Dear Tim,
I am a Realtor. Yesterday I showed a home that was constructed out of cement blocks, inside & out. The interior walls were covered with some type of plaster and gave a definate south western look. The weather was warm (about 88 degrees) but the home, inspite of not having central air, seemed to be a lot cooler inside than outside. My clients concern was that the home would be damp & cold just like the cement block basements she was used to. We live in Wisconsin. I'm wondering if this type of construction is not well suited for the cold Wisconsin climate. Can you give us any advise on this type of home? The home was beautiful, but we are worried about the cost of keeping it comfortable.
Thank you,
Larry the Realtor
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Larry,
The thermal mass of the block allows it to store both cold and heat. Since it is still spring up in Wisconsin, the block are radiating cold as they got cold over the winter. This means the house will stay cool until the summer heat starts to change the temperature of the block. Native Americans who lived in the Southwest learned long ago that masonry - adobe - structures allowed them to stay cool in the heat of the summer.
But, they didn't have humidity. Humidity will cause the inside of the house to possibly be clammy as the humid air will condense on the cool surfaces. But you might be able to offset this easily with a few dehumidifiers.
My biggest concern would be the cost to heat the house as your winters can be long and brutal. Can you determine if there is any insulation in the walls?
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB