In PR, why do most of the houses not have enclosed garages?

Heat accumulation, breeze when possible, parties.
If enclosed it gets rather hot in there, there is no breeze. Also people like to trow parties there in the car port because is open space ro put tables for food and drinks and can accomodate a lot of people and keep the mess in a place you can just hose down

Thank you for sharing that...makes perfect sense to me! 

That does make sense!

better to have it  open to avoid dampness, termites, and mold .. but also, the marquesina  usually doubles as a safe, cool  dining room/party space for those big Nocha Buena and Tres Reyes parties...... just move the car out to the street, set up the tables and you have natural airconditiong ......just not a tradition here...

Same reason balconies are big and open. We like to spend as much time as possible outside.  Best place to hang the hammock!!

Like adlin20 said, a place to hang the hammock and get some breeze, but also a place to dance. Easy to clean after the party specially if it has been tiled. Some people put a TV there also, good to bring a group of friends to get some cold beers or rum or Coquito during the holidays, some wings or Cuajo and watch a baseball game in a cooler place than the house. You can also set your grill there with out getting all the smoke and smells in the house. The Marqesina is outside covered living space.

Notice that most of them are long/deep so the car can still be there at either end and there is space for other activities. When it is party time remove the 1 car or 2, wash/hose the floor and you are almost ready for the party!!!!!!

A place to send the kids when they are playing, specially with paints and crayons. You can use a broom to push all the toys to one corner after they get done and not step on them and hurt your foot (Duoplos).

All these activities keep the rest of the house clean and ordely. Less house work specially when hot.

By the way, these are REALLY some good questions!
Most things have a practical reason that you learn by observing or asking questions about the purpose.

Oh 1 more thing, some people may also put a bathroom at the end of it so people can use it and never go into the house and see your messy house.

Not sure where you planning to move to or when . But as of Nov 1,our old place in arecibo us available to rent. It's 2400 sq ft house 3 bedrooms 2  1/2 bathrooms with attached garage with electric garage doors. It has a cistern. Solar water heater 3 built-in air conditioners . Cathedral ceilings in living room and master bedroom. Master bedroom has a large walk in closet   All on an acre plus .Mountain setting very quiet .Electric gate and security system installed.  For $825 a month .  If interested please   Facebook friends me on friends of Rincon.  My name on there is zazoo Pitts .  I can send you photos

ReyP wrote:

Like adlin20 said, a place to hang the hammock and get some breeze, but also a place to dance. Easy to clean after the party specially if it has been tiled. Some people put a TV there also, good to bring a group of friends to get some cold beers or rum or Coquito during the holidays, some wings or Cuajo and watch a baseball game in a cooler place than the house. You can also set your grill there with out getting all the smoke and smells in the house. The Marqesina is outside covered living space.

Notice that most of them are long/deep so the car can still be there at either end and there is space for other activities. When it is party time remove the 1 car or 2, wash/hose the floor and you are almost ready for the party!!!!!!

A place to send the kids when they are playing, specially with paints and crayons. You can use a broom to push all the toys to one corner after they get done and not step on them and hurt your foot (Duoplos).

All these activities keep the rest of the house clean and ordely. Less house work specially when hot.

By the way, these are REALLY some good questions!
Most things have a practical reason that you learn by observing or asking questions about the purpose.

Oh 1 more thing, some people may also put a bathroom at the end of it so people can use it and never go into the house and see your messy house.

Rey,

The bathroom outside is for the guys when they get too drunk and can't aim right!!

adlin20 wrote:

ReyP wrote:

Like adlin20 said, a place to hang the hammock and get some breeze, but also a place to dance. Easy to clean after the party specially if it has been tiled. Some people put a TV there also, good to bring a group of friends to get some cold beers or rum or Coquito during the holidays, some wings or Cuajo and watch a baseball game in a cooler place than the house. You can also set your grill there with out getting all the smoke and smells in the house. The Marqesina is outside covered living space.

Notice that most of them are long/deep so the car can still be there at either end and there is space for other activities. When it is party time remove the 1 car or 2, wash/hose the floor and you are almost ready for the party!!!!!!

A place to send the kids when they are playing, specially with paints and crayons. You can use a broom to push all the toys to one corner after they get done and not step on them and hurt your foot (Duoplos).

All these activities keep the rest of the house clean and ordely. Less house work specially when hot.

By the way, these are REALLY some good questions!
Most things have a practical reason that you learn by observing or asking questions about the purpose.

Oh 1 more thing, some people may also put a bathroom at the end of it so people can use it and never go into the house and see your messy house.

Rey,

The bathroom outside is for the guys when they get too drunk and can't aim right!!

and or decide to throw up, you can hose it down easily. One of those floor squeegees, come handy when cleaning the car port. Specially if your drunk friend never quite reaches the outside bathroom.

