#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Construction in Thailand >  >  > Building in Thailand Famous Threads >  >  Loombucket's Paradise on earth

## Loombucket

November 2006, 4.5 rai of ex farm land with chanote. First view




This is a view of the back



This mozzy play pen will be the deep part of the 'lake'



and there will be some sort of bridge accross the lake here-ish



I don't have a pic of where the house will go. Somewhere between the lake and the road!

Next instalment - fence post and wires

----------


## Tao

Excellent, another building thread.  I'm looking forward to it Loombucket!

----------


## jizzybloke

^me too!

----------


## astasinim

Another construction thread.
Great stuff, keep it coming.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

I got the popcorn ready.

----------


## Luckydog

Where you gonna put the Beer Bar?

----------


## DrAndy

good for you LoomB

Putting a lake in that land will make it so much better, with lots of fish to eat the mossies

----------


## Loombucket

April 2007. Finally get the chanote in my hot sweaty mit. Now we need some sort of fence to keep the cows out. I missed most of the hole boring and the post inserting, due to a visa run I had quite forgotten. Fortunately, the future Mrs. Loomy made sure that most of the workers were still around when I got back. Something about whisky for the boys.

This is the long side, fence run



This is part of the shortest run, next to the 'lake'.



This is Pon, assembling a makeshift gate out of two bits of old fence.



Gop and Lek, waiting for the whisky to arrive. These two did most of the digging for the posts. Leks youngest was jail bait but would not have her picture tooken (sigh).



Next issue - Digging out the 'lake'

----------


## Sir Burr

I'm surprised that you couldn't get the posts with the ready-made holes in them to thread the barbed wire.

----------


## MrG

Lucky you. 4.5 rai is nice room to roam. Where is this land?

----------


## Loombucket

> I'm surprised that you couldn't get the posts with the ready-made holes in them to thread the barbed wire.


We collected all the posts from local suppliers, three different places. Some had nails in but most had tiny holes that were, apparantly, no good.





> Lucky you. 4.5 rai is nice room to roam. Where is this land?


We are about 6km south east of Dan Khun Thot, in Korat

----------


## DrAndy

> I'm surprised that you couldn't get the posts with the ready-made holes in them to thread the barbed wire.


it would be almost impossible to thread barbed wire through holes SB

you try it!!

the posts have holes, which can be used for ordinary wire; if you want to use barbed wire, you turn the posts through 90 degrees and thread wire loops that then can hold the barbed wire

see the pics, although it looks as if they used 4 strands, not five, so some of the holes were not used!

come on LoomB, pics of jailbait, just to make sure she is

----------


## Loombucket

Here you see that we have started to dig out the lake a bit and make a bank. This is the bottom edge of the property.



And a view of the other side



Just in time for the rainy season and bingo, instant lake!



One more view. This will be the one from the lake side sala, or one of them.



Lots more to do when I get back there in January. Thanks for all the kind words of encouragment.

Quote from Dr. Andy "pics of jailbait, just to make sure she is"

I will try to find her again, just for you.

Cheers!

----------


## klongmaster

> I'm surprised that you couldn't get the posts with the ready-made holes in them to thread the barbed wire.


 


> it would be almost impossible to thread barbed wire through holes SB  you try it!!  the posts have holes, which can be used for ordinary wire; if you want to use barbed wire, you turn the posts through 90 degrees and thread wire loops that then can hold the barbed wire


This is an easy solution...post have holes for the wire support...slide the barbed wire between the support wire...thread that through the hole and bend it down the back of the post...quick and neat...even a woman can do it!...

----------


## a. boozer

Look forward to your next posting!

----------


## oldgit

Thank's for the photo's LB will follow your postings as I followed Hillbillys and dream.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Nice project LB.  I enjoy following the story while it is in progress.  Good way to get good friendly constructive advisement along the way.

----------


## hillbilly

These projects are always interesting. Looking for the next update!

----------


## Loombucket

Thank you, good people.

Since my return, to dear old blighty, I have been sifting through numerous photographs of Thai houses that I had seen, over the last few years. Many included close ups of 'the good bits'. Some included shots of the insides and the views from the terraces. Most owners, were more than happy to tell us how much they paid and how long the house took to build. Having discovered Teak Door's web address, in a note book at the bottom of my bag, I now have a better idea of what I can get for the money. Funding has not been finalised, at this point, so we are not yet sure on the size of the pot.

Something with a terrace on the upstairs floor, kitchen with room for two or three people to cook in. Nice, big bathroom, bedroom large enough to get a super king size bed in and still walk around it. I will also have an 'office', where my mind can wander and my pen can struggle to keep up.

I am leaning towards a wood above, cement below kind of thing. I still have to work out which way to face it and the practical issues like the size of the rooms and where the doors go. Regrettably, there are no new pictures to share with you at this time. This is because I am here and Sister Nuy has taken her camera to BKK. However, I am hoping to have some preliminary house sketches, to share with you all, in a couple of weeks.

----------


## The_Dude

Keep the reports coming in. What village are you in? I am 15-20 min. drive from Dan Khun Thot. Good luck with your project.

----------


## hillbilly

> ..Having discovered Teak Door's web address, in a note book at the bottom of my bag, I now have a better idea of what I can get for the money...


Better than sex sometimes... :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> What village are you in?


I must confess to being uncertain. For some reason, my map case has either gone for a walk or is hiding under the general debris in my room. Somewhere, I have the road number. Er...Give me a few more days on this.

Cheers

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Shoa. I got lots of popcorn.

----------


## The_Dude

> Originally Posted by The_Dude
> 
> What village are you in?
> 
> 
> I must confess to being uncertain. For some reason, my map case has either gone for a walk or is hiding under the general debris in my room. Somewhere, I have the road number. Er...Give me a few more days on this.
> 
> Cheers


 
Mine is Teh Pah Rak. Does your plot have a well already?

----------


## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by Loombucket
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by The_Dude
> ...


Sorry, the maps have been tidied away by the Aged Parent. We are not so much, in a village. More like, out in the country. On the 2148, midway between Dan Khun Tod and Ban Nong Suang. Untill I get back there, that's the best that I can do. We don't have anything there yet, except a barbed wire fence and a large hole full of water. I can't even find your place on the map. OK, one of those days is turning into one of those weeks. Thanks for your interest, It would be nice to meet up with some locals, once we get the project up and cooking.

Cheers.

----------


## The_Dude

I have an idea of where you are. This road is the way we goto Korat. There are a few falangs around the area England, Finland, German, Italian, France and American. The Brit actually drives from Wong Tei Tong about 40 kilo from Dan Khun Thot and 10 kilo past Teh Pah Rak. Poor fellow can't eat spicy food He buys bread and meat from the 7-Eleven. But has a great place if you want I can post a few picks of his place for some building ideas.

----------


## hillbilly

> ... We are not so much, in a village. More like, out in the country...


I could be wrong, but even though it may seem like out in the country, it is still considered part of a village.

The Thai word in English is often printed as Ban, as in Ban Saphin Hin.

The word itself (Ban) sounds like James Bond, without the James or the _d_ sound... :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> if you want I can post a few picks of his place for some building ideas.


Thanks Dude, that would be really helpfull.




> even though it may seem like out in the country, it is still considered part of a village.


You are quite correct, Hillbily. It must be part of a village. There is a little 'hamlet', if that's the right word, just over the main road, aways from us. I guess we belong to that. I am not at all shure how these things are worked out. Thanks for all your helpfull information. I notice that in other parts of the forum, there has been refference to a 'moo ban'. I thought that would be the name for a pig house but, would I be right in thinking that that is like an estate, with all the houses built by one contractor??

G/f has gone off to see another Sister and the mobile service is not very good there. I am off up north to see my Sister this week so it will be another week before I can share the reall address with you.

Screwed up plans are now starting to line the litter bin in my bedroom. They all look like they have been drawn by a six year old but the jist is starting to come. I am hoping to get the aforementioned Sister to realise my scribbles, on her computer. Everyone here has been very helpfull in sharing info on pillars and maximum widths etc so I think I am in with a good chance on this.

Cheers!

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> I notice that in other parts of the forum, there has been refference to a 'moo ban'. I thought that would be the name for a pig house but, would I be right in thinking that that is like an estate, with all the houses built by one contractor??


It can mean that, but it can mean a small smattering of houses or a pukka village.

----------


## Lily

I thought pig house would be 'baan Moo'

----------


## Marmite the Dog

^ I meant the estate, rather than the pig house.

----------


## The_Dude

Sorry for delays on the pics but here they are.

----------


## Loombucket

Thanks Dude, for those nice pics. How many beds is that? We are in a slightly elevated position, in that the land falls away behind us, so I want to take full advantage of that and go for a second floor, with terrace. Sorry, I still do not have any plans to share, at this point. I will, however, post my basic drawings when I get back from Hull, in about a week. At that point, I will be making inquisitive noises about wanting to get in touch with a decent architect/builder, in the area.

I have an update on the location. As you come out of Dan Khun Thot, towards Korat, there is a major bend to the right just past the University. Land is between that and Ban Sa Chorakhe, just past the garment factory. The little hamlet, over the road, that I mentioned earlier, seems to be a collection of small farms with a bus stop just beyond.

Cheers.

----------


## Sparky

^   Hull and north  Ferreby had some friends there do you know the Chethams ? Tomy Clark ?

----------


## Loombucket

> Hull and north Ferreby had some friends there do you know the Chethams ? Tomy Clark ?


Sorry no, i don't know a soul there apart from the sibling and her playmate!

----------


## The_Dude

It is a 3 bedroom/ 3 bath house, living room, kitchen, laundry outside (next to kitchen). The layout is nice but 3 baths is a little overkill. I would have used the space for walk-in closets instead. Also the showers where designed to drain in the middle of the bath room floor. The fellow was in England and his wifey took over as project manager, she had it done 3 times before she thought it was right. She did'nt know that the contractor charged more for change orders!  :Sad:  You have to be around while construction is in progress or it may not go as planned.

----------


## The_Dude

> I have an update on the location. As you come out of Dan Khun Thot, towards Korat, there is a major bend to the right just past the University. Land is between that and Ban Sa Chorakhe, just past the garment factory. Cheers.


I know that area well! A "Brown" pulled me over because I was not wearing a helmet. I gave him 200 baht to forget the matter and we went our seperate ways.

----------


## The_Dude

LB,

If you need heavy equipment work. Let me know the family has a company that does roads, etc,.

This one is at their body shop for new paint also they painted one of my father in laws school bus in the back ground. They drop off kids in Dan Khun Thot from the near by villages.

----------


## Loombucket

After much debate, and a few stong words, we have decided on something like this. I insisted on an upstairs terrace and Mrs. LoomB insisted on more than two bedrooms. It is about 200 sq. M, so I will get my playroom after all. I will have more pictures to show, but I am having more than a little trouble getting my head around the Thai Windows operating system. The onboard translator has gone to BKK for a few days and I can't find 'install and run' in the phrase book!

----------


## Tao

Nice design Loombucket, i'm eager to see more.   :Smile:

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Agree, nice layout. Ground-floor bedroom for your study? 
Dude, nice house, but those blue curtains are so...Thai?  :Smile:

----------


## The_Dude

The head of the house is Thai so what can you do? :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> Ground-floor bedroom for your study?


Not sure yet, a lot depends on which way round the house faces.




> those blue curtains are so...Thai


Good job you can't see the pink ones someone was looking at earlier (YUK!!)

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ hehe. How about vertical blinds?

Hey, Dude, no offense meant -- I just remember one house I rented had similar window dressings until about two minutes after I moved in.  :Smile:

----------


## Tao

You ought to have seen the furniture in our bangkok condo before we rented it.  Think it was a royal blue, pink, green, and white sofa.  

We told the thai-chinese twat we'd rent the place as long as he removed his disgusting furniture first.

----------


## Loombucket

This is our first meeting with the Architect. Sorry, I can't pronounce his name so after the fith attempt we agreed that I could call him 'Archie'. That's the future Mrs Loomb on the right and her Mum on the left. Picture was taken at the Temple at Surrat Burri. I may have a thread on this later (lovely gardens).



This is a new picture of the, nearly, completed lake. We had to have the digger in again because the sides kept falling in at one end.



Here is BIL one, trying to work out where the boggy bits, around the edge, are.



TF Mrs. LoomB makes a start on the, all important, Mangoes, around the edge of the plot. Now we have two!



Last one, for now, shows the raised soil area, where the house will sit. I think this is, actually, just outside the living room, where the rockery and small waterfall/sound garden will be.

----------


## Texpat

You *do* realize what you're getting yourself into, don't you?  :Razz: 

Looks like a great adventure shaping up. Good luck to you and the lady.

Do you have a front elevation design?

----------


## Loombucket

> You *do* realize what you're getting yourself into, don't you? 
> 
> Looks like a great adventure shaping up. Good luck to you and the lady.
> 
> Do you have a front elevation design?


Yes I do and it's about 50/50 exciting/scary. I don't have any elevations yet but when I do, I will post them here. Thanks very much.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

A good start. I really looking forward to the rest of the adventure.

----------


## Loombucket

One or two problems have come to light. The first is the pipe we had put in to drain off the excess water, as well as the stuff that runs down the road. Here, the water has got under the pipe and washed the whole lot away. It was a cheap job, no foundations and too close to the fence.



We have been waiting, and waiting, for the soil man to arrive and spread a little more happiness around. More by luck than jugement, He arrived about the same time as the relatives that were doing the pipe job. Firstly, meet some more of the familly. Here is Khun Cow, on the left, and Khun Lee. Cow is a Carpenter from up in the north, somewhere, and worked the hardest on both days. He also has a great smile and a fruity laugh but didn't like the camera too much.




Time to get the digger in to clear up the mess and re-profile the edge of the lake. Notice Mrs LoomB giving strict instructions to the driver.

----------


## DrAndy

yeah, the edges of your pond are far too steep and will erode very quickly

never mind, it will keep you busy

----------


## Loombucket

Here is the mess cleaned up and the edges hammered down. A great improvement! That's Lung Pa, being in charge.



We had the digger cut a new slot for the pipe and then let it go, so it could dig up some soil from down the road.



Next, the boys got started on some sort of slab to mount the pipe on. That's home made concrete. Sand, cement and, what looked like, road building chippings. All mixed in a big metal box thing. Khun Cow, barefoot and up above his ankles.

----------


## Loombucket

> yeah, the edges of your pond are far too steep and will erode very quickly never mind, it will keep you busy


That's true, and I didn't really want it that big but, as you say, it will keep them all busy. I will slip into 'told you so' mode.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Here, we see the, nearly completed, pipe in it's new position. The boys broke the first two sections, getting them off the pickup. We bought two more and then rescued the others from the original mess.



Whilst this was going on, the boys from the soil were going hell for leather down the other end of the field.



We had Khun Wiha, four sons, three trucks, a tractor and a digger. Later we had two wives, who joined us for lunch and an improptu finger nail painting session. Here is Khun Wiha, checking his percentages and keeping an eye on things.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

> 


Oh, but you have a white cow. Very auspicious.

----------


## Loombucket

> Oh, but you have a white cow. Very auspicious.


That's actually on the road behind the fence, but I know what you mean.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Here is the new drain pipe in position with the soil put back where it belongs. Hopefully, this one will stay a little longer and not be so tempted to jump into the lake, the moment my back is turned.



This is the result of two days hard work by the soil crew. We needed the extra because they are widening the road and I wanted to go back by about a lanes width. Also, I fancied a larger, raised, space by the house, for parties and such.



Photo doesn't really do it justice. I needed to be up a tree and there aren't any handy, yet.
Well it has been a hot and busy week and although the first showers of rain have started to lay the dust, I reckon I have inhaled enough to fill a couple of barrows. The best part of the week, for me, was the loan of this little beauty. For a few hours, I roared up and down the road, at about 40 KPH, with a big grin on my face. If I ever have the money....... The worn out red plates were a nice touch.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Sorry, duplicate post

----------


## Tao

It's unlikely you are going mad but go easy on the Chang beer, i'm sure it gives me mental health problems.  Must be something about the chemicals in it...

----------


## baldrick

how long will you be letting the dirt settle ?

----------


## hillbilly

Love your photos!

----------


## Loombucket

> how long will you be letting the dirt settle ?


I'm not sure about that. Most of where the house will sit has been there a year. The bit at the back was hammered flat by the digger, then 'tarted up' by the tractor. I will take any helpfull advice and consider it.

----------


## Loombucket

> Love your photos!


Why thank you. I would love to share everything but we'd be here all week, laughing and waiting for the sever to melt.  :Smile:

----------


## sunsetter

lovin it!  keep it comin' !

----------


## cimboc

> 


What a beast!

Great thread, keep it coming LB  :Smile:

----------


## Carnwadrick

Great thread looking forward to seeing the house being built...did you figure out the name of the village..if not you could establish your own, how about Ban Loom Bucket has a nice sound to it, give a couple of years and it might be on the map

----------


## chuckd

Good thread.  I just completed a house outside Udorn.

It is not an easy project in LOS.  Luckily I was in Saudi when it was built.  I just sent money.

----------


## DrAndy

so chuckd, was the house as you expected?

and LoomB, this thread is good, and you haven't even started building yet

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Loomie, will you stock fish in the pond?

----------


## DiGGrDuGGr

Loom, 

Congrats on getting as far as you have, the best is still to come.

As far as the earth laid down for the house, the key to the whole puzzle is how well the earth will support the weight of the house.  As the weight bearing capabilities of the soil decreases, the foundation footprint must increase in surface area.  

You have not mentioned what type of foundation you plan to use so will withhold any further comments other than to say that when guessing on foundations  :dev+ang:  overkill is far better (and more expensive as well) than under kill.

Thx for sharing the pics, keep em cumming.

----------


## Loombucket

> did you figure out the name of the village


I'm working on it but I don't have the wits to write it down when they tell me. We are due to see the headman next week, he will know.





> will you stock fish in the pond?


Yes, anything that swims, crawls or flys will be made most welcome. If I like them, and we get on, they can stay.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ drunk farang on all fours? :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> ^ drunk farang on all fours?


He he he. No, I will strap any of those onto the plough if they come a calling. We can have some curly furrows in the veggie patch.

----------


## Loombucket

Still waiting for plans to arrive or a decent connection. We had an intense meeting with 'Archie 2' in the food place in Lotus at Sara Burri, of all places. We made a lot of noise, he made a lot of notes. In the end, I had to do a little shopping, just to get a bit of peace. We have had two sets of drawings since that meeting, but they were not quite right. Now we have been promised 'satisfaction' in three weeks. This is Archie 2, from the first meeting, seen here clutching a large bundle of handy hints on how to draw plans, for stupid farrang, curtesy of Mrs. LoomB.

----------


## DrAndy

nice shirt, so that will be Ok then

----------


## Loombucket

> nice shirt, so that will be Ok then


Yes, I hope so. We gave him a good *check* over before we gave him any money.   :Smile:

----------


## Smithson

Are you close to Saraburi? We've got land in Nakhon Nayok and are looking to build.

I've heard a lot of building products are cheaper in Saraburi?

----------


## MrBoJangles

> how long will you be letting the dirt settle ?


This is something i've been wondering about. We've got some land in Chaiyaphum and as we hadn't even thought about the size or tyope of house etc. the Mrs insisted that we at least had some soil trucked in and put down in the approximate area of where the house will eventually be built. 

This was about 2 years ago, so that soil should be fine but if we need to go bigger than what we have already put down, what's the best amount of time to leave it for and to let settle?

Excellent thread BTW Loom, i love the building ones.

----------


## Loombucket

> Are you close to Saraburi?


No, the family just goes to the temple there, once a month. It was easier to meet the Architect there than drive all the way to Bangkok, to his house.




> I've heard a lot of building products are cheaper in Saraburi?


That may be true but I don't have much experience in this field. It may be better to start another thread and ask that question. You will get a better response, from people that know what they are talking about. 




> what's the best amount of time to leave soil for and to let settle?


Most people reckon a year is ok, if you are only building a house. If you want to build a castle, the foundations would be deeper anyway.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Meet Khun Mow. He is the general handyman who has been helping us over the past few months. I have met some camera-shy Thai folk but this guy would run and hide every time the camera came out of the bag. I finally caught hime when he was exhausted, one time, and needed to sit down.



Master of the back hoe, Khun Mow will stay on and help us in the garden. Here he is again, disguising the neat terrace work at the outlet side of the drain pipe. Notice, also, that he appears to be having a little trouble with his phone implant, or maybe he knew that I was hiding in the tree.




Now we wait for the Songkraan thing to finish and if there is any water left, we might get connected.

----------


## Lady Hawk

thanx for sharing this L/B :Smile:  great thread

----------


## Loombucket

Here we go. These are not as good a quality as I would like, but I had to grab and photograph these before Mrs Loomb did her usual scrunching and scribbling. This is the front of the house or the view from the main road. Obviously, it won't be leaning over, like it is here.



This is the view from the side or from the small soi.



We have three beds and two bathrooms upstairs and a study/fourth bed room and bathroom down. That's the party terrace on the right and one's own, private terrace on the left. The kitchen is out the back and the lounge is on the left. Archi 1 or 2, or maybe both, are coming on Saturday with the full plans needed, to get the permit. I was so relieved, earlier, that I jumped for joy and pulled a muscle in my arm. :Sad:  On the upside, however, I got a litre of Tequila, at the border in Laos, that I was saving for my birthday. I may have to start it tonight. Cheers everyone.  :Smile:

----------


## dirtydog

> it won't be leaning over, like it is here.


Why ever not? The Leaning Tower of Piza is only famous due to it leaning a bit  :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,

     I'm finding your building project interesting as well as entertaining.  As said by others, this type of project can be exciting, frustrating, eductional, and nerve racking but in the end, we are much better people and a more well rounded individual for taking on and successfully accomplishing a project such as this.  I enjoy the photo updates and commentary.  Thanks.  Keep up the good work.

----------


## hillbilly

We need some pics!  :Smile:

----------


## jizzybloke

> I was so relieved, earlier, that I jumped for joy and pulled a muscle in my arm.


Tickled me that.

plans look good when does it start MrLoom?

----------


## Loombucket

> plans look good when does it start MrLoom?


They are promising to start before the end of the month. Maybe I will believe that, when I see it. If they don't get a wiggle on, I suspect that there will be an office in BKK with many broken windows and some bricks on the floor, if Mrs LoomB has anything to do with it!  :Smile: 

The Electric men came, sometime in the week, and put up this handy meter. They obviously have a bit more faith in the project, than I have had lately. Having said that, the Archi did come late last night and gave a fine demonstration of groveling. This would have redeemed him, in my book, but then he went off with my lighter... :Sad: 



Please note the hi-tec string and Issan style safety knot. I thought that the bolts were there just for show, untill I discovered the nuts in a small bag hanging behind??? Now, at least, it wont fall off.

I will post any new info, as it comes, and any pics worth sharing, hopefully, the same day. Thanks for all your support.

----------


## Loombucket

Mrs LoomB and I went to see the local 'old wise woman of the village' the other day. After 'chucking her old bones and bits of rock in the air, and muttering in a strange tounge', she announced the day that we must start to build. This was wasted on me, as I have a hard time with horoscopes and that sort of stuff. Actually, at the time, I had no idea what was going on, at all. I just sipped my water and grinned stupidly.

It seems that the day must be lucky or the building will not be any good. The choice of colours is important as well, including the roof and front gate. Our lucky day is, *pauses for fanfare *, *29th May!!* Just in time for my birthday. We have a choice of colours for the roof and the gate but that's a way off. No news on the water yet but there are a few gallons in the lake, if anyone wants to knock up some cement.  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

Just re-read this fine thread. Keep it coming with lots of photos.

Cranked up Google Earth to see if I could figure out where you are, but...

When you drive to Korat, do you go through Kham Thalay So, or how?

----------


## Loombucket

> Just re-read this fine thread. Keep it coming with lots of photos.


Will do and thanks very much.





> When you drive to Korat, do you go through Kham Thalay So, or how?


Yes, I've just checked it on the map, the 2068 heading south-ish. If you do a U-turn and go back up, take the left fork, the 2148 and you will see a little place called Ban Sa Chorakhe. We are a bit further up the road, where the river runs quite close to the road (on the map). Kham Thale So is close to you right?

----------


## buad hai

> Kham Thale So is close to you right?


Yes, about 12 K. I often go through there on my bicycle.

----------


## a. boozer

> Our lucky day is, *pauses for fanfare *, *29th May!!* Just in time for my birthday.


Sounds like it could be party time!

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Mrs LoomB and I went to see the local 'old wise woman of the village' the other day. After 'chucking her old bones and bits of rock in the air, and muttering in a strange tounge', she announced the day that we must start to build. This was wasted on me, as I have a hard time with horoscopes and that sort of stuff. Actually, at the time, I had no idea what was going on, at all. I just sipped my water and grinned stupidly.
> 
> It seems that the day must be lucky or the building will not be any good. The choice of colours is important as well, including the roof and front gate. Our lucky day is, *pauses for fanfare *, *29th May!!* Just in time for my birthday. We have a choice of colours for the roof and the gate but that's a way off. No news on the water yet but there are a few gallons in the lake, if anyone wants to knock up some cement.


Khun Loom,  no need to be a believer but don't take any chances by not following the wise ladies assessments of when to start building... even if it means just digging the hole or putting up some rebar columns.  me, i went to the extreme and had all the column holes dug and on that special day that was proclaimed as the best building day, we had our ground breaking ceremony, made offerings to the spirits, and lifted to rebar columns into the hole, threw a few coins and flower pettles into the hole and poured concrete around the base of those columns.  me superstitious?  no way, but still, I'm taking no chances. 

good luck with the build.

----------


## Loombucket

As an aside, but on a related topic, I just received this letter from the Architect. I had asked for an English translation of the breakdown in costs. This has been done by a 'professional person', at the office.

1. Lay design outline follows the data that the host give make orininal plan building manuscript, present for conside(r).

-Part all plan of building
-Perspective the body model, properly

2. When change original manuscript meditation has already, make the detail and list the work next.

-building part all plan.
-structure building engineering.
-electricity plan, public health plan
-the list assemble model.

3. Make the blue print

Note that the second page, with the prices on, was actually missing from the letter. Note, also, that it does actually make sense but uses a poor choice of sentence constuction. I suspect thet the 'professional person' in the office is a software programm. As long as we understand each other, there is no problem many.  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

^Hilarious. Looks like word for word with a dictionary....

Keep it coming!

----------


## a. boozer

Remembering that TIT, it seems pretty much par for the course! 

Good luck with the project.

----------


## Loombucket

We have some *bad* *news* and some *really terrible* *news*

The bad news is that the builder can't start on the twenty-nineth of May. He reckons that he gave us that date because of 'clerical error'. He is now looking at August.  :Sad: 

It won't be much of a problem to find another good builder and we have a full set of plans together with the permit. However, the really terrible news is that because we won't be using the Archtects buddy builder, he has hit us with a demand for 120K baht, for the kickback that he won't be getting, or we can't use the plans. This will make a large hole in what remains of our budget.  :Sad:  :Sad:  

We are now back at square one, albeit with some great plans that we can't use. I am currently working out that even if I redefine or mis-spell murder, could I live with a dead Architect on my conscience?

If things change, I will let you know.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

If you have the plans already and have paid the architect, the architect can go and fuck himself.

----------


## Loombucket

I would have thought so but I am not clear on a few details. As soon as I am done here I am off to find someone who speaks English and has a greater understanding of these things.

----------


## Thetyim

Send the architect a letter saying that the translation was incomplete and that page one was not in coherent English. Say you will get the translation done yourself .

This gives you reason to not pay any translation costs and  reason to with hold payment

----------


## a. boozer

Loombucket. Have you paid the Architect for drawing up the plans and got a receipt for such? If so they are yours to use as you choose.

