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OK I know I am probably going to get lambasted here for saying this but I have to say from most the houses I have looked at, it appears to me that next to nobody uses a decorator in Costa Rica…. or so it seems… I mean even a reputable builder who does good quality work I have seen post on this site has pictures of projects that were finished and I can’t help but think was that the before picture. So what I want to know is this, is there a serious lack of tile choices in Costa Rica or is just everyone in love with that ugly brown color(looks like it is straight out of the 60’s). I have seen many references to North American building standards but as a high volume North American builder myself I can honestly say that those ugly finishes don’t even come close to our standards. Am I missing something here?
If I were you I would stay in North America with my high volume “cookie cutter” up-to-date colors and designs. By the way I was a volume builder (300-400) per year in the US and would not go back to the US if you gave me one of your new homes for free.I am not sure why you wrote your comments.
The reason I wrote it was because I am wondering is there a shortage of choices because if not why does it seem like everything looks so dated or is it the way people like it there? I am a high volume custom builder. No cookie cutter houses for us each one is a custom. We only build about 180 mid to high end houses a year so we are not that big. I am also starting my house down there in the new year so I need to know this stuff.
You’re absolutely correct! We all live in really ugly houses here in Costa Rica and although we can easily buy the finest ceramic tiles imported from Spain, Italy and all over the rest of the world – but seriously, there is NO SHORTAGE of exquisite ceramic tiles in this country – we prefer to buy the really dull tiles.
One of my real estate investment clients recently installed custom made tile in his master bathroom – At US$2,000 per square meter for the tile alone (plus installation) I would never dream of spending that kind of money on my bathroom but must admit it’s stunning.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comThis is kind of a strange post. How many houses have you actually looked at? There is no shortage of very high end construction with very nice finishes in this country. Most of the imported things such as tile, furniture, bathroom fixtures, lighting, are mostly found in San Jose. But they are there. We even have those little paint swatch things with hundreds of different colors to choose from! Some of them not even brown!
I just wanted to get people reading my post so I could ask my real question… Nothing like a little controversy to get a discussion going. I want to say for the record I have learned a lot from this site and think it is awesome! What I really wanted to ask was this,
1) What is readily available there in terms of building materials, specifically finishing materials like tile? Are there specific tile stores that stock the items or do you typically order them from samples then they are brought into the country? Typically we spend around $3-5 per sq ft here in Canada on our houses for tile, Would it be about the same there?
2) Do they use rug like they do here or shy away from it because of the humidity? If not what kind of product is available there?
3) To keep moisture under control inside the home is it common to use dehumidifiers there. I am talking about the hole house kind hooked up to your furnace not the little portable units.
4) Windows and doors… Do they have companies that make them in CR or are they mostly imported? I would really appreciate any info I could get on locale supply.
5) Stucco, We almost always use acrylic stucco here. Is that the typical product they use there? Because of the amount of sunlight is it typical to stay away from darker colors due to fading?
6) I noticed that it seems like they mix concrete a lot on site for what they need down there. Do they have large batch plants located throughout the country or are they more centrally located?
7) Are rock walls and water features as popular down there as they are here? We do a lot of water features in our homes now up here.
I am hoping to start my 200 sq ft house in January sometime and would really appreciate any info I could get. I want to finalize my design but I need to know some of these things before I do.
1. Tile is purchased here from what is in-stock, not from catalogs. There are literally thousands of choices, but not many places either stock what anyone else has or have a huge amount of any one tile. Two insights: first, if the tile you like is in-stock today, grab it because it won’t be there tomorrow and may never be restocked. Second, it is very difficult to price shop for tile or any other commodity other than construction basics (cement, steel, roofing, etc.).
Much of the architecture here is Spanish colonial. Typical of that style is clay-colored tile. That’s why you see so much of it, but you’re certainly not constrained to just that. Too, Costa Ricans typically go for very slick surfaced tile which is both easy to clean and even easier to slip on. Tile with some texture is less commonly available but still available.
Tile is sold by the square meter (about 10.77 square feet). Excellent quality grade 5 tile can be had for around c5,000 (+/- $9.10US) per square meter, or you can go upscale and spend lots more. Installation, mastic and grout are extra. Because Costa Ricans aren’t awash in money, the very expensive stuff isn’t as commonly available as the less expensive.
2. Wall-to-wall carpeting is uncommon here probably due to the humidity and cost.
3. Many homes here are not centrally air conditioned or heated, so central dehumidification isn’t common. People tend to rely upon air circulation and room-size dehumidifiers.
