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

krees23

May 13, 2004, 10:11 AM

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Adobe houses

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Are there still adobe houses still being made in Mexico? It seems like the thermal properties would be an advantage for regulating internal house temperatures. I know some of the older homes are adobe, but was wondering if they are still being built and whether new construction techniques are being used. Would adobe be cheaper to build?

Thanks in advance,

Kurt

jennifer rose

May 13, 2004, 10:18 AM

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Re: [krees23] Adobe houses

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Adobe houses are still being built in Mexico, but it's a matter, of course, of location. And there's been some fusion with modern building techniques and the use of adobe as a decorative enhancement. Did you know that in some areas the adobe is mixed with pine needles? Cheaper? Not necessarily.

Esteban

May 13, 2004, 11:45 AM

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Re: [krees23] Adobe houses

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Buiilding with adobe can be cheaper and can be more expensive. Like all homes, it depends on what you want to end up with? Sticking with what is considered normally accepted in your area, will usually cost less. I am all for new concepts, new materials or a combination of both. I like the idea of energy saving designs. But when it comes to cost and retraining workers to deal with a new system the cost can go way beyond the "normal" manner of construction. That's true in the US also. After doing a cost analysis on rammed earth, strawbale and conventional building, in Tucson, Arizona, they all came out about the same with the conventional method being slightly cheaper.