Imagine yourself enjoying this view day and night
We bought our first apartment in 1998 and since, managed to acquire another along with a house up against the Rain Forest, El Yunque. Each year we use any excess rental income from the apartments to maintain and upgrade them. Guests most commonly rent for a week, while returning guests tend to stay for 4-6 week periods in the high season. Rentals of 3 days or more are encouraged as we cannot compete successfully with hotels or Bed and Breakfasts for shorter stays.
When we arrive for our annual stay to renovate or repair things, we are reminded again why we bought these apartments, for our senses seem temporarily overloaded by incredible aquamarine water colors, golden sand, sounds of surf and the touch of gentle Trade Winds. We are reminded that we have just re-entered paradise.
A typical stay for guests includes a day or two enoying the beach, tanning, reading, and playing in the surf. Guests explore Ashford Avenue which parallels the beach front enjoying fine restaurants, casinos and major hotels all within a couple of blocks of the apartments. Then they rent a car (three car rentals are within two blocks) to explore the El Yunque rain forest in the centre of the island, snorkel off Fajardo on the east side, and cross over to the south side of the island to Ponce and experience the Caribbean waters. In the last few days, guests typically walk to Old San Juan which is about 3 miles to the east and enjoy the historic city, some of it 400-500 years old, and finally in the evening, with legs exhausted, take a cab back to the apartment. On the last day, they tend to return to the beach bringing their experiences full circle to begin a leave-taking process. Saying good bye to Puerto Rico is a personal process where many quietly set their sights on returning as the sun sets on the ocean and lights from cruise ships join with the stars.
Go to www.dugrene,com and click on Apt 2C, 7B and 7A to view detailed pictures and descriptions.
The month of April sees fifteen groups of guests in our three apartments. During this month, stays from 3 to 21 nights keep Vilma and Tito busy as they check guests in and out, and prepare each apartment for the next. I think their favorite time is when guests hire them to take them on ‘private tours’ to the Rain Forest or Fajardo. Vilma and Tito are legendary among return guests who know them to be friendly and helpful.
By: gougeon on April 14, 2010
at 10:48 am
Given the economic down-turn that we’re all experiencing, I am delighted that our three oceanfront apartments are fully booked … Even though we have more cancellations than during the good times, we immediately re-advertize and other guests come to rent at the last moment. Our rates are positioned to be in the bottom 1/3 of our competition advertised online and our location is spectacular, which give guests an obvious high value for their dollar.
By: gougeon on April 15, 2010
at 1:21 pm
We booked four contracts today. Even though the country seems to be going to ‘hell in a hand-basket’ people still want to travel to Puerto Rico to see their families. Since we offer beachfront locations, and it is our pricing strategy to keep within the bottom 1/3 of our competitors online, people find us quickly and discover that we are indeed the best deal around.
We are getting a new rattan table and chairs for Apt 2C … the set in the apartment is about 15 years old and we will take it out to our house in the rain forest, El Yunque, for there is a place on the covered patio where we’d enjoy using it.
By: gougeon on April 19, 2010
at 2:32 pm
Another good day of bookings. Mostly people are booking May through July … getting their spring and summer breaks organized. It was fun today to talk to a person from Georgia who wanted to get a couple of weeks with his son … to structure some quality time now that he is in college. The Condado area is a great place to keep both generations, father and son, happy!
By: gougeon on April 21, 2010
at 8:08 pm
What a good month of rentals .. and people seemed to really enjoy their stay with us .. the weather was great this month and 5 our our 12 groups had relatives on the Island to visit which makes it nice for them to enjoy the beach and see family too!
The US House voted to invite PR to hold a referendum on Status … this may the be big referendum!
By: gougeon on April 30, 2010
at 6:31 pm
The end of the month comes with bookkeeping and paying people for the rentals in San Juan, and according to the point-of-sale company who provides credit card services, the lodging, motels, hotels etc in their system experienced a 6% decrease in business in April compared to April 2009, while our account experienced an increase of 49% compared to April 2009 with a 25% increase over the 12 months … our strategy to lower rates and offer specials is working.
By: gougeon on May 2, 2010
at 10:35 pm
I am saddened by the media on Arizona’s latest attempt to secure the lives of citizens on its southern border. I appreciated that Governor Jan Brewer took action in the 11th hour … since then, the media created a mind-storm of conjecture about it and the issue has come to the attention of many across the nation. The Feds must be shamed into action to secure national borders, and hopefully Brewer will have accomplished that.
