Foggy Night

[Dr. Who]

That's what I am saying, the windows were built like this + (horizontally speaking) to facilitate cross ventilation.

Actually, concrete houses act as a heat or cold sink, I live in one. When they heat up, they stay that way for several days, same with cold.

Not so with a wood house. Just hate to think about a fire.

Concrete and stone takes longer to heat up than wood. Of course the walls need to be thick, like 18 inches and the exterior finish has to be light colored. The same trip to the Caribbean where I stayed in the concrete villa, I went into a wooden building - a school house. It was hotter inside than it was outside and it had tons of open windows. The villa had large covered 'porches' ( for lack of a better term) around the whole structure, so sunlight never blasted into the interior of the house. Those galleries surrounding southern plantations served the same purpose. Additionally, humidity and wood are not mutually compatible. It's a good recipe for mold growth.

[resister]

Concrete and stone takes longer to heat up than wood. Of course the walls need to be thick, like 18 inches and the exterior finish has to be light colored. The same trip to the Caribbean where I stayed in the concrete villa, I went into a wooden building - a school house. It was hotter inside than it was outside and it had tons of open windows. The villa had large covered 'porches' ( for lack of a better term) around the whole structure, so sunlight never blasted into the interior of the house. Those galleries surrounding southern plantations served the same purpose. Additionally, humidity and wood are not mutually compatible. It's a good recipe for mold growth.

That is why knotty pine is used, I have been helping a friend across the street remodel one (circa 1930 or so) aside from termite damage, no mold original wood. Cedar or cypress would be best.

There is a reason so many historical houses still stand, even after years of neglect. They knew what they were doing when they built them.

Despite wood and humidity, many stand, over 100 years later.

[Dr. Who]

That is why knotty pine is used, I have been helping a friend across the street remodel one (circa 1930 or so) aside from termite damage, no mold original wood. Cedar or cypress would be best.

There is a reason so many historical houses still stand, even after years of neglect. They knew what they were doing when they built them.

Despite wood and humidity, many stand, over 100 years later.

My father grew up in one of those concrete houses with 18-inch walls - in Poland. The house withstood bullets and even an unexploded bomb that fell through the roof. It's still standing today and at least 100 years old. They really don't have much A/C in Europe. If you go through the Mediterranean, concrete and stone is the most common building material and many of those buildings are hundreds of years old. The thing is though that the houses have to be oriented such that they get the prevailing breezes in summer or they will get hot and humid. They also need to be shaded from the hottest sun in summer with verandas and porches. That's harder to do with modern neighborhoods that orient all houses the same way and a bit too close together.

I don't live in a concrete house, but my back deck is now a back porch that keeps the afternoon sun from pouring into my house, making it cooler than it was before, even without AC. Still, if it were oriented differently and further away from the neighbors, I would have large windows on the southeastern sides of the house to take advantage of morning breezes.

[resister]

It's a good-sized house, but it's wood frame, which I wouldn't have in Florida. Give me reinforced concrete and steel with a clay, slate or metal roof. Stays cooler and more hurricane resistant.

It did act as a wind block during the hurricane, it is about 70 ft from my house, neither one sustained damage. That house used to be on 3 acres, some of which my house occupies.

[Dr. Who]

It did act as a wind block during the hurricane, it is about 70 ft from my house, neither one sustained damage. That house used to be on 3 acres, some of which my house occupies.

Fortunately, you are inland. Wood frame has a limited tolerance for wind speed.

[Peter1469]

In Iceland it is all concrete.

If you go down into the Caribbean, you see a lot of concrete houses. They are much more heat resistant than wood frame. They have concrete, tile or stone floors. With a good cross breeze and ceiling fans you don't feel the need for A/C like you would in a wood frame house, especially one that is not insulated. I spent two weeks in summer in an unairconditioned Caribbean villa. It was not a sweat box and the daytime temps were always close to 90 degrees.

[resister]

Fortunately, you are inland. Wood frame has a limited tolerance for wind speed.

In 2004 Charley blasted thru here, 35 miles frsh off the gulf. The local paper ran an article about historic September hurricanes, Arcadia has been battered repeatedly in the last 100 plus years with a few that made Charley (and Irma) rather tame.

Plenty of these grand houses still stand. I should photo some and make a thread (not sure how people might react to me photoing their house, though)

[resister]

If you go down into the Caribbean, you see a lot of concrete houses. They are much more heat resistant than wood frame. They have concrete, tile or stone floors. With a good cross breeze and ceiling fans you don't feel the need for A/C like you would in a wood frame house, especially one that is not insulated. I spent two weeks in summer in an unairconditioned Caribbean villa. It was not a sweat box and the daytime temps were always close to 90 degrees.

I lived in a mobile home in Tampa, under big oaks, never used AC, just open windows and multiple fans, was always comfortable.

[Peter1469]

I lived in a mobile home in Tampa, under big oaks, never used AC, just open windows and multiple fans, was always comfortable.

That sounds my time in the infantry- know how to stay cool.

[resister]

That sounds my time in the infantry- know how to stay cool.

Just good ventilation, that is how Fl houses were built before AC.