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A friend of mine is having a house built in the Altos de
flamingo project and I am getting ready to do the same. My question is, the contractor is the only builder in the site that uses a slab foundation as opposed to a footing. Should I insist on a footing or is the other method acceptable. Any ballpark estamate on how much per sq. foot construction should cost?
Thanks in advance,
JimI am not a construction expert but would assume that the type of foundation would very much depend on the terrain and the kind of home being built no?
But if both methods are acceptable then you as the person putting up the money should certainly have a big part in making the decision about what to use, no?
Do you know what sort of cost difference there is?
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLOveCostaRica.commonolithic slab.the relatively standard approach is to scratch the perimeter to A grade then form above the ground.Scott is correct as in the ground and code enforcement allow for it.simple cost effective method.you can request the upgrade,and in price also.yet it’s not A less than quality job.it makes for less trenching for plumbers and such.
p.s.it’ll give you some distance between the ground grade and floor grade.good for rainy season.Edited on Mar 11, 2007 19:04
When we had a small cabina built in Petrero, the builders poured the slab over the plumbing pipes. I was confused by this because doesn’t that make for a difficult time when/if one has plumbing problems. I found out recently from a friend of mine in Montana in the building industry that this practice is being used in the U.S. now as well and who indicated that it does present problems if a pipe breaks, etc. Any feedback on this subject? This is all I know of it, along with my gut instincts. Seems to me that should be discussed with the owner before the slab is poured.
I think you may be asking the wrong question. The question I would pose is whether the building method the builder is using has been carefully reviewed by a structural engineer and is appropriate for the site. And you should ask if it is in conformity with the earthquake standard to which the house should be built. If the answer to those questions is, “Yes”, then it may not matter at all.
It is common wherever basements are not built to put plumbing pipes and electrical conduits in a poured floor. Where else would they go? And, yes, in the event of a serious earthquake those pipes and conduits could break and have to be dug up and replaced. It would be a mess, and expensive.
There are companies in Costa Rica who will plumb your house with flexible piping which is run off a common manifold. That piping, too, runs through the poured floor, but it’s in its own conduit. If it should ever break, they can pull out the broken flex tube and insert a new one. Nobody said “cheap”.
for the most part the drains,toilets and sinks are sub-teranean.you can have your water supply in the roof crawl space.which is A sometimes practice,not normal or standard,just sometimes.alot of homes I’ve built come this way.the thing that is A must is that the print layout of your piping remain with the house and that you personally measure or have A liason measure for appropriate placing according to plan.I do that on all homes.my customers get detailed and noted plans just in-case they must do repairs.custom homes require this attention.I scope all plumbing and electrical routes for any emergency.the consumer is the bottom line to my sucess and the top line in my priority.take it for what it’s worth,I always told my customers to question question question my performance.If your contractor has 0 skills in PR you may on face seek another.bring back the consumer as the #1 priority.
Slab on grade foundations are commonly used in warm weather areas such as Arizona, however, the perimeter of the slab should be thickened to support any load bearing walls. Footings are typical in colder climates due to the fact code requires the footing to be below the freeze line. The colder the area, the deeper the footing. Many homes with footings and foundation walls still have interior slabs. Seismic considerations really have little to do with the choice between footings and slab for the forces caused by earthquakes are lateral; the same for wind + uplift. The weight of the foundation itself is what creates the ballast for uplift, however, everything must be firmly anchored to it – rebar, straps, tie-downs, etc. Shear walls, which are required by the International Building Code (IBC) in seismic zones (1-4, with 4 being California and Alaska). Costs Rica would be considerd at least a Zone 3 similar to the volcanic Cascadia region in Washington and Oregon where I live.
This is my 90-day check to see if I can find any new information on builders doing straw bale construction in Costa Rica. In the meantime, you can check out the following link for an article that appeared in The Tico Times, March 21, 2003, at: http://www.pangeapartnership.org/?page=TicoTimes_21_03_03
Thanks,
TomCosta Rica Construction methods:
I have been trying to observe and study these in my visits to CR the past few years so that I know what to look for when I build.
The advice to check with the (required) engineer about the footings is correct.
The more important questions should be about the plumbing methods. Many part of Costa Rica are just emerging from the outhouse and gray water era (you still see sewage running down road side ditches in rural Costa Rica) and those places with toilets have the quaint custom of not flushing toilet paper. I also see systems without traps, vents or clean outs. Pipe sizes are also often too small. So the common plumbing methods in (some places of) CR are quite primitive and far below what we would consider proper practice in the U.S. Many of the workers will be used to the quality of construction in THEIR homes and will give you the same.
Pipes hidden under the slab IS common in the US too. But you need to be sure that every drain run has accessible clean outs (an exposed screw in plug at the end OR in a Y on long runs). Often you need to plan for these in the back of a closet or some other out of the way place. Architects rarely understand the mechanics and do not plan for these things. . . The pipes also need to be cushioned in sand to prevent cracking when the house settles OR during earth quakes.
Traps assure that sewer gas smells do not enter your living space and vents assure that suction in the drain line does not empty your traps of water. Traps also prevent cockroaches from invading your home through the drains. . .