----------


## Loombucket

It seems that the Architect has charged us for drawing the plans. He is demanding further payment so that we can actually use them because he has retained the copyright. It is possible that this man has never had a Father! Having spent the afternoon in the government offices and most of the evening on the telephone, I am forced to agree that we have been rooked left, right and center and must chalk this one up to experience. According to the government office, the Architect is acting within Thai civil law.  :Sad:  Unfortunately, Mrs LoomB has already paid him.  :Sad:  :Sad: 

However, under that same law, we can build a very close copy of his plan and get away with it. A bit like rewriting 'Stairway to heaven' in another key with a few notes missing and sung in Slovakian with a tone deaf choir.  :Smile: 

We are meeting with a Malaysian, English speaking and working in Thailand, Architect in the morning but he sounded ok on the telephone. As the new house will use the same size footprint, the Builder can get started and move his camp in. The phone line is down at the house so I will share photos with you next time.

----------


## Ciaphas

Good luck with finding a new architect. I look forward to seeing the build when it starts. As I discovered things are never easy in Thailand! :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## SEA Traveler

> It seems that the Architect has charged us for drawing the plans. He is demanding further payment so that we can actually use them because he has retained the copyright. It is possible that this man has never had a Father! Having spent the afternoon in the government offices and most of the evening on the telephone, I am forced to agree that we have been rooked left, right and center and must chalk this one up to experience. According to the government office, the Architect is acting within Thai civil law.  Unfortunately, Mrs LoomB has already paid him. 
> 
> However, under that same law, we can build a very close copy of his plan and get away with it. A bit like rewriting 'Stairway to heaven' in another key with a few notes missing and sung in Slovakian with a tone deaf choir. 
> 
> We are meeting with a Malaysian, English speaking and working in Thailand, Architect in the morning but he sounded ok on the telephone. As the new house will use the same size footprint, the Builder can get started and move his camp in. The phone line is down at the house so I will share photos with you next time.


Good that you received the official Thai govt office read on the situation.  It stinks but you can now proceed with piece of mind.  A little upset understandably but you seem to be in the right frame of mind to get over it.  good luck and carry on.

----------


## Texpat

Four most important words for a farang building a house here.

_Just pay the man._

----------


## georgem

Q con AAC Blocks and Panels quality and well priced all euro standards and fast , plus easy to work with. Tell them I sent you.

----------


## Loombucket

Right, here we go again.  :Smile: 

First picture of the new 'Archie'. He came, he sat, he babbled and then left. In between he explained that sometimes, farrang get caught by people with insuficient scruples and he tried hard to make me feel at ease. After he had presenting me with various promises, on different bits of paper, we talked about the internet, sewage and Malaysian hookers. His English was very good, thankfully.




Next up we have the new Builder. A fine man with a good reputation and plenty of well buit houses under his belt. He can't speak a word of English but he carries one of those translator things around in his car. After a few moments of frantic typing, he came up with 'Thailand is great places'. I shall enjoy working with him.



Having got the promise/contract signed, the above gentleman was quick to get the first of his 'stuff' on to the site. Sheds for the workers, planks for the shuttering and some form of Thai 'portaloo'. I can't wait to see that, up and running (or is that sitting).  :Smile: 



Building will commence at 08.39 on Wednesday 28/05/08. We have a Monk. I will be there with my trusty camera, a chair, an umbrella and a large jug of water.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Building will commence at 08.39 on Wednesday 28/05/08. We have a Monk. I will be there with my trusty camera, a chair, an umbrella and a large jug of water.


Glad to hear it.

----------


## More Volts Igor

> Sheds for the workers, planks for the shuttering and some form of Thai 'portaloo'. I can't wait to see that, up and running (or is that sitting).


If ever there was an image demanding photos, this is it. 'In use' of course  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by Loombucket
> 
> 
> Sheds for the workers, planks for the shuttering and some form of Thai 'portaloo'. I can't wait to see that, up and running (or is that sitting). 
> 
> 
> If ever there was an image demanding photos, this is it. 'In use' of course


No promises but I will do my best, cheers.

----------


## Loombucket

Now we begin on the building of some storage sheds for the cement and some temporary housing for the workforce. About 50% will be from the Builders own yard and the rest will be local 'craftsmen'. The chap with the specialist equipment is Khun Orn.



The Head man, of the Moo Baan, then came to give us his blessing. I played 'dumb farrang with camera', as I remember lying to him, two years ago, that I was not going to buy this land for myself. His only concern was about the ammount of whisky he could count on, as some sort of bribe.




Let me introduce Khun Chinee and her collection of S.C.E.G.A. That's Self Contained Eating Grass Apparatus. Well, we can't afford a strimmer at the mo and these little darlings leave a small deposit where ever they go. It seemed churlish, not to leave the gate open every now and then.




I asked if they all had names, but I am now used to that blank look. A cross between WTF and is he dangerous? Name is Cow, I was reliably informed.  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

Great to see that it's going again. You do nice photography and I'm looking forward to a nice long thread here. Best of luck.

----------


## DrAndy

> It seems that the Architect has charged us for drawing the plans. He is demanding further payment so that we can actually use them because he has retained the copyright. .


That is normal practice insofar as he retains the copyright

but you don´t have to pay to use the plans he gave you

you would have to pay if you wanted the CD with the plans on, for instance. Just using the plans should have no extra costs

----------


## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by Loombucket
> 
> 
> It seems that the Architect has charged us for drawing the plans. He is demanding further payment so that we can actually use them because he has retained the copyright. .
> 
> 
> That is normal practice insofar as he retains the copyright
> 
> but you don´t have to pay to use the plans he gave you
> ...


He put a note on each page to say that the house could only be built using his Company. Otherwise we would have gone ahead. His Company owns the original buiders and half a dozen other firms. He telephoned again to say that he would settle for 50k Bht but Mrs. LoomB blew his ears off. I sent him a large tube of KY jelly......... :Wink:

----------


## DrAndy

cheeky bastard. However, as the plans were commisioned by yourself, and as they do not constitute a contract, ignore that stupid note

he does not have the right to post that unless that is what you agreed when hiring him to do the drawings

----------


## jaiyenyen

Really good photo's LB.
This thread has all the makings of a classic.

----------


## Loombucket

I missed the Architect this morning. By the time I made it to the site, everything had been marked out with boards, string and little pegs painted red. A quantity of sand had also arrived, to help with leveling out.



Meanwhile, the boys were hard at it, making a shady place to bend the bars, keep the cement and chill out from the suns heat. Note the homemade tressel.




By the end of the afternoon, it looked like this from the small soi behind. The room on the right is the boss's bedroom



This is khun Ek, Master shedmaker. I don't think he is used to smiling at farrangs but he did a good job for me. Khun Pon did his best to hide. I will catch him later, when he thinks I have forgotten.



With the shed up, we needed a little power to start cutting the metal work. Khun Udon supplied the basics and screwed them to a handy pole.



Here is the rebar cutter in action. Time to start work on that, all important, first pillar. 


No news on the 'portaloo' yet, but they seem to have all the right stuff.  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

I know this is a construction thread, but you really get great people shots. Nice work.

----------


## Loombucket

> I know this is a construction thread, but you really get great people shots. Nice work.


Thanks very much. I just hang about and laugh a lot. Sometimes I bribe them with ciggies but after i have gone 'yim yim' a few times, they usually put me out of my misery. Children take the best pix, they are easier to bribe.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

We all got up early and made our ways up to the site before breakfast. In accordance with traddition, we put down mats and laid out a simple meal. The 'old man of the village' then came and lit some candles. I was under strict instructions not to photograph anything before the post went up. I sneeked this shot of the meal, before we all sat down. Note the 'special' Christmas bowls.



Two ceremonial pillars were constucted and then adorned with string, young Banana plants, some cloth, three colours of some sort of gauze, some money and, of course, gold. Every one gave a big cheer as they were lifted into position and then supported on poles.



Each of the decorations has a great significance. The Banana is the symbol of fertility and new life. The string is for the church, the money for an offering and the cloth for the people. I'm not sure about the gold, but it did look good in the sun.



All of a sudden, it was all over and they all went back into the shade to eat. The boys then rushed out and started digging like crazy.



After 1 1/2 hours, it was starting to look like a hole.



Meanwhile, back in the shed, the girls were assembling the metal parts that make up the pillars. Khun Sarapon,



....and Khun Eugh



Now you have met all the staff, we will leave them in peace, for a while, and see what they have done by tomorrow.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,

     Oh how I can appreciate the ceremony for the blessing of the land and work site.  I enjoyed it tremendously when we did ours back in January '08.  Your up close and personal photos are a nice feature to this submission.

     Best of luck with the progress.

----------


## Loombucket

As you can see, the most important building on the site is up and functioning and nicely hidden behind a handy tree. Mind you, it's a long walk from the shed if you are in a hurry. It must be hell if you are in bed and need to go. To get a shot of it in use, however, will require subtifuge as it is only a few feet from the fence and there is no cover on the other side. It will be a challenge.  :Smile:

----------


## mrsquirrel

Dirty bastards have left splatter marks already.

----------


## Loombucket

We had a nice pile of bricks waiting for us this morning, possibly to make it obvious that this was now a working site. Despite this, the rebar truck drove straight past three times, when they finaly got here.



It was jolly hot all day and the boys were complaining that the ground was very hard. So hard, in fact, that we had to borrow some water from next door...




...and soak the ground to make it a little softer.



Meanwhile, the girls were having a great time making up base plates for the bottom of the pillars. They go in upside down and are cemented into the pillars, forming secure plates.



It wasn't long before my lovely site was starting to look like we were making fox holes for a small war. Soaking and digging was working, though, and towards the end of the day, it looked like this.



Here we see a hole that is ready for the next stage. Notice the change in earth colour as it goes under the fill. One down, another fifteen odd to go.



We waited all day for the rebar to come. The truck broke down, got lost, went back to base and my a miracle, managed to arrive only five minutes after we called them and told them not to bother. It was then unloaded, counted and paid for. When I asked how much, they all agreed that it was six kilometers??? I think that's plenty.



They reckon to have all the holes done by tomorrow, so we may see a pillar up.  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

What fun. Great photos again. Keep 'em coming!

----------


## SEA Traveler

> ...and soak the ground to make it a little softer.
> 
> 
> 
> It wasn't long before my lovely site was starting to look like we were making fox holes for a small war. Soaking and digging was working, though, and towards the end of the day, it looked like this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They reckon to have all the holes done by tomorrow, so we may see a pillar up.


 
Khun Loom, is it because the labor is so inexpensive that it was dug by humans rather than with a backho or some other piece of machinery?  Digging holes in hard soil is back breaking work....  I've dug more than 1 fox hole in my life.

----------


## a. boozer

Loombucket, As has been previously said, you take some great pictures. Maybe you might consider a new thread - 'How to take good quality pictures', as I am sure that there are others apart from myself would benefit. Besides, with nothing much to do for the next few months, it might help in relieving the boredom! (Joke).
This thread looks as if it has the making of one of the (many) good ones, good luck with the project and keep the posts coming!

----------


## HINO

Your pictures are first rate and the story that goes with them keeps me wanting more. Keep them coming

----------


## buad hai

> you take some great pictures. Maybe you might consider a new thread - 'How to take good quality pictures'


Seconded. Somehow you get photos of people that are wonderful. Not posed, just great shots of people being themselves. Wonderful work.

What sort of camera, by the way?

----------


## mrsquirrel

> Khun Loom, is it because the labor is so inexpensive that it was dug by humans rather than with a backho or some other piece of machinery? Digging holes in hard soil is back breaking work.... I've dug more than 1 fox hole in my life.


A friend on Ko Chang had a well dug - 6m. Dug by hand for 1200B. A digger would have cost her 5000B.

Well wasn't deep enough so another 1200B dug it another 6M by hand - a digger would have been 5000B+

This was in 2002 so no idea how much it has gone up now but I can't imagine it's much

----------


## ChiangMai noon

^
JCB cost me 5,000 baht for a day.

----------


## cimboc

Great update LB, wow those pillar holes look like killers - hope you weren't planning on digging a well  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by a. boozer
> 
> you take some great pictures. Maybe you might consider a new thread - 'How to take good quality pictures'
> 
> 
> Seconded. Somehow you get photos of people that are wonderful. Not posed, just great shots of people being themselves. Wonderful work.
> 
> What sort of camera, by the way?


My camera is a Sony DSC-H1 and is my first digital. I think that's the best compliment that I have had for a long time. I will consider giving lessons but it is more of an eye thing. I see beauty and I try and capture it.

Meanwhile, back at the thread, yes labour is very cheap here and my builder likes nice, square and accurate holes. It is back breaking work, which is why I have the local people doing it for me.

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Originally Posted by SEA Traveler
> 
> Khun Loom, is it because the labor is so inexpensive that it was dug by humans rather than with a backho or some other piece of machinery? Digging holes in hard soil is back breaking work.... I've dug more than 1 fox hole in my life.
> 
> 
> A friend on Ko Chang had a well dug - 6m. Dug by hand for 1200B. A digger would have cost her 5000B.
> 
> Well wasn't deep enough so another 1200B dug it another 6M by hand - a digger would have been 5000B+
> 
> This was in 2002 so no idea how much it has gone up now but I can't imagine it's much


 
As I figured.  The more cost effective way was by manual labor.  Makes sense as long as your not the one having to dig the hole.

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Originally Posted by buad hai
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by a. boozer
> ...


Khun Loom,

     Passing on the "having a good eye" thing is difficult.  Either a person's got it or they don't.  Fortunatly for you, you got...

     Good decision on having the local labor do all the back breaking work.  If you are anything like myself when I was in LOS doing what I could to oversee my house building project, you are bending the elbow a little to settle the nerves with liguid refreshment...  and that can get pretty tough on the elbow.

     Enjoying the reports.  Good work!

----------


## Loombucket

We don't have too much to show for ourselves today. I spent most of the day at a School fundraising. Joking with the kids, hobnobing with the govenors and trying to get sneaky shots of the staff. Anyway, Khun Udon spent most of the day making the bottom ends of the pillars, on his jig in the shed.



Here, you can see them in all their glory. Quite artistic, I thought.



The Boys and Girls worked very hard, all day, to finish the holes. Here is Khun Pon waiting for devine intervention or, possibly, a ciggie.



The cement truck is coming tomorrow afternoon, to put some weight into the holes and support the metal statues. I will try to get there early, so that I can see the sand into the bottom.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Loving it, Loomie.

----------


## jizzybloke

Coming along nicely MrLoom, great piccies too :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Time to get those pillars in. Here we see the hole with a binding layer of sand and a bit of cement on top. I was still in bed while this was being done.



Now the base plate is lowered in......



........and held up on some bricks. That's Khun Orn's foot. Cheaper than socks, I guess.




Next, the pillar bottom is put in and wired to the base frame. The blue string lines make sure that everything is in the right place. Note the Isaan style ladder.



Right on cue, the cement truck thunders onto the site and does its' best to get stuck in a hole. After two or three attempts, it make the hill and starts to unload it's precious cargo. There is much relief all round. The home made chute will be used for where the truck cannot get.



Where the chute was not long enough, we had to form a chain like this.



One truck was just not enough, but the second one arrived not long after the first had left. He had no trouble, at all, in finding a nice deep hole. It fitted his back wheel a treat.



We tried to dig him out but he was too heavy. There was nothing for it, we all had to lend a hand with the buckets, me included, so there are no pics. This was a shame because there was a lot of giggling and dropping of empty buckets. Eventually, another cement truck arrived and pulled the first one out.



Another good day but after only two hours 'helping out', I am utterly knackered. On the good side, however, we have fourteen of these, ready for the next stage.



I am having a small birthday tomorrow, so there may not be a report. I intend to spend a quiet day reading the paper, flirting with my favorite shop girls and getting drunk with the BIL's. Cheers.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

I find these threads very entertaining. Good reporting as ever.

Have a happy bidet tomorrow.

----------


## jaiyenyen

Have a great birthday and enjoy your day off, but remember to be back on duty, camera in hand, the day after. :Wink:

----------


## jizzybloke

Happy birthday Loomy! :Smile:

----------


## Tokyo Rose

Happy birthday Loombucket.  :Party:  Good luck on your house.  :Wiggle:

----------


## Fabian

> I find these threads very entertaining. Good reporting as ever.
> 
> Have a happy bidet tomorrow.


Second that.

----------


## astasinim

> Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> 
> 
> I find these threads very entertaining. Good reporting as ever.
> 
> Have a happy bidet tomorrow.
> 
> 
> Second that.


Yep. All the best

----------


## Loombucket

> cheeky bastard. However, as the plans were commisioned by yourself, and as they do not constitute a contract, ignore that stupid note
> 
> he does not have the right to post that unless that is what you agreed when hiring him to do the drawings


I've been doing a spot of fundraising for a local Primary School. One of the Teachers is very good at translation and she checked over the paperwork. It seems that we did agree to that, in the first place, so he was within his rights. An expensive lesson, we won't make it again.  :Smile:

----------


## Fabian

So what are you doing now, slightly change the plans or do you have to start from scratch?

----------


## sunsetter

appy birthday lb

----------


## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,  It may very well be belated but Happy Bday.  Enjoy!

----------


## Loombucket

> So what are you doing now, slightly change the plans or do you have to start from scratch?


We just need to change them slightly, move a few things over by an inch or tway.

Thanks for all the Bd wishes everyone.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Another year older and we've got off to a good start. We had three teams up at the site today, team one were working on the fence. Here is the problem. We have dumped so much earth on the soi side of the land, it appears that the fence has dropped. As you can see, a little digging found the bottom strand of wire.



The posts need to go up by, at least six or seven inches. Here, the local lads are straightening the guide post. This was about the right hight but not quite in the right place.



Meanwhile, at the entrance to the soi, someone was digging a trench and complaining bitterly. He was the Headman's assistant and he wanted to be elsewhere.



Back at the site, the boys made frames for the shuttering........



........and the girls made more of those metal frames. Khun Orn made sure that every twist of wire was well tight.



Back at the entrance to the soi, another chap was hard at work. He did everything possible to avoid having his photo taken, including hiding in his van. I managed to get this by 'borrowing' a small van and hiding in the back myself.  :Smile: 



Shortly after this, we had one of these. A Thai style water meter with more counters than an English Gas meter.



I decided that my workers were all working very hard and deserved an ice cream. We have two guys that ply for trade, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They just drive on to the site and wait. Here, the girls enjoy a home made cone. They actually had one each but they don't last long in the heat.



Last one, for today, is Khun Ard. The colour of his outfit gives you some idea of how far down he is prepared to dig. Seen here tickling the bottom of a post. 


I hope he comes back tomorrow, those posts are bladdy heavy. Cheers.

----------


## SEA Traveler

> I decided that my workers were all working very hard and deserved an ice cream. We have two guys that ply for trade, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They just drive on to the site and wait. Here, the girls enjoy a home made cone. They actually had one each but they don't last long in the heat.
> 
> 
> 
> .


Yup!  Always recommended to treat the workers the way you would want to be treated.  It helps the moral and desire to not want to intentionally do a bad job.

My payback to the workers was a few cases of Chang or Leo after hours on a Saturday evening.

Good postings Khun Loom.

----------


## Loombucket

I think that this is day seven. To be honest, I am slowly loosing track.  :Smile: 

Seeing as I missed the Architects measuring equipment, and his red and white pole, you can imagine my joy when this little gadget came out. The trusty plumb bob. Here, Khun Udon checks his figures, one last time, before the pillars are extended to mate with the ground beams.



The fence boys had, indeed, returned and had done a first class job of lifting the posts. My estimate of six to seven inches was a bit off.



It's nice to see so many happy faces on the site. Here Khun Erk give a demonstration of the barbed wire stretching tool. I think he put that bit of grass there on purpose.



It was very hot today. So hot that the boys put up some shade to stop the cement going off before they could use it.



Mere mortals, like us, repair to the local noodle bar for something very cold and wet. Khun Orn, however, has a dip in his own plunge pool. It's technically next door, so I haven't managed to catch him actually plunging, but he always comes back dripping, with a big smile on his face.



When we got back from lunch, the team had managed eleven of these and went back to frame making and metal work.



Tomorrow they are threatening to start laying out the ground beams, if it doesn't rain.

----------


## sunsetter

nice one lb, great pics

----------


## Loombucket

Right on cue, it starts to rain. Then it hammers down like crazy. I thought that things were going a little too well  :Sad: . This was the scene that greeted us this morning.



It did stop for a while and the gang did manage to finish raising the rest of the pillars.



Unfortunately, the rain then returned with that sort of vengance that make one seek the shelter of solid objects.



This was how it looked at about half past three and we all went home. I pity Khun Orn, as he has to sleep there tonight. The shed was, not exactly, waterproof. I think I will get him off the icecreams and on to the Leos. That will warm him up a bit.   :Smile:

----------


## sunsetter

been getting a lot of rain in the uk lately, but not quite the same as that tropical stuff, whats the long range forecast lb?

----------


## ChiangMai noon

> This was how it looked at about half past three and we all went home. I pity Khun Orn, as he has to sleep there tonight.


building in the rainy season is guaranteed to slow it all up a bit.

think we only lost half a day through rain building January through march.

----------


## Loombucket

Khun Orn, the phantom plunger, has dashed off to BKK, as his wife has just given birth to their first child. We wish him the very best and hope that he comes back ASAP.  :Smile:  Meanwhile, the sun had done it's best to dry out yesterday's soggy mess. The holes were all filled in and the land was roughly made flat again.



Small trenches were then cut, into the soil, linking the exposed uprights. Next, a layer of sand was laid down to make a surface that could be accurately leveled. The redundant top binder was also removed, from each 'pillar' and the tops cleaned off.



Now it starts to look like something. While the team got on with this little chore, the Boss was hard at work on more shuttering. I've noticed that he actually whistles all the time he has a hammer in his hand.



Time for a cool one before the big lift. Actually, they are drinking 'Bebsy' and that vile green Fanta, with lots of ice. I suppose it's a sugar rush thing.



Now it is time to see if the first groundbar will fit in place. Without Khun Orn, doing most of the work, the others struggle but manage to lift in in place, bit by bit. Must be bladdy heavy!



Here is a closeup of the union between horizontal and vertical. It was a pretty good fit, ATASTTB.  :Wink: 



One down and about eight or nine to go. They will be supported on bricks and wired to the uprights. Next they will be shuttered, that is, have a little wooden wall all around to support the cement. The cement truck is due, again, on Monday. That gives us just enough time to make some sort of pathway, capable of supporting the weight of the loaded truck. I don't want a repeat of last time.  :Smile:

----------


## DrAndy

It is always great when the foundations are laid and you can get on with the real bit of building

keep up the nice pics and good luck

----------


## SEA Traveler

Step by step...  good progress Khun Loom!

----------


## Loombucket

Please excuse this early report, as I have a kids party to attend this Pm. We will have a clown, some silly games and, probably, some bad singing but that's enough about me.  :Smile:  This was the scene today with most of the pre-made ground bars in position.



All of the remaining pieces had to be threaded through and then wierd together in situ, without the benefit of any shade. The two with their backs to us are in, what will be, the lounge. The hight of the beams will be, about, the hight of the floor.



Now Khun Udom, the Builder, decided to put the remaining uprights in position. I thought that they were a bit short but there are smaller bits that will go on top. First the 'bottoms' are pinched together and tied off.



Then the upright is placed on top and the 'pinch' is released.



Then everything is wired together and 'Bingo'.



It looks a bit wobbley, at this stage. It will be supported during the cement pouring, to ensure that it stays in the correct place.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Good reporting and picture taking Khun Loom.  I like seeing, what appears to be, all the open farm land surrounding the area where you are building.  Keep up the good work...

Cake and Ice Cream at the Bday party???  What about cold liquid refreshment?

----------


## Loombucket

> Cake and Ice Cream at the Bday party??? What about cold liquid refreshment?


They were all Thai kids, so it was more of a crisps and fruit fest. I was on the iced water. It doesn't do to be 'wobbly' at these sort of events. Besides, I take my responsibilities very seriously.  :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Originally Posted by SEA Traveler
> 
> Cake and Ice Cream at the Bday party??? What about cold liquid refreshment?
> 
> 
> They were all Thai kids, so it was more of a crisps and fruit fest. I was on the iced water. It doesn't do to be 'wobbly' at these sort of events. Besides, I take my responsibilities very seriously.


Not exactly what I ment but like I said, "cold liquid refreshment"...  Water it is...

----------


## Loombucket

With Khun Orn still at his wife's bedside, and the two boys off fishing, it was down to the Builder and the lazy one to find enough wood to shutter all the ground beams. Here is the first one. Notice that it was been covered in some sort of black goo, that smelled a lot like Wintergreen oil. It stops the cement from sticking, I was told.



Everything and anything that is vaugely flat is pressed into service and then nailed together. Pole and rods stop the whole thing from falling over. Measurements are taken, against the blue string, every time Khun Udon moves.



This was the picture at 13.00 today. Not pretty, not ugly, just art.



That is going to be a tough course to navigate with heavy buckets, if the truck gets stuck again.  :Smile:  This taken yesterday, under a threatening sky, shows the site looking more like a pirate radio relay station.........



......."Well good evening folks, you are listening to Radio LoomB, broadcasting on fourteen hundred meters and ten fagocycles. We'll be right back to our program, The Mahavishnu Orchestra plays Alvin Stardust's greatest hits, but first a word from our sponsor".....(hiss....crackle).... :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Notice that it was been covered in some sort of black goo, that smelled a lot like Wintergreen oil. It stops the cement from sticking, I was told.
> 
> 
> 
> This was the picture at 13.00 today. Not pretty, not ugly, just art.


Good call on explaining the Wintergreen (whatever) oil/tar.  It sounds reasonable.

"Good", "Bad", or "Ugly" looks does not matter at this point.  It is what the end product looks like and the assurance of the specs being followed.

Now, if it was a woman we were talking about, that is a whole new discussion about what it looks like but even then, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder".

Good job Khun Loom.  I am enjoying reading and following your house construction project.

----------


## Loombucket

Sorry about the brief lull in reporting guys (and gals). We have a small, ongoing, computer related problem, at this end, and will be back with you shortly.

----------


## Loombucket

Where was I...

Cement is now arriving a day early! There is now some semblence of panic in the camp and we are still one man short. Khun Udon whips out a, previously unseen, circular saw and starts cutting up everything in sight. Note the enthusiasm of the man holding the job steady.



A little shower, signals a return to the shed, where the girls get on with making beam binders for the next floor. Always a good standby job this, as you can never have enough, or so it seems.



Now we are close to getting there. Soil is ramped up, from the floor, to hold the botton of the shutters in place.



Here we are ready to go. Even the mark-out frame has been sacrificed for the all important planking.



Every one is very tired and they get to go home early. I am knackered and have done nothing but watch. I water the plants around the lake so that I can, at least, say that I have done something.

----------


## cimboc

^ Is that flicking a switch on the retic?

 :Wink:

----------


## Loombucket

They started without me again and I was half hoping that the truck would get stuck. We have a big truck first and a smaller one after, same as before.This time the soil has been built up and driven over, a few times, just in case.



Today we have one or two extra people, but there was no time to get a clean shot of them as they beaverd away. We employed the same tried and tested bucket chain method as before. They made it look easy.



Here is Khun Udom with a bit of metal, working the mixture into all the corners.



Here he is again filling in the odd hole and making sure that the tops were nice and smooth. Note the short metal bars. These will be bent over to help with the bonding of the flat cement areas outside and in the downstairs Hong Nam (toilet).