I think Governor Luis Fortuño needs to do the same. If he allows the Federal government to push through a referendum on status without allowing a more natural decison-making process to occur, where people can draw upon other dimensions of their lives: social, cultural, economic, language, religion .. then they may easily be robbed of their heritage if the political process, which has energized both the liberal and conservative extremists, holds court and grabs attention of the ‘flavor of the day’ media .. thus drowning out all other perspectives, then it will be left to Fortuño to take the lead and shame the Feds into a more responsible approach.
By: gougeon on May 4, 2010
at 9:59 pm
I’ve gotta hand it to Vilma and Tito. They check our guests in and out. This month we have twelve groups checking in and out again .. and that’s a lot of work, especially when groups come on red eye flights and check in after midnight, or when groups leave and ask them to safely store the luggage because they have a late flight off the Island. People consistently have glowing remarks for Vilma and Tito for they truly are ‘problem solvers’ rather than controllers or blamers.
By: gougeon on May 8, 2010
at 6:02 pm
Condado, Old San Juan, Ashford Avenue, are the focus for guests that stay with us. It is remarkable that guests see Condado as a prime tourist spot because they see the expensive hotels, casinos, restaurants, and bars .. but what they miss often is the tropical influence that rules over all. Each year we experience a hurricane season, and too many guests miss the impact hurricanes have upon us … just outside our 8th floor apartments, can be seen the top of a building that has an unusual rooftop. upon closer inspection, guest would see ferns growing out of a small structure … and if they continued to inspect the rooftop, they would see a cement and tiled bar .. the remnants of Hurricane George in 1998. George’s fury literally blew away the top floor of the building which was a beautiful glassed in restaurant … and the only thing left was the tiled cement bar. As guests walk about Condado, they would see other buildings that under closer inspection, would reveal the deadly power of a category 5 hurricane. We are thankful that hurricanes most frequently miss Puerto Rico and instead sweep to the north or south of the island each year.
By: gougeon on May 9, 2010
at 11:22 pm
We have a car in Puerto Rico that we leave in the Rain Forest during our absences. It is a 1997 Suzuki Sport, a 4X4 SUB that didn’t cost much to buy nor to maintain. When we arrive each year on Island for a few months, the license plate tags have generally expired. We have to go about 20 miles east to Fajardo to get the renewal forms. Then on our way back we have to get the exhaust emissions test near Luguillo. And finally drive to Rio Grande to pay the fee to get the tag. The tag is placed on the windshield on the passenger’s side. This all takes about 4 hours to complete so we tend to make a day of it.
This year, in January, we left the documentation that establishes we own the vehicle at home in Canada. We went to the Toyota dealer in Rio Grande where we bought the car and a very helpful woman found the file for the car and copied all the documents we needed to go to Fajardo. Just as Susan and I were leaving, she said, here’s my card. If you need help just call.
We didn’t need help, for the agency in Fajardo provided our application form immediately and off we went to get the emissions certificate. That went well too, for there wasn’t even a lineup. Finally on to Rio Grande to go to the Collecteria to pay the fee and get the tag. Just as we were turning into the town off the highway, a police officer on a motorcycle spotted our out-of-date tag on the windshield and swung around and pulled us over with lights on and siren blaring. I showed him the form that we got in Fajardo, the emissions test and tried to tell him that we were on the way to the Collecteria to get the new tag, but he didn’t speak English, nor I Spanish … so he was left to believe that he had his first arrest of the day.
Then I remembered the woman at Toyota and gave him her card, pointing at the name and phone number. He used his cell to call her and within minutes he said in halting English, “Welcome to Puerto Rico. Follow me.” Again with lights flashing he led us through town to the Collecteria and the manager came out to the side walk as we were pulling up. She graciously welcomed us to Puerto Rico and led us inside placing us at the front of the line. The cost was $185 which we didn’t have and they did not take credit cards … how embarrassing this would be. But Susan remembered tucking $100 in the back of her wallet when were took money out at an airport ATM earlier in the week. And with that we managed to cobble together the money. The manager came outside with us and showed us how to put the tag on the window saying it was important to take the old one off. The police officer pointed the way to the nearest ATM and he took off.
I still wonder to this day what that wonderful woman at Toyota told him.
By: gougeon on May 12, 2010
at 8:50 pm
How can something so small make such a big sound?
Coqui are tree frogs, little amphibious creatures that seem to be everywhere on the Island. In the evening, when I leave the apartment and walk past the Marriott Hotel which is next door, I always hear the “co-qui” sound (co-kee). Even though we are in the center of a city over over a million Coqui have been able to find oases and adapt.
