Still Cheap Living

[KeyWestPirate]

If you are careful. This buffet is clean, and a couple of blocks east of the parque central. Across the street is S/N where I just paid 300 with tip fir two coffees and two e excellent pastries.

Prices across the board are going up. Nicaragua doesn't follow the usual economic models. The seller of chips on the corner sees his volume fall and raises his price per bag in an attempt to maintain his daily nut.

Relationships matter, convenience, and extras like delivery, but at some point the buyer starts looking for alternatives.

What you see in Nicaragua too is "creep". You start -always- with an estimado. One assumes then the prices will remain consistent,, but the good business man will attempt to extract a few extra cordobas .

I've been buying $2K in building supplies every month. Much if it is by WhatsApp for delivery to the farm.

In fairness, the materials dealers have been fighting a variety of battles. Almost nothing but bloques and piedra canteras are sourced in Nicaragua.

Electrical and plumbing, and some steel comes from CR. DRYWALL comes from Mexico, as well as a lot of ceramic Tools from El Salvador.

You begin to see the problem -if everything goes into the toilet later this year.

[bill_bly_ca]

. DRYWALL comes from Mexico, as well as a lot of ceramic Tools from El Salvador.

.

Every single attempt I have seen of Drywall over the past 10 years has been a horible failure.

Fellow at the end of our street opened his doors to show the dining room of his house he is building during our trip this Jan- Sweeping drywall curves and pot lights - I bet within 5 yrs it is a gypsum dripping brown stained from leaks mess.

[Jonh]

"Dry" wall in a hot humid climate, with a leaky zinc roof above, yeah. Not a recipe for longevity.

It must be a "live like a gringo" mentality. We all have drywall, so it must be high living.

[KeyWestPirate]

You are seeing more and more drywall here. All the commercial construction has gone to drywall. Zinc roof doesn't have to leak.

A bigger problem is sealing the corrugations against the lower wall. This is where the wind, rain and insects blow in.

We came up with an innovative solution , I'll post a pic when I get back.

Remember, there are various grades of drywall for moisture conditions. Glass Rey is a drywall specifically for exterior use. Expensive at $25 a sheet. There are a couple of less expensive moisture resistant grades, ceramic tile can be applied to these. For showers the cement backer board works well .

What I've been seeing is a combination of block for the exterior shell, and drywall for interior room divisions.

[KeyWestPirate]

Things are getting out of hand
80 cords for a Snicker's bar.

I remember 60 a couple of months ago.