophy is "anti-regulation" thus it's very hard to get laws past to require homes to be able to withstand the strongest. They seem generally ok with only requiring homes to to be built to withstand a lower level of hurricane. So in certain places it's very much about the political will. Brick in my understanding is usually cooler but the hottest parts of the US tend to have earthquakes. I also believe they are harder to heat in the winter too.

[@Tjrissi96]

If you love this, you would probably love watching the "Abandoned Mansion Renovation" series by Matt Carriker. Not really something to react to here, its a very long series, but lots of wood!

[@bambamnj]

Most residential homes are pretty much built in the same fashion, with maybe some slight differences in the technologies used. There are actually a LOT of different reasons we use wood over brick or stone in America. Don't get me wrong, there certainly are a lot of structures in the US that are made from brick or stone but when it comes to Residential construction, wood wins out. First of all, Wood is very available in the US. We have lots of forest areas and lots of companies that grow fast growing trees specifically so they can be harvested on a regular basis for wood. Second wood construction is a lot quicker and easier, specially with all the pneumatic tools we have now-a-days. Wood is easier to manipulate into different designs and also allows for quicker and easier modifications to your home. Want to expand? just take down a wall and boom you're ready to add on. Having a wood frame home also allow for easier updating and changing things inside. It's much easier to attach drywall or other indoor coverings to the wall. With stone or brick you either have to glue everything or you poking holes into the stone/brick which deteriorated the integrity of the structure.

[@jacoblongbrake8230]

No... Six to eight weeks to build a house, if there's no delays, which there always are. Either in material or the weather. But if you build a house, you don't build the complete house. There's different groups of people as in roofers, framers, sheet rock, electricians, air duct, inspectors, and on... To coordinate all of those people is a task of itself. To have one house completed within the time frame is a difficult challenge in itself. And they do this with a couple lots. At the same time, they don't do one house at a time, but 2 or 3. Lastly, it's hard to depend upon some of these people in this industry. A lot of them were heavy addicts (shooting up on SITE). My employer had a lot more issues with them then delays.

[@jamescostabile862]

Every State has their own way of building homes. In California you can't have brick nor stone houses because of the earthquakes. Earthquakes make the bricks or stone shoot around like bulletts. In Texas, homes are mostly built of stone or bricks

[@BrightHardDay]

A little off topic, but I've been meaning to tell you that your new house is exactly what we always did in the US until recently. When you get a partner you begin to focus on getting what we call a "starter" home either just before or just after the first child. More kids and more income means a move to a family house, then often after the kids are grown, you down size. So feel good about what you're accomplishing and remember a lot of these nicer homes are being bought by KZbinrs. If they can you can! Love the new content.

[@m2hmghb]

"this guy with the nail gun is on something" Nah, he's just used to it. He's also not going that fast, you can hear the rhythm of it. The way he's firing the nail gun is slower then you can fire a real semi automatic firearm (.25 seconds between shots is around average - 4 rounds per second)

[@philippschmidt80]

Most american single family homes are just wood and cardboard stapled together. You should watch some house flipping or remodeling shows, they literally rip walls apart with their bare hands. This is also a reason why so many American movies and tv shows feature characters punching a hole in a wall in a fit of anger, this is not an incredible feat of strength, it's just very easy to do.

[@Shuan-t1h]

If a tornado tore through UK, I wonder what would happen to those brick homes. 😉 I can guarantee you nothing will be standing and those bricks will kill more people underneath when it collapses.

[@DeRothschild]

“The Build Show” will give you a glimpse of how the average American 🇺🇸 home builder builds

[@bambamnj]

Insulation is generally only installed on the exterior walls and the top floor ceiling between the living space and the attic and in the bottom floor between the basement or crawlspace and the first floor. However, a lot of people will install a sound proofing foam or board between floors to muffle sound from traveling either from the lower floor to the upper floor or the other way. That way if someone is sleeping upstairs in a bedroom the sound from people's activities below won't be heard as much, in the same way if someone is having crazy sex in a bedroom upstairs you won't hear as much of the screaming on the first floor. 🥳

[@JC-es5un]

America also has stone and brick houses too. I live in Michigan and a friend has of mine who moved here from California was shocked to see stone and brick houses because in California they can’t really do that because of the danger of Earthquakes.

[@alisiabakerjb]

Hurricanes in the UK are very different than the US and it has to with your location and temperatures. UK's hurricanes, even though they are called hurricanes are more like a tropical storms.

[@chrisgotski9837]

Your Homes are probably built with brick because of fires. Your houses are on top of each other. You also have way more rain. We have brick Homes here but they're more expensive to build.

[@JDogVids]

I live in a brick house that was built around the 1990's, it was made by the chickasaws here in oklahoma! I got to repair the corner of ny roof from a old satellite dish that caused wood to rot.

