Closet a la Mexicanada

Here's the first closet and the way they supported the cement for the internal shelves and the large shelf above. Very ingenious forms they built. The top shelf is the same principle as the large shelf in the bodega but the internal shelves are something new. We tried white cement with color and 'marmol' (marble). This week we will use a grinder to smooth the surface and the marble chunks will show through the color.

This marmol idea was to show how it would work on a kitchen counter top but at this point I'm thinking it's too labor intensive. The next closet is just going to be smooth finish cement that gets painted later.

The other issue is I believe the albañiles are getting tired of the stucco work. I don't mean bored, but physically tired. Throwing cement at a wall all day for weeks on end is difficult and not many people can do it. These smaller projects give them a break ... but I need to get the house stuccoed so I can install windows and doors and get the electrician in to finish the wiring. Will have to have a sit down with them this week and maybe bring in another guy.

First bedroom finished?

Well, not quite, but it now has a floor and a finish coast of mortar on the walls. The bodega was finished a couple weeks ago and is filling up with stuff already. They will do the outside finish work next week so I can put a door and window in for security.

The foto below is of the shower floor and the 'mold' they use to get the level and slope they want. After the mold sets up they just fill in the openings. The same method is used for every floor but usually in straight lines in a normal room.

The bottom foto is of the doorways now sized to the Home Depot doors I bought. They cut 5 centimeters off the top cement beam to give a little more room. My original builders put the beams at 2 meters when they should be 2 meters and 10 centimeters. A little more headroom and I won't have to cut as much off the doors.

The notching on the wall is for a future closet which was not in the original plan. Will be 2 meters high and have storage above and over the door. I don't feel so bad after a builder friend told me how common it is to forget closets when planning a house.