Thread: Building our Retirement Home in Nan Province

Thanks Klondyke, have already got most of the bathroom and door accessories. And made the curtain rod, hangers and finials selections from what the curtain guy had. But thank you for the offer to look. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Klondyke

^Attaching few pictures what I had been furnishing long time ago. I think the teak things are still available in that shop, can see and advise.

The painting continues to progress. Everything will get a primer and two finish coats.

The first finish coat is still a bit transparent. Hoping and expecting the second to fix that.

The cement rendering 'fine detail guy' from the original build team was back and working on the steps of the stairs.

The curtain deal was finalized. The wife paid 20,000 baht, a further 18,000 baht to be paid upon installation. At this stage I would expect that to be in early-mid January.

The floor tiling has started. We noticed two things immediately...first, the work is pretty good, and second, they have laid the tiles the wrong direction. Our instruction and preference was the black lines to run north/south, they are going in east/west. The wife and I discussed it at the house and decided we'd leave it as it was. It was a preference we had, not a necessity. Later on our way back to Nan we discussed how our instruction went wrong. Short answer is we just don't know. We are of the opinion that between my physical gestures as to the direction and her reinforcement in Thai, the message was clear and seemingly acknowledged. Of course the actual tiler was not a part of that interaction. I know in some threads I've read on TD the owner says it is necessary to be onsite every day, perhaps we should have been onsite when such a key activity commences. (Not going to make that error when the kitchen install starts.)

More of the new views. Couldn't get these photos to 'stick' in post #559. Last photos for today. Next site visit likely Monday. Need to survive another boring weekend.

Just in-case you are planning on going to the Hospital next week ...

Please be advised that December 10^th, 2018 is our public holiday (Constitution Day).
Consequently, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), bla bla will close on this coming Monday.

Thanks David, somehow knew about that one but not the 5th. Heading over to Phrae hospital on Wed 12th. Hoping the wife can get what should be a smallish procedure done soon after. Both of us taking a small bag of clothes, toiletries, etc each if they can schedule it quickly. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Just in-case you are planning on going to the Hospital next week ...

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Later on our way back to Nan we discussed how our instruction went wrong.

I could write a book about this topic when everything was well explained, demonstrated, understood and OKeyd.

Then, you will come back within half an hour and everything is just in opposite way, how you did not want it...

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Site Visit 7 December 2018

This morning we arrived onsite around 9:00am. Dropped the bakery items and energy drinks off at the worker shelter. The wife went off to appease the spirits and I started my walk around. Had the usual original build team member doing cleanups, the painter erecting scaffolding on the south external wall and another of the original build team doing some fine cement render detailing on the steps of the stairs. The most obvious progress was completion of the wall tiling in all of the bathrooms, most of the primer painting and the first of two final paint coat had been completed and a start on the floor tiling made in the level 2 living room and bedroom 3. The trees on the unowned strip of land to the north of our land had been felled and the north views opened up a bit. Mart our builder and his supervisor also arrived.

Our wait for the curtain guy from Nan was taking a bit long so we drove into Pua for a decent coffee. Once we returned he was onsite and had completed his measuring. We confirmed our material choice and selected the colour and style of the curtain rods, finials and other accessories. The price stayed at 38,000 baht for double curtains to eleven windows and sliding doors.

By this time another of the original build team was onsite and had put down the first experimental coat of decorative cement on the walls in the bathroom we are not tiling. It looked good and we gave the okay to continue.

for what its worth,have 5cm.tinted glass for windows and doors,also have WINDSOR guttering fitted all round,with the down pipes draining into the waste pipes.
I wish I could take photo's for y but a dumb taffy has no idea how to post.also when we had ours built [5bed,3bath] a big house the biggest mistake was letting them fit wooden windows,we changed them all for aluminum powder coated pvc.the mooban where we live 90% of the homes built [10yrs ago] their windows are ROTTEN.

