Nevermind the termites. I had the privilege of living during my childhood in a post WWII era house. Thick walls (even a foot or more in places) of clay bricks, and the shade of a nearby newer building kept us really cool, and the roof, a well built (for the time period) mixture of oak and classic clay roof tiles and really high ceilings, kept us really fresh. I can honestly say, that house was not hot. But YES, it was pretty maintenance intensive, I missed out on spraying insecticide one summer and we got termites on the roof, and that was the beginning of the end for that house. The thing is, termites fly during their nuptial flight phase (saw this on the Discovery Channel), so, even if you douse whole hectares of terrain with whatever it is that kills termites, they'll successfully invade your roof rafters within 6 months. So the wood has to be treated before construction and often again, going forward. Nowadays people use galvanized steel beams and clay composite extrusions of different popularity and shapes, and lots of insulation with a vinyl ceiling, it makes for a fresher home, I find. Also I found a video a few months ago that goes against what you said regarding wood vs cement building performance against fire. I saw the test and found it accurately done. This is a similar video, although not the same, ruclips.net/video/G-J86Ka9MkQ/видео.html A fire in a wood building will often not reach over IDK, a few hundred degrees, but in a concrete house, temperatures will reach over a 1000 ºC. This is due to the way concrete is very good at reflecting heat. Now, I'll say, I'm still not sold on the idea of using timber to build down here, and beyond fire prevention and safety, I see no reason to shoot yourself in the foot by trying, It will be extraordinarily expensive. My grandpa was a carpentry aficionado, and timber and any wood really was very expensive back then, I can only imagine how prices have gone up. Like wood? Try a veneer 😅
As an engineer and natural builder working in Panama, you can definitely build with wooden framing, use straw insulation, and plaster externally with lime. This is inspired by traditional practices and works much better for the climate. In areas with quakes, you need flexible structures, not rigid ones, in order to promote safety. Additionally, concrete is an unbreathable material, and most modern builders do not mention that concrete traps humidity and mold. In Boquete, you see homes running dehumidifiers 24/7 because concrete is a terrible material for wet climates. This is a poor building practice that works against nature instead of with it. There are smarter ways to build for this climate, which is why there are 200 year old casas de quincha (mud homes) in Panama!
Hey! Thanks for the comment, I'm actually subscribed your channel and I follow you on ig as well. In fact I almost book one of your courses but my schedule was not cooperating. Having said this I agree with you. You can build any way you want, 2x4, unconventional materials, reused materials etc etc etc. There is no fixed way to build a single family house if you can get your house an occupancy permit. The main reason why people use concrete is because there is an industry around construction with concrete, which goes from construction codes to construction materials, just as in other places there is a building industry around bamboo (bali), clay bricks (colombia and india) or stone blocks (tunisia). Sometimes these construction industries preffer the weather so they build according to the place they are located, sometimes they preffer financial reasons and sometimes they prefer a culture. Here, Quincha houses are perfect, those are the original houses made in panama and for panama weather, mainly on pre colonial and during colonial times. After adopting european traditions, builders started copying blocks as panamanian construction methods and the quincha houses for enclosement and the straw roofs were replaced, up to the point that quincha houses are not feasable to build anymore in a massive way. Construction with concrete blocks and poured concrete has its pros and cons such as all the other construction methods but, even today the industry keeps evolving and new methods (not always the best) are trying to be introduced. The topic can go on and on, specially with experts like both of us, so having said this I would really like to meet you one day and maybe collab together. Have a great day and thanks for your time reading this (y)(y)
I think you are partially right with the earthquake argument, but just based of experience ive not seen many houses with earthquake damage, so even if in theory wood framed houses work better it doesnt seem to be true. Also i think that the reason why houses are wet is because the interface between wall and ground slab is wrong.
Llegue aqui investigando sobre arquitectos constructores de casas porque mi madre tiene un terreno en Chiriqui y quiere construir una casa y lleva años dándole vueltas al tema de mudarse de la ciudad a allá pero le da muchas vueltas al tema de construirla y la logística y eso, viendo tu video al final me quedé enganchado al tema de la construcción con estructuras de madera y eso que ni venía a ver eso jajaja muy dinámico y entretenido tu video amigo!
