Building supplies and stuff

find a aluminum shop and have them custom build your windows there cheep here I had my hole office and waiting room enclosed in glass with 2 half glass doors for 800.00 display cases and all. double pain is not avalible here in Guayaquil but may be in the colder arias. block can be gotten anywhere , try using brick accents in the design. build correctly using tar to seal under the dirt and a water sealent before painting above. enjoy the project. remember Ecuadorian workers will give you 1 bid to get started and another later, be sure to lock them in to a fair bid.  give them lunch and a small amount per day or week. as you go with a pay out at completion. never going over 50% tell done. as long as you keep the large payout over there heads they will keep going the second the work out ways the pay off they will bolt. keep a close eye on your tools they need to be put back in order each nigh and counted.  they need to know you will discount any missing tools from the final pay out. also count the blocks or anything delivered it is common for you to get shorted on large orders. its a different culture go with the flow and keep your eyes open and remember your here things are different its not bad you just need to get use to the difference.

sparticous wrote:

find a aluminum shop and have them custom build your windows there cheep here I had my hole office and waiting room enclosed in glass with 2 half glass doors for 800.00 display cases and all. double pain is not avalible here in Guayaquil but may be in the colder arias. block can be gotten anywhere , try using brick accents in the design. build correctly using tar to seal under the dirt and a water sealent before painting above. enjoy the project. remember Ecuadorian workers will give you 1 bid to get started and another later, be sure to lock them in to a fair bid.  give them lunch and a small amount per day or week. as you go with a pay out at completion. never going over 50% tell done. as long as you keep the large payout over there heads they will keep going the second the work out ways the pay off they will bolt. keep a close eye on your tools they need to be put back in order each nigh and counted.  they need to know you will discount any missing tools from the final pay out. also count the blocks or anything delivered it is common for you to get shorted on large orders. its a different culture go with the flow and keep your eyes open and remember your here things are different its not bad you just need to get use to the difference.

Great post. Question, what are you paying for blocks, & what are the dimensions, and how much per block to get them laid?
Also, on the concrete, is there one big company like say Lafarge? or  are there smaller companies that deliver ready-mix?
Thanks in advance,
James

sparticous wrote:

find a aluminum shop and have them custom build your windows there cheep here I had my hole office and waiting room enclosed in glass with 2 half glass doors for 800.00 display cases and all. double pain is not avalible here in Guayaquil but may be in the colder arias. block can be gotten anywhere , try using brick accents in the design. build correctly using tar to seal under the dirt and a water sealent before painting above. enjoy the project. remember Ecuadorian workers will give you 1 bid to get started and another later, be sure to lock them in to a fair bid.  give them lunch and a small amount per day or week. as you go with a pay out at completion. never going over 50% tell done. as long as you keep the large payout over there heads they will keep going the second the work out ways the pay off they will bolt. keep a close eye on your tools they need to be put back in order each nigh and counted.  they need to know you will discount any missing tools from the final pay out. also count the blocks or anything delivered it is common for you to get shorted on large orders. its a different culture go with the flow and keep your eyes open and remember your here things are different its not bad you just need to get use to the difference.

Great information. Thank you. I'm still debating on how to build and how much to do myself. I might change course and build using wood from the forests on the property, since for the time being access with loads of blocks is going to be time consuming and difficult.

I just stayed in a 20 year old cabin located an hour's walk from my property build out of the same type of hardwood I have in abundance. Two different locals offered to built me a similar "rustic" cabin with wood on my property, but both of these guys were under the impression that the wood only needs to dry for three weeks before using it, which raises some alarm bells. I might take a chance and build one cabin with these guys that I can later turn into a barn.

http://www.riojuntas.com/page7/page7.html

This is not an endorsement for this company as know nothing about them. Only wondering if anyone has considered a SCIP building?
Every study I have read has been very positive in regards to this type of building. The caveat being it appears if someone constructing in this manner doesn't have the experience, and qualifications needed, then it's a real, real disaster.

Personally am thinking of giving it a try myself on my land. Curious if others have any opinions?

j600rr wrote:

http://www.riojuntas.com/page7/page7.html

This is not an endorsement for this company as know nothing about them. Only wondering if anyone has considered a SCIP building?
Every study I have read has been very positive in regards to this type of building. The caveat being it appears if someone constructing in this manner doesn't have the experience, and qualifications needed, then it's a real, real disaster.

Personally am thinking of giving it a try myself on my land. Curious if others have any opinions?

I'm looking it over. http://studiorma.com/Off-Grid-Sites.html

" This home is designed for off-grid living, and provides its own drinking water. "

hehe..we used to call it a well.

What are the per s.f. costs, roughly? (Looks expensive)

Will you have barred windows?

Key Words: licensed technologies, off-grid, self-sufficient, non-toxic

Core Technology:

In a SCIP (Structural concrete insulated panel) building all the walls, floors and roofs are made of prefabricated foam panels with robotically welded mesh at each side and a 3-D truss system welded through the center foam panel.  Applying a concrete skin to both sides of the panel brings strength to the structure.

I like this paragraph:

Superior insulation performance, provided by skillful implementation of SCIP technology, gives these homes extraordinary efficiency. They are non-toxic, as strong as poured-in-place concrete structures, and able to withstand Nature's calamities far better than traditional structures do.

red flag (marketing hokum) on this one:
The buildings can now operate off-the-grid and are carbon-neutral. The CO2 produced to create, transport, and erection can be offset by on-site carbon sequestration programs through intensified re-forestration.


Assembly would be a problem. Its not DIY job. You're still building a house. The inverted roof pitch is interesting. Ecuador gets a lot of rain. 

How is foam, carbon neutral?

I'm only guessing, gut instinct, the cost will be 3X verses if you use local materials/methods.
I'd like to see a set of drawings (building plans). Then cost it out locally.

James

"The CO2 produced to create, transport, and erection can be offset by on-site carbon sequestration programs through intensified re-forestration."

What a load of BS. By that logic, driving a hummer can also be carbon neutral if you plant trees.

jessekimmerling wrote:

"The CO2 produced to create, transport, and erection can be offset by on-site carbon sequestration programs through intensified re-forestration."

What a load of BS. By that logic, driving a hummer can also be carbon neutral if you plant trees.

What's a typical roof pitch in Ecuador, or is there such a thing..

It's actually not that expensive to ship a container load of building materials, and you can build a pretty big mansion with a container load.

I built a (big) barn once in Ontario, and shipped pretty much everything from the West Coast, (except the metal roof and concrete of course.) But then again that's post and beam and stick framing. I used cementitious panels for the skin, 3/16 thick, you can't tell it from barn board. The skin should last 50 years. Had to paint it though (bummer).

James-Esq wrote:

jessekimmerling wrote:

"The CO2 produced to create, transport, and erection can be offset by on-site carbon sequestration programs through intensified re-forestration."

What a load of BS. By that logic, driving a hummer can also be carbon neutral if you plant trees.

What's a typical roof pitch in Ecuador, or is there such a thing..

Ecuador is full of micro-climates, so the better question would be, what is the ideal roof pitch in the area of Ecuador you want to build? For the most part, I've seen flat, low, and a few medium pitched roofs on newer buildings, and steep pitch only on historic buildings, but I'm sure there are exceptions. Like much of Ecuadorian construction, it doesn't coincide with logical environmental factors.

jessekimmerling wrote:

Ecuador is full of micro-climates, so the better question would be, what is the ideal roof pitch in the area of Ecuador you want to build? For the most part, I've seen flat, low, and a few medium pitched roofs on newer buildings, and steep pitch only on historic buildings, but I'm sure there are exceptions. Like much of Ecuadorian construction, it doesn't coincide with logical environmental factors.