ReyP wrote:

By the way, these are REALLY some good questions!
Most things have a practical reason that you learn by observing or asking questions about the purpose.

Wouldn't it be true, one downside is, that thieves might be helped in knowing if you are home or not, if they see your car is gone, could assume you are gone, and thus safer to break in to steal?

I came from the states, and miss the way things are done in the states, for the most part.  I'd like to buy a home with an enclosed garage to park the car, whereas people don't know if your car is in the garage or not, for extra security.  I'd guess only about 1-2% of the homes here have a garage with a garage door in PR.

Absolutely and better to clean afterwards, both marquesina and outside bathroom!

csmi wrote:

ReyP wrote:

By the way, these are REALLY some good questions!
Most things have a practical reason that you learn by observing or asking questions about the purpose.

Wouldn't it be true, one downside is, that thieves might be helped in knowing if you are home or not, if they see your car is gone, could assume you are gone, and thus safer to break in to steal?

I came from the states, and miss the way things are done in the states, for the most part.  I'd like to buy a home with an enclosed garage to park the car, whereas people don't know if your car is in the garage or not, for extra security.  I'd guess only about 1-2% of the homes here have a garage with a garage door in PR.

Not everyone in a household works, so the car does not necessarily means there is nobody home, wife, cousins, uncles, may all be there.

Some may never park in the car port. You can add a garage door if you like and keep it open during a party and close it the rest of the time.

In heavily populated areas people with more than 1 car, they may park 1 in the street and another in the car port. So you may be home but your car is parked a couple of houses away. The front of your house is not reserved parking, anybody can park there and you may have to park elsewhere.

Some bad guys don't care if you are home or not and some prefer if you are, that way they can get your wallet, credit cards, the combination from the safe from you or take you and drive you in your own car to the ATM machine to get money out then take your car and leave you in the street.

Usually the houses in subdivision have a garage either closed already or easy to close up. But just like in the states, the houses will be close together with little land.

As per for crooks knowing if you are home or not, it will be simpler just looking into the house. Most folks keeps the windows open unless they are not home.

We trend to spend more time outside than inside, enjoying the weather. Plus since most houses don't have central ac, folks tend to have doors and windows open.

When movng to a new country, one must investigate the laws and traditions of the place moving to and adapt. Not saying you didnt but it requires adaptation. That is why it must be investigated and tried out for a while before making a decision to move. Not the same to see a place for a week cacation that living there without knowing the laws and how it all works.  Is like with beef very hard to find in the island and expensive and there is reasons for that. There is not enought space to raise and feed cattle,anything imported will be more expensive. As you said maybe 1% has closed garages ibthink that proves is fine. Is a matter of perdonal choice and you can always enclose it. But guarantee it will be a very hot place not able to use for anything else snd will require additional maintenance $$$ due to humidity and great place for centipeds and other creepy crawlers. PR is all about practicality everything has multiple purposes as spaes are generally small. Hope that helps

Lsantana wrote:

When movng to a new country, one must investigate the laws and traditions of the place moving to and adapt. Not saying you didnt but it requires adaptation. That is why it must be investigated and tried out for a while before making a decision to move. Not the same to see a place for a week cacation that living there without knowing the laws and how it all works.  Is like with beef very hard to find in the island and expensive and there is reasons for that. There is not enought space to raise and feed cattle,anything imported will be more expensive. As you said maybe 1% has closed garages ibthink that proves is fine. Is a matter of perdonal choice and you can always enclose it. But guarantee it will be a very hot place not able to use for anything else snd will require additional maintenance $$$ due to humidity and great place for centipeds and other creepy crawlers. PR is all about practicality everything has multiple purposes as spaes are generally small. Hope that helps

I will agree, my brother house in the city have the garage closed, it is an oven. He can't even used for parties since is so hot and humid.

Our laundry room is also located in the open garage, with rejas (iron bars ) to lock down at night.  As others have commented, the open garage is a great place to entertain in the shade or rain, and also to play dominoes.

if I wanted to use the garage / car port area as a part time work shop, should I set it up with large windows that can open for the trade winds? 

It would need to be secure for storage of tools and stuff.  Suggestions??

melendezki wrote:

Our laundry room is also located in the open garage, with rejas (iron bars ) to lock down at night.  As others have commented, the open garage is a great place to entertain in the shade or rain, and also to play dominoes.

Playing dominos require at least 1 bottle of rum, after a while one is not sure what the score is.

Sitka wrote:

if I wanted to use the garage / car port area as a part time work shop, should I set it up with large windows that can open for the trade winds? 

It would need to be secure for storage of tools and stuff.  Suggestions??

There are concrete blocks that have holes on them forming designs, it can look good, provide security and still let air in.
There are also solid glass cubes to let light in that you can use in the bottom of the wall or anywhere else in the wall, they allow light in and provide privacy.