That's both trucks on site and unloaded but I knew, in my heart, that it couldn't last. The same driver both times and he does his cleaning and then empties his water tank in the same place. Then he drives backwards behind a tree, so he can have a leak. Then he got stuck. Unfortunately, everyone had just gone home.



The rest of us watched him for about twenty minutes, as he slowly dug himself out. I didn't mind the holes in my garden that much, at least I found out where the good soil was.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

They are taking the shuttering off already and trying to salvage any decent wood. The cement has been stained by the 'Wintergreen oil' and looks a little ugly. This will be the lounge, with a door here and one on the left at the back.



Most of the team are back in the shed making up the beams for the next floor.



We are now up to date and this will be the view from the kitchen window.



I'm off for something cold and wet and I don't mean a Dog's nose.  :Smile:

----------


## cimboc

> 


When someone at our work gets the company vehicle bogged its a carton straight up    :Beerchug:

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Every one is very tired and they get to go home early. I am knackered and have done nothing but watch. I water the plants around the lake so that I can, at least, say that I have done something.


There is nothing more relaxing than watching someone else do all the physical labor...  but even too much of this is enough to make the best of us tired.

Enjoying the post Khun Loom and the house is coming along nicely.

----------


## Loombucket

Even great men, like our Builder, need to take a day away from things. So, today, camera shy Khun Mau is keeping a watchful eye on the site, the rest of the rebar and our last five bags of cement. With no one working, and thus no noise, the place was alive with Butterflies. Unfortunately, they don't pose for photos and are far too quick for me! Anyway, here we can see the shutters all gone and ready for the next stage.



This end is going to be the stairwell. The extra rods will give a decent key to the stair assembly and the small landing. Note the Thai style safety features. The one on the left is Khun Udons's personal mug and the one in the middle was the nail pouch.



Blocks and wooden poles are next on the list, I suspect, we seem to have enough beams to keep us going a while.



That's all for today.  :Smile:

----------


## DrAndy

hooray, looking good

move in soon

----------


## SEA Traveler

Developing countries are great at using their ingenuity for meeting requirement, Safety requirements included.  The Safety features you reference Khun Loom are better than nothing and is progress from what didn't exist not thought of previously in Thailand.  Now if there was a way to get the workers from wearing flip flops to the construction site that would be a big improvement.  I never heard of a flip flop stopping a nail from penetrating the sole or from protecting something from falling and injuring a foot.

Anyway, you can claim going green on your house project with the "green" roof.  Leave it to the Mrs...  good choice.

     Continued great photos.  good job.

----------


## Loombucket

> hooray, looking good move in soon


Cheers, I tried to spend one night in a tent, after the electricity was put on. I was doing great, had my supper and was listening to Free Radio something and preparing to bed down for the night, when I was forcibly removed by the BIL and his g/f. The reason, I was told, is that bully come and kill you. They were both very upset that I could be so stupid as to stay there alone, but they had not seen Khun Mau, washing his shirt and grinning like a fool, from the safety of the work shed. Didn't have the heart to tell them.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Today was another burst of activity, with the team hard at it making wooden structures. These are all-in-one shutters for the next stage of pillar, made from Mango wood. It's cheap and cheerfull, with no other redeaming qualities other than it takes a nail quite easily.



Here, we see the master craftsman at work on the next important item. Take one Eucalliptus pole and attach it to another piece of the Mango wood and brace the sides, Make sure that you have, at least, three Meters of pole and then cut the end off.



Repeat untill you have enough or you run out of poles. At 30 Baht a pop, I think we can have as many as we need. These will be used to hold the next floor up.



Meanwhile, at the site of the house, we were having a little more soil delivered. Khun Mau kept a close eye on everything, or maybe, was filling in his pools coupon.



They dumped the soil, the best that we had ever got from those same guys, straight into my foundations.



Then they ran over it with the tractor and pushed it about a bit.



This, of course, is quite normal, and how all good Thai houses are made. If it isn't, those are the most expensive raised beds, I have ever seen.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

After the relative horror of watching people try to bury the foundations yesterday, it was a relief to see that they had been rediscovered this morning. *pic deleted by accident* Here we see the original beams being cleaned ready for marking. Note the Issan style hand brush.



Ready for some carefull measuring and marking.



Next, the all-in-one shutters have their fronts prised off and are placed, carefully, into position.



Then the fronts are hammered back on and the assembly is centered. The holes are for poking the mixture inside, to ensure that it gets everywhere.



Meanwhile, a tad more soil is added and then flattened out a bit. If you live near us and you see a very large hole, it's probably us that had the soil from it. This does wonders for the view but not much for the budget. Later, a small wall will hold all the soil together.



Time for a break, and cue the rain! Even the workshed is not much protection for sideways stuff. 


Fortunately, it soon stops and there is the usual mad rush to finish. The little sticks, on the side of the pillars, is so the boys can climb up and pour the cement down the hole. Here we are, done for the day. You can just see the little wedges that hold the sticks away from the sides, or the sides tight to the vertical. Can't be much fun climbing those wearing flip-flops.



They are pouring the cement, for the first seven pillars, tomorrow.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Exciting stuff Khun Loom.  Keep up the good work.

----------


## HINO

Yeah I agree great stuff Loom

Curiosity gets me here. You say they will climb the "shutters" to pour the concrete mix? By hand? bucket by bucket?

Do you not have a CPAC truck deliver this mix and then a large bucket to raise up with a lift and fill all at once? 

Seems like a long process.

----------


## Loombucket

> You say they will climb the "shutters" to pour the concrete mix? By hand? bucket by bucket?


Yes, time consuming but the cheaper option. It does take a while but it gives the Builder a chance to rattle the rebar and chivy the workers along. Read on.......

----------


## Loombucket

Right, here we go. Shutters all plumbed, by that I mean dead upright, fixed at the bottom and braced to prevent any movement. Here is a tool that I have not seen in use for many years.



It is a bit of plastic pipe with some water in it, prevented from escaping by the old thumb. Quite accurate it was too. 



Now it's time to mix up the concrete. First, take an old plastic bath tub. In goes the water, followed by the cement. Stir with the back hoe.



Then, mix in some sand and chippings. It looked totally random to me, but every batch has been the same colour. Then, we went back to the 'good old fasioned' human bucket chain. The noise, as it went down the hole, reminded me of a giant 'rain stick'. The shutters get filled half way, to give the mix a chance to get sticky, and then are finished up to the top. *Note, we had an Issan style safety ladder after all.



After the shutter is full, these rods are placed in the handy holes, to give a key for the bricks.



Whilst this was going on, the soil boys were hard at it, re-profiling the back garden.



Time for a break. Do I hear rain? No, it is the sound of a three cylinder Diesel, about to run out of juice. At least it gives us a chance for a better look at the different levels behind the house.



He actally sat there for an hour, before making it to the truck to call for help. I'm glad we are paying by the load.  :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

Continued good reporting Khun Loom.  Good to see that progress continues and that Murphy is still locked up....

----------


## SEA Traveler

Yup, the old water in claar hose leveling trick.  They used that contraption at my place as well.  It is very effective.  Issac Newton would have been proud.

----------


## Loombucket

Not a big report today, I was busy and there was a lot of rain up at the site. Here is the first view of real pillars.



Not pretty, not perfect, but true and square and you won't see them when the house is done anyway. These are the ones poured yesterday. The team managed three today, in between the rain, and will pour the rest tomorrow. Here you see them trying to bang the rods in, after they had left the bottoms to go sticky for a bit too long.



No joy at catching anyone in the 'dunny', I may have to fake a picture later.  :Smile:

----------


## The Gentleman Scamp

Nice one Loom - when is it due for completion?

----------


## dirtydog

> Now it's time to mix up the concrete. First, take an old plastic bath tub. In goes the water, followed by the cement. Stir with the back hoe.


Thats a bit wrong, first in goes the sand, then cement, then stone and then it is mixed and water is added. Although the stone can be added after the water.

----------


## Loombucket

> Nice one Loom - when is it due for completion?


In about nine weeks time, if we don't get too much rain.




> Thats a bit wrong, first in goes the sand, then cement, then stone and then it is mixed and water is added. Although the stone can be added after the water.


I agree, and that's how we do it at home, but I was watching like a hawk and I swear that's how they did it.

Internet is running very slowly tonight, so pictures tomorrow, OK?

----------


## Loombucket

With the last of the pillars being poured, it starts to look like something. This, taken from the back of the property, shows our reduced, four person crew, desperately trying to finish.



Hard to get a decent picture, of what is actually happening, the noble art of pillar splashing is a most important part of building. The pillars are wetted, periodically, to stop them drying out too quickly. Sorry about the angle.



After the cleanup, and with Khun Udom on the phone to his wife, the crew take a, well earned, ten minuits before the next stage. The place looks a bit of a mess, but then so do I.



After a spot of lunch, I arrive back to this. The upper floor beam supports are being put into place. This is the front of the house, with the stairwell poking out.



It looked a tad flimsy but was actually very strong and would have taken my weight. I declined the offer, as I tend to feel a little sick on thick lino. Here, Khun Udom sits atop the structure, shouting at his minions and making complicated adjustments with his feet.



It took them the best part of half a day to do one long side of the house. It will, probably, take them a few days to complete the rest and then they have to lift the beams on and secure them all together. We have all the necessary beams on standby, so we are looking at the next truck load of cement for Thursday.



I can't wait to see how they manage to lift these up to the first floor, by hand.  :Smile:

----------


## The_Dude

I hope all will be wearing the standard saftey sandels.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

I was most impressed with how much work had been done today. This view, from behind, shows the shutters all off and much of the support woodwork in place. 



We had no rain, and not much sun, today. Ideal conditions for the team. The girls had been let loose with the high tec equipment and were busy making support rods.



The boys were all busy collecting timber,



...sawing the ends of the poles off,



...and banging nails in. Of course there was the usual marking, checking and flashing the blue string.



The safety man took his duties very seriously. I must not be unkind to him, I understand he is on a much lower rate than the two younger boys.



One more day of this and we will have recycled all the timber again. Nothing like getting your monies worth. Shame we can't do the same with the nails.   :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

Looking Good Khun Loom.  If the saftey man shaved, possibly he might get a promotion to safety supv and the resulting increased daily salary.

----------


## Loombucket

> Looking Good Khun Loom. If the saftey man shaved, possibly he might get a promotion to safety supv and the resulting increased daily salary.


No, I think he is actually married to one of the girls, so he comes as part of the package. He is a good bloke, just a bit slow.

----------


## Loombucket

*Actually it's day Twenty two*
With most of the beam support woodwork in place, it starts to look like a medieval Kew gardens type greenhouse. Note that all the salvaged wood is now ready for it's next shuttering duty.



Here, the staff wait patiently for their lunch, as the great man pontificates above them.



After lunch, it's time to get that, all important, first beam up. Again, they make it look relatively easy.



Unfortunately, it has been badly marked and they put it in the wrong place. This news is greeted by much laughter from below.



Then they have to move it across the 'house' and over a couple of pillars. Khun Udom was showing off his acrobatic skills and the boys were giggling like school girls but they got there in the end.



After the first beam, the rest went up quite quickly. Here the boys thread a partially built beam through another. Note the safety equipment! It made me feel sick just watching them.



This was the last beam for today and they had saved the heaviest till last.



Once up, all the beams were wirered together like before. Was this to stop them falling off, I asked. No, it was to stop them being stolen. Well I've heard of nicking Lead of the Church roof but I guess this is Thailand.  :Smile:

----------


## sunsetter

nice pics lb, damn fine thread you got yourself here mate, keep it coming :Smile:   grreeeeeen!

----------


## ThisOldHouse

Yes, you do have the eye for creating some interesting pics!  The way you capture your workers as the project progresses makes this a great thread.  Looking forward to more...
=TOH=

----------


## Loombucket

This was the scene that greeted me today, as I went to water the plants. My first thought was vandals or, perhaps a phantom log poacher. I had forgotten that I had told the boys that they could 'cut a few branches' if they ran out of poles.



More on this when we get to the gardening thread. Anyway, here are the remains of my nice trees, holding up, what will be, ones own balcony, off the main bedroom.



We were plagued with rain today, not heavy, but a continuous patter. So while the boys were aloft adding bits to the rigging....



...everyone else was on wood scrounging and reclaimation. At some point, someone produced a radio, so I did them a little dance, like you do. This was greeted with much laughter from above.



Khun Udon was keen to break another hammer, to add to his collection of shattered handles.


Then they managed to get the last main beam up.



At this point, we really had run out of poles and there was nothing left that I would let them cut down. So, after the boys finished the rigging, we had to call it a day. There are five small beams left to put in before they start on the next round of shuttering.



Sorry, that's another wonky picture. With so many bits that are leaning or supporting, it's very hard to keep a true perpective. Thanks for the encouragement, the comments and the greens. Much appreciated. Cheers.

----------


## Loombucket

Today we started with, just a tad, more soil, to complete the kitchen garden. The constant movement of earth and the unrelenting drone of the tractor, not to mention the air quality, kept me in the shed for a while.



Shortly after the trucks had gone, I dropped a brick on my toe and that changed everything. OK, it was an Isaan style red brick, and therefore, relatively small, but it did fall from the roof of the shed, after I pulled the bit of rope from under it.



Subsequently, pictures are few and far between. Walking was easy, after a while, but changing gear on the bike was a challange. Here we see one of the Girls adding binders to the partial beam over the lounge. Her expression tells you that it was more than uncomfortable.



With more poles than a bus load of jobseekers, and more beams than a School bus driving into Nana Plaza, it was time to start putting up the shuttering for the upstairs bits. Difficult to get a good shot with so much stuff in the way.



It was jolly hot in the afternoon and the boys stayed aloft till late in the day.



With the workers gone for the day, Udom and Mau enjoy a cold bevy and a few laughs.



My toe is ok now, so we will be back tomorrow. The digger is coming to play with a few tree stumps and I need to protect my remaining trees from the recycling process.

----------


## jaiyenyen

Are there any photo's of the dance you did when the brick fell on your toe?

----------


## Loombucket

> Are there any photo's of the dance you did when the brick fell on your toe?


Sorry no, but onlookers did learn a new word, or two, of very bad English.  :Smile: 

Okay, back to the plot. You remember, yesterday I was talking about a tad more soil? Well here it is, two thirds of the way up the bladdy fence.  :Yikes: 



Khun Mau was very good at counting the soil trucks, but he didn't know when to stop. Khun Wan, the soil man, knew when to stop, but he was off fishing. Fortunately, the digger was coming anyway, for free, so it was a case of, you want money, you do what I want. In the nicest possible way, of course, with both of us wearing our best smiles. Here are the boys making good and adding a little more to the polution content of the area.



After an hour, or tway, they had managed a passable version of the slope that I had wanted in the first place and cleaned up the area at the back of the house.



Here, Khun Mau and Khun Wan fail to agree on the price. Mau used a pen and paper, Wan used the calculater on his phone and tried to under charge us. 



With everyone happy, they all drove off into the gardening thread. (Starts later). Meanwhile, back at the house, Shuttering was still going on, or should I say, up.



The big bits were easy but the bits left over, and the small holes, took time to finish. Here, we see in action, the great building game called 'toss the stick'. If you look carefully, you can just make out the stick as it sails past the left 'mast' on it's way to the open hand.



After lunch, it was getting quite close to a serious fire risk inside and vitually impossible to photograph anyone working.



At the end of the day, we were looking good and on target for the cement on Monday.



As I have missed certain parties, of late, it seemed only fair to give you a vague idea of what I look like, so, this is a vague idea, taken with my other hand. Have a nice Sunday folks!

----------


## jandajoy

Brilliant thread. Well done. Loved it all as did wife. She's now dead keen on doing the same. Hmmmm we'll see.

Nasty knuckle there mate. Another brick?

----------


## andy55

hope the whole lot doesn,t collapse when the pour the concrete !

----------


## jizzybloke

He seems to have a small girl growing out of his right leg?


Enjoying this thread immensely, thanks Loomy!

----------


## Loombucket

> Nasty knuckle there mate. Another brick?


Heh heh, no, that was a brick wall scrape from my pushbike when I was a kid. Never was the same again.




> hope the whole lot doesn,t collapse when the pour the concrete !


It seems to be very strong and each section supports three Thai workers and a couple of buckets of nails. It would probably support me too but the ladder won't.  :Smile: 




> He seems to have a small girl growing out of his right leg?


That's his Granddaughter, they seemed very close.





> Enjoying this thread immensely


Me too, thanks very much.

----------


## Loombucket

It positively hammered down last night, for about four or five hours. Subsequently the going was soft, to say the least. Last day for the shuttering and everyone knew exactly what they had to do. Aloft, our surviving 'young lad', patiently waited for small bits to stuff in small corners and dreamed of sitting by a lake, somewhere.



Khun Udom handled the larger bits and kept up his running stream of friendly banter. I never understood more than the odd word but he has the team in stitches.



On the ground, it looked like the girls were doing all the work. Carrying shuttering,



...making patches,



...and only stopping for a quick wash before lunch.



By about three in the afternoon, even the patches had been patched,



....and the girls took in the shade and kept an eye on the boss.



By four o'clock we had run out of usefull flat bits of wood, so Udom and Mau dashed off to find some. The cement truck is due at about Ten o'clock tomorrow, it could be another fun day.

----------


## Propagator

A great thread Loombucket and such good pictures.     Another green as long as I can do.

----------


## Loombucket

^ Cheers Props.

This morning the team were hard at work filling in all the crooks and nanies. It doesn't need to look that good but it stops the water from draining away on everyones heads. Large cracks were stuffed with wet cement bags, 



Smaller cracks were given a spot of loving care with a trowel and some 'pug'.



Bang on one o'clock, the cement truck arrives and with it about six more people. These were quickly organised into passers, pourers, bucket retrievers and the one at the bottom by the truck.



Here we see one of the girls doing all the work, whilst the two guys on the right make sure she doesn't fall in. At this point, we are running two chains of buckets.



Here is the 'head' of one chain. When the bucket is empty, it goes over the side and is retrieved. The mess was incredible with small stuff going everywhere, including all over me.



Seeking a, relatively, safer place, I noticed another truck pulling onto the site. It was the guys with the steel for the roof and some primer and stuff.



Khun Mau checks the paperwork having counted the bars. It is important to have someone that you trust to do this for you.



As the cement was in two loads, there was a certain amount of down time that the team don't normally get. Here they are enjoying a watermellon and some very cold water. Note the delicate Isaan stlye cutting knife.



A very rare shot of the Boss, sitting in the shade before the day is done.



Before I close, I just had to share this. From the lid of the tin of primer. Why they don't say it like this in Blighty, is beyond me.



There is a rest day tomorrow, before the struts are removed. Water splashing will continue, however, for the required period. Maybe I will go and photograph some natives.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Thanks for sharing Khun Loom.  Looking good.

----------


## sunsetter

love that primer can message, so many ways that can be used! green!

ooops gotta spead some first!!

----------


## astasinim

Looks like its comeing on a treat Loom. This has to be one of the best building threads to date. :goldcup:

----------


## Jet Gorgon

I like the people shots, not being a cement girl, meself. Makes me homesick for Thailand that's for sure.

----------


## a. boozer

Loombucket. Your project is coming along in leaps and bounds at the moment and you are giving us a great thread with some super pictures - keep it coming!

----------


## jandajoy

Looking good. Does your bossman and his team travel?

----------


## Travelmate

good thread, have great success with your build.

----------


## DrAndy

good thread LB

the difficult part comes next!

----------


## Loombucket

Thanks for all the great comments everyone. People shots are my favorite but they do require a bit of patience and some respect from the workers. Fortunately, they all live in the Moo ban across the road and they all go home for dinner. The Boss stays onsite, sleeping in the shed anex. Having been a casual reader, of the forum, for some time before I started posting, It feels good to be able to give something back.

I've just got in and desperately need food, water and an episode of 'Shaun the Sheep', to freshen my body, mind and soul. Will update tomorrow. Cheers, LoomB.

----------


## johpam

I've just got in and desperately need food, water and an episode of 'Shaun the Sheep', to freshen my body, mind and soul. 


What is or what does that mean 'Shaun the Sheep'?

----------


## TizMe

Shaun The Sheep - Video

 :Very Happy:

----------


## maily

Great Thread, keep it up.

Maily

----------


## maily

Sorry, I have read everything, I think, did you say how much your home was costing you?

Maily

----------


## johpam

> Shaun The Sheep - Video


Thanks TizMe for that link 
I spend about an hour looking and laughing, very entertaining

----------


## Loombucket

> Sorry, I have read everything, I think, did you say how much your home was costing you?


Not yet Maily. The home alone will be about 1.8M. That does not include the land and a small fortune on soil. We have kept a record and I will do a breakdown, of costs, later on. Rather not see it in print at the mo.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

So much for my day off in Khorat. When I popped in to see what was happening, the Girls were busy whacking some primer on the roof bars,



The Boys were starting on removing the the shuttering from the upstais beams......



...and Khun Udon was knocking up a reinforced frame to take the cement for the upstais toilet floor.



Meanwhile, two dejected steel workers, sit in their truck, having discovered that the stupid Farrang has hired someone to check his paperwork.



Ih've had to split this one because I keep loosing the connection.

----------


## Loombucket

Later on, we had a few more roof bars delivered. This is the same guy as yesterday, in a different shirt.



Having got to know the team a little better, I can reveal that the old chap, the slow one, is referred to as Lung, or Uncle. He has a great sense of humour and often hides the Bosses hammer for a laugh. He he is, explaining why he is using the wrong hammer. Not the broken one by his foot.



In the afternoon the girls, having complained of backache, were working on a frame in the shed.



Tomorrow, they are threatening to bring a crane in so I will try to get there early

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Later on, we had a few more roof bars delivered. This is the same guy as yesterday, in a different shirt.


*Possibly different hat also... at least the hats worn by the 2 guys sitting on the truck in the previous picture had different hats on....*

*Enjoying the submission Khun Loom, keep up the good work.*

----------


## Loombucket

The cranetruck, carrying the floor panels, arrived one hour early, so I nearly missed him. Exhausted by his long drive ( 13km ) he insisted on unloading ASAP and left the team with a lot of fine tuning.



Here, the boys tweak the position of the panels with a couple of crowbars.



They are not the easiest things to work with. Those bits of rebar, that poke out, are very sharp. Which reminds me, we seem to be two people short. Here's why, Uncle has gashed his foot on the sharp edges and needed seven stiches in his foot. There's not much to see except a little dried blood on his flip-flops. We sent him home for the rest of the day.



After some masterly work and a few well chosen words, the floor looked like this from below.



The girls spent the afternoon making a rebar frame to go on top of the panels. More cement will be added tomorrow to make the whole thing strong and stable. They did invite me up the ladder for a look but there was no way I was letting go to take a pic. The rest of the day passed without further incident, apart from when Khun Udom was forced to eject some drunken hoodlums from the back of his truck.



We end today, with the usual water splashing, as my camera batteries died before I was ready.

----------


## Loombucket

The man on the local radio reckoned that we would have spot of rain today and the team have made an early start. The girls knock up some 'pug' for the boys to use whilst filling in the odd hole. She must be cooking in those wellies!



Khun Udom is adding a little more support to the bedroom floor. This is a tad worrying as they haven't even got my bed up there yet.



The cement truck was early, but we were ready. I think we had the same extra six guys as before, but they do look very similar, with the T shirt over their heads. Here they organise themselves into one chain for speed.



A quick splash of water...



....and we are off, again. Everybody is working Harry and Billy to beat the rain. Note the man with the rope. We lost a few buckets last time, they got smashed. Here, we are sliding them down the rope....



...to be collected, safely, at the bottom.



Unfortunately, this method was not fast enough and they soon went back to chucking them over the side. This one just missed.



Khun Udom dashed here and there waving his magic float and shouting encouragement



Four hours and another small truck later, the crew made it to the clubhouse. Although some were clearly, 'a bit tired', they were still of good cheer. They were then given beer or 'bebsie' and allowed to go home early.



It did start to rain and I counted ten or eleven spots, and that was it.

----------


## ChiangMai noon

nice safety shoes.
 :Smile: 

coming along nicely loombie.

----------


## Loombucket

> coming along nicely loombie.


Yes, thanks very much.

We had another meeting with the Builder, this morning, and tried to iron out a few details. We wanted a small window on the stairs landing and change the look of some of the other windows. The talk went on for some time, until I got the translation, yes and yes.



We then started talking about doors. I baulked at the price, untill I discovered that they were included, so we picked out nine nice ones. The one on the left was the most expensive, so I was allowed one for the master bedroom.



After the door selection, we went on to look at bits of furniture that would have looked at home in the Royal Palace and then went off for a spot of lunch. Subsequently, when I got to the site, it was a little late in the day. The stone chippings fairy had looked in, on her flight across the fields and the girls were putting another coat of paint on the roof bars.



The wood was being recycled, again. That's five or six times now.....



...and the boys had started to put up the next lot of shuttering for the pillars.



Meanwhile, down by the lake, a Family friend leases a small plot so that he can drink and forget. He keeps a low profile so we let him get on with it.



I am very tempted to join him, for a night or two.

----------


## SEA Traveler

The doors look nice Khun Loom.  Were they Teak?  Solid or laminated?

Yup, the rust inhibitor being applied by the girls is a good thing to have done.

With the furniture that you looked at being fit for a King, "how'd your find the prices of the furniture Khun Loom"? 

Your friendly squater... he have a reason for needing to drink and forget or is it just that he has the urge?

The vertical of the house is high and I suppose the view from the 2nd floor will be rather nice.  Will there be a patio on the 2nd floor in which to sit and contemplate or do TD'ing posts? 

Good Job Khun Loom!

----------


## DrAndy

good going LB

I am almost tempted to build a concrete house, it looks easy!!

----------


## Loombucket

_quote=SEA Traveler The doors look nice Khun Loom. Were they Teak? Solid or laminated?_
Um, solid and heavy has to be my best answer at the mo. Maybe not Teak, but very nice, just the same.

_Yup, the rust inhibitor being applied by the girls is a good thing to have done._ 
Yeah, I hope they touch it up after the welding.

_With the furniture that you looked at being fit for a King, "how'd your find the prices of the furniture Khun Loom"?_
I looked at something small, a bench, for about 34k and rapidly lost interest. The cheap stuff, from a Tesco lookalike, is very cheap but nasty. The more expensive stuff is beautifully made but a bit over the top, for us. There seems to be very little stuff 'in the middle'. We have a few bits and pieces already and will have to make do, for a while. 

_Your friendly squater... he have a reason for needing to drink and forget or is it just that he has the urge?_
His g/f has kicked him out. They have been trying for a child, I think. Someone has some bad plumbing, possibly. I give him fresh water and the odd food pack. Can't speak much English but a great character.

_The vertical of the house is high and I suppose the view from the 2nd floor will be rather nice. Will there be a patio on the 2nd floor in which to sit and contemplate or do TD'ing posts?_
Yes, there is a small private one, at the back, overlooking the lake, and a family one, for parties, at the front. If they modify the ladder, to make it safe for me, I will post some pix of the views.

_Good Job Khun Loom!_ 
Thanks very much.

----------


## Loombucket

One month down and another two to go. I missed all the fun, this morning, as the team poured half the remaining pillars early. Probably to ensure that the wood can be used again tomorrow.



There wasn't really too much to do as we were fast running out of primer and there wasn't much wood left to recycle. Here, the boys get down to some serious meditation.



Even Khun Udom is giving his orders from the horizontal, but the girls are still hard at it.



Right on cue, the new tin of primer arrives. Funny, back in England, I thought that this stuff was actually red. Perhaps I have been away for too long.



The Boss throws himself back into the fray and starts on the angle iron. It will be a colourful thing, our roof. 



They are talking about one week more, for the roof, if the weather is kind.