Ya, I figured as much on the micro-climates. Seems like there's room for improvement generally, design etc..

Roofs are an important in the environmental regard. Tiles would be the way to go i suppose.

James-Esq wrote:

Roofs are an important in the environmental regard. Tiles would be the way to go i suppose.

Tiles look nice, but in the areas I like the most (mild Spring like climates) corrugated tin works fine and is a lot cheaper.

James,
Aside from the typical green talk b.s. marketing gimmick that builders, and companies like to use these days, and yes there are many red flags. Despite that am breaking it down to the simplest element, and just looking at the nuts and bolts of it all.

Will see if I can find them, but have read several non biased (at least think non-biased studies) in which from a structural point of view the SCIP type construction has done well. I still need to do a lot more research. From a price point of view in the U.S. that type of construction appears to be much more expensive than the normal construction. In. S.A., and C.A., as well as Caribbean it seems to be pretty price competitive. Would never go balls to the walls, but am thinking of starting with a small cabina type structure which wouldn't be very expensive, and see how that goes.

No, SCIP is definitely not a DIY project, but the main thing that is of interest to me is the time frame is much quicker, as well as the labor force is much smaller. I have actually built in CR in the past, and as far as I'm concerned the fewer people working on a project the better.

j600rr wrote:

James,
I have actually built in CR in the past, and as far as I'm concerned the fewer people working on a project the better.

Gotcha. I lived in the Caribbean also, island to island, your building-mileage may vary. Especially after a hurricane.

I'm thinking of building something in Ecuador myself, mainly for the adventure, and satisfaction of being like Frank Sinatra in the song, my way. And i know after being there two weeks that's where my mind will venture. It's complicated because the site has to speak to you, and be on your wavelength. And for that you need a good site. The next question is lifestyle, because that equals location. But does that match the geography of your vision, in your mind's eye? Maybe not.

So it begins with lifestyle, and a building designed to match the environment. Sigh, nothing is easy.

James

This might be a good option for some of you. Super cheap basic starter home kits. 2 bd house kits

Okay... so it's true. I'm a Spook...cleverly disguised as a "slightly soiled senior citizen".

Miss hearing from you.

I'm glad to see some discussion about building materials and methods in Ecuador.  I'd love to build a house if we ever make it down, but on our limited budget, it will probably make more sense to buy a fixer-upper we can live in while remodeling.  At any rate, I'm not sure what the point of concrete reinforced foam panels or "smart blocks" would be in such a mild climate.  That said, regular masonry block construction is prone to condensation, so you'd want a good vapor barrier under the slab and sealed exterior walls.  Anyway, Jesse, have you thought about some kind of rammed earth or bale construction?  Labor costs might be low enough there to make it a real possibility for you.

LeftClique wrote:

That said, regular masonry block construction is prone to condensation, so you'd want a good vapor barrier under the slab and sealed exterior walls.

Two coats of tar, say $100 each, and a layer of heavy mill poly under the pour. Radiant heat/cooling? easy.

LeftClique wrote:

I'm glad to see some discussion about building materials and methods in Ecuador.  I'd love to build a house if we ever make it down, but on our limited budget, it will probably make more sense to buy a fixer-upper we can live in while remodeling.  At any rate, I'm not sure what the point of concrete reinforced foam panels or "smart blocks" would be in such a mild climate.  That said, regular masonry block construction is prone to condensation, so you'd want a good vapor barrier under the slab and sealed exterior walls.  Anyway, Jesse, have you thought about some kind of rammed earth or bale construction?  Labor costs might be low enough there to make it a real possibility for you.

Yeah, I've considered both those, as well as cob and cordwood. I'd probably go with cob if the clay content of the soil is high enough, but my property is in the cloud forest, so cob is a risky proposition. I might try a cob shed and see how it holds up to the moisture. I don't think you can get hay bales in Ecuador, at least that's what I've been told.

