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I searched and found some threads that discuss abobe constructions of various types, but not in this New Mexico forum. And that seems strange, considering the consensus that adobe homes and other buildings are a mostly New Mexico trademark. Most of the past discussions appear to be in the Arizona forum, where they speak of "New Mexico adobes."
So in order to keep this to "authentic adobe" and not "adobe style" structures, here is a reference to kick things off:
I would love to own a home - especially if it had historical interest - constructed in the traditional adobe manner. Walls over a foot thick, recessed wooden sash windows, exposed (interior) viga roof, horno corner fireplace etc.
It is too bad that there is not a readily available source of traditional adobe bricks (or is there?). And I suppose the reason for that is that they are traditionally made on site, implying a very labor intensive endeavor. I do wonder why no one has come up with a mass-production method of manufacturing them since they are such an obvious choice for housing construction in this era of "green" everything. It's my understanding that building with traditional adobe today is a very expensive, if not the most expensive, form of house construction (true of false?).
I know there are (or were) faux adobe bricks marketed, which are similar to ordinary kiln fired building bricks. Those lack the thermal mass of true adobe when used for fascia, rather than the entire thickness of a wall.
So to kick this off, what is the most interesting use of traditional adobe that you know of? Since I'm the OP here, I'll take the first opportunity to say PUEBLO construction! Someone else can choose the La Fonda in Santa Fe.
I think that if the art of adobe was taken to the level of buying at the Depot...the New Mexico landscape would end up looking like a big hole in the ground, and the rest of the US would have nice adobe homes.....
My dream home is a traditional adobe....I have it very clearly in my head....interior courtyard opening to all rooms...huge kitchen open to the gathering room with a kiva fireplace, piano in the corner, guitars everywhere, lots of comfy seating, old wood coffee table you can put your feet on.....old wood plank flooring and tile, no carpet, ceiling-vigas and latillas..music/art studio...and a casita for my Mom....
Yes, I have been dreaming of New Mexico a long time.....
My grandparents (mom's parents) were straight from the "old country" - Germany. They immigrated to what is referred to as the "lower valley" area in El Paso, where my granddad bought acreage, ran a dairy farm, and built a square adobe home with a pitched corrugated tin roof. The eaves overhang the walls of the house by several feet. The interior was NOT what most NM people think of - no horno fireplaces or other NM style touches. But the really neat thing about that old house - to me - were the deep set window recesses and the trellises that hung from the outer edge of the eaves, covered with concord grape vines. In summer the vines created a cool area between the trellis and the house wall, and in winter when the leaves dropped from the vines, the house walls could "see" the sun.
One of their sons (my mom's brother) built his own very "modern" looking home - totally from adobe - next door to his parent's place. The parent's home burned to the ground about 30 years ago, leaving only the adobe walls standing, and the adobe was salvaged by someone for use in another structure somewhere. The son's place is still standing and looks as good as the day it was built.
There are still some adobe homes available for sale out here ... probably with all the features you want. We looked at some really neat ones when we were house-hunting a couple of years ago.
They can be very expensive. We had to opt for an "adobe-style" house that had the features we wanted.
IRRC there are a couple of adobe makers in NM. One is in Bernallio and the other at Mule Creek. Try google. there should be some for sale in the older towns.
also check Pumicecrete of New Mexico for a cast in place variant.
IRRC there are a couple of adobe makers in NM. One is in Bernallio and the other at Mule Creek. Try google. there should be some for sale in the older towns.
That's good to know for someone needing a ready-made source. I'm sure there are still some building sites where the bricks are made on location. It used to be quite common to see a large stack of drying adobes where someone planned to begin construction. Once sun dried and properly stacked (on end), they weather very well without any cover providing they are used within a few years time. (PS - Latter day technology employs "rammed earth" methods of wall construction, which lacks the sun-hardened aspects of traditional adobe, but uses additives of concrete in the mix instead).
I am a really old f___t, and have watched remnants of old adobe walls weather away my entire life. In the case of the old Blazer's Mill in Mescalero, there is still a remnant standing. Others have finally completely dissolved back into the soil. Some of old Ft. Selden's walls (N. of Las Cruces) are still intact, but only because there has been an effort by the state parks system to preserve them.
The oldest building in the village of Ruidoso is still standing - constructed of adobe with a corrugated metal roof - Dowlin's Mill, dating from 1868. It's lately been a curio shop and the present owner has gone to great expense to repair and restore the old water wheel, that now is idle but when it does operate uses well water and an electric motor assist. The building has problems with settlement, but the fact that it's been covered with a largely intact roof has preserved it. Sadly it is still not protected as a historic site - and it needs to be due to its historical importance to the state. The owner would like for either the village of Ruidoso to acquire it (fat chance!), or another entity that would keep it from falling into the hands of commercial developers, who would just as soon tear it down since it's on the main drag in Ruidoso (Sudderth Drive), and therefore a valuable site for yet another motel, restaurant or boutique.
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Authentic Adobe thread
