Comments on: Ready-Made House Costs $500 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:44:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Meg http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-1060919 Meg Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:43:57 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-1060919 I'm doing something interesting I think. During Katrina when I couldn't find some friends I designed a house to withstand tsunami, hurricane, tornado, and probably fire too. Now it's morphed into different categories. I'm a student (older) and I FINALLY bought a lot to start building one. Anyone interested in something like this please write meghager@gmail.com I need help. Meg I’m doing something interesting I think. During Katrina when I couldn’t find some friends I designed a house to withstand tsunami, hurricane, tornado, and probably fire too. Now it’s morphed into different categories. I’m a student (older) and I FINALLY bought a lot to start building one. Anyone interested in something like this please write meghager@gmail.com I need help. Meg

]]> By: mc http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-1060665 mc Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:58:59 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-1060665 You would need very little heat to heat a place that small. I have been in small tents in the winter that got all steamy inside with nothing but body heat, so a house that size (assuming there are not a lot of leaks could probably get warm from a kerosene lantern or a small stove. You would need very little heat to heat a place that small. I have been in small tents in the winter that got all steamy inside with nothing but body heat, so a house that size (assuming there are not a lot of leaks could probably get warm from a kerosene lantern or a small stove.

]]> By: Mike Brisendine http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-796339 Mike Brisendine Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:41:08 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-796339 That sould be 160 square feet. Sorry. That sould be 160 square feet. Sorry.

]]> By: Mike Brisendine http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-796334 Mike Brisendine Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:39:50 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-796334 What’s the size of that structure? Maybe, 8' by 20'? If so, that’s 120 square feet. Four folding beds? It would be inhuman for four people to live in that small box. What’s the size of that structure? Maybe, 8′ by 20′? If so, that’s 120 square feet. Four folding beds? It would be inhuman for four people to live in that small box.

]]> By: Neil Russell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-792436 Neil Russell Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:09:57 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-792436 Things had changed in the other direction on the timeline too; when my house was built in 1900 it enclosed 1600 sq feet (expanded later to over 2000), was built out of heart pine and came with 6 gables, a tin roof, and a covered porch. On it's half acre lot it sold new for $1000. It still sports the original roof. The pine was considered to be "low end" in those days but because of its high content of sap acted as its own deterrent to termites. That's how so many of the "cheap" houses like mine survived and the nice ones made of oak crumbled away. I've often wondered about the heating in an old house like mine, it has three small fireplaces for burning coal and a flue in the kitchen for a wood stove. When it was built there was no insulation other than an inch of siding board, 4 inches of dead air, and an inch of wallboard inside and before I renovated it, the place got COLD! Those folks were made of sterner stuff than me! Of course the lack of heat probably was low on the list of complaints, particularly when considering there was no indoor plumbing in the house until 1922. Things had changed in the other direction on the timeline too; when my house was built in 1900 it enclosed 1600 sq feet (expanded later to over 2000), was built out of heart pine and came with 6 gables, a tin roof, and a covered porch. On it’s half acre lot it sold new for $1000.
It still sports the original roof.
The pine was considered to be “low end” in those days but because of its high content of sap acted as its own deterrent to termites. That’s how so many of the “cheap” houses like mine survived and the nice ones made of oak crumbled away.
I’ve often wondered about the heating in an old house like mine, it has three small fireplaces for burning coal and a flue in the kitchen for a wood stove. When it was built there was no insulation other than an inch of siding board, 4 inches of dead air, and an inch of wallboard inside and before I renovated it, the place got COLD!
Those folks were made of sterner stuff than me!
Of course the lack of heat probably was low on the list of complaints, particularly when considering there was no indoor plumbing in the house until 1922.

]]> By: Blurgle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-792209 Blurgle Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:24:01 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/11/22/ready-made-house-costs-500/#comment-792209 What a change: nowadays those windows would cost more than $500 each. And I can't imagine how how bitterly cold that place would get in the winter. I don't see how a furnace or even a woodstove could fit in there, and there certainly isn't any insulation like there would be in a log or sod house. People would die in droves during the first winter, either from the cold or from CO from a heater. Maybe they were only used in extreme southern Florida? What a change: nowadays those windows would cost more than $500 each.

And I can’t imagine how how bitterly cold that place would get in the winter. I don’t see how a furnace or even a woodstove could fit in there, and there certainly isn’t any insulation like there would be in a log or sod house. People would die in droves during the first winter, either from the cold or from CO from a heater.

Maybe they were only used in extreme southern Florida?

]]>