LeftClique wrote:

I'm glad to see some discussion about building materials and methods in Ecuador.  I'd love to build a house if we ever make it down, but on our limited budget, it will probably make more sense to buy a fixer-upper we can live in while remodeling.  At any rate, I'm not sure what the point of concrete reinforced foam panels or "smart blocks" would be in such a mild climate.  That said, regular masonry block construction is prone to condensation, so you'd want a good vapor barrier under the slab and sealed exterior walls.  Anyway, Jesse, have you thought about some kind of rammed earth or bale construction?  Labor costs might be low enough there to make it a real possibility for you.

Hey Left,
http://habitatsconstruction.com/3DPanel-Benefits.html

That is actually what I had in mind, and the guy am currently talking to at this moment. I see many benefits to this type of construction myself, but still need to do more research, and am fortunate in that there are several projects, and individual homes in Panama done by this gentleman that I can check out, and talk to the people to get a feel if is something I want to pursue.

Not saying is a done deal. Was, and am hoping that different ideas, and possibilities from some people with different experiences in various types of construction will have some input. Is good to have different possibilities. Who knows when all is said and done may just go with the tried and true block, and concrete.

Will be interesting to see which direction Jesse decides to go. Hopefully you will keep us updated on your decisions, and how they go Jesse.

j600rr wrote:

Who knows when all is said and done may just go with the tried and true block, and concrete.

Having built a lot of custom homes, i can offer that simple is better. For me its about aesthetics. And that means the setting. the vision, as it were, needs to begin with the site, in essence the site determines the design. Local materials are what fits best.

James-Esq wrote:

j600rr wrote:

Who knows when all is said and done may just go with the tried and true block, and concrete.

Having built a lot of custom homes, i can offer that simple is better. For me its about aesthetics. And that means the setting. the vision, as it were, needs to begin with the site, in essence the site determines the design. Local materials are what fits best.

Agreed, and without getting way off topic this is a long term project, and will consistently be doing something over the years. Reason bought this particular property was because of the land. Is not a flat bare piece of land. Various parts have ocean views, others have mountain views, while others have both. Some parts are hilly, has small waterfall, etc. For me James it's about blending the dynamics of the land with structures that belong. So yeah, guess aesthetics is very important, but also want to find a mix of aesthetics, and functionality. Has long been a pet peeve of mine, and not putting you into this category by any means, but have been in many beautiful houses that were actually very uncomfortable living in, and conversely been in but ugly homes that were very efficient, and comfortable. Would like to put aesthetics, and functionality together.

j600rr wrote:

Would like to put aesthetics, and functionality together.

That's the thing, isn't it?  Achieving a pleasing blend of beauty and usefulness in our homes is a large part of what a good life is all about.

I've been a carpenter for nearly forty years.  Most of that time, my niche has been straightening out details when communication breaks down between clients and their architects, designers and decorators.  In other words, my work is equal parts craft, psychology and hell.  Much of happiness is attitude.  I've seen wars erupt over moving a wall three inches.  I'm looking forward to getting away from swollen egos.

A slab, block walls, and a corrugated metal roof seems idyllic.

John

LeftClique wrote:

A slab, block walls, and a corrugated metal roof seems idyllic.

Yeah, there's much to be said for the simple cheap local building styles.

