Hi.
I’ve never been there so I don’t really know, but its what I usually see in the movies. If wood is cheaper then it makes sense for movies, it also might makes sense for people who live in places that are prone to natural disasters cause it may be cheaper for them to rebuild. Anyway I’m working on a project and at some point it maybe useful to know this information so I’d like to know if most Americans live in wooden houses and if they do what are the reasons?
Well I’ve been to Korea and they live in buildings made of brick to, so do we here in Zambia and most of Africa.
Could these images below be 1 of the reasons so many people are mislead into think american Houses are made of wood? we don’t cover our houses with wood, we plaster and paint them.
Lol you’d be surprised, but i think its just because of whats seen on tv. Around here in the heavy rain seasons people usually say our houses would all be blown away if we made them out of wood like Americans. Anyway thanks for clearing that up.
I spent 4 months there, it wasn’t primarily for travel/tourism but I did a bit of that. There isn’t too much to look at in the capital city(Seoul), its mostly large apartment buildings but Busan city has some pretty nice structures. The natural terrain is mostly mountains and trees and there’s a lot of it, looks impossible to build on but it’s pretty nice, it takes about 6 hours to drive across the country and for most of the trip its all you’ll see. The people are a bit closed and Conservative compared to people here but from my experience they are usually friendly, well to foreigners anyway. Most people over 30 don’t speak English, its not that difficult to speak with the younger people but they usually struggle with English. What I especially liked about it is the work culture over there, they are pretty hard working, it could make you take a second look at yourself.
Most houses in hurricane prone areas are a mix of core pillars (steel + concrete), some main walls made of bricks… all the rest of the structure is wood covered by insulation foam.
http://www.energyoneamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/EOA-Attic-Spray-Foam-Insulation-2.jpg
Other way around. We don’t build sacrificial wooden homes in disaster prone areas. We drop Trailer parks in them. 
Why is it always the trailer you see in disaster photo’s ??? Why?
There just isn’t a known building structure that can withstand an F5 Twister. If there is. We can’t all afford one. America isn’t that old. This Nation was developed over just a few hundred years.
It depends on the area for housing materials, and also “Creative Style.” Something American’s are never lacking in.
If it’s cheap, traditional, or if it’s your environment. You use it… I didn’t see too much wood used in Sante fe, New Mexico, and there are a lot of bricks in Columbus, Georgia thanks to clay deposits.
So if your looking for a certain aesthetic for your game. Check the area. America is a big place.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
Good to know. Things here are a lot simpler since everything is same in most places. Thanks for the info.
ive traveled and lived all over the US an dit really is dependent on where you live. in the north east its mainly wooden houses except in some historic districts where its brick. but as with all things there are exceptions. in the southwest i saw much more stucco but even some of those were made of wood with a facade. i also saw alot of brick in the south due to hurricanes and such.
Yes I do see many times, in movies where the house is usually bungalow and made up of woods…And during the winter, the pavement is full of snow… so someone has to dig and clear etc…
And also, in many home-related documentaries or short programme like home-renovation make over (something like that), first the ‘expert’ will buy the house at quite cheap, and they will do make over to the house and sold it for good profit. While renovating, they will bring large hammer to knock down those woods… it is often like that…lol.
Thanks for the info, I think I’ll have to narrow down my project to a more specific area.
Thanks, I’ll try and have a look at some home related documentaries.
Yeah, ThompsonN13 is right. It depends on where you live. I live in the Midwest. Almost all of the homes are wood. Even commercial apartment buildings. They will have concrete foundations and basements. They used to be concrete blocks. Now they are poured concrete. The bottom half of Missouri is where you start to transition to different materials due to bugs and humidity. In the north, you see more wood and the bugs die in the winter. I’m from Iowa. My mother’s family is from Minneapolis, Minnesota and my fathers’s side is from Kansas City, Kansas / Missouri.
I attached a photo of US climates. The dark and light blue area’s definitely have wood homes. In the cities, you’ll see more concrete and brick. In the suburbs you’ll see wood homes with wood, vinyl, or metal siding. The more expensive homes will have a brick exterior only for looks. (usually on the front) The brick it’s structural.
In the second photo, the blue’s and tan are definitely wood structures. I think the original people that came to territories influenced the building types. In Iowa it’s German, Irish, and English. In Minnesota it’s German, Scandinavian, and Irish. My grandfather said Germans built wood homes. I think it’s because when people came here, there were mostly trees. There’s not a lot of rocks in the Midwest. You’d have to go to rivers for that and haul them. The topsoil is great for farming. It’s not sandy or rocky.
I’ve seen some people build stucco homes here, and they frequently fail. I was thinking about putting up stucco myself and decided against it for that reason. Stucco doesn’t repel moisture. It’s good for desert or dry climates. Like more west. Concrete and block homes get very cold in the winter here. There are some but they are less common. Usually the concrete or block homes are built by do it yourself types or commercial buildings.
This is the most common in the Midwest and North East. (I think the video is in Pittsburgh) Notice the concrete block foundation? That’s more rare here in Iowa. It’s mostly poured basements now. Also, notice the stone on the front. It’s for looks. It makes the home look more expensive.
The average person cannot afford a home like the one in the video. I’d say the top 5-2% have those kinds of homes.
This thread…not gonna end well.
Lol I know right, so many mixed opinions.
Hi, I have lived in America al my life so I speak from experience if you live in an apartment you will most likely be living in a concerete home however I believe most Americans do live in primariy wooden houses I know I do and all the people I know do even in the city houses have a large wooden structure however you wouldnt be able to tell from the outside. I hope this helps! 'Merica
It depends on the area. But most houses are made of wood, I believe. In Canada, I think houses are basically all wood.