However, out in the rain forest, El Yunque, where we have a farm house, the sound of Coqui is almost deafening! Even to someone like me who is hard of hearing after 35 years of Tinnitus. Their high pitched, bird-like chirping fills the air and each night when we go to bed, we fall asleep to the constant sound of hundreds of thousands of these chirping creatures. And the sound is even louder right after a nice rainfall. They seem to get pretty excited when they get wet!
Earlier this year, it was nighttime and I was emailing outside the house on the deck overlooking the rain forest jungle and off in the distance, about 20 miles away, the lights of San Juan back-lit the mountains, silhouetting their peaks and shapes of palm trees that cover them. I closed my laptop down and was suddenly in pitch darkness … so I grabbed my wine glass and computer and went inside .. only to look down to see a tiny frog clinging resolutely to its lip, and looking up straight into my eyes. As it hopped off and headed back out the door to join its comrades, I thought, so this is the tiny creature that sings to us every night. They are curious too!
I can’t me happier for these little creatures that create such a big choruses of song every night.
By: gougeon on May 13, 2010
at 2:46 pm
The Vanderbilts in El Condado
The Condado region attracted many famous personalities over the years. As early as 1919 the Vanderbilt family built a summer home there, which is today the Condado Plaza. Later, the government supported the construction of La Concha Hotel and The Vanderbuilt Hotel. They are nearly completely refurbished and updated to accommodate people in 2010, and have added a few hundred privately owned suites for people with a wish to call it home. So the Vanderbilt name will be a legacy in El Condado for generations to come.
By: gougeon on May 14, 2010
at 12:22 pm
Today we are replacing the table and chairs in our oceanfront Apt 2C and taking out a TV stand with drawers to give tenants more room. Also we are replacing the microwave unit in the apartment. Each month we try to replace, repair or generally improve the apartments and rain forest house using the rents that we receive.
Over the past 12 years we have continued with this practice resulting in our apartments becoming a very good deal for guests who, tried and worn out, arrive on Island to find a place to stay that exceeded their expectations.
Its nice to be the best deal in town!
By: gougeon on May 22, 2010
at 1:33 pm
San Juan weather in May is just just what the doctor ordered for people in the north.
This month we had 14 groups staying with us in the three apartments. Most came from the East Coast of the US but some came from Europe. The tropics have such consistent weather while weather across countries in the more temperate zones are not consistent at this time of year. People want warm summer weather in May yet in too many places it is cold and windy. So they come to our apartments in San Juan!
I noticed the first low weather system off the East Coast of North America … the start of the Hurricane Season looms … talk about consistency!
By: gougeon on May 24, 2010
at 4:56 pm
Are Vacation Rentals in San Juan ‘recession proof’?
in 2008, the beginning of the downturn in the economy, we had a consistent line of guests filling our three oceanfront apartments. Prior to that, we might have one cancellation per year. And in 2008 we had about 1 a month. People were finding that their jobs were not secure or that their economic future seemed to be diminished, and cancelled their reservation with us to cut back a bit. We managed to recover bookings by advertising last minute openings and getting new reservations.
In 2009 we were in the midst of the downturn and more people cancelled and overall our rental income decreased 10% compared to the previous year. Again, we were pretty successful in re-renting last minute to fill cancellations.
We are on track to experiencing another 10% income decrease for 2010 compared to 2009 and there are about 3-4 cancellations each month. Times are still tough.
We positioned our rates to be in the bottom 1/3rd of the comparable rates advertised on the web, and we are the only ones at that level to offer actual oceanfront locations, so we are still doing well. In June, we had 3 cancellations but we only have 7 unrented nights spread out amongst the 3 apartments which have the potential of producing 90 rental-nights … so we are 92% occupied.
Thankfully we paid off the mortgages on all the apartments so we only have to worry about taxes, utilities, Condo fees, property management and cleaning fees, and repairs. We hope to survive through the next ten years which I fear it may take for the US to recover.
As long as we continue have a strategy to set our rental rates to fill our apartments and we don’t have a mortgage on any property, we will be relatively ‘recession proof.’
By: gougeon on May 31, 2010
at 4:12 pm
Does one need to rent a car when at the Stella Maris apartments?
Normally people will come to stay with us for 6-10 days. There is a temptation to rent a car from the airport and drive to the apartment so there is a car always available. We have three apartments and only one parking space available to us, so for convenience, we arranged with the Marriott Hotel across the street to enable guests to park cars there.