Suggestions mixing in your talent is great and functional is very important...
Stealing is ramped you order so many of this or that and they lay away so much for themselves no jokes it terrible...do not put windows, appliance anything in house until you are moving in..have man live on property with fireworks with two dogs barkers.  keep stop light on property that go on at night when some steps on land at night.   NO supplies or tools will be keft on land unless you have a metal  house with a thic thic thic chain and lock thst would take days to chop through no joke.  do not start without a plan with dates on it finish dates.  if your not the builder aond you have one contract of finish date and penalty for every day he is late from walk in key ready...
Well never tell workers where your going and when you will be back trick him drive around and go back in an hour you will be shocked..you dont have friends amen

smmr wrote:

Suggestions mixing in your talent is great and functional is very important...
Stealing is ramped you order so many of this or that and they lay away so much for themselves no jokes it terrible...do not put windows, appliance anything in house until you are moving in..have man live on property with fireworks with two dogs barkers.  keep stop light on property that go on at night when some steps on land at night.   NO supplies or tools will be keft on land unless you have a metal  house with a thic thic thic chain and lock thst would take days to chop through no joke.  do not start without a plan with dates on it finish dates.  if your not the builder aond you have one contract of finish date and penalty for every day he is late from walk in key ready...
Well never tell workers where your going and when you will be back trick him drive around and go back in an hour you will be shocked..you don't have friends amen

I think it depends a lot on where you are building. In the more remote and rural areas where the locals have had little contact with expats and generally have more of that small town attitude, I don't see that theft is as much of a problem. That's not to say it doesn't happen.

Keep fooling yourself and remember i said that...i think it varys from area to area but its there just in different degrees true but dont brush it off.
Example one guy said when you order 190 of something they take 90 off the top and you dont even notice it because they side track you... You get 100.   they can build a small item on their own on the side you will be amazed at how frugile they can be a little of this and that sorry but i disagree.
Crime is in the out skirts and lies are in the out skirts and stealing has been around since before you were born grascis senior....watch your back gringo or ecuatoriana....good luck.

smmr wrote:

Keep fooling yourself and remember i said that...i think it varys from area to area but its there just in different degrees true but dont brush it off.
Example one guy said when you order 190 of something they take 90 off the top and you dont even notice it because they side track you... You get 100.   they can build a small item on their own on the side you will be amazed at how frugile they can be a little of this and that sorry but i disagree.
Crime is in the out skirts and lies are in the out skirts and stealing has been around since before you were born grascis senior....watch your back gringo or ecuatoriana....good luck.

Actually I agree with what you have said smmr, and spartacous gave excellent advice as well. Bear in mind have no experience with building in Ecuador, but every other L.A. country have been theft, and poor craftmanship is a fairly common complaint. Perhaps would be a bit naive to think it would be otherwise in Ecuador. Think you have to probably be on top of things from start to finish, and pretty much oversee everything, and that includes not paying or signing for any building materials until you have verified everything is there.

smmr wrote:

Keep fooling yourself and remember i said that...i think it varys from area to area but its there just in different degrees true but dont brush it off.
Example one guy said when you order 190 of something they take 90 off the top and you dont even notice it because they side track you... You get 100.   they can build a small item on their own on the side you will be amazed at how frugile they can be a little of this and that sorry but i disagree.
Crime is in the out skirts and lies are in the out skirts and stealing has been around since before you were born grascis senior....watch your back gringo or ecuatoriana....good luck.

Well, I'll keep you all posted on how it goes. Since the building site is an hour and a half walk from the road, running off with materials is going to be pretty tricky. The first cabin is going to be built using lumber that is planed on site and tin roof panels, so I don't really stand to lose much money in a worst case scenario. I am concerned that the guys I hire will cut and plane more lumber than is needed for the cabin and take the extra, so I plan on selecting and marking the trees I want cut and camping out.

It's disheartening that you guys feel the way you do, but I understand. I had similar prejudices overtake my good intentions during the years when I worked in Afghanistan.

