Forums > Specific Focus > Home, Garden & Construction in Mexico

Rolly

Apr 3, 2002, 5:12 PM

Post #1 of 24 (12928 views)

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Want to watch a house being built?

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I am under way with a house building project that I am documenting on my web site. If you want to check out the progress, click below.New pictures will be added as we move along. Estimated (hoped for) completion before Christmas.This is a subset of my "Life in Mexico" wed site at Rollybrook.com

Jim en Cancún

Apr 3, 2002, 7:18 PM

Post #2 of 24 (12917 views)

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Sure do!!

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Loco

Apr 3, 2002, 11:20 PM

Post #3 of 24 (12915 views)

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Architect to what extent

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It would seem with such standardized construction methods and devoid of "fancy" ... you can be as much artist as architect in Mexico. Did you only have to make initial presentation to local inspectors .... or will they actually make visits to the site.I don't remember what you did in past lives.

Rolly

Apr 4, 2002, 7:53 AM

Post #4 of 24 (12915 views)

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Architect to what extent

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Hi Loco.In my last past life I was a consulting engineer. I’m not a licensed architect, but 25 years of working with architects has rubbed off on me. This is my fourth house building project, and I have two more under consideration.Even a simple, plain vanilla building design requires something more than an artist’s sketch. The builder needs dimensioned drawings showing location and size of things like windows, doors, supporting columns, air conditioning ducts, kitchen and bathroom layouts, etc. And then there are the electrical and plumbing plans, roof drains and patio drainage, and on and on. Materials have to be selected. And someone needs to keep steady hand on costs.I made the drawings with a professional design program called AutoCad – left over from my working years. Since I no longer have access to a plotter, all the drawings were done on 8.5”x11” paper via a color printer. This sheet size is also very easy for the builders to use on the job. There are 15 sheets in the drawing set.I was quite surprised to discover that in my town there are no plan checks and no building inspectors. All that is required is the payment of a small building permit fee.

Jim en Cancún

Apr 4, 2002, 8:07 AM

Post #5 of 24 (12915 views)

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Architect to what extent

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Carl Carlson

Apr 4, 2002, 3:18 PM

Post #6 of 24 (12917 views)

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Crushed rock foundations

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I was intrigued by the use of rock and concrete for footers. In the US, Frank Loydd Wright used to used crushed stone for his footers. No concrete at all! The magazine, Fine Home Building, published a book on foundations etc and included an article of this method. Talk about cheap and fast. Carl Carlson

Steven Perez sr.

Apr 4, 2002, 4:31 PM

Post #7 of 24 (12915 views)

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Want to watch a house being built?

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: I am under way with a house building project that I am documenting on my web site. If you want to check out the progress, click below.: New pictures will be added as we move along. Estimated (hoped for) completion before Christmas.: This is a subset of my "Life in Mexico" wed site at Rollybrook.com

Loco

Apr 4, 2002, 8:49 PM

Post #8 of 24 (12917 views)

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Architect to what extent

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I guess I really thought that many houses in Mexico are built by formula rather than real plans. The closer you get to a one room, one level building ... I'm sure they are. That's probably why so many houses are so simple in design, IE; post and bean every so many feet, post a certain size if two story, so many windows per wall maximum, fewer/smaller windows - less security, etc. I guess if you want more light from glass doors and windows and things like air-ducts ... you need real design.Yes I used to work with DOS based AutoCAD for both airplane interior design and for CNC machinery. I hope it is more user friendly these days. AutoCAD Lite was pretty good except for the registration process (activation). They still want over $300 for it.

Earl

Apr 4, 2002, 9:00 PM

Post #9 of 24 (12915 views)

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I like construction projects

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Hi Rolly,I'm an 'engineer at heart' and like all types of
construction projects. Seeing the photos of yours
made me wonder about earthquakes since Mexico has
a lot of them. Presumably, the construction
techniques you are using are refinements of local
knowledge about building earthquake tolerant
homes. So I'd like to ask a few questions and
garner your opinions. Does the crushed rock footing help to 'float' the
foundation during an earthquake (as opposed to
being rigid attached to the ground).Do 'all masonry' walls with supporting concrete
columns and beams withstand earthquakes fairly
well without cracking?Are the upper concrete floors heavily reinforced
with rebar and/or with lots of support columns
(more than you would use in fairly earthquake
free areas)?Looks like a fun way to spend your retirement as
long as you don't 'take on' too much work! Great
way to help friend and neighbors.I'll continue to 'watch' with great interest.Earl

Rolly

Apr 4, 2002, 9:15 PM

Post #10 of 24 (12917 views)

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Architect to what extent

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You are right about many lower cost homes being designed on the fly. I watched one of our new neighbors and his brick mason "design" a house by using a broken broom stick to draw lines in the dirt. That is not the kind of project I am interested in. Another neighbor is building a two-story house using flimsy property wall type rebar frames. In my view, he’s building a 20-year house while I am going for a full 100 years.Longer ago than I care to remember, I started with AutoCad 9. Now I’m using 14. My favorite was 12 – pre Windows.

