What you get is likely what you asked for

Aug 31, 2014 News

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By Leonard Gildarie

Last week, we managed to touch on something that has sparked more interest than usual. I received quite a number of calls, even from one irate contractor. We compared the difference between a simple V-roof and the more complex, expensive bungalow-type that has become so popular across the country.
I have always said that the style of your home depends on your personal taste and more importantly, what is practical.

We have spoken about what it means to be practical. You can’t build a home that will stretch you to the max to pay the mortgage. Unfortunately, our banks and lending institutions have been allowing mortgage financing that takes up a significant portion of the applicants’ income, leaving them very little leeway in their available income.
An economist will explain in greater detail how available income affects the quality of one’s life. In other words, build what you can afford. Don’t borrow too much. Find out what you have to pay back and then think of a scenario where for the next decade or so, you have little leftover to spend on things other your electricity bills and food.
Unfortunately, this is the scenario for many Guyanese – too little left to even save.
Practical also means building your home to suit the climate. I love wooden homes. Guyanese have essentially moved from those beloved Greenheart homes to concrete structures.
This tropical country of ours can be brutal, especially during the mid-year. I am forced to put on my fan on Sundays – my one day that I refuse to work – because of the humidity.
We can’t build what our neighbour has because their situation may be different. They may be able to afford air-condition units. Build your homes so it works to help reduce the dependency of fans. Little things like reducing big furniture and collecting what I call junk help in keeping away mosquitoes and reducing the heat. Be practical.
So it was in this vein that the piece last week spoke on the practicality of bungalow roofs versus the V-roofs.
I must point out that any home, or for that matter, any piece of construction work that will be done is as good as the contractor. It will depend on what you, as the homeowner, demand from that contractor and the level of supervision.
The leaks I spoke about last week from the bungalow roof could be laid squarely on the contractor. He just did not do his job properly. I also pointed out last week that bungalow roofs will cost much more, simply because it requires more material, especially wood.
One reader happened to be my good friend, engineer Charles Sohan.
In a letter to the editor, Mr. Sohan opined that I took a simplistic view of a complex element of a structure (the home) as, without a properly installed roof on a newly constructed building, its usefulness could deteriorate quickly as water infiltrates downwards through the roof damaging what it is supposed to protect.
He pointed out that roofing in Guyana is dictated by the layout of the building, structural/architectural requirements, pitch, materials available and their cost. Sheet metal (or what we call zinc sheets) has been the preferred material, but asphalt shingles and clay tiles have been used on the more upscale buildings. Troolie Palm leaves have covered the roofs of houses of the less fortunate in rural areas.
Sheeting costs for roofs are determined by the type of metal used, its gauge and coating applied. Metal sheets have had a proven record of being the most durable and economic means of covering a roof in the hot, humid tropics and protecting the structure from the elements.
Mr. Sohan advised that the sheets have to be installed by experienced personnel who could determine the required overlapping tolerances for the sheets to prevent water infiltration, particularly at the ridges and valleys, the type of fasteners to be used to fix them to the rafters and the correct metal roof sealant (not any clear silicone) for the fastener caps.
“Nailing metal sheets to the rafters as Mr. Gildarie sadly experienced is not an alternative method of fastening the sheets if the problems he encountered are to be avoided. As wind blows over a roof, differential pressures are generated over and under the sheets and during heavy rainfall water could be sucked in under the overlaps and onto the ceiling if the tolerances are not adequate.”
I guess this is what happened to me.
The engineer noted that in a wet, humid environment, asphalt shingle roofs suffer from stains and streaks due to algae growth and this could be unsightly. Clay tiles are heavy and require specially design rafters. “They could also be leaky if their overlaps are not properly sealed. Troolie-thatched roofs are cool on hot, sunny days, but they require regular maintenance which could be expensive.”
Importantly, Mr. Sohan pointed out, architectural beauty is expensive and therefore a bungalow and other buildings with complex-shaped roofs will by their very nature be costly to construct compared to the ‘run of the mill’ V-shaped roofs for houses with simple layouts.
“It all boils down to what a house owner could afford, which will dictate the type of roof he chooses to impress his neighbours and not its practicability. Unfortunately a very much neglected need for a building is its internal layout to serve the desired objectives of being functional to its user, but more often than not this aspect is overlooked.”
I spoke about this over time. Again, be practical.
“It is no wonder therefore that so many buildings in Guyana look stylish from the outside but once inside they are difficult to navigate and accommodate,” the engineer wrote.
Again, I do thank Mr. Sohan for his expert take on the situation. The lesson here to be learnt is that we build what we can afford and we need to be practical.
After all, we are the ones living in it.
School is reopening tomorrow. Be safe on the roadways and don’t forget to drop those valuable hints to [email protected] or call weekdays on 225-8473, 225-8491 or 682-1256.

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