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My wife and I are house shopping. We are finally going to touch our precious savings and next year I am going to either get a $300/month raise or *crosses fingers* a MUCH higher raise.
I have been looking around and we live in an buyers nightmare city. People form California are coming and buying lots for 40,000 - 100,000 dollars and building 800,000 dollar homes. Housing prices have almost doubled. My brother lived in a house for 6 months and sold if (divorce) for 60,000 profit. It is now going for 60,000 above that!
I have always wanted a dome home. I like the architecture, the ascetics, the energy efficiency--pretty much everything. It is a personality fit. My wife was looking at some and she LOVES it too.
Now I am dome-home shopping. The first site I found is for concrete dome homes. How is the price?
Does anyone have experience with dome homes? What are the advantages or cons? Are there any recommended business that sell dome homes.
This thread is also open for discussion on other pre-fab homes. Are dome homes cheaper (in price or quality)? Thanks.
Posts: 2445 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Dome homes are cheaper to build (assuming you buy on a lot and do the labor yourself), but historically don't appreciate all that well. If you're looking at this as a starter home, it's probably not a good idea. If it's the only home you ever plan to own, make sure you pick a good lot and go to town. (Note: domes built into hills are cooler than freestanding domes.)
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Do not expect privacy in regards to sound proofing. Sounds carry all sorts of good in dome homes.
Posts: 1236 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I built a 16-foot diamater geodesic dome in my backyard as a home theatre. I soundproofed it, and can watch the space shuttle launch on laserdisc without bothering the neighbors.
Unfortunately I didn't roof it properly, and now it's 8 years later and there's water damage. I know soooo much more about construction now so I think I won't even repair it, I'll just let it decay until it isn't usuable and then I'll just tear the whole thing down and rebuild it, better than before.
Posts: 454 | Registered: Mar 2005
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When you built it, how long did it take? My understanding is that (I have been looking at the kind that are concrete) I get the frame, pour the concrete, assemble it.
Then I need to...well…I am at a loss. I have framed a basement and put up the sheet-rock, mud, and painted it. I also did the moldings.
I hired someone to do the electric and plumbing--tho I did help.
Once I have the dome frame built, do I frame the inside and put on sheetrock? I am not sure what the process is after the foundation and dome is built. I know there are tons of hidden costs.
quote: Dome home = same as a geodesic dome?
My understanding is yes. There are several types of dome homes: concrete, wood, and other materials. I am starting my search with concrete domes. I wonder if I add the concrete or if they ship it the frame with the concrete all ready hardened.
Posts: 2445 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Southern Utah. The housing market is INSANE. I would make it solar powered because there is so much sun around.
Posts: 2445 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Wooden ones tend to leak; haven't heard anything about concrete ones, but I imagine that they'd be more solid.
I've just started to read a very fun book about different kinds of houses, it's a great read, wonderful pictures and stories and an amazing range of houses from all over the world (both traditional and modern houses, many very inexpensive to build). The book's called Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter, by Lloyd Kahn, one of the original contributors to the Whole Earth Catalog, and author of a couple early books on geodesic domes (Domebook One and Domebook 2). Here's an Amazon link for Home Work.
An interesting note he included in the "About the author" section says:
quote:1972: decided domes didn't work, took Domebook 2 out of print, disassembled and sold dome. Went in search of other (non-dome) ways to build
That, coming from the author of a couple geodesic dome books, is pretty interesting...
Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001
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It took us years to build because (1) we worked on it off and on, with long stretches of off, (2) we had no plans and just made it up as we went along, (3) I was young and inexperienced and not very skilled, (4) our only power tools were a drill and a skilsaw, and we were not even smart enough to use two extension cords, we kept plugging and unplugging!
Now of course, I've got some decent tools and can build an add-on bedroom, from foundation up, singlehandedly, in 4 1/2 months, working evenings and Saturdays.
So I could knock another dome together in fairly short order, by my standards.
Beats hiring people to do stuff and having to pay them.
Make sure the foundation is good and that it won't get water damage from below. Make sure it's sealed properly on the outside; figure that the entire dome should be treated like it's all roof; don't just paint it like a wall.
On the inside, frame your rooms, but then put up soundproofing board first, then the drywall. If sound gets in, it's going to be interesting, so keep it out.
Oh, and don't paint the inside dark blue. It's great for home theatre, but much to dark for anything else...
Keep in mind the lack of squareness on the exterior walls will make things... interesting. And really consider what you want as far as interior walls go. Are you going to have standard 90 degree angles everywhere *but* the exterior? Or figure you're already traveling down an artistic path, and have fun with angles? We custom-built our door and hallway leading to the dome (from the outside it looks like a giant igloo) and didn't put a 90 degree angle anywhere, the door has got a steep point to it.
Posts: 454 | Registered: Mar 2005
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