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Do You Like It Here?

• It happens all the time. Yesterday I was washing my hands in a restaurant ladies' room here at Lake Chapala. When a woman came out of the stall, she said to me, "Where are you from?" When I explained that I was born and raised in Iowa, then lived seven years in California, and that I've been living here in Ajijic over 19 years, she opened her eyes, wide, and asked my least favorite question. "Do you like it here?" I know folks who visit to check out the area for [...]

Brick: Lakeside’s Cornerstone, Part 7 The Roof

• Whew…who know there was so much to know about bricks? Today we conclude this Seven-part series by taking about the all important roof. Once all the bricks have been laid in the bóvedas, the masons begin layering the upper surface, to form the top of the roof. This system has been developed over the years to create a waterproof, strong rooftop that can double as a mirador (view terrace) or the floor of the second story. First is Lechada The first sealer coating is a very runny mixture [...]

Brick: Lakeside’s Cornerstone, Part 6 Brick Designs

• Bóveda Brick Designs Masons at Lake Chapala use six designs when laying ceiling bóveda. Recently a crew of masons arranged bricks into these designs to give you a clearer view of the patterns and a way to learn the names of the patterns.     [...]

Brick: Lakeside’s Cornerstone, Part 5 Boveda

• Long before most visitors to central Mexico know the name or the benefits of the area's familiar brick roof systems, they fall instantly, firmly in love with bóveda, the beautiful arched natural brick ceilings of the system. The first question from newcomers is always the same, "How do they do that?" Bóveda is the Spanish word for an arch. It is also the word in Mexican and ancient Spanish architecture and construction, for a long, narrow section of arched brickwork. Sometimes the [...]

Brick: Lakeside’s Cornerstone, Part 4 Vaults and Domes

• Bóveda Cañón (Barrel Vault) To build dramatic high and long barrel vaults, the masons first weld a framework of longer, stronger I-beams onto the corona to act as the side rails of the completed vault. Next, they construct the semi-circular end pieces of the cannon-shaped vault, leaving circular openings for the skylights, which will be added later. Using the vault's end sections as a pattern, the abañiles design and supervise the building of an iron form just one brick wide. The [...]

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