Which is better... Block or Poured exterior walls...

Subscribe right now for more home building tips
(for homeowners)
You only get one chance to get it right!!!!

✅ The Ultimate Home Building Checklist: Available on BuilderBrigade .com website.

⬇️ More Social Media Videos ⬇️
TikTok: BuilderBrigade
Instagram: Builder_Brigade
FaceBook: BuilderBrigade

🤜🤛 Join our FB Group and ask questions: Search “Home Building Help” on FB

block walls versus poured walls, which exterior walls are stronger, concrete walls, ICF walls, house outside walls,

Home Building Tips, Home Building, New Construction, Home Building Help, How to build a house, Build a house, custom home, framing, plumbing, roofing, Building, real estate, drywall, electrical, foundation, floor plan, house design, house building, online plans, online floor plans, home design, interior design, cabinets, home features, best home features, remodel, renovation, barndominium, new construction checklist, home builder, house plans, homeowner

[colinfrancis]

"first, cost. We're not doing cost, because block is far cheaper"

[jamesmoran]

So here’s the thing. Block walls are weaker laterally UNTIL you fill them with concrete

[jonguy]

As a contractor for 34 years If you can afford it pour the walls end of story

[wakka]

Lets compare these two products

First - im not going to compare that
Second - I'm not going to compare that
third - This is why I like product A

Thank you for listening to my ted talk

[jordanamundson]

"What is better? Paper or plastic bags?... we didn't really ask anyone, but I like paper. What do you think?" - Internet guy

[mikebrown]

Superior walls.

Precast walls dropped in on site. In my experience it ends up being cheaper than poured walls in the end due to saved time and labor. Plus it is already insulated and ready for drywall.

[rbmwiv]

Much cheaper in my area to do blocks. Every house my dad has built since the early 70s has had block foundation or block wall in the basement. We have 1 concrete supplier and they are high, there is 3 different brick and block yards in the county so blocks have always been our go to. Also started using rubber roofing material to waterproof it before the dirt goes in. We had a plant here that made rubber roofing and if it wasn’t up to their specifications they got rid of it. You use to be able to get all you wanted free but that stopped after about a couple of years and then they started selling it very cheap. A big roll that 2 men had difficulty handling was about what plastic sheeting on the roll cost so we used that stuff on everything. I have some on a storage building. I used it and put a rubber roof on it about 35 years ago and it still is good no leaks, the sun has taken its toll on it. I went to help my dad on a job a few years ago and it was on a house he built back in 1983 and the outside of the basement walls were covered with that material. We had to dig out and expose some of the original wall and the rubber roofing looked like new. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with how it healed up. Unfortunately that factor closed, probably went to China.
Our town is full of old factories and it just is a shame we sold all our stuff to China. There use to be a Haynes plant near by and they had a store where you can get discount clothing from them and if you worked there you got a 75% discount. I know because several friends worked there and they would take me so I could use their discount. At one point in my life I could get employee discounts at almost any retailer in the county. I had friends that worked at the places and family members could get the discount so I was everyone’s family member. Those were the good ole days.
I have written a small essay by accident. Sorry for the long post but sometimes you start saying something about it brings back many memories all great ones! Happy thanksgiving to anyone who reads this.

[gregzjetz]

Filled block. Live on Long Island NY, house built in 1938. Basement is bone dry.

[carlosojeda]

Growing up in the Caribbean poured walls are used for load bearing and block for the rest. The flat roofs are also poured concrete.

[johnshuler]

Block with cement poured down through block like they do in Florida!

[joshuawilson]

Where im from we lay block then fill it in some cases . also they have rebar vertical and horizontal rebar at the top so it depends the building scenario.

[kalebgonzales]

Finally, someone who is using hollow blocks and reinforced concrete rather than paper and wood.

[JohnSmith-mkrj]

I'm an electrician in NYC (IBEW Local #3), and I was on a job site last winter where a poured concrete retaining wall fell over onto two guys and they lost their legs.
To say it was horrific was an understatement. It was awful.
Straight up, tho - any big building (over 15 or 20 stories) you stand in, some construction guy probably died helping to build it. Maybe more than one.
I've been on job sights where up to 3 guys at once died. Temporary elevators fall, cranes drop stuff, dudes get impaled on black iron or fall from girders.
It's just a fact of construction - it's a dangerous job.

[Somespecial]

Doesn't matter what kind of wall you have underground if you don't build it correctly and maintain it, it will fail. I've seen poured walls crack and leak just as much as brick walls.

[dontwanta]

You can do a block wall & fill it in with concrete & rebar essentially making it a poured wall.

[whymewhoa]

“First, cost. The things are different so we’ll just take compare and contrast and throw it out the window.”

[LifesLaboratory]

My parents just moved out of their home. They purchased it in 1955. It's a bungalow (finished full height basement with one above ground floor) built of cinder block with brick cladding. The cinder blocks go from the slab to the roof. Despite being in Canada with exposure to lots of moisture and cold winters for over 65 years, this home has never had an issue.

[Danny-gemy]

I think it took a week to put up all the forms, and then 6 hours to pump them. Then you come along with an air hammer while they're pumping and rattle the forms so the concrete settles to the bottom and leaves nice smooth walls. But solid poured block work just fine too !!!!

[charlesstockford]

We did block then filled with concrete. Now I would do poured or what my son has done is styrofoam blocks filled with concrete. It has 1/2 inch plywood on the inside that lock it all together and ready for drywall so they can use the entire basement.

[eyesonly]

My house has a walkout basement. Three sides of the basement had to be waterproof and withstand 12-feet of backfill. Engineer designed solid poured with steel rebar and 36" wide footings on the three retaining walls, and simple block on the walkout wall.