Between labor and materials, homes built in generations past are often superior in quality to homes built today.
Tim Carter of the Washington Post examines the houses of yesteryear, many of which are still standing, and still beautiful and functional.
Carter argues that labor and materials were of better quality in the past. Laborers treated home building as a vocation, rather than just a job, so they took more pride in what they did. Lumber was sturdier than it is now, cast iron pipes deadened sound better than PVC piping, and plaster was a much stronger wall material than drywall.
But, given concerns about affordability, builders need to cut some corners today.
The ever-rising standard of living here in the United States has put intense pressure on trying to keep the labor costs of building in check. Regulations, laws, benefit packages and other things that didn’t exist 100 years ago add to the cost of building. To keep a job affordable, something has to give. You can imagine what that might be.
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