Home › Forums › Costa Rica Living Forum › remodel new photos added 9-11-01
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September 11, 2010 at 12:00 am #157784tomstew1Member
I have posted some new photos of the remodel of my beach house. Thought I would share…you can see them at
http://www.tomstewartinsurance.com/CostaRicaThanks,
TSSeptember 11, 2010 at 3:01 pm #157785wspeed1195Memberman,thats way cool.I like going down there to see the crocs on the river side.I actually remember passing that house.
thats one of my all time fave spots there in costa.September 11, 2010 at 3:34 pm #157786costaricafincaParticipantJust out of curiosity, please let us know if at the end of the work, if you are required to pay ‘termination pay’, etc.
We were ‘caught’ by this….September 11, 2010 at 5:08 pm #157787waggoner41Member[quote=”tomstew1″]I have posted some new photos of the remodel of my beach house. [/quote]
Excellent. I particularly like the arches but the color change in the exterior make a huge difference too. Did you restucco with the color added to the stucco or was it painted?
Having lived many years in California I am familiar with the problems of stucco. Our home had been painted when the previous owner wanted to change the color. The paint sealed the outer surface of the stucco but over time moisture works it’s way in beneath the paint and peeling paint and stucco deterioration occurred.
Our solution was to remove the deteriorated stucco and all of the paint and apply a new coat of colored stucco. This allowed the stucco to “breathe” and eliminated the problem of deterioration.
Within the next couple of years our here home will need to be refinished on the exterior for the same reasons of deterioration beneath paint. The initial cost is higher but it lasts much longer.
September 12, 2010 at 12:48 pm #157788tomstew1Member[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”tomstew1″]I have posted some new photos of the remodel of my beach house. [/quote]
Excellent. I particularly like the arches but the color change in the exterior make a huge difference too. Did you restucco with the color added to the stucco or was it painted?
Having lived many years in California I am familiar with the problems of stucco. Our home had been painted when the previous owner wanted to change the color. The paint sealed the outer surface of the stucco but over time moisture works it’s way in beneath the paint and peeling paint and stucco deterioration occurred.
Our solution was to remove the deteriorated stucco and all of the paint and apply a new coat of colored stucco. This allowed the stucco to “breathe” and eliminated the problem of deterioration.
Within the next couple of years our here home will need to be refinished on the exterior for the same reasons of deterioration beneath paint. The initial cost is higher but it lasts much longer.[/quote]
Waggoner41:
Well I really don’t know how to answer your question because I am somewhat unfamiliar with CR building material terms…Here is what I do know.There was a course pebble like stucco finish on all of those arches. The contractor called it a stucco finish. The rest of the house he called the finish product repello. There were quite a few places on the three sides of the house where the repello finish was applied where there were voids or cavities….You could tap on the walls and hear this void…The whole front of the house where the stucco was applied was separating from the block…The contractor said that due to the moisture associated with beachfront living and probably some steps being skipped when the house was being built that we should strip all of these spots back to block and start over. He said that most likely the agent used to make the repello stick to the block was either skipped or poorly applied. I can’t remember the name of it but I do know that it is a bright blue material that is applied like paint. He stripped all of the pebble finished stucco material and about 3/4 of the remainder of the house back to block, applied this bonding agent and then reapplied repello to the house. Yes, it was alot of work, but I wanted it done correctly. The contractor (Fabio) warned me that this would be alot of labor, and I didn’t find it to be overly expensive, so we opted to to it the hard way………So now the house has block, the bonding agent, repello, primer and two top coats of paint. I think that the hot, humid beachfront location will require more attention than you would normally find elsewhere, but I think it is now done correct….I say that with very little actual experience however…I have built a couple of my own homes and they were all stick frame construction….so my statements are based upon other persons comments.
TSSeptember 12, 2010 at 1:27 pm #157789wspeed1195Membertheyve done A good job it sounds like.
did they use the synthetic stucco?it’s pricey.I helped A 2 left handed friend do some repairs and it was around 27,000colones for 5 gallons.it has A bonding agent already.
seeins they used a bonding agent it may have been sand and cement or the bag mix.
many times the problems with the old stucco,especially on the coast is they use the beach sands.which is now forbidden,and then,it has a high saline content and over time aids in the deterioration of the stucco.and then to,the rebar in the actual structure as they use it for concrete.
was their any type of screen device layin around on the job?
a wood frame with some wire mesh on it?they will use it to sift the sands they get.
depending on the contractor,that is also.some are going to buy sand some will sift beach sand.and tucked back away on the seco,ya just don’t know.
stucco is an art.I hope they treated your house lika A Van Gogh.September 12, 2010 at 3:30 pm #157790waggoner41Member[quote=”tomstew1″] Well I really don’t know how to answer your question because I am somewhat unfamiliar with CR building material terms…Here is what I do know.
TS[/quote]Exactly the response I needed.
My experience is not with beachfront or the moisture problems associated. Our home was inland about 9 miles.Your contractor gave you good advise regarding how the repairs should be done. I, too, am unfamilliar with the bonding agent he suggested but have a man who does work for me who may be able to name it. I’ll post what I find out.
