@anthony
Your point supports the view that a concrete roof is not a practical solution if only cost is considered.
My concern is for people who cannot afford concrete block houses.
I believe that a wood house should have a concrete block Kitchen and washroom adjacent to it
The concrete block section would have a flat concrete roof.
The house I plan to build will consist of 2 wood houses and sandwiched between them will be a concrete bunker (Kitchen,Laundry and wash room).Solar panels will sit on the concrete roof.
@David,
There are no problems with concrete roofs if they are designed and built correctly.
@Hants
Can you reconcile your last statement and the lack of a building code which has teeth?
@David,
I have to be careful when I write on the blog. I do not need a building code to tell me that I must get a structural engineer to design a concrete roof and a competent builder to construct my little bunker.
I designed a concrete roof for a 30ft wide x 15 ft deep patio for a house in Barbados and a reputable engineer did construction details. That was circa 1980.
I will do the same for myself or any of my friends or family who subscribe to the Hants safe bunker theory.
@Hants
That’s the problem right there. You may have the knowledge/know how and resources to make this happen, what about the average Joe?
Saw this in the online edition of the Nation under the headline “Homes worry”
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“Stuart acknowledged that the Government’s tink tank will have to come up with a way to ensure that more homes are secured.”
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I immediately wondered at the Freudian slip albeit on the part of the Nation editors, then I thought, just what we need Gov’t tinkering with the building code.
Then again given the little attention that successive Gov’t has paid to building standards, I don’t think that Gov’t gives a Tinker’s damn about building codes
@ david
if we consider just consider initial cost then pailing far cheaper but your not sure you keep your roof. it always going to be cost+ safety and maintenance issue in choosing roof type. pailing will rust after awhile and require all new sheets. concrete roof will have to replace the membrane maybe every 20 or 30 years. maintenance wise concrete roof is probably the cheapest of the lot.
as for lack of building code doesn’t mean all poor construction. people who trying to cheat people or don’t know what they doing are the main cause. maybe is we had regulatory body for them it would be easier to pick the good ones from the bad. though making enforcing the building code will also do that.
@David,
“You may have the knowledge/know how and resources to make this happen, what about the average Joe?”
I hope that people will now make think about Hurricanes when buying or building houses.
The simple idea of building a concrete block Kitchen and Bathroom covered with a concrete roof as an addition to the traditional wood house is sound thinking.
It will protect the average Joe in a Hurricane even if the wood section is destroyed.
There will always be people who have to live in wood houses.
I am trying to make a helpful suggestion.
Perhaps Government should rethink their housing program and add the Hants bunker concept to their wood houses.
Where is Bush Tea? I here waiting fuh de lashes.
Still no electricity yet.
Understand the difficulties.
I was elated last night to see the circuit next to mine energised and went to bed with high hopes.
Up to bedtime the circuit after mine had not been energised soI’ll wait my turn for the moment as I think of the crews who must have been working round the clock from Saturday.
I’d prefer to wait than hear of an injury.
I’ll take the computer and UPS for the first recharge at a friend.
Roofs such as concrete or clay must be planned for from the beginning of the construction. The correct PSI must be used in the footings, plus addition steel must be placed in the building blocks and each block with steel must be filled. Also the recommended size block to use is at least a 8″ wide one. Therefore, to place a concrete roof on the house the cost is more than just the cost of the actual roof but the reinforcements that must accompany the other building sectors of the house/building. Incedentally, there is a PVC coated type house, some are in Antigua, that stood up very well to hurricanes that have passed that country recently.
I heard today that those pleasure boats that were destroyed, were denied permission to berth in the Deep Water Harbour even though there were no ships there. It is alleged that a few boat owners disobeyed the orders given and berthed their vessels there and they were safe, some of those who were not that bold are counting their losses today. The careenage is a death trap in bad weather. Incedentally, while it is alleged that permission to berth in the Harbour was denied, the privately owned Port St. Charles welcomed as many boats that they could have held, while the only next safe harbour was empty.
Why where they denied entry when the harbour was empty ?
anthony
That’s the million dollar question.
From nationnews “Following the passage of Tomas, a fissure stretching almost 800 feet and running 20 feet parallel to the cliff offering a 60 foot drop to the Atlantic Ocean below has opened up creating gaping cracks in some of the houses and triggering fear in the disturbed residents.”
I hope the people in the six houses move out before we have another tragedy.
It’s all a result of the global warming that is beginning to affect B’dos. THE COAST LINE IN B’dos is going to come under increased pressure from the rising levels of the Atlantic ocean
I just read this article from the Trinidad Express.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/NO_FREE_HELP-106494413.html?corder=regular
PM Stuart we proud bajans don not want any help from Trinidad. Kindly do not request any assistance from them we will manage on our own. Thank you sir.
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