[elevatorman]

My wife and I have been looking at the Camilla model. Then I noticed the Gardinia floor plan was close to the same. The Gardinias seemed to cost a bit more. What is the difference?

There is one house (it may be the Camelia) that is a vinyl sided version of the Gardenia (Gardenia is block and stucco).

[graciegirl]

The Gardenia and the Camellia are the same floor plan. There are two versions of each designer floor plan, one is block stucco, the other is frame. The Lantana/ Juniper, The Whispering Pine and the..............? Someone help me here.

[elevatorman]

So, now I guess the ? is, What are the advantages and disadvantages of frame vs. block?

[graciegirl]

There is a thread on this and the discussion ended with not much different. People feel safer in a block house,( the three little pigs) But a block house burnt down within an hour after a direct lightning strike. I am also told that when the tornado hit here a couple of years ago both kinds sustained major damage.

The frame homes have slightly more square footage.

[rshoffer]

It's mostly a personal issue. Stucco needs expensive repainting periodically, siding needs to be washed more requently, etc.

[bobfl]

Camellia has better insulation in the walls. (R11 vs R8)

There is no question the concrete block houses are stronger. We live in an area that was hit hard by the tornado. The CB homes sustained much less damage than the vinyl sided homes. In fact, the vinyl just peeled off like wallpaper in the strong winds and the houses collapsed in on themselves. There were a few CB houses that had to be rebuilt, but the majority, I'd guess 90% of the re-builds were vinyl sided homes. The concrete block also has its own insulating value, which varies depending on which source you consult. We bought a CB house because of safety factors during a hurricane, and after living thru the tornado, it is a decision I do not regret.