Rainy season increases costs of housing maintenance

[quote=”crhomebuilder”]Remember, our pride of home ownership and level of comfort aren’t fulfilled by waiting for the inevitable storms to pass. “Hasta manana” is a local tradition that most foreigners have been exposed to. In order to survive down here in the jungle, property owners need to learn how to deal with Costa Rica’s unique climatic characteristics in order to protect their investments.[/quote]

Therefore I am glad I live in the higher areas at Lake Arenal. The water always goes down hill, if you build right and the roof does not leak, you never have problems with flooding.

[quote=”sprite”]Speaking of roofing, I have see some modern designs with the nearly flat roof style and I wonder if that causes a problem with heavy rain fall draining off properly.[/quote]

In many cases, if the job is done poorly, the wind is the problem, squeezing the water through the overlaps, even when the roof is steep. Make sure your contractor is doing a good job and guarantees for his work.

[quote=”sprite”]Understood. I suppose a nearly flat roof incline is OK in a rainy environment as long as the over hang is at least 36 inches, there is ample roof to ceiling height (9 to 10 feet) AND there is a good seal between roof and wall.

Most of the modern designs I see with this feature have what appear to be concrete roof structures, which I assume is not the best way to go in a country where the earth tends to shake on occasion.[/quote]

Concrete roof combined with metal structure will crack due to metal expansion and contraction (temperature changes). There are roof sealers available but it has to be painted every year. Concrete roofs are great for security reason, but you should put some other roof material on top to prevent leaks (good quality clay tile, metal, vinyl……) Some homes have a “fake” flat roof, which means the exterior walls are built higher and hiding the gutters and the roof (no overhang). Looks like “southwest” style architecture.