12-02-2005, 11:06 AM
The reason you don't usually see full perimeter poured concrete or block,(here it's called hollow tile),foundations in Puna isn't just for reasons of economy. It's because solid foundations block free airflow, leading to fungal/rot problems and just as important- the darkness of a crawlspace is the perfect home for every creepy crawler that lives here, not to mention rats, mice, mongoose, feral cats, anything that hides from the light. There is a 1 piece prepoured pier & tofu combination available with embedded steel nailing straps to anchor the posts down, this prevents "walking" in earthquakes.