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Right on cue, the new tin of primer arrives. Funny, back in England, I thought that this stuff was actually red. Perhaps I have been away for too long.
> 
> 
> 
> They are talking about one week more, for the roof, if the weather is kind.


The rust inhibitor that was painted on my steel roof trusses was an orangeish color.  2 coats as a matter of fact.  Different companies... different product color????

If CPAC or the vendor from whom the roof tiles are being purchased. I suspect that before they start the installation of the roof tiles, they will want to come out and inspect the way the roof trusses have been erected and welded together by your construction team.  After all, being up on the roof could be hazardous to ones health ig not done correctly.

Keep on truckin Khun Loom.   Looking like you will be residing in your new home in no time.

Ciao!

----------


## Jet Gorgon

I'm sorry, I don't like the doors.  :Sad:

----------


## Loombucket

> I'm sorry, I don't like the doors.


Yeah, I'm not too keen on some of them. There are another two pictures that I did not share but, basicly, it was a compromise between what everyone wanted and how much ground I was prepared to give.

Ok, a short report today, as I have to arrange some English lessons.

Sunday morning, the boys were, again, hard at it. The last six pillars will be poured later today and the two extensions, for the top of the roof, should be done tomorrow. Note that we are still using the same bits of wood.



I broke the ladder again, trying to get up to the second floor, so I have promised not to go up again untill the stairs are put in. From a distance, then, there is a rush to get the shuttering in place. Khun Udom is off to BKK tonight to see his wife.



On the ground, the girls sort out the angle iron.....



....and their priorities.



Later, in the shed, one of the boys is caught nicking my breakfast! This is getting to be too much like back home.

----------


## Loombucket

Today was supposed to be the big day off, for everyone, but they changed it. It will now be tomorrow. We started, today, with a little house keeping, that will be one of the guests bedrooms.



Now they seem to be putting the roof beams up. I was thinking that this was a little premature, as there are two pillar extentions to be made first.



Actually, Khun Udom is making a working frame and putting the beams up where they will be needed.



Meanwhile, down at the front garden, Khin Chinee proudly shows off her latest grass cutter. Man Cow she said.



This is the best pic from yesterday, when I popped back in the late afternoon. They seem to be having their own second floor Songkran.



In truth, he is trying to hit the girls below, that's why he is laughing so much.

----------


## tcp

Nice photos. You really have a knack for catching people. Well done.

----------


## sunsetter

its a pleasure to check your pics mate, all good :goldcup:

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Yep, loving it!

----------


## Loombucket

Thanks for all the encouragement and kind words. 

The team are resting today, they've been hard at it for the last thirty four days, without a break. I suspect, also, that Khun Udom is sorting some form of welding equipment for the roof.

I went off to Khorat and scored some nice cheese, then spend an hour in the coffee shop talking to a very pregnant Woman, who I discovered trying to bump start her own car (no pix). Probably will be back to normall tomorrow, whatever normall really is.   :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Thanks for all the encouragement and kind words. 
> 
> The team are resting today, they've been hard at it for the last thirty four days, without a break. I suspect, also, that Khun Udom is sorting some form of welding equipment for the roof.
> 
> I went off to Khorat and scored some nice cheese, then spend an hour in the coffee shop talking to a very pregnant Woman, who I discovered trying to bump start her own car (no pix). Probably will be back to normall tomorrow, whatever normall really is.


So, what kind of cheese did you purchase?

----------


## Loombucket

> So, what kind of cheese did you purchase?


I got a nice lump of Danish blue, it's feet firmly manicled, to go with some nice crackers and some vintage Cheddar for the Cheese and Onion sarnies and the Omlettes. Yummy.

----------


## SEA Traveler

> Originally Posted by SEA Traveler
> 
> So, what kind of cheese did you purchase?
> 
> 
> I got a nice lump of Danish blue, it's feet firmly manicled, to go with some nice crackers and some vintage Cheddar for the Cheese and Onion sarnies and the Omlettes. Yummy.


Yup Khun Loom, I'd probably want some vintage to go along with it as well but it would be more than just vintage Cheddar...  Enjoy!  Ciao!

----------


## Loombucket

This is another rest day. I spent the time doing a spot of weeding and trying to make a map of the site. In the afternoon, a nice chap from Sweeden came by and we spent a little while trying to understand each other.

----------


## Loombucket

Having enjoyed his two day break, Khun Udom was in fine form. The two boys, however, were very slow and the girls were nowhere to be seen. Extra meaty cable had been wired into the meter, to handle the power of the welder.



It's an Isaan style, and it left any thoughts of safety in the handbook, but it worked rather well.



Here, Khun Udom sets up for a strike using the sunglasses and wet towel method of face protection. Note the Isaan style safety gloves.



Lovely smell!



After lunch, the boys disapeared and did not come back. This left Khun Udom all alone. He very kindly assisted me up the ladder, and across the scaffolding, so that I could share my first look at the view, from upstairs. These from the back balcony.





This is the soi side. Shame about the electric lines, but hey!



View from the other side.



With a bit of luck, we will have a full team tomorrow. Failing that, we'll go and find some new members.  :Smile:

----------


## Pnow

You may find that after staff gets paid their wages they tend to NOT return for a while...

----------


## The_Dude

You really are in the sticks I didn't see another house around. Nice pics.
Green for you!

----------


## Loombucket

> You may find that after staff gets paid their wages they tend to NOT return for a while


That's true but ours are on an end of month bonus.




> You really are in the sticks I didn't see another house around. Nice pics.


Thanks, there is a Moo Ban over the road at the front of the house and a few more locals, here and there.

----------


## Loombucket

The roof is starting to take shape. Here you can see the base frame in position and welded to the tops of the pillars.



Now the team attempt to get the top frame in position.



Trying to get the thing upright and keep it in position whilst it was tack welded was a major feat. They seemed to stand in this position for a long time. Khun Udom cluching his plumb bob in one hand and the welder in the other.



Just then, the roof tiles arrived and provided some humourous relief. The delivery guys took one look at the state of the ground and parked as close as they dared, on a slope. As the crane only went up vertically, and the crane was at an angle, they seemed to spend a long time getting the first pallet off.



Eventually, they managed to line them up at the roof ladder.



Here, Khun Mow counts the twiddly bits and checks the paperwork. Why brown, I hear you ask? The choice, in our price range, came down to insipid blue, rancid green, or the brown. Most of the new places on Samui, I remember, were blue and IMHO look rubbish. The green looked good in the book, but in real life, Yuk! So brown it is.



Back on the roof, the boys were measuring up for the principal beams....



...and started knocking them out with gusto. This is the only time you should ever take a hammer to your slag.



By late afternoon, everything that could be welded to anything else, had been and the top frame had a nice collection of supports.



Tomorrow should see the afore mentioned beams, welded on. It will be another early start.

----------


## Gao999

Another very informative project, thanks for the regular updates.

Is it practical to use metal horizontal bars on top of the First floor pillars?

Other 2 storey building have used concrete reinforced horizontal crossbars, the same as used on the ground floor pillars in your house.

----------


## Loombucket

> Is it practical to use metal horizontal bars on top of the First floor pillars?


I honestly couln't say. The Thai builders never cease to amaze me. I have learned that anything I don't understand is made very clear if I wait, instead of trying to get an explanation.

----------


## Loombucket

This morning, the team had started putting up the roof bars, and they went up rapidly. This is about 10.30....



...and this is about 12.30. The extra bits are for the guys to stand on or hold onto.



It was the last day for the strimmer, today. He has some er.. serious excercise to look forward to. I've grown fond of my part time strimmers. They have a strange bark, nothing like an English strimmer. I may buy my own calf, or tway, at some point.



After lunch finds Khun Udom in the crows nest.



Below, the boys watch, carefully, to make sure he doesn't fall off and hurt himself.



Work continues at the back of the house.



Here we are at the end of the day. It will look better when all the bits that shouldn't be there are taken off.

----------


## tcp

It's amazing how fast they can cut and weld up those metal rafters. I once watched a guy do an entire roof by himself in a single day.

----------


## jizzybloke

Great pictures Loom, waiting for the next installment! :Smile:

----------


## Propagator

One of the best continuiing threads on TD  :Smile:

----------


## ThisOldHouse

a _really good show!

_=TOH=

----------


## Travelmate

moving along nicely

----------


## Loombucket

Thanks for all your kind comments everyone. This is going to be a quickie and I will catch up next time (Orchid farm - Radio Thailand and big eats, so back very late).

Today we are looking good from the garden next door. Most of the beams are on but there is still some fiddling to do at the front.



The afore mentioned fiddling envolves forming a gable end over the party balcony and making it look like it belongs. Here is the main beam and a few tacked supports.



Next comes a thing that looks like a ladder, albeit for very thin people.



Khun Udom climbs down, from the God's, and looks to see if everything seems to be in the right place. He was actually shaking his head. Then he went back up and moved a few things.



I must dash, as I have a date with some very expensive blooms. Cheers!

----------


## Loombucket

Firstly, it gives me great pleasure to welcome back Loong, or 'Uncle'. You may remember he gashed his foot and needed a few stitches. He was obviously delighted to be back and was soon hard at work, scrounging my ciggies and singing bits of old songs.



Loongs first job was to remove the second floor supports and salvage the wood for scaffolding. This is a sure sign that something important is about to happen.



Meanwhile, on the roof, the team have started on the angle iron that supports the tiles.



Here we can see the realigned gable end, with all the principal beams in place. Note the high tech, Isaan style measuring tool to ensure correct spacing of the angle irons.



It's time for a spot of lunch, so while Khun Udom shovels pork and rice into an empty stomache, we can take time to look at the skin on his face, in between his eyebrows. The perils of not wearing a welding mask.



Time now to let them get on with the welding, as there is quite a bit left to do. This is the front of the house, showing the 'ladder' welded in the right place.



Excited? I am, but then you can't see what I'm doing.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

It was a funny old day today. The weather was dark and dreary and punctuated by small downpours that had the team running for cover and the off switch on the welder. Here we can see that the team have been working hard on the field side and made it to the end of the gable.



That was all fine and dandy as there was something to hang on to. When they started to crawl all over the outside, I was starting to get a bit worried. He just sat there and welded, seemingly without a care.



Back on the first floor, one of the lads is making plates to add a little strength to the corners.



At this point, we lost our squatter. I was very sad to see him go but he is moving in with a pregnant lass, half his age. Seems that he will have a baby after all.



The BIL 1 sent him off with a good meal in his belly and a half bottle of whiskey in his bloodstream. 



Then rain stopped play and the team took an early lunch. Now you can see that most of the supports have been taken down, ready for the scaffolding.



After lunch, we are still dodging the rain but it starts to look good at the back. One or two bits of angle iron to go.



Then the Issan flood came on in all her fury and we called it a day. I didn't want anyone slipping off because the bars were wet.



At least I wont be worrying about fishing a tent out of the lake with a dead guy in it.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Always a nice update Khun Loom.  Where were you hidding when the downpour was in progress.  The photo makes it look as if you were right in the middle of it....

----------


## andy55

i hope theres some laterel support soon loom( bricks in the square openings )
those skinny columbs  look a bit flimsy :Smile:

----------


## DrAndy

Bricking up the openings does not really give much extra support - at least they should not be included in the structural calculations

all looks good to me though

----------


## Tao

Yep, an excellent thread Loombucket. I haven't greened you in a while so...

----------


## Travelmate

good stuff!

----------


## Loombucket

> Always a nice update Khun Loom. Where were you hidding when the downpour was in progress. The photo makes it look as if you were right in the middle of it....


Actually, I was lurking in the tool shed.




> i hope theres some laterel support soon


Yes, some bricks are sheduled, just to make sure that the roof assembly noes not bend or distort.




> all looks good to me though


Thanks very much, and thanks for all of the kind words and welcome 'greens'

----------


## Loombucket

Well it rained for about fourteen hours here. This made motivation unlikely, navigation essential and traction impossible. Soggy, is the word for today and here are a few signs to prove it. A little dampness in the crew hut....



...pick-up tire marks in the building shed...



...and lots of nice puddles.



The Team took it all in their stride and concentrated on some indoor work, where the ground was safe to work on. Here you see the last of the upstair toilet support frame coming down. It was a bit of a struggle, as it had been well put together.



Here it is naked with the er.. waste hole.



It was unusually cold, before the sun came out for a look. Here 'Loong' attempt spontaneous combustion in an effort to warm himself up.



The others, however, resorted to more conventional means and started making tressles, to stand on later.



It was getting late in the day when the team made it back to the roof. Here is the side of the house, with the ends of the beams trimmed up.



The Team are working late today, to see if they can finish all the beams and angles. I am not even going to mention the 'fon tok' word, and we will see what happens.

----------


## SEA Traveler

I suspect it won't be too much longer before the 2x4 pieces of wood are fitted into the open ends of the roof beam supports in which the fascia will be attached.

Khun Loom, you being in country the whole time during construction puts you in a very enviable position.  I know your having a great time being involved with this project and that you will see it through to completion.  "Looking good!"

----------


## andy55

the tiles will soon be going on soon- loom! and the little bricks will soom be in place
good luck -,to you my freind i love looking at your project!

----------


## Loombucket

After the distress of the last rainfall, and the subsequent clean up, the team took time to rebuild the crew shed. This allows easy access for the pick-up, should it rain in the night, and enable an eye to be kept on the tools and stuff.



Here is a close-up of the typical, healthy, Isaan style breakfast, on the water bucket. Wot, no milk?



The roof beams, and support structure, are nearly complete, and a lot neater looking, now all the odd bits have been cut off. It looks like it is leaning, but that's only me. I will have some new glasses made up, I hate to drink alone.  :Smile: 



After a short pause for additional welding rods, the team add a few extra supports, to spread the load of the tiles....



...and then touch up all the welds with a spot of paint. The expression tells you how smelly that paint actually is.



Late in the afternoon, the supports are all in place and the frame now looks like a wierd cage for strange birds.



Then the cement arrived and gave us all a good laugh. The Husband and Wife team had, obviously, just had a 'barny' and the body language was wonderfull. The woman softened when she saw the camera, but soon slipped back into 'Spawn of Satan' mode.



I was hoping that she would use the 'dunny', so I could try to get a pic, of the horrified face. *NOTE* Must remember my manners and offer them all some water, when they first arrive.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

A nice hot day, today, with a good wind. Perfect conditions for our team to make a start on the brick laying. We decided to start with the walls that had the least openings for windows. Top of the list was the back wall of the downstairs bathroom. We had a couple of additional 'Brickies', a Husband and Wife team from a small village up the road. This is Mrs. Brickie, Khun Nnn. Lovely smile!



Mr. Brickie was very fast, accurate and silent in his work. He grinned, nearly, all the time. Khun Kai learned the trade from his Dad, and his Dad before that.



Khun Udom was not to be outdone and was managing a stirling performance, whilst still shouting orders to the two 'boys', who were on pug and brick supply.



Not long after, Khun Nnn is ballanced on a tressle....




...and Khun Udom is making up a former for his home made lintel, over the hole for the french doors at the back.



This is the lower stairwell wall, waiting for it's beam. This is about the hight of the landing.



From next door, the bathroom outer wall is ready for a window, or two and they are starting on the living room. 'Loong' is starting to look tired. I was knackered, from just watching!

----------


## sunsetter

great stuff!   mmmm bricklaying does make me smile......

----------


## Loombucket

Another dry hot day and, because it was a Saturday, we had lost both the young boys. Therefore, it was really nice to see our two regular girls back in the pugging department. IMHO, they are better than the boys and laugh a lot more.





Anyway, while Mr & Mrs Brickie got on with their bit, Khun Udom and Loong started on the stairs. First they made a base...



..then they added a contour slide to the bottom flight,



and the top flight. Here, Loong attempt to recover the metal rebar from the upstairs floor and bend them in the general direction of the stairs.



The next task was to add a little more rebar to the assembly and weld it in place...



...to connect up with the rebar on the landing.



Meanwhile, Khun Nnn was slowly walling herself into the downstairs bedroom. If circumstances were different, that would be ok with me.  :Smile: 



Khun Kai has finished the wall with the French doors...



..and comes back from lunch, sporting this natty T shirt. Does he realise that I took far too many pictures of his Wife?



I must have one of those for my hollidays, in one of the tourist areas. Maybe I will get a discount.

----------


## jizzybloke

There is an unhappy toothless horse running around Issan somewhere!

----------


## sunsetter

love that t shirt! :Smile:

----------


## ThisOldHouse

Very interesting to see the stair building technique Loomie!  Do you know what the rise and run (or tread) dimensions will be?  I'm often annoyed - and pained - climbing most residential stairs here in LOS because the tread is so short!  A short tread means you're forced to step on the balls of your feet when descending because your toes hang over the nose... and that's unsafe as well as uncomfortable.  Where I live the stairs have a 7.5" (19cm) rise and a 8.75" (22cm) run.  

i was curious about what the dimensions should be... so I looked this up:

_Tread and riser height is regulated by code.  In many jurisdictions, the minimum tread length is 9" and the maximum riser height is 8 1/4".  The national_ [American]_ model codes however have adopted stricter stair geometry requirements and many building authorities are adopting them.  A very common tread/riser relationship is 10"/7 3/4".  Code writers are pushing towards the commercial standard of 11/7.

_I thought you might like to check with K. Udom if you haven't already done so.

LOVE this thread... keep it coming!

----------


## baldrick

> Code writers are pushing towards the commercial standard of 11/7.


or 280mm / 178 mm in the modern world  :Very Happy: 

excellent thread Loombucket

----------


## Loombucket

> Do you know what the rise and run (or tread) dimensions will be?


Actually, no! I have a deal with the Builder, If I can't get up and down, safely, he will make some improvements. It looked ok, to me, but he poured it today so we will have to wait and see.




> There is an unhappy toothless horse running around Issan somewhere!


Heh heh, yes, but She has a lovely cart behind.




> excellent thread Loombucket


Thanks baldrick.

----------


## Loombucket

They had started without me again but I didn't miss much. Mr & Mrs Brickie got straight on with the down stairs toilet.



Khun Udom started pouring the stairs.



Everyone not laying bricks, was mixing, bucketing stuff to the mixing pot and then forming a bucket chain to pour the mix. They kept it going for ages,



and ages.



With a few more steps to go, and everyone needing a serious rest, our Brickies came to the rescue and started the last mix.



This was great and enabled us to keep the whole thing wet. Lunch was late but extended. In the afternoon, there was a distinct air of calm and things continued at a slower place. 

This little chap pops in every day, after school, for a quiet smoke. I can't say anything as he always brings his own. Today he got first hand brick laying lessons.



Meanwhile, down by the soi, Khun Mau and a perfect stranger were tweaking a couple of fence posts. I'm still not sure why but it gave them an excuse to come and have a look around.



I went next door, to the Cow grazing field, and captured Khun Kai working on the kitchen wall. I love the way the Thais like strong colours, it makes them so much easier to spot.



The day ended a little early, possibly because everyone was knackered but probably because it will be another heavy day tomorrow, and they don't get much heavier than these. Roofing tiles being taken aloft.



Not forgetting, of course, a little water splashing.

----------


## andy55

insulation is an inportant factor loomie 
factor in some kind of insulaton  on the inside of the bricks and the ceiling /roof void
here in the uk we use "cellutex" 
it keeps the cold out 
 but in los it would keep the cold in 
 thus redusing your electricity bills for air-con

----------


## hillbilly

I have absolutely enjoyed the house report thus far!  :Smile: 

Sure brings back the memories. BTW, your pics are outstanding.

Come on now, when is the next report?

----------


## good2bhappy

Taking shape!

----------


## Loombucket

> insulation is an inportant factor loomie


Granted, although we enjoy an elevated position and there is a good breeze on most days. I don't intend to go for air con, as my 'tubes' don't like it. 




> I have absolutely enjoyed the house report thus far! Your pics are outstanding.


Thanks very much. I have not forgotten that nice PM you sent me, when I had only been here a short while.

Thanks everyone else, for your kind comments.   :Smile:

----------


## TizMe

I'm definately no expert in insulation, but I think that you would need to be selective in your insulation then if you dont us A/C. The last thing that you want is a house that wont cool down after the sun has gone down.

My MIL's house has no insulation, but what it does have is a couple of external walls that are basiclly just floor to ceiling shutterred windows all joined together. As soon as the sun goes down she just opens them all up and the house is cool in no time.

----------


## Loombucket

Having read many reports of people with poor roof beams, and the subsequent problems, I half expected to be looking at a bending frame and a whole bunch of 'Mai pen rai' ing workers. This was not the case, however, and the tiles were going up a treat.



At about 4Kg each, you wouldn't want one to fall on you, so they are wired to the frame underneath.



Although the team had managed to get quite a few tiles onto the first floor, it was not enough to keep them going for long. Here is a view of the 'tile train' using the new stairs. They kept it up for ages. etc...



It was a bit much for some.



Everyone took, at least, 15 minutes break and here is 'Loong' after 20


Meanwhile, a number of little problems had come to light. 1. Mr Brickie had to rebuild part of a wall after it was discovered to be well bent in the middle.



2. Broken bricks and gone off pug bits, in the floor wells, were becoming a hazard to navigation.



3. The waste hole, in the toilet, was not in the right place after all.



4. The stairs landing was just out of true and had to bricked about a bit, so we could get the wall on.



On the up side, Mrs. Brickie had changed out of her 'contour enhancing jeans', thus making it easier, for us, to walk around without bumping into things.   :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,

     Regardless of what others might say, I like the chocolate colored roof tiles alot.  I think Mrs Loom and yourself made a fine selection.  Classy!  U putting any barrier material or insulation in the roof rafters directly undernieth the tile?

     Your place is coming along nicely.  Keep up the good work.

     Ciao!

----------


## The_Dude

Are the wires ties made of stainless steel? Also, are the welds going to be painted over?

Looking good! You are doing an excellent job on this report. Hope everything continues without too many hurdles.

----------


## Loombucket

> Are the wires ties made of stainless steel? Also, are the welds going to be painted over?


Yes and yes.





> U putting any barrier material or insulation in the roof rafters directly undernieth the tile?


We will be discussing the pros and cons of it tomorrow. I have mentioned it already and I have a couple of handy leaflets to illustrate my point.

----------


## SEA Traveler

> U putting any barrier material or insulation in the roof rafters directly undernieth the tile?


We will be discussing the pros and cons of it tomorrow. I have mentioned it already and I have a couple of handy leaflets to illustrate my point.[/quote]

I should have known that you had it all under control.  Good wotk Khun Loom.   :Smile: 

Ciao!

----------


## Loombucket

There was a distict feeling of calm, at the site this morning. Loong was skiving, as usual,



Mrs. Brickie was doing nothing upstairs,



and the great man was nowhere to be seen. Most unusual...... Aha, give him a poke someone?



Meanwhile, downstairs, the problem wall was looking a lot better. It will be fine, once it is covered in some 'jollup'.



The stairs are looking ok. they are a little thinner than I would have liked, but not so bad as I feel like I am going to fall down them.



Here we are at lunch time. The roof is nearly done, apart from the fiddly bits where the sides meet.



After lunch, the first thing was to pour the last of the lintels for the living room, so they can be bricked tomorrow.



Mr Brickie got on with the kitchen. Note the two different colours of genuine Isaan string, in case he gets confused.



With only one Brickie working today, it was quieter in the Engine room, but the Cement Fairy popped in, just to make sure that we were OK for tomorrow.

----------


## andy55

insulation loommie !!
insulation 
make sure you insulate the roof tiles from the heat from the sun 
-- also your ceilings too 
brown tiles absorb heat 1
the heat builds up in the roof-space --
then the ceiling passis it down 

not good!

----------


## Loombucket

> insulation loommie !! insulation


Ok, ok, I am working on it!

----------


## Loombucket

Today, Khun Udom made a start on the twiddly bits. He spent most of the day up there, only coming down for rice and the toilet. Water, ice and some fruit, was sent up in a clean bucket.



This is Khun Png (or very close to that). 



He spent most of the day cutting tiles,



...and spotting straight lines from below.



Down in the Engine room, things were getting a little cramped as the Brickies made a start on the two remaining downstairs walls.



Later, We made a start on the upstairs bedrooms,



...and one of the girls had her back axle inspected by the friendly Farmer next door. One of the perils of dropping ones bricks.



All too soon it was time for bed,



...but first a little shower. Sorry about the angle, I was getting tired myself.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

Could this be the best building thread yet...?

----------


## astasinim

I think so.  :goldcup:

----------


## Matthew

It has sure kept me up past my bedtime.  :Smile: 

Great stuff.

----------


## ChiangMai noon

> Could this be the best building thread yet...?


without doubt.

regular updates, excellent in depth comments and close up pics.

puts mine to shame rather.

----------


## andy55

include insulation in the roof void loomie include that shiney foil that backs the tiles!
 the sun will shine on your roof, and create so much heat within  mate--
 the heat will store up in the roof void and radiate onto the ceiling -- then onto people

----------


## sabang

> Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> 
> Could this be the best building thread yet...?
> 
> 
> without doubt.
> 
> regular updates, excellent in depth comments and close up pics.
> 
> puts mine to shame rather.


Makes mine look like the slapdash job it was.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  [Erm, the thread that is, hopefully not the house]

Anyway, it does look like you'll have a house to be proud of there Loomie.

----------


## Panthip

I really enjoy reading your thread and follow the construction on your well documented photos.  We are in the process of building ourselves in Korat. More accurately in Moo Ban Ban Na in Ampeur Ban Luam. I measured it up on Google Earth and there are approximately 60 km in between. Unfortunately I cannot supply daily photos since there are more than an ocean between me and the plot right now. 
      We have had some 80 piles hammered into the ground and the main construction is due to start next week, 21 of July.

----------


## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> ...


Thanks guys, coming from three, such well respected people, that means a lot. I was kidnapped this morning and taken to Khorat City, for a little R & R, and have just made it back. A double report tomorrow, cheers.

----------


## Loombucket

> I really enjoy reading your thread and follow the construction on your well documented photos. We are in the process of building ourselves in Korat. More accurately in Moo Ban Ban Na in Ampeur Ban Luam. I measured it up on Google Earth and there are approximately 60 km in between. Unfortunately I cannot supply daily photos since there are more than an ocean between me and the plot right now. 
> We have had some 80 piles hammered into the ground and the main construction is due to start next week, 21 of July.


Best of luck with your project Panthip and welcome to the forum. Any photos of your build, taken by anyone with a camera, or a cell phone, will be greedily devoured.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

As I rode on to the site, this morning, and went to park under the usual tree, I noticed that we were knee deep in baby strimmers. No problem, I thought, and parked under the crew shed. Half the crew seemed to be taking an early break.



The Brickies were still working away. Here you can see the guest bedroom window beams have been poured. Beyond, is the local noodle shop and handy police house.



I asked if there was a problem and was told that the water had gone off. There was just enough, in the holding tank, to make pug for the Brickies. So I headed up to the shop to see if they had the same problem. Then I noticed a lot of water by the big tree.



A quick inspection of the water pipe, revealed that the strimmers had kicked a joint loose. I scuttled about, trying to find the stop cock, I knew we had one, but in the end I had to yell for help. In true Isaan style, the stop cock was found to be underneath the pipe.



Shortly after, work on the roof continued.



Sometimes, falling roof tiles make for a hazzardous working area, so it pays to be on your guard at all times. If it was me, I'd probably go for the hard hat.



This was taken from the footpath, a few minutes before I was whisked away. The roof will look ok, when it has been cleaned up a bit.



**A Rep from the insulation Company is coming on Saturday, to discuss the alternatives. I will let you know how it goes.**

----------


## Loombucket

The chain went on the bike, again, today. What with it being another Budda day, and little traffic on the roads, I had a long push. You can imagine my delight at the fact that the door frames had arrived and work had started on the internal walls. Notice that we have a coridoor leading to the party balcony.