You need to look into Queenslander houses, or the wood frame colonial architecture of Guyana, Jamaica, Belize, Ceylon...etc. You can even find these houses in Colo, Bocas, etc, and there are a few in Puerto Armuelles as well. Breezy, elegant and far cooler than concrete block houses. These type of houses were designed pre-A/C.
Rommel, 1st commentary is very true! Building with is a reasonable way just because it’s cheap (and Panamanians know how to produce this stuff). Variolä and Vigas from steel are also a rational way to build - but we will see, how prices will evolve 😅. You should do an extra video how to build correctly with bloques, means avoiding classical mistakes like not to use damp / moisture barriers in the foundation… best! Karl
Very interesting, good job, I am building a house in the mountain, no water no electricity away from it all, is an all year raining place, so is very humid, there are several types of wood that are termite and humidity resistant the only problem with framing is that the posts have to be of concrete if you want the rest of the house to last.
Clay tile roofs (which I use in my home) are critical to ensuring air circulation in humid climates. Since Panama has no hurricanes, they are a perfect solution to keeping breathability while also preventing heat from penetrating the home
It is true, many use the blocks and concrete. But many still use wood, in fact, the oldest buildings are made of wood. Btw, all the houses near me have the clay tile roofs.
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction houses in the US started with concrete? where? the only parts of the US that have concrete homes are the southern parts where they can get tropical storms.
@@RedroomStudios wood was used for many years because of its abundance (the overlap siding type of houses) but it later became a dangerous material to use because it’s potential to catch fire. Then builders switch to brick (concrete’s closest cousin), so for many years, houses and housing projects in different parts of USA used bricks, New York, Philadelphia, and many other states used bricks for decades. Later a guy popularized sheet rock method because of its speed to build and after ww2 it was used massively. Check these 2 videos for more context. ➡️ ruclips.net/video/wpxLLCdW_Gc/видео.htmlsi=XktdBRBWt15sJWoS ruclips.net/user/shortsF08wJTgrSLM?si=Sx2kUg0gcd35Ax4v
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction in most places, brick is just the covering and the houses are framed in wood. I have travelled extensively in the Caribbean and I have lived the past 2 years in Mexico. the construction is almost exclusively concrete. and the reason is because of tropical storms and hurricanes that will tear other types of construction apart. the fact that you have only experienced one hurricane is irrelevant and can not dictate construction methods for the entire region.
@@RedroomStudios the brick houses that you are talking about are new, the ones I talk about are more than 100 years old. Travel all you want bro but for sure I can talk about building code, that is what I do for a living 😂😂. I have not travel that much and still mastered building code from South America where there are no hurricanes and houses are still made out with concrete. what is your answer to that?
I bought a house and had to destroy it because of termites--I learned that wood can be problematic. That said, they also have foam sheets with metal mesh. I am assuming that is 2nd floor only.
everyone I know with clay tiles has problems with leaks which can be a nightmare to find. They discolor in a few years suggesting mold. Then if you have antennas solar panels etc on the roof installation workers can easily damage the tiles. As the architect says they look great.
I'm loving the insulation (especially against sound) that comes with concrete, but it also insulates against my wifi getting to other rooms of the house! I'm curious how you incorporate home networking and wifi into your designs or if you have any recommended approaches. The Tigo installers added an extender which helped a lot in my current place, so maybe it's just as simple as that. Thanks and great video. I got a good chuckle out of the plumber picture :-)
I told you its great for isulation haha! Jokes aside what you do is a repetitor, I've never had installed one myself I call "the internet people" to do it when I am requesting their service. Mas movil is the one I have in my office but tigo is fine too. (y)
I enjoyed you sharing your information. Would it be possible to build a container home in Boquete. This is what I am thinking about. Are you familiar with container homes? Ron
Good morning Ron, yes of course Don a couple of container houses already built in Boquete how far or close are you to choosing a container house? Is this something that you are just considering or you are 100% positive that’s what you want?
Are houses in OC Made with 2 x 4? I remember seeing this big Spanish style houses in the TV show the OC when I was a kid and I remember those being very robust buildings.
