2 story construction in the south

[jess]

I hear that a 2 story is more economical to build than a 1 story. Does any know this to be correct and if so, why? We will be building in arkansas on a crawl space foundation.

[Glenn]

Simple. One half the foundation and one half the roof.

[Nehmo Sergheyev]

That's oversimplifying. The stairs take up space on both levels. The stairs are expensive and labor-intensive to build. Accidents frequently occur on stairs.It's inefficient to do projects that span both levels. Exterior house maintenance is easier on a one-story. ladders are dangerous. The higher roof is more expensive pre unit to work on.

Unless the land is in short supply, build one-story.

-- (||) Nehmo (||)

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Glenn wrote:

[Alan]

Yes, cheaper to build for reason given--the most expensive part of house construction is the foundation and roof. Also less realestate is used, a combination of factors that has led to the boom in postage stamp properties having huge two story houses, and ultimately crowded street parking. Unfortunately, heating and cooling is not cheaper and certainly more difficult to obtain comfortably in all parts of the house. I'm a single story house person myself, although our split level home does have a pleasant variation that breaks the monotony underfoot. But staircases are a burnout, especially for older folk.

Nehmo Sergheyev wrote:

[Grumman-581]

But then you add in the cost of the floor joists to 2nd floor... It is more economical, but you don't get to just subtract off a half of the cost of the foundation and the roof...

One particular advantage of a single story is that it makes it a lot easier to add things like outlets, network connections, and such at a later date if needed... Even better is the raised houses like you see along some waterfront properties that allow the entire ground floor area to be for covered parking or a workshop... As an added bonus, during floods, you can just tie your boat up to your front porch...

[RicodJour]

Your explanation has such a one-sided viewpoint that it's ironic that you accuse Glenn of oversimplifying.

R