 If you ask Japanese people what they think about wooden apartment buildings, many will answer that the main problem is that they are not good at blocking out noise, which can cause conflict with neighbors.
On the other hand, concrete apartment buildings are thought to be poorly ventilated and prone to collection of water condensation on walls and windows (and thus even mold) in the winter months.
But, have no fear! There are many apartment buildings that find ways to protect against these problems. For example, insulators and pair glass (pair glass is a high class material so it is not often used in apartments for rent) are used to minimize the problem of sound leakage and water condensation.
How well-built the apartments are to deal with these problems become one of the key determinants of the grade/rank of each apartment.
Keep in mind that the above are just general opinions. As a rule, we can't presume the goods and bads of wood-built versus concrete-built apartments. Though, this is certainly something that Japanese people take into consideration when choosing an apartment. |
