A reader responds to Steve Webb’s rant concerning the construction industry:
Hmm. I wonder a bit about his numbers, e.g. a bookcase that weighs 500kg or 1102 pounds, more than half a ton. I’ve never seen a bookcase that heavy.
Seems to me that depends on how big and fancy a bookcase you want.
Another question I had was: how long do those wooden exteriors last compared to brick? Longevity and maintenance are worth something. My Chaska brick home was built in 1883; it’s still standing with the original bricks on the exterior. If it had had wooden siding instead, how many times would that siding have had to be replaced, and at what carbon cost?
Sure. It’s the old question about up-front costs vs continuing costs. I don’t know, but I suspect the siding on the original part of my 1938 home is original.
An interesting question: when it comes time to replace it, should the discarded siding be buried? Or is it not worth the effort?
My current house has concrete walls and a steel roof, both of which should last longer than the alternatives. But is it long enough to offset the higher initial carbon cost? Versus wooden framing, and wooden (cedar shake) shingles (asphalt shingles are probably horrible on the carbon scale, but I’m too lazy to research it right now).
How about how much my personal safety against things like all but direct hits by an F-5 tornado? How much carbon is that worth?
What’s the risk of being hit by a F-5 tornado at your location? Virtually zero. But that does bring up a related topic: when is it appropriate for each family to have their own refuge, and when is it appropriate to have a shared refuge, which should reduce costs, both financial and ecological? Given our current inclination to own our homes on big lots, rather than living in apartment buildings, it’s probably the former.
In general, I think I agree with what he’s getting at. The construction industry is in general a horrible polluter and waster of energy. But if they were not, almost nobody could afford a home. Even that nice wooden building picture above cost a rather large fortune. Nice wood is expensive. Large beams are expensive. Designing like that is expensive. It’s a tough problem to solve.
Very. It’s reminiscent of the palm oil debacle, it’s not the activity, it’s the scale.