Makes perfect sense. Availability and affordability are crucial aspects as well. Say Tijuana and San Diego are sister cities yet build out of entirely different materials. TJ is concrete - San Diego all wood. Now... are "ready made" design projects available in Panama? If so - Where to look for those online? Also... Can DIY build a house using a friendly Project Director only for consultations and supervision plus local occasional help (aside from city inspector)? ... As a young man I became a contractor for a desire of building of my own house with my own hands... and I built many things .... never of my own. I still dream of it and desire to build that last house in Panama.
First of all thanks for that wonderful question that led to such an amazing number of views, this is my best performing video in 3 years! Second. What is a ready made design project? Third. Yes and no😆🤣, it is a very LONG answer, but I think it’s a great question so let me prepare for another video 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction- Ready made project is basically a blueprint in a form of a documentation book with all technical phases of construction, required types of materials, estimated cost of construction ... etc.. There are many companies offering wide variety of different types of designs in form of catalogs. You get one you like and after stamp of approval (the city permit) and you're good to go.
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstructionIt'd basically like instead of building one expensive car for one rich customer ... you build few for many.... and sure you design as many as you want and it's all for sale :) .
@@SILVERSETFILMS hey we would talk more often😂😆! I say this because I just finished the first of many ready made design project. I will be sharing it soon. In fact now that I remember I showed it very briefly in the video!
Building with 2 x 4s in the tropics is an open invitation for termites, mold, etc. Not to mention the tradesman have no experience and tools to work with these materials. Gringos need to realize they're not in North America any more.
We as humans learn and do activities based on things we already know or we are familiar with. It might be a steep learning curve or even an uncomfortable idea just to imagine but over the long term is going to be the best alternative 👍🏼
As an engineer and natural builder working in Panama, you can definitely build with wooden framing, use straw insulation, and plaster externally with lime. This is inspired by traditional practices and works much better for the climate. In areas with quakes, you need flexible structures, not rigid ones, in order to promote safety. Additionally, concrete is an unbreathable material, and most modern builders do not mention that concrete traps humidity and mold. In Boquete, you see homes running dehumidifiers 24/7 because concrete is a terrible material for wet climates. This is a poor building practice that works against nature instead of with it. There are smarter ways to build for this climate, which is why there are 200 year old casas de quincha (mud homes) in Panama!
Se puede construir con madera? claro que si, hay ejemplos de viviendas construidas con madera. En lo personal he tenido muchos problemas con termitas, no importa qué producto haya usado antes que aparecieran o después. Otro tema con la madera es que es un material inflamable. Definitivamente la arquitectura en Panamá ha dejado sus raíces tropicales y queremos casas mas al estilo Miami o edificios como en Manhattan.
Nothing to do with gringos. Traditional Panamanian casas de quincha use wood that was cut during a specific moon cycle. There are many that are 200 yrs old, with the original wood, still standing. Much of the wood in my home is recycled from torn-down casas de quincha. So maybe gringos should learn from traditional Panamanian home builders how to properly select their wood!
Why do most of the houses in Panama have leaky roofs? I have looked at buying 20 houses in Panama over the last two years and only one did not have significant water damage from roof leaks.
Or, maybe because nowadays it's cheaper to build with wood in USA than in Panamá. Even building with steel frame that is similar in concept as using wood, is cheaper in Panamá. I would say everything lies on costs.
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction - they put sheet rock up over the 2x4’s for the walls which were then textured. The ceiling joists, rafters, roofing were wood construction as well. Roof covering was done with clay tiles. We had a water leak in the house that caused water damage. A repair company had to tear out the drywall to expose the 2x4’s, which were dried out with fans, and a fungicide was used to treat the wood before reinstalling the drywall.
En lo personal he tenido muchos problemas con termitas, no importa qué producto haya usado antes que aparecieran o después. Tal como Usted comenta la madera es un material inflamable. Si se diseña correctamente las viviendas de madera deberían soportar las cargas de viento y sismo que estipula el Reglamento Estructural de Panamá (actualmente la versión 2021). Sobre los bloques le invito que lea la Tesis de ingeniería civil de César Kiamco sobre el aporte estructural de los bloques, todo depende del diseño estructural, es decir, se puede hacer que los bloques sean mas que un sistema de recubrimiento. Definitivamente la arquitectura en Panamá ha olvidado sus raíces tropicales y queremos casas mas al estilo Miami o edificios como en Manhattan ocasionando un alto consumo eléctrico por requerir aires acondicionados 24/7.