Thanks for the suggestions HH. We have gone for 5mm tinted glass all round. The only exception is the low windows in the kitchen which are frosted for privacy. All window/sliding door frames are aluminum. The only exposed timber we will have are the frames around the entrance and side doors and the covered deck rails. But they are all teak so should put a bit of a fight with the various nasties. We descoped guttering as we couldn't justify rain water harvesting beyond it was trendy. But it has resulted in some extra concrete aprons around the house...don't want rain water hitting the ground/grass directly. If we do decide to collect rain water we'll do it off the carport that will be running across the full width of the house. In addition to the carport roof runoff there should be about a third of the house roof area runoff hitting the carport roof as well. Regards, BiP

Originally Posted by headhunter

for what its worth,have 5cm.tinted glass for windows and doors,also have WINDSOR guttering fitted all round,with the down pipes draining into the waste pipes.
I wish I could take photo's for y but a dumb taffy has no idea how to post.also when we had ours built [5bed,3bath] a big house the biggest mistake was letting them fit wooden windows,we changed them all for aluminum powder coated pvc.the mooban where we live 90% of the homes built [10yrs ago] their windows are ROTTEN.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Thanks for the suggestions HH. We have gone for 5mm tinted glass all round. The only exception is the low windows in the kitchen which are frosted for privacy. All window/sliding door frames are aluminum. The only exposed timber we will have are the frames around the entrance and side doors and the covered deck rails. But they are all teak so should put a bit of a fight with the various nasties. We descoped guttering as we couldn't justify rain water harvesting beyond it was trendy. But it has resulted in some extra concrete aprons around the house...don't want rain water hitting the ground/grass directly. If we do decide to collect rain water we'll do it off the carport that will be running across the full width of the house. In addition to the carport roof runoff there should be about a third of the house roof area runoff hitting the carport roof as well. Regards, BiP

Hi BiP... we are also going with hardwood window frames as it is in keeping with the rest of the house.

I am not a massive fan of uPVC, or aluminium for that matter... that's just me and my preference, not saying either of those options not good - i just prefer the wood idea.

Maybe I will feel differently if all our widows stick too!!

We have also gone for tinted glass, similar to you.

Your place looking real good....

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

...extra concrete aprons around the house...don't want rain water hitting the ground/grass directly.

Just reminding:
The rain here does not fall vertically but horizontally - almost. OK, not really - but you can reckon with some 45 deg. So, even with a wide extended roofing you can get a lot of rainwater collected from the roof pushed by the wind on to the walls and windows.

With the gutters installed, it's only the rainwater of the walls, not so much.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Just reminding:
The rain here does not fall vertically but horizontally - almost. OK, not really - but you can reckon with some 45 deg. So, even with a wide extended roofing you can get a lot of rainwater collected from the roof pushed by the wind on to the walls and windows.

With the gutters installed, it's only the rainwater of the walls, not so much.

you got it K.rain water blowing onto walls and windows,again B.I.P.make sure any outside electric boxes,like ours water pump,garden lights,and porch box are well sealed,it took us a week to find why our RCD.was tripping out the entire house,fine rain blown onto one of the walls thus the box was not water proof.so some thick wood glue,crack filler then a couple of coats of paint,JOB DONE.

Originally Posted by headhunter

the biggest mistake was letting them fit wooden windows,we changed them all for aluminum powder coated pvc.the mooban where we live 90% of the homes built [10yrs ago] their windows are ROTTEN.

The wooden windows do not need necessarily be maligned in Thailand where the houses being originally always all-wood for hundreds of years.

If the windows were ROTTEN, then obviously for a reason, rainwater and no outlet for drying, no proper surface protection, staying shut whole year, so no drying after the rain. The traditional (village) Thai windows with the mosquito screens installed from inside do not make it easy to open and close the windows, hence they usually stay closed or open the whole year.

I have made my wooden sliding windows in the present house (No.12 in Thailand ) by NZ pine since having only that available that time, needing urgently 13 years ago to move into a house abandoned over many years, making use of the (not stolen only) roof and walls.

The windows are still OK, just needing occassionaly a new re-painting, mosquito net by a fixed (removable) frame from outside, steel grid just for show. The sills made by MDF disguised as a granite. (Double block wall construction makes the wall thick enough for having such sill being quite practical.)

builders didnt know about PRIMER,the houses around us are looking like rotton wood with NO undercoat.when the windows up stairs were open and there was a stiff breeze they pulled out the latches from the frames.the wood was so bad you could push your fingers through them.

All noted Klondyke and HH, with thanks. One point in particular, need to ask Mart our builder what his intent is regards positioning of the house water pump. Regards, BiP.