A few questions about lava rock (Honolulu, Volcano: low income, 2015, crime rate)

[HonaunauLove]

I'm laughing because the undertaking of that task would be more expensive than just having loads of dirt brought in.

[terracore]

You can get a 1 acre lot ripped and rolled for $7500, I don't know what it costs to bring in and spread 17 dump trucks of cinder soil to put in a 1 acre lawn but one would still need to rip it if they wanted to plant a lot of trees. If one didn't want to plant a lot of trees there is another option to use heavy machinery to essentially make huge planting pots in the lava that can be filled with cinder/soil for planting for a smaller number of trees.

One thing I learned about getting a lot ripped, it usually doesn't include the cost of transporting the bulldozer to the work site. You need to get a quote from Conens or somewhere for that. That's an additional $500ish depending on where the bulldozer and property are. If one of your neighbors is getting work done, you may be able to avoid (or split) that cost.

Or, one can buy a more expensive lot that has natural soil. Or you can get lucky. We knew a gal who had 18 feet of soil and the lots on the other side of the highway had only a few inches of pig mud.

[mikereilly]

Never rip more than you absolutely need. You have no idea how much work it is to maintain the land once you've removed the native species. Removing the native species makes it much easier for invasives to roll in and take over. You don't want waiwi (aka Strawberry Guava, pronounced vai-vee) taking over, it's a lot of work to manage. If you want a pin to pin ripped and rolled lot, buy one that's already done and been abandoned. You can remove the invasives with a bobcat and then get on with whatever mainland landscaping scheme you want. But I ask respectfully that you consider the native species if you do buy a lot. In a region with up to 250 inches of rain a year and a tropical climate, things grow at an astounding rate. Albizia trees can grow up to 20' in a year. Lilikoi can grow faster, but only if you provide it with something to climb, and has great tasty fruits. There are good reasons that most people don't rip pin to pin.

In H.O.V.E (Ocean View, in places you can find lots that are a'a lava with not a lot of growth), you might not have to worry as much about the rates of growth since it gets more like 20" of rain per year, but then you have to be more careful in thinking about your water catchment system.

[rhbj03]

Can hardened lava rock be quarried to be used as building materials (like for a wall or fence)?

[leilaniguy]

Yes, A'a is usually loose, just needs to be picked up, Pahoehoe needs to be broken up. I certainly would recommend you wait until It's hardened.

[hotzcatz]

Folks use different types of lava rock for rock walls but not so much as a building material for houses. Other than the concern about earthquakes, it's not all that strong of a rock. The condensed lava rock called 'blue rock' could probably be used but it's not quarried in building block sizes. Not even sure if it's in big enough veins to be quarried as blocks. You can buy it as gravel, though.

[rhbj03]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Folks use different types of lava rock for rock walls but not so much as a building material for houses. Other than the concern about earthquakes, it's not all that strong of a rock. The condensed lava rock called 'blue rock' could probably be used but it's not quarried in building block sizes. Not even sure if it's in big enough veins to be quarried as blocks. You can buy it as gravel, though.

I happen to want to dig a big pond if I do acquire a property. In case I hit lava layer below top soil, I hope I can kill two birds with one stone, and use the excavated materials for a parameter wall which I also intend to build. Stones are freaking expensive!! Where I live, they go by the pound!

[hotzcatz]

No worries, lava rock is not expensive. Generally around here you pay more to have it delivered than for the rock itself in a truckload of rock. Although I've not bought truckloads of rock lately, maybe the price has gone up.

If you buy in Puna, more than likely your pond will be an above ground pond due to the cost of digging into rock. Note: around here we don't usually specify 'lava' rock and just call it 'rock' since lava rock is the only kind of rock we have. No granite, sandstone, quartz, etc., etc. You have a choice between a'a lava, pahoehoe lava or bluerock lava. Oh, and two colors, red or black lava. Oh, and cinders, which is basically lava rock gravel.

You might be able to find a depression of some sort on a property and then line it with a pond liner to get a pond without having to do a lot of digging.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by rhbj03

I happen to want to dig a big pond if I do acquire a property. In case I hit lava layer below top soil, I hope I can kill two birds with one stone, and use the excavated materials for a parameter wall which I also intend to build. Stones are freaking expensive!! Where I live, they go by the pound!

In Puna, you certainly will. Let us know if you hit any top soil.

[mikereilly]

In Mountain View and Glenwood, you will often find deep soil on the mauka side of the belt road. However, be careful what you wish for. During rainy periods, this turns into a mud pit if you have any traffic on it (driveway, livestock).