A Polysteel Home Will Be Last One That Storm Destroys

People who live in concrete houses can throw stones - and even fire off bullets.

But even people without a bunker mentality can appreciate the 10-inch-thick walls of sand, gravel and cement that have become the latest rage in Hampton Roads homebuilding.

There's a good reason according to T. Reid Pocock Jr., a concrete builder and distributor.  The region is hurricane-prone, and though he doesn't guarantee that his new homes are hurricane-proof, they're certainly hurricane-resistant.

"It could go down, I suppose, but it would be the last one standing in the neighborhood," he said pointing to one of his Virginia Beach houses.

Pocock has built more than a dozen homes with "Polysteel" construction.  With that method, polystyrene - better known by its trade name Styrofoam - is formed into blocks held together with steel meshing.  Like Legos, they are locked together to form walls.  Unlike Legos, then they are filled with concrete.

The drawbacks?  The weighty homes come with an equally hefty price tag: Concrete homes take longer to build and cost 4 to 10 percent more than wood homes.  Also, concrete home building systems - and steel, which is also gaining in popularity - are not always readily available.

On the positive side, concrete and steel prices are more stable than lumber.  Wood prices fluctuate and have become increasingly expensive since the early 1990s because of new laws designed to protect the nation's forests.

Builders in states including California and Florida hard hit by natural disasters, have turned to concrete and steel for strength.  Steel construction also is becoming common in Hawaii because of a termite problem and a lack of lumber.

Both materials are insect, fire and rot resistant.  Their size and shape can be produced consistently.  And recycled steel and concrete made from common items are considered more environmentally friendly.

Concrete homes, with the polystyrene blocks left in place for insulation, are estimated to be about three times as energy efficient as wooden houses.  And they filter out more noise.

Wood is still used for the overwhelming majority of homes.  Concrete and steel, used regularly in commercial building, have a long way to go.

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