Here is the balcony door frame going in. In true Isaan style, it nearly fits the hole. Great care was taken to get each frame level and upright.



Supports are then added, to ensure that it does not move untill the bricks hold it steady.



Now we have been thinking along the lines of keeping the two guest bedrooms, upstairs, and splitting the master bedroom, so that I get my own playroom. So when we got to putting the door frame in, there was a ' spirited discussion' and a lot of marking out with bricks. Khun Udom reckoned that he could sound proof my, smaller room, and I ended up with my own loo and kept the private balcony. Guarenteed peace from Thai T.V. and squarking natives.  :Smile: 



Meanwhile, the two Brickies were still hard at it. This is the other guest bedroom.



This is the front wall on the other side. I love that killer green string.



Here, the window beams in, what remains of, the master bedroom, will be ready tomorrow. This is genuine Isaan building rubbish, suitable for framing or wrapping fish.



Having dug my heels in, over the playroom, I knew that I was going to loose the downstairs loo argument. Well, it looked smaller on the plans and looks a little big, stuck in the lounge.



So we will keep the wall between the lounge and the kitchen and squeez what we can under the stairs.



Not quite what I wanted but better than changing the kitchen for the lounge and vice versa!  :Sad:

----------


## Loombucket

The insulation man came this morning and started my making a smudge fire to check on the prevailing wind. No one paid much attention to him as everyone thought he was another 'friend'.



After he managed to fill the upstairs area with smoke however, he was sent on his way. The fire was still burning when I arrived. Later, all the boys took turns to wee on it. It seems that this was another misunderstanding. Insulation is included in the price of the build. Khun Udon did not mention it, as he took it for granted. Everyone had a good laugh about it, at my expense,



....but no harm was done. Here, you can just see the remains of the smoke upstairs, as the Brickies continue to wall in the door frames.



Meanwhile, downstairs, Loong is busy hiding some rocks in the floor,



Png is installing one of the kitchen doors,



...and Khun Udom is sorting out his nails.



I really wanted to show you completed roof, but we are still a few bits short. I am off to Laos for a few days to get out and then back in, find a nice massage and take a few pix. Bumper report when I get back. Cheers everyone.

----------


## andy55

cheers loom have a great trip!

----------


## Pnow

Sir,

What am I gonna do without you? My mornings and evenings are filled with laughter as this thread closes the daily chapter! Waking up or going to bed! Always something growing on your property...

----------


## hillbilly

This is a fun thread. Can't wait for the next installment.

----------


## Chong Boy

The reason I started reading TD a couple of years ago was for the building threads.

Got to be said this has been the best I have seen on_ any_ forum and the pictures are a class of their own!

Cant wait for more, hope you have fun in Laos. Eagerly waiting your return.
CB

----------


## Loombucket

Following such an excellent response, to this thread, I broke my journey to get these pix. There was, it must be said, a lot of screaming and shouting from my companion but, as the bus goes past, I thought why not.   :Smile: 

The biggest problem, that the team were dealing with, was the dwindling pile of bricks and no sign of the brick fairy.



There had been a lot of rain during the night, so maybe she got lost. Anyway, the Team have been busy putting up some scaffolding and this seems to go all around the house. That's the upstairs toilet in the middle and the same wood that we had when we started.



Down on the ground, Loong is trying to get the last of the chippings out of the ground and into a bucket. We still have one or two top window lintels left to pour.



This last one is, will be the drive. I had thought of having a nice wiggly one, lined with flowering trees. Then I thought, no, maybe a roundabout with a fountain in the middle. Then I was dragged off the site and put on a bus.

----------


## sunsetter

nice loomy, any ideas on driveway yet?
blocks? 
sandstone?
concrete?

----------


## BigRed

I like the authentic rural look you have now, helps justify your 4x4.

----------


## Loombucket

This is just to remind myself that days 55 and 56 were spent on a border run, in case I waste more time looking for photos that don't exist.  :Smile: 

Goodness, I don't know where to start. The Brick fairy had, indeed, made it to the site and the Brickies had put a great many more of them up. This is the door head in the Master bedroom and LoomB's playroom. The pins are for guidance when making a soundproof devide.



Mrs Brickie is hard at work on the last big wall, next to the stairwell. 



I'm not sure if Loong is guarding the cement, or stopping it from blowing away but he was very happy in his task. Note the Isaan style roll up. He probably thought that I would be away all week!



One of the young lads is making 'pug' of a different kind, so he is keeping it seperate. This is for Khun Udom to use for his 'straight edges'. In the background you can see that the two 'extra' walls, for the loo, have been removed.



Here, the great man gives a quick lesson on how to make a straight edge around a window.



Many windows and half the pillars have been done already. Looks like the window frames may be arriving soon and then we may see some rendering, or whatever it's called. Khun Udom was obviously very happy about something. Maybe it was the Laos whiskey I brought him back (26 Bht for 1/2 Litre)



Everyone else seemed to be in a happy mood, and they didn't all get prezies.



I just have to share this with you. How to secure scaffolding, Isaan style.



On the down side, we are still some bits of roof short. It makes it look very untidy and I really want it finished. Men came and brought the wrong colour brown. Paint them, they said. I handed over some twenties, paint them, I said. I think they got the idea.

----------


## Loombucket

> nice loomy, any ideas on driveway yet?


I'm not sure yet, Probably cement with a spash of colour. To tell you the truth, I haven't given it too much thought yet.   :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

Coming along nicely Khun Loom!  Happy days are coming.

----------


## Bexar County Stud

This has probably been answered a hundred times, but why do they use such small bricks in Thailand? Seems like the wall is more mortar than brick...?

----------


## Loombucket

> This has probably been answered a hundred times, but why do they use such small bricks in Thailand? Seems like the wall is more mortar than brick...?


I believe that the bricks are fired, using old rice husks. This does not put out a lot of heat, so the bricks are small and very light in weight. The brick and mortar wall is only there as a guide, and is not, by itself, very strong. It gets it's strength from the cement 'rendering', that is applied over the top. This is the finish coat, pretty much the same as the plaster coat that we have in Blighty. Please don't take this as gospel, but I think that it is close enough to the truth.

----------


## Norton

Coming along very nicely.  Pics are great.  A few would be candidates for the photo contest!

Looks like you're going to have a great place.  Soon wiring conduit and plumbing will begin followed by rendering.  Once done the house will really begin to have the finished look.  Well done.

When you get to the ceilings you may want to consider getting some specialist sub contractor.  Hanging the gypsum and taping properly is an art.  But you probably have thought of this already. :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

I got up to the site nice and early, this morning, because I wanted to catch the team as they came in to work. I was beggining to wonder if they looked happy, when they started. Khun Udom had started early and was knocking up a platform for work at the big stairs window. I would love to have it that big but it will get very hot, even without direct sun, so some bricks were needed.



Then the Brickies phoned in sick. I must admit that I was a bit gutted, as we were so close to finishing. This is the back of the house, with just a little left to do at the tops. That little window is the upstairs bathroom.



There was a hastily arranged staff briefing, shouted from the rear balcony. It was going to be a scratch day, tidying, cleaning up and wood reclaimation. The Girls were not too impressed.



The look on Loongs face, says it more eloquently than I can manage.



They spent the day making good, sweeping up, collecting wood. (Sounds more like the trainee faries at the bottom of the garden.)





Later, in the afternoon, they laid some sand in the downstairs rooms. This started an impromtu version of 'where the Woozle wasn't', as they followed me around the pillar in the living room. Now that they know that I am crazy, I feel that we will get on that much better.




At least it put a smile on their faces. Something that had been missing for most of the day.



Khun Udom let them go early. This chap couln't wait to use the dunny. I suppose he thought I couldn't see.

----------


## andy55

that should give the  mortar a nice aroma loomy :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## Loombucket

After the relatively quiet day, yesterday, it was nice to see Mr. Brickie's head peeping over the bricks again. Mrs. Brickie had some problem, or other.



Down on the ground, the lads were digging a hole. That is, one of the lads was digging, Loong was looking on to make sure the lad didn't hurt himself.



Khun Udom is hard at work, still, forming the straight edges. Here he splashes a little water to make the 'pug' stick.



Then he stands on the scaffolding and waves his trowel and float aloft.



The Girls, deprived of their exciting trips up, and down, the stairs, with buckets of 'pug' and bricks, contain their enthusiasm in true Isaan style. Here, one Girl waits to catch Khun Udom's float.



The other Girl does a spot of housekeeping.



Meanwhile, back on the ground, the lads seem to have made good progress on the hole,



...but later, I snuck out to discover Loong hiding in the bottom.



It will be the er.. waste hole, so they will be at it for another day or so. Without Mrs. Brickie, we are falling behind, so Khun Udom starts 'pugging the doors in, so we can get rid of the 'death trap' door frame supports. I keep falling over those wretched poles!



The lads lay in the shade, utterly pooped. I think they have found a small problem, in the bottom of their hole.

----------


## good2bhappy

coming on nicely

----------


## Loombucket

Sorry everyone! The BIL has one Mother of a virus on his computer.  :Sad:  Unfortunately, he has gone away for a long weekend. Also, the local internet places are overrun with kids, at the weekends, so I am a little stuck. I did manage to get on here Saturday morning, but that was shear fluke. Don't worry, I am still taking the pictures, and noting the events, and I will update as soon as I can.  :Smile: 

Cheers, LoomB.

----------


## astasinim

Was wondering what happened to our daily installments. Damn, this thread is addictive.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Right, we are live in the internet cafe, down the road. At the end of a runway, might be a tad quieter.

I was right about that hole. The boys had found a tree stump, in the bottom, and had obviously tried to burn it out, overnight.



Loong dug and dug and tried hard to set some sort of record. Eventually, with some help, he got it out and was soon using it for a handy step.



Meanwhile, upstairs, Mrs Brickie was back on the case and showing off some exotic fruit from her garden. It took a while but, eventually I realised that 'horm' meant 'smells nice'.



Mr Brickie was working too hard to smile but was doing a smashing job, none the less.



After lunch, I came back to find this baby strimmer, dashing about like a loony and trying to eat all my plants. Not sure if I am too keen to have one now.



The men had delivered the er.. soil tanks and the boys had put them in the ground already.



The boys then had great fun, sorting in the rubble heap, looking for nice bits,.....



...that they hid in this handy hole......



before deciding to take it easy.

----------


## SEA Traveler

> ..............before deciding to take it easy.


Yes, taking it easy...  something that we all need to learn how to do a little better.  Khun Loom, a fine job reporting on the project.  What I'm wondering is how involved you are with correcting or advising the builder when you see something that isn't quite right or the way you want it.  Are you right there pointing it out or do you just sitback and see how it develops before you say anything?  I guess the ever available alternative is to explain to the Mrs and then have her do the dirty work of pointing it out to the builder...  Anyway, keep up the good work and reporting.  It is surely an enjoyable read.

CIAO!

----------


## Loombucket

> how involved you are with correcting or advising the builder when you see something that isn't quite right or the way you want it. Are you right there pointing it out


Yes, I have been giving him some grief, of late, but I have to check with Mrs. LoomB due to the language barrier. Mostly, it is a simple missunderstanding, other times, She changes her mind and forgets to tell me.   :Sad:

----------


## Loombucket

Khun Udom really wanted to make a start on the 'rendering' today, but we are a bit behind on the bricklaying. Here Udom makes a start on the downstairs, or should that be understairs, bathroom.



Mrs. Brickie trys to tidy up the end of the dividing wall, from the kitchen to the lounge. This was not an easy task, even for a pro. This was her second attempt.



Meanwhile, Mr. Brickie is busy on the rear balcony.



After a few hours, he managed a passable imitation of the 'battlement style' that I was after. I shall be on the lookout for a suitable minature cannon, to have peeping out of one of the slits, at a later date.



Loong had a good day today. He spent his time making small waterfalls all over the place. Nowhere was safe to stand, for too long. That's a hose wired to a bit of 'scaffolding'.



In the loft area, Khun Udom welds in a little support for the loft area vent.



Now, here is the party balcony. I wanted some sort of roof garden, to soften the front of the house, and provide a little colour, and smells. I also wanted it curved at the corners. This meant having two walls, with an inner and outer bend. Should be easy for a pro, I thought. This was his first attempt.



Unfortunately, he had two futher attempts, before he got it looking 'nice' and ran over time. Mrs Brickie sat and waited for him, in silence, cleaning a cup down to the bone. I kept quiet but was thinking, 'ooh platts'!!  :Smile:

----------


## good2bhappy

mrs Brickie is quite cute

----------


## Marmite the Dog

Looking at that mess, she likes to make life hard for herself. What's the betting the end of that wall falls off in a year or two?




> mrs Brickie is quite cute


I bet she's got nice hands.  :Sad:

----------


## Loombucket

Another early start, for the team, to make the most of the day. Mrs Brickie gets straight into the downstairs bathroom and tries to avoid damaging her head. I'm not sure if that T-shirt is out of focus, or I am.



Khun Udom gets on with making the last of the lintels,.....



...and then has to knock up his own pug.



Loong is helping out with the stone chippings.



Just then, this little beauty rolled onto the site. A genuine Isaan converted pickup, for carrying bricks. That is, the body has been converted, but not the brakes or anything else. Note the high tec equipment that they are using to unload. Shovels!



Back upstairs, Mr. Brickie is sporting new shorts and is finishing the area at the top of the stairs.



After lunch I checked on his progress at the rear balcony and had to recall the interpreter. WTF is this???  :Sad: 



Shame really, it did look pretty and the guy was very pleased with it. It did make the balcony a little small though, so it had to go.

----------


## Loombucket

Khun Udom must have gotten up at the crack, this morning, and I thought I was early. Rendering, or whatever it's called, had started.



The suff is very wet and the splatter area is quite large. For that reason, close ups are few and far between, but you can get the gist.



With the two Brickies stuck on the rear balcony, Loong was running pug for the great man. No smiles today, only the call of the frustrated Builder. Loong,...Loong,...LOOONG!!



Meanwhile, on the rear balcony, Mr Brickie is working flat out to make up for his earlier blunder.



Mrs Brickie has made a good job below and there is a short pause whilst someone goes off to find some vent bricks.



Someone, who shall remain nameless, also forgot to put the glass blocks in the 2nd upstairs loo, despite buying them and putting them in a safe place. Unfortunately, is will be quite a job to put them in now. Fortunately, it's not mine.  :Smile:

----------


## jizzybloke

Been waiting for this update, looking good Loomy! :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

[quote=Loombucket;706433 ....other times, She changes her mind and forgets to tell me.  :Sad: [/quote]

Read you loud and clear Khun Loom.

----------


## a. boozer

[quote=SEA Traveler;707162]


> Read you loud and clear Khun Loom.


I recognise that trait as well !

----------


## Loombucket

This is the first of the megga pugging days. Khun Udom, Mr. Brickie and Mrs. Brickie will be putting it on the walls and everyone else will be mixing it or running buckets. We start with a little prep work. Khun Eek is knocking off the larger protusions with a hammer and something sharp.



Inside, they have started early, this is the first coat.



He made even more mess than Khun Udom did, yesterday, but he was well quicker. I had to deep clean the camera every time I took a pic, so, like yesterday, close ups are few and far between. Later, after the second coat, the wall is leveled with a 'float'.



Back on the outside, Khun Udom had his own 'pug boy' and together they made a good team.



Every now and then, however, the supply of 'pug' runs out and, of course, everything stops. Here you can see the boys getting a mix done in double quick time, under the stern eye of the man with everything to loose.



It was nice to welcome back the Apprentice and we soon had him mixing away. He doesn't get paid but he does get expert tuition and free pop.



Even later, they are starting to finish off the wall in the bedroom. This was done using a thin sponge stuck to the float. Mr. Brickie was even quicker than before, so his hand is a bit of a blur.



Here we are at the back of the house, sorry it's leaning a bit.

----------


## Loombucket

Soory about the regular updates chaps, I am now officially banned from the BIL's computer. I am not sure which is worse, a moron who downloads free porn, without so much as a firewall, let alone an antivirus system, or one who really believes that I have a virus in my camera, TIT.

Let's start today with another look at our Isaan style scaffold mounting. Here you can get a good idea of the thickness of the rendering, just how much pug the team are using and why they all look so knackered at the end of the day.



Mrs. Brickie stets to with her weapon of choice, a hammer. This is the master bedroom, the strange patches of light are from the holes in the, unfinished, roof.



Khun Udom makes a start at the top of the south east wall.



We had the Apprentice all day today, here he understands the folly of standing too close to Loong, when he is mixing something wet.



Later, he had one on one tuition.



Meanwhile, back on the south wall, Khun Udom has hurt his back and started to slow down.



Khun Eek is then pressed into service, to help out.



At this point, the local Headman pops in to liberate some scrap timber. He was quite nice about it, but you don't say no to the Headman, well I didn't!



Not long after this, Khun Udom retired hurt. In fact he drove back to Bangkok, leaving the team to fend for itself. Given the circumstances, I would, probably, have done the same thing. Everyone had a little fun, in his absence, but was too exhausted to do much. Here, the Apprentice had more fun than most.

----------


## Loombucket

With Khun Udom in BKK and the caretaker, Khun Mow, unavailable at such short notice, Loong has the place to himself. He spent the day making sure that everything was kept nice and wet.



I spent the morning trying to get on the internet but decided to go for a nice ride instead.

----------


## Loombucket

Today we had a trawl around some of the tile and granite places in the Pak Chong area. I think we went to six or seven places and it was the same story, everywhere we went. "Ahh, Farrang", and the prices went up.  :Sad:  Eventually, they all left me by the side of the road and went to look on their own. For 'they' read BIL's, SIL's and a few hanger on's. We did not make any desicions but collected a lot of phone numbers. When I made it back to the site, Khun Udom had made a good stab at completing the roof. It will look even better after a spot of rain and the walls have been painted.



There are still a few twiddly bits to do at the front of the house, above the balcony, but this is the best of it. Inside, the team had done a good job on the walls but were cleaning up to go home.



Here you can see the magic groove making tool, that Mr. Brickie uses around the door frames. It's actually a piece of bent pillar binder.



There will be another five days of rendering, before the team get started on the floor downstairs.

----------


## sunsetter

looking good mate green on the way :Smile: 

need some ammo back later

----------


## SEA Traveler

I've always said that a clean work site displays the welcomness of the building team to doing good work.  Continued nice reporting Khun Loom.  Ciao!

----------


## DrAndy

it looks as if it progressing well

next time you go looking for tiles, or other materials etc, wear your old working clothes (if you have any!), then the prices stay more or less at the normal level

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ Good advice.
I like the work photos, Loomie. What does "trawl" mean in construction?

----------


## DrAndy

^ it means the same whatever Jet, just he is trying to catch some tiles




> *trawl* 
> _Noun_
> a large net, usually in the shape of a sock or bag, dragged at deep levels behind a fishing boat 
> _Verb_
> to fish using such a net [Middle Dutch _traghelen_ to drag] 
> Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006


trawl : to go around looking for

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ OK. Thanks. I was expecting some fish somewhere. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## Loombucket

The Brickies have phoned in to say that have a prob with the bike, so, everyone is on standby, waiting to see if they actually show up. Khun Udom is on spraying duty,



Loong is making sure that his hands are antisepticly clean, using muddy water,



...and Khun Eek is testing the structural integrity of the holes for the windows.



Suddenly, there is the pathetic squeak of a motorcycle horn, and we are off. There then follows a display of synchronised pug mixing,



..and it gets very crowded in the upstairs passage.

----------


## Loombucket

After lunch, Khun Udom is busy trying to make a hard edge on the corners of the front balcony.



Inside, they have finished the passage way and are attempting to finish LoomB's playroom. The pole is to stop people from hurling themselves down the stairwell.



Whist waiting for the pug to go 'tacky', they also start on LoomB's balcony.



Meanwhile, on the front balcony, Khun Udom is edging the inner wall.



We then have a prolonged discussion about this bit.



I wanted some nice, stained or oiled, planks to finnish it off. Mrs. LoomB wanted that cheapo, nasty, cement, wood lookalike. The cement stuff is easily broken, so easily, in fact, that the sample broke in transit. Nice timber is just too expensive. In fact it worked out cheaper to have bricks, rendered, than anything else. Not what I really wanted, but hey.

----------


## Loombucket

Today the team have started rendering the downstairs rooms. Mr & Mrs Brickie have had the Thai equivilent of a flming row. He is not speaking and She looks very pizzed off.



The downstairs working arrangment is welcomed by the rest of the team, as they don't have to carry buckets quite so far. There is time for a little merryment.



Later, Khun Udom and Eek start on the front balcony area.



Loong then hurts his leg and decides to keep the cement warm, in case he damages something beyond repair. I think that's the same shirt, and hat, that he started with. They could do with a little repair.

----------


## Loombucket

> mrs Brickie is quite cute.


Yes, but she has a voice that would cut through armour plated steel at a thousand yards.  :Smile: 




> I bet she's got nice hands.


A very good point Marmers. All the Girls have been wearing those thin style gloves, to protect their tandies. I noticed that Mrs. Brickie had worn her finger ends away and, in an effort to promote a greater understanding, I have been trying to get a decent shot of her hands. This is the best that I can manage for the mo. Judge for yourselves.

----------


## Loombucket

After lunch, we find half the team clustered into a corner. Mrs. Brickie's 'Horse' is on the verge of collapse. Instead of trying to mend it, they gather round to hold it up, so that She can finish.



Khun Udom is busy sweeping the front of the house wall. You can just make out the smoke from Loong's bonfire, through the windows.



As the day draws to a close, we welcome two new members to the team. This is Somchai and his Son Somchai. Years ago I would have been amazed, or possibly confused, as to why a bloke gives his Son the same name. These days I just nod and grin stupidly. They proceed to make a scale drawing with the aid of a bit of old plasterboard and a Carpenter's pencil. I let them get on with it. The finer points can be thrashed out later.

----------


## Loombucket

Day Seventy and the team are concentrating on the living room.



Mr Brickie has made it to the foot of the stairs.



Khun Udom spends a lot of time fiddling with his phone implant. Somchai & Son are struggling with the concept of three wire electrics. I invite them round to our place to get a jolt from the toaster.  :Smile:  They don't understand but they will come over tomorrow.



Here is a closeup of the wooden door frames. It looks a bit rubbish, at the mo, but should look OK once it has been rubbed down a bit. Wood, red, they all said, I dunno but it is very hard.



The arrival of Khun Eek, armed with a hammer, leaning over the front balcony, means that they are going to bung some cement up there, very soon. It also means that the front 'grass' will be full of sharp bits tomorrow and I should consider some sensible shoes. 



Actually, he wasn't up there for long. He spent about twice as long, relocating the drinks area to a safer place. Safer for the water perhaps..... :Smile:

----------


## Smithson

> Today we had a trawl around some of the tile and granite places in the Pak Chong area.


We did the same thing a while ago, worst part is if you have an idea of the price beforehand then it's impossible to know what's a good deal.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Enjoying your style and good tastes Khun Loom.  Keep up the good work.

----------


## Panthip

Loomie its amazing what they have done in only +2 months. How many have been working through the different phases?
  You must have had more than 2 bricklayers fore sure.

----------


## splitlid

errrrrr......electrics?????????


errrrrr...plumbing????????????

----------


## Loombucket

> Loomie it’s amazing what they have done in only +2 months.


Yes, it's hard to believe that back in May, It was a pile of dirt and a twinkle in the Eye of the Architect.




> How many have been working through the different phases?


Khun Udom, the Builder, does most of the complicated stuff. We have two 'Boys' and two Girls that dig holes, mix pug, run buckets and clean up. Mr & Mrs Brickie are sub contractors, for the duration of the bricking and rendering. When we have need of extras, like for dealing with large ammounts of premixed cement, we hire from the moo ban over the road.

----------


## Loombucket

Ok, it's actually the same day as it says it is. This is a tad confusing, as I have been running behind for so long. Today, Mrs Brickie's eldest is having bullying probs at school, so She is off down to the local office for a quick shout. If you are local, and you notice a school with many broken windows, it is likely that Mrs. Brickie did her shouting there.  :Smile:  Mr Brickie has gone into hyperdrive, to make up for the shortfall in womanpower. Here he tries to do all of the kitchen in one go.



Loong is busy in the living room, digging the trench for the er...waste pipe. You can tell that he is loving every moment.



Upstairs, over the balcony, Khun Udom is rapidly bricking up the last anoying hole, as they need the scaffolding to reach the front of the balcony wall.



Back at the trench, Loong is complaining to anyone who will listen. No-one is too keen to listen but that does not stop him complaining.



With the last of the bricklaying done, we need to get rid of last nights rainfall, so we can spread a little more pug about. Now they understand what I meant by 'a roof drain', and remove a brick or two to enable the water to get out.



Water all gone, to the ground below, and they make a start on the inner wall of the balcony.



I pop back downstairs to check on Loong and he has dissapeared. Then I notice the acrid stench of the local hand rolling tobaco and I discover Loong hiding in the downstairs loo. He seemed very pleased with himself. Key, key, (sh1t, sh1t) he said. Smells like it, I thought.

----------


## splitlid

> errrrrr......electrics?????????
> 
> 
> errrrrr...plumbing????????????


 
the reason i ask is cos these things should be first fixed before the rendering is started.Its in the :ourrules:  book :Smile:

----------


## Nawty

Just saw the Pak Chong mention. If you are looking for sandstone I can steer you towards some stonemasons off the beaten track and prices reflect this.

Cheaper than the Pak chong main road shops I think by far.

I got some prices for solid sandstone blocks.

Pm me if you are looking for sandstone, as this is all they had but in several colours.

----------


## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by splitlid
> 
> 
> errrrrr......electrics?????????
> 
> 
> errrrrr...plumbing????????????
> 
> 
> ...


I will be doing features on the plumbing, and the electrics, at a later date. Don't forget that this is a Thai style house and there is no way I am running cables under the rendering. The upstairs plumbing all comes in through the overhang, at the back of the house, and will be hidden by the tanks and stuff. The downstairs plumbing will be more amusing but you must wait and see. 

Meanwhile... We have got to the stage where most of the labour intensive stuff is coming to an end. This means that most of the crew will be going back to their farms and won't be appearing, again, in this thread. Today was Part one of the 'Office' party, where they all had megga noodles and vile green pop. I have some pics but we are having a few probs at this end, and the kids have just come in from school.   :Sad:

----------


## DrAndy

> Don't forget that this is a Thai style house


 
It is a nice house, but I don't see any connection with Thai houses!!

----------


## splitlid

^exactly what i thought.

if its an oversight then it can be rectified now easily, just stop the rendering now, some walls may need to be chipped off, but some sockets and switches can be brought in from behind if walls behind are unrendered.

got to look at resale value also when building a house, and proper electrics are a definate must...even if you dont think you will ever sell.....never say never.

just advice :St George:

----------


## andy55

wheres the chimney? :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## Loombucket

> It is a nice house, but I don't see any connection with Thai houses!!


Yes, sorry my comments were badly worded. There are a few houses that look a bit like mine, in this neck of the woods. Perhaps I should have said, will have Thai people living in it for most of the time and they don't trust anything that they can't see.




> got to look at resale value also when building a house, and proper electrics are a definate must...even if you dont think you will ever sell....


Thanks for the advice. I have noticed that the Thai workers love to make something nice, and then knock a hole in it, and make it nice again. I'll have a better Idea, what's going on when we meet with Somchai and Somchai, and the English Teacher.




> wheres the chimney?


Drats, I knew I had forgotten something important!

----------


## Loombucket

Today we have had a visit from the tile fairy, although judging by the weight, she must still be knackered and lying in a tree somewhere.