Bravo a good LA is always care from beginning.  our conversations are to help one another support one another.  with your craftmanship ability do not tell them you have it when they say they have it watch them and see if they do haha and correct them not tge gringo way the uhumble way.  stealing is only one item....lazyness which or naps esestas to many every time i left a job everyone went to sleep Lordy we are never going to get done...so before i left i asked the guy in charge what are you going to do.  then i would say no naps he would say no
Then i would surprize him and say i am going out for a long time which was not true.  i would come back in half hr and they would be sleeping again....i through a fit..always acted mader then i was to make a point....when they did good on pay day i gave a treat now and the a six pack and a liitle more for the best workers an a pep talk that this was not going to happen every pay day but i do appreciate hard workers  it really heped alot...this team really got behind me..every day i stopped them to clean up the mess so when we started the next day we didnt look like a rat trap...yes we had rats coming out of the forest at times so the guarde had to kill them but the dogs would kill any small animals and fireworks scard off a lot silly.  i need not tell you how very important bull dozer irrigation is the driver.  my daughter is building at beach and we were discussing that this man can not be stupid he must know how water runs for rainy season because in ecuador it rains hard and washes the soil away the you have a problem no a situatiom we have no problems just situations.....how are we going to deal with this one....so i told her go to the computer learn everything on erririon and land just in case this man is stupid and thinks he is just pushibg soil around not so here...  it is like a golf course it is placed to stop errions as much as possible and where you beed to plant to save the soil as much as possible...the we takjed able water..this is so   important here to set up a system that wgen tge rainy season comes you store all the water in tanks aand catch it for dripping crops,washing equipment, washing clothes, but not drink from these tanks she forgot that sge was unaware that the pkastic was not health and that rainy season was going and time to build was shortening and she would be better to start after rainy season she is not organized enough...
My wish is that i was young to jouny with you all because it is an adventure and iblike to learn and workvabd have value you both are in the best part of your life have a wonderful jouney abd my god go with you.

asap for roots to save tge soil

I dont know if you had a situation with this but an electrician is suppose to put in a plan and size of the transforer to the electric co. The electric co does not care if the transformer is used did you hear that trick you pay for new transformer maybe bigger transformer abd he gives you littker used transformer your happy he is happier.....what is the problem well you can expand, your kights can blink, while your running your ironer and something else it might shut off....i am just beginning...plus you never know its used...now do you calk these stealing i do...they dont they dont aman got man at my daughter for speaking up about this he has done this for years and no one questions him....can you imagion NO ONE QUESTIONS HIM....so when you let people go here you do it nicely or they burn your house  down...you start it with i am sorry am going to have to let you go you have keft me no choice..,but nicely...but my daught was so oftened he told her he was going to talk to her husband about her bad behavior can you imagine wow.  talk about fould up thinking....so they dont think they are stealing its business so watch.....

jessekimmerling wrote:

Well, I'll keep you all posted on how it goes. Since the building site is an hour and a half walk from the road, running off with materials is going to be pretty tricky. The first cabin is going to be built using lumber that is planed on site and tin roof panels, so I don't really stand to lose much money in a worst case scenario. I am concerned that the guys I hire will cut and plane more lumber than is needed for the cabin and take the extra, so I plan on selecting and marking the trees I want cut and camping out.

It's disheartening that you guys feel the way you do, but I understand. I had similar prejudices overtake my good intentions during the years when I worked in Afghanistan.

Interesting thread. I think you mentioned the trees are hardwood, correct? What species? what size? (inches at the butt).
Assume you won't be using hardwood for structural elements, correct? You mention planing on site - are you not going to saw into boards first?

If it was me, depending on how many trees i had, i might be looking at making a deal to mill the wood into lumber, and exchange the labour for 1/2 the wood sawn, bucking the logs first into whatever lengths, then haul them to a portable mill if such exists (as in those Volkswagen engine portable mills that seem to be found everywhere, maybe even in Ecuador too).  But sounds like you are too far off the beaten path. However, you could use a horse to skid the logs out to the road too. I am 100% sure you have considered all these possibilities, and just mentioning them anyway. Maybe you are using the wood for siding only? If siding, what thickness are you finishing it to?

