Building Your Own Shophouse

[Eliminator]

DD, I was asking, why don't they put in a wire mesh or screen on the face of the bricks before they put the layer of cement over it? I would think it would make the wall a lot stronger. All I've ever seen before was to put in nails or pins and then tie the mesh to it, then the cement.

[dirtydog]

Because the red bricks are so small so the render bonds to the wall really good anyway.

[Cobby34]

Very interesting thread.
To be fair to the Thai's & what gear they have available its not too bad.Just a few points I would like to add the sticks what DD mentioned for running the string line along are called profiles,the beams that go vertical are called column's.Another guy mentioned the column shutter's not being made of steel they are used in the West but are expensive & heavy,timber & ply is still used in the West & works just fine.Just a question for DD are these building's sitting on pile's.

[dirtydog]

Originally Posted by Cobby34

Just a question for DD are these building's sitting on pile's.

When you say piles I assume you mean driven in pilings, nope, 3 storeys and less they don't expect you to use pilings, generally the soil conditions here are rock hard, although I have to admit I did look at some land a couple of years ago for 250,000baht per Rai, 5 Rai in all, trouble is the soil was so fine and mainly sand that we would have had to have pilings just for a bungalow

Also don't forget the wood is a lot heavier here in Thailand, plus it only lasts for about 3 pours, so steel would be the sensible option here on a reasonable size project, the hard bit is getting the reasonable sized projects though

[dirtydog]

Well things are moving on at a snails pace, for some reason they are down to about 5 staff, but it's defineately gonna be at least 3 stories high.

[dirtydog]

Well they are now 4 months into the project and down to about 5 staff, it is right hard to get staff at the moment as there is so much work about, yet it all started off so well, did the contractor take on more work and split his staff? Did the owner run out of money? All this and more I shall find out next week.

[man with no head]

Regarding those red bricks (I know they aren't load bearing): it looks like an enterprising person could just punch through them and help themselves to whatever's in there. Are they as weak as they look?

[dirtydog]

Once they are rendered off inside and out you will need a sledge hammer.

I did want to catch a picture before they done the beams, still they haven't started on the fronts of the other block yet.

So what's happening here we ask ourselves? This is the entrance or exit to, from the balconey, first up they lay the bricks upto where the height of the glass work will go, drill some holes and chuck in some rebar, stick a form round it and then pour the concrete to make the beam, leave the form work in and then brick up to the top where one of the main beams are.

[man with no head]

Is there any reason why instead of using concrete for the walls bricks are used instead? I know the bricks are merely dried in teh sun so it can't be for load bearing reasons. Less weight? Cheaper? Or the lack of wood making it difficult to pour forms?

[Cobby34]

Originally Posted by surasak

Is there any reason why instead of using concrete for the walls bricks are used instead? I know the bricks are merely dried in teh sun so it can't be for load bearing reasons. Less weight? Cheaper? Or the lack of wood making it difficult to pour forms?

I would hazzard a guess that its a lot cheaper,reinforced concrete is expensive.I do agree with you that the blocks/bricks they're using are crap,maybe DD could tell us the difference in price for a m2 of block work to a m2 of rc wall.At the end of the day why pay all the extra,if somebody wants to get into the property they will take out a window or door with the big hammer.

[dirtydog]

At a rough guesstimate I reckon reinforced concrete wall would cost about 2,500baht per square meter, brick and render is about 700baht.

[dirtydog]

They are now down to 3 staff so I don't think this project will be finished this year, as you can see in this picture they are now ready to pour the next lot of beams, looking at the tails on the rebar they really are too short to tie in more rebar for another floor, so I am assuming this will be a concrete roof, although why they are putting a balconey on it I have no idea.

[Eliminator]

DD, For the Mardi Gras parade next year.

[Dougal]

Originally Posted by dirtydog

although why they are putting a balconey on it I have no idea.

Launch pad for suicides?

[lom]

Well, you can never really be sure what Thais are gonna do.
We may think the rebar is to short to be joined with another one while they probably think that doesn't matter..

[dirtydog]

Well they now have about 12 staff but I think they must be way behind schedule, but hell aint that new sports Stadium in the UK way behind schedule, just a sad fact of life
The concrete roof now has the concrete beams in place and loads of wooden supports, should in the next couple of days be ready to do the pour for that, I have seen a concrete pump lorry in and around Pattaya, I wonder if they will use that.



Here is the beam that will hide the roll down shutters, they will brick up to the top and then render it off.




And here we have the finished product, bricked up and rendered off.

[Dougal]

Not specifically a shop house question but I don't wnat to start a whole new thread.

I have seen lots of houses where four hinges have been used on the doors but they are not spaced evenly on the jam - usually one near the bottom, one somewhere near the middle and two close together at the top. Any idea why the chippie does it that way?

[dirtydog]

The doors are heavy and made of hardwood.

[man with no head]

Are the floors/ceilings using prefabs to save money or is it stronger that way once the cement layer is laid on top?

[dirtydog]

Save money