Can I build a house out of stone?
“Can I build a house out of stone?” Yes, you can if you choose to. They follow an ancient tradition of shelter construction combined with the modern choice to live in a greener home.
The ancient art of stone houses
These houses have been built by people in almost every region of the world for several thousand years. It is considered to be “the oldest building material known to mankind”. Early shelters consisted of stones carefully stacked one on top of the other. Ancient dry stone buildings (structures made of stone without mortar) still exist around the world.
Some dry stone constructions are still in use. Your walls and buildings are durable, fire, water and insect resistant; they seem to last forever.
A house made of stone – yes or no?
Many modern people have chosen to return to older, more sustainable building materials such as stone houses . There are certain advantages to building this type of house, but there are also a number of potential disadvantages. Let’s explore both sides:
Advantages
Sustainability – Hardly any building material is more sustainable than stone.
Virtually damage proof – As mentioned earlier, stone structures are fire, water and insect resistant.
Organically Attractive – Stone is often the choice for countertops because of its organic beauty . A stone house is like an enlargement of the organic beauty of stone.
Less Maintenance – Stone houses that have no plaster finishes (outside or inside) do not require siding or painting. They are easily cleaned by simply hosing them down with water.
Comfortable – Stone homes can be seasonally comfortably warm or cool when built with passive solar construction.
Disadvantages
Cost – Building a stone house can be cost effective or budget demanding depending on several factors:
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- Source – The cost of building a stone house increases depending on the transport distance from the source of the stones to the Businessacademy1 construction site.
- Labor Expense – Depending on who is building your home, the cost of expert design and construction can be more than a “traditional” modern home.
- Waste of Energy – Unless you incorporate a quality passive solar design, you may lose too much heat in the winter and store too much of it in the summer. Proper insulation also helps solve the age-old problems of drafts and dampness.
- Repair/Modify – Be careful in your choice of stone – it must be strong enough to support the considerable weight of the structure; Poor quality stones may not be able to support the weight, resulting in damage or collapse.
Changes to the structure require additional planning, expense and care in execution.
Years later it can be difficult to find replacement stones for repairs.
- Equipment/Expertise – When building with cut stone, you will need special stone cutting tools to shape the blocks.
- Setting stone, either in drywall (without mortar) or using mortar, requires the ability to solve a puzzle to shape and fit the stone so that the house will support itself properly.
your stone house
First hand information can be very helpful when considering such a large undertaking.
Before you decide to build your house out of stone, talk to people who live (or have built and lived in) a stone house and ask if they would be willing to share some of their experiences – pros and cons – with you split.
Get as familiar as possible with the construction process, stone types, optimal use of passive energy sources, design and everything else related to the construction of stone houses.
May your stone house be a source of aesthetic pleasure and comfortable living for many happy years.
