In the June 2004 edition of "The Sun News", we featured an article by solar designer Bob Alexander about the construction of a pumice-crete house. Bob is back in this edition with a follow-up of how that house is performing.

"Imagine a house which requires no heating source, other than the Sun.

Well, I'm singing a different tune these days.

Donnas pumice-crete (AKA pumice-cast) house has been occupied now for about four years and her radiant floor heating system has yet to be hooked-up. And, unless she sells it, it may never be.

I have been in that house many times over the last few years and it is always warm and comfortable. In fact, due to slightly excessive solar gain, it was actually a little too warm on sunny afternoons but, the addition of a small portal took care of that.

The sixteen inch thick exterior walls, the tiled floor and the pumice-crete internal walls all soak-up the sun's heat during the day and radiate that heat back at night keeping the house nice and comfortable.

Donna has added a kiva fireplace - traditional in Northern New Mexico - but, it is mostly for ambience.

Also, after waiting to see if there would be any settling, the house finally received a color coat. It blends in so well now with the background cliffs that it is really hard to spot.

My experience with pumice-crete has been all positive, I just can't say enough about it.

How many other building materials can you name which are fire proof, rot proof, insect proof, cheap, easy to work with, load bearing - and which work well with passive-solar design?

It's a pretty good bet that when I build my next house, it's going to made of pumice-crete.

Bob Alexander runs LX&R Design.

For more information about pumice-crete and passive-solar home design visit Bob's web site at: www.lxrdesign.biz



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See also: "Pumice House" & LX&R Design Casting Page