The devil is in the details. Even picky things like deburring the inside edges of pipes before assembly greatly reduces the chance of clogging. Yes, I AM a picky plumber.
more. . .
Costa Rica Construction Methods:
Another difference in Costa Rica plumbing is that since it does not freeze in CR you often see supply pipe that are not buried and are on the outside of buildings. This is culture shock for us from the North but it makes sense when you think about it. However, the pipe need to be protected from mechanical damage. As noted supply pipes CAN be run in overhead spaces for the same reason.
A big difference in Costa Rica construction is the open ventilation of buildings. While many of the small Tico homes do not take advantage of natural ventilation most commercial structures do. My friends in Auguas Zarcas are remodeling an old coffee plantation migrant laborer housing that had six two bedroom units. The layout and construction was very well thought out for the climate.
The roof line has an offset at the peak with an overhang to allow hot air to exit and rain not to get in. All along the front edge of the roof there is an open place to allow fresh air in. This is in addition to copious shuttered windows. So there is good ventilation when the building is closed. Originally there were no screens and the larger spaces had re-bar burglar guards. Now they have screens and the ugly rebar guards will be replaced with nice decorative and functional wrought iron scrolls (my friend is a blacksmith).
You will see ventilation of this kind in all sorts of structures in CR from the local Supermercado to construction suppliers. This is not universal and is dependent on the specific micro climate.
Many Ticos are getting away from this type of construction as they “Westernize” but is IS still good design for the region.
One thing to keep in mind when thinking about a house in ANY region is the local architectural style. Building outlandish modern designs is out of place anywhere just as log cabins in a land of termites is very short sighted (they are popular among Gringos in CR. . .).
The typical local construction is Hispanic style concrete or parged block, tile or tin roofs, large porches. While there is not a lot of style to Tico architecture any Spanish, Mexican puebleo or Spanish Colonial style with lots of ventilation is suitable. Use good quality wrought iron (the jewelery of a home) instead of the typical rebar stuff will add class.
Much of that concrete (floors, counters, showers, edging) is covered with tile and this is an art in itself. I have grown to love the color and patterns of Mexican tile and the Ticos import and use a LOT of Spanish tile. Tile should be carefully planned because it will be with you your entire life. At very little extra cost you can have borders. For a significant cost you can have large mosaics. It is part of the style and can add beauty to an otherwise plain home.
My plans to move and build in Costa Rica have been delayed a few years. But meanwhile I find that it has given me time to study and try to do the right thing when I do build.
Hi Tom,
I haven’t heard of straw bale building in Costa Rica. Do you live in CR now, or are you in the states? I was very interested in straw bale while in New Mexico…lots of straw bale homes being built there…and lots of workshops.Took part in detailing a straw bale (gorgeous!!!) home in Santa Fe. Didn’t think about how this method might work in CR. Most of the people I know who’ve built there have gone with cement and cinderblock methods. If I hear of anyone going straw, I’ll let you know. I wonder how this method would work in rain and earthquakes?
If I locate any info online, I’ll let you know as well.
Diane
Lots of valuable and thought provoking information in “guru’s” message. I’m printing it off. Paul and I stayed in a place (Los Lagos Lodge by Arenal) that had the open roof offset at the overhang, so I understand what you’re referring to. We weren’t aware of the termite problems in Costa Rica, but it does make sense. We have property south of SJ in the mountains by Santa Maria de Dota where the temps are perfect (50’s at night-70s/day) and there are quite a few “log cabins” in that area. The man who sold us the property has a daughter who is either an architect or builder and has a “log cabin” construction business. From what you said, this might not be a very good idea. However, I do know that many folks are building with wood. I believe that’s what Scott did with he and his ladie’s new home. Wonder if there are ways to treat the wood to prevent termites from invading? I was more concerned with the rainy weather, thinking it would rot the wood. We have gone back and forth on the topic of what material to construct our home with…and concrete is definitely an strong option. Not as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as wood, but sturdier in that area. Not sure how concrete does with earthquake tremors though. Does is crack the concrete, or can concrete “move” with earthquakes?
Tom,
I went online and found a place called “the last straw” where they are offering workshops in Costa Rica in various methods, one being the use of straw. You may want to check this out…
http://www.thelaststraw.org/calendarNB.htmlI hope this isn’t considered soliciting? Sorry, Scott, if it is. Truly, I have no links with this group, although they sound interesting. I do think it might be helpful for readers to know there are alternative methods of building going on in Costa Rica though.
Diane
Tom,
There is a straw bale house in the Lake Arenal area, don’t know who owns it now, it was on INTERTICA web site when we started looking about 2 years ago. It is called “Casa Salamander”. I am checking with our real estate agent to see if they know where it is and how to contact the owner.
We were going to build strawbale here in the Desert of So. California but ended up not doing so as we made the decision to move to Costa Rica. While moisture is not supposed to be a problem, I would be concerned building with bales in such a humid climate.
If I can find out more about Casa Salamander will post the info.
Ruth
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