Stone Houses

In places such as Hawaii, natural (in this case volcanic) stone is found in great abundance. And with the mild climate there, it seems that stone would be a fine material to construct homes from, even with single wall (un-insulated) construction. The stone is dark and beautiful, especially when a fine layer of moss grows upon it. Even better, it’s fire-proof, termite-proof, and can hold up well to wind and water.

Some potential drawbacks of stone, though, could be its high thermal mass and possible solar heat retention (which could be an advantage in cool climates) and the possibility of increased radon gas emissions from certain types of stone (although the volcanic stone in Hawaii is not considered hazardous in this way) (check).

However, despite the amazing longevity of stone as a building material, earthquakes can crack and tumble such homes and lava can cover them over. But otherwise, they should last virtually forever.

(CONTINUE READING)