A New Material

The new material we are trying out for the Apache Reservation houses is called Panel W and essentially creates a steel-reinforced concrete structure with built in foam insulation.  It isn't going to go anywhere when it is complete.  The finished roof is, more or less a concrete slab.  On my last trip out to the "Rez" we poured our first roof.  We hauled buckets of cement up to the roof and spread it out by hand.  It is a long, hot day's work.

Team work to get the cement up to the roof.

Staff Michael and participant Mike getting started with the spreading.

The first San Carlos Panel W roof.

Exciting Office and Other

What is Mary up to?  You wonder.  It has been a while.
  
Indeed it has.  It has actually been a few weeks since I have been on a "traveling" adventure.  I have been mainly in the office working on putting together a new manual on how to build a house with our new material on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona.  The new house material is called Panel W.  It is made of panels with a styrofoam type core with a wire mesh on each side of it.  The idea is pretty simple.  Basically, we put the panels next to each other, wire them securely together and stucco the inside and outside.  The roof will be done the same way.  We are still in the early stages of learning all the tips and tricks but for what we do know, I am trying to get it into a descriptive and easily understood format.

Due to the exciting nature of "technical" writing and instructional documents in general (be honest, how often do you "read the entire manual" when you buy something new, even when the first few lines tell you to do so), I will spare you great detail about beams, ties, wires, pipes, forms, rebar, bracing and cement for the time being.  Suffice it to say, a first rough draft for pouring a foundation and standing the panels has been printed for perusal and scrutinizing.  It is a rinse and repeat kind of cycle.

I have gotten to sketch up some drawings for tools that we have made to help us along.  For bending rebar (a steel rod), for example.  It was fun using some of the drawing details and dimensioning I was introduced to in high school.

In a couple of days,  I head out to Arizona again.  Will be out there for a couple of weeks.  Growing up in Indiana I heard words like Wind Chill in the winter and Heat Index in the summer for what temperatures actually feel like as opposed to what they are...checking weather.com for the areas we will be...it has a note, UV Index: 10+ Extreme.  I guess this will be my introduction to the 10+, so glad they don't bother to estimate an upper limit.  Wouldn't want to frighten anyone.  :-)  The plan...drink water, water, apply sunscreen, water, reapply sunscreen water, wear a hat and hang out in shade when possible.

Until next time, stay cool!

Mmmm Chicken

Sometimes I think I take stuff too seriously, that is why I am thankful to have some co-workers who would do crazy things for free food...  Sometimes you just have to dress like a cow and go to Chick-fil-A for free lunch on "Cow Appreciation Day".  The workers behind the counter will be happy to see you.  The little girl in line in front of you will stare with big eyes...maybe confused...possibly terrified.  But with a delicious free chicken sandwich, waffle fries and lemonade, everything will surely turn out alright.

Stuck in Traffic?

Do you ever have those days where you just seem to be going nowhere fast?  After a day in the field in Mexico,  I was almost back to the border and ended up stopped in traffic.  I was surrounded by vehicles on all sides and therefore, got to wait it out.  Below is a Google Earth Image of the intersection I was waiting at (Pink arrows are traffic directions).  I was about where the pink spot is.  I wanted to turn at the blue spot and lots of people wanted to go where the green spot is.  People (including a big bus) started lining up for the green spot blocking the other three north/south driving options and then the north/south drivers filled in the gaps.  

It quickly turned into what looked like one of those games where you have to slide cars around in a parking lot to get one out, kind of like these  :-)  http://www.lilgames.com/highway.shtml or http://www.2flashgames.com/f/f-146.htm

How was this remedied?  It took a police officer coming and blocking off the green ramp before people would concede and take another route.

Do we ever find ourselves stuck (and maybe holding other people back) because we are determined to do something or maybe haven't considered other options for getting a job done?

Some More From the Build Site

Here are a few more photos from the build started with the last group.  This is a job everyone can get involved with.  Olivia (4 years old) decided her small hammer wasn't good enough.

Baling wire, then tar paper.

The family we are building for has been helping from the beginning.

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At the end of the day, the house has a roof, is wrapped in chicken wire and is ready for stucco.

Troupers and Some Mexico House Construction

When you plan to come work with Amor months in advance there really is no point in checking the weather.  Checking shortly before you come, however, is a good idea.  Memorial Day weekend was the first trip to Mexico I have been on that included a nice cold rain and gusty winds.  It is amazing what a fire can do for you even while it is raining.  This group had high spirits as they gathered around the fire to warm up and dry off.  Their clothes where steaming as they dried.

One person in the group was prepared though.  He used to be a boy scout.

  

The group was determined to stick it out.  Good call on their part.  The rain stopped by 9:15am and the sky was clear and sunny by the time afternoon came around.  They were able to build and stand the walls and roof sections over the slab they poured the day before.

Mixing concrete for the the slab.

Building a walls in the street.  It is a small lot.

More wall construction going on on top of the finished slab.

Walls are starting to go up.

Getting the roof sections squared and attached.

Rosarito Camp - Basic Necessities

 The end of the spring building season and beginning of the summer season has been accompanied with the dismantling of camp in Tecate and building camp in Rosarito.  This time I remembered to bring a camera as we were once again building baños.

The shower house.

Open field, check.  Deep hole, check.  Baño parts, check.

One piece at a time.  This is an art my friends.  Put them together in a certain order and you don't have to fight it too hard, and in the mean time, take care not to fall in the hole.

 Two sets of seven baños.  Done.