Depends. House ok. High rise you have to obey per bldg regulations. Some older building might not be up to task. And there has been incidents of water leaking from bad instalations.
Yes and there are other pests like small tuneling bugs. Timber needs to be treated. But the biggest issue is the lack of skilled labor wich can make this kind of construction really expensive.
I do not see very many concrete or steel doors or kitchen cabinets or furniture. You have millions of board feet of teak that Panama exports as logs. There are also many native woods that can be used in construction. There are many old house built by the banana company that are still in use. There is no school that I know of in Panama that teaches woodworking or wood construction. You talk to architects and most have no idea what a stud or a joist is and why they are 24" or 16" apart Wood framing done properly is stronger in earthquakes than blocks. Wood is stronger than concrete pound for pound. Wood flooring and paneling look a lot better than painted concrete floors, walls, & ceilings. BATIPA TEAK has a 1000 hectare teak plantation.
Nevermind the termites. I had the privilege of living during my childhood in a post WWII era house. Thick walls (even a foot or more in places) of clay bricks, and the shade of a nearby newer building kept us really cool, and the roof, a well built (for the time period) mixture of oak and classic clay roof tiles and really high ceilings, kept us really fresh. I can honestly say, that house was not hot. But YES, it was pretty maintenance intensive, I missed out on spraying insecticide one summer and we got termites on the roof, and that was the beginning of the end for that house. The thing is, termites fly during their nuptial flight phase (saw this on the Discovery Channel), so, even if you douse whole hectares of terrain with whatever it is that kills termites, they'll successfully invade your roof rafters within 6 months. So the wood has to be treated before construction and often again, going forward. Nowadays people use galvanized steel beams and clay composite extrusions of different popularity and shapes, and lots of insulation with a vinyl ceiling, it makes for a fresher home, I find.
Also I found a video a few months ago that goes against what you said regarding wood vs cement building performance against fire. I saw the test and found it accurately done. This is a similar video, although not the same, ruclips.net/video/G-J86Ka9MkQ/видео.html A fire in a wood building will often not reach over IDK, a few hundred degrees, but in a concrete house, temperatures will reach over a 1000 ºC. This is due to the way concrete is very good at reflecting heat. Now, I'll say, I'm still not sold on the idea of using timber to build down here, and beyond fire prevention and safety, I see no reason to shoot yourself in the foot by trying, It will be extraordinarily expensive. My grandpa was a carpentry aficionado, and timber and any wood really was very expensive back then, I can only imagine how prices have gone up. Like wood? Try a veneer 😅
My wooden roof (wood beams, wood boards and machimbre) got completely ruined by comejen (termites).
As an engineer and natural builder working in Panama, you can definitely build with wooden framing, use straw insulation, and plaster externally with lime. This is inspired by traditional practices and works much better for the climate. In areas with quakes, you need flexible structures, not rigid ones, in order to promote safety. Additionally, concrete is an unbreathable material, and most modern builders do not mention that concrete traps humidity and mold. In Boquete, you see homes running dehumidifiers 24/7 because concrete is a terrible material for wet climates. This is a poor building practice that works against nature instead of with it. There are smarter ways to build for this climate, which is why there are 200 year old casas de quincha (mud homes) in Panama!
lmao, so much nonsense .
I can tell you are either not an actual engineer or a very very bad one.
Hey! Thanks for the comment, I'm actually subscribed your channel and I follow you on ig as well. In fact I almost book one of your courses but my schedule was not cooperating. Having said this I agree with you. You can build any way you want, 2x4, unconventional materials, reused materials etc etc etc. There is no fixed way to build a single family house if you can get your house an occupancy permit. The main reason why people use concrete is because there is an industry around construction with concrete, which goes from construction codes to construction materials, just as in other places there is a building industry around bamboo (bali), clay bricks (colombia and india) or stone blocks (tunisia). Sometimes these construction industries preffer the weather so they build according to the place they are located, sometimes they preffer financial reasons and sometimes they prefer a culture. Here, Quincha houses are perfect, those are the original houses made in panama and for panama weather, mainly on pre colonial and during colonial times. After adopting european traditions, builders started copying blocks as panamanian construction methods and the quincha houses for enclosement and the straw roofs were replaced, up to the point that quincha houses are not feasable to build anymore in a massive way. Construction with concrete blocks and poured concrete has its pros and cons such as all the other construction methods but, even today the industry keeps evolving and new methods (not always the best) are trying to be introduced. The topic can go on and on, specially with experts like both of us, so having said this I would really like to meet you one day and maybe collab together. Have a great day and thanks for your time reading this (y)(y)
@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction it would be great to collab someday! Absolutely agree, pros and cons with everything!
I think you are partially right with the earthquake argument, but just based of experience ive not seen many houses with earthquake damage, so even if in theory wood framed houses work better it doesnt seem to be true. Also i think that the reason why houses are wet is because the interface between wall and ground slab is wrong.
When I will come to Panama you will definitely be my architect.
It will be an honor🙌🏼
Llegue aqui investigando sobre arquitectos constructores de casas porque mi madre tiene un terreno en Chiriqui y quiere construir una casa y lleva años dándole vueltas al tema de mudarse de la ciudad a allá pero le da muchas vueltas al tema de construirla y la logística y eso, viendo tu video al final me quedé enganchado al tema de la construcción con estructuras de madera y eso que ni venía a ver eso jajaja muy dinámico y entretenido tu video amigo!
saludos hermanito, Gracias siempre por tus videos.
A la orden 🫡🫡
You need to look into Queenslander houses, or the wood frame colonial architecture of Guyana, Jamaica, Belize, Ceylon...etc. You can even find these houses in Colo, Bocas, etc, and there are a few in Puerto Armuelles as well. Breezy, elegant and far cooler than concrete block houses. These type of houses were designed pre-A/C.
not only Panama but all of the tropics. even all of Mexico builds that way. they need to be strong enough to withstand hurricanes.
Here we do it because of traditions. We just had 1 hurricane in the last 150 years 💪🏼 🌪️
Not true, mud homes are common in the Mexican countryside and highly long-lasting when build properly
Hemos tenido vendavales que han arrancado árboles y volado techos
@@turiyapanama maintenance of a stick framed house in Panamá is a b i t c h.
Rommel, 1st commentary is very true! Building with is a reasonable way just because it’s cheap (and Panamanians know how to produce this stuff). Variolä and Vigas from steel are also a rational way to build - but we will see, how prices will evolve 😅. You should do an extra video how to build correctly with bloques, means avoiding classical mistakes like not to use damp / moisture barriers in the foundation… best! Karl
Very interesting, good job, I am building a house in the mountain, no water no electricity away from it all, is an all year raining place, so is very humid, there are several types of wood that are termite and humidity resistant the only problem with framing is that the posts have to be of concrete if you want the rest of the house to last.
Clay tile roofs (which I use in my home) are critical to ensuring air circulation in humid climates. Since Panama has no hurricanes, they are a perfect solution to keeping breathability while also preventing heat from penetrating the home
Hello, please check the first comment :)
It is true, many use the blocks and concrete. But many still use wood, in fact, the oldest buildings are made of wood. Btw, all the houses near me have the clay tile roofs.
True, we started with wood and then shifted to concrete. The opposite happened in USA where houses were made with concrete and then shifted to 2x4
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction houses in the US started with concrete? where? the only parts of the US that have concrete homes are the southern parts where they can get tropical storms.
@@RedroomStudios wood was used for many years because of its abundance (the overlap siding type of houses) but it later became a dangerous material to use because it’s potential to catch fire. Then builders switch to brick (concrete’s closest cousin), so for many years, houses and housing projects in different parts of USA used bricks, New York, Philadelphia, and many other states used bricks for decades. Later a guy popularized sheet rock method because of its speed to build and after ww2 it was used massively. Check these 2 videos for more context. ➡️ ruclips.net/video/wpxLLCdW_Gc/видео.htmlsi=XktdBRBWt15sJWoS
ruclips.net/user/shortsF08wJTgrSLM?si=Sx2kUg0gcd35Ax4v
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction in most places, brick is just the covering and the houses are framed in wood. I have travelled extensively in the Caribbean and I have lived the past 2 years in Mexico. the construction is almost exclusively concrete. and the reason is because of tropical storms and hurricanes that will tear other types of construction apart. the fact that you have only experienced one hurricane is irrelevant and can not dictate construction methods for the entire region.
