Prefabricated Homes

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  • #165858
    costaricafinca
    Participant

    Another big consideration is your location. Shipping costs plus equipment to put the walls of a prefabricated home in place will obviously raise the costs considerably.

    #165859
    *Lotus
    Member

    Not all prefabricated homes will blow over in a wind storm. Um this was not meant to be taken literally.:(
    Great options for someone looking for a cost effective second home. I have seen the home on here in Punta Leona. I don’t think Casa Presidente is building most of these homes for the poor.:wink:

    http://www.moduloscr.com/proyectos/proyecto1.html

    Just do your research and understand your needs.

    #165860
    jdocop
    Member

    post removed so as to avoid any risk of offending forum members.

    #165861
    costaricafinca
    Participant

    No, I didn’t mean that!:roll:
    The builders all said, that the wind would find the gaps, which would enlarge with time, cracking any finish on the interior wall finishes.

    #165862
    *Lotus
    Member

    Just trying to point out that prefabricated construction is a viable option. No hidden agenda and certainly no need to convince myself of anything, that’s silly.

    My point from jump street was its simply an option. Some of you seem to firmly believe it is just crap. I wonder how much investigation you have actually done into this type of construction before you made your decision? One experience with your neighbor is hardly compelling evidence.

    Look at the buildings on the website I posted, read through the technical and seismic data. Compare it to other prefabricated buildings, go on site and have a look. Otherwise your opinion is just founded on, well not much at all.

    I still am interested in hearing from people that have actually purchased a prefabricated home and can post a link to the company that built it for them.

    I guess I am just a little more in tune with alternative housing. I have lived in and built a yurt as well as built my own cabin in the Northern Catskills.

    Most conventional building can be quite wasteful and inefficient. Building a home from rebar and concrete may provide shelter, but it is hardly forward thinking.

    For instance check this out:http://www.garbagewarrior.com/

    Also regarding wind blowing through the house. I can assure you if the seams are joined and filled properly this wont happen any more than wind blowing through a properly chinked log cabin.

    There are lots of interesting ways to build efficient cost effective homes in twenty ten. Not looking to argue for arguments sake or out of stubbornness. I am looking for empirical, data driven ideas to help me formulate the best possible plan. Me likes options.:D

    I was referring to this quote regarding government built, it was meant to be a bit cheeky:wink:

    “I am under the impression that the Tico-Type Prefab was ment to be used on those “Bono-Houses” that the government donates to poor people.”

    #165863
    jdocop
    Member

    post removed so as to avoid any risk of offending forum members.

    #165864
    *Lotus
    Member

    I’ll accept you don’t care for prefabricado. But check out Garbage Warrior, either way it’s an interesting film.

    #165865
    *Lotus
    Member

    [quote=”cmcintire”]We are also exploring the possibility of building a prefabricated home on the land we bought in Uvita. We are looking for a company that does more of a modern design. If anyone knows of a place they can recommend (I have reviewed the ones identified on this website)or has any comments regarding the pros and cons of doing a pre-fab would love to hear from you.[/quote]


    @cmcintire
    I recently found this in another weblog, they have some interesting designs.
    http://www.idscasas.com/v1/galeria.php

    #165866
    cmcintire
    Participant

    Thank you Lotus we will take a look at the website. Appreciate you passing along the information. Every little bit helps. Take Care.

    #165867
    F.A Skippy
    Member

    That’s just idiocy !
    Every community I have been in has a couple of good carpenters, window guys, and furniture builders, seamstresses that make cortinas, etc.

    Ya want a pre made kit ? Move to Alabammy.:evil:

    800 sf of reinforced concrete, with nice hand made doors, nice tile, cabinets, etc will run you $40 to $50 a square foot….. if you speak Spanish and can see past BS.
    I hear the gringo “expert” replies being typed already:lol:

    It also gives you relationships within the community, which is a MAJOR plus.One day they install your cabinets. Sunday you go to their grandmothers house for chicken and yellow rice or head to Cano Negro to fish.

    I refer to Costa Rica, NOT San JoseB.
    Flame suit on !!!8)

    #165868
    *Lotus
    Member

    This thread was started for people who have actually looked into “prefab” construction. So here is some additional information for those who like to go on without any practical knowledge.

    The majority of companies that offer prefab are selling you the reinforced concrete building system. This consists of the walls with the window openings, door openings the electrical/plumbing tracks set in the structure. What this primarily does is save you time as all the walls of a small house can be assembled in about a week. This is great for those building that don’t live there full time.You can be here for the completion of the “shell” on your foundation.
    It is also a bit more cost effective as you save labor hours(yes I know labor is cheap) and since it is pre-built/cured you save some money on the overall basic structure.

