/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1446964
>Did some of old buildings had stone foundation insted of brick?

it was used in the past yes but generally victorian houses onwards just used brick and then progressed to concrete, some of the brick footings are so shallow that you would be amazed the houses are still standing. i have seen one victorian terrace with no foundations - bricks just going down a few courses below ground level - still standing strong and no signs of cracking. not recommended though.

in the 1950s onwards, slab foundations became popular and although lauded for some reason, all of the houses that i've seen with severe movement and rising damp problems have had slab foundations. i'm not a qualified engineer but i personally wouldn't buy one and wouldn't build foundations in this way unless it was a necessity.

>Who makes houses out of steel or aluminum and why don't more?

us bongs tried this in the post-war housing boom often with disastrous results (google BISF houses). the steel tended to rust and fail and you can't even get a mortgage on these houses because of their dire reputation. i'm sure techniques have moved on now though.

>why dont they use steel slats instead of wood for roofing

it's becoming increasingly common and i notice it a lot on new build housing developments. smaller builders still stick to timber probably because it's what they know and easier to work with on site.