- Thread starter Afgan
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Building a wood house?
I have never said that we don't have good carpenters here. What we don't have are the consistant teams of very high class carpenters needed to put up timber properties of a high standard and a fast rate.
I know many a carpenter can build lovely furniture and I know they are about, but a furniture maker usually will not know the first thing about structural joinery involved in errecting a house. So like I mentioned, to bring skilled joiners in would be very expensive.
As for the finely built timber homes in the Campo, well, that depends what you know about carpentry/joinery and where you are looking. What you call a sound job may not be what I would call a sound job, I don't live by the 'if it looks good it is good' rule. I have no doubt there are some out there, but not at any scale that would attract any future buyers to want to use those as models for new homes.
I have seen a couple beautiful part stone part timber built properties online for sale here, they do look good, but rare and up in the hills. I can't see complete timber builds ever catching on here. IMO
If one lives in a concrete building in Dominican Republic he has asbestos everywhere and inhales practically pure cancer - not pretty.
Uses of asbestos
'Anyone who says there's a controlled use of asbestos in the Third World is either a liar or a fool.' - IBAS' report
HESA - News
http://hesa.etui-rehs.org/uk/dossiers/files/IJOEH_KazanAllen.pdf
Industrial minerals & rocks ... - Google Books (see: In Central America...)
Canadian Asbestos: The Naked Truth
Sickness Returns to Riu Mambo Hotel in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
07-31-2006, 09:50 AM
canadian bob
Gold Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 596
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Car & inverter batteries are locally picked up,cleaned & electrolyte added & used again (by Dominicans), then they are dumped 'wherever', often in the nearest creek.... Corrugated asbestos roofing 4X8 sheets are common,don't know how hazardous they are, but I think they are imported from Canada, where they are not acceptable..... Canadian Bob.
Dominican Republic Environment - current issues - Geography
Dominican Republic Hotels Hot-Spot from Hell
6 May 2010
Asbestos ? who pays the bill? : Testimonies and dialogue on policy recommendations
Based on the presentations and testimonials regarding asbestos, the ensuing discussions centered on sharing of concrete lessons learned from countries that already phased out the use and production of asbestos. The occasion provided a forum for dialogue among international policy makers, agencies and civil society representatives, in order to address the challenges posed by asbestos use in developing and transition countries. The discussions and presentations also provided insights on the gravity of the problems associated with asbestos and highlighted the work of NGOs in the main asbestos mining, producing and processing countries.
Chrysotile asbestos mining and use is expanding in a number of developing countries, waste is uncontrolled and users are not informed about health risks. Developing and transition countries are not aware of imports and exports since asbestos has not been added to the list of commodities requiring prior informed consent under the Rotterdam Convention. Over 45 mostly industrialized nations have banned chrysotile asbestos. The impact on human lives is expected to be felt in most developing and transition countries in the coming decade. The economic costs for cleaning up are astronomical. WHO and ILO have underscored that the most effective way of eliminating asbestos-related diseases is through a ban of all types of asbestos.
: Blacksmith Institute : Projects
Illegally Dumping 100 Million Pounds of Toxic Coal Ash Waste Onto a Pristine... -- WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
I would prefer to take my chances with concrete before spending a ton of money on either mahogany (termite resistant) or treated wood that is teeming with arsenic. Don't care for termites or termite treatments , or for a house made out of sawn palm boards, or a tied together wood house with a zinc roof either.
You are a Drama Queen.:cheeky:
Asbestos only recently (on the scale of things)came under massive concern in the UK when demolition of older buildings were being carried out to make way for newer more modern buildings. If they hadn't disturbed the stuff it wouldn't have been an issue. Give this country a little time to catch up on health and safety, say 50-100 years 1000 maybe.
So what do you live in? I'd hate to think of you sitting there breathing in pure cancer
aranoid:There are actually Architects here in the DR that design houses and I'm sure that most "casa de campos" here are designed by such. Keep in mind these homes are very expensive and are rarely the primary residence.
Thanks for all of the umm references.
At any rate asbestos is not deadly if it is not disturbed.
Again, CHIP, I'm not argueing the toss about if some do exist (I'm sure I can even find a few hay bale constructions here if I really need to find examples), I am telling you some of the reasons timber construction isn't carried out on a large scale. And architects being involved in a build here does not automatically mean it will be built according to spec, that is the down side of living in a place where people don't work well together, and many don't know thier own jobs or how important they are as well as they should do. Although I'm sure on important independant builds the plans are carried out closer to the lines.
