Editing Geodesic dome (section)

=== Disadvantages ===
[[File:Buckminster Fuller dome in Carbondale.jpg|thumb|right|[[R. Buckminster Fuller and Anne Hewlett Dome Home|Buckminster Fuller's own home]], undergoing restoration after deterioration.]]

Although dome homes enjoyed a ripple of popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as a housing system, the dome has many disadvantages and problems. A former proponent of dome homes, [[Lloyd Kahn]], who wrote two books about them (''Domebook 1'' and ''Domebook 2'') and founded Shelter Publications, became disillusioned with them, calling them "smart but not wise".
He noted the following disadvantages, which he has listed on his company's website:
Off-the-shelf building materials (e.g., plywood, strand board) normally come in rectangular shapes, therefore some material may have to be scrapped after cutting rectangles down to triangles, increasing the cost of construction. Fire escapes are problematic; codes require them for larger structures, and they are expensive. Windows conforming to code can cost anywhere from five to fifteen times as much as windows in conventional houses. Professional electrical wiring costs more because of increased labor time. Even owner-wired situations are costly, because more of certain materials are required for dome construction. Expansion and partitioning is also difficult. Kahn notes that domes are difficult if not impossible to build with natural materials, generally requiring plastics, etc., which are polluting and deteriorate in sunlight.

Air stratification and moisture distribution within a dome are unusual. The conditions tend to quickly degrade wooden framing or interior paneling.

Privacy is difficult to guarantee because a dome is difficult to partition satisfactorily. Sounds, smells, and even reflected light tend to be conveyed through the entire structure.

As with any curved shape, the dome produces wall areas that can be difficult to use and leaves some peripheral floor area with restricted use due to lack of headroom. Circular plan shapes lack the simple modularity provided by rectangles. Furnishers and fitters design with flat surfaces in mind. Placing a standard sofa against an exterior wall (for example) results in a crescent behind the sofa being wasted.

Dome builders using cut-board sheathing material (common in the 1960s and 1970s) find it hard to seal domes against rain, because of their many seams. Also, these seams may be stressed because ordinary solar heat flexes the entire structure each day as the sun moves across the sky.
Subsequent addition of straps and interior flexible drywall finishes has virtually eliminated this movement being noticed in the interior finishes.

The most effective waterproofing method with a wooden dome is to [[Roof shingle|shingle]] the dome. Peaked caps at the top of the dome, or to modify the dome shapes are used where slope is insufficient for ice barrier. One-piece reinforced [[concrete]] or [[plastic]] domes are also in use, and some domes have been constructed from plastic or waxed cardboard triangles that are overlapped in such a way as to shed water.

Buckminster Fuller's former student [[J. Baldwin]] insisted that no reason exists for a properly designed, well-constructed dome to leak, and that some designs 'cannot' leak.<ref>(Bucky Works: Buckminster Fuller's Ideas for Today)<!-- a page number would be welcome --></ref>