Mary Ann's Tropical Building Page

Warning: This report is long and has many photographs. Therefore, it is divided into several parts.

Custom Security Gates

Wrought-iron gates.

Locally fabricated.

These locking gates in the technology center porch keep anyone from going upstairs to the private villa (where we are living while waiting for construction to complete). This allows the people in the villa to leave their doors open if they wish.

The gates were fabricated locally of wrought iron. The hardest part was getting the special thin commercial door lock to fit into the metal framework of the gate.

The builder was Wilson Telemacque.

The Entry Awning

Awning for technology center.

The entrance porch for the technology center now has a shady awning which is made of Sunbrella fabric.

Sunbrella will not rot or fade -- we use it to cover our interior furniture also, since the tropical inside is not that much different from the outside!

There is another larger awning still on order for the upstairs villa porch.

More Hurricane Shutters

Built of tongue and groove lumber.

Finished shutters.

Installed and painted turquoise.

One of our goals was to get every door and window ready with a mounted hurricane shutter prior to the peak of hurricane season (September 10th). We would like to be able to shut up tight the entire complex in 15 minutes.

We are close to our goal, but not complete. The curved teak french doors of the technology center entrance still do not have shutters. A hurricane today would require us to nail plywood onto that opening.

Another Staff Member and a "New" Vehicle

Snooker, aka "Straw Hat".

Our "Pinzi", a 4WD Steyr-Puch Pinzguaer.

Our new vehicle is actually a Swiss Army surplus Pinzguaer, four-wheel drive, nimble as a mountain goat on alpine peaks, rugged and cheap. We were thinking of a Hummer, but the roads here are too narrow and the price was too high.

We imported it from Switzerland with the help of a dealer in Arizona. For specifications on the Pinzi, click here.

We are currently planning what colors to paint it and trying to patch a big hole in the muffler!

Slow Progress on Main Building

Stairs into Master Suite

Here is the view looking up the half-flight of stairs into the master suite landing. We deliberately set the master bedroom complex down a hall, around a corner, and up some stairs. Perhaps this will ensure some privacy when there are lots of guests on the property.

Stay tuned for more adventures in "Tropical Construction".

Click here for previous reports.

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: