06-29-2016, 06:22 AM
I completely agree with Rob's "anti-wood" stance -- termites, mold, and rot make it a pretty worthless building material.
That said ... I've spent some time on the phone with the "alternatives" presented on Rob's website ... living on an island makes these somewhat impractical. The folks at Rumber were nice enough to openly admit that they didn't know if they could figure out how to ship some to Hawaii. (Which reminds me ... they never did call back.)
I am fully willing (and able) to pay premium prices for something better than wood, but it has to be as available as wood, and that's where these "alternatives" fail.
Separately, there's a "practicality" argument: why do I need a 200-year house when the lava might come in 50-years or less? (Obviously this doesn't apply everywhere...)
That said ... I've spent some time on the phone with the "alternatives" presented on Rob's website ... living on an island makes these somewhat impractical. The folks at Rumber were nice enough to openly admit that they didn't know if they could figure out how to ship some to Hawaii. (Which reminds me ... they never did call back.)
I am fully willing (and able) to pay premium prices for something better than wood, but it has to be as available as wood, and that's where these "alternatives" fail.
Separately, there's a "practicality" argument: why do I need a 200-year house when the lava might come in 50-years or less? (Obviously this doesn't apply everywhere...)