I will be going to Puerto Vallarta to help friends fix there condo up. Mostly minor repairs, how ever I think, a kitchen and bath up-date may be on the horizon.
Does any body have advise, regarding Tools and equipment. I am considering just buying what I need when I get there. Battery drill, saw levels etc.
Anybody have any links to articles or stories written by carpenters that may be helpful.
Geppetto in California
Zoning ordinances attempt to tackle housing shortages and affordability by allowing designs that increase density, but with new regulations come some challenges.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Hire an American.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Yeah..so uhh hows that little gurl at Taunton..You Knowww..c'mon...
Better yet, a whole crew of them, who all refuse to learn to speak spanish, and want to be paid cash at the end of the day...
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
What are you doing up at 4:45 ?
edit: I am stoopid. I said 3:45
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Yeah..so uhh hows that little gurl at Taunton..You Knowww..c'mon...
Edited 12/29/2006 7:43 am ET by Sphere
I've been sick as a dog for about a week.Couldn't sleep because of all the coughing.Been up since midnight, and just now considering going back to bed.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
Do it..sleep helps, even if it is fitfull.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Yeah..so uhh hows that little gurl at Taunton..You Knowww..c'mon...
A serious reply here...
Take your own tools.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
Don't expect to find decent supply houses, so take any power tools you think you will need, along with several extra blades & bits. And building materials, toilets, faucets, supply hoses, etc will be limited selection.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
There is now a huge Wallmart there in P.V. I cannot seem to find out if there is a hardware dept. There is quite a bit of remodeling and construction activitey.
I do plan to follow your advise. Any body else that can add to this Please do.
I was in that Wall Mart 2 years ago when we went to PV for a week...no tools I recall..and I would have noticed.
..I was also there right after it opened. You are confirming my recollection.
Perhaps we will be updated, by another reader.
Thanks
Don't drink the water.
Don't drink the water.
Actually, "Don't drink the water" isn't a joke. Possibly in the fancy hotels in PV the water is safe, but through much of the country it's untrustworthy at best. Everyone uses bottled water (which is readily available on virtually every street corner).
Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. --T.S. Eliot
Another serious reply:
Dunno about Puerto Vallarta, but most places you'll have trouble buying decent tools. Better to bring your own. You can buy basic nails, screws, etc, fairly easily, but nothing exotic (ie, like deck screws).
Again, dunno about Puerto Vallarta, but in other parts of Mexico you can find some very skilled, hard-working people. The main problem you'll have (besides language) is that they're used to working with very little and won't be very familiar with power tools or US-style building techniques (unless you're lucky enough to find some who've worked in the US).
I once saw a crew of three spend three days setting up forms to pour a concrete roof on a small building, using scraps of lumber, with no piece larger than about 3 feet long (and using recycled nails). Their tools consisted of a rusty handsaw, a crowbar, and two small hammers, one with a broken claw. A US crew would have used fresh plywood and metal scaffolding and had it done in 3 hours. (But the Mexican forms held up fine when the roof was poured.)
Be sure to get good insurance if you do any driving. The auto liability laws can be pretty brutal, especially if you have an accident where someone is injured.
The lumber I had to buy in Mexico was poor quality and crooked. Even some of the materials made in a factory were not square.
However before I left I did buy some Klein tools and they were less than 1/2 the price I could buy them for in the U.S.
Also you will need a good locking work box or you will have supplied the locals with a new set of tools. And keep the box and any supplies with in eye site as much as possible..