David Chiriqui Houses: A Guide to Building a Tropical Home

Building your dream tropical home in David may be easier than you thought. With the low cost of land, readily available building materials, and David's strategic location smack in the middle of Chiriqui, building a house in David would be a smart move. There are simple tips to follow and a few things to remember that will allow optimal enjoyment of your house in the tropics.

Things to Keep in Mind Before Building

• Climate– Remember that David of Chiriqui and Panama as a whole has a tropical climate. There are only two seasons: wet and dry. During the dry season, you will have to deal with the heat while during the wet season, excess water from the rain would pose a challenge.

• Security – David of Chiriqui is very peaceful place to live in. In building a house in David, like anywhere else, you must not overlook the importance of personal safety.

• Keep it Environment Friendly – Living in the Tropics will let you experience a special bond with nature. Remember to always consider the impact on the environment of your building activities. The less impact it has on the surrounding environment, the better.

• Use Available Materials – Utilizing available materials will not only result in a significant cost savings. It can also allow you to live more comfortably. Happily, there are a lot of construction materials in David, Chiriqui.

Tips in Building Your David Chiriqui House

Dealing with the Heat

There are two ways that you can deal with the heat and humidity. One is artificial and costs a lot in set-up and maintenance. The other is natural, environment-friendly and incurs very little maintenance cost.

You can control the temperature by using artificial means like using air-conditioners and fans. This method, however, can hurt your budget. These means of temperature control also consumes huge amounts of electricity and are not considered environment-friendly.

On the other hand you can design your David Chiriqui home to be energy efficient and you can take advantage of passive temperature control systems to keep a comfortable living space the whole year round. The following are tips on how to reduce heat and humidity the natural way.

• Build Big Windows – Big windows will allow air to enter the house freely and would greatly improve air circulation inside the house. This eliminates the need for air conditioners. Big windows will also allow a mild amount of sunlight to enter your house so you won't have to turn the lights on during day time.

• Build Covered Porches – Covered porches will keep the heat and sunlight from penetrating the house. Building canopies, eaves and sunscreens have a similar effect. This compliments the use of big windows.

• Plant Trees – You can create a micro climate around your David of Chiriqui house by planting trees and ornamental plants around it. Trees are excellent in keeping the temperature balanced. They keep you cool when the weather is hot and they balance it out when the weather is cold.

• Insulate Properly – Proper insulation is a must to maintain a desirable temperature inside the house. An insulated ceiling and roof will deflect the heat from sun.

Keeping Cozy in the Rainy Season

It can pour for days during the rainy season in David. Aside from the ability to keep cool during the hot season, your David Chiriqui House should be able to protect you from the rain and keep you dry and warm during the rainy days.

• Use Glass Windows – A sliding glass window that you can open and close is the best. It's versatile enough to be suitable for both rainy and sunny seasons.

• Drain Properly – There will be a lot of excess water during the rainy season and if you don't have proper drainage, you will have to live with mud surrounding you. (You can also build a water collection system that will collect water flowing from the roof. The collected water can be used during the dry season.)

Bonus Tips

• David is the capital city and thus, building materials are accessible. Choose materials that are durable and require very little maintenance. Brick and stone or concrete blocks might cost a little more at the start the other building materials but in the long run, the savings on maintenance will more than make up for it.

• Think of playing with light and shade when designing your David Chiriqui house. Light is always abundant in David. Be creative in manipulating light and shadows to create contrast.

• Build your David Chiriqui house to be in tune with nature. After all, that is the essence of tropical living.

Keeping these simple tips and reminders in mind will set you on your way to building your dream David Chiriqui house.