Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

Wifey was watching a program on the TV tonight, and since after has been pestering me about the dangers (discomfort seems more apt in my book...*ouch*) of living amongst concrete.

To tell the Paul Pierce, I've been wondering the same thing myself, ever since last summer, when I started getting these weird, funky rashes every so often -- usually after sleeping on the floor whenever Wifey, pregnant eight months, started snoring like a raging cyclone.

So, if anyone knows: what are the potential problems associated with living so close to concrete (aka the Unseen Evil)?

Wifey's even begun suspecting that it's the reason Rapzilla's hair won't grow.

Sparkles*_*

[maxxx_power]

Rediculous

[ryleeys]

Concrete is notorious for disolving easily and contaminating the air with small particles which will literally rub your skin and even lungs like sandpaper... that's why instead of pored concrete now, most American builders use prefabbed concrete blocks which don't do it... but Korean builders are notoriously cheap in construction (also why the windows here are so poory insulated)...


(I used to be an architect in America... that's my source, I know how much people like requesting sources around this joint)

[ryleeys]

Also, concrete is an abrasive substance... it basically consists of water (which is very abrasive... think Grand Canyon) and sand (very abrasive, think sand paper).

Walk into a room that is relatively new and made of poured concrete, you can smell it, right? Well, that smell is composed of little tiny particles that are scraping along your nose and lungs... sucks, don't it?

[maxxx_power]

Here's the MSDS for concrete masonry

http://www.tarmacamerica.com/tarmac/datasheets/pdf/normal_concrete.pdf

Low level exposures, which are way beyond what you will inhale just by living around the stuff, are completely harmless.

Ryleeys, you're 22, were you an architect when you were 11 or something? How is it that you could earn an architecture degree and become certified in so little time?

Construction I buy, but architect, no.

[ryleeys]

Okay, technically not an architect... I was an assistant... when I was a junior in high school I was offered a job working for an architect... started out with doing basic drawings of site plans and what not, then as I got better, I was allowed to design basic things like electrical plans and such... the last two years I was there I got to lead a few projects on my own (a bank, a church, and a school) and meet with clients... not certified so my boss (the only architect, it was a one man firm) had to sign off on my work, but I was good so it wasn't a problem.

I was an architecture major at Maryland for two years before I got pissed at the school for teaching architecture like it was a damn art degree (we literally were not allowed to use rulers until our friggin' junior year)... I told off the dean of the school and switched to international relations...

I'm sorry for any confusion the previous post caused...
I also should have specified that most people wouldn't be affected by normal concrete levels, but it's entirely possible that he is more susceptible to concrete through allergies...

[panthermodern]

Concrete is the ultimate human creation ...

I did not say that was good.

Humans are bad.

[TheUrbanMyth]

Concrete shoes are also bad....

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[oldfort]

There's lots of concrete here. I went for a hike on the hills today, though, so feel better.

I didn't know that concrete contaminated the air, though. Gee.

[ThreeDogNight]

I wonder if the mold that grows here is the real problem behind concrete since. . .hmm. . .we do use wallpaper, don't we?

Now I know mold exists in abundance because I'm allergic to this terribly. Another problem is condensation, I believe, or mildew and moisture that concrete creates, isn't it?

I didn't know the information ryleeys gave us, though, which was very helpful. I wonder about these apartments, and why sometimes I've had difficulties sleeping and bouts of rhinitis. I guess if you use a humidifier, or a dehumidifier, this problem may subside.

[ryleeys]

That mold certainly can't help... it's gotta be contributing to concrete decay... the cold can't help either... while it's extremely dry here, there's still moisture freezing and refreezing in the concrete and causing minute amounts of the stuff to get sucked into the air... I wonder if ajoshis are spitting little chunks of concrete into their cups in the PC bang...