However, once there, people find that driving around San Juan is not easy, for signage can be confusing and many roadways are very narrow. Driving is not easy. But thankfully, virtually everything guests might want is within walking distance of the apartments and if they want to go further afield like Old San Juan, which is 3 miles down the beach, a taxi is under $10. So guests might spend 3/4 of their stay within walking distance or inexpensive cab rides.
Rental cars would be needed to travel across the island to Ponce or to the east of the island to Fajardo, etc if guests preferred to go on their own and not take bus tours. Since there are three car rental agencies within 2 blocks of our building in Condado, guests normally rent cars for the dates they want to travel the island and not have one for their entire stay.
Therefore few people rent cars for their entire stay, preferring only to rent from local agencies on days they want to explore the island.
By: gougeon on June 5, 2010
at 4:01 pm
How many lines of cars can fit on a two lane roadway in Puerto Rico?
This is a good question that most guest should entertain before renting a car on the Island. Puerto Rican men are extremely sensitive and responsive to strangers. They will stop you on the sidewalk and gush over your puppy dog or child in a stroller. But when they get into their car, things change.
In a car, they often become aggressive and impatient: The poor driver who blinked at a stoplight when it turned green. The horns will honk to get the line moving, and the honking will be hear all the way back to the end of that time!
One time I was many cars back in the right (slow) lane at a stoplight. It was a two lane Island road (ruta turística) and there was a left turn lane. A line of cars were waiting to turn left. A second lane of cars formed to the right of that to turn left too. The Left straight-through lane was filled, if not pushed a bit over to accommodate the extra left turn lane of cars. And to my right on the shoulder of the roadway was another line of cars that were going to go straight through. Cars intending to turn right were slipping off the shoulder to get around and navigate the right turn.
There you have it: 6 lines of cars on a two lane highway. If you plan to rent a car on Island, prepare to smile a lot and marvel at how so many Puerto Ricans can live together so well on such a small island!
By: gougeon on June 6, 2010
at 5:58 pm
How to move forward in a different culture.
Last year, we suddenly got a bill for over $500 by the government water company that provides water to our apartments. A normal rate is about $20 a month, and we had no leaks or massive usages, so we asked for a review of the bill,
This year, after talking to them today, they promised to send the conclusions of the review to me …
It takes time, and no one seems to be in a hurry … ‘just pay the current bill and ignore the overdue amount,’ which I think is now around $800!
So in the work life of a Puerto Rican, it seems that they want very much to help us out and provide good service … but the measure of good service is different … for, while on the phone, they show concern and assure me that everything will be alright. We hang up and no action is taken. But they feel good that I am reassured and not worrying … while I want to know what it is that I owe.
‘Chill out’ I say to myself and know that all I have to do right now is pay the $20 for this month’s water service.
By: gougeon on June 10, 2010
at 6:15 pm
How do you feel fairly treated by neighbours who are important to you in a rural setting?
We have a 2 acre lot in the rain forest near El Yunque. We have a 3 bedroom house on the property that overlooks a valley to the west in the direction of San Juan and another valley to the east in the direction of Fajuardo. We have neighbours on our west and east sides of the property but two vacant lots on the north and south sides.
Being about 30 miles from San Juan, and at the end of a narrow winding road that climbs up a ridge of land to our lot, neighbours are extremely important to us. A few years ago, we returned to our place to discover that the neighbour to our west had a bulldozer in to carve out a massive 30 foot wide trench to control drainage that threatened his house … and the trench was on our property and not his. He apologized and we got a surveyor in to set the property line … so the neighbour built a chain link fence alone the property with the trench clearly on our side.
The surveyor then told us that he could not put the final ‘pin’ in the ground that marked the corner of the lot on the east side for the pin would be 35 feet onto the property of our other neighbour … placing two small buildings on our property that are owned and used regularly by them.
This is Puerto Rico, and we are not residents. We need our neighbours to keep an eye out for our property when we are away months at a time. So in the end all is fair.
By: gougeon on June 14, 2010
at 2:18 pm
What impact has the salty air on renal rates for oceanfront apartments?
In our three apartments, each with beautiful oceanfront vistas, we replace air conditioners every 18 months, TVs every 24 months, refrigerators every 60 months. and ceiling fans every 36 months. The salty air corrodes the steel and aluminum parts leaving the units unworkable or at the least unsightly.
We replaced rollers and handles for sliding glass doors that open up to the oceanfront every 24 months until we finally invested over $11,000 for each apartment to install stainless steel units. So far they have lasted 5 years which is a great bonus.
