In certain climatic areas, it is more feasible to have a home that suits your environment. When building a home you should consider the cost and availability of products as well as the effects of the weather. There are three things that dictate the style of house and they are location, environment and finances. In Southwestern states like Arizona where the weather is extremely dry, adobe homes are common. The material is readily available, the weather permits these building types and the cost is relatively cheap. As you will see, it is this practicality in adobe homes that have made them so popular with home seekers in Arizona.
When you think of adobe, you think of the material. At first, it seems strange that you could live in this modern age in a mud or clay home; but it is a practical building material. The material is made out of a mixture of moist dirt and clay that has been sun-dried and like bricks the material can be placed in molds that determine the shape. One company that focuses on providing the raw material to the housing market in Arizona is Old Pueblo. Based out of Buckeye, Arizona, they produce blocks that weight up to fifty lbs and range in thickness to sixteen inches. Besides being cost effective, adobe is great for the environment. It does not require cross country shipping or deforestation. The only environmental resource that adobe uses is water.
Almost anywhere else, a home like this would not be feasible. Arizona, like other Southwestern states has a distinct weather pattern. It is so hot and dry in Arizona, that an air conditioner is not considered a luxury but rather a necessity. In June, the average temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit with a only three days of rain. The dryness allows the material to withstand for a long time and to be mass produced. There are still Native American homes made out of adobe that are standing in the Arizona desert today. If you compare that to regional homes of the Northeast, they can usually last a hundred years with repairs, and then you can make an argument that adobe homes are much more efficient in their environment.
The last thing to consider is the cost of building and maintaining an adobe home in Arizona. The process of building this style of house is much different. Adobe houses weight much more then the traditional wooden house so therefore there needs to be a thorough check on the ground and the foundation. For the home price, you can figure that it is about one hundred dollars per square foot. This inexpensive material will allow you to build a fairly large home but it will take longer. You have to let the material set in place before you can do interior work. The maintenance costs are much cheaper. As mentioned before, Arizona weather does not affect the house as much. Another plus is that the material absorbs sunlight all day and radiates heat indoors at night
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Orignal From: Thinking Of Having An Adobe Home In Arizona?
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