Shooting concrete on the villa walls.

Mary Ann's Tropical Building Page

Since our Sept 25th, 1997report about building on a Caribbean island, we have

• we received many good suggestions on stainless hinges, including alternatives.
• applied concrete to the walls of our Guest Villa
• plastered the outside walls.
• completed an "outdoor dining room" by the waterfront.
• worked on "hardscape".
• build septic tanks.
• site prep for next building.

Hints: Click on any small picture below to see it larger and visit the Site Map for previous and future progress reports, house plans, bookstore and references.

Long-Lasting Hinges and Hardware

• John Czaban passed on two sources from a friend and experienced mechanical designer:
  • McMaster-Car Supply Co., New Brunswick NJ 908-329-3200.
  • H.A.Guden Co, Raynor Ave, Ronkonkoma NY (see web site where they say that Type 316 is the top quality stainless).
  and passes on the tip that if you modify stainless steel in any way (e.g., drill holes) you must passivate it or part will rust; he recommends we consider Brass, as we will have more choices.
• Gary Caputi suggested the Thomas Register web site, where we found a very helpful Hinge Terminology page by Mid Lake Products.
• Jefco is a company in Florida that has a wide selection of stainless hinges and hardware, including gate latches! We got their catalog in one week by requesting it from their web site.
• Bob Conrich suggested the solid brass hinges from Albert Lake that are made in China. He has used these for several years in his waterfront location and they show no wear of corrosion.
• Brenda Carty suggested we check Lenny Carty's Marine Supply in North Hill. He stocks all stainless hardware for boats, except perhaps big door hinges. But he does have latches, etc.
• Architect Bill Pratt did some research on locks for us and came up with Schlage's new finish called "Ultima" (they claim no problem with salt spray on their web page) and put us in contact with Ken Kuder in Florida who writes:

  We furnish hardware in the Caribbean on a regular basis. I recommend Schlage Locks C series lock in a stainless steel finish. The C lock has non-ferrous and stainless steel mechanisms for marine climatic conditions.

  Bill Pratt also suggests we carry a magnet while shopping for stainless. If it sticks, it isn't stainless.

Guest Villa Walls Sprayed with Concrete

The special concrete mixture (shotcrete) was applied to the panels with a concrete pump. The pump delivers the wet concrete to the panel via a large hose and air via a small hose. Air and concrete are mixed at the nozzle and the result is a build-up of concrete to any desired depth.

According to our project manager, this system was very efficient, but has some technical drawbacks. The pump reacted badly to pebbles in the unsifted sand. After sifting the sand, the operation was flawless, but a bit too late for the two hoses blocked with dried concrete. Fortunately, when this system fails, the concrete can still be applied by hand.

Another lesson learned was not to apply the concrete on rainy days. A good tropical downpour that occurs before the conrete has set up will wash the concrete off the panels, leaving just a concrete puddle!

Interior Walls and Exterior Plastering

The interior partitions, walls, and closets of the Guest Villa are also formed of 3-D panels. All have received a coating of concrete, although we requested a thicker coating on the outside for additional strength and protection from the elements. Once the outside walls had concrete applied to sufficient depth, it was plastered.

The exterior walls have been plastered with concrete in an "adobe look". We wanted a soft look for the concrete walls, which 3-D panels do nicely because of the curved mesh connecting piece at each corner.

Outdoor Dining Patio

As described in our August 22nd report, we constructed a rock and wood fence across the waterfront to keep out the goats. We chose a couple of spots for "outdoor rooms" and lowered the fence in those areas. The dining patio is in the middle of the property, over a beautiful cove and looking up the sand of Shoal Bay beach.

We dry-laid terra cotta tiles over a bed of sand, covered with "crusher waste", which is a by-product of making crushed rock. The crusher waste in Anguilla is similar in color to terra cotta. After it rained a few times, the crusher waste set up very hard and held the tiles firmly. Crusher-waste concept and execution by Daniel Stevens, our fence builder, who also helped plastering the walls.

Grass Path and "Hardscape"

We're developing our "hardscape". Rocks around the palm beds and grass paths from the beach to the house. The grass will be soft to walk on and will clean your feet before you reach the house.

Preparing to Start the Next Building

As part of the site prep for the next two buildings, the septic tanks have been built. The holes were dug earlier pounding rocks for palm trees. Preparing the site for the Technology Center has involved clearing the brush, pounding some rock to ensure proper height for the cistern and boat storage area, then figuring out the driveway and entry, with landscaping plan.

Site Map: Links, Plans and Other Info

Latest News from our Construction Site

Past and Future Progress Reports

Plans of the Main House

Plans of the Software Center

Plans of the Guest Villa

Tropical Construction Bookstore

Links to Related Sites

Building Material Sources

Beach Shack Contact: