Building the House - The Shell
Part 4  -
Curved Windows and Finishing up

Because the exterior wall will be covered with stucco, the curved windows were made with concrete.  If the wall were to be finished brick, the curves would have been made with bricks -- a lot more work.

The first floor shell of the north house is now complete and ready for the second-floor slab.  Now we will begin work on the south house to bring it up to this level, so we can pour the second-floor slab for both houses together with the stairs in between.  I will not be posting pictures of the south house because it is the same as the north house.  The next pictures will be posted when we begin preparations for the floor slab --  about 15 June 2002.

This was a special, triple event week -- Labor Day (May 1st), Construction Worker's Day (hence the colorful cross on the house), and the completion of the north house first level -- so we had a special party with carne asada, sausages, grilled onions, fresh tortillas, guacamole, and lots of cold cervesa.   Miguel, one of the brick masons, is manning the grill while  Rubin and César and the rest of the gang have a few beers while we wait.   In addition to the usual Saturday afternoon seven, we had four guests.  We ate several kilos of carne asada and sausage, and drank two cases of Corona.  This is one employee benefit that the bosses (Enrique and I) really enjoy.

Cost to date of the South House 1st
Floor Foundation and  Shell (US$)

Material

$  3,280

Labor

   3,589

.

South House total to 5/04

   6,869

  

Previous Phases:

  

   North 1st Floor Shell 7,958
   Property Walls 7,085

   Property Purchase

24,003

PROJECT TOTAL on 5/04

$ 45,916

Preparing for the 2nd Floor Slab

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