One of the features of Chiloe district homes is the shingles used for siding. Even though many of the walls are now sided with corrugated steel usually one face, or part of a house face, is sided with shingles. The shingles are distinctive for each extended family. By looking at the house you can see which family lives there and tell who they may be related to. The Red Pharma building has two shingle styles, upper and lower floors. According to our guide, two prominent families married and each displayed their shingles, kind of like a hyphenated name.
Another feature of houses on the beach is that they are on stilts, palafitos. The stilts allow for the tide to pass under the houses. Chiloe has a 15-foot tide range, similar to Sitka’s. They also allow for houses to survive tsunamis and earthquakes. The wood id flexible and sways with the movement of the earth.
