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Building Adobe in AZ

inperfectionist | Posted in General Discussion on October 1, 2005 03:42am

I just spent four weeks in the Phoenix area starting a 1600 ft2 adobe addition. We have the footings, stemwalls and the underground utilities in.  I will be going back down to carry on in a week.

A few thoughts I came back with:

– Man is it hot down there!!! Wow, and I lived in the Carribbean for 11 years.

– We have been getting all our supplies at HD. Major pain in the #$@. I’m led to believe there are no old fashon lumber yards that cater to builders.

– The lumber warps, twists, cups, bows and cracks like nothing I have ever seen.

On the brighter side we’ve made good progress, and I am looking forward to building w Adobe bricks.

Does / has anyone out there done any work in desert SW,,, Adobe work in particular.

I just started frequenting BT a couple months ago and am hooked!! Would like to thank you all for all I’ve already taken out of it.

Reply

Replies

  1. DougU | Oct 01, 2005 04:06am | #1

    What, no camera?

    Welcome to BT, it would be nice to see something like that seeings how I probably wont ever be building one of my own.

    Doug

    1. inperfectionist | Oct 02, 2005 02:59pm | #2

      DougU,

      Thanks for the reply. You were the only one biting. I guess there aren't a lot of BTers in Phoenix. I didn't personally see a lot of "Fine" homebuilding going on down there. What you see are thousands of blow up slab on grade/ wood frame/ styrofoam/ stucco/ flat roof set ups. The most common house in the town I'm working in is a 8000 ft2 bungalow. I think the owners are crazy, but I guess the builders/developers like it.

      I'll get some pictures together as the job proceeds. One of the main reasons I commited to this job is that it is Adobe, and I like trying new things.

      BT is great. A fine example of the power of group think, and very entertaining.

       

       

       

      1. VaTom | Oct 02, 2005 04:00pm | #3

        I'll echo Doug's request for pix.

        Grew up S of Phoenix, which is unrecognizable now.  At that time the only ones smart enough to live in adobe were on the reservations.  Very labor intensive, which should be a problem in a hot market.  Had a Phoenix visitor yesterday who mentioned that their house is now worth $240k.  I'm sure glad I don't have to live in it.

        Your lumber problems presumably are due to buying wet lumber.  Try using a moisture meter?  We used to air dry lumber to 7% mc.  If you're buying substantially wetter, it's gonna dry out in a hurry.  Unstickered would be interesting.

        One of my favorite houses was on the cover of FH#19  Feb/March 1984, if you go back that far.  House in the Boulders was one of the few projects I've seen that would have convinced me to work in the desert there.

        Whoever's doing the house didn't consider rammed earth? 

         PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

  2. joeh | Oct 02, 2005 05:25pm | #4

    Curls up in a ball while you're watching almost.

    KD isn't any better than green, leave it in the back of your truck for a few hours and it's propeller material.

    Joe H

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