4. Architects specify window and door opening sizes and builders build what builders build. Then, the window and door guys come in and make custom windows and doors to fit individual openings. You can buy some prehung doors and factory-made (e.g., Pella, Anderson, etc) windows, but the import duties make them very expensive and your choices will be limited. And then there’s the question of whether they’ll fit the openings . . .
5. Stuccoing the surface of block walls is the common approach for interior and exterior finishes although other processes are used. Excellent finish paints which will resist fading are available (at a price).
6. Ready-mixed concrete is commonly available in the San Jose area but not in outlying places. Mostly, concrete is mixed on-site from dry bagged cement, sand and gravel.
Can’t speak to water features.
We’ll be anxious to see the plans for your 200 square foot house. Will you be posting them on the Internet?
Thanx for the great info! It helps a lot! I already have a design done up. I am still tweeking it a bit but I think it is close to what I want. I design in 3D and do a lot of house design so I would say my house is more of a complicated floorplan than I have seen out there. I could post it on here when I am done the design. I can even render it in 3D so people can see it in picture format.
On another note… has anyone ever seen a house build with structurally insulated panels down there (otherwise known as SIP panels)?
Well that’s certainly one way to keep the cost down. Keep it small.
At 200 square feet you could afford the finest finishings in the country and still keep it under $4000!Alberto
I investigated SIPs in great depth when I was building in the U.S. and would like to have used them. Here, I have grave doubts.
Any wood product is susceptible to rot and termites both of which we have in abundance. Inasmuch as SIPs are totally dependent for their structural integrity on the plywood or OSB surfaces, I can’t see why you’d run the risk. Maybe they could be had with treated wood surfaces, but that would certainly run the cost up.
And, once erected, a SIP structure would require finishing inside and out — at cost.
What’s more, nobody here is making them, so any SIP you use would have to be imported and would be subject to shipping costs and Customs duty — another expense. And then there’s the matter of erecting a house made of them. You would truly be a pioneer in that respect. Who would do the fabricating? It’s likely no Costa Rican builder has ever heard of them.
And, depending on just where you’re building, you may not even need the most compelling advantage of SIPs, their insulating quality. In most parts of the Central Valley, at least, the majority of homes have neither heat nor air conditioning, so what would be the advantage. All you would be doing is constructing an enormously airtight structure that you would then have to provide artificial ventilation for.
In my opinion, a better approach is to adopt the construction practices that have served Costa Ricans and immigrants well for many years. Defer to local expertise.
it’s not that there aren’t abundant choices in tile, marble, granite, etc., it’s that the people choosing these products have no taste to begin with. i just recently saw maybe the most garish, ugly bathroom tile imaginable, but the house-owner loves it and used it liberally. i find that many gringos just lack imagination. my bathrooms are lovely. i have a mosaic mural of monet’s water lilies in one, and a peachy tile with an Italian-influenced listillo that could'[ve come from a house in tuscany in the other. my husband does tile work, so i had an advantage when i chose from what was available in costa rica. understated, elegant, and simple are really hard elements especially if you haven’t any taste to begin with. i worked for years for one of the top ten interior designers in the world and he gave me a good education. not everyone was so lucky. now when people moan about tile choices, i tell them to go with travertine and slate, or limestone, something simple and elegant, and very understated.
Good luck with your new project! I am a US designer consultant who has found outstanding input on this site and in this forum regarding appropriate construction practices, terrific professionals of every stripe and specific suppliers and availability.
As to your concerns about design – traditional Spanish colonial architecture can appear “busy”. But that certainly is not the only design that I have reviewed in Costa Rica. I have been in some truly remarkable spaces there and have seen new-home builds that are using a wide variety of architectural motifs. I personally continue to be strongly influenced by the quality of Costa Rican light and it will powerfully inform my work there.
May I suggest that you carefully frame views, use the light throughout the day as a design motif, and choose simple materials that create a dynamic interplay? Carefully consider your site with long visits over several hours/days that will impart a strong and intuitive understanding that will drive your plans. I am also a driven professional, but as I turn my energies to Costa Rica I am trying to open and accept Pura vida….otherwise – what’s the point of the change? I look forward to seeing your posted plans!
So in keeping with the subject of wood… If I want to deal with a hillside lot condition what would be the most common approach there? Do I frame my floor on the second level with I-joists and then toungue and groove plywood like I would here or is it more common to pour a suspended slab out of concrete?
Folks certainly have used wood for second level flooring, but I’m still skeptical. You can install it on the second or third floor, but the risks of rot and infestation remain. That said, it can be elegant . . .
I wonder if the cost of a wood floor is worth the investment when concrete is so commonly used and tile so readily available and affordable.
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