I want to build an adobe home in Georgia -- do you think it's feasible in this rainy/humid climate?

Hello new to permies.
I want to build and adobe home here in the middle of Georgia. Any advise
Its rains most of the year and its very humid at around 70% during the long summer months
I want to do a passive solar design and have the roof over hang about 8 feet due to the rain. Also i will add insulation on the exterior of the north west and east walls. Then plaster with lime. Do you think adobe is feasible for this climate

Hello Adria,

the traditional houses in Abkhazia – which has a similar climate – are limestone walls in the lower floor and wattle-and-daub in the upper floor. Buildings made from cob are holding up well if protected from rain (and insects! The wasps will steal your clay.) I can't say much about insulation yet. We will try adding insulation to this house next year and see what happens…

EDIT: Lime plaster sounds good. That is the standard here and holds up rather well (but needs repairs after each earthquake).

As long as the walls are protected from rain and summer sun, I think it will work fine. I have a friend who lives in Tuscaloosa, and have experienced late winter/early spring there, and I don't think it would be worthwhile insulating outside the cob walls. Most of the year the issue is cooling, and I think allowing the walls to be exposed to the night air will help keep them cooler than if they were insulated from it. Vines at the edges of the covered space would filter the heat and sun and make it pleasant. I would arrange the south overhang to allow winter sun penetration, and build a small heater for cold weather.

I do wonder if the weather would be conducive to making adobes and building with them, or if straight cob would work better. Experience from someone in that climate who has done both would be valuable.

I think Adobe will work. I would do a lot of reading about using high and low windows to regulate temperature and try to make the walls really thick. The 8 ft overhangs are the best idea though. I did a similar house with a pole barn to make my Cob Barndominium. Check out myYouTube channel    I put a 50x50 ft building over a 20x32 ft cob house. My shortest overhang is 6 ft with a fully covered gabel and my widest is 15 ft, which is the back porch. I have worked outside every hot day under that roof for the past year and a half. It stays cool and breezy.