So when you rent a unit that is on the oceanfront, your rent will be a bit higher than for a comparable unit off the beach. It is not just speculative bonus of oceanfront location that the rental rate factors in but the actual operating costs too.
By: gougeon on June 15, 2010
at 12:05 pm
Being a good neighbour is an essential requisite when deciding to live in the country.
Our neighbour in the country side has spent a few years developing his property, about 3 acres, that drops from the crest of the ridge to a stream hundreds of feet below. Currently he is raising a crop of 150 different varieties of heliconias. Check out pictures of these flowers at http://yuquiyuresort.com/topics/photos/a_heliconia_trail.html. Heliconias flowers are stunningly beautiful and can beautify the largest of rooms.
Since we are at the beginning of the hurricane season, and forecasters are predicting an active season, my neighbour asked if he could use our garage which is beneath the house to protect the juvenile plants if a hurricane approaches. Of course we agreed. Being good neighbours is important everywhere especially when you are out in the country.
By: gougeon on June 17, 2010
at 3:02 pm
There are definite human benefits to being a Territory of the USA.
In September 1998, a tropical disturbance erupted off the coast of Africa and seven days later hit Puerto Rico as Hurricane Georges, a strong Category 3 storm. Almost a hundred houses were totally destroyed, nearly all the electrical service within San Juan was down, and for us that meant no water or elevator service to the upper floors for days. Trees were down everywhere, tangled with power lines that lay across the streets. For the rest of the year we saw palm trees denuded of fronds on the side from which the wind blew. Water damage was evident everywhere as parts of the Island received over 30 inches, while we got about 7 inches on the coast and 12 inches up in the Rain Forest.
But within weeks, the National Guard helped re-establish power and water, cleared roadways and installed hurricane-proof concrete power poles. In comparison, 12 years later we can still see the impact of Georges in the Dominican Republic for they didn’t have structured support of a major nation. Territorial status has its benefits!
By: gougeon on June 21, 2010
at 4:52 pm
Will the BP oil spill affect our beach in San Juan?
For the last two months millions of barrels of oil have been gushing out of a broken pipe just off shore of New Orleans and currents in the Gulf have been moving it north east in the Gulf. So Alabama, Missouri and Florida are on target for oil besides Louisiana. The computer projections are that that oil may travel around the Florida peninsula up the coast beyond the east coast of the US, to Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Europe before it cycles back south and west to the Caribbean … it will be then we might have oil on our beaches.
Hopefully by that time we will have the technology to cope with it to minimize its impact.
By: gougeon on June 22, 2010
at 8:51 pm
Its hard to lose contact with long term, loyal guests
Today was hard for two people, guests who have stayed with us several times over the years asked for space, one in August and the other next March, and in both cases I had to tell them that all three of our apartments are already booked then. They had no alternative but to find another place. This is hard for people get used to coming back to ‘their’ place and we feel buoyant when they come back. And now we may lose them if they don’t come back next time.
Renting vacation apartments comes with the satisfying experience of offering a unique, inexpensive, yet clean and functional apartment located in the absolutely best location for tourists possible. It is not satisfying when we cannot offer our loyal guests the dates they need.
I wonder now if I will ever hear from them again.
By: gougeon on June 23, 2010
at 3:55 pm
Salt in the air really does corrode things.
Today we replaced two air conditioners in Apt 7A. One was a few years old and the other was not even a year old. The units are through-the-wall units, and the electrical wiring for the compressors get corroded, and it doesn’t take long before they quit.
This time it cost about $1200 .. that worked out to about $80 a month just to keep the conditioners working in the apartment. It costs about $150 a month for electricity. But its so nice to be beside the ocean.
Don’t let anyone tell you that salt in the air isn’t a factor when thinking of purchasing a place beside the ocean. Salt really does corrode things.
By: gougeon on June 25, 2010
at 9:26 am
Winter or summer guests .. what is a difference?
During the winter months, we enjoy renting to older, more established guests. Many combine a stay at our apartments with a visit to family. They may stay with us for a week and then stay with their relatives for a week. This way, they can enjoy the beach as well as re-connect with relatives.
During the summer months most guests tend to be younger, most taking courses at university and they use their summer break to get a tan and have fun in a tourist region like Condado.
However, regardless of age or experience, everyone who stays with us are looking for the best-kept secret on the beach … us!
By: gougeon on July 11, 2010
at 6:16 pm
Sometimes things don’t quite work out as you hope.