Rolly

Apr 4, 2002, 9:47 PM

Post #11 of 24 (12916 views)

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I like construction projects

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Hi Earl,Where I am building is not earthquake country. According to the local folks, there has never been an earthquake here. It almost never freezes, and we get very little rain. However, the building techniques we are using are the same as employed in earthquake areas. I was recently in Manzanillo and saw the same kind of construction. I am very gung-ho on earthquake standards. I lived 3 miles from the epicenter of the Northridge quake in Los Angeles. A most interesting and enlightening experience.: Does the crushed rock footing help to 'float' the foundation during an earthquake (as opposed to being rigid attached to the ground). The rocks are buried in concrete, thus well attached to the ground. Their use is strictly to save money. The quarry is about a mile away, and the stone costs a lot less than concrete while providing good strength. We are not using crushed stone; these are very large chunks – many of them more than 50 pounds. Frank Lloyd Wright used crushed stone sans concrete in some of his constructions.: Do 'all masonry' walls with supporting concrete columns and beams withstand earthquakes fairly well without cracking?When properly constructed, they do very well. But nothing is earthquake proof. .: Are the upper concrete floors heavily reinforced with rebar and/or with lots of support columns (more than you would use in fairly earthquake free areas)?Yes. Even though this is a quakeless area, I have insisted on more columns than the masons though necessary because I want the house to last 100 years without plaster cracks. Nobody can promise full earthquake protection, but we can try for many years without plaster cracks.

Loco

Apr 5, 2002, 12:52 AM

Post #12 of 24 (12915 views)

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Maybe a witch and a broomstick

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it's all magic to me ... and "simple" people can do some amazing things with simple tools. I may just buy a place and spend all my time in the garden (and the beach)(and learning to play fiddle).I'll keep an eye on your project!

Judy in KC

Apr 5, 2002, 9:12 PM

Post #13 of 24 (12915 views)

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Size of drawings

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Rolly,I also ended up with 8 1/2 x 11 size drawings, tiled so I had several pages. I taped them together and then took them to a copy place and had a large copy made. It was very inexpensive.

Rolly

Apr 5, 2002, 10:19 PM

Post #14 of 24 (12915 views)

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Size of drawings

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Actually the builder loves the small sheets --much easier to handle on the job site. I put each sheet in a plastic jacket, and give the builder the sheet(s) he needs for the job at hand. Works much better than an E size drawing.

Rolly

Apr 6, 2002, 4:03 PM

Post #15 of 24 (12915 views)

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What does it cost?

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I have received a couple of e-mails inquiring, ever so politely, about the costs of the project. I suspect this may be of general interest, so I have now included costs for each phase and will continue to do so with cost updates each Saturday – that’s when we do payroll and bookkeeping.The link below will take you to my Page Directory (table of contents) which may be a more convenient place to bookmark for those of you who plan to return to watch the progress. I will continue to break story into small pages so you don’t have to suffer through long downloads of pictures you have already seen.I have also been asked who are these people, and how did I get involved? To understand the background and the cast of characters, you might want to look at the pages: “Coming In Through the Patios,” “Family Activities” and “Family Pictures.”Your private e-mails are welcome. As you may have noticed, I’m a chatter-box.

tony ferrell

Apr 10, 2002, 3:46 PM

Post #16 of 24 (12915 views)

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Prints

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Rolly,
First let me say THANKS for providing this info
on the web. I have a couple of questions. Did you
have to provide drawings that included electrical,
water, sewage to the city before you building?
Can I assume the plans don't have to be done by
a professional? What is the sq ft of the house?
Thanks in advance, tony: I am under way with a house building project that I am documenting on my web site. If you want to check out the progress, click below.: New pictures will be added as we move along. Estimated (hoped for) completion before Christmas.: This is a subset of my "Life in Mexico" wed site at Rollybrook.com

Rolly

Apr 10, 2002, 4:24 PM

Post #17 of 24 (12915 views)

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Prints

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Hi Tony,Surprisingly my town does not require a plan check. There are not even building inspectors. Each apartment is 100 sq meters or about 1000 sq ft.I drew all the plans myself. Read a little further down – the exchanges between Loco and me – for my qualifications as an architect.

tony ferrell

Apr 10, 2002, 7:00 PM

Post #18 of 24 (12915 views)

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Prints

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Rolly,
I also have a background that may allow me to
knock out a general floor plan (machinist, mfg eng). I figure I could get away with a few
mistakes as the mexicans are awesome at winging
it and getting things to work. I want to get an
idea of what level of electrical, water or sewage
prints are needed as these would be my weak points.
Did you actually show different types of circuits,
hot, cold water etc. If so I will probably just
do the wall layout and get someone to fill in
the utilities.
Where I plan to build I have also been told there
is very little inspection. This doesn't mean I
don't want the place done properly. Thanks again, tony: Hi Tony,: Surprisingly my town does not require a plan check. There are not even building inspectors. : Each apartment is 100 sq meters or about 1000 sq ft.: I drew all the plans myself. Read a little further down – the exchanges between Loco and me – for my qualifications as an architect.

