what are the common mistakes for building here regarding heating and cooling .what would be the biggest factor that goes towards heating up of an area-(dont say the sun lol)
Well Jr, this is a one thread I particularly enjoy! Thanks for bringing it up!
IMHO, the most common mistakes, errors or failures I seem to observe in this country is the wide spread disregard for the laws of physics and the necessities based on this country's practices and costumes... short, lack of planing for the inevitable:
Physics: In a land where water and thus humidity is abundant, today's builders, architects and engineers surprise with their blatant indisposition to accept lessons taught by history: Two typical examples would be, that old houses, where ever economically possible were featuring HIGH ceilings and venting as well being built elevated from the ground. The later practice has not only been lost but they absolutely refuse to apply humidity barriers separating the ground and foundations from the ground floor... resulting in humid slabs and walls one can find in most any newer Dominican house, where tiles go loose and paint chips off the walls for the life time of the home. Humid walls MAY seem cool, but they humidity clogs up the pores and hinders the home's "breathing"... it's also a health issue, as mold and allergies are most inevitable in such an environment.
History: We are witnessing a complete loss of what would be the foundations of evolution; learning from previous experiences. I have been sorry to see this not only here but in many Latin American countries where new architectural teachings have migrated towards emulating designs from countries with completely different climatic situations, like the US and central Europe. If you look at the older Victorian as as well as some of the "Hacienda"-style buildings still around, you will most always find a combination of the following three ingredients:
- High vented ceilings.
- Ground floor raised off the ground.
- Porches producing not only a nice place to laze away, but SHADE and thus cooler air breathing into the home thru large windows and doorways.
New technologies and teachings: Since concrete block construction has become so popular, we need also to look at the some issues and necessary developments needed when using this material. In Southern Spain it has since the late '80's become illegal to build a CBS home without building a thin (usually brick) inner wall parallel to exterior wall, leaving about a two inch empty or insulated space between the two. The reason is, insulation is not only important in cold countries, but in hot countries to. Humidity again, is not only a messenger but a transporter of adverse exterior temperatures to the interior of a home.
Planning ahead for things needed in each particular country: One thing which still keeps me amazed after almost two years of living and investigating here, is builders', architects' and engineers' and even owner' resistance to plan for things and technologies which most inevitably WILL be needed.... among so many things but as a most typical example; a planned for, esthetically favoring and technically correct location for a Tinaco (large, black, ugly plastic tank to keep water a healthy reserve of water at a sufficient altitude, so at least part of the home will have some running water when there is no electrical power to generate the pressure needed to pump it up from the underground reservoir.). You can see barrio homes as well as multi USD 100K "villas", soon find themselfes decorated with that thing and the whole architectural charm being decimated to yet another failed design. One can and must have a well located Tinaco but most not really have everybody have to appreciate it's utterly questionable "beauty".
Same thing with the possible addition of AC units. I have NEVER seen a home built which would forsee an inteligent un not unsighty location for the compressor units (which extract heat from the interior, generate additional heat, all which should be handed over to the environment in a way so I won't get blown right back into the home). AC units are NOT pretty and their location has to be well thought out.
Cominig back to the initial subject of energy saving and minimizing heat generation inside the home, I may again suggest looking closely (planning for) an intelligent location for things like fridges and freezers and making sure the dryer does not heat and fog up the patio's air which is supposed to supply the ground floor rooms with shade cooled air.
So again, the biggest mistakes?
- Not learning from positive things history teaches us.
- Disregard for the unbendable laws of physics, instead of USING them to ones advantage.
- Failing to break out of false "traditions" and not apply new knowledge when using new marterials.
- Not investing sufficient time and not asking enough "well but, what if...?" questions before messing around with blocks and mortar.
... J-D.