HOUSES OF THE SIERRA TARASCANS — BEALS, CARRASCO, McCORKLE 



27 



zagudn, between them. The walls facLng the 

 zagmin and the patio are of wood. A foundation 

 of morticed beams restuig on stones supports a 

 wooden floor and walls. These beams are gi'ooved 

 as shown in figure 14. Wall boards are tongue-and- 

 groovcd, a type of construction used in Uruapan 

 but new to Cherdn. The wall boards are vertical 

 and fit in a channel in the ceOing beams. One 

 room has two windows opening on the street (fig. 

 14) . The roof is of shakes. Chavez actually paid 

 for only half of one side wall and nothing for the 

 other (wliich rests ontnely on his land), as his 

 neighbor paid all the cost. In formulating the 

 cost estimate, however, the wall was carefully 

 measured, the number of adobes counted, and the 

 cost of all masonry-and-adobe work was included 

 in the total. All the woodwork was done on a 

 definite contract which included wood materials, 

 so it is unnecessary to itemize this. 



Masonry, 32 m. (106 ft..): Costs in pesos 



Stone 24. 00 



Mason's charges 32. 00 



Adobe' 70.00 



Four stone bases for veranda pillars 10. 00 



Zagudn door (not included in carpenter's con- 

 tract) 25. 00 



Carpenter's contract 275. 00 



Shakes, best grade, 8 bundles 40. 00 



12 kilos of nails 6. 00 



Total 482.00 



Roofing fiesta (not including contributions of 

 relatives) 30. 00 



Total costs 512. 00 



1 1,433 adobes were used; door and wiudow openings make a lineal estimate 

 impractical. Thi.s figure takes into account difTerent mason's charges at 

 ditferent lieiglits. 



Two "trojcs," or houses, of approximately the 

 same size would cost between 500 and 600 pesos, 

 but the above-described structure has much more 

 loft storage space through utilization of the area 

 over the entryway and veranda. The cost prob- 

 ably would be less if the interior walls were made 

 of masonry and adobe. A tile roof would have 

 cost between 100 and 120 pesos, adding 54 to 74 

 pesos to the cost. Its longer life would make it 

 cheaper in the long run, however. The owner 

 probably will lay a tile roof when the shake roof 

 needs replacing. It should be remembered also 

 that a kitchen will be employed apart from this 

 structuj-e. 



SUPPLEMENTAKY STRUCTURES 



The main supplementary structures to be con- 

 sidered are fences, gates, and sheds. The only 

 fences involving expenditure are those of masonry- 

 adobe. Costs are the same per meter as for a 

 house wall. 



The gate will vary in cost. Often it may con- 

 sist of only a few planks, which may be second- 

 hand material secured without cost, or even 

 merely a pole or two laid horizontally across the 

 opening. A well-made zagudn gate bought from 

 a carpenter will cost about 17 pesos and up, de- 

 pending on size. The balance of the gate, includ- 

 ing the roof over it, will usually be constructed by 

 the house owner. Ordinarily, the few shakes 

 needed will be left over fioni house building or 

 may be secured for a few cents. 



Sheds are usually l)ui]f by the householder. A 

 sizable shed roof might require a bundle of shakes 

 costing 5 pesos. No nails would be used, the 

 shakes being held down by rough-hewn strips of 

 pine and stones. 



COMPARISON OF COSTS 



It is clear from the foregoing data that a ma- 

 sonry-adobe structure is as cheap or slightly 

 cheaper than a wooden house, or "troje." It also 

 has more storage space. On the other hand, it 

 requu'cs somewhat more care in upkeep and also 

 more expense to make it look "right" to the 

 Tarascan. The interior, for example, should have 

 a coat, of plaster of either adobe or lime and sand. 

 Preferably, so should the exterior. Both should 

 also be whitewashed or kalsomined. Nojie of 

 these costs are included in the estimates. 



An interesting comparison is made in table 5 

 of the costs of the following four categories of 

 Tarascan houses: 



(a) What the Tarascan would conceive to be the mini- 

 mal shelter, which would be far below the Tarascan 

 standard of decency. 



(h) Housing considered a poor standard but not im- 

 possible. 



(c) A respectable .standard for a small family. 



(d) A high standard for a small family. 



Oidy people of some wealth normally use ma- 

 sonry-adobe structures; consequently, only in this 

 category have I shown costs for this type of 

 housing, without including any "frills" for deco- 

 ration or finishing. 



