OFFICIAL: 2020 Weather and Road Conditions MEGA THREAD

[you&me]

I always thought the lack of brick here historically was due to a lack of material and availability of alternatives, like Killr' said - lumber and sandstone.

It's readily available in Toronto and you see it used extensively in even the crappiest areas and cheapest new suburbs, so I don't think it's a strictly cost, but more to do with local availability.

[flipstah]

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Cheap and available lumber and sandstone here.

Typically substantial brick development comes from mandated building codes where fires have historically been a problem. After the “great fire” in 1886 Calgary went mostly for readily available sandstone construction for fire mitigation.

I don't know enough about bricks so this comment intrigues me. How does fire affect bricks? Is it because it gets ruined again? How does sandstone hold up against fires?

This is neat stuff.

[killramos]

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I don't know enough about bricks so this comment intrigues me. How does fire affect bricks? Is it because it gets ruined again? How does sandstone hold up against fires?

This is neat stuff.

I think as a general statement stone based buildings burn less easily than wood lol, it’s not nessecarily about protecting your home from burning down. But ensuring that it doesn’t burn down your home and the neighbor beside you.

Wood is great, it’s cheap if nearby to forest and mills, easy, and fast to construct. Any moron can frame a wood house. But more to cement and brick construction.

On the Toronto example, apparently there is an abundance of clay in the area which makes brick construction relatively cheap. I don’t think we have that much clay in AB relatively speaking.

If you have to transport heavy building materials a long way, that inflates cost substantially ( and go back far enough, likely meant it wasn’t feasible in any way. CP rail didn’t even start construction until 1881 for example ). Old habits die hard.

[88CRX]

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I always thought the lack of brick here historically was due to a lack of material and availability of alternatives, like Killr' said - lumber and sandstone.

It's readily available in Toronto and you see it used extensively in even the crappiest areas and cheapest new suburbs, so I don't think it's a strictly cost, but more to do with local availability.

Availability has a direct impact on costs, obviously. If theres lots of brick in Toronto and you want it in Calgary someone has to pay to ship it here

[you&me]

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Availability has a direct impact on costs, obviously. If theres lots of brick in Toronto and you want it in Calgary someone has to pay to ship it here

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On the Toronto example, apparently there is an abundance of clay in the area which makes brick construction relatively cheap. I don’t think we have that much clay in AB relatively speaking.

If you have to transport heavy building materials a long way, that inflates cost substantially ( and go back far enough, likely meant it wasn’t feasible in any way. CP rail didn’t even start construction until 1881 for example ). Old habits die hard.

Exactly.

Brick itself isn't expensive. It's the moving of brick if it's not available locally that makes it so.

[Swank]

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It is the builders.

Don't offer cheap shit.

but its also the idiots trying to buy things they can't afford. But if the cheap shit isn't an option they will look elsewhere.

So it's not just the builders but also the buyers

[msommers]

Sounds like someone to should start a company that manufactuers bricks here. Additionally, said company should work with insurance companies to promote hail protection and longevity.

Then again, because of the lack of brick buildings here one could argue that outside of cost or availability, Albertans don't really like the look of brick. If cost was no object, why are higher-end homes not building brick homes.

[vengie]

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So it's not just the builders but also the buyers

Exactly!

[Swank]

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Sounds like someone to should start a company that manufactuers bricks here. Additionally, said company should work with insurance companies to promote hail protection and longevity.

Then again, because of the lack of brick buildings here one could argue that outside of cost or availability, Albertans don't really like the look of brick. If cost was no object, why are higher-end homes not building brick homes.

Cost is almost always an object, just 'rich' people love to pretend it's not when they can skimp on frills like foundation and siding so they can have those granite countertops and undermount sinks you can stand in.

I'm guilty in contributing to the

[ExtraSlow]

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Sounds like someone to should start a company that manufactuers bricks here. Additionally, said company should work with insurance companies to promote hail protection and longevity.

Alberta did have a brick factory from 1886 to 2010 in Medicine Hat.
https://medalta.org/heritage/medicine-hat-brick-tile/

[msommers]

As a result of the above, I sense a hipster KickStarter for 'hand-crafted, artisanal building blocks of life' coming soon.

[ExtraSlow]

Combine it with a kale farm and solar cogen and I'm ready to invest today.

[AndyL]

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Combine it with a kale farm and solar cogen and I'm ready to invest today.

You forgot aquaponics. Tilapia to organic kale, to ??? Something to do with bricks

[max_boost]

Damn that climate change is the real deal. inflicting such damage. so end of the day, you get what you pay for and ppl aren't happy with what they paid.

Silverlining as per Matty Sommers, now marketers can sell their bricks are hail proof! All hail!!

[Darell_n]

Can someone delete the last 69 posts.

[vengie]

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Can someone delete the last 69 posts.

Nice.

[speedog]

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Builders or developers construct what people what and what people are willing to pay for.

People want granite countertops and hardwood floors. They dont care about brick exteriors, hail resistant shingles or triple glazed windows... or they dont care enough to pay more for those things.

Hardwood floors, you're funny. It is quite uncommon to see hardwood floors in anything but high end house builds now and a lot of those have manufactured hardwood, not solid hardwood.

Anyhow, back on topic - it was a hot one today but I actually got to work in air conditioned comfort today, installing cabinets in the Ranchlands Community hall. Tomorrow will be a renovation in Cambrian Heights with most likely no AC, will have to hydrate more.

[88CRX]

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Hardwood floors, you're funny. It is quite uncommon to see hardwood floors in anything but high end house builds now and a lot of those have manufactured hardwood, not solid hardwood.

Anyhow, back on topic - it was a hot one today but I actually got to work in air conditioned comfort today, installing cabinets in the Ranchlands Community hall. Tomorrow will be a renovation in Cambrian Heights with most likely no AC, will have to hydrate more.

Go to any showhome, the vast majority have hardwood (engineered or other) floors as standard.

Even if you disagree you missed the point of my post. People care about the interior finishes a lot more then durability of their roof or siding.

[killramos]

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Go to any showhome, the vast majority have hardwood (engineered or other) floors as standard.

Even if you disagree you missed the point of my post. People care about the interior finishes a lot more then durability of their roof or siding.

Old man is just yelling at clouds again

[speedog]

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Go to any showhome, the vast majority have hardwood (engineered or other) floors as standard.

Even if you disagree you missed the point of my post. People care about the interior finishes a lot more then durability of their roof or siding.

Show homes, yeah, but in the real world it's mostly not that way. Vinyl planking has become the thing.