I think we should rename this list the "Jeremiah MacGregor
list". My has the email traffic more than quadrupled over the past
week or so. Wow. :)
At 16:38 2009-02-01, Jeremiah MacGregor wrote:
Stephen,
I can't speak for UK houses, but most US houses are made out of wood
and are framed. The spacing between studs is usually 16 inches. In
a metric house, this would be 400 mm. In an English house the
drywall sections would be 4 x 8 feet, in a metric house they would
be 1200 x 2400 mm. So there is a difference. To the homeowner the
issue would be transparent unless they are going to do remodeling
and would need to know which system the house was built in.
Of course US houses aren't built metric yet as far as I know. But
if they were then the distinction would be important.
Naturally no one is going to tear down a perfectly good house
because it is not metric just to build a new one in metric. In the
US when neighborhoods become too old they become slums. The houses
become rotten and many are torn down. If there ever is a program
for redevelopment then the remaining old homes are torn down and new
homes are built on the spot and a new neighborhood arises.
If this were to occur after a conversion to metric then the new
homes would be built in metric where previously English homes stood.
Maybe in other countries homes are built differently and meant to
last 1000 years. Not in the US. We don't want things to last. We
want them to fall apart so that companies can make money selling us
new things.
You say your house appears to be imperial built? Are you sure or
just wishing? Why not say it is or it isn't instead of just being
vague or unsure? What year was it built and was this before or
after the UK started building homes in metric?
Jerry
