Riom - 12-6-2005 at 01:21 PM
Has anybody built with Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) anywhere in Baja, ideally San Felipe? Some trade names for it are Hebel block, e-crete,
safecrete and (in Mexico) Contec.
Looks like an interesting alternative to strawbale and the foam/concrete sandwiches.
But I'm not sure that it's available in Baja, nearest US manufacturer is in Phoenix (they don't mention a Mexico distributor) and nearest in Mexico
(the only one, I think) is waaay over in Nuevo Leon.
Edit: but Contec does list a distributor in Tijuana.
[Edited on 12-6-2005 by Riom]
Riom - 12-20-2005 at 04:17 PM
To answer my own question: as it's a very lightweight block, it doesn't have enough mass for the sort of climate in San Felipe (large range between
day and night temperatures). Cools down and heats up too quick.
wornout - 12-20-2005 at 04:34 PM
There are a couple of new materials that have shown up here in San Felipe. Best thing to do is drive around and look at the systems and then get the
pro's and con's. Yes, there is that much construction going on. Of course block is still being used. We build with strawbales, but that was 7 years
ago, and have not been sorry.
Riom - 12-22-2005 at 07:44 PM
Strawbale has always been my first choice, but I'm still looking at the alternatives, in case I can't find any builders for it. I was also told by the
architect guy at El Dorado that the cost is in the detailing - window junctions etc - that are expensive to do right (so that water doesn't get it).
Having said that, my plans have been evolving towards a (tiny) passive solar house with mostly french doors in the rooms rather than windows, which
would work well with strawbale.
I'm not really keen on the various foam/block sandwiches which I've been looking at, if there was one that was easy to self-build that would be a big
advantage but they're mostly very heavy and industrial (and limiting in what you can do with them). Not to mention full of chemicals.
bajalou - 12-22-2005 at 08:03 PM
Look at Rastra - lots of places built with it down here now. It's a post consumer plastic scrap & cemtent system. Manufactured in Mex. Large
lightweight beams/panels that are cement filled and stuccod.
Riom - 12-22-2005 at 10:11 PM
Thanks Lou, I had looked into Rastra a while back but didn't know it was made in (or even available in) Mexico - in fact since they'd closed down
their New Mexico plant it seemed it was dying, so I dismissed it.
So I've been looking it it again. Nice stuff for self-build (which I think is going to be an advantage - I can't see many builders being interested
in my little house when there's so much going on). ICE blocks (ICF) are another alternative. I'm not keen on so much concrete but to get mass
there's not a lot of choice.
While looking for more information on it I found out the Cocopah's circular community center south of Yuma was built with this. It does look ok for
this climate - not really great insulation, but plenty of mass.
Do you happen to know if there's a stockist in San Felipe, or does it all come from Mexicali or elsewhere?
bajalou - 12-23-2005 at 08:44 AM
Luis Calderon had a distributorship here in San Felipe for it. I really does have good R ratings and goes up very quickly. Most use it for exterior
walls and block for the interior walls where you don't need the insulation. Should be easily available here.