This is the first of two 'Office Party' type days, and the staff are keen to get the work done so that they can get on with having some fun. This inpromtu 'water feature' on the stairs means that someone is about to start on the stairwells.



Khun Udom is soon up there but the splatter area is huge, so it's not safe to use the stairs



Mr. Brickie is in the downstairs 'bathroom'.



Mrs. Brickie is in the 'porch'.



Work stops with the arrival of a temporary noodle bar, which is quickly set up in the crew shed. That's the Gardeners's Sister between Mrs LoomB and BIL. 



Everyone gets one or two bowls of this, there are some noodles in the bottom, plus vile green, strange red or otherwise pop. They will get beer tomorrow.



Condiments are set up in the back of BIL's truck. Khun Udom looks well pleased with his lunch.



We don't have chairs, so the crew improvise. Not a fair picture, but a good example of someone trying to keep noodles in the gob, whilst eating as quickly as possible.



In true Isaan style, the others squat on the floor. Loong tries to get his nose as close as he can, possibly to save the spashes down his shirt.

----------


## Loombucket

Today is the last of the, original crew, working days and there is a rush to finish off before the cement truck comes with the floor. Mr. Brickie is putting the finishing touches to the front balcony.



Everyone else is preparing the floor to take the cement. Here you can see a small rebar frame covering a layer of sand. The bars have been tied together to keep them in shape. There is a barrier layer beneath the sand and the wall has been marked at the appropriate hight.



The team finish just in time and there is a scramble to find both wellies and buckets that don't leak. I think we started with twenty buckets and five pairs of wellies.



There is no order, no bucket chain, this time. You fill your bucket and then you chuck it.



Mr. Brickie has been doing a splendid job on the float, he got the most weakproof wellies.



As the team reach the kitchen, they employ the bucket in the door, empty out the window chain and this is the best arrangement that I have seen. There was a lot of giggling but, despite my best efforts, I was not able to capture it.



Shortly after this, we ran out of concrete. I popped home for a bite, and some fresh batteries. When I made it back, the floor laying was over and the party was in full swing. Khun Udom, Mow and two blokes that I had never seen before, were well hammered already and talking very loudly. I left them to it. The crew, however, were having an Isaan style thing. Sitting on the floor, huddled out of the wind they were grilling wild Boar over a campfire and drinking Leo out of sawn off pop bottles.



After a few drinks, they started to relax a bit.



After a few more, they started to enjoy themselves. It was nice to see the Apprentice, he even brought his own ciggies.



Then it was time to put away the camera and join in the fun myself. Despite the fact that my Thai would disgrace a three year old, they made me welcome and bade me join in the throng. Fortunately, there are no pictures of me staggering accross the field and falling over my bike. Unfortunately, there are no pics of one of the girls falling over and covering herself in water she took for the dunny. I laughted, and drank, far too much, but would not have missed it for the world. Isaan Farmers, bladdy good bunch.  :Smile: 

When the floor has 'gone off ', and Khun Udoms's hangover has abated, we will be starting over again.

----------


## Propagator

Great photos LB and narrative.

----------


## andy55

great thread loomie they look real nice people

----------


## Panthip

Loomie, how so you get in such large photos into your thread? Mine are either the standard view from the gallery or enormous ones if I click an image.  
  Your photos are great and youre a good story teller.     Been into this trade before have you?

----------


## Nawty

panthip...I had that problem, when you resize them firstly make sure they are no wider than 800 pixels.

Then save them here and when you click on it to get the link details to put into your post...you should double click it and open it to full size, then copy the link details.

If you do it while still in the album or clicked once and in the single pic viewer they both come out small in your post.

Douple click it, it should open full size in new window, then copy link details.

Worked for me.

----------


## Panthip

Cheers mate; Ill try to reduce to 800 and see if it helps. So fare I have gone for the larges possible, 1024, in hope of getting a large image to post.
  O what do you know; the smallest size makes the best picture.  Its sensibly isnt it? Anyway I ll have a go at it. Expect some new photos tomorrow.

----------


## Panthip

Sorry this was the wrong thread. Can anybody remove my mistake and delete this post.

----------


## Loombucket

^No probs. Thanks everyone for your kind comments. I used to tell stories, in the days when you didn't get arrested for talking to other peoples children. I s'pose I have a childish outlook, on life, combined with a vivid imagination and the fact that there is humour in everything, if you know where to look. If I thought I stood a chance, I might consider writing kids books but competition is heavy.

I resize my pics down to 640 x 427 pixels, and then compress to about 80% of the original. That gives me a decent pic and a small file, about 70-100kb.

----------


## Loombucket

After promising a special feature on plumbing, you can imagine my dissapointment at missing 99% of it. Whilst I was in the local internet cafe, nursing a thumping head and fighting to concentrate over the roar of everyones games, and the T.V., building was quietly going on without me. In the afternoon, I popped up to give my baby trees a little tender loving care, and some Bufalo droppings. I noticed a few new things had arrived, so I went for a look. This was the Ceiling fairy's delivery.



Then I caught a wiff of that dubious aroma, associated with plastic water pipe. Thinking WTF, I rushed around the back and saw that the full team had been there all day,  :Sad:   :Sad:  plumbing in the waste and water. I was a tad gutted TSTL but managed to get a few pics. Waste out, and water in go through the, afore mentioned, hole in the overhang, at the back of the house.



This is the full gaggle of pipes, waiting for some concrete to make sure that it doesn't wander off. Later, it will have it's own little wall, to hide it from the world. I'm going to call it 'Pooh corner'.



Here are the Boys digging a trench for the shower and kitchen waste water pipe, that has it's own tank next to the workers dunny. You can see that Loong is standing on one of the two soil tanks. These have been bridged together. Very soon afterwards, it was all filled in. Thank God I have planted baby trees, I thought.



This is the waste water drain tank. I forsee a wonderfull bog garden just down from here, with those plants that like to have damp tootsies, all the time.



Inside you can see the finished plumbing in LoomB's bathroom. They've even got the floor in! It doen't look fantastic, at this point, but the slope is bang on.



The bathroom next door has also been done and has a few glass blocks in the wall. This does not increase the level of light by a vast ammount but, at least, you can find your way out if the power fails. These were missing from the original plan.



As the team were getting ready to go, it was revealed that Khun Udom is in a hurry to finish, so that he can make a profit. No one had bothered to mention it to me, not that I am too important at this stage. When I asked about the farewell party, they said that it was very nice. You have to laugh.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Not wanting to get caught out like yesterday, I made it nice and early to the site. It was not early enough to catch Khun Udom, he had already jacked up the top 'floor' of the scaffolding.....



...to enable the welding of a few more supports, for the 'pretty bits' around the edge of the roof. That's a coil of fishing line at the left side of his head. Not sure why but I won't show my ignorance by asking. I won't understand the answer anyway.  :Smile: 



Mr and Mrs. Brickie are the next to arrive and they start on the upstairs bathrooms.





Later on, the ceiling people arrive. They start in true Isaan fashion by eating a meal in the back of their truck,



....whilst the boys rumaged in the wood pile and soon knocked up this wonderfull horse and safety ladder.



These were soon put to good use as the boys did some serious marking. That's the red chalk line that everybody seems to have.



I had not seen this done before, so I was paying close attention. After a couple of pics, there was some discussion and the boss went and spoke to Khun Udom. "No like photo, cannot think", he said. Ok, I said and went off. Seconds later, one of them trys to cut his finger off and there is blood everywhere. I did manage to get these though. This is the edging and a slat, pinned to the wall.



This is the basic frame, nearly completed. The chap with the fancy shorts is still clutching his finger. I had to hide beneath the window, to get this, but the first 'burn' from above soon made me move.



There was no time for introductions, and there were people everywhere. They liked to have the radio up really loud and, what with the banging, it was a noisy place to be. This is Mrs. Ceiling banging bits of the trim with a piece of wood. She is making anchors to attach the frames to the cement. She had no sense of rythem though, prolly why she has so many kids. ** OLD JOKE WARNING **

----------


## sunsetter

lovin it loom, the ginger ceiling lady is a bit of alrite :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Today Khun Udom is keen to get the 'pretty' edge of the roof done. This stuff is, basicly, cement with a little colour. It's low maintenance but a little on the heavy side. Khun Eek is juggling two drills and the wires and plugs. Loong is just hanging on.



At the back of the house, Mr. Brickie has walled in 'pooh corner' and is waiting for it to go off a bit, before applying some rendering.



Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the ceiling boys are still hammering along with the latest chart hits,....



...but are starting to make an impression on the house. This is the living room and it looks a little complicated due to the sunken middle bit.



Back at 'pooh corner', Mr. Brickie has rendered everything in sight to create the illusion of a dummy pillar and blend everything in together.



After lunch, the ceiling boys have made their way upstairs and Khun Udom has doen the front bits. The house looks in serious need of a visit from the paint box pixies, but otherwise, slowly starts to look like a home.



Then we have some bad news. Khun Udom has done something nasty to his left arm. He had tried to carry on using loong as a spare left arm but, as they weren't actually connected, physically or mentally, this did not work. Eventually, he sent every one home and drove off for some T.L.C. I keep a brave face but, deep down, I have an uneasy feeling.

----------


## Loombucket

Mrs Udom has phoned and told us that her husband has gone into hospital, with a serious muscle problem. We wish him the very best for a speedy recovery. That bad feeling is growing like the compound interest of a bad-ass loan shark. The ceiling boys have not turned up but there are some goodies hidden in one of the bedrooms. American breaker box, real three wire cable and an earthing rod.



Switches and sockets, by Panasonic, have also been obtained. I start to feel a little better.



It's Mothers day here, so I am needed elsewhere. Khun Mow is looking after the place in Khun Udoms absence, so I leave the place in safe hands. When I make it back in the evening, I am, however, a little dissapointed.



 :Yikes:  **Members please feel free to insert their own expletive**

Personally, I think that that looks f***ing awfull. Now I would love to make a scene, but now is not the time or place. Secretly, I suspect that this is the work of Mrs. LoomB and I have no doubt that she will shortly by seeking some ointment for her sore bottom. Without Khun Udom, or someone else who understands English, I am, for the moment, stuffed.

Sorry to end in a rush, we keep loosing the 'net. Probably too much rain somewhere.  :Smile:

----------


## splitlid

^ thai style house :nerner:

----------


## andy55

i would have run the cables on the inside of the cupboard ,  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> thai style house


More like Thai style mentality




> i would have run the cables on the inside of the cupboard


Yes, unfortunately, it's the downstairs toilet!

----------


## Loombucket

With Khun Udom still sick, Mrs. LoomB off visiting a sick relative and the ceiling boys A.W.O.L, I thought it was time to track down the Somchais' and ask a few pertinent questions. The first stop was the local School.



Here, for a small donation to the School fund, I was 'lent' an part time English teacher, for translation skills. The next thing was to find the address and, four or five telephone calls later, we were directed to a small building, in need of some repair.



Not surprisingly, the place was desserted. However, the old woman next door, confirmed that Somchai Senior had been born there and, sometimes, parks his pick-up truck out the front. Next stop is a small noodle bar behind the lake where Somchai sometimes has his dinner. The charming woman tells us that the boys have gone to Surin and then I have to get the Teacher back to school. I feel the need for some serious retail therapy and make a note to go to Korat city, first chance I get.

Meanwhile, back at the site and oblivious to all the fuss, Khun Torn is quietly getting on with things.



Despite the fact that the wires are not hidden in the wall, the workmanship and the quality of the materials is of a very high standard. Even the meaty cable has very little fat.



There is another chap coming tomorrow to help with the main feed and they seem to be making good progress. I just wish that Khun Udom was here.

----------


## Loombucket

Khun Udom is still sick and the ceiling boys have not turned in again. Khun Torn and his buddy have already got the power line to the house. First they put the cables in through the roof but Khun Mow, the caretaker, then arrives and is suitably horrified. He makes them do a better job, like this.



Then the boys decide to 'chase' the power cables into the outside wall, to make it look 'pretty'. Why bother, when the inside looks like a drunken rats nest, I thought. They start by cutting a channel,



...and then proceed to drill right through the wall, in several places.




Later, they manage to fill in the holes but the standard is not as good as their electrical work.



Again, Khun Mow makes them do it again untill it looks better than I could manage myself. Later still, they have a stab at cutting in the socket and switch boxes. Luckily, they were a good fit. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  Oh where is the inchworm fairy, when you need her most???



Now I realise that everything can be made good with a little more render, it's just that it's a little soul destoying to watch.

At this point, Mrs. LoomB telephones, to ensure that her wishes are being carried out. What wishes were they??? *It was Mrs. LoomB that wanted the wires run down the wall after all.* I shout and call her a lot of names, all of them true. I then close my telephone, roar off the site, like a loony, and ask a complete stranger to join me for noodles. The poor Thai guys ignore this display, of face loosing, and carry on ruining the walls.

I am tempted to send a private Ambulance for Khun Udom, my faith in everyone else around me is slowly being eroded. This is a sure sign that I have not adopted a detached enough attitude. Perhaps I need to get drunk?? I repair to the internet cafe to consider my options.

----------


## Norton

> I repair to the internet cafe to consider my options.


You are entering the frustration stage of the project.  The finishing bits.  

Seems the biggest challenge is getting the wiring inside the wall.  Only option now is to do what it appears you are doing.  Cut out the rendering, put in electrical conduit, switches, outlets and then the wiring.  

You are right all things "look" like they can be rectified with rendering but note the new rendering "finish" over the electrical conduit will not match the old.  I.e., it will looked patched.  The patchy look will be magnified when painted so make sure the rendering finish is as close as they can get it to the rest of the wall.

I mentioned in a previous post if you are using gypsum for your ceiling consider getting someone with experience to do it.  The crew you have likely doesn't have the experience to do a good job with the taping and finish.

Anyway, hang in there as there will be more rework but make sure you get what you want on the finish work.  After all this is what you will see everyday and the last thing you need is a daily reminder. :Smile:

----------


## andy55

i can understand your frustration loomie
they seem to do everything backwards there, or have no foresight, when building houses 
i visit new build whenever i,m in phuket , its the same there too
they finish the wall rendering --then knock it all to hell again for services, which should have been installed prior 

if that happened in the uk one could give them hell
 but the face thing in thailand  prevents that!

that hole in the wall for the socket/switch  box is ridiculous if  that was done here, or the other damage too- the guy would be booted off the job !
 it will all work out when the forman eventually gets back im sure

----------


## Deck Ape

Loombucket,

Think you're right. Get drunk and then spend a little time flirting with your favorite shopgirls.

                                DA   :Smile:

----------


## dirtydog

> they finish the wall rendering


The main reason this is done is that they can then show that a main stage of the work has been completed and can then get paid, generally they don't break down the payments into small enough sizes to be able to do the brick work and install the cables etc and then render off, every big job we have done we have had problems getting payments when we are running all the electrics, weeks of cutting out bricks to run pipes and cables and the customer complaining nothing is getting done, found the best bet is to leave a few walls down and then halfway through the electric runs stick up a couple or more of walls and the customer is happy with the progress of work.

----------


## andy55

every big job we have done we have had problems getting payments when we are running all the electrics, weeks of cutting out bricks to run pipes and cables and the customer complaining nothing is getting done, found the best bet is to leave a few walls down and then halfway through the electric runs stick up a couple or more of walls and the customer is happy with the progress of work.-- un quote --
 looks like thats whats happened to loomies place !

----------


## dirtydog

I don't think you understood what I posted Andy, may I suggest you actually read what I posted.

----------


## dirtydog

Let me explain it to you Andy in simple terms, the customer comes everyday and see's unrendered walls and people cutting channels into them, wire is extremely expensive and is listed as a seperate payment, the profit margin is not enough to do the wiring and finish the walls, you are in the situation where you are 3/4s the way through each section of the project, ie nothing finished so no payments due and the customer after all the excitement of seeing walls being boshed up at super speed now considers nothing is happening each day, people are visual animals Andy.




> that hole in the wall for the socket/switch box is ridiculous if that was done here, or the other damage too- the guy would be booted off the job !


The reason why it is so big andy, shall I tell you? Here in Thailand walls are not plastered off, it is just a render finish, what would happen if it was cut to the right size and render was used to stick the socket in? The render would dry straight away and just crack, remember this isn't England, when I was working in Sri Lanka they finished walls with white cement, that was a nice finish, just as good as plaster and no humidity problems.

----------


## SEA Traveler

From a customers perspective, I can relate to wanting to see progress however, if it was explained to the customer that a certain phase of the construction would be more slow moving than the other portions than I would think that it would be understood why progress gave an appearance of being slow...  What I think might drive the contractor crazy is the constant barage of questions from a customer who is in country and on sight every swinging day.

When I was not at sight during the construction of my place due to being out of country, I received pictures almost daily.  I wanted to respond with comments and questions to each and every one of the pictures and found that I needed restraint to let things develop a little more before I actually asked the questions.  But then, it became a matter of reworking the the issue in some cases because what I was saw the pictures and was hoping to see fixed later was on some occassions not and required rework.

----------


## andy55

all i know is -- loomie is really pissed off  by the inbeciles/ village idiots- wrecking his house
do i get a green?

----------


## Loombucket

> I mentioned in a previous post if you are using gypsum for your ceiling consider getting someone with experience to do it.


Cheers Norton. The crew that are putting up the frames for the ceiling will be putting the boards up, and making it look nice




> Get drunk and then spend a little time flirting with your favorite shopgirls.


Thanks, I like to do that at every oppertunity.  :Smile: 

Update coming.......

----------


## Loombucket

In the nick of time, Khun Udom's white charger vaults the boundry fence and trots lazily into it's stall.



The full extent of Udon's injuries are then revealed. He got a jolt from one of the drills and actually fell of the scaffold. He proudly showed me his needle marks and announced that he will have to go back to the Hospital later in the week,  :Sad:  but he quickly sorted the blokes out.



Better!



Unfortunately, Khun Udom now does not have the strength in his arms to do any drilling, this duty was assigned to the most competant other and, very soon, they were back on the job of putting the edge boards up. I was wondering why they hadn't finished painting the ends of the rafters.



It was nice to see a few familiar faces.



They were using this weird screw thingie. Half drill bit, half self tapper, with a grip under the countersink. One whole baht each!!!



Here, Khun Udom shows how to cut the perfect angle. Not how I would do it, but about the only power tool that he could use. I was gratefull that he didn't fall off again.

----------


## Loombucket

The Ceiling boys are back and, this time, they bring their own boards and the usual trappings for a full day out.



Very soon, they are putting up the first boards in the kitchen. Mrs Ceiling starts putting the dinner together and I waste a lot of time trying to get a photo.



Meanwhile, up on the balcony, the reduced team are cutting tiles,...



...and fitting them in the roof.



The Ceiling crew are very quick, at their work. It is not long before the tape and white stuff are being put up. It looked pretty good to me.



After lunch, the 'Boys' are putting bits of fancy plastic into the gaps at the edge of the roof tiles. Stop Bird, they said. Can't be many left, I thought.



Not exactly Isaan style.



Here we have the shy, early flowering Ceiling Nymph. She is gazing adoringly at her mate, but probably thinking about dinner.

----------


## Loombucket

The Ceiling boys have arrived early today, before ten, and brought some nice shiney board for upstairs.



Khun Udom, Mow and Mrs. LoomB are in the kitchen, taking measurements and arguing semantics. I have already said my piece and I am just letting them 'get on with it'. The downside of this discussion, will be a trip to a large building type place. Fun on my own but......



Upstairs, they are making great strides in the bedrooms.



The Electric Boys take this oppertunity to sit on the livingroom floor and do some technical stuff. They are actually making boards to told the wires in place, down the feed pole. 



Here is the man, up the pole, so to speak, with a strap around his waist and fancy spurs tied on to his plimsoles.



These spurs have little pegs that engage in the holes in the side of the pole, to enable safe climbing.



We can't actually connect the feed wires to the meter without another bit of paper, signed by the Headman. In true Isaan style he is off somewhere, with one of his minor Wives, and cannot be contacted on the phone. Khun Udom and the boys are having their own party, seems he has won 10,000 Bht on the lottery. He will drive home tonight to collect it. Good, he does need to be cheered up a bit.

----------


## sunsetter

progress is a wonderful thing!

----------


## Chong Boy

as always, great stuff loomie

always a joy to catch up with this thread  :goldcup:

----------


## Itchy

A great thread Loom, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your adventures on this build project and I look forward to reading more.

I'm a great fan of build threads, not just the technical information, but also the trials, tribulations and triumphs. 

Best of luck with the rest of the build and thanks for a great thread..

----------


## Loombucket

Today we urgently needed some bits and bobs, so that we builders could actually get on with a few things. We borrowed the Electricians pick-up truck and headed off to Khorat. The first stop was the Mall but we spent most of the day here, having a 'lovely time'.



Actually, Mrs. LoomB had a lovely time. The rest of us were bored witless after a few hours. Four and a half hours, and 40k Bht odd later, Mrs LoomB and Khun Mow emerged, looking very pleased with themselves. It was too much to get in the pick-up and we were forced to 'borrow' the truck of a passing metal worker, who lived close to home. 



We then drove back to the Mall to try and score the cooker. They had one but would not let us take it as it was scratched. However, I did get to meet some of the stuff in the complaints department of the Home Pro section. It's well worth complaining, if you get the chance. Now it was too dark to have any more fun, so we drove home. Mrs. LoomB did not think that the house was a safe environment for all the lamps, and stuff, so we are currently knee deep in fittings, cupboards and a big sink. The toilets, we left at the site.

----------


## Loombucket

I fall over the step, this morning, so I get to the site a bit late. Just in time to see another lot of tiles being unloaded. Mr. Tile was a thin, down trodden looking bloke and his wife was huge. The Daughter was passable, however, and left her mobile number on one of the boxes. I think she may have been 'with child'.



As usual, Khun Mow is on hand to check the boxes and check the colours.



Meanwhile, inside the house, the boys have been working hard. This is the MIL's tank. This is because She has a problem with the new and the modern. (When we went to Laos for a visa run once, we took MIL and she had a great time. Unfortunately, she could not work out how to flush the loo, at the hotel, and ended up getting bath water and putting it in the waste bin, to throw down the toilet, bless her.) She will also have one light and one switch.



In the kitchen, we decided that the sink would be a little low, or visable from out of the window. We had them raised a tad, to make a better working hight. It will make the windows a little smaller, but we have room to spare.



Next stop is one of the the bathrooms, where they have been sinking the pipes into the wall. A sure sign of a return visit from Mr. and Mrs. Brickie, who will be coming back to put the wall tiles up.

After a quick pause for noodles, I arrive back to a deafening screech. They are cutting bits of stone and the bearings, in the grinder, sound like they are in agony. Fortunately, most of the fine dust is contained in the bedroom.



He is cutting pretty bits to cover the pillars, at the front. This is one of the things that Mrs. LoomB found at the big store. They were reduced and that is like the red rag to the bull. I would have done exactly the same, having stolen the idea from Mr. Sea Traveler.

----------


## Loombucket

Today we are plagued by rain. This is not a big problem, as most people are working inside, but the house is surrounded by water. I leave the bike at the road but I am soon on my ar*e and make a mental note to buy some wellies. Inside, there is a strange tapping noise. I make my way toward it and discover that the soup fairy has been and left a strange brew on my balcony.



The tapping noise is the handle of a hammer used to bed tiles onto the wall. Mr. Brickie has, indeed, returned and is making a start in Mrs. LoomB's bathroom.



He makes good progress, but has to start again because he has forgotten the fish.



Meanwhile, downstairs, Khun Udom is making a start on the first of the floor tiles. This is the MIL's room, the same pattern of the lino I remember from my Grandmother's old house.



The recently done pillar stone bits have been wrapped to keep them fresh and also to keep the mess from the plasterers off, If they ever come in.



At this point it starts to hammer with rain again and Mrs. Brickie pops in for a quick grout.



After a spot of lunch, they have started grouting the first of the floors already. That shade of blue is especially vomit making, but you don't really notice it down the cracks.



The ceiling people have another job, that is paying a fortune, but they send every spare Man, and Woman.



Khun Udom has been hampered by the hain. After making good progress downstairs, he made the mistake of having a go on the balcony, and was quickly rained off. Here, Loong is desperately bailing, but it's over for the day.

----------


## Itchy

> This is the MIL's room


What on earth possessed you to agree to such madness...?

Never mind... It's too late now - You are beyond saving!

----------


## Deck Ape

Good to see you're back in the saddle Loombucket.

What's your solution to your access (sticky clay mud, I assume) for your house?

----------


## DrAndy

> I fall over the step, this morning, so I get to the site a bit late.


what, no pic Loomy?

----------


## Loombucket

> Quote: This is the MIL's room What on earth possessed you to agree to such madness...? Never mind... It's too late now - You are beyond saving!


The title MIL's room is both true and misleading. It will be her room when she stays but a house sitter, and veg patch minder, is essential at this stage.




> What's your solution to your access (sticky clay mud, I assume) for your house?


We are having a little drive built, eventually. In the meantime, we will build up the land, a bit, and make a causeway.





> I fall over the step, this morning, so I get to the site a bit late. what, no pic Loomy?


Sorry, not this time.   :Smile: 

Sorry about the delay everyone, bit update coming.

----------


## Loombucket

It's blisteringly hot and the boys have picked a bad day to do anything outside. Nevertheless, Khun Udom manages to finish the party balcony. Not everyones choice of tile, but it reminds me of a holliday in Spain.



Before the sun gets over the yardarm, Khun Udom manages to finish LoomB's balcony....



...and makes a start on the playroom.



Shortly after this, Khun Udom gets a telephone call and drives off. Perhaps he knows something that I don't? The reduced team then takes a break. This is Isaan style, pop in a bag with ice. The empty bottle is worth one Baht, so they don't normally give you that.



Mr. Brickie is working quietly in LoomB's bathroom. LoomB likes his floors green, in case you hadn't noticed.



There is no sign of the ceiling people today so it could be a busy one tomorrow.

----------


## jandajoy

Once again, excellent stuff, Loom.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

This is Khun Presit, of the Number One Stainless Company. His team will be with us for a few days, making a handrail for the stairs and, probably, blocking the stairs with all their gear.



The two man team quickly set up and get on with it. They have all the modern trappings, Argon bottle, welder and another cutting wheel. It starts to get a little untidy on the living room floor, and, as shade is at a premium, the cutter goes ouside.



Very soon, they have the basic framework in place.



The ceiling people have been attempting to finish before the Painter arrives arrives. Fortunately for everyone, he is delayed and promises to start tomorrow. Just as well, there is a white cloud of filler, slowly covering everything that is not moving. Khun Sark, proudly shows off his white thumb.



Later, having a crafty fag in the woodpile, the two SS boys show off their cutting scars.



After lunch, the temperature trys hard to burst the themometer and there is the odd casualty. Will someone tell me if this is really comfortable??



Without Khun Udoms voice in his ear, Loong is able to teach the Apprentice a little more about the important things in life, like rest.



Meanwhile, up in LoomB's room, Mr. Brickie is trying to finish the floor.



As everyone else thinks about going home, the SS boys start their welding.

----------


## Loombucket

Meet Khun Saman and his little helper. They will be putting on the paint for us and offering any technical help. The Painter reminds me of an old hippie I used to see in Blighty, many years ago. His assistant has been dragged out of bed and smiles just the once. This was it.



The young lad is quickly onto the scaffold, to start on the upstairs. This is just the sealer coat, the colour comes a bit later.



Confident that someone is fullfilling his half of the contract, the Painter starts to take a few dust brooms apart. Sitting on his bucket, he carefully sorted the bits into lengths. I was thinking WTF but assumed that he was making something important.



