Block and Stucco Vs frame
 

Is there any advantage of a block and stucco home compared to a frame home with siding?

Had both, block are more secure and less expensive to heat / cool.

If you were here when the tornado went through 10 years ago you would have seen the difference. Block and stucco is much stronger.

Siding is less expensive to purchase. It would take many months IMHO to make up the difference in price to purchase by potential electric savings. Also, you have to paint stucco. I'm a siding person. Does it show?

B&S matches most Villagers MO.. LOL...

I'm a siding person. Both of our homes here. You do get a few inches extra inside. :)

This is a great question and one I get asked often.

Basically, there are pros and cons to both. I will attempt to share them here.

Wood frame/Vinyl sided home;

Typically has more insulation and R- Value in the walls.
Less thermal mass.
Interior square footage may be higher due to a 4.5 inch wall.
Easier to remodel, change walls, windows, etc.
"Gives a little" in a wind which may mean less damage.
Does not require exterior painting.

Does need exterior cleaning usually 2x per year.
Siding is easily damaged by landscapers, etc.
Siding can fade and "chalk" after time and may need replacing after 25-30 years.

A wood frame home would have a higher concern for termites, easily prevented by a good and maintained termite treatment.

Concrete Block/Stucco home;

More thermal mass, perhaps quieter. Thermal mass may contribute to interior thermal gain or loss during weather extremes.

Prone to vertical and step cracking. These cracks need to be sealed by using a stucco caulk and paint touch up. Home MAY need painting every 8 years or so. Recently better more flexible paints have been developed that may last longer.

More difficult to remodel, change walls, windows, etc.

Typically has a lower R-value insulation in the walls.

Perhaps more difficult to hang items on exterior walls due to furring strips.

In a hurricane, the main issue is the roof to wall attachment. This is what ruins a home during a storm. In a concrete block home straps are embedded in the block and wrap around the trusses. In a wood frame home clips are nailed to the top plate and trusses. BOTH work equally well.

I'm told that in The Villages a wood frame home typically costs about 10k less.

It really comes down to personal preference. As you well know, both sell well here.

Hope that helps!

Frank D.

Wood vs. Block
 

Not so!
It all has to do with the type of insulation in a house and the R-factor of the insulation.

Batting is significantly better than blown-in insulation because the blown-in type settles in walls and attics over time.
The Villages uses blown-in because it is cheaper.

You can get better insulation in a wood house than you can in a block house because of the way they are constructed.

A wood house has some give to it and usually does well in high wind, but no type of construction is 100% safe.
Block built houses have no give to them whatsoever.
Did you ever see photos of Miami after Hurricane Andrew?
Most of those houses were block.

Hurricane Andrew Photos: The Storm That Smacked South Florida In Pictures (PHOTOS, VIDEO) | The Huffington Post

Thanks, Frank, for the non-biased information. Appreciate it.

I agonized over that decision before buying a block. Being from New England and knowing they build outside walls with 6" studs are here 4" was a turnoff. They do get more needed insulation in a 6" wall up north. I like the look of block rather than vinyl siding, so that was the deducing factor. My Floridian caught said, Dad, you don't buy a wood house in Florida with the termites! But they do a very does job with wood treatment and prevention here so not an issue. There is wood a block use too.

Some folks are passionate on this subject. I'll just interject here to keep things correct.

1) They do not use blown in insulation in the walls. I do believe that the wall insulation in the block homes is less than the wood frame homes.

2) The ceilings in all Villages homes built now is a either blown in or batt, or a combination, rated at an R-30. Personally, if I were on the younger side and planned on keeping my home long term, I would blow some additional insulation, perhaps up to an R-38, as found in many other new homes around here....Just my opinion, as insulation is pretty cheap here.

3) The building codes have gotten a lot stricter since Hurricane Andrew....so one cannot really compare those homes to the newer ones. Indeed, it WAS Hurricane Andrew that showed us all that the codes needed to be stricter. Also, we are in a different risk area, (for now) than in the Miami/Dade county area.

Respectfully, Frank D.

I live in block CYV. I'm still young enough to do most maintenance. I sealed and painted my house cost was 3 to 4 gallons of paint. Tub of sealer and about 14 hours labor rolling it on. So IMO if you can roll paint not that expensive to paint. Now if you have contractor do it with the deluted spray paint figure 5 to 7 grand. As mentioned little harder to upgrade and hang stuff. Also reception for AM radio is near non existent unless you run antenna. I feel safer in block home coming from Oklahoma. Tornados usually not as big or often here, but when hiding in the closet at least have walls protection unless it cat 3 or bigger. In Oklahoma I've seen nothing left except concrete slabs. Even sucked assault off the streets.

Wonder what Mr. Frank would have to say about hardi-plank siding over frame ?

In Stonecrest, but not here in The Villages.