how long does a wood frame house last

[Summer]

Hello!
My husband and I decided to build a house. We examined the proposals of many construction companies that offer different construction methods. It seemed we stopped on a panel-frame house. They are fast, warm, inexpensive and so on...
I am confused by one thing - terms of service of such houses. Builders say: "Do not worry! They are durable! "But their opinion is more than subjective. I looked up in the internet - these are completely different facts (from 30 to 150 years).
I would like to hear an advice of different people who know or have an experience in this matter.
Thank you in advance!

[expert]

If you don’t build it correctly, even a stone house will not stand for a long. Only the sellers of cardboard houses are modestly silent how much does it cost to build a house correctly with a system of ventilation and heating. For a permanent residence - a stone cottage, a sauna and a frame. That's the whole selection. Two-story frame apartment houses were built in the thirties of this century. They were partially demolished the early years of this century. That is, if our "scoop" of exploitation, the houses stood for more than 70 (!) years. In Finland, there are frame houses that are older. At the time they were heated by dust and lime. Then, when there was an ecowool, the people changed the heater. When there was a basalt slab insulation - it has already changed the tenants themselves.
So, remember, a life at home depends on the following parameters:
1) a source material
2) a project
3) a construction (project)
4) an operation
Not less than 50 years, provided that the structure protected from moisture and precipitation. At same time with the wood through the years 100-200 would be nothing, but it may become obsolete much older (both physically and mentally) an insulation, a façade, a trim, a roofing, etc., but it is typical for any finishing material.

[bill]

The house in 5 years will require a minor repairs, because paints and coatings do not last forever, and to live for five years in the same ... You will want something new, move the furniture (and there is another faded floor), outweigh the shelves, cabinets rearranged (and thus update walls).
To do a major repair in 10 - 20 years with a lifting of flooring, diagnosis, sewerage, plumbing and heating is an important thing in any home. The question is, for how many years the house would be constructive to withstand loads or, as sailors say, the boat runs out of resources of buoyancy.
So, a frame, a brick, a timber, logs or a concrete - all destroyed by external forces. The question is how to minimize the impact of these forces - the question is certainly in a correct operation and in a proper draft. The project, in this case, is an understanding of materials, its processing methods and methods of protection, but not a house layout. Everything is aging gradually, without exception. In this regard, let's say the benefits of brick, lumber under a frame house are nothing. Such materials as an insulation, a façade, a roof will grow old at the same time. The framework itself, as have already mentioned above, will stand much more than 50 years, and nothing will happen to it, if there is a right technology. And there is a huge advantage over any other houses is an excellent maintainability.

[Summer]

My parents live in a four stored brick house of 1962 year, that is not even 50 years, but the whole house is in cracks and erosion on the bricks because of sewage and needs a major repair, ranging from communications and finishing by roof and façade. In most apartments a plaster was crumbled and an insulation is needed.

[baltazar]

For myself, I decided as follows:
A frame house is a house designed for a life no more than 20-25 years. Then a repair is required with the opening of walls and a replacement of insulation, a replacement of roof and a slab between floors.
A stone (brick) house with an insulation with a lifetime of 50 years. It is a home for all life without major repairs, but with the replacement of roofing over 25 years.
The house on a frame technology with walls of arbolit and concrete slabs between floors is a house for all life without major repairs, a replacement of roofing over 25 years, but much cheaper than a stone one. If the insulation life is 25 years in the upright position, then no matter where it lies, between the uprights in the frame or between two layers of brickwork. Only in 25 years to turn out a few screws to change the heater is much easier than breaking and restoring masonry wells.
To change a roof is a nonsense, while the modern roofing materials designed for a lifetime of more than 50 years.

[buldozer]

For this case there is a reconstruction and a renovation. There are also such things as a cultural historic value, a character and an image of the existing building .. etc. But it's a little different story. Nevertheless, even in a private architecture there are very common examples of this reconstruction, which is very distribute on the west because of a large number of old buildings. And not all of them are allowed under the ‘knife’ .. As I have said it is a matter of education and culture. A person who does not have a roof over his head - the main question is a "home" - in fact in this case who can choose the roof - "what kind of" . In our country Soviet citizens live now. the people with no history and roots (except for a small part of them) therefore, relevant to such issues.
I think no one argues to the fact that 90% of low-rise buildings do not have any cultural or architectural, at this point, value and will not have a high financial value in the future.
I am for a light house, which serves 30-50 years, it is not expensive and to demolish it is also not expensive. A land now and even more in our future, is more valuable than a house out of date.

