Calling all cave dwellers- UNRESTORED CAVES

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dorisi
Tourist
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:54 pm

Calling all cave dwellers- UNRESTORED CAVES

Postby dorisi » Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:17 am

Greetings Cavelings,
I need guidance with buying a rural unrestored cave.
I am prepared to put in a lot of work.
Can anyone help me with a list of dos and don'ts with regard to the following topics:

1/ LOCATION/ORIENTATION
2/ INITIAL CONDITION (Should I be worried about rock falls, erosion and large cracks?)
3/ PREFERABLE TYPES OF ROCK STRATA/FORMATION (what kind makes the most stable interior surface?)
4/ SIGNS OF GOOD LOCATIONS TO DIG A WELL (does this even exist?)
5/ RECOMMENDED BUILDERS ( Any one within reach of the Baza region)

Plus any other information you think is relevant. I am bamboozled by the variety of caves I've seen and really can't afford to make costly mistakes...who can?

I welcome all your comments.

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4501
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: Calling all cave dwellers- UNRESTORED CAVES

Postby olive » Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:05 pm

4. Get a water diviner in. I was number one sceptic of this subject but now know it works but cannot explain the science. Personally I would think long and hard about buying a house , even one with an existing well. Without one is asking for trouble. Water is a difficult to find commodity. One of our neighbours had a well that mysteriously dried up for years. Then the heavy rain of 2012 must have cleared the aquifer and it has been producing ever since.

dorisi
Tourist
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:54 pm

Re: Calling all cave dwellers- UNRESTORED CAVES

Postby dorisi » Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:25 pm

Thanks Olive...very helpful...someone else had mentioned divining and I'm open to it..just concerned about getting a phoney.
If it all happens, I may ask you to beg a contact number from your friend.
Interesting to learn that wells are not always reliable...makes sense.

I'm trying to be sensible re the impulse to buy a cave.... can you play Devil's advocate and tell me why I shouldn't do it?

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4501
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: Calling all cave dwellers- UNRESTORED CAVES

Postby olive » Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:56 pm

I can't act devils advocate re a cave house. Could you rent one for a while to see how you got on? That would give you a feel for what to look out for in a purchase.

On the water divining side proper established well drilling companies have their own person with the skill. You could also ask at the local ayuntamiento for recommendations. Don't forget that you will need permissions at some stage and you pay for the drilling by the metre whether they hit water or not. Then if you hit water you need a lining putting in and a pump and electric plus piping. Ours is only 40 metres deep but taking it and the electric cable and attached plastic pipe out for maintenance is a job. We have seen holes drilled here 200 metres. Some dry!

I haven't the time to go through all our experiences here but before we had our pool built , the supplier said how will you fill it and keep it topped up. We said we were thinking of having a well. He then went off and broke a twig off a tree. fashioned it and then wandered around and pronounced yes there was water- in this spot. then stamped his foot and pronounced it 32 metres deep. He was right on both counts with the aquifer being 33 metres when wedrilled two years later. At the time we both thought it hilarious.

Later when we wanted to drill a bunch of people came to watch from our village. Some even brought food and drink. many then proceded to wander around our land with their own method to determine where was best to drill. We were recommended the nearby large village well diviner and actually went with his recommendation which was good. It is too far from you for anyone to travel. You would be talking a days pay +.

Since then house visitors can have a go at divining because I have a good idea where the aquifers are. Some haven't the skill and some have. Cant explain it.

dorisi
Tourist
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:54 pm

Re: Calling all cave dwellers- UNRESTORED CAVES

Postby dorisi » Wed Apr 20, 2016 5:04 pm

Fascinating! Thanks Olive. I have spent some time in caves near Baza...and like it. They make sense for the climate, don't they?
I would also want to make my cave as ecological/sustainable as possible. I have been doing my homework, but hearing about real life experiences from people like you is invaluable.


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