Thermal Heat Mass dwellings in Texas?

[GentleLady]

Anyone using block buildings or concrete strutures in Texas? Heard they don't do really well in the humidity. Was just wondering if anyone else has tried them in a humid climate and how they are working.
Lisa

[Kelly]

google "texas earthship"
there are a few videos that show an earthship being built in texas. earthships use thermal mass for heating/cooling.

hth

edit: i cant get to the videos at work, or i would link them.

[kfander]

Anyone using block buildings or concrete strutures in Texas? Heard they don't do really well in the humidity. Was just wondering if anyone else has tried them in a humid climate and how they are working.
Lisa

When I was living in Los Fresnos, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, north of Brownsville, a friend of mine was living in a two-story home that he had built for himself from poured concrete. I was at his house many times, and it stayed pretty cool in very hot weather. While we seldom had cold days there, I would imagine it would be easy to heat as well.

[GentleLady]

Yes there is a company that specializes in this type of builiding, The Natural Home. Seems like it would be something to really look into, would decrease the need for solar panels and other alterntive energy solutions as the home itself keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Here is there website if anyone would like to look into high thermal mass buildings. https://www.thenaturalhome.com/passivesolar.html

[DavidOH]

I LOVE this guy's story.

He is about my age (our age! ;)) and did a LOT of hard work building his dream house.

http://www.texasmusicforge.com/gimmeshelter.html

It's all done now. All concrete block, and yes, in Texas. :dirol:

[GentleLady]

DavidOH, nice story, hope to have a story like that myself sometime in the future. Very neat indeedy!