Building or buying a home is a big decision, and one that weighs heavily on the person making the purchase. What happens if you make the wrong decision? What if there are some serious issues that you missed during the initial inspection? What if you miss something and tragedy strikes?
There are ways to limit those unpleasant surprises, and one is to consider what your home is made of from the start. The materials that go into construction will determine how long your home will last, the costs and frequency of repairs, and the stress you have to deal with moving forward.
Two popular materials known for their sturdiness are wood and brick. But which one is really better? We’ll see.
The benefits of wood
Wood is often praised for its overall appearance. You can create a rustic and natural environment using logs. No one would deny how beautiful wooden houses look both inside and out. Plus, the colors and grain of the wood are warm and inviting, which is a great feeling to have in your home.
But there’s more than that. Wood is more environmentally friendly than most materials. It can be made from recycled wood and wood panels, which help reduce the impact on the environment. Stains, seals, and other chemicals that were once dangerous to the ecosystem around the home have become much safer for the environment.
Wood is also very durable and easy to replace. If a log cracks, you can replace or repair it with minimal work, unlike many other materials. It’s less likely to have problems if it’s maintained properly, which is why this is the main reason many people choose wood over other options.
The benefits of brick
Brick is another attractive material, ahead of concrete, sheetrock, or plastic siding in the appearance category. You can select different colored bricks, which is a pro for those who want something a little different from the norm.
For sturdiness, it’s hard to beat the brutal efficiency of bricks. After all, there is a reason why it is used in the story of the three little pigs. On the downside, when damaged, brick is difficult to repair or replace. You may also need a mason to make those repairs, as removing a brick can damage the overall structure of the siding and lead to problems later on.
The quality of materials is more likely to be compromised. You can look at the wood and get a good idea if it is a stable and healthy piece of wood. Bricks can be more difficult to measure.
Why wood is better than other materials
You can look between the two pros above to see why log homes are generally considered better. But there are a couple of other reasons. For one thing, wood is much easier to move, and log homes are lightweight while also being resistant to the elements. That means you can transport it from one place to another if you ever decide to move, without having to sell the house.
The amount of time to build one of these houses is another reason. Wood takes an average of three months to build from scratch, or less when using prefabs. Brick houses can take a year or more, and the cost is much higher thanks to the amount of labor involved. Insulation is easier and cheaper to install in a wooden home, and it’s easier to reseal any leaking areas where water or cold air can enter.
What about maintaining them?
Maintaining wooden houses is easier than you think. Every three to five years you will need to re-stain and seal your home and look for potential problems. Some problems that could occur include cracks or weathering in the wood, sun bleaching, log rot, insect infestations, and general wear and tear. The more faithfully the wood is maintained, the more unlikely it is that these problems will arise.
On average, this is a cost of $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the square footage of your home and the product selected for the job. When you consider the fact that it will only be done every five years, this cost is pretty minimal. Especially given the fact that most people can do it on their own.
It is also necessary to work on the surrounding area. Some plants and vines can try to grow on the wood, so you’ll want to prune plants annually. Applying a weed killer or pulling out weeds when they first grow is a simple way to make sure this never happens.
All this is not necessary for bricks, but it is more difficult to avoid problems when it comes to materials such as concrete. You may also have trouble seeing problems because they occur within the bricks and therefore non-surface cracks, gaps where the bricks have worn, infestations, and other hazards may not be apparent until they have grown a lot. level.
Prefab vs. Custom
What kind of wooden house should you consider? You have the options of building your own house, buying one that is on the market, or opting for a prefabricated model. A prefabricated wooden house is one that has already been built with different parts, which are then assembled by the contractor on the land that he has purchased.
Prefabs are a great way to get a beautiful home for a fraction of the cost and time. They are similar to metal mobile homes, only they have the many benefits of having a wooden frame. You can get one of these houses for as little as tens of thousands of dollars; custom models may cost more.
Regardless of what you’re looking for, there’s no denying that wood is an amazing material.