James

Hey Jessie,

I don't really think there is anything to be disheartened about, but rather maybe cautious about. All you have to do is watch some of the home improvement shows they have on U.S. tv, and can see that even in countries like the U.S., and Canada there are plenty of bad contractors, and lazy workers. Think one of the biggest problems is people move to a different culture, and language, and fail to research and due homework. Obviously there are some good workers, and crsftsmen anywhere you go. Is just a matter of finding the right guys for the job. Certainly sounds like you have a handle on things, so doubt you'll have any problems. Maybe a set back here and there, but that usually happens no matter what.

James
I am tired of every time I have problems with stealing or I catch someone stealing they say to me "Your prejudices" What???
I get tired of that right away....I couldn't care if a person is purple green or organge just do not take something that is not yours that is all.  My daughter is black and I am far from prejudices and resent the comment it grows tired disheartening sir...just do not steal and we won't be bring it up....
I owned a restaurant and didn't allow purses or jackets in the kitchen...when someone anyone came out of the kitchen with a jacket on my eyes went up.....oops please open your coat please...they would argue with me purple or orange but when they opened their coat my meat from my freezer was hanging from the lining of their coat like I was not smart enough to know this trick...I was not thinking of their nationality, their sex, their color...I was hoping I was wrong...the minute I caught them they were so so so sorry.  I have children I didn't mean it. Your prejudice give me a brake attack the accuser why not attack the person stealing now that is a plan...We are suppose to be discussing ideas, plans, different situations, not disheartening and disappointing people but reality of business it is a reality to double check it does not hurt...I am sure there are  not a lot of shovels in your area or axes so if one is laying around a man might want to take it and figure why not???

James-Esq wrote:

If it was me, depending on how many trees i had, i might be looking at making a deal to mill the wood into lumber, and exchange the labour for 1/2 the wood sawn, bucking the logs first into whatever lengths, then haul them to a portable mill if such exists (as in those Volkswagen engine portable mills that seem to be found everywhere, maybe even in Ecuador too).  But sounds like you are too far off the beaten path. However, you could use a horse to skid the logs out to the road too. I am 100% sure you have considered all these possibilities, and just mentioning them anyway. Maybe you are using the wood for siding only? If siding, what thickness are you finishing it to?

James

I wish I knew the name of the tree. I looked at a 25 year old cabin that had been built wrong according to everything I know. The wood was only dried for 3 weeks after felling, there was no foundation, and that beautiful wood was sitting right in the dirt. Amazingly, it had no signs of rot of infestation. The wood was untreated on the outside, but got smoked on the inside of the cabin every day. These folks didn't have a fire place, just a fire pit in the center of their room. Their son is the one who offered to build the same on my land. I strongly suspect he's going to plane the lumber with a chainsaw. I have to stress, this first building is going to be simple, rough, and cheap. I think not much more than buying a high end tent. Later, it can become a storage shed. Future buildings I'll do myself or with a couple carpenter friends from the US.

I don't want to sell off extra wood. I'm trying to keep as much of the land as pristine as possible, and the logistics of getting the wood out would be challenging. I really need to build some sort of cable car for materials. The trail in is easy until the last half kilometer.

jessekimmerling wrote:

The wood was untreated on the outside, but got smoked on the inside of the cabin every day. These folks didn't have a fire place, just a fire pit in the center of their room. Their son is the one who offered to build the same on my land. I strongly suspect he's going to plane the lumber with a chainsaw. I have to stress, this first building is going to be simple, rough, and cheap.
..and the logistics of getting the wood out would be challenging. I really need to build some sort of cable car for materials. The trail in is easy until the last half kilometer.

Gotcha, you are remote and on an incline. Well, if the SHTF here, save me a lot there... lol

Seems there are a couple of good carpenters here, so we can probably help out with any tricks of the trade you may not (or may)know. Back in the day, they used to actually build basements out of wood.

I know my north American species well, but not S.A. I take it the tree is deciduous, and has a broad leaf?

James-Esq wrote:

I know my north American species well, but not S.A. I take it the tree is deciduous, and has a broad leaf?

