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Can anyone tell me if wood stick frame construction is used in Costa Rica? If it is popular, where do they get the wood from?
We are swimming in dead pine in British Columbia, dimension lumber is at an all time low, perhaps Costa Rica could be a home for some of this?
For the record I don’t own a dimension lumber sawmill…I think that the type of wood frame construction that you’re used to in British Columbia is very rare here in Costa Rica. For one thing, the available woods are mostly very hard. They would likely require pre-drilling to nail.
And, once built, such structures would be very susceptible to both vermin infestation and rot. Extraordinary precautions would have to be taken to safeguard them.
And then there is the matter of earthquake resistance.
As crhomebuilder has pointed out on a number of occasions, the conventional block/mortar/rebar approach has worked well here for a long time. Why mess with success?
Interestingly, I’ve recently seen a typical Costa Rican home being built with light-gauge steel framing for the roof. That was used for the upper parts of some of our interior partition walls, too.
Edited on Feb 17, 2009 04:28
NW softwoods such as Hem-Fir, Douglas Fir and Cedar will not last in CR due to high humidity + high temparatures and many wood consuming insects and rotting molds. Even with hardwood, it is a constant battle against the elements and one void is an invitation for many hosts. Most residential structures are built with masonry and some local hardwoods (mostly used for trim). Commercial buildings are masonry, concrete or steel. I have also seen an increased use of light gauge metal framing, but typically on higher end homes. The only way softwoods would work, is if they were completely encased in an air tight and moisture tight barriers (liquid applied membranes), which would require yearly maintenance. As far as seisimic properties, wood works well because it has a lot of give and will withstand a quake better than masonry given the assumption that it is all tied in the metal ties and straps.
Do ‘similar’ climate areas like Florida rely on concrete block construction or do they use wood as we do up here? Thanks for you comments so far..
On the Outer Banks of North Carolina, traditional stick frame construction was universal. There, the lowest level of enclosed space had to be ten feet above sea level. Since so much of the Outer Banks is lower than that, many homes were built on twenty-foot pilings sunk ten feet into the ground. Being pressure treated, they resisted rot and insect infestation.
I have often wondered if there would be a way to keep termites out of a tropical house by employing a ‘moat’ of sorts. Will they cross water? Or do they require a branch or solid pathway to get to their lunch? Could you have concrete piers with water filled rings around them part way up which could restrict the upward movement of pests? Still have the problem of mould, but there must be a way to deal with that..
Yup, the very best way to deal with the problem of wood rot and mold is to build with masonry like the Costa Ricans do.
There is very little wood frame construction in Florida for all the reasons previously mentioned. Concrete block construction is predominant as it is a natural heat barrier and insects do not find the concrete appetizing.
If you’re searching for useful information about building housing in CR, you can click on Inspection/Construction in the Trusted Providers section in the right hand margin on the WLCR home page. Or just click on this link.
https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/department62.cfmEdited on Feb 19, 2009 09:59
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