@@RedroomStudios the brick houses that you are talking about are new, the ones I talk about are more than 100 years old.
Travel all you want bro but for sure I can talk about building code, that is what I do for a living 😂😂. I have not travel that much and still mastered building code from South America where there are no hurricanes and houses are still made out with concrete. what is your answer to that?
I bought a house and had to destroy it because of termites--I learned that wood can be problematic. That said, they also have foam sheets with metal mesh. I am assuming that is 2nd floor only.
everyone I know with clay tiles has problems with leaks which can be a nightmare to find. They discolor in a few years suggesting mold. Then if you have antennas solar panels etc on the roof installation workers can easily damage the tiles. As the architect says they look great.
Thanks 🙏🏼
I'm loving the insulation (especially against sound) that comes with concrete, but it also insulates against my wifi getting to other rooms of the house! I'm curious how you incorporate home networking and wifi into your designs or if you have any recommended approaches. The Tigo installers added an extender which helped a lot in my current place, so maybe it's just as simple as that.
Thanks and great video. I got a good chuckle out of the plumber picture :-)
I told you its great for isulation haha! Jokes aside what you do is a repetitor, I've never had installed one myself I call "the internet people" to do it when I am requesting their service. Mas movil is the one I have in my office but tigo is fine too. (y)
Starlink would also work.
I enjoyed you sharing your information. Would it be possible to build a container home in Boquete. This is what I am thinking about. Are you familiar with container homes? Ron
Good morning Ron, yes of course Don a couple of container houses already built in Boquete how far or close are you to choosing a container house? Is this something that you are just considering or you are 100% positive that’s what you want?
Woodframe (2x4) is ideal for earthquakes, great in dry weather like in the west coast, i.e. California
Are houses in OC Made with 2 x 4? I remember seeing this big Spanish style houses in the TV show the OC when I was a kid and I remember those being very robust buildings.
Makes perfect sense. Availability and affordability are crucial aspects as well. Say Tijuana and San Diego are sister cities yet build out of entirely different materials. TJ is concrete - San Diego all wood. Now... are "ready made" design projects available in Panama? If so - Where to look for those online? Also... Can DIY build a house using a friendly Project Director only for consultations and supervision plus local occasional help (aside from city inspector)? ... As a young man I became a contractor for a desire of building of my own house with my own hands... and I built many things .... never of my own. I still dream of it and desire to build that last house in Panama.
First of all thanks for that wonderful question that led to such an amazing number of views, this is my best performing video in 3 years!
Second. What is a ready made design project?
Third. Yes and no😆🤣, it is a very LONG answer, but I think it’s a great question so let me prepare for another video 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction- Ready made project is basically a blueprint in a form of a documentation book with all technical phases of construction, required types of materials, estimated cost of construction ... etc.. There are many companies offering wide variety of different types of designs in form of catalogs. You get one you like and after stamp of approval (the city permit) and you're good to go.
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstructionIt'd basically like instead of building one expensive car for one rich customer ... you build few for many.... and sure you design as many as you want and it's all for sale :) .
@@SILVERSETFILMS hey we would talk more often😂😆! I say this because I just finished the first of many ready made design project. I will be sharing it soon. In fact now that I remember I showed it very briefly in the video!
Building with 2 x 4s in the tropics is an open invitation for termites, mold, etc. Not to mention the tradesman have no experience and tools to work with these materials. Gringos need to realize they're not in North America any more.
We as humans learn and do activities based on things we already know or we are familiar with. It might be a steep learning curve or even an uncomfortable idea just to imagine but over the long term is going to be the best alternative 👍🏼
Concrete actually traps humidity and is a much more significant risk for mold.
As an engineer and natural builder working in Panama, you can definitely build with wooden framing, use straw insulation, and plaster externally with lime. This is inspired by traditional practices and works much better for the climate. In areas with quakes, you need flexible structures, not rigid ones, in order to promote safety. Additionally, concrete is an unbreathable material, and most modern builders do not mention that concrete traps humidity and mold. In Boquete, you see homes running dehumidifiers 24/7 because concrete is a terrible material for wet climates. This is a poor building practice that works against nature instead of with it. There are smarter ways to build for this climate, which is why there are 200 year old casas de quincha (mud homes) in Panama!
