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patricio_lintz

Aug 11, 2005, 4:08 PM

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House Progress

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To see all photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juan_patricio/

Double click to enlarge and read description.

Current Chapala area Material costs:
Cement 50 Kg (110 lbs) sack: 88 pesos
Mortero 1 tonelada (20 sacks-50 Kg (110 lbs) ) delivered: 1360 pesos
3/4 inch copper tubo (tramo= 20 feet): 227 pesos, muy caro!
Truck load (1 viaje) yellow sand, delivered: 840 pesos
rock for fence: free. I have lots of it!
Alambre, Steel Tie wire , 1 Kg:15 pesos
ARMEX Steel for castillo 15-20-4 per tramo: 175 pesos
Yeso (quickens drying), 1 sack: 50
Cal (lime), 1 tonelada, delivered: 1120
1 truckload JAL (Jalisco sand, very light) delivered: 840

Backhoe with operator: 250 pesos per hour
Andamio rental: all scaffolding seen in photos above, rent for $760 / eight days. The rates go up if you keep them longer.

(This post was edited by patricio_lintz on Aug 11, 2005, 4:24 PM)

patricio_lintz

Aug 11, 2005, 5:19 PM

Post #2 of 2 (1680 views)

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Re: [patricio_lintz] House Progress

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I am currently employing four Albaniles (bricklayers) at 1500 pesos per week of 5 1/2 days. Also 4 Peones (laborers) at 1000 pesos per week.

In the USA peon is a demeaning term, but not in Mexico. It is an honorable job. A person works as a peon until he feels comfortable enough with calling himself an albanil.

My crew cares a lot about quality of work. I had to go to a rustico interior finish. They were taking too long with the smooth (liso) finish. The local albaniles really do have a craftsmen view of their tasks. No lie.

The guys from Guadalajara were a different story. We are still fixing their mistakes. The ceilings sagged, noticabbly due to insufficient shoring during entrepiso (between floors) concrete pour. As a result, we have had to use more mortero to even out the ceilings. Same thing with the walls. They were not very straight.

When we have our end of construction fiesta for workers and families, the Guadalajara team will not be invited. I blame it on a bad attitude by the (architect selected) jefe albanil- a crusty old guy.