We rented to a couple for only two days. We don’t normally rent for under 3 days but we made an exception in this case. Wouldn’t you know it but the water company cut off the water for several apartments a few hours after this couple arrived and they called the property manager to report it. We phoned the water company who said that we had an outstanding balance of over $600 (hard to imagine since we normally pay less than $20 a month and water bills are routinely paid for all three apartments each month … and the other apartments did not have an outstanding balance.
So after paying the $600+ we arranged to have the water reconnected the next day, so we refunded the day’s rent to the couple for the inconvenience. Meanwhile the property manager brought up pails of water so the couple could use the toilet.
The couple left the next day since they were staying only 2 nights. The next I heard from them was an email asking for more money back beside the one day’s rent. I did not agree, which left a bad taste in my mouth .. for I felt unfairly treated and did not want to be taken advantage of on one hand, but on the other hand I knew that the couple were upset too.
So rentals sometimes lead us in places where it is a lose-lose … neither parties were happy as a result.
By: gougeon on August 3, 2010
at 1:11 pm
What’s it like marketing vacation rentals in San Juan?
Today was pretty well typical. I attend to the rental requests I have on email before I even get showered, have coffee or breakfast. For requests that I cannot help out with for our apartments are all booked then, I send off simple thank you notes wishing them good luck with there www search. For requests for which we have vacancies, I sent a detailed offer, naming the rates, parking options, amenities of the apartment etc and end with I hope to hear from them shortly.
Then during the day, I pick up responses to offers via a BlackBerry which sometimes results in 4 or 5 emails back and forth. During this time I am often responding to two or three potential guests at a time and by the day’s end, I normally phone one or two of them to work out payment details. Payment can be made via VISA, MasterCard or PayPal, and once we receive the advance on the rent I then email a rental contract and other information as attachments and note the reservation in my rental log.
Each day ends with a sense of awareness about one or two couples who need a break from their daily lives by spending some time on a beach in the tropics. On slow days, I actually miss the interaction. A characteristic of a successful marketing person in this business is to seek the opportunity to interact with people.
By: gougeon on August 4, 2010
at 9:07 pm
What’s it like marketing vacation rentals in San Juan?
Today was pretty well typical. I attend to the rental requests I have on email before I even get showered, have coffee or breakfast. For requests that I cannot help out with for our apartments are all booked then, I send off simple thank you notes wishing them good luck with their www search. For requests for which we have vacancies, I sent detailed offers, naming the rates, parking options, amenities of the apartment etc and end with a statement that I hope to hear from them shortly.
Then during the day, I pick up responses to these offers via a BlackBerry which sometimes results in 4 or 5 emails back and forth. During this time I am often responding to two or three potential guests at a time and by the day’s end, I normally phone one or two of them to work out payment details. Payment can be made via VISA, MasterCard or PayPal, and once we receive the advance on the rent I email a rental contract and other information as attachments and register the reservation in my rental log.
Each day ends with a sense of awareness about one or two couples who are seeking a break from their daily lives by spending some time on a beach in the tropics. On slower days, I actually miss the interaction. A characteristic of a successful marketing person in this business is extroversion, to seek the opportunity to interact with people.
By: gougeon on August 4, 2010
at 9:12 pm
Buildings in Puerto Rico are made of cement; does that mean they last forever?
Virtually every building (including Stella Maris Condo and our Rain Forest house) are built entirely of cement. Although it is a more costly method of building compared to awooden structure, they tend to resist hurricanes and termites well. And do the tropics ever have lots of those!
So the buildings are indestructible. Not quite … you see, it is easier to pour concrete on a flat roof top instead of a sloped one .. and it is cheaper too. So the majority of rooftops are flat and pool water whenever it rains. Of course, most of the water drains off through scuppers, but residual water pools in depressed areas. And that’s the rub. Seeds from vines and trees fall on rooftops and start growing right there in the depressed area. Moss and Algae take root .. and it is the roots that cause the problem for they work their way into the cement roof and corrupt the water barrier coating that was rolled onto the surface.
Water in cement is not a bad problem but it is when reinforcement barsare embedded in the cement for they rust. Rust expands the rebar and pushes against the cement, causing huge chunks to crack off and fall onto the inside floor of the house. If it is not continuously maintained (i.e., every 2 years people re-coat their rooftops) their house will degrade with a leaky roof and if left untended, water will corrupt the floor below …
The moral of the story is don’t leave your house unattended for long periods of time for you need to maintain your roof!
By: gougeon on August 15, 2010
at 1:54 pm