Why is it that they make houses so simple in the US but in the Dominican Republic it's all cement?

Question

Here in the US they use sheet rock and the houses are so flimsy, but in DR they build them so strong and it's 100% cement. Why is that?

Answer 1

Houses in tropical and sub-tropical climates are made of cement because of the problem of wood rotting or being destroyed by insects. Cement houses stay much cooler than houses built of wood and sheetrock ,too. BUT, cement houses do nto have heating systems , which are a definite need in houses in the U.S. Cement houses also have a lot of problems with mold.

Answer 2

I think the main reason why in the united states houses are not made of cement is because of the price. Is a lot more expensivr to make a cement house rather than other materials. Also depending on where they are being made. In the north houses are made of different materials in order to protect them from the cold. In most of the caribean countries air conditioning is a luxury that only the rich are able to pay, i believe cement houses cool down faster...

Answer 3

Just an old world way of doing things... more durable. Plus, I don't think US building materials could withstand the continual beating those houses get from the salt, sand, wind, and rain off the Caribbean sea. I look at pictures of houses for sale down there and some of them, even the cement and cinder block ones get really jacked up by the weather conditions. It's beautiful in the Caribbean, but the weather is rough.

What Charlie says is true too...about the insects and mold.

Answer 4

Most Caribbean Island houses are built of cement an building blocks with steel, I don't know why may be it is tradition.

Answer 5

as someone who has built a lot of houses on St Thomas let me add:

availability. Wood 2x 4. 2x 8, 2x10 or whatever have to be shipped in.

You can..and everyone has.....set up a block plant and a concrete plant on any island with gravel and sand.....and cement is easier to ship than lumber......


and as was said , TERMITES!!!! any lumber we use here has to be "pressure treated" with anti rot/anti bug chemicals or it wont last six months...

Answer 6

I agree with Charlie 100% but would like to add a few things!

Concrete doesn't hold insulation without studding out inside but we don't need it here in the tropical weather as much as you need it in the northern climates! You will find concrete block homes in Florida because of similar reasoning.

They use simple building stratagy and nothing complex! We dont even dig foundations with a excavator here because Hatian labor is cheaper than the deisel fuel!

Everything takes a pounding here from the Salt water but cinderblock/concrete hold up better but a lot of people build homes with Wood roofs so the house is cooler!

Answer 7

In the US the wood is cheaper than cement blocks, in the
Dominican Republic it is just the opposite. And for durability to. Just look at the American constructions and you will understand that they are not durable at all for hurricanes and flooding etc.,. .

Answer 8

Obviously you have never lived in the Caribbean... TERMITES... the whole Caribbean is full of TERMITES and the concrete is the best building material for TERMITE prevention... a second reason is HURRICANES.