Video: Household Lifespan: What Determines How To Extend
Experts assure that any residential building built with quality materials will last long enough with proper care. According to experts, on average, the following periods of operation of houses from different materials are recorded:
1. Brick, and the walls must be more than 2.5 bricks. These are the record holders in terms of service life, the service life of such buildings, which are classified as "especially capital", is 150 years. There are brick buildings built two or three centuries ago.
2. Brick and large-block houses built in less than 2.5 bricks may well last 125 years.
3. Monolithic houses, that is, made of concrete poured into molds, also belong to "especially capital" and serve no less than brick ones.
4. Large-panel and block houses have a service life of up to 100 years.
5. Slag concrete houses are designed for 90 years of service.
6. Buildings made of thin-walled panels will last up to 50 years.
7. The service life of log cabins depends on the thickness and type of logs used. If the logs are up to a meter thick, very large, then, as Russian history shows, the frame will stand for several centuries. Modern wooden buildings have an average lifespan of 50–100 years.
8. Homes made of shell rock can last up to 100 years.
9. Aerated concrete and foam concrete houses, as the manufacturers assure, will last at least 70 years. True, these materials in our country are still quite new, it is difficult to find evidence of such statements.
10. Frame houses are considered the least durable, the estimated service life is 30 years. However, there are frame buildings in the USA, Canada, Scandinavia that are more than 100 years old!
Important! In order for the house to be originally designed for a long service life, it is necessary to use high-quality building materials. Even a thick brick wall can start to collapse if the material itself is of poor quality. For wooden houses, this is also a very important factor - the better the quality, the better the wood itself, the longer the house will be used.
In addition to the choice of material for construction, there are factors that have the most significant impact on the life of houses:
- Temperature changes inside and outside the building.
- Exposure to moisture.
- Exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
If you cannot influence the climate in which the house will be operated, then it is simply necessary to take measures to prolong its service and protect it from external factors.
Important! Stopping heating in winter is very detrimental to the house. As practice shows, country houses begin to collapse most quickly, the owners of which leave them for the winter. It's even worse if the owners come only for the weekend, heat up the house, and for the next five days it cools down again. Such temperature drops significantly reduce the life of houses made of any materials.
It is necessary to take measures to increase the life of the house even at the construction stage:
- Choose the right type of foundation.
- Provide drainage and waterproofing of the foundation, basement and basement, if any under the house.
- Choose a reliable roofing material to prevent leaks.
- Treat wood for the house with antiseptics and fire retardants.
- Choose high-quality insulation with a long service life.
In general, the main thing is to comply with construction technologies!
It must be remembered that the house is the longest serving, which is regularly looked after. Every two to three years, for example, the paint on the facade should be renewed, cracks in the plaster should be repaired, the roof should be repaired. A major overhaul, as experts say, is able to extend the life of a house by a dozen years at once.
Important! Experts remind that, although brick and monolithic houses were originally designed for a longer service life, wooden and frame houses are much easier to overhaul. For example, change the lower rims of a log house, replace the supporting structures of the house frame. This will help him to last significantly longer.
We state: correctly selected high-quality materials, adherence to construction technologies, regular maintenance of the house will allow it to serve as long as possible, to remain a comfortable home for several generations.
