Around Southwest Florida you see a lot of houses built off the ground, supported by stilts. Stilt houses are very common in most coastal and subtropical regions like Florida. Some of the benefits are opening up the view, giving stability on unstable land, protecting against floods, and helping with ventilation.
View
A house built on stilts will naturally stand taller than other houses around it, and can even rise above the trees in certain areas. This will give you a wide and distant view of the surrounding area. Although Florida doesn’t really have many high, lookout-style areas, a stilt house can get the family off the ground and offer a nice view of the beautiful Florida scenery.
Stability
Stilt houses are a great way to construct a home on unstable ground. Since the house is built up, off the ground, it’s up to the stilts themselves to give stability rather than the ground underneath. This allows houses to be built in otherwise unstable places. You’ll see stilt houses built on cliffs, or on steep, sloping mountainsides, and even in sand or over water. The relatively flat terrain of Florida doesn’t usually require stilts for cliffs or mountainsides, but building on sand or over water with stilts can both increase the home’s stability as well as offer a unique location for the home.
Protection
Building a home on stilts lifts the house off the ground and out of the danger of things like flooding. Because living in Florida offers a higher risk of hurricanes and the storm surge that goes with it, many coastal homes are built on stilts to try to help mitigate the danger. Another feature of the stilt home is that there are no ground-level windows where an intruder might gain entry, which can help protect the family living in such a house.
Ventilation
Because stilt houses are off the ground, cool air is allowed to circulate beneath the house, which can help in keeping the house cooler overall. Especially in Florida’s summers, this can be a great boon for your comfort and energy spending.
Stilts houses have been popular in subtropical and coastal regions like Florida for thousands of years, and over that time the technology to make stunning and exciting homes built on stilts has improved dramatically.
If you want to live near the coast, you may want to consider a stilt home. Be sure to call Harden Custom Homes at (239) 205.5075 to discuss your options.