Roof job - Techo nuevo

There is a house being built right next to this property and it has been fascinating to watch the process.  The first floor was done before I moved in two years ago, but nothing was being done until a couple of months ago.  Then a couple of workers showed up and started to build the second story, brick by brick.  The house is all hand built with no machines at all.  There is no electricity.  I watched them like a TV show, how they mixed the cement, cut the bricks, put in the re-bar, laid out the interior walls, put in conduit.  The progress was slow, but steady.

Then last week, they started the roof.  First, supports went in and then a layer of wood upon which cement would be poured.  Then tons of re-bar was tied in, a grid assembled.

Each day, there was an extra worker so maybe there were five at the end of the week.  Then yesterday, a whole crew of maybe twenty showed up and it was on.

Trucks delivered sand, gravel and bags of cement and miracle of miracles, the first machine, a cement mixer.  Then it was on.

A roof must all be poured in one fell swoop with a constant flow of cement to insure strength and integrity with no cracks.

Please, please, please, never let anyone say or think that Mexicanos do not have an incredible work ethic.

These guys were running up homemade ladders all day carrying five gallon buckets of cement....

and laughing, talking, having a blast.

Of course, it was a family affair with a nice midday meal.
 
Tamping down.

The finished roof this morning.

Note the flag in the background.  There is a federal police academy just across the fields.
Once the cement is set and dry, the supports and wood layer upon which it was poured will be removed and there will be a nice, clean, strong cement roof. Earthquake proof, too.