WOOD vs/ ALUMINUM HOUSES

[Baglady]

I am looking to buy another new house. Right now I have a Plain Jane 12 room aluminum,,flat roof,homemade perch on top (an old arrow,he's a bow hunter what can I say!) but, it does work,they do perch on it! haha!
But, my question is this,,,I have seen a lot of you hard core landlords,,,(I'm just a wanna be),,,have these T-14's and other models that are wood!,,,WHAT DO I GET??????????? Seems like a lot of up-keep with wood,,,constantly repainting etc,??? I thought aluminum was suppose to be cooler,,,is that just a myth??? I truly need help,,,,

[SoIndyDon]

Wood is a better insulator in both cold and hot weather. Doesn't South Dakota get the worst with bitter winters and blistering summers? Vents make a good difference in the heat and they can be closed up in the cold weather. As far as maintenance, painting every 3 years is all that seems necessary.

Problem is, wood houses are rarely commercially available. I made my T14, as do most who own them. Are you reasonably handy with wood working tools? It's a good winter time project.

Otherwise, you might think of gourds. I really like my Bo-11 Plus gourds. They are double walled. Adding the cooling cap in the summer makes them especially well ventilated. S & K Manufacturing sells them at factory direct prices - half what my Natureline cost me.

[CraigMo.]

You ought to try some plastic Super Gourds with crescent openings with pmca inside and out metal porches and put these on a Deluxe Gourd Rack. I love the look of houses but since I got my SG's I love them more. Easy to care for and easy to do nest checks and easy to lift and lower on rack. Very sturdy pole set up. I used to be a house guy but any expainding by me will be gourds and the same brand of pole that I am using now.

[Matt F.]

Don has a good point about the wood houses.
The better insulating properties of wood (I believe referred to as the "R" factor) are not only a huge benefit in colder temps, but are also a benefit in very hot temperatures as well.

One thing many aluminum houses have, is very good ventilation. This has a good, and bad side as well.

The good of course, is there are enough ventilation openings (most are intentional, like the designed ventilation holes, and vents, however some are unintentional, like spaces created between pieces of aluminum) to keep the air pretty well circulated thoughout the compartments, keeping temperatures as close to the outside shade temp as possible.
The bad, is that all of these holes, vents, voids, etc., can potentially be areas that allow water to enter the compartments during rains. Wood houses tend to be much better about not having so many holes, vents, and other pathways open to the outside, that water could potentially enter through.

In my opinion, the more northern states (South Dakota definitely included) are ideal for wooden housing.

[John Miller]

You can insulate aluminum housing...you get one-fourth inch thick styrofoam. I have used flexible type on a roll and also type that comes in panels. You cut it to size and glue it on the interior walls with construction adhesive, such as Liquid Nails. You also put a sheet in the attic. It makes the house warmer, and probably cooler.

I overlay aluminum subfloors with a square of cork, I buy it in 12 x 12 squares from Wal Mart -sold for bulletin boards -- and cut 6 x 6 inch squares or smaller to fit. It adds warmth and stays dry. If you wash it off at season end, it lasts many years.

John M

[Bob Buskas]

My suggestion is to try a good wooden house with large compartments and let the Martins decide which they prefer. As for maintenance, I use only MDO plywood on my North Star houses. It is a top quality plywood made of fir and has a paper coating on the outside. This is the stuff they make Highway signs out of. With three coats of a good quality latex paint these houses will last for 20 years no problem. Most important is to cover them in the winter. I have 10 year old houses that look as good as new here.
Try MDO plywood (medium density overlay) it's great.