Front gates installed

The front gates were installed yesterday and only the two front window bars remain for next week. They came late on Friday to install but we are only setup for 110 volts and their welder is 220v. Yesterday they climbed the wall and hooked directly to the incoming lines giving them the 220v.

Definitely not the strongest protection in the world but we can always beef it up later. This will work to deter people with a minor interest in looking around but there will be little there to see - kids have used it as a playground.

I've been moving the stacks of brick and block over to the side so we can level the lot and cover the septic. Still have to move a large pile of gravel and then a much larger pile of dirt .... so will probably enlist a neighbor for that. I want the lot level with a slight slope towards the street before the rains. Not ready for turf yet so may bring some grass seed to hold things together

I think on the last post I called the fencing material Maya Ciclon but on the ferretería bill it was called Malla Ciclon. Pronounced the same but interesting

Installers putting in the last section

Complete from the outside

Added the window bars this morning (the 5th)

Villa Pinal, Melaque, Costalegre

The septic tank is finished

Chui is just filling in around the sides today. They finished the top Saturday working pretty late (well almost). After the cement pour, it needs to dry for two hours before putting a cement wash over as a sealer. We had borrowed a neighbor for the cement mixing and for two hours we drank caguamas along with a few other neighbors. Saturdays are usually half days but we finished up after 4 PM.

The top will sit for a week before covering to allow it to dry ... and doused with water so it dries slowly. The registro shown below is the connection box and also a cleanout. Not sure if a registro is a fall back to pre-plastic days when joining a bunch of pipes was difficult but it was insisted upon. We also added a capped pipe to the street in the event we get a sewer system in Pinal

I found a guy for gates and windows today so that's the next project before we close up shop for however long. Might as well secure the place. Just decided on metal frames for the gates with Cyclone fencing (maya ciclon) welded on. Will have normal bars on the two front house windows

Building the box

The registro or connection box for pipes

Wood forms and rebar (varilla) for the top

Starting the pour

House project put on hold

Sadly the project is being put on hold. Someone with keys to my house has relieved me of about 15,000 pesos ($11-1200 dollars). Mari had the keys but was not guarding them well so I have to assume it's someone in the family. Going to give it a couple of months and let the feelings work themselves out.

We will finish the septic tank since the hole would collapse in the rain and that will take a few weeks. I'll post on the progress of that .... and then, quit for awhile.

Electric installed and Septic dug - Week 23

Another week of not getting a lot done as far as man hours but still major accomplishments. Went into CFE (electric company) on Monday and they had the service installed the next morning. I paid nothing up front and told to just pay the first bill.

Was supposed to get the septic dug Thursday afternoon but the guy came up on his scooter and said his machine had a flat. Made an appointment for 8:30 Friday morning and he showed up about 10:30. When he moved the gravel he broke the water line but we'll fix that next week.

Still not sure about Chui so next week Pedro, Jorge and I will be working on cutting the brick for electrical and incoming water (you have to inlay the pipes in the wall)

Slow house building in Mexico

Electric and Drainage - Week 22

Chui is still not feeling well enough to get back to work after his fall and may require next week off as well. This week I got the plumber/electrician out and we put in the drainage for 3.5 bathrooms (outside wash basin below the stairs and a toilet under them).

I was advised to buy a 4 meter pole for the electrical hookup but it turns out is was too long and wouldn't be well supported. We cut it back to almost 3 meters and cemented the castillo (column) around it. Then installed the two meter bases (basos) and installed a main breaker for each meter behind the wall. Also one outlet so have electric on the site. Will be headed for the CFE office in Cihuatlan next week to apply for installation from the pole.

Drainage plumbing runs along the outside of the house to a connection box (registro)

Breakers and an outlet

Two meter bases (basos)