House Construction in the Desert

Advantages

• Constructing a house in the desert, rather than in the rain forest, mountains or prairie, offers a host of advantages. For one thing, you will probably not experience major construction delays due to incessant rain or harsh, snowy winters. Also, it is relatively easy to move building materials and equipment through sparse desert terrain, even if you are constructing a home in a remote area of the desert. By contrast, building a house in a wooded or alpine environment brings a host of logistical obstacles, additional expenses and potential delays due to weather and terrain.

Hazards

• Even without exertion, extended exposure to hot sun can cause sickness or, in extreme cases, death. Heat stress is the major hazard that people constructing houses in the desert face while performing the actual construction. Drinking plenty of fluids, taking salt pills and electrolytes, taking breaks, working during the cooler parts of the day, and being vigilant for symptoms of heat-induced illness will help workers protect their health while on a desert construction site. Other desert house construction hazards include venomous insects and animals, plus weather hazards, such as lightning strikes and flash floods.

House Feature Considerations

• Take advantage of your house's desert location by selecting low-maintenance, heat-tolerant plants. Consult a landscape designer experienced in "xeriscaping" (low-water-usage landscape design) if you are unfamiliar with desert plants. Reduce your energy bills -- as well as your reliance on the conventional electrical grid -- by seizing the immense amounts of solar energy the desert receives. Include solar cells or a solar-panel array in your home-construction plans.

Color Choices

• Having your home painted white or another light color -- or having light-colored siding or shingles installed -- will help keep the interior of your home at a comfortable temperature once construction is finished. Desert cities can suffer from power outages in the hottest months due to people's heavy usage of air conditioning. Constructing your home with coolness in mind will help you stay comfortable even if you can't use your air conditioner.