The cost of building a single family home with CHB, (concrete hollow blocks), will be quadrupled at least. Living in the Philippines almost all structures are built with CHB’s because of the tropical environment and the fact that this climate breeds termites.
I have built 2 houses using CHB’s and can tell you that it takes a lot longer to build than using wood framing. First you need to dig a three foot, or deeper, trench for the building walls. That trench needs rebar placed in the bottom of the trench with rebar protruding upward for the tie in for the CHB’s that will later be added. Cement is poured in the trench around 4 inches thick and allowed to dry. Then CHB’s are layered on top for 3 layers. Then a tie beam is poured and then the CHB’s are laid up to the height of the walls. All corners are made with poured concrete post and additional post are place around 10-12 feet apart on the outer walls for support of the beams that will frame the top of the walls.
The walls will need to be finished outside and inside with a concrete “plastering” finish. Electrical wiring and plumbing will be run in conduits inside the walls. This is mostly done by chipping the CHB’s to create a channel deep enough to place the pipes or conduits in and then plaster/finish over it.
A wood framed house can be stood up in a matter of days, (for the frame), whereas it will take a month or more to get the CHB house framed and more than 2-3 months to get the window/doors framed, interior walls framed, electrical/plumbing installed and all the plastering done.
6-8 months is the norm for constructing a CHB house. The cost of sand/gravel, CHB’s, rebar, tie wire, (used to tie the rebar at the points that they need to connect), cement, water and labor required in the states will be very expensive, especially the labor because you need brick layers to do the walls.
My current 112 sq meter house took more than 500 bags of cement, 1,500 CHB, 150 bars of rebar, 8 workers working 6 days a week for 4 months and then another crew of 5 finishers 2 months to plaster all exterior and interior walls, install all the doors and windows, install all the electrical wires/outlets/switches and the water pipes/faucets.
Because wages are low here and the cost of material are also low cost my house cost around $25,000 to build, but the cost in the state would be at least 4-8 times that amount.
—”All corners are made with poured concrete post and additional post are place around 10-12 feet apart on the outer walls “
I have been to the Philippines, very lush and pretty.
Around here they place rebar at the corners and windows ... and fill the block with concrete/mortar. Also, a stiff wire triangle mesh horizontally every few courses. (Durawall)
I’m thinking your house is termite-proof? Unlike most wood construction?
I had some friends in PI took a sightseeing tour on a tuk-tuk(?) Getting warm they stopped for a cold one...then hot so they stopped for another...
Hungary they ask for local food, their driver took them to a truck stop(?) along the road.
They said it was like a BBQ and smelled great.
They selected whatever the guy in front of them ordered.
They thought it was frog legs?
One, enjoying his “frog legs” down to the end noticed FUR!!!
Clearly not frog legs?
None of them died or got sick, hangover perhaps.
Everyone says rat legs?