Sri Lanka: How To Build A House

"But Basia, do you know anything about building a house?"

I heard this question a lot before I departed for this adventure! Nope, I know almost nothing about building a house.

I did participate in a Habitat for Humanity house-building project in Rochester once, but the circumstances (tools, supplies, environment, etc.) were very different. But my lack of knowledge didn't matter much here - there was always someone available at the site (a handful of paid Sri Lankan workers, other experienced volunteers) who could show you how to do what needed to be done. So we learned as we went along. Here are some of the highlights of the house-building process.

The foundation is filled in with dirt and rocks and tamped down, using the homemade tool in the foreground.

There is always plenty of shoveling and wheelbarrowing to do. Lisa C. and Genny fill up the wheelbarrow with dirt.

Sand used for plaster has to be sifted first. Ericandre and Brad work the sifter while Jon keeps it filled.

Making cement: Sand, gravel, dry cement, and water are mixed thoroughly with a shovel until the mixture is the right consistency. (This was my least favorite job!)

A human chain passes pans filled with cement for the floor. I usually enjoyed the human chains, except when I had to be the first person in line, which required repeated bending and lifting of the pans rather than just passing them.

Gravel being loaded onto pans and wheelbarrows.

Building the walls: Cinder blocks are lifted up by hand, mortar is applied, and the blocks are aligned using string as a guide. The scaffolding was made of wood and bamboo and was rather rickety, but we got used to it pretty quickly.

Jayne and Genny apply plaster to the inside walls.

A human chain passes roof shingles to the top. This is one of my favorite team photographs.

I'm getting a good triceps workout here (or is that biceps?)

Partly finished house, with the family that will be living there.

Lisa B. applies a coat of varnish to a door, while I apply the first coat of paint to the exterior wall. Note the homemade ladder! (And no, the ladder is not upside down. The Sri Lankan workers place the narrow end on the ground, wide end on the top.)

The window moulding has been freshly installed.

Jasper digging and bailing water out of a septic hole. This 6-foot deep hole will be used as a latrine by the family.

The finished product, with some of the gang!

Comments

[Dale B.]

That is just the cutest little house. (Jacuzzi in the back?) I love it. Did you folks build the whole thing in two weeks, or had it already been in progress when you arrived? The family moving in must really be overjoyed. Perhaps you can explain how it is that they were chosen to be one of the lucky ones.

[DonnaK]

So now you have one more "skill set" to add to your incredible world-class resume. Go Basia.

[KAK]

Hey, Just wanted to add.... this is how we build our software too... Plaster the cracks, patch the stuff... Quite similar

[Cal]

Hi. Nice work chum.
How much to build the house?
Materials and labour etc.Quite fancy quitting the rat race to live in Sri Lanka.
Any info appreciated.Once again well done to you and your chums

[Basia]

Cal: Sorry, I don't have info on how much it cost to build the house. The material and labor was all handled by the organization that I volunteered with. We just provided the volunteer labor-