Empty cottages

BostonB

That assumes they were built as intended. So maybe not even that long...

slowburner

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Just a thought,
Modern construction types are designed for a lifespan of between 50 and 70 years, so any building carried out in the last 20 odd years has a timeclock ticking on their longievity......:D

Is this true about the intended lifespan of modern construction types?

Poor Uncle Tom

slowburner wrote: »

Is this true about the intended lifespan of modern construction types?

In a word, yes, but.

But, that's not to say that on the last day you should be out of the house by 12.00 because it is all going to fall down. What it means is that the different elements of the build are designed to do their job for a given period of time.

For example, we all know of the mineral felts used on flat roofed extensions from the 1970's and 80's (gravelly green mineral finish). Well the lifespan of this building element is 10 years, it doesn't mean it wont last 15 years, it just means it shouldn't go before 10 years, and a lot of the time it will depend on how good the workmanship is as to how long it will last.

If we take this back to a modern building and look at, say, a slate roof. well we know the slates are not going to crumble away after 50 years, but the slate fixings will give out after this time and unless the whole roof is re-fixed the slates could come slipping off one at a time over a couple of years until you need a new roof.

Every building has to have a structural guarrantee, but this lasts for a maximum of 20 years, after this the structural maintanance of the different building elements falls back on the owner of the building.

What about timber frame houses? Well the structural stability of the timber frame will depend on the grade and treatment of the timber used, the workmanship of the frame during construction and the ongoing maintanance of the frame during the life of the frame (keeping vents open to the frame, ensuring the frame doesn't get exposed and/or damaged, etc).

The main structural elements of a common block build will last a lot longer than 50 yaers, but every building is just as strong as it's weakest link, so if in many years to come a roof or floors or walls need replacing, with advancement in material development, it may be more economical to replace the whole house.

It's a bit ironic that the oldest and simplest forms of construction, just stones on stones with thick walls and short spans are still around and will outlive "the footballers mansions" mentioned above.

slowburner

Great post, thanks.
50 years for the roof fixings nowadays? Why don't they last as long as the fixings on older buildingss?

Poor Uncle Tom

slowburner wrote: »

50 years for the roof fixings nowadays? Why don't they last as long as the fixings on older buildingss?

They are actually designed to do what they do and they should last as long as they are meant to.

It is possible to get a better grade of fixing (stainless steel) but the extra cost needs to be factored into the build and with pricing for works from trades at an all time low, that isn't going to happen voluntarily.