The ceiling people then arrive and devide into two teams. One team goes upstairs to play with sanding paper and the boss and his wife start to make up the window frames.



When the SS boys arrive, there are very few places to stand. Mr. and Mrs. Brickie are hiding/working in the downstais loo.



In fact, anyone with any sense, or anyone not working should not be within hearing distance of the din. I go for a quick ride along the banks of the local cannal. With just one coat of sealer, the house begins to rise up out of the bushes.



Later, the Painter stops playing with his bits of twig, and starts on the downstairs walls.



Shortly after, the boys put the first of the window frames in.

----------


## Loombucket

It's Sunday and the SS boys don't work today. Everyone else will be in but a bit late. This gives the Painter a chance to get on with the twiddly bits.
Here is the first view of the Isaan style, home made paint brush, made by our painter. Actually, he made two and this is his spare.



Here it is in action as he goes over the bits that the roller could not reach.



The Brickies are still hiding in the downstairs loo. Today they have gone one stage further and try to hide in the tank.



I have been making some noises about access, mud and falling over in it. Behind our land, they have been digging a large hole and selling the dirt. Actually, it was a pond and they are making it bigger. Some metres down, was some of the nastiest stuff imaginable. The sort of thing that you don't want on your garden.



Pretty good for a causeway, or the makings of a drive though. Lots of small rocks, stuff that looked like chalk and a layer of pebbles. We treated ourselves to 13 truckloads and got a free tractor for the duration.



After the tractor, and one of the trucks, had driven up and down it a few times, it looked like this. When the house is done, we will be getting something a bit more permenant.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,

     Your holiday in Spain tiles are ones that I almost chose for my driveway.  Good choice and having a holiday party tile for the party balcony is always in order.

     I'm thinking the driveway where the 13 loads of dirt we placed will be a nice entrance to your place... any thoughts on how you might want to make this a more permenant raod?  surface it with what?  expense?

     About the inside stainless steel railing and stairway banister...  looks nice.  I was under the impression that the stainless was an expensive proposition.

   The house is looking good.  Keep up the good work.

----------


## lamangaharry

What a fantastic thread, have just read the whole thing today over three sittings, having been called away to do some family things. We have two Rai of land about 10k out side Phitsanulok, have raised the land already and intend to build in about five years. As I know nothing about building a house, this is like a manual and I will be taking notes right up to completion and beyond (garden). Have you given any thoughts to guttering and solar panels.

Again, 100% well done.

----------


## Loombucket

> any thoughts on how you might want to make this a more permenant raod? surface it with what? expense?


Mmm, not sure yet. Reinforced cement to start and something pretty over the top. When I get more info on this, and get some prices, I will get back to you.





> About the inside stainless steel railing and stairway banister... looks nice. I was under the impression that the stainless was an expensive proposition.


Yes, it did add a bit more to the bill. As we had budgeted for a S/S one, in the plans, we just gave him a bit more and said 'make pretty'. Full price, for ours, was about 35k, but we only paid the difference.





> Have you given any thoughts to guttering and solar panels.


Thanks very much. Guttering will have to wait awhile as we are nearly over budget. Solar power is expensive, over here, but I will be using a lot in the garden, to mark the paths and stuff. Later, when I have some extra cash, I will be thinking about it for the house.

----------


## Loombucket

By rights, this should be the last day. If I was the Reff. I would be looking at my watch and adding time for injuries and fouls. We have lost three days, due to Khun Udom's bad arm, and about five half days due to rain. However, this is Isaan and not the movies. We smile and carry on. 

Today, I notice that there has been a visit from the mouldings fairy. This is a bit like a picture rail, but goes outside to break up the surface. That or hang bladdy large pictures on.  :Smile: 



Khun Udom has, again, graced us with his pressence, and is putting down the tiles in the kitchen. The large gap is where the sink and cooker will go.



In the lounge, the team have started on the lounge, a nice bit of granite. Pricy, but easy on the eye and looks good with any dark wood.



On the downside, Mrs. LoomB discovers that she has ordered the tiles a bit wrong and has far too many sea horses. They are supposed to be every five or so.



On the good side, the bannisters are starting to look really nice.



Most of the rest of the crew, is running amok around the outside. Here you can see the 'top coat' of paint. It did look a bit too yellow, fresh out of the tin. I nearly threw a large 'wobbler', but calmed down after a while.



Inside, it looks *very yellow* 



I wisely opted for white, to go with my green floors. We are still arguing about the yellow. It is possibly a case of a bad batch, or a hopelessly wrong colour on the chart. I will let you know how it goes. Meanwile, the painter reaches the landing,...



...and then invites his familly round to open his beer bottles. That's Mrs. Painter on the left. Not sure about the 'chick' on the far right. Maybe she makes good noodles???

----------


## Loombucket

The ceiling boys have finished the boarding outside, under the roof, but have made such a cr*p job, we decide not to pay him and he hangs around for ages, clutching his calculator and muttering.

 

Eventually, he agrees to put up some moulding around the edges.



Meanwhile, the Electricians have arrived and start by making holes in the ceilings.



I am a tad concerned because I know that the wiring, for the downlights, does not actually exist. I tried to moan about it many times. Then I notice this little hole into the loft.



The temperature up there was a bit over the top, which meant that the insulation was working, and the guys did not actually last long but they managed to put a few of these up.



Meanwhile, downstairs, the granite floor was reaching the other end of the lounge,



...and Mrs. Brickie was cleaning up.



We were lucky enough not to have to cut too many tiles, as it was a time comsuming process. This gravity fed, cooling system is really the 'spirit level' that we have seen in action before.



The Stainless banister boys have also been busy. Deprived of their factory floor, they have been working out of sight, out side in the shade and have made these pretty bits for the banisters. I am not sure if this is over the top or not. I will reserve judgement untill they get the rest of the paint on. ( There was nowhere for the painer to stand, today, so he will be back tomorrow, hopefully.)

----------


## SEA Traveler

> .......  On the good side, the bannisters are starting to look really nice.


Indeed they are.  I like the design touch on this Khun Loom.  Good choice.

----------


## sunsetter

> By rights, this should be the last day. If I was the Reff. I would be looking at my watch and adding time for injuries and fouls. We have lost three days, due to Khun Udom's bad arm, and about five half days due to rain. However, this is Isaan and not the movies. We smile and carry on. 
> 
> Today, I notice that there has been a visit from the mouldings fairy. This is a bit like a picture rail, but goes outside to break up the surface. That or hang bladdy large pictures on. 
> 
> 
> 
> Khun Udom has, again, graced us with his pressence, and is putting down the tiles in the kitchen. The large gap is where the sink and cooker will go.
> 
> 
> ...


 
coming on a treat lb looking good, as for the driveway have you thought about sandstone?

now that lady...  3rd from the left...i havent ever seen a thai look like that before, is she wearing a mask?

----------


## jizzybloke

What the hell is that wearing red :Yikes:  would make a good halloween mask!

----------


## sunsetter

:rofl: ^   i had to stop looking at it! i already nearly choked on my tea!  :rofl:

----------


## Deck Ape

:rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:

----------


## a. boozer

> What the hell is that wearing red would make a good halloween mask!


It couldn't be the author of this great thread Khun Loombucket in drag, or could it?

No offence Khun Loombucket, this has been one of several really great threads, your photographic skill, coupled with your ability to provide great narrative, leave me with the utmost admiration!

----------


## sunsetter

great little interlude, now back to the main event  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Let's not be too unkind about the Painter's son's girlfriend. She has a Degree in Marketing.  :Smile: 

For the record, there is no way that the author could ever fit into a T shirt that small.

Not to mention that my hair is naturaly grey and has been for the last fourty years.

Update coming.

----------


## Loombucket

Last night, following a huge dinner, and copious ammounts of Tequila slammers, I had an arguement with my digestive system, and lost. For the next 'small lifetime', I alternatively heaved, chucked and squirted. This made the bathroom a no-go area and prompted other members of the family to burn insense outside the door. I am still not sure if this was for a blessing or to hide the smell. Many hours later, and too weak to start the bike, I made it to the site on the bus and was able to take a few pics, before being recovered by the Fun Police.

Here, Khun Somchai is just running out of tiles for the 'outside room'. A lot of people think that it is the car port. Actually, it will be the dining area.



This is the moulding that I was waffling about last time. It will look better after it has been filled, a bit, and painted.



There is gathering excitement, as the Electricians are preparing to connect the house to the mains, in order to test the system. Khun Udom acts as safety man and many people actually hold their breath. I believe it's the Thai version of crossing your fingers.



There is no bang, and no sign of smoke. In the gathering gloom, stange colours start to mark our position to the Royal Thai Air Force.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

It's looking good!

----------


## Loombucket

Up early, with milk and dry crackers in my lunch box, I notice that the Steel fairy has been again. A sure sign that we will soon be having some cement path around the outside. There is not enough for a drive though and some further discussion will be in order.



The first thing I notice, when I get inside, is the whole crew, laughing and pointing at the ceiling. The Electricians have forgotten to allow for the beams, when they made holes for the downlights. 



They have also put my water heater in the downstairs bathroom. The MIL will go into a technophobiatic fit.



Upstairs, Loong has been in charge of room reclaimation and has made a good job in the bedrooms.



The Brickies are dealing with the, tricky, corridoor and down the stairs bit.



Mrs. Bricky has a bad head and takes every effort to hide it from me. The bannisters/handrail thing has turned out ok but the brass knob thing, at the bottom, is missing. The same company are making us some bars, for the windows, so maybe it will turn up later.



Meanwhile, outside, we have two additional Painters trying to get it over with so that they can go and get drunk. Here is the young one,



...and here is the older one, showing the early signs of leadership skills.



The Electricians then arrive and seem to spend a long time waiting for spare parts. Khun Mow gives them the Thai equivilent of an earfull.



Shortly afterwards, we have another great Isaan style shower and Mrs. Brickie looses the rest of her cement in the flood. They call it a day. Mow has spent most of the day on the phone, chasing the glass man, and is in serious need of a shower/massage/hooker. I send him home where I know that he will, at least, get something to eat and some sort of bed.

----------


## sunsetter

isnt it just, wow!  looking good mate, hope theres soem more later,tequila huh? :rofl:

----------


## Loombucket

The makings of a kitchen have arrived and we are off for another 'fun day' at the Do-Home place, just out of Khorat. I try to get out of it, as there is only so much that you can chat to coffee girls about, with Mrs. Loomb within shouting distance.  :Smile: 



LoomB's cooker has also arrived and the manual and fitting instructions are all in English.  :Smile: 



There is still no sign of the Glass man but he promises to arrive on Saturday. I will hold judgement until Sunday.

----------


## sunsetter

nice oven, caught me just before work mr busy

----------


## DrAndy

> On the downside, Mrs. LoomB discovers that she has ordered the tiles a bit wrong and has far too many sea horses. They are supposed to be every five or so.


damn

sea horses cannot be more frequent than 5 or so, they are very territorial

----------


## Deck Ape

Both you and your builders very prolific Loombucket. You ARE really good with that camera.

----------


## jizzybloke

Are Cheech and Chong ok with a paint brush or are they slapping it on and covering everything in sight with paint?

Looking better by the day loomy! :Smile:

----------


## astasinim

Those bannisters look good Loomb, as does the rest of the house. I bet your looking forward to moving in.

----------


## jingjoke

> Originally Posted by Loombucket
> 
> 
> Today we had a trawl around some of the tile and granite places in the Pak Chong area.
> 
> 
> We did the same thing a while ago, worst part is if you have an idea of the price beforehand then it's impossible to know what's a good deal.


Since realizing the 2-tiered pricing over a decade ago when I know I need something, as in this instance a special tile or glass block, I walk well ahead and 'casually' touch the product I want and continue on. My Thai spouse then magically appears a suitable time later and bargains for it if we were intitially un-noticed, or returns later. 
I await at an agreed handy snackbar for her. 
I do not trust her alone to choose a pattern less we end up with something along the lines of your grandmother's tile pattern.  :Shhh:

----------


## sunsetter

^ take your camera, go alone, make a big fuss about tiles take loads of pics  and get the missus to go a week later and blag samples and haggle the arse out of them,works a treat!  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> Both you and your builders very prolific Loombucket


Thanks, I probably have enough pix to keep me in threads when i have to go back to Blighty for a while,( check on the aged parent).





> Are Cheech and Chong ok with a paint brush


Yes, they seem to be people who take a great pride in their work.





> sea horses cannot be more frequent than 5 or so, they are very territorial


I understand that they mate for life.




> take your camera, go alone, make a big fuss about tiles take loads of pics and get the missus to go a week later and blag samples and haggle the arse out of them,works a treat!


Very good advice!

----------


## Loombucket

I did manage to escape, the 'fun day out' at the big store, eventually. In my absence, the team had started on the 'kitchen units',



...and were making these pre-fabricated work tops. A wooden frame is constructed, to hold it all together untill the cement sets. A bit of angle iron, left over from the roof, goes around the edges. Next, some bits of thin rebar, left over from the floor, are wired together in a grid. The bricks mark the place where the sink will go.



Here the cement/stone mix is added and squiged down tight. Soaked cement bags and sand stop the whole thing from sticking to the path, hopefully. They are left to dry overnight.



Upstairs, they have constructed this handy little wall around the stickie out bit, off the landing. It will be for some flower pots to make a splash of colour and scent. It will look ok when it has been rendered and painted in.

----------


## Loombucket

This is Khun Mu, a very well respected man in the community. For my part, his only problem, is that he makes and fits curtains.



So we sit down, on the floor of the lounge, like you do, and start looking at some of the worst colours known to man. :Sad:  Mrs.LoomB is beside herself. The upturned paint can is LoomB's seat, but he was not in it for long. In fact, my only contributions were, "this one, this one," and "NO NO NO!!!



In the nick of time, however, the Bannister boy arrived and negociations were relocated to the local noodle bar. I wisely stayed behind, to protect my investment/sanity. The bannister boy quickly plugged in his equipment and started grinding his knob (ooh, I say!)



Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, work on the 'kitchen units' was ongoing. Here, Khun Muang starts tiling the inside of the cupboard.



The dry, prefabricated worktop with sink opening, ready to be cemented onto the brickwork.



I missed the actuall fitting but it was soon covered in another layer of gloop, so no-one would have noticed if it didn't even fit. Edges go on,



...and a bit more rendering.



We have run out of tiles, for the stairs, but work has been suspended, anyway, to allow the glass men to do their thing. The little grey edge is to stop you falling off the step.



Outside, the Painter takes his brushes for a relaxing stroke around the outside of the building and cares not for the troubles of others.

----------


## Loombucket

It as a great relief to see the Carpenter and to recognise him as one of the team that put up the fence, around the field, in the first place. It was good to see traditional methods being used and I felt that my doors were in good hands.



The Glass man also arrived and turned out to be the Ceiling man, in a foul mood. This is about six sheets, so it's not really this green, just a twinge.



Many of the units had been put together back at the yard, so the boys started upstairs and made rapid progress.



Khun Udom was in a strange mood, alternately whistling and barking orders. He sat here for a long time. The paper socks, on the ladder, were to protect the granite floor.



Back in the car port, the Carpenter has started cutting the first of the cut-outs for the hinges. This is genuine isaan style rebar, grafted onto a one inch chisel. Good for hardwood aparently.  :Smile: 



Later in the day, Khun Udom has pulled himself together and has made a reasonable job of plumbing in the waste, and water, for the sink,



...and everyone else has been marking out and preparing for the cement path.



I stayed late to join in the after work party, and try to learn a few secrets, such as why half the guys aren't speaking to each other. The only thing that I did find out was that the Carpenter drinks like a fish and the Ceiling man had had nothing to eat all day. :Smile: 

 Here is a big cheers from Loong.

----------


## sunsetter

it just gets better, where will it all end  :Smile:

----------


## DrAndy

> it just gets better, where will it all end


hopefully, when the house is complete and he is sitting on his verandah having a G&T

----------


## Loombucket

Early, this morning, Khun Udom got up and removed the scaffolding. That is to say he made a stab at filling in the holes and then hit the structure until it fell down. Here we are, looking good and surrounded by long forgotten trees.



This is our, twice afore mentioned, scaffold anchor hole, blended in a bit.



The Ceiling chaps had made a good job on the windows, with two notable exceptions. LoomB's bathroom window was non-existant and the one at the top of the stairs was the conventional sliding type with a lock. Very good, how do we open and close it, step ladder, wings, tame Monkey???



Now for a spot of general moaning about the door frames. These were not measured acurately when they were put in and have been a source of great annoyance to us, not to mention testing the skill of the carpenter. Both the rear entrance doors had to have a bit put on the bottom, so that a Cat or small Bear could not slip in underneath. Here, Mrs. Carpenter, Khun Choi, is gluing a piece onto the bottom of the kitchen door.



The door frame at the party balcony was even worse and required much scrounging to get a bit of the right tree for the door. The Painter will be having a field day with these.



The bathrooms did a little better, as it was easier to perform surgery on the frames to make them a tad wider.



The great man, himself, remained strangley quiet but did a reasonable job of finishing the tiles in the dining room.



Meanwhile, oblivious to the ravings of 'some stupid Farrang', the rest of the team have cleared away the the wooden remains and errected a frame for the cement path. The truck is due at eight but he is bound to get stuck, as all the compacted soil, and dregs from the cement workings, is now under the path. I may even get a lay-in.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

The cement truck did indeed get stuck, but managed to pour some of it's load before it needed to be dug out.



It is a lot easier when you can pour it straight in.



We needed the bucket chain, just the once, for the tank base.



Three trucks later, finds the team trying to protect the tiles in the dining room. Shame they didn't think of that when pouring ouside the lounge. I had no idea that Mrs. LoomB could actually shout that loud, but they stopped before the cement spread all over the floor. Sorry no pix, my sides still hurt.  :Smile: 



Meanwhile, in the relative calm, the Painter was making a start on the doors. First a bit of filler and some colour.



Many coats, and some rubbing down, then a strange sort of polish/sealer. 



It smelled like it could be fun with ice and soda.



Khun Somchai goes back to the interesting puzzle that has been keeping him amused for the past few days. Each step has been a different size and shape and he was worked hard to introduce some conformity.



Sporting LoomB's gardening hat, and brandishing her magic water brush, Mrs. Brickie demonstrates the zen art of path smoothing.



The last job of the day, is to cut some rebar, and make up some binders, for the gate pillars.

----------


## Loombucket

Naked pillars, greet my arrival, and have already had their bases poured. They will have their little coats put on tonight.



The Ceiling/Window boys are hard at work putting in the sliding doors. Later they will change a few things that we have already moaned about.



Time to make a seat for around the front door. First, holes are drilled in the walls, the pillars and the floor. Thin bits of rebar are then added to make a key.



Next, a wooden frame is made to support the cement untill it goes off.



More rebar is added to tie the whole thing together and the bits are wired together. Just like the floor and the pathway. Concrete is then added and pressed into the mould. When the cement is dry and hard, tiles will be stuck on top to make something 'comfortable'.



After lunch, I noticed that we had had a visit from the chippings fairy. She was a personal friend of Khun Mow and had done us a great favour. I make a note to clear the bald patch, at the bottom of the garden, so that they can all dance around without falling over and coming a cropper.



Great things have been happening in the kitchen,




...and upstairs. LoomB with a view anyone?  :Smile: 



The Junior Painter has started on the second top coat. He still looks a bit distant but they tell me he is listening to Da Endorphine on his telephone. I better check them out.



Last one for today is the stairs in all their glory, just waiting for a spot of grout. 'Every sequin has been sewn on by hand'.

----------


## a. boozer

> 


LoomB, It certainly is looking good! Your brickie has done a good job on the stairs, the tiles seem very well matched. Surely not long now, until you move in - and moving house can be such fun! It will be a shame to see this thread come to it's fitting end, certainly hope that you have some further project to keep us entranced.

----------


## sunsetter

loom, nice one mate, looking good

those chippings should be retained my good man, try some old wood or something or you might loose half, or do i smell a landscaping page or ten coming on?

----------


## Propagator

There appears to be great scope there for a landscaping thread LB.     Do you have anything in mind as of yet?

----------


## Rattanaburi

Nice place loombucket. I'm jealous.

----------


## Loombucket

> certainly hope that you have some further project to keep us entranced.


Thanks, I do have some things in mind but will be taking a little 'brain holliday' before starting again. It's not been so easy since I lost the use of the BIL's computer. I must have downloaded the same simple photo resize and editing programe, on every single computer, in every internet shop within a ten Km radius. It has been great fun, but a strain.




> do i smell a landscaping page or ten coming on?





> There appears to be great scope there for a landscaping thread LB.


There will be a garden type thread a bit later. We have made a start and I have some pix already. 

You are right about the chippings. When we get them all spread out, they will be flattened into the clay stuff beneath. There is more good soil to come, but I am getting ahead of myself.

----------


## Loombucket

Day One Hundred find Loong posing by the gate pillars as the covers come off. They look a bit rubbish but the guys will fatten them up and make them square.



Khun Udom has gone to start his new job in Nong Khai but he will be back later as we won't pay him untill Mrs. LoomB has been through the place with a Flea comb. There is a detached air to the remaining workers, as they amble through the remains and try to get the work over with. We need the Carpenter and Electricians again, but they are all busy, typical.



At this point, I am collected and taken to a funeral, or public burning. I do not want to go but there is no point in arguing and I won't be missing much.

----------


## Loombucket

This is the last day for complicated work and there will be a megga party tomorrow. With that in mind, everyone is concentrating on making a good job look wonderful. That or they are all hoping to be carried home tomorrow.  :Smile:  The team have done a good job on the front gate pillars. The bad news is that the gate won't be ready for another week. I will attempt to get the old wooden ones to fit, on a temporary basis.



The window, at the top of the landing, has been changed for something a bit more practical and will look ok, once I have worked out how to get the finger marks off.



Upstairs, the Carpenter is trying to make the doors actually fit, as opposed to just looking nice,



...and Khun Muang poses for that stone gnome that I wated at the top of the stairs. Later, there will be some nice plants, in pots, here.



Khun Udom appears and trys to fit the loo roll holder, that he forgot about, in the downstairs bathroom. Unfortunately, he has already taken most of his tools home, but bravely carries on with an assortment of screwdrivers and the carpenter's hammer.



Meanwhile, in the garden, the crew shed is being put to rest. I found myself humming the last post and standing to attention, like I was mourning the death of a fallen comrade. It will be re-erected in the Brickies garden and serve the rest of it's life keeping the business buggy dry. That is Somchai junior with the pug gun. Photo used by kind permission.


Later, the Local Headman popped in to give his blessing and have a couple of drinks, or five. Udom has had five already.

----------


## Loombucket

This *is* the last day and I am up and get to the site early. The only jobs left are clearing up, connecting the sink to the waste pipe and testing the water system. On cue, the water man arrives,



...and fills the water tank, the downstairs tank and a couple of dustbins. The woman was delighted to find a Farrang in her parish and She spent ages trying to speak my name. In case you are confused, we had not been given permission to connect to the water main, on a permenant basis, due to a screw up with the paperwork.



Showers, pumps and taps were duly tested. Khun Udom then turned his attention to the sink. First it was weighted down with tiles, possibly to stop it running away whilst it had it's pipes twisted.



Then the pipes were connected. Udom had no intention of loosing face by anouncing that he could not put it together. He just crouched for ages and waited for devine inspiration. I tried to tell him that the plug'ole fairy only comes out at night but he managed without her help, eventually.



Then it was party time, the last party with this crew and I was going to get drunk, myself, and sleep upstairs. Here, Loong sets the fire and gets the cooking started. 



There is a variety of meat, some gets cooked and some not, some veg, lots of chilli, local Hooch and three boxes of Leo. I wisely brought some cheese and onion sandwiches and a little salad.



The eating and drinking went on for ages before I had the wits to take another picture.



As the day started running out, I found my self pausing for reflection. 



The sun sinks, slowly, behind our first big adventure in Thailand and it's time to put the camera away and join in the fun. Cheers everyone!

----------


## DrAndy

hooray

----------


## astasinim

Fantastic thread Loomb. Will look forward to the Landscaping one.

----------


## jizzybloke

Congrats LoomB, as above^ looking forward to more greatness from you! :Smile:

----------


## jaiyenyen

LoomB, Thank you for a wonderful thread. Good luck to you and your wife in your new home, I hope you will both be very happy.
Also, well done to Khun Udom and his team.

----------


## Marmite the Dog



----------


## Propagator

Needs a standing ovation - would be my nomination for thread of the year.

Well done LB

----------


## Itchy

Inspiring stuff Loom - Well done.

----------


## Panthip

Congratulations Loomie. It has been grate to follow your project. I will miss this thread, your photos and humorous comments.

  But I do hope there will be a follower, your pond and garden.

----------


## baldrick

well done loomie

----------


## El Gibbon

Loomie. 

ITS ALL WRONG MAN!   :Sad: 

You need to trash this place and start over!  What the hell are we going to follow now?

Cheers E. G.

----------


## Gallowspole

Bravo!!

Great thread and the last photo rounds it off beautifully.

----------


## Deck Ape

One more nod of approval Loombucket. Great job.

----------


## chuckd

Great thread.  Job well done with the thread and the house.

Enjoy living there.

----------


## Loombucket

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It's not quite over yet (is it ever?) as we have the clean-up, the move-in, on the lucky day, and a large pile of chippings in the drive to spread out.

Some people will tell you, at length, that the driveway is an important part of the garden. I disagree, it is an essential part of the house, and should be treated as such. It devides the garden, yes, but nothing will grow in it. Therefore, it is part of the house. After several attempts to spread out the chippings by hand, we managed to obtain the sevices of the smallest, oldest, Issan style wheelbarrow in the area. Here it is in action, with Khun Nok, the smallest, oldest gardener. He reminded me, a bit, of the late Sid James, as his face looked like someone had slept in it.



We made good progress but the poor little barrow did not last very long. Having spent most of its life carrying small ammounts of soil, it found the strain of carrying chippings a bit too much. It promptly had a breakdown and sat and sulked. In a moment, both men were crouching beside it,



...giving it a little TLC with the aid of a stick and some wire. Note the Issan style, homemade wire nut and LoomB's handy fold away pliers.



Some problems were a bit much to deal with, in the field. This wheel lost it's bearings years ago. It now wanders lost and lonely, banging against the side. We had to drag the poor thing for the rest of the day,



...but managed a passable imitation of a driveway. At least it was good enough to get a vehicle up.



Now it was time to look at what the Builders had left behind, and think about what to do about it. Some brix and a few big chippings, keep for later.



The Buiders water resovoir, maybe make a water feature.



Oh, and the dunny. Maybe I will turn it into a, um, dunny. Need a roof though, and a coat of paint.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Now we had to remove all the paint splashes and stuff that the Builders had left, and Mrs. LoomB had not noticed, that I had spotted during a drinking and floor crawling spree. First to arrive are a pair of drunken in-laws that test the water and try my patience.



Next, Khun Mow arrives and starts in the MIL's bedroom. He prefers an old trowel,



...LoomB prefers a scouring pad, a Swiss army knife and a dirty old rag.



At some point in the day, I really can't remember when, the Ceiling/window boys arrived with the mozzie screens. And there was me wondering what the extra runner on the windows was for.



They were very quick and did everything in one day. We all worked around each other but I noticed that Mow dissapeared in the afternoon. I later found him decorating the last-chance guest room.



We had one or two little problems. I noticed that the water pump had gone for a walk, one night, and got lost in the garden. It was quickly retrieved and firmly nailed down. Although I suspect that it had help, I wouldn't want it to fall in the pond and drown.



During a major rain storm, water began p*ssing down the inside of the side door in the kitchen. This was dealt with with a bit of rubber but I have to go outside and thump the door in order to bolt it.



