Concrete Houses

[Janice]

Why don't they build all concrete houses on the gulf coasts. You have to know they would withstand wind a lot better than a wood house. There are lots of states that have them and they are just beautiful. You would think the insurance rates would be cheaper too, cause they would be stronger.

[HurryKane]

They are expeeeeeeensive.

And while they are lovely, they don't have the charm that some of the old antebellum and other style wood-frame homes on Scenic Drive in the Pass had. Some of those homes were quite old and historic.

I imagine it would be VERY expensive to knock down an existing wood-frame and then build a concrete one on it. Some people would probably hedge their bets on whether or not a hurricane would do it for them.

[coriolis]

I'd guess that cost woud be a reason. Concrete as a material is expensive, and a lot of labor goes into into it. You need highly skilled labor to build the forms, install the reinforcing, place the concrete, and do the finishing. A high quality mix is needed to be watertight and not crack too much.

Concrete structures must be designed by an engineer to determine the spans, thicknessess, amounts of reinforcing, and detailing. I am not aware of any pre-engineered houses out there. If there are, they'd probably be made of precast sections and assembled at the site, which would negate most of the benefits of a massive cast-in-place stucture.

If not done correctly, a concrete house would be damp and hard to heat or cool. Concrete must be insulated and damp proofed which would add significantly to the cost. Even so, continuous dehumidification would probably be necessary.

Installing plumbing and wiring in concrete can be tricky. It all has to be layed out and designed before placing the concrete. Once the concrete hardens, any utilities that are cast into the concrete can not be changed or added-to.

Finally, in order to be storm proof, the structure is only as good as it's doors and windows. If subject to flooding or storm surge, no structure will keep water out.

[Janice]

I was thinking Arizona, New Mexico, etc. had stone or concrete houses. All our houses here in PR are concrete. John added a room. Yes, a lot of work. Rebars, etc., making forms for cement. When Georges and Hugo came through, I can't remember any houses going, just the old wood ones. We are 3 blocks from the ocean and felt the canes on the walls and it was scary, but the house did not budge. California is full of cement houses too. Just wondered. If California and other states can afford them and they are just beautiful, why not the coasts?