536 Thomaston St, Barnesville, GA 30204 | Distinctive Collection by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers
536 Thomaston St, Barnesville, GA, 30204, Single Family Detached, 3 Beds, 2 Full Baths, 1 Half Bath, Barnesville real estate
They don't make 'em like they used to
- Thread starter malocchio
- Start date
They sure don’t and that irritates the crap out of me to no end. Houses around here are selling like hotcakes. Since 2017 my home value has increased $40,000. We just had a brand new AC installed and part of the inspection the guy said the duct work was crap. The cheapest they could have used when built back in 2004. So our home has increased 40k in value even with terrible duct work.?? I don’t get it. No one cares!
seems like sometime after the 1960’s home builders just starting using the cheapest fastest easiest things they could to throw up houses. And it’s gotten worse. I’ve looked at many brand new houses over the last 10 years. I’m always amazed at the cheap fixtures in the house. Houses valued at 300k+ will have $10 Home Depot closet shelves. Really? You can’t build wooden shelves? or buy a nice closet organizer? And all interior doors are crap. $5 door handles on a $20 door. It upsets me. Gaps in door trim and floor trim. Did not even caulk around the HVAC vents! Literally just set them in the floor. Come on!
seems like sometime after the 1960’s home builders just starting using the cheapest fastest easiest things they could to throw up houses. And it’s gotten worse. I’ve looked at many brand new houses over the last 10 years. I’m always amazed at the cheap fixtures in the house. Houses valued at 300k+ will have $10 Home Depot closet shelves. Really? You can’t build wooden shelves? or buy a nice closet organizer? And all interior doors are crap. $5 door handles on a $20 door. It upsets me. Gaps in door trim and floor trim. Did not even caulk around the HVAC vents! Literally just set them in the floor. Come on!
I hear you, bro. Prices are ridiculous while the typical workmanship is abysmal. The house, the A/C, appliances - and don't get me started on the car! More and more all the shops can tell me is "I don't know what the problem is", and "That'll be $400"!
- Thread starter
- #4
You're 100% correct..... I live in the SF Bay Area, this is what you get for your money:
My great-grandfather built homes (and other buildings) for a living. As best as I can figure out from the way my father describes what he remembers as a kid, he would have basically been a general contractor. Responsible for everything and getting his minions to do most of the actual hammer-swinging.
Anyhow, my dad would tell me that he (great-grandfather) was very upset and dismissive of the shift in house construction when the industry went from all-board construction to frame and plywood construction.
Nowadays, of course, it's all chip-board instead of the "luxury" plywood.
Anyhow, my dad would tell me that he (great-grandfather) was very upset and dismissive of the shift in house construction when the industry went from all-board construction to frame and plywood construction.
Nowadays, of course, it's all chip-board instead of the "luxury" plywood.
It might make more sense to say that money is worth less. That's what inflation does. It isn't good, but we seem to be stuck with inflation.
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Many builders have gone to 24 on center for framing instead of 16. A friend of mine that is in the industry told me that some of the bigger builders have requested to go to 30. I can't imagine that something with that big of a span would stand a chance of lasting and not have major structural issues in a very short time. Look in a modern house and you will see plastic instead of wood trim and particle board construction for cabinetry.
Several years ago when the housing market was red hot we built a home in a subdivision that had multiple builders and the competition for framers was insane. The builders would offer a framing crew 500 cash to walk off a job and come to work for them. One morning we went for a walk and heard a creaking sound similar to a tree falling and as we stood there a prefab chimney fell of a completed home. We moved and I sometimes wonder how those homes held up.
Several years ago when the housing market was red hot we built a home in a subdivision that had multiple builders and the competition for framers was insane. The builders would offer a framing crew 500 cash to walk off a job and come to work for them. One morning we went for a walk and heard a creaking sound similar to a tree falling and as we stood there a prefab chimney fell of a completed home. We moved and I sometimes wonder how those homes held up.
The old frame construction was on 24" centers. It was a different quality wood, though, more rigid and full dimensioned. Unfortunately builders of that era also set the studs down the side of the floor joists and didn't use purlins. This let rats and what have you run up and down the inside of the walls, and also didn't slow fire.
It also meant that the walls were uninsulated. Blowing in insulation required stopping the bottoms of the walls first.
Used to work summers in construction. Our frame walls were on 16" centers. Modern lumber is cut to slightly smaller dimensions, and some tends to be more limber due to the age of the tree and how fast it grew. We used purlins.
Unless the house that started this thread was built as a modern copy of that style, it was likely constructed in a time when most house builders had one or two floor plans, and built very few of that style in a town before moving to the next. Nothing wrong with that; it was just common in that age.
It also meant that the walls were uninsulated. Blowing in insulation required stopping the bottoms of the walls first.
Used to work summers in construction. Our frame walls were on 16" centers. Modern lumber is cut to slightly smaller dimensions, and some tends to be more limber due to the age of the tree and how fast it grew. We used purlins.
Unless the house that started this thread was built as a modern copy of that style, it was likely constructed in a time when most house builders had one or two floor plans, and built very few of that style in a town before moving to the next. Nothing wrong with that; it was just common in that age.
Plywood beats chipboard; chipboard beats particleboard. Have used a square pointed shovel to remove deteriorated chip board and particle board underlayment from bathrooms. OTOH, some plywood won't hold up well with moisture, either. Usually we used particle board for underlayment in parts of a house not subject to moisture, and moisture resistant plywood in kitchens and bathrooms.
All I know is that Japanese made products undergo rigorous quality checks.
Some time ago some Toyota Camry's were assembled in the US. A guy compared the US models with the Japanese made models here is what he found:
1. Space between trunk lid and left and right fender - perfectly lined up on the Japanese unit, slightly off on the US.
2. Space between Passenger door and frame and drive door and frame - slightly off-lined on US, exact on Japanese version.
3. Strolled to the back - tail lights, space between light cover and housing - same on Japanese, slightly different gap size between left and right on US .. and there were many others ...
Some time ago some Toyota Camry's were assembled in the US. A guy compared the US models with the Japanese made models here is what he found:
1. Space between trunk lid and left and right fender - perfectly lined up on the Japanese unit, slightly off on the US.
2. Space between Passenger door and frame and drive door and frame - slightly off-lined on US, exact on Japanese version.
3. Strolled to the back - tail lights, space between light cover and housing - same on Japanese, slightly different gap size between left and right on US .. and there were many others ...
