Comment by IFC_LLC
1 day ago
Oh man, how much I agree on a building code.
The last hurricane I survived, I had to spend time in my office building. It is made of concrete and real brick and mortar. There is no need whatsoever to “hurricane-proof it", save for the special shatterproof windows. Big, 4 by 6 shatterproof windows.
The shoebox I live in currently features the same shatterproof windows. 2x1 feet, small windows. I had to re-install all the light fixtures in the rented house because despite featuring white walls, it’s darker than a necromancer’s cave.
The former was built in the 70s. The latter - in 2023. The latter does boast an impressive array of anti-hurricane features. For example, it is bolted down to the foundation so it can't be torn by a wind gust. And the frame was re-inforced so it won't lean under the wind.
Shall I mention the fact that none of those features are necessary for a brick building?
To top it off, the AC has leaked in 2024, so I had to deal with that already. It was less than 1 year old at that moment.
My parents bought a house in the mid 80's, that another family member currently lives in. It still has the original air conditioner, which is a heat pump, so it's run for 40+ summers and 40+ winters with minimal repairs and effectively zero maintenance.
Exactly. Qualiflation. We have substituted the inflation with the inflation of quality. Yes, the AC in 80x used to cost $2k, and thank pete, in the current market it costs only $2.5k. But if you compare the quality, you will get the idea that that old AC is about $15k right now, cause it was so damn good and unbreakable.