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

steve2709564

Aug 16, 2009, 8:54 PM

Post #1 of 5 (5639 views)

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new adobe construction?

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hi everyone, i'd like to get any info anyone has about modern day adobe construction. i'm not talking about
pouring posts and lintels in concrete and filling in with adobe, i'm talking"old school" classic adobe construction.
what are the costs and is it hard to find people skilled in using that material? thanks!

barbaroja

Aug 18, 2009, 8:34 PM

Post #2 of 5 (5550 views)

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Re: [steve2709564] new adobe construction?

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There are still people in the area of San Miguel that know how to build a 'traditional' adobe home. However, when you ask them what they would do if it were their house they usually say they would use concrete and rebar for the 'bones' of the house. Having said that, if you want old school you can still have it. The bigger issue, at least in this area is finding a source for traditional adobe block that is not made with asphalt or other modern stabilizers.

In this area there are no commercial manufacturers of natural adobes. So if you want old school from the ground up you may have to hire and train a crew to make your own adobes.

Barba Roja
http://www.mapaverdesanmiguel.org/

BajaGringo

Aug 19, 2009, 11:19 AM

Post #3 of 5 (5519 views)

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Re: [barbaroja] new adobe construction?

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A friend over here on the Baja side did just that, built an adobe home with blocks made onsite, up in the San Pedro de Martir mountains. It was a process but today he is very happy with the result. Years ago I helped a friend build an adobe home in the Andes region of Cafayate in Salta, northwestern Argentina.

I remember he blended in bamboo straw to give the block more strength as well as adding the crushed berries/leaves from a local plant that acted as a natural insecticide and kept his adobe home free of ants, roaches and spiders.

It isn't easy but if you have the time, patience and budget to do it I say go for it. Would love to see photos of your project once started...

Our House Building Project in Mexico...
Lomas de San Martin
Loving Life on the Baja Peninsula

(This post was edited by BajaGringo on Aug 19, 2009, 12:33 PM)

bournemouth

Aug 19, 2009, 11:43 AM

Post #4 of 5 (5515 views)

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Re: [BajaGringo] new adobe construction?

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If the OP is going to build anywhere with tremors from time to time, then he needs to add some reinforcement to the adobe blocks - we were living in Chile during the quake of 1985 (same year as the Mexico City quake) - adobe homes crumbled and afterwards there was a big push from the authorities that people rebuilding add some thing to keep the blocks up - something as simple as bamboo rods but rebar would obviously be better.

BajaGringo

Aug 19, 2009, 12:36 PM

Post #5 of 5 (5502 views)

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Re: [bournemouth] new adobe construction?

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In 1985 I was living just across the Andes / border in Tucuman, Argentina. I have heard of folks in Argentina using bamboo rods, much in the same way one would use rebar. I agree that is a very good suggestion, even if you are not in a traditional seismic zone.

Lately we seem to be seeing tremors in new areas that were not normally considered unstable in the past...

Our House Building Project in Mexico...
Lomas de San Martin
Loving Life on the Baja Peninsula