Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 5/5/2008

Question
Mr. Taylor:  
I'm considering building a new house and was wondering which is more cost effective, a cinder block home or wood frame home.  I'm originally from Miami, FL and am accustomed to the cinder block design.  Once I moved to the Cincinnati, OH area I was surprised to see all wood frame design rather than cinder block.  I understand some of the pros & cons from some of your other readers, but there was no mention of cost.  Assuming I would still want wood framing on the inner side of my exterior walls (i.e. to run electric and plumbing), is there a cost benefit?  

One more question, is there a payback in having a metal roof vs. a shingle roof?  My understanding is the metal roof is more expensive initially, but will last a lifetime and does not require periodic re-roofing like a shingle roof.  Your thoughts.

Thank You.

Answer
Hello Luis - thanks for your questions!

The difference between the two walls types you see is the difference in climate; in hot humid Miami you need the "thermal massing" of block construction - it's very useful in Miami but accomplishes little in Ohio.

In Ohio you have extremes of temperature; hot and humid summers and bitterly cold winters.  Wall construction has to deal with both, and an insulated wall is the best choice.  Wood frame construction is preferred because the insulation space is created by the framing itself.

As you suspect, utilities play a role.  It's easier to run electrical, plumbing, and heating through wood framing.  You'd have to fur out block walls to achieve the same, and that adds another layer of construction.  Likewise, up north you'll see more interior trim, and the wood framing provides a nailing backup for it.

Multiple-story homes are also much more common in Ohio, and they're difficult to build with block exterior walls, but very easy with wood framing.

Finally, what's most cost-effective is almost always what's most common.  In Miami you can get block done cheaper because everyone does it; in Cincy it's wood framing that's the norm.

So in the long run, go with the flow - wood framing is the best choice for cost-effectiveness in Cincinnati.

Metal roofing is wonderful stuff - looks great and lasts up to 100 years.  But it's easily three to four times the cost of high-end 30-year asphalt shingles.

Yes, shingles need replacing someday, but if you take care of the roof, it can last 30 years (shingles are "rated" by their expected lifetime in terms of years).

Metal roofs have another advantage and that is recyclability...you can't do that with asphalt roofing.  But it will be the next owner who does that, not you!

The question you should ask is how long you're planning on living in the home...if the answer is less than 60 years, you'll spend less on shingles.

We do a lot of metal roofing, but it's much more for aesthetics than for long-term benefits.

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com