The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

Itchy

Can anyone give me a ball park figure for the cost of Q-Con (Superblock)

Price per square meter

OR

Price per block and the dimensions of the blocks

?

Ta!

dirtydog

20 by 60 cms 19baht, now it is just as cheap to build with Q Con as it is with cheap Thai red bricks.

Dougal

Unless the price has come down a lot that must be for blocks of 7.5cm thickness. They are also available up to 20cm thick and I think I paid about 41B a block for those a year ago.

Bluecat

Well, I'm one of the main suppliers to Qcon and if the increase of prices of the product I supply is any indication, expect the cost of the blocks to go up sharply.
Same for Superblock.
Besides they still use asbestos to reduce their costs, you get it very cheap these days since the rest of the world thinks you can die from it...
Expect that to change also...

__________________
Discussion is an exchange of knowledge, argument is an exchange of ignorance

Itchy

What's this you are telling us Blue Cat - There is Asbestos in Q-Con?

Is that correct? Do you have proof of this?

Bluecat

Ask them, it is not illegal in Thailand.

BugginOut

Apparently not in the US either:



Not surprising.

HINO

Is this for real? The block makers really use the asbestos? Expect a change? When? I hope last week!!


They really use asbestos?

DrAndy

no, they don't

Q-CON aerated concrete :

Quote:

Q-CON AAC consists of the same raw materials as natural stone but has these significant advantages: Q-CON AAC is made of quartz sand, lime, cement and water - raw materials that are readily naturally available

Smithson

Just because they're not saying so on their site, doesn't mean they're not using it. When I started the thread about synthetic roofing, most ppl said it didn't contain asbestos also.

Once laid and rendered, they wouldn't pose a threat, but I wouldn't want to be the one cutting them.

HINO

Yeah I read their entire web site and I would not expect that they would advertise a known cancer causing substance as one of the ingredients of the product.

Interesting to say the least

---

->>>

DrAndy

bloody hell, just because they do not mention asbestos means they use it!!

why would they use it, there is no reason to, it would add nothing to the block

if you read the blurb, the block is mainly aerated concrete, which gives it the properties that make it useful

__________________
keep 'em coming

Itchy

We have a statement from someone who claims to supply the manufacturers of Q-Con that Q-Con Blocks contain Asbestos.

We have a second statement from someone who has been through the Q-Con website that states the Consituants of Q-Blocs are....... a list not including Asbestos.

We have the makings of a conspiracy from someone who staes 'Just because they say they haven't included Asbestos doesn't mean they haven't included Asbestos'.

I think its about time Blue Cat came up with goods on this.

Where is the evidence?

Bluecat

There are 3 suppliers of blocks I know and supply, Siam Fiber, Qcon and Superblock.

The first one is more expensive because they do not use asbestos, the 2 others are cheaper because they do. So they say.

Maybe everybody lies, who indeed in its right mind would use asbestos these days?

Have you been living in Thailand for long?

Anyway, they are my customers and if you want to find out more, do not count on me to help.

DrAndy

seems so, but why would you?

Bluecat

Indeed, why would I?
I am very happy to know that what seems to be public knowledge for quite a few Thais working in this business is a lie.
Sorry I even mentioned it.

DrAndy

It is possibly a misconception; there would be no point in putting asbestos into the QCon blocks. Asbestos is known to be used in some cement based products, like ceiling boards, roofing materials etc. and also brake and clutch components, as well as fire-proofing boards

Itchy

12 years long enough

I've written to Q-Con - I pre-empted your comment regarding not being of any help.

Bluecat

Right.
I built a new house recently and well, I used normal bricks.
More expensive?
Maybe...

tango

In CMai at TOR, a Building Supplies Giant in HangDong the costs as of 080711 [080109] are:
20 X 60 X 7.5 = 21B
20 X 60 X 10.0 = 30[21]B
20 X 60 X 12.5 = 40[33]B
20 X 60 X 15.0 = 52B
20 X 60 X 20.0 = 65B
QCON ADHESIVE MORTAR 50kg = 225B
QCON RENDERING MORTAR 50kg = 118B

Let's see more costs from other areas, OK?

It's disturbing to hear the possibility that QCON contains asbestos, a known deadly carcinogen.

This product is made under license from a German Company, t heir brochure has the 'ISO 9001 : 2000' logo (but then again it seems so does the local corner laundry here in the LOS).[ : : Q-CON : : . and qcon[at]qcon.co.th ]. Possibly someone from the German Embassy's Economic division should investigate, as nothing less than German excellence in the technical sphere is at stake.

About to complete the roofing on my home with CPAC Monier tiles, I had decided to use QCon for the walls. Many of the recent Government building sites use QCon extensively, as did a gourmet French restaurant 2 years ago.
Hmmm.... Better that I am aware of this asbestos probability now. I'll have to search alternatives, but this is not looking favourable. My cost comparison with the largest solid fire-baked clay brick [ 20B for a 33x15.5x7 cm brick ] showed that QCON was substantially less in price as fols: 810 QCON blocks at B52,650 VS 4042 Clay bricks at B80,840. That's for the blocks/bricks alone. The thin amount of QCON adhesive used is substantially less than the thick mortar used to join bricks, thus another savings in material and labour when using QCON. This is one contribution to the cost question introduced initially.
Hopefully someone knowledgeable will soon confirm there's no asbestos in these QBLOCKs. Thank you, the Teakdoor contributors, for keeping us all informed.