Rolly

Apr 10, 2002, 8:18 PM

Post #19 of 24 (12916 views)

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Prints

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Hi Tony,Since my buddy and I will be doing the electrical and plumbing ourselves, my drawings for those are pretty schematic at this point – really just enough to be sure we get sleeves in the footings and base beam for the pipes and conduits to be run later.From what I have seen, the builders here are accustomed to pretty sketchy drawings. In fact our guys expressed surprise at the amount of detail I put into the masonry plans. I learned a long time ago that the surest way to get something built your way is to be very clear about what you want – no guess work.As for your project. It may be enough to just show where you want switches, outlets and ceiling lights/fans. Likewise for plumbing – show locations for the sink, stove, wash basin, shower, toilet, water heater, etc. Don’t forget power and water for the patio. Unless you make it clear to the electrician that you want more than two circuits, that’s all you are likely to get. If you plan to have A/C, electric heaters, water pump and/or microwave, the usual 2-circuit house will not be good enough. In the case of the house I am building, I will have each room on a separate circuit. That’s unheard of in Mexico, but I think it is a good long-range plan. I expect this house to remain in use for 100 years, so I’d like to provide as much as I can for the future. For example, I’m running co-ax and telephone wiring into each room even though there are no computers in the families now, but surely there will be later.

Are you going to oversee the project? Hire the workers? Be there to buy materials and check in deliveries? Take care of payroll and withholdings for taxes and social security? My buddy and I are doing all these things, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that level of participation, you may want to consider hiring a contractor to do the job. You can still produce the plans and be there to watch like a hawk to be sure the contractor is building according to your plans rather than his own ideas. Be aware, that is a common problem in Mexico because so many people turn everything over to the contractor – “Build me a two-bedroom house on this lot.”Feel free to e-mail me directly if you want to get into more details.Rolly

tony ferrell

Apr 11, 2002, 11:55 AM

Post #20 of 24 (12915 views)

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Overseeing

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: Hi Tony,Hey Rolly,
Thanks again for the info. In my case I consider
myself to be very lucky. I want to do 100% of the layout, 50% of the finishing decisions. My suegro will overlook
almost everything else. He has built 2 or 3 places
and is a retiree from the local cement factory.
He also has a tendency to overbuild - his current
house has a foundation a meter wide. I prefer this
than underbuilding. He is still young enough to
do it and he knows the local talent. For ex the
sons of the man that built his house will probably
work on mine. And a big bonus is he wants to do
it. Although I am a little young, I figure to
take advantage of the situation while it exists.I expect to "overbuild" in the areas of electricity,
and water as most mexicans use very little. This
will be challenging as I'm he will tell me I am
throwing money away. This project will either
make us very close or enemies ;>) One of the things I first noticed in Mexico is
that virtually every house is custon built. Rich
people have no problem living next to poor people
generally speaking. I love this. I will be building something
about mid level compared to the neighbors. Socially
this is very important to me as I don't want the
house to stick out too much. The house will be located near Tula, Hidalgo about
1.5 hours from DF. It sounds like the ground is
very close to where you live. High Desert Plain.Sorry about the scattered response. Thanks for the offer
to respond privately. I want to keep most of the
details on the forum to help anyone else that
can use the info. Keep on Posting, tony
:
: Are you going to oversee the project? Hire the workers? Be there to buy materials and check in deliveries? Take care of payroll and withholdings for taxes and social security? My buddy and I are doing all these things, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that level of participation, you may want to consider hiring a contractor to do the job. You can still produce the plans and be there to watch like a hawk to be sure the contractor is building according to your plans rather than his own ideas. Be aware, that is a common problem in Mexico because so many people turn everything over to the contractor – “Build me a two-bedroom house on this lot.”: Feel free to e-mail me directly if you want to get into more details.: Rolly

Ken

Apr 12, 2002, 7:03 AM

Post #21 of 24 (12915 views)

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Crushed rock foundations

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I recall reading that crushed rock is also recommended as a means of reducing damage from earthquakes, since it dilutes the effect of the tremors, a real plus in this part of the world. Anybody have any info on particular construction techniques?

Carl Carlson

Apr 13, 2002, 8:57 PM

Post #22 of 24 (12915 views)

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Crushed rock foundations

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Since there is no link between the house and the earth beneath, a house might remain at rest while the earth moves. This would shear any utility connections (water, septic ...)but could reduce other damage. The house might end up off its foundations. This could be disasterous on any kind of a slope. Better get some professional advice.Carl Carlson

ErinK

May 2, 2002, 1:04 PM

Post #23 of 24 (12916 views)

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Sure do!!

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Rolly, just wanted to say I enjoy your website much. Watching the house being built is also great. You definately look to be leading a great life at a great spot surrounded by great people .... congrats!!

Rolly

May 11, 2002, 10:07 PM

Post #24 of 24 (12917 views)

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Sure do!!

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Yes, Erin, you summed it up well; "a great life at a great spot surrounded by great people."Even with the summer heat and the language hurdles, it’s pretty much of a dream retirement. I get to do useful things that I particularly enjoy while still finding time to do photography, to hang out on the web, and to take a siesta when I wish. Now, if I could just have a Home Depot, a Fry’s and a Subway sandwich shop. And a better air conditioner…