Tell ya what, I'll post pics of the tree when I know I'm looking at the right one. I noticed all of the houses in that area where made out of the same type of wood. We can put our collective research skills to use and find it's real name. So far, most of the plants and animals that the locals told me about where identified with local names. The language in this area is a mix of Awa, Quichua, and Spanish, and gets really difficult when it comes to any local plants or animals.

Oh, and not all of my land is on an inline. I've got some nice flat hilltop building sites.

jessekimmerling wrote:

Oh, and not all of my land is on an inline. I've got some nice flat hilltop building sites.

Question on soil: from what I am reading land slides are common. makes sense with the abundant rainfall plus the earthquake zone.  What is the ground composition like where you are building?

A point on the trees. Sounds like you are very ecologically-minded with respect for your trees. (bowing). Being once-upon-a-time a logger, one of those evil son's of bitches that went in and cut down trees to make a living, i probably see them differently, but just wanted to say that when the canopy grows and matures, probably many smaller trees will be choked out anyway, die early, thinning the grove. So you might think of it as pruning.

Yes, he probably does just rip them with a chain saw.. tough on the chain. Argh...Yep, need to find the species. Are there conifers? I think I saw somewhere that fir grows in Ecuador. That would be good...

James-Esq wrote:

jessekimmerling wrote:

Oh, and not all of my land is on an inline. I've got some nice flat hilltop building sites.

Question on soil: from what I am reading land slides are common. makes sense with the abundant rainfall plus the earthquake zone.  What is the ground composition like where you are building?

A point on the trees. Sounds like you are very ecologically-minded with respect for your trees. (bowing). Being once-upon-a-time a logger, one of those evil son's of bitches that went in and cut down trees to make a living, i probably see them differently, but just wanted to say that when the canopy grows and matures, probably many smaller trees will be choked out anyway, die early, thinning the grove. So you might think of it as pruning.

Yes, he probably does just rip them with a chain saw.. tough on the chain. Argh...Yep, need to find the species. Are there conifers? I think I saw somewhere that fir grows in Ecuador. That would be good...

No conifers on my land. There's a lot of pine in the dryer highland areas or Ecuador. It's not native, but planted by the military as part of some reforestation project.

I'm planning on doing exactly what you described. Thinning the forest very selectively. I'm one of those who believe you can be a logger and be a tree hugger. I try to approach it practically. This particular piece of land seems like a good place to protect because it has the endangered spectacled bear, and the threatened tigrillo and pygmy deer. I've also got a lot more space than I need, so I can afford the luxury of being an environmentalist.

The soil in my area is rich dark and relatively stable. The neighbors are grazing cattle on land so steep I can barely climb up it. If I clear cut and then really abused the land I might get a slide, but it's looking pretty safe to me. Though, time will tell.

smmr wrote:

.. (snip)...can you imagion NO ONE QUESTIONS HIM....so when you let people go here you do it nicely or they burn your house  down...you start it with i am sorry am going to have to let you go you have keft me no choice..,but nicely...but my daught was so oftened he told her he was going to talk to her husband about her bad behavior can you imagine wow.  talk about fould up thinking....so they dont think they are stealing its business so watch.....
.....

I feel your pain! LOL

Navigating through the personalities that make up 'the trades' requires a Phd in the subject to be even half-right, half the time, with your choice of contractor. Managing trades is a learned skill. If you are not respected, you will be eaten alive,so to speak. Its true anywhere. In Latin America, the quality of workmanship is shoddy, compared to what we northern folk are used to. If you are handy on the tools, anything you can do yourself, probably will be done as well or better.

I'm guessing you are also dealing with an aboriginal culture/mind set in the Ecuadorian labour pool. What's yours, can be theirs, without much reasoning other than their need. Plus you are an invader, a strange person from a strange land. It almost behooves them to steal from you, and brag about it. 

James