Why are they all built elevated from the ground? To keep cool?
When I lived on Oahu, the majority of the homes were not elevated. The ones that were elevated were located in areas prone to flooding.
Now that you mention it, the houses in low-lying areas were really elevated, that is, they were built on ash-block columns so that they were a good twenty feet or so off the ground. That makes sense; we saw evidence of Hurricaine Iniki’s damage thirteen years after the event, and I would want a home well clear of the ground in those areas, myself.
However, the majority of houses even in elevated areas were still propped up a couple of feet from the ground, often with the empty space underneath disguised with some wooden lattice-work. What’s up with that?
SWAG: Termites?
That would be my guess also. Termite season sucked when I lived there; they’re everywhere.
Termites, floods and lava. That last one’s the real bitch.
When I was visiting Kona a few years ago I was told it was because of the first two reasons, the third was just my feeble attempt…
It’s pretty common along the Gulf Coast to build homes atop pilings. It keeps the homes above storm tide (i.e., hurricane) levels.
Usually the space underneath is used as a garage.
Termites! That makes sense. Now that you mention it, I seem to remember something about termites thriving in tropical climates and causing major damage. That must mean that those homes sit on cement from the ground down, and can be wood from the ground up. Thanks for the replies, it was puzzling me.
I live on Oahu. Most homes are not elevated. Those that are elevated are usually in a flood plain or on a hillside.
Termites are a problem, but it isn’t necessary to build your home on stilts to avoid them.
I lived near Hilo (Pahoa)-- windward and rainy. Lost of homes were elevated-- older ones almost invariably and often very high up, newer ones not as standard and not as high (more like mainland ranchers)-- our house was fromt he 70s but still was on supports and had about a 3’ open crawl space. The buildings at my school followed this trend, too-- the old buildings had classrooms about 12 feet up, with locker space and such underneath between the pilings, while the new concrete buildings were closer to what you find in schools in CA. Perhaps the change is due to building materials (harder to build elevated with weight of concrete?) and style, but you can guess which rooms got flooded when winter came. I have a sentimental affection for the older style. Maybe the difference between Oahu and Hawaii can be attributed to the weather? Age of buildings? Relative “modernity”? I think weather is the key; lava wouldn’t be hampered by these supports, obviously, and termites would just get through more quickly. Air flow and critters might be secondary issues.
Another possibility: A pier foundation is generally the cheapest and easiest type of foundation you can build, and doesn’t necessarily require any heavy equipment. You can do it with shovels if you’re low on cash, or if you’re in a place that is not easily accessible by good roads. This is also why you find a lot of backwoods cabins built on piers, rather than on slabs or full basements.
Those elevated buildings that I saw in Hawaii seemed to be built that way to keep cool. However, here on the Gulf coast of the US, new elevated homes are built to keep them out of the flood zone. Remember the old adage: in real estate it is Location Location Location. Here that means (in part) what flood zone your house is in. If you are too low (less than 10 feet MSL), you can’t get insurance. So piers might be the only way you can build a home. Older homes were always built on piers (usually a couple of feet high) to avoid flooding. That was in the days before flood insurance.
Really old homes, pre-termicide days, were built on piers to reduce termite damage. In Hawaii, I assume that homes built on piers are a) getting out of the ground fog, b) trying to avoid termites without chemicals. Piers help in both cases-some.