IMM wrote:

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
et...

Really ? You ain't seen the joists in this 100 year old tenement we now
live in. They're almost like someone has just slightly squared off the
trunk of the trees and laid floor boards over them.

I'm not familiar with tenement houses. However, round here, Victorian and
Edwardian terraces are common. The joists certainly don't look

substantially

thicker than that used in modern construction.


Having installed heating in many types of houses, new homes I find have
better timbers than Victorian houses. Many Victorian houses were Jerry
built, as the recent Grand Designs TV programme highlighted.


Agreed. Someone else mentioned that the strongest houss are often
'between the wars' houses. Its not an inviolable rule, but I would
certainly say that the stuff built from 1930-1960 seems to me to be
better in general than before, or after, those dates.

The rise in owner occuppied houses may have something to do with it. If
you are bulding to rent, you want to get decent return and no
miantenance. If building to sell you don't care. The mortgage companies
are only interested in durability for the forst few years of teh
mortgage, after which the value can reasonably be expected to exceed the
remainder of the principal.

The average first time buyer won't be staying anyway more than a few years.

So its chuck up the minimum standard rabbit hutch, flog it and move on...

However, even a rabbit hutch if well maintained lasts longer than teh
average rabbit...




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