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Home › Forums › Costa Rica Living Forum › Yurts and/or tinyhouse movement.
Of course, one never knows what one doesn’t know, but . . .
I fail to see the equivalency of bamboo/thatch and steel-reinforced masonry construction. The latter, if done correctly, could last for centuries. Other than a significant earthquake, what could hurt it?
Bamboo and thatch, on the other hand, are organic materials subject to all the insults that the environment has to offer. True, bamboo can be pre-treated to resist mold, mildew, rot and vermin (but probably not fire), but whether it can last a lifetime is a very open question. And thatch, while durable, hardly has the durability of a well prepared corrugated metal roof.
We know folks who have built a bamboo/thatch/waddle cabina and it’s actually pretty attractive. What shape it’ll be in in twenty-five or fifty years remains to be seen.
I would not build with bamboo but people have been using this material for a long, long time in tropical regions with relative success. It fairs better than most other woods. My impression is that cement block and steel truss is the best.
“We know folks who have built a bamboo/thatch/waddle cabina and it’s actually pretty attractive. What shape it’ll be in in twenty-five or fifty years remains to be seen.”
You’re quite right David, and people used to say “They don’t know the long term effects of this or that medical procedure” to me back when, but my response to that is, “I’m damn near 60 y.o. now, I’m afraid I may not live to see “long term effects”, If I were in my 20’s I would worry about such things but at my age, not a problem…. (by the way, that was in regards to Lasik surgery and I believe it was the best money I EVER spent…
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