Santa Fe style homes - What can you tell me about them? (Phoenix: houses, neighborhood)

[IAJack]

My wife and I will be moving to AZ here in a few weeks. After we get settled in out new jobs we will be looking to purchase a home.

In looking on Zillow I really like the "Santa Fe" SW style homes. These just seem to have a lot of character to match the culture and area and they are completely different that anything in the Midwest. I understand that the modern ones are built using mostly modern techniques and materials like foam forms and accents and have sprayed textures. They are also typically priced higher than a conventional stick built home.

Is there anything to be aware of or watch out for with these types of homes as far as maintenance, upkeep or repair? Are the flat roofs a problem, or cracks in the walls, termites or just how well they hold up? Here in the midwest everything is pretty typical stick frame construction and general maintenance is pretty straight forward including painting every so often, and re-roofing every 30 or so years. I am pretty much a do-it-yourself kinda person and there isn't much I won't tackle unless it involves heights.

Thanks for any and all info.

[chaparrito]

Virtually all Santa Fe styled homes are really just traditional stick built houses sheathed in thin stucco. I call them "Santa Fakes".
Most of the original true adobe block homes in the Phoenix area have been demolished and for decades building codes made true adobe construction next to impossible.
There are some builders using modern adobe techniques but they are usually built as custom, high-end homes.

[rational1]

> Virtually all Santa Fe styled homes are really just traditional stick built houses sheathed in thin stucco.

Such was my understanding. So I expect cost of construction is not greatly different from other styles.

In AZ we also have some, I suppose you call them Mediterranean, style with tile roof and stucco.

I think I would have a bit more concern about flat roofs (well, they won't be completely flat) and would inspect carefully and regularly maintain. Beyond that- buy what you like, any house will have occasional maintenance issues.

[IAJack]

Here is an example of what I am talking about for style.

[Chocolateforchristmas]

I was wondering the same. I read one person say they would never purchase a home with a flat roof but they didn't elaborate further. I see homes with what appears to be a terrace on top but of course I never see patio furniture up there as I imagine AZ temps aren't conducive to roof top seating. So, I'm assuming it's solely for rooftop access for maintenance or stargazing. ??? I'm in the Midwest planning a move to AZ in the near future.

[IAJack]

Here in the Midwest flat roofs had a really bad reputation as they would typically leak. With modern construction methods like single membranes and sealers that has changed a bit, but they still have to be done right. Here in Iowa we typically get 30 or more inches of rain a year, which is quite a bit more than the SW

[BigEinAz]

Any roof requires maintenance. Even tiles can blow off or get loose in a haboob and result in a leak. The roof top "view decks" are actually pretty common and many have seating left on them year-round. You just have to take care not to slide the chairs around while seated, or you can install fiberglass panels on top of the roof membrane to protect it from scuffing. Territorial style is kind of a hybrid design incorporating pitched tile and flat roof sections.

[rational1]

Originally Posted by IAJack

Here in the Midwest flat roofs had a really bad reputation as they would typically leak. With modern construction methods like single membranes and sealers that has changed a bit, but they still have to be done right. Here in Iowa we typically get 30 or more inches of rain a year, which is quite a bit more than the SW

Yeah, except when it rains in AZ it rains a LOT. Read up about the monsoon season. And cars being swept downstream in washes that are dry 364 days of the year.

In AZ we think about water a lot, both where it comes from and where it needs to go.

One problem we don't have- most places- is leaks that happen when snow collects, forms ice dams, and eventually melts.

[jamies]

All roofs SUCK!

At least in AZ with flat roofs you can paint them with white elastomeric reflective paint and knock your summer surface temps from over 160 down to about 120. Makes a BIG difference.

I do not understand why we continue to build hot boxes in the desert and then spend zillions of dollars to cool them.

We should be building earth insulated structures or even earth ship type homes. But many codes won't even allow it. Just nutz.

Tile roofs usually last longer. Metal is an option, plus they come in white.

[Prickly Pear]

It appears many homes are styled more traditionally here in Arizona and aren't very conducive to the climate as jamies noticed.

One thing we would benefit from is building underground. But our hard dirt makes that pretty expensive ordeal. That also means hot air rises to the top meaning your ground floor level house will be pretty toasty. Especially if you have a lot of the house open towards the west unshielded.

I am no expert here but I would imagine a flat roof being easier to maintain and cheaper in the long run if you initially invest and get one that is thicker in the first place and installed the drainage system. Seen many people lose their tiles to hail storms (For those fleeting occasions) and dust storms and it makes me wonder if that's even worth it. There is also the option by doing this for creating a rooftop deck which creates extra outdoor space. The skies are beautiful here, enjoy them.

Lots of flat roof homes here but many are modern and mid-century modern, with the few fake adobes as someone mentioned earlier particularly in the Cave Creek area. Some of the Mediterranean styles most common in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley have a mixture of flat roof and pitch roof. Regular cookie cutters will be almost entirely pitched roof.

In Tucson even (where more history has taken place to favor adobe construction) real adobes are hard to come by. Many of the old Tucson homes favored true brick (not block) construction. You can find some adobe-esque bungalows built in the early 1900s or so that can possibly be real adobe due to age but I haven't gone up close and found that out for myself. The Encanto neighborhood in Phoenix might also have these options but they will be expensive and small.

If you want true adobe you are going to want to look at New Mexico.