{"id":40677,"date":"2022-11-02T13:40:11","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T12:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unhogaratumedida.es\/brick-houses-why-are-they-built-this-way-in-spain\/"},"modified":"2022-11-02T13:40:11","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T12:40:11","slug":"brick-houses-why-are-they-built-this-way-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unhogaratumedida.es\/en\/brick-houses-why-are-they-built-this-way-in-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Brick houses: why are they built this way in Spain?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is not the first time I have been asked why in Spain houses<\/strong> are made of<\/strong> brick<\/strong> and, for example, in the United States they are made of wood<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For architects or builders this answer may be obvious, but for those who have nothing to do with the construction sector I leave here the reasons why in Spain is not built with wood<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

35% of people are renting, while others are looking for cheaper homes so as not to mortgage for life<\/em> – U.S. Department of Commerce.<\/p>\n

\"the<\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n

Why aren’t wooden houses being built in Spain?<\/h4>\n

Mainly for 4 basic reasons:<\/p>\n

Customs<\/h5>\n

Or cultural aspects such as geographic mobility<\/strong>. In the U.S., where most people live in rented accommodation<\/strong>, this mobility is much greater than in Spain, where society is more attached to the family and mobility is much lower. Here, housing is generally considered the largest future investment.<\/p>\n

Weather<\/h5>\n

It is obvious that winters in the U.S. have nothing to do with those in Spain, so there they look for materials that provide warmth and serve as insulation against the cold <\/strong>and here options to insulate against the heat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/p>\n

Natural resources<\/h5>\n

In the U.S<\/strong>., wood<\/strong> as a raw material is much more abundant than in Spain, and therefore it is more economical to use it to build houses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In addition, the shortage of wood in Spain<\/strong> makes it unfeasible to supply the housing demand of an entire country. Here the construction of clay brick<\/strong> houses<\/strong> proliferated, although little by little cement and concrete have been used more and more.<\/p>\n

Meteorology<\/h5>\n

Tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes in the U.S. are quite frequent, and the flexibility of wood<\/strong> in the face of these effects is not provided by other materials, although it is true that they use brick<\/strong> or concrete<\/strong> to build basements.<\/p>\n

However, in Spain the geological and meteorological situation is much more stable, and what matters is to build houses<\/strong> that resist heat, among other things.<\/p>\n

But why build with brick?<\/h4>\n

In addition to the flexibility I have mentioned, bricks<\/strong> are resistant to all types of weather, so they tend to be more durable<\/strong> than wood.<\/p>\n

\"building<\/p>\n

Unlike this one, they do not require much maintenance<\/strong>, since they do not need to be improved in order to fulfill their function. In fact, they are resistant to high temperatures<\/strong> and insect damage, such as termites<\/strong>, to materials such as wood.<\/p>\n

In terms of consumption<\/strong>, which we are so concerned about now, brick<\/strong> houses<\/strong> are a good long-term investment<\/strong>, as the heat and cold (in winter and summer, respectively) are kept longer in the house.<\/p>\n

Which is better, a wood or brick house?<\/h4>\n

Answering this question depends on many factors, such as price<\/strong>, durability<\/strong> or the features<\/strong> you are looking for.<\/p>\n

To help you with the decision, here are some of the advantages <\/strong>and disadvantages<\/strong> of building with one material or another.<\/p>\n

Advantages of building with wood <\/strong><\/p>\n