[@PaulaThompson-x9w]

I'm in Florida. My home is built with double poured cement block with rods. Houses are built all kind of ways in the US. They are built 4 or 5 different ways just on my street alone. Many, both block and wood ,have been here 100 years or more.

[@SpkeNo1]

and where here in Germany Have Buildings 1700 Years Old Even wirh world war 2

[@livelifeTOrcr1p]

I can frame a house in 6 days with a crew of 4 including me. Tiny house can be done in 3 days. Then you have all the interior and exterior finishes. I built a 16x16 foot house in Poland in 23 hours alone

[@MoreAdamCouser]

That’s honestly incredible man

[@tinahairston6383]

@@MoreAdamCouser watching tiny homes being built is way cool. You should check that out as well.

[@Crunchbite_Daimyo]

Brick houses wouldn't fair too much better than timber houses built to code in the states that have tornados and hurricanes. Brick or stone is typically applied as a facade on the front of homes in NA though.

[@CraigE.Mowrey]

We have wood and you don't.

[@zarahbelle3627]

I think you found your immigration pathway to America. Get an Visa to come learn construction, Lol!

[@revtoyota]

Brick and stone are horrible insulators. Houses even here in Alaska are made from wood with just thicker walls.

[@CaddyJim]

This is how most house in the US are built, others are a mix of steel & wood. No houses are really built with stone anymore unless it's a custom home, but some wood houses will have stone exterior

[@johnmemoli1261]

Travel to the Southeast, and you'll see a lot of brick. There's an excess of clay in the area, so brick.

[@mmrgratitudes]

If you find this fascinating, you should watch the Amish build a barn

[@TheCrazyDamon]

I've built additions and done roofing it's not as fun as you think lol! Our apartment is brick and concrete and always warm in here so you may be onto something with that

[@thegooniverse495]

This is normal. You're the one living in rocks and stones like you're God damn frodo in the shire

[@garycamara9955]

We have earthquakes here brick houses fall down, wood is more flexible.

[@robertgamingtips8726]

northern us houses are typically wood like this and southern hurricane prone modern homes are built at heightened elevation with brick exterior walls and wooden interior walls.

[@CrispyOkra]

Stone structures in major hurricanes & tornadoes just become heavier debris to hit & squash you. The strongest tornadoes can suck asphalt & grass out of the ground. If you've ever seen aftermath images or video you'll notice everything is covered in mud from what used to be lawn & roads.

[@jdc1978]

It depends on where the home is located. In S Florida we are in what is called a HVHZ, High Velocity Hurricane Zone. The homes must be built to withstand 170 MPH winds. Including the windows and roofing system. And it cost quite a bit more.

[@TruthWillFreeYou]

Yeah, I live in North Central Florida for forty years in the same house, and it has never been damaged by a hurricane. Our biggest worry during a hurricane is that a tree will fall on our home. I know several people that have died that way.

[@WhodatLucy]

Hurricanes and tornadoes tear up brick too over 100 mph break brick dude

[@davekyle433]

Dude... Youve made me laugh so many times. Just subscribed.

[@Lilbit371]

I survived an F5 tornado and it destroyed several brick houses.

[@Dragoncurse4]

If you want a better video showing how US homes are built, then you should really check out the video titled '1 Year Timelapse Building Our Custom Home' from the channel Faris and Lisa.

[@tinahairston6383]

I suggested that one too

[@davetorrey8303]

part of the reason homes are built this way is because it makes it easier to adjust and change layouts as time moves on. There are certainly regional building codes based on potential for weather and disasters, but there is a prize on being able to adjust quickly and easily as neighborhoods crop up, disappear, and change over time

[@connief5154]

If you like watching building homes, Trent and Allie have been building their home in Utah for the last 3 years.

[@portialancaster3442]

I'm in the Northeast of the states and my house is a 3 story all brick house with a stone basement.

[@commonsence1129]

Love watching your reaction. I would like to see you react to more homes being built.

[@andylipiro3862]

Tornadoes will blow over a house no matter what it's made of!

[@grungy4202]

All houses in the United States have to adhere to codes that differ from area to area. Houses on the West Coast are built to withstand earthquakes. Houses on the East Coast are built to withstand hurricanes. Homes in the Midwest are built to withstand boredom. Also, most homes in the U.S. are covered in brick or stone.

[@tinahairston6383]

built to withstand boredom, BAH!!!!!

[@emilymasters5097]

You should check out adobe houses. They're very unique to the American Southwest.

[@Anant-ik2lw]

They keep the heat out. I think it’s what the natives used as well

[@tj_2701]

Adam on YT keeping us entertained 💚💚💚💚

[@rebapuck5061]

I have to keep reminding myself that this is an ADDITION to an existing house.