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Hi All,
I’m interested in hearing your advice regarding building a metal home in Costa Rica. In the states I can have a pre-fab 50x100ft building made for under $40,000. (Picture the big industrial looking steel crossbeams & supports) I’m hoping to build something like this for my husband who is an artist and requires a large amount of studio space with high walls. I was wondering if anyone here has used this building route. Did you import the building (it seems that import tariffs would be expensive) or maybe you found a local company to build something similar?
I’ve been to CR several times and have seen metal buildings used for industrial/ light industrial buildings. Anyone have any advice or exerience with metal as a building material in CR? What about large commercial windows & casings or transparent garage doors…anyone had luck sourcing these materials?Look forward to your feedback!
Many buildings, large and small are built this way here, as long as your contractor has access to welding equipment, and most do now. All supplies can be had locally. Realize though, the noise in such a building is BAD! Especially in the rainy season. I wouldn’t advise transparent doors for obvious reasons, but you could install clear panels in the roof. We have done this in a couple of different buildings.
It might look ‘out of place’ if you going to live in a gated community though!The only thing that worries me is whether or not this 50 x 100 foot building needs to be a clear span, or can there be supports under the peak? Either way, a competent Costa Rica structural engineer should be able to design such a building, or work with your architect to do so, and a competent contractor should be able to build it from locally obtained materials.
Do insulate the roof against noise, as costaricafinca suggests, and maybe against heat.
Thinking on this, I would question the price you have been quoted. It would cost more than $40,000 just in cement for the floor here. And plus your architect fees/structural engineer/ building permits for such a large structure, would soon add up.
So, do you think I would have better luck building in native materials (ie. masonry)? Also, that much for concrete seems expensive compared to where I live (Mississippi). Any one have an idea of the average cost per sq ft for poured concrete? Or maybe I should be looking at something pre-existing….seems like it would be diffcult to find.
Where are you intending to build this ‘mammoth’ studio? And does he really need one THAT big?
My husband has a metal building where his business was located in Canada, and it sure cost a whole lot more that the pre-fab building you mentioned.
You could possibly find an empty,older commercial building, but if you want it near a residence this could be a problem. Also, you could look for a farm with existing barn.
Regarding the price of cement, fill and re-bar, I can’t give you price, but it will take a few good men to pour that square footage and do a good job.I have been building housing in CR since 1992 and feel that concrete block and steel reinforced monolithic concrete columns with tie beams, commonly referred to as CBS construction (Concrete Block Structure), makes the most sense. Plan on spending about $50 per square foot for a modest and comfortable dwelling.
When concrete block is not practical and light weight methods must be utilized, then the best alternatives are galvanized steel tubing, vapor barrier (TYVEK), insulation (PRODEX) and DUROCK or FIBEROCK, depending on the desired exterior finish. This construction method is quicker to frame but experienced tradesmen will need to install expensive finishing products such as Durock and its proprietary plaster in order to finish the dwelling. Plan on spending around $60 per square foot for this type of construction.
All of these building components are readily available in most building suppliers throughout the country. The steel and Prodex insulation are manufactured here and do not incur freight or import duties.
Steel = http://www.metalco.net/content.aspx?tipo=productos§ionID=3&pid=7&len=es
Insulation = http://www.prodexcr.com
USG & TYVEK Distributor= http://www.tecnigypsum.com/Proveedores.php
Crhomebuilder… Just to pick your brain a bit… When we had our home built up in Arenal we included a wrap-around wood deck. Almond wood… It was beautiful to start with and as much as I’ve made every effort to maintain it… it’s become a losing battle. Water and cloud living are taking a toll on it, as well as the wood railing. Are you aware of any similar products to Trex… or other plastic wood decking available in CR?
The other alternative is using the existing substructure and putting down some type of cement board and using tile over it.
Any suggestions?
Unless your wood deck was built like the pyramids, I don’t think you’ll be any happier overlaying it with Durock (cement board) and tile. Those materials are very brittle and require an absolutely solid support underneath. I worked briefly for a company that resurfaced concrete with a gravel/epoxy mix. They tried putting their product over Durock over wood decking with very unsatisfactory results, and the gravel/epoxy combination is more flexible and forgiving than mortar, tile and grout.
Here in CR, we are less than 10 degrees from the equator and the suns rays take their toll on exterior surfaces, especially wood products.
Having a wood deck in an area like Arenal is like having a wood boat in salt water. Since you’ve already invested in your wood deck, consider re-finishing instead of covering it up.
Exterior wood installations finished with marine varnish retain their beauty if maintained as needed depending on UV exposure and humidity. A quality marine varnish has UV protection and is made for outdoor exposure.
Even a quality marine varnish, such as Sur Marine Varnish, Barniz Marino, El Lagar codigo 601-1006 will probably need to be reapplied at least every two years, depending on the amount of direct sun exposure.
For best results, clean the existing surface by sanding the surface with #120 sand paper, in the direction of the grain and then smooth sand it with #220 sand paper, between as many coats of varnish as are needed to achieve the finish you desire. Allow the varnish to completely dry between coats and only apply on clean, fully dried wood with a light brush or roller, scoring the surface between coats with #220 sand paper or steel wool to insure adhesion.I do not know of any Trex type products distributed in CR.
As far as installing underlayments to support ceramic tile over the existing deck, your decks structure will need to be inspected by someone who understands load bearing requirements. Millions of dwellings throughout the world have been constructed with wood floor joists and decking, therefore this type of structure could be suitable for cementious underlayment and ceramic tile.
Thanks for the info! I’ve been doing the annual/bi-annual refinishing you’ve detailed. The results are always good… but don’t seem to last long for the time and effort put in. As beautiful as the wood is I’m just at the point that having to refinish it annually is just not my idea of fun!
I’ll look into the tile idea… I was hoping Trex (or a similar product) was available here. The lattice work below the deck was originally spec’ed as wood and I wanted the heavy gauge white plastic type which they were able to get (after 6 months)… I was hoping you use a Trex type product to replace the wood decking and be done with it once and for all.
Thanks again for the great info!
Thanks for all the great info. Sounds like for what I need I should be looking at reinforced concrete. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on how one looks at it) yes my husband does need that much space. He works in metal and fiberglass, and does some acrylic painting as well. We were not planning to live in a gated community (trying to get away from that sort of living) and we’ve been looking at a few places on the outskirts of Poas for land to buid on. I’m planning to do mmy masters at INCAE and although they provide on campus housing, I’m too attached to my dogs to give them just to finish a two year degree (they are my babies!). In addition, my husband still needs to work as that will be our only source of income while we are there!
Again, thanks to eveyone who provided their advice. It’s really great to find a friendly forum when making such a huge life decision!
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