Is lava rock and pumice the same thing?

Question

will be using it as insulation beneath the floor of a green house.

Answer 1

Pumice is a typle of lava rock, which has so many air pockets that it will most likely float in water.

Answer 2

I guess it all depends on the area you are in.  People don't always call the same thing by the same name.  I would say that lava rock was the hardened glass like rock that was once the molten lava itself.  Pumice on the other hand is usually a gritty sand or dust like substance like sand and can also come formed in large hard chunks like rocks but it is more of a sand texture. I'd compare lave rock with the molten flow of the volcano and pumice as the dust that comes out of the volcano.    

Answer 3

Lava rock could be any lava that spews out of a volcano and solidifies into a rock.  Pumice is a particular kind of lava rock that is full of bubbles and has cooled very quickly so it is actually a foamy glass.  It is like a sponge only with smaller pores.  I would imagine that pumice would be a good insulator but most lava rock would not.

Answer 4

Pumice is a type of lava rock. It is the lightest and would be great insulation. However, it crushes quite easily. Care need be taken.