Se puede construir con madera? claro que si, hay ejemplos de viviendas construidas con madera.
En lo personal he tenido muchos problemas con termitas, no importa qué producto haya usado antes que aparecieran o después.
Otro tema con la madera es que es un material inflamable.
Definitivamente la arquitectura en Panamá ha dejado sus raíces tropicales y queremos casas mas al estilo Miami o edificios como en Manhattan.
Nothing to do with gringos. Traditional Panamanian casas de quincha use wood that was cut during a specific moon cycle. There are many that are 200 yrs old, with the original wood, still standing. Much of the wood in my home is recycled from torn-down casas de quincha. So maybe gringos should learn from traditional Panamanian home builders how to properly select their wood!
Why do most of the houses in Panama have leaky roofs? I have looked at buying 20 houses in Panama over the last two years and only one did not have significant water damage from roof leaks.
Oh you can but better watch for termites and scarabs and fungus and water.... also find skilled workers familiar with timber frames. Etc etc.
Or, maybe because nowadays it's cheaper to build with wood in USA than in Panamá. Even building with steel frame that is similar in concept as using wood, is cheaper in Panamá. I would say everything lies on costs.
the reason why Florida uses more blocks is due to Hurricanes and not about humidity
Correct, artificial stone is the best solution to extreme weather conditions👍🏼
Our home in Naples, FL was built with block for the exterior walls but 2x4 wood was used on the interior structure.
@@kd8199 I’ve heard blocks are used that way, is there a reason why 2x4 are used inside? (besides speed)
@@AxiomaBoqueteConstruction - they put sheet rock up over the 2x4’s for the walls which were then textured. The ceiling joists, rafters, roofing were wood construction as well. Roof covering was done with clay tiles. We had a water leak in the house that caused water damage. A repair company had to tear out the drywall to expose the 2x4’s, which were dried out with fans, and a fungicide was used to treat the wood before reinstalling the drywall.
En lo personal he tenido muchos problemas con termitas, no importa qué producto haya usado antes que aparecieran o después.
Tal como Usted comenta la madera es un material inflamable.
Si se diseña correctamente las viviendas de madera deberían soportar las cargas de viento y sismo que estipula el Reglamento Estructural de Panamá (actualmente la versión 2021).
Sobre los bloques le invito que lea la Tesis de ingeniería civil de César Kiamco sobre el aporte estructural de los bloques, todo depende del diseño estructural, es decir, se puede hacer que los bloques sean mas que un sistema de recubrimiento.
Definitivamente la arquitectura en Panamá ha olvidado sus raíces tropicales y queremos casas mas al estilo Miami o edificios como en Manhattan ocasionando un alto consumo eléctrico por requerir aires acondicionados 24/7.
How difficult is it to get a tub in the bathroom in Panama?
Not difficult at all 👍🏼
Depends. House ok. High rise you have to obey per bldg regulations. Some older building might not be up to task. And there has been incidents of water leaking from bad instalations.
Are termites an issue there?
Everywhere 😅
Yes and there are other pests like small tuneling bugs. Timber needs to be treated. But the biggest issue is the lack of skilled labor wich can make this kind of construction really expensive.
Really cool video
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Neat
Doesn't Panamá have earthquakes? I thought that would be a reason
We just got one on Monday 😂 no damage at all on our projects 🙌🏼
I do not see very many concrete or steel doors or kitchen cabinets or furniture. You have millions of board feet of teak that Panama exports as logs. There are also many native woods that can be used in construction. There are many old house built by the banana company that are still in use. There is no school that I know of in Panama that teaches woodworking or wood construction. You talk to architects and most have no idea what a stud or a joist is and why they are 24" or 16" apart Wood framing done properly is stronger in earthquakes than blocks. Wood is stronger than concrete pound for pound. Wood flooring and paneling look a lot better than painted concrete floors, walls, & ceilings. BATIPA TEAK has a 1000 hectare teak plantation.