You can also have a built in concrete closed that you can lock up without havng to close the entire garage. The reality is, if someone wants to really break in they will anyway just like anywhere else. Your best security is to keep to yourself what you have stored. Dont share or show off what you have. Many people like to show off and that is when they have their house raided. Dont get scared you can make friends and talk is when you talk to everyone about what you have that you might run into issues. Closest to big cities will be like larger cities in the states

Sitka wrote:

if I wanted to use the garage / car port area as a part time work shop, should I set it up with large windows that can open for the trade winds? 

It would need to be secure for storage of tools and stuff.  Suggestions??

Please let me know what you come up with! We are tentatively scheduled to move in 1.5 years or so from St. Paul, Minnesota to Rincon. My boyfriend is the handy & mechanical type with lots of tools and would like a work space. We hope to rent a house.

Keep the tools in enclosed cabinets, get a place where the car port has rails and is deep. You should be fine.
You can not make changes to a rental unit.
Most house here have rails so it should not be hard to find a rental to meet those needs.

You can always install shutters, that way it's secure at night and open during the day time. We did that with the house windows in our house in SG.

That is an important detail. You cannot alter a rental unit. My suggestion is to buy a locking shed to place in the property that you cantake with you if you move. That would probably work the best.

I will be building new at some point in the hopefully near future.  Ground level will be the garage, shop, work / transition outside to garden patio area.

Not sure how to make it secure and yet provide a sense of openess  to the sides and beach.

Cameras, alarms, movement sensing devices. Special glass windows and even bullet proof glass is possible, depending on budget.

But given enough time without detection, a blow torch will work thru anything. Alarms with battery backup and non excesive isolation will help with that. If you are really paranoid, set up a metal door and a deadbolt guard on the stairs from the first floor to the living areas that will further slow them down. But I think it is excesive paranoia. After a while the cost of protecting exceed the value of what you are protecting.

You can also add thick metal bars behing the doors making it impossible to shulder them open even with a human operated ram rod. 3 of them one toward the top of the door, one middle, one at rhe buttom. Other that hitting it with a car, they wont get in. Windows ..... We need to work on those. Holes for air conditioners are anothe potential entry point.

Easier to throw a rope to second floor and get in that way.

Most houses are never robbed anyway.

How paranoid are you?
First thing is dont let people know you are keeping several millions in raw unmarked diamonds in the house.

ReyP wrote:

How paranoid are you?

Not at all.

Now here things are a little different. We're in a little barrio on a dead-end road. Everybody knows everybody and we look out and check on strangers who enter the area.

Also, here in El Campo it's well known that everybody is armed. The only incident we had in the barrio with people trying to steal something was a couple of years ago when some idiots were trying to steal a four track from a guy down the road. The bad guys can be glad that they came away alive after the owner got out his guns and started shooting.

I spread the story that I have hidden security cameras all over the place that record everything in and around the house and store it in the cloud. I told one neighbor (the right one) and now everybody knows.

Having a dog that starts barking at everything unusual and at every stranger helps, too.

So far, so good after 14 years and counting.

I have two yappers that bark at their own shadow. Any car passing or someone at the door gets them going. They think they are huge dogs, the tallest one head is 8 inches off the ground, LOL.

My Labrador is 88 lbs  - he gets respect from most folk (even though he is really a cream puff).   I'll put put out signs that warn of the dog.


I like the idea of cameras / cloud recording.   I also have a very cranky old german living in the back, he is on duty 24/7 too.

Common sense about visible attractions is basic, I agree.

About 10 years ago I used to have a Mastiff Labrador mix dog (Sato), he weigthed around 140 pounds, but he was a sweet dog, liked everyone. Taller than me on two legs.
Could drag anybody walking him if he saw a cat, could not be contained.
He wanted to sit on my lap as big as he was.

Your best alarm system is a noisy neighbor. Where our house sits in a one way in or out. It is a very quiet area and so far we have not had any incidents. We meet our closest neighbors and they even told us that there not been any problems in the area. We have cameras installed and we can monitor the house remotely, but a neighbor that will watch and look out is priceless.

Agreed! Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. What is bound to happen will happen. What we do extra is just personal peace of mind and just deterrent. Dont share you are on vacation away frim your house on facebook etc especially if there will be no one home. Just using common sense.

I'm interested, can you post photos. I'm recently retired military and looking to relocate to PR.

Jugadero1 wrote:

I'm interested, can you post photos. I'm recently retired military and looking to relocate to PR.

Not sure who you are addressing. You are looking for photos of what?

I thought I was a dressing an earlier post of someone that had a house for rent in PR. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Please, no thread hijacking.  All replies should be about "In PR, why do most of the houses not have enclosed garages?"

If looking to rent a house, make your own post or contact that person directly.  Thanks

No problem. I was only responding to the post.