Oh and the gass bottle is a bit of a tight fit in the cupboard, but that's about it. It was time to plan the move. The old woman of the village reckoned that our lucky day was Friday the Twelth, like tomorrow!!! :Sad:

----------


## Loombucket

With little prep time, we were forced to use the only transport available. Here is Khun Jim, there's a joke there somewhere, from the speedy transport Company,



...and here is the pride of the fleet. Actually, it's the only thing in his fleet. That's my bed, essential for the last part of the lucky ceremony.



We loaded up and sped off. I was concious of the flywheel, six inches from my foot, but pretented not to notice. I was having far too much fun.



Here we are hammering past the local school, keeping an eye open for speed cops. Notice Khun Jim's hair flapping wildly in the breeze.



Home at last and I keep the engine going whilst my driver struggles with the remains of the old gate.



It took four trips in total. I found the excitement a bit too much so I was allowed to stay and arrange our measly collection of furniture. The Bamboo pole, for the TV, arrived my special courier. Later we tied it to a tree so that Mrs. LoomB could watch the movies.



Two things left to do. A special makeshift alter thingie, so that Buddah would be appeased,



...and a correctly orientated bed, that we had to rest on for nine minutes. Not really long enough, for anything that I can think of, I thought. Then there was drinking, talking and drinking. I would like to leave you with my first sunset. Unfortunately, it was rubbish, so here is one I took about three days before.



I expect that there will be some sort of house warming, at some point. I will let you know. Cheers.   :Smile:

----------


## Chong Boy

Truly sad to see this thread coming to a close.
Just arrived back in LOS and have enjoyed catching up with the progress and indeed the completion of this great project.

Good luck in your new house Mr + Mrs LoomB.
CB

----------


## JoGeAr

> Oh, and the dunny.


 
Loomy, you're an Aussie?

----------


## Nawty

Nice little cage for the water pump...nice colour variety too....what do you feed it ?

----------


## DrAndy

> Truly sad to see this thread coming to a close.
> Just arrived back in LOS and have enjoyed catching up with the progress and indeed the completion of this great project.
> 
> Good luck in your new house Mr + Mrs LoomB.
> CB


 
nah, he will never stop now, he is addicted

----------


## lamangaharry

I agree with Proagator, thread of the year, well done.

----------


## Itchy

> Next, Khun Mow arrives and starts in the MIL's bedroom. He prefers an *old trowel*,


Don't let your wife hear you talking about her mother like that.

----------


## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,

     While in movement to SAW I lost touch with the project.  The final product looks fantastic and I offer best wishes in your new place.  Enjoy.  I'm hoping I'll be able to finish up my house and thread upon my return to Thai from Kuwait.  cheers old boy and credit offered for a job well done.  ciao!

----------


## Loombucket

> Loomy, you're an Aussie?


Sorry, no, I'm English born and bread. The word 'dunny' seemed to fit the type of construction, based on descriptions of other outside toilets.





> Nice little cage for the water pump...nice colour variety too....what do you feed it ?


It has a diet of Hydrogen and Oxygen, with a little Isaan dirt to aid digestion.  :Smile: 




> cheers old boy


That's a very good description, have we met???  :Smile: 





> he will never stop now, he is addicted


That's true but I am going to put this one to bed now. If something exciting happens, later on, I will wake it up, give it a shower and present it for your amusement. There will be other threads, I promise!

----------


## a. boozer

> There will be other threads, I promise!


Well, get started!

Why are we waiting?

We need our daily fix!

No excuses please!

----------


## sunsetter

well done lb, all the best to you and the missus  :Smile:

----------


## SEA Traveler

> cheers old boy


That's a very good description, have we met???  :Smile: 


*No Khun Loomie, I do not think that I have had the pleasure.  I will be back in Thai on 1 Oct after being in Kuwait working for 15 days so if your in the Ban Chang area in Rayong, do ring....  Ciao!*

----------


## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by Loombucket
> 
> 
>  There will be other threads, I promise!
> 
> 
> Well, get started!
> 
> Why are we waiting?
> ...


Sorry, then I won't bore you with all the sordid details of being side-swiped by a large bus, falling off my bike and breaking two fingers of my right hand. I've spent the last few weeks alternately moaning, groaning and re-training my hand to hold the camera and use my pinkie on the shutter button.

I am a lot better now, but it still hurts to laugh.

----------


## Deck Ape

Get well soon Loombucket. Hope you got some good pills at least!

----------


## November Rain

Well, I've finally seen the famous Loomy thread. I've been victim of a crap connection at home, so have just read it all in an internet cafe.

Excellent thread, Loomy. Well done to you & Mrs LoomB. Hope you both have many happy times in your 'paradise'.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Travelmate

> just read it all in an internet cafe.


Which one? The coffee shop by the Hilton? I was there the other day. Keep looking for late thirties lady with many dogs.

----------


## Issan Man

LB,I hope you don't mind me asking,but what was the final build cost.Earlier in the thread you said hat you would give a braekdown of the cost's involved,but i can't seem to find it.bye the way I really enjoyed all of your posts as they were very informative,and you ended up with a lovely place :Smile:

----------


## a. boozer

Loombucket, Sorry to hear about your misfortune (I have not had internet access the last few days, as we have been 'up north').

----------


## Loombucket

> LB,I hope you don't mind me asking,but what was the final build cost.Earlier in the thread you said hat you would give a braekdown of the cost's involved,but i can't seem to find it.bye the way I really enjoyed all of your posts as they were very informative,and you ended up with a lovely place


Thanks very much. I've just got home, to Blighty, and I have paper work coming out of my ears. I have not had time to do a breakdown yet, what with one thing and another, but I will ASAP.

----------


## Loombucket

^Whilst we are all waiting patiently for that, and I have made it home to a decent computer and connection, I have a few more pictures to share. After the house was completed, we still had the problem of security to think about. This fell into four catergories. Cows, burglars, spirits and family appeasement. We will be having a wall around the house, with a nice little garden, and stuff, at a later date. A lack of cash, and serious spending on some nice extras, meant that it had to wait.

A simple gate was required to keep the Cows out, some window bars to keep the unwanted visitors out, a spirit house, to keep the spirits, and the Mrs. happy and some sort of party, for all the family, friends and local headmen. Let's start with some window bars. I was very pleased with the stainless work that we had done on the stairs and after talking to about four different Companies, the first lot came back with an offer that we could not refuse.

These are for the two sets of sliding doors. Handmade, solid and when fitted, will stop most things getting in, or out.



They run on these dinky little mini-skateboard things, in a channel above the doorway. These will be covered by the curtains and should look fantastic when finished.



Whilst the standard of the finish was very high, the Isaan style safety plugs left a little to be desired.



The window had been carefully measured beforehand, so it was a simple matter of drilling some holes,...



...and screwing the bars to the wall. This one is on the landing.




In the middle of all of this, the curtain people arrived and quietly got on with it. We decided on green downstairs and white upstairs. These are for LoomB's room.



With three teams of people drilling holes and grinding/polishing, the noise was 'a bit much' so I missed a lot of the fitting. The doors took all day and the windows took about six hours to complete. When I returned from ' a quick thrash around the block', these funky shadows were decorating the living room floor.



Later, the owner of the Company, Khun Ord, popped in to make sure that everyone had done a good job, although she spent much of her time helping the Mrs. unblock LoomB's lou. Nice woman and a great sense of humour. You can see the green curtains, the guys were done and gone in about two hours.

 

Here, the stainless boys are putting the finishing touches to the locking handles. They cut of the bits they don't need afterwards.



This was largely a waste of time because after we closed, and locked, them, the first night, we couldn't get the bladdy things open again and they all had to come back in the morning to adjust them.

----------


## cimboc

A green to help heal the hand on the way  :Wink:  you sure it wasn't from you trying to skate on those door runners after a few quiet ales...

btw those hand crafted doors are truly awesome!

----------


## TizMe

What's going to stop a burglar from unscrewing the bars from the wall?
I would have thought that they should be secured from the inside.

----------


## Loombucket

> What's going to stop a burglar from unscrewing the bars from the wall?


That's a good point. I was more than a little sceptical myself, until I was informed that the screws have been 'glued in' down the sides. I tried shifting one, with a large screwdriver, but it wouldn't move. The tops and bottoms have been riveted to the window frames.





> I would have thought that they should be secured from the inside.


They can be fitted inside, or outside. Mrs. LoomB wanted them outside so that they could be seen from a distance.

----------


## Loombucket

Now for the field gate, to stop everyones Cow from wandering in. It came by truck, partially assembled,



...with all the bits required to make it work. This is Khun Somchai, the man in charge. Note the Isaan style safety glasses, held together with Tesco's insulating tape from LoomB's magic box.



He quickly got to work with the welder.



The other guy did not smile at all and was not to keen to have his picture taken but did a good job of painting all the welded and ground down bits, later on.



Khun Udom's team had done a good job on the pillars and ground beam, leaving little rebar studs, sticking out of the beam, that the runner could be welded to. The guys drilled a few more holes, and fitted a few more bits of bar, just to be on the safe side. The runner was a length of angle iron and the wheels were nice and chunky.



Some nice chunky rollers hold the gate in place,



...and some big lugs, on the other end and on both the inside, and the outside, mean that we can fit a nice big padlock.



The ground beam was, unfortunately, a bit low and not very straight, causing the runner to stick up at one end but the gate works a treat.



Some drive removal was required to get the hight about right and Khun Mow kindly pugged the runner in for us.



It's still not quite right, but will do for the time being. Because of the angle of the drive to the gate, it's a bit tight for big things to go through. Something we should have thought about before. Mrs. LoomB wants to have a shop down by the road, at some point, and that will need it's own drive, off the main one.

----------


## Loombucket

A house without a spirit house, folk will tell you, is a ship without a Bosun, a hooker without the tatoo or a wind up toy without the mainspring. I was looking forward to the occasion, but I was unprepared for all the ceremony that went with it. 
First we needed a site, where the sun's shadow would not fall on any part of the house. This meant, basicly, that it had to be on the long side, where it could be seen by all and not get struck by any washing. The main problem with this was that the land was not yet built up on that side, as the building of the retaining wall had been delayed. In an effort to build the site up by a meter or so, we started here, at the spoil heap, handily left by the builders.



Khun Mow and Loong, the Gardener, took it in turns to lug the stuff around the garden in LoomB's new, Isaan style, wheelbarrow, borrowed from another thread.



With a few left over planks and some stakes, they made a base and then covered it with old bits that got left over. After a while, it started looking like this.



Everyone took turns in breaking the smaller bits on top. Note the extra rebar, now a lot mere expensive than when we started, to reinforce the concrete. I thought it looked bladdy dreadfull but I was reassured that it would look lovely when the rest of the soil had been put down and the whole thing 'blended in'. Next we have a layer of, well..mud.




Then a layer of sand and the usual rebar grid for the cement.





The shuttering was something else that the builders left, and I wanted to get my monies worth before they came back for it. 

Loong and Mow mixed the cement by hand, as it was a smallish quantity,



...and passed it to each other slowly and with a certain reverence. You could be mistaken for thinking that they were building a Temple.



The pug was than carefully poured in little piles.



Flattening, smoothing and leveling seemed to take forever but they managed this, very respectable, two tier base.



It took a further two days to tile it, using off-cuts from the principal rooms, although I'm still not sure why, and was grouted by clean finger.



The spirit houses were then delivered,in bits, and the pieces left for the 'man' to assemble. The final choice of colour was left to Mrs. LoomB but, we were told, not white, green or red.



On the 'blessing day' we all had to wear white and there was much to do in the morning, under the direction of 'The Man' who I recognised as the man from The Speedy house movers.



Offering trays were then made up from bits of banana 'trunk' and sticks of coconut wood.



Fresh flowers were then 'headed',



...and placed in little cups, made from leaves and secured with a stick.



Nine fruits were gathered, washed and placed in bowls. Here are a few.



There was a fish, along with some Chicken entrails,



and the whole lot was set out on the big flat seat that served as a kind of offering table. Everything was adorned with incence, candles and more flowers.



There was a lot of chanting and post rubbing and Yai and Taa (Grandmother and Granfather) were placed inside the lower house. That's the one with the ladder.



At this point, I had to put the camera down and join in. We knelt for about 15 minuits while the man chanted and poured water over our hands. Then we sat and ate. I'm still not sure if I understood everything, but that, as they say, is not important. The house is now deemed to be lucky and good luck will come to all who dwell there.

----------


## ChiangMai noon

congrats on the house and for a superb thread.

my favourite construction thread on here.

I couldn't afford a gate.

we used free bamboo.
 :Sad:

----------


## Marmite the Dog

Another thing I'll not bother with at my place if I ever get round to building it.

Nice pics though.

----------


## Loombucket

I was looking forward to the party, but with my right hand, largely, non usable, and still on the painkillers, I figured that I wouldn't get to have much fun. The final date was sprung on me, when the Caterers came around to confirm the order. This was a bit like Beauty and the beast meet the loony with his mouth open.



Very late, that night, some guys came to put up the awnings for the guests to sit under. They also brough a large pile of tables and chairs. I started to get the uneasy feeling that this was going way, way over budget.



I needn't have worried. This was the first time, in about ten years, that the whole of Mrs. LoomB's clan would be gathered in the same place. They had all chipped a bit in and one of the Sisters had lent us her new Chevy, to park in the drive. Those are all the Boys, there on the left, testing the whisky, to make sure that it is drinkable.



Here is a rare shot of the mens synchronised plate dipping team, warming up before the main event. I counted the plates and decided to keep quiet.



Food, and the cooking of it, was always going to be a bit of a struggle for such a large family, so we had our own team to keep us going untill the Caterers arrived in the evening. This is Khun Loy in action with the motar and pestle.



Meanwhile, back inside the house, everything had been made ready for the Monk.



As it happened, we had nine monks, gathered from three of the local Temples, who chanted for about an hour. This was deemed to be much more lucky than one Monk chanting all day. Their Food was nicely presented as part of the ritual.



There were a number of 'representatives' from the local comunity. The two guys in white shirts are the Headman and his Stockman. The poor chap asleep on the sofa is a distant relative of Mrs LoomB's Mothers Sister and used to be the local Amphur man. There is lots more but it gets terribly complicated.



Chanting over and the Monks get down to some serious eating.



Before they all go home, we are assured of even more luck by having some strange sybols on the wall above the bedroom door. This is the lead Monk, who teaches at the Wat just down the road from us. He didn't speak a word of English but, surprisingly, knew a little French and this kept us both amused for a while.



Time to get out of the house for a while. When i got back, they were errecting a small stage on the front lawn. I just had time for a shower and change, before the whole world arrived.

The Caterers had done a splendid job.



To ensure a good reception, each table had a bottle of whisky, some 'Bebsie' an ice bucket and finger food to keep everyone going untill the rice and stuff arrived.



These 'Boys in brown' were friends of the family and ensured that there was no trouble, at all.



Beast spent most of the evening chopping things up. Beauty spent a lot of her time giving me the 'it's here, it's warm' look and I was forced to have a drink to pull myself together. Then the dancers came on, seven all together including the traditional Ladyboy and team leader. He/she had some good moves and kept the others 'on their toes'.



The others ranged from shy to down right horny,



..and kept dancing through about eight costume changes and five singers. This one...



had some lovely assets.



Towards the end of the proceedings, news that there was indeed a Ladyboy on the premises was too much for the village nutter, who went round the back of the stage for a better look at the team getting changed. He, and the team, were unaware that there was a drunked loony on the balcony, trying to get some pix for the members section.



Shortly after the flash fired, I was ordered off the balcony. Shortly after that, I pretended that I was too drunk to move, but kept downstairs for a quick stagger in the dark. As I was working my hands down a line of parked cars heading for the fence, like you do, I heard a squeak and discovered that beauty, was indeed, very warm.  :Smile: 

Cheers everyone!

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> I heard a squeak and discovered that beauty, was indeed, very warm.


Lucky git.

----------


## Propagator

Great epilogue - now for the garden thread  :Smile:

----------


## Issan Man

Loomb,cheers for the PM,but unable to reply to it as i need a minimum of 20 post to be able to reply,so I had better start posting more.Anyway thanks for the link,it contained a lot of good stuff.the funny thing is that here in the uk I am a Builder,Bricklayer by Trade,but now it feels like I am starting My apprenticeship all over again :Confused: .I certainly will take you up on your offer,and any Questions that I have I will pick your Brain's.I can't begin to tell you how much info that I have gleened from your post's,and keep going back to it,so that I can look at all of the brilliant photo's(also read the text aswell) :Smile: anyway i think it is now time to take a look at the thread about Thai girls Knickers,as I could'nt look properly yesterday,as the little Rice Munching Maniac was looking over my Shoulder,I really don't understand why she gets so uptight when I am looking at photo's of other Thai womens Arse's but hey that's women for you :rofl:

----------


## Loombucket

> I really don't understand why she gets so uptight when I am looking at photo's of other Thai womens Arse's but hey that's women for you


Mine gets uptight when some poor woman wanders into one of my photos. Before i left, she went through all the pix that were still on the camera and demanded that I deleted all of the 'local girl' shots. Fortunately, I had just backed both chips up to disc, so was happy to comply. If She knew that there were 'decent' pictures on here she would probably try to delete them with a hammer. A bright little thing most of the time, but I never need to put the sunglasses on.   :Smile:

----------


## nipper

Wonderfull, wunderfull wunderfull. Is the bit of land, the other half, still for sale? Could I have a house like that? Could you hurry up and do the bill thing, so's i can work out what i need to sell in order to afford it?

Please?

----------


## Loombucket

As far as I know, the ajoining piece of land is still available. We paid 750k Bht for ours but it will probably be closer to 1m now. The exchange rate is not brilliant at the mo but I can get the mrs to go see the Headman if you are really keen.

The final bill is almost ready to post, just a bit more translating of the Architects BOQ to go and some odd bills that Mrs. LoomB claims to have lost, bless her. I should have all the info ready in about a week.

----------


## Issan Man

Hi LoomB,looking forward to seeing the Final Bill post next week.also you have mentioned before that you are going to do a Gardening Thread,are you still going to?I dont know why,but in my previous post about landfill,i said that we have 1 Rai of land,we actually have 2 Rai,just hope I am a bit more acurate when working out quantity's for the Build in the Future :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

^Yes, I am under some pressure to do a gardening thread and I aim to get it up and running before i go back, so that I will be on hand to take some good pics when the exciting stuff gets underway. I have to weed out the garden pics from, about, six thousand images, so you can see that one of my problems is finding and putting them in some order. I am a bit busy in Mum's garden, at the mo, and I am also trying to recover two or three more around the Parrish, that I was working on last time I was in Blighty.

There is a little difference between on and two rai and you only need to raise the house part. Sound like you have enough room for a bit of landscaping, some nice trees and a large veggie patch. Maybe a small pond as well. Keep us up to date on your ideas, I will be sharing mine in the near future.

----------


## cimboc

> ^Yes, I am under some pressure to do a gardening thread


We can see that, posting on TD in the wee hours of the morning... you should be relaxed in your new house not tossing and turning stressing about the garden and bill  :Wink:

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> I am a bit busy in Mum's garden, at the mo, and I am also trying to recover two or three more around the Parrish, that I was working on last time I was in Blighty.


How long are you in Berkshire for?

----------


## Loombucket

LOL, well spotted Marmite. That should have been Parish, with one 'r'. Actually, I'm in Sussex, for now.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

^ Your IP address says Reading, but definitely not Pak Chong.

Is it snowing yet?

----------


## Loombucket

> Your IP address says Reading


Brighton would be more accurate.





> Is it snowing yet?


No, but my tandies feel like they've been cleaning out the freezer all morning. The weather chaps have forcast rain all week!  :Sad:

----------


## Issan Man

Cheers LoomB,yes I am really looking forward to the Future when I will be able to grow things in the Garden that here in old Blighty you can ony dream about,unless you spend a small fortune on heating a bloody great Glass House.I had been hoping that My Brother,who was the Head Gardener at Exbury was going to help me with that bit,but unfortunatley the poor Bugger Died in July which is a real shame,because I had told him about Udon Sunshine and he was really looking forward to seeing it,and all of the other Flora and Forna in the los.one good thing has come out of it all though,it has made me take less seriously,even less so than before(if that's possible :Smile:  :UK: )

----------


## Loombucket

I have tried to break everything down into bite sized chunks, where possible, and have given close estimates for bills that have gone missing. When we come to the house, steel rebar was quoted in the local measure, but was priced per Kilo and it got very confusing. Suffice to say that most of the heavy hitters, in the materials list, were for the rebar, the steel roof, the cement and the roofing tiles.

Let's start with the land itself. Here is a reminder,



750,000 for the land.
40,000 for tax, backhanders to get it passed without delay and noodles for the government men.

Post and wire fence.



10,000 for 117 cement posts, 14 re-enforcing posts, for corners
7,000 for approx 1 1/4 Kilometer of barbed wire
5,000 for labour. 10-15 people over three days

When we got to around the back of the lake, they wanted to go accross the bed. Note the handy post holes.



4,000 to hire a digger for the day and reprofile the lake.
3,500 for a team of people to cut nice edges and tidy up the mess left by the digger.

Soil



This is the basic soil hump for the house, but we extended it and reprofiled it quite a lot to get it just right. We also put a lot on the soi side, to get the level above the soi and some down by the lake, where the drain pipe goes in. A standard truck load, the size shown in the thread, was about 300bht. That was good quality stuff, apart from the first days worth. After the first lot, Mrs. LoomB haggled them down a bit but that included the tractor with the blade on, the digger, when we needed it and first call on the firms time. Total cost of soil....110,000  :Sad: 

Sub Total - Land 929,500

Basic cost of the house was 1M 800,000 I tried sepparating that into materials and labour but I couldn't make it the same as the 'published' figure. More, yes. Lots more even, but the same, no.

Basic cost included all building, wiring, water in and waste out, ceilings and under roof boards, painting, basic tiling, wooden doors and wooden windows and glass. It did not include the making of the kitchen but we had enough materials so it was just a bit more labour.

We wanted nice toilets, windows and lots of lamps, so here is the list of extras

Lamps, three nice toilets, wash basin, kitchen sink, cupboard fronts and the stone cladding for the front pillars...... 40,000
Alluminium doors/windows/glass..70,000
Move toilet and rebuild ............10,000
Two lots of Architects .............60,000
Government Electric and meter ...5,400
Nice tiles, everywhere .............46,000
Granite downstairs ..................13,000
extra for nice banisters ............15,000
Water and meter ......................2,500
Cooker ..................................33,000
Stainless door and window bars .78,000
Water tank and super pump ......14,000
Curtains and blinds ..................47,000
Front gate and fitting ..............10,000
Chippings for drive ..................10,000
Spirit house and figures .............2,500
House blessing/Party ...............50,000
Prices for the party look excessive but included Nine Monks, five Singers, five Dancers, a Catering team of six, a stage with lights, Sound Engineer and P.A., two huge awnings, tables, chairs and food and drink for about 350 people, some of whom travelled from Bangers. The locals are still talking about it.

Sub total extras...466,000

Total cost of project, so far...3m 195,900 Thai Baht. Bargain really.  :Smile: 

Rumour has it that the Builder, Khun Udom, did not make as much as he had hoped although he did make one or two beams that 'disappeared' over the course of the builing project. This is probably due to the loss of his foreman, falling off the scaffolding and being sick for a week or so. Also due to rising prices and the fact that on many occasions he had said "Yeah, that's fine", and had to get people back because we didn't like the fitting or the finish. The Electricians came back at least eight times, the Window people five times and the Carpenter three times.

 There's bound to be a few things that I have missed, but that's your lot for now. Cheers everyone.

----------


## Panthip

Khun Loom,
Sorry to say but I hoped your house never would be finished. Your thread with pics and funny comments will be greatly missed; its like losing an old friend.
Thanks a lot for an excellent story.

----------


## Issan Man

LoomB,thanks for the final breakdown and the photo's.I still can't get my head around the difference in prices between Thailand and old Blighty,but I am certainley not complaining.You have ended up with a really nice place there mate,and I am sure that you and Mrs LoomB will both be very Happy there for many years to come. :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> Sorry to say but I hoped your house never would be finished. Your thread with pics and funny comments will be greatly missed; its like losing an old friend. Thanks a lot for an excellent story.


Thanks very much. Old friends are never really lost, we keep them in our hearts and are reminded of them by the odd picture or momento that we hold on to. In some cases, we get to play with the children that they leave behind or enjoy the trees that they planted, years ago. 

I will be dusting this one off, from time to time, and adding anything remotely house orientated, for your information or amusement.

It has been great fun for me also. The response and feedback has been beyond my wildest expectations and I now find myself, somewhat, addicted.

The next big job will be the inner boundry wall, in a few months time. Till then, look for me amongst the sweet blooms of Isaan.

----------


## sabang

Congratulations Khun Loomie!  :Smile: 
A classic thread, that many of us have enjoyed.
Enjoy your slice of paradise mate.

----------


## Tom O

Thanks for all the effort.  I think it was well worth it.  A great read.

----------


## nipper

3 million baht is a little under £50,000 yeah, so that doesn't even begin to come close to anything i could afford in England. I s'pose i could get a bugalow or cottage for a bit less? Right, i'm convinced, thanks very much.

----------


## hillbilly

> Khun Loom,
> Sorry to say but I hoped your house never would be finished. Your thread with pics and funny comments will be greatly missed; its like losing an old friend.
> Thanks a lot for an excellent story.


Could not have said it better myself!  :Smile:

----------


## Norton

> I s'pose i could get a bugalow or cottage for a bit less?


Chiangmai Noon has a thread you might be interested in.
https://teakdoor.com/building-in-thai...new-house.html

----------


## nipper

> Originally Posted by nipper
> 
> I s'pose i could get a bugalow or cottage for a bit less?
> 
> 
> Chiangmai Noon has a thread you might be interested in.
> https://teakdoor.com/building-in-thai...new-house.html


thankyou that was very helpfull..

----------


## Loombucket

Please excuse me while I bump this thread. A couple of folks wanted to see what the house looked like when it was completely finished. I finally found these three, whilst looking for something else, on a disc marked 'bad copy'???

Here is a nice angle on the front. Note the 'racing stripe', added at the bottom of the walls, to match the roof and the 'must have' collection of cement Mushrooms and furniture. The waterfall thing was a real pain to get going, but makes a nice tinkling noise, as it slowly empties itself over the path.  :Sad: 



This is the side, or soi, view,



...and this is one of my favourite places. The Isaan style, seat thing was rescued from a bonfire. The chair was a 'quality second' and was free, apart from all the glue and pins holding it together.



That really is your lot now.  :Smile:

----------


## daveboy

Looks great

----------


## Propagator

The finished article looks great LB  :Smile:

----------


## jizzybloke

Hope you're very happy there Loom, looks fantastic! :Smile:

----------


## DrivingForce

Nice stuff LB......

----------


## Boon Mee

Good looking house Loom...what's the EGAT bill for A/C if I may ask? :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

^Sorry, I forgot to check back. We have no A/C, the wind blows in the back and out the front. We just open the doors and windows and let it get on with itself. We may put one unit in the downstairs bedroom, as it is the only room that gets a bit warm, around March/April.

----------


## English Noodles

Beautiful house Loomy. :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

> Beautiful house Loomy.


Thanks very much Noodles. We can't actually afford any decent furniture at the moment, but hey.   :Smile:

----------


## lozillionaire

This was a great thread; I really enjoy the trials and tribulations of farang builders in Thailand. This one though was definetly one of my favourites, well done mate I hope you have many happy years in your beautiful house.

----------


## Loombucket

^Thanks very much. It was a fun project and a fun thread to do. I probably only posted half of the pictures, but you got the idea. Cheers!

----------