The question I have is the advisability of painting stucco as the paint seals it and doesn’t allow it to breathe so if moisture gets into the stucco, over time (years) it deteriorates.
Here, Ciudad Colon, I don’t have the problem of high humidity like the beach so will add a colorant to the stucco rather than painting it.
In 10 years or so maybe you can tell us how it is holding up.:D
September 13, 2010 at 3:13 am #157791grb1063MemberSynthetic stucco, more commonly know as the trade name Dryvit is all about application technique, especially around openings and corners. With the wind driven rain so often found in CR, these details have to be right on the money or you are just asking for a water intrusion problem like so many buildings in the pacific northwest = mold. It seems it would be a challenge to find these tradesmen on the coast, let alone CR. Normal stucco is ubiquitous to CR, but it is only as good as the substrate preparation. Having lived in several US west coast homes, my next home will be stone, split face CMU and stucco. No maintenance except pressure washing.
September 13, 2010 at 12:52 pm #157792wspeed1195Member[quote=”grb1063″]Synthetic stucco, more commonly know as the trade name Dryvit is all about application technique, especially around openings and corners. With the wind driven rain so often found in CR, these details have to be right on the money or you are just asking for a water intrusion problem like so many buildings in the pacific northwest = mold. It seems it would be a challenge to find these tradesmen on the coast, let alone CR. Normal stucco is ubiquitous to CR, but it is only as good as the substrate preparation. Having lived in several US west coast homes, my next home will be stone, split face CMU and stucco. No maintenance except pressure washing.[/quote]exactly right about prep.I’m a miami boy.grew up doin const.was an experienced apprentice for Lancaster Homes who built 500-1000 home tracts in the 60’s and 70’s.some of their stucco guys were old transformed italian NYC masons and tenders.they were radical fanatics about prober base coat,scratch coat and top coat.even with corner bead metal around the would feather back the corners and point up stucco edges,then we had to be ever so careful not to mess them up when sponging the finish.
you didn’t want some guy thats been finger totin and settin block all his life to pinch you.they were masters of so much,rolled up into A small package.
finding that finesse,and love for the trade is NEARLY impossible.
something though,when I lived there my friend had some guys who did alot of work for him.he asked me to help his guys do some painting.well,them folks just painnnt.thats it,no caulking,no prepping,washing down the walls,waterproofing etc.they had seen a caulk gun yet never used one.
I had brought all that stuff with me.3/4 nap lambskins,all my Purdys 5 way and so on.you can’t,or couldn’t in 2008 find that stuff in Jaco/Hermossa.when we were done,1 job,they could stand next to any painter here and be as good.they had the depth,yet with out the tools and teacher they didn’t have depth of knowledge.
we did stucco repairs,painted and roof/carpentry and some cabinetry.they actually went away with alot,and some tools.
that old chinese proverb,of love and humanity,more often in these times falls on deaf ears.
Give a man A fish feed him for A day,teach A man to fish,feed him for life.September 13, 2010 at 4:32 pm #157793waggoner41Member[quote=”wspeed1195″] finding that finesse,and love for the trade is NEARLY impossible.
[/quote]
I was a house painter/drywall repairman in the States for over 30 years. Some of the men I learned from, like your Italian stucco finishers, were masters of the trades. Over the years I was glad I learned from them when I worked with men who had no idea what proper prep work was.When I had my own business I had one master working with me and I hired kids out of high school who wanted to learn the trades right to work with us. It was easier than going through a bunch of men who claimed they were painters and finding that they didn’t know what they were doing.
It gives you double satisfation to see that many of them went on to become masters and several went into business on their own and continue to do as I did.
September 13, 2010 at 6:08 pm #157794wspeed1195Member[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”wspeed1195″] finding that finesse,and love for the trade is NEARLY impossible.
[/quote]
I was a house painter/drywall repairman in the States for over 30 years. Some of the men I learned from, like your Italian stucco finishers, were masters of the trades. Over the years I was glad I learned from them when I worked with men who had no idea what proper prep work was.When I had my own business I had one master working with me and I hired kids out of high school who wanted to learn the trades right to work with us. It was easier than going through a bunch of men who claimed they were painters and finding that they didn’t know what they were doing.
It gives you double satisfation to see that many of them went on to become masters and several went into business on their own and continue to do as I did.[/quote]then you’ll appreciate this.you say to A “painter” nowadays something about waterproofing and painting and they look at you crazy.
nowadays,as you know,it’s put caulk on caulk,not pull A 5 way and clean the joint,then caulk.
the teach thingy,I stick built homes in NC for years.and did as you said,the hire thing,after weeding through about 200 guys in 3 years,I found 4 real carpenters who could frame,side and trim.out of the 15 of us.the rest were young bucks.they to wanted to learn.
it was a real joy to have guys that were eager to work and learn.many went on to work for themselve,and a few of them got the loan of my surplus tools to start up with.I would sub my sub work to them til they could get W/C and their own tools.contractors would ask me to frame truss homes and I wouldn’t frame themto hurry hurry.I would put the ones who wanted to branch out on it.
thanks for the trip down memory lane. -
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