Something that is very interesting is these mud brick homes. Now these things are great in extreme heat, very eco friendly, cheap, as strong as brick homes and still aren't used to build with here as far as I know.
The exact point I made but he seems hell bent on everyone who lives in a house having cancer.:ermm:
The real reason isn't lack of skill or experience but the cost of wood itself. The DR has very strict rules about the harvesting of even dead trees here. Therefore, almost all of the wood is imported and after Aduanas and their "personal overheads expenses hint hint" gets too it you can imagine it's not cheap.
I can also assure you that if a Dominican is going to do a real casa de campo that they are going to follow thru too. After all it is a pure luxury item to show off. Come to Santiago and I can show you a couple(actually Moca).
Well you have managed to repeat everything I have stated in this, I still stand by lack of good skilled manpower to erect high class timber homes on a big scale. There can't be as there is no demand for it.
Yes chip I was thinking why op say that we don't have houses made of wood in DR. Yes just take a look in "Etancia Nueva Moca" this is where my family is original from... Most of the houses in this place are built of wood and let me tell you that some of theses houses have been there more than a hundred years and are still in good shape.
There is one in specific where I used to stop with some tourist to take pictures and introduce them with the owner, unfortunately she passed away and the house was sold. It is located on the way to Cabarete on the road that connect Moca and carretera de Jamao al norte, this one was built of mahogany wood.
The ex owner was my grandmother's sister, wife of Luis Guzman one of the most important man when Trujillo (El Jefe) was in government.
JJ
Heat, humidity, hurricanes, torrential rains, earthquakes, termites and scarcity of wood.
You don't understand Florida either. All was concrete, terrazo and tile roofs until the 60s and 70s, when they brought in Northern ways of 2x4 frame covered by wallboard and shingle. Then Hurricane Andrew proved that was the wrong thing to do.
Ever noticed that the Mediterranean, Northern Africa and Asia Minor are ALL concrete (or adobe) except the really, really poor ones? (yes, the euros DO do wood houses there in humid climes also ? very dear and what they don't know, very temporary).
You don't understand Florida either. All was concrete, terrazo and tile roofs until the 60s and 70s, when they brought in Northern ways of 2x4 frame covered by wallboard and shingle. Then Hurricane Andrew proved that was the wrong thing to do.
Ever noticed that the Mediterranean, Northern Africa and Asia Minor are ALL concrete (or adobe) except the really, really poor ones? (yes, the euros DO do wood houses there in humid climes also ? very dear and what they don't know, very temporary).
PS: I grew up in a small cypress cottage in S.Florida near the water. Can be done. Do you know what cypress costs to build a house, if you can find a nail to pin it together?
I've used Mara here (an iron wood that sinks in water) and Brugal's commercially grown white oak (impermeable to water and insects). Do you know the cost?
I've used Mara here (an iron wood that sinks in water) and Brugal's commercially grown white oak (impermeable to water and insects). Do you know the cost?
i am somewhere between chip and anastacio. there are specialists who can work with wood, perfectly capable of building a nice wooden house. after all my suegra found them on the north coast and at a decent price (it was the wood itself that put total cost so high). but there are less wood people than concrete people, so to speak.
and yes, there are many wooden houses standing still, after many years. but i think this is a dying skill, unfortunately...
and yes, there are many wooden houses standing still, after many years. but i think this is a dying skill, unfortunately...
The bottom line is not whether there are craftsmen skilled enough to build wooden houses here. Clearly there are...as has been pointed out, look in Jarabacoa, Casa de Campo, Cabrera, Samana, etc. The point is, CBS Block construction DOES NOT cause cancer. CBS Block construction is cheaper, easier, lasts longer, withstands weather, fire and termites, stays cooler, etc. etc. etc.
Anyone who suggests this country should switch to large-scale wooden construction of homes, because concrete homes cause cancer, and wooden homes are somehow safer and "healthier" is an ill -informed....well...I'll leave the rest _________! :bunny:
Anyone who suggests this country should switch to large-scale wooden construction of homes, because concrete homes cause cancer, and wooden homes are somehow safer and "healthier" is an ill -informed....well...I'll leave the rest _________! :bunny: