Quote:
Originally Posted by MplsPete
Is TV going to all slab / tilt up construction? Do they still build wood frame homes? If the outside has siding, is it then a wood frame?
Are the slab home inside walls concrete, or do they put up studs / drywall? How do you mount pictures on concrete?
Which construction methods are less expensive? Which are sturdier?
Are the slab (and concrete block) homes immune to termite issues?
And why do they paint concrete? While it may look prettier, does not the paint require upkeep similar to paint on wood?
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If by “tilt-up” you mean the Superior Wall System, it is state of the art, and it is installed by a crane. The outside is 2” of high strength concrete—much stronger than the usual poured concrete walls here. It is fiber reinforced to protect against cracks. Inside that is an inch of Styrofoam blue board. Then 2x8” rebar reinforced concrete studs. On those are 3/4” x 2” wood furring strips for attaching the sheet rock. You can nail or screw into that wood for hanging things, so long as the screws are the right length. Between those studs goes 6” or 8” of fiberglass insulation. So these walls are strong and much better insulated than the usual poured concrete or block walls here. That will save you money.
While the outside of the walls is concrete and could be left as is, it’s grey, it’s not a floated finish like a slab, and it has little bits of reinforcing fiber sticking out. It is ideal for a long-lasting stucco finish. (Stucco is smeared-on concrete.) In California, where there are millions of homes covered with stucco, the stucco is tinted while it is mixed and seldom painted afterward. A tinted stucco finish, properly cared for, can last a century. In The Villages, people seem to have stucco painted. Stucco is an attractive finish, but from experience, I’ll say that you wouldn’t really like painted Superior Walls as a finish. It looks just a bit too raw.
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