In the past 25 years, I have been searching for the right building system and materials to build in Hawaii that would address the issues of termites, hurricane and wood rot and wet rot. Finding the perfect system is almost impossible. Every material and system has flaws. I have been to Guam, Australia, Texas, Washington, California, Arizona and other states searching for the right building products or building systems for Hawaii homeowners.
I do not recommend building with wood. Termites love wood. If termites don't eat the lumber, wet rot and dry rot will get to the lumber. I recommend Autoclave Aerated Concrete (AAC) and Force 10 as the top two building systems. I recommend concrete first, steel second and wood never.
Autoclave Aerated Concrete System (AAC)I was introduced to this system just a short time ago and I am a fan and a supporter of the AAC system. I will try to explain in layman's terms how the system works. The system consists of a mixture of conrete materials and proprietary agents that create a mix of about 80% air and 20% concrete which makes the product very light and yet very durable. The AAC is impervioust to termites, fire, earthquake and hurricane resistant and easy to build. The cost is comparable to wood and steel. This system has been in use in Europe since 1930s and has been introduced to the United States for several decades and Hawaii has had very little exposure to the AAC system. The AAC system can used for homes, office buildings, motels, shopping malls, etc.
Force 10 Steel Engineered Building System builds pre-panelized steel frame foam core sandwich panels that are made in Australia. The system is able to withstand sustained winds of 155 MPH and gusts up to 220 MPH. The Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund has given this system 50% off on hurricane insurance and is the only wood or steel frame system to receive such a large discount. This system is termite proof, hurricane & earthquake resistant and seismic rated.
Cedar homes and other similar wood packaged homes have been available for decades and have proven to be an alternative to conventional building. All the components are pre-cut and shipped in containers for assembly on the job site. There is a wide variety of floor plans to choose from and the cost to build is a little cheaper or about the same as conventional building.
There are several companies in Hawaii that builds the skeletal steel frame panels in their factory and ships it to the job site. The steel frame does not have the inside & outside walls installed at the factory. The labor savings would be in the fabrication of the wall sections. Like any other steel frame system, steel is impervious to termites and is a very desirable alternative to wood.
Foam blocks and cement fillThe hollow tile blocks are replaced with very light foam blocks that are stacked on top of each other the same way hollow tile blocks are used. The foam blocks serve as insulation and are lighter and easier to work with. The holes in the foam blocks are filled with steel rebars and concrete as specified by the architect or structural engineer. This system has not been very popular and is not as cost effective. There are some flaws to the system that need to be addressed.
Tri Steel homes are manufactured in Texas. There are a wide variety of house plans that the customer can choose from. The components arrive in containers and the contractor will need to assemble the framing materials. There are several other companies that sell pre-designed homes.
Modular homes have been around for decades on the mainland but it has not been popular in Hawaii. The homes are built at the factory and shipped in half sections. When the two sections arrive on the job site, the two sections are joined together. Earlier versions of the modular homes were very boxy and had very little variations in floor plans. Current versions show a lot of variety and many improvements have been made to the modular homes. The homeowner will have to pay for the lot preparation and the lots must be flat and cannot have split elevations. This poses a problem in Hawaii because of the slope of the land. The cost to build a modular home is supposed to be cheaper than conventional building.
The landowner needs to do a lot of research to find the right building materials and systems that would fit their budget and needs. If you have any questions re: different building systems, please call me at 216 4999 or email me at
abelee@hawaii.rr.com.
