Wood is one of the main features for housing construction in the United States. Although there are more resistant materials such as brick and concrete, wooden houses continue to be the favorite element in the American construction sector. In this blog, we are going to tell you 7 reasons why Americans prefer wooden houses.

1. Origins

At the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, Europeans, especially the British, arrived in North America, which led to the need to build many houses in a very short time. Using wood was ideal because it allowed house construction to be faster than using cement and brick. Wooden houses began as a need to build houses quickly but ended up becoming an identity hallmark for Americans.

2. Material availability

In the United States, there are large forests where tree cutting takes place. For this reason, it is very easy to find this material. Wood is also easy to work with, repair, and locate.

3. Economy

Derived from the previous point, the great abundance of wood in the United States allows the prices to be significantly less than the material used in other continents, like brick and cement.

4. Mobility

There are numerous studies that indicate that Americans have a high mobility rate. They can change their homes up to five times, so building wooden houses quickly and affordably allows them to relocate. This high mobility encourages cheap house construction in a fast way.

5. Reduced taxes

Depending on the state in which the house is built, taxes on wooden houses can be much lower than taxes on houses built with cement and brick.

6. They are easy to build

If you are skilled, you can build a wooden house. Not so long ago, there were numerous kits in the US market that allowed the owner to build their own wooden house. These packages included everything you needed so that in a few months you could build, for example, a house in the countryside at a very low cost. Of course, you must be very crafty and have some architecture knowledge, but, in short, working with wood is very simple.

7. They are safe

Unlike brick, wood is a flexible material capable of withstanding low-intensity earthquakes or light tornadoes. However, in areas that usually suffer this type of inclement weather, houses have a brick basement where to shelter. If the house suffers any damage from a tornado or earthquake, it is cheaper to repair it if it is made of wood because the material is affordable.