Approximately one third (1/3) of the energy consumed by an air conditioner is used in extracting moisture from the house. The largest contributor of moisture is vapor through the walls and leaking air through cracks and seams. We recommend using a high quality house wrap/vapor barrier such as Tyvek on the riser wall and infill panels. The Tyvek allows moisture to escape while preventing air and moisture from entering.

18. Are There Concerns With Moisture And Dampness In A Tightly Sealed House?

Moisture will accumulate inside a house as a result of washing, cooking, showers, transmission of vapor through the walls and conduction of damp air into the house through seams, etc. When the air conditioning is operating, the moisture level will be controlled because the air conditioner will extract moisture and condense it at the evaporator coil. When the house is being heated, the moisture level will be controlled by the fact that as air is heated, its relative humidity (moisture) decreases. Moisture can accumulate inside a tightly sealed house that is not heated or air conditioned if the windows are kept closed for many days. This will rarely be a concern, but it can be controlled by opening a vent at the top of the dome, adding a little heat to dry the air or briefly turning on the air conditioner. At this time, we will point out that a fresh air heat exchanger is not required in our dome to control moisture, but it could be desirable for the removal of stale air.

19. Can Domes Be Built In Heavy Snowload Areas?

Definitely! Geodesic Domes and Homes domes are rated for snowloads up to 47 feet of wet snow psf.

20. Do Geodesic Domes Leak?

Yes, all buildings leak without a good roof. We have had and presently have several qualified roofers that we highly recommend who can and will work with you. These roofers that we recommend will install a high quality economical long lasting roof for you.

21. Do You Have To Have Custom Furniture For Geodesic Domes?

The answer is no. The interior part of a dome is very similar to that of a conventional house, and furniture arrangement is basically the same.

22. Do Domes Have More Window Area?

Domes can have as much or as little as you want. State and/or federal law now dictates the amount of window or glass area that a person can have in their home. For example, in California you can only have 20% glass area relative to the total floor area of the entire house. This percentage varies from state to state, so be aware of what it is for your area.

23. How Do You Insulate Domes?

The domes may be insulated in the same manner as conventional houses. We highly recommend the factory installed urethane foam insulation since this will give the dome an approximate R-40 rating which by far exceeds all current state and federal standards. This urethane foam insulation when it is installed at our factory goes in each panel. Thus when all of the triangles are bolted together, the insulation is also in place at the same time, making this form of insulation unique in it's own right.

24. Can I Leave A Dome Completely Open On The Inside?

Structurally, the answer to this would be yes. However, the answer would be no according to uniform building codes. In some areas to qualify for a certificate of occupancy, a structure must meet uniform building codes and this calls for partitions for kitchens, and bathrooms. In essence, you are going to have some partitions whether it is desirable or not. Structurally speaking, the dome is a completely self-supporting structure and none of the walls on the inside are necessary to support the building itself. This free-standing aspect is a great advantage to people for it allows them much more design flexibility than they would achieve using a conventional design.

25. Does The Company Include Interior Walls?

It is more efficient and cost effective to build walls on the job site than to do so in our factory. At present, we do not include interior walls with our kits although we can do custom interiors on an individual order basis.

26. Does A Person Have To Use Sheetrock To Cover The Interior?

No, a person can use any type of ceiling or wall covering.

27. How Are The Interior Walls Attached To The Dome?

The walls are nailed to the studs in the dome.

28. How Does The Second Floor Attach To The Dome Shell?

The second floor joists are set on top of the first floor walls much the same as in conventional housing and anchor off the dome. In truss roof housing, there is usually an interior wall required to support the roof; but, because of the exceptional strength of our dome, we can do the opposite and use the dome shell to support the interior.

29. How Are The Plumbing And Electric Installed In The Walls?

The interior walls are built the same way as conventional housing, therefore, the plumbing and electric within those walls will also be the same. To install electrical wiring in the exterior walls, simply cut a groove into the foam and insert the wire. To install an electrical box in the foam, cut a square hole slightly larger than the electrical box, spray a small amount of foam into the hole and insert the box. The spray foam will harden in approximately 30 minutes and hold the electrical box secure. Plumbing pipes, conduit or other items can be concealed in the foam in the same manner. When the drywall is installed, the wiring and pipes are concealed.

30. Are Domes More Efficient to Heat And Cool?

The answer to this is a resounding YES! It is probably the biggest advantage to Geodesic Domes. The reason relates back to the earlier questions and answers regarding surface area in a dome. As compared to conventional construction, There is 30% less surface area that you have to heat and cool. This transfers directly into savings because there is 30% less area for the molecules of heat to escape. Very simply, if you are going to have 30% less surface area to heat and cool--you are going to have about 30% savings. This 30% can be upped as much as 50%, however, depending upon the floor plan used.

31.What Types Of Heating Systems Can Be Used In Domes?

You can use any type of heating system in Geodesic Domes that you find being used in conventional construction today. Some of those include Baseboard, Electric, Radiant Heat, Forced Air, Solar, etc. A good thing to bear in mind in all construction questions related to domes is, for the most part, that you can do anything inside a dome that can be done inside a conventional house.

32. Can You Put Fireplaces In Domes?

Yes, any type of fireplace that you see in a conventional house can also be put in a Geodesic Dome, whether it be a stone or a free-standing.

33. How Are Domes Connected Together?

On our domes, there are five (5) locations where you may install an entryway. At any of these locations, you can connect another dome by joining entryways together.