Expat Community > Uruguay

Vortice
Joined 2016
Posts: 407

Wood framed houses: a contractors view

5 years ago

The use of wood for home construction is frowned on in UY for various reasons. As posted on a previous thread, Uruguayans view wood construction as cheap, substandard and only for those who cannot afford a "proper" masonry house. While wood is becoming more popular I get to see more examples of the absolute lack of framing knowledge among builders.
There is no regular spacing of studs and they are few and far between. Horizontal blocking between studs is equally random, sparse and out of line. This makes sheathing, drywall etc an absolute nightmareHeaders over doors and windows will often be a single flat 2x4 and that on a 5' wide opening! Rafters of all kinds are usually undersized and yes, random spaced.
The unfinished cabin that came with our farm is a perfect example of all of the above. The sag caused by the undersized, over-span, roof rafters has lent a rather pleasing roofline, reminiscent of Andalusian or Asian curved roofs. I vacillate on remodeling tools; saw and hammer or a backhoe.

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