    Now you have a solid basic structure. You can hire local people to complete your home, including roof, tile work and all other finish work. In our case, if we go this route as we are currenly comparing prices, we will do the majority of the finish work with the assistance of tradespeople we know in our area. We have been going to this part of CR for over 7 years and have many good relationships and dear friends, gringo and Tico.

    In my case I have the experience of having already built a vacation home myself with trades people doing some of the work like electric(i hate dealing with electricity). Some of the prefab makers will refer you to a builder familiar with the technique, but since the factories that make the cement panels can be a distance from your home site you usually have to work with an experienced local builder/tradespeople. You can then install any quality fixtures, windows, mechanical systems you wish to.

    So please get the idea out of your head you are buying one big “kit”! You sound like so many big mouth North Americans who speak first, get the facts later. This is not a double wide trailer you buy off the lot. And if you read the technical data you will see some of these structures have higher seismic ratings than ground up block construction. Don’t shoot the messenger, its what I was told by an engineer and is available to read on some of their sites.

    If you don’t want to use this construction technique so be it. I know this is just a weblog, but lets try and substantiate what we say with actual data. I was not looking to argue about this type of building,start your own thread. I was looking for people who have done some research or had actual experience’s that they could back up with some facts, like a link to the company they used etc or the builder they used.

    Pura Vida.

    $40-$50 F2 at the beach..not.

    #165869
    maritimer
    Member

    http://www.materialicious.com/2009/07/shipping-container-homes-in-costa-rica-by-jimmy-lee.html

    hope i did this right

    i’ve been looking into container homes in costa rica

    have found a few sites this is supposed to be a link to one

    i have worked on prefab homes

    am much more interested in the container homes

    #165870
    bogino
    Participant

    [i]Maybe I’m wrong about this but why in the WORLD would you want to buy a “Pre Fab” home in Costa Rica? When I think of “Pre Fab” I just think of the GARBAGE that is built pretty much all over the U.S. I sure hope the Costa Rica landscape never gets to the point where it begins to resemble the military barrack type looks of many of these “Pre Fab” homes that are just thrown together and put up here in the U.S. That would ruin the charm and character of a very nice country.[/i]

    #165871
    *Lotus
    Member

    [quote=”bogino”][i]Maybe I’m wrong about this but why in the WORLD would you want to buy a “Pre Fab” home in Costa Rica? When I think of “Pre Fab” I just think of the GARBAGE that is built pretty much all over the U.S. I sure hope the Costa Rica landscape never gets to the point where it begins to resemble the military barrack type looks of many of these “Pre Fab” homes that are just thrown together and put up here in the U.S. That would ruin the charm and character of a very nice country.[/i][/quote]

    I’m not sure what path we will take, but dude you are really living in the past/ignorance. If you simply took the time to look at some of my links or Google “prefab” you would see it is more than “military” style housing.

    Just like traditional construction methods it’s quality varies on who is doing the work. Most “CAD” style homes built with traditional methods in the US are hideous. You may be referring to modular?

    I don’t know if you have actually been to CR, but it is not a country known for progressive architecture or building standards. Have you seen a typical Tico style home? I have no problem with the tipico house, it serves the purpose of shelter to people who live on an income of less than $600 US dollars a month. Read the thread, Pre Fab in CR is about having the basic concrete walls pre fabricated, to save time, energy and some money. It is not for everyone, some come out looking cheap, some are finished to look amazing. Just like in any project its all about your budget. But prefabricated walls can be a good option for a person who is building a 2nd home and cannot spend 5-6 months here watching their home be built.

    Its all about options.

    Have a look here, see what Pre Fab actually can mean:
    http://www.fabprefab.com/
    http://www.rocioromero.com/

    Prefabulous Buildings: 10 Fantastic Prefabricated Homes

    #165872
    bogino
    Participant

    “[b]I don’t know if you have actually been to CR[/b][i][/i]”

    I have been to CR 8 times in the past 6 years.

    “[b]Pre Fab in CR is about having the basic concrete walls pre fabricated, to save time, energy and some money[/b][i][/i].”

    This is what I’m talking about….When I think of saving time energy and [b]MONEY[/b]…to me the result of that usually means shoddy conxtruction…cutting corners and crappy construction. I realize that’s not ALWAYS the case but seems to me ;ike that IS the case most of the time. In any event…to each his own…

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