[expert]

I'll make a transcript of my own view of the situation.
1. A frame house. A peculiarity of use of a heater required "wrapping" it in any membranes. And what is a life-span of membranes? If I am told that they serve for 50 years, then, I ask to show me a real example in Russia (especially in our climate). Yeahh, and a sinking of insulation in such house is critical to keeping it warm in winter.


Next, the floor between the first and the second floor. If you plan to use it for 50 years without a repair, it is your right, but I would not risk more than 20-25 years. Be sure to open the floor for its expertise in a decay process and new fire beams and a biosecurity (and bearing beams, too). At this point, the room on the second floor and on the ground floor becomes unusable for its intended purpose.
Advantages: a low cost and the ease of repair.
Disadvantages: At the time of repair there is a practical impossibility of living.
2. A stone house. It is much difficult. To expose a brickwork for the replacement of insulation is almost impossible (and almost nobody does it). But over time, (as I think) the insulation in a house is less susceptible to wear. A subsidence of insulation in such house is less critical than in a frame house.
You haven’t to redo the flooring between the first and the second floor made from monolithic slabs (it is enough to change the coating).
Advantages: during a repair you can live in it. A repair is not earlier than 50 years. A high stability.
Disadvantages: High initial cost of construction.

[expert]

3. A house on a frame technology made of concrete pillars. The peculiarity is that the main supporting structure is posts. The rest of the wall is made of material such as arbol, foam blocks or their equivalents.
For the critics ... I do not advertise an arbol, I advertise a technology. The arbol cited as an example (in my opinion) the most suitable material for the walls of the house. At the same time you do not need to repair these walls for 50-100 years (you don’t need any longer).
With this technology the overlap between floors can be concrete.
Advantages: a lower cost for the construction with our hands, unlike a stone house. No need to break walls with a repair.
Disadvantages: a complex technology for the design calculations and a big labor during construction.
As for the roofs of houses. Why does a roof repair is needed after 25 years?
With the construction of modern houses in their system is used a roof membrane. Their life-span is no more than 25 years (real). And a roof covering mainly for a service life (by documentation) is designed for 15-25 years. Yes, we can put tiles or cover with copper, but how many houses as compared to a metal, shingle, or slate roofing material.

[buldozer]

Why all the time as an advantage of frame houses is their cheapness? Yes, a normal frame house is not cheaper a stone house. The wood is rather expensive, plus costs on covering (OSB, DSP), plus all the accessories (screws, corners, etc.). It seems cheap but as you touch ... The life-span as it seems to me for the frame house will be sufficient, and not for one generation, if you make a high quality, protecting the wood. Yes, everything is clear, the people in their Soviet mind really want to build a house where they will live in a retirement. To count in our country at a normal retirement is impossible.
If you have some money only for the frame house, so build it, the only thing you need to follow is a quality of construction and good finishing materials. And as noted by "forum users" you should maintain the house. Then, 50 years later, it will stand.
The service life depends primarily on the exploitation of home. Without a repair the house lives about 50 years and everything depends on the owner.
There are timber houses of 100 years or more, and there are frame which are 200 years. I am talking about the houses in a good condition, suitable for life.
Of course, you will not find modern frame houses of 50 years and more as advanced materials, including the insulation have recently appeared even in Europe and America.
The frame is impregnated with a special fire defense (not to be confused with a translucent impregnation). The frame has a hidden location. A lifetime of a frame house in compliance with a technology ranging is from 30 to 50 years (from literature). The durability of the building itself is no less dependent on the life of the insulation, internal engineering systems (pipes, heating systems, etc.) and obsolescence, finally! The term to overhaul of the house, like any other system determined by the minimum durability of its main elements, i.e. it must be evaluated "in the narrow place." So, after 30-50 years, and in a frame or a brick house, insulated from the outside or inside the walls, the insulation has to be changed, but to replace it in a brick house you will have to disassemble that house, hiring a crew for "rather big money", and then again to restore broken! Then to build the walls with the new insulation and facing bricks just like in Chernobyl!
In frame houses a replacing the insulation (as well as pipes, wires, damaged structural elements) can be performed simply, cheaply and quickly: unscrewed the screws, removed the sheetrock, pulled out an old insulation (pipe, wire, etc.) and put a new one, twist screws. And you can do yourself, without the involvement of the builders, not to "evict" for indefinite time from the house. Such way is well received in the North America where the people are still living in frame houses built in the early 1700s. The frame is still the same as the original!