Finding and Building a Residence for Mr and Mrs MTSINTERNATIONAL

[SEA Traveler]

ST,

Thanks for the quick response and good luck with the project. I'm sure you will enjoy this house in the near future.

Thanks Khun Dude. Yup, in the near future... there might even be a Bar-B-Q from time to time... HOOOOOA!

[SEA Traveler]

It's looking good SEA Traveler, keep the reports coming in.

Yup! Just trying to keep up with the Loom's. The update reports that I post to this forum are dependent on and a result of phone discussions with Khun the "contractor" and updates from family and friends that are a little closer to the construction site on a daily basis. The reports will continue though and looking forward to being able to be in the house full time when it is completed.

[SEA Traveler]

Excellent report keep it coming.

thanks 68! greatly appreciated.

[AZZZEY68]

To be fair its a quality read.

[SEA Traveler]

31 May 2008,
With every day, the progress being made on the house is beginning make a difference. 1st coats of paint are being applied, floor and bathroom tiling are being completed, stepped ceilings with installed lighting are being completed and the driveway is being started. I am satisfied with the progress and the level of quality that Khun and workers have put into this house. The team put together for this project certainly have the skill, knowledge, and tools for completing this project successfully and to specification. Here are some pictures showing the most recent progress.

Above Picture: Concrete Driveway placed with tiling to follow. The 1st coat of exterior paint is being applied. The trim paint will be a little darker as a follow-on picture will show.



Above picture: Front of house with 1st coat of paint and the darker trim.



Above Picture: As someone from this forum had previously mentioned and recommended, I had the contractor go with TOA paint. I'm sure it will work out just fine and compairs to other local brands.



Above Picture: West side of the house with 1st coat of paint and the pool area.



Above Picture: Full view of the West side of the house with the beginning of the application of the 1st coat of paint.



Above Picture: In an earlier post where the top step coming from the front terrace was squared off at the right corner and was not rounded as the 2 below steps, I indicated that I was going to have the contractor round off that top corner. Here you can see that the corner was rounded off and is looking a lot better than it previously did.



Above Picture: 1st coat of paint in kitchen and the electrical circuit box. As the area currently has only single phase electric, the schedule for 3 phase to be installed has been established and will take place within 6 months. I had the house wired and a 3 phase electrical circuit box installed in readiness for the electric company's putting in 3 phased electric in the near future.



Above Picture: Master Bedroom Stepped ceiling with the recessed lighting and 1st coat of paint.



Above Picture: Stepped Ceiling and lighting in the Office area.



Above Picture: Stepped Ceiling in the Living Room.

[sunsetter]

looking good mate, hope your well, nice garden project comng up?

[HINO]

Sea all is looking good. Won't be long now and you will be pouring cool drinks next to that pool and garden. Khun Loong and crew are doing a superb job on the place and now its looking really great.

[SEA Traveler]

Khun Hino,

The pouring of cool drinks next to the pool will not be soon enough. Already get some of my projects in line for when I'm resident more permanently...

[BosseO]

MTS, I'll beat you to it, I can't provide a private pool but the drinks will sure be available.
Your place is looking great, wish I could have done the same but, as you know, that had included a change of wife.

[SEA Traveler]

Khun Boss,

Yes, you will be beating me to the punch as it relates to being able to enjoy a realaxing drink on the new house patio but I'll be in for the long haul and will be looking to catch up when I do get there in August.

[SEA Traveler]

I had decided early on in the planning process for this house to use a hard wood flooring for the Office and Master Bedroom. I had seen a finished Makha wood floor that was in the father-in-laws house and found the sanded and varnished surface soothing to the bare feet as well as the deep rich color adding a feeling of internal warmth (I did not say heat/hot as in temperature). I was advised that the use of Makha wood had been used in Thai homes for years and was considered traditional of some sort if not as popular as Teak wood. As I recall, the Makha was also slightly less expensive than the Teak wood so I went with Makha.

Apparently the longer and wider sections of Makha wood flooring are more expensive than the shorter and narrower pieces. This did not impose any issues with me at all as I liked the appearance of the shorter 40 cm or so lengths. I decided on the shorter 40 cm lengths to be installed.

The next consideration was in what design I wanted the wood put down. Although not opposed to a herringbone design, I was more inclined to stick with something more traditional and advised the contractor to follow a simple template placing the wood slats lengthwise with the length of the room. As it turns out, it looks just as I imagined and had hoped that it would.

The following pictures show the work in progress of the placement of the Makha wood flooring. It has yet to be completed and the surface has not yet been stained or the clear protectorate applied yet. That should be interesting in itself. In any event, the efforts of the contractor in putting down the wood flooring look fantastic. Take a look.


Above Picture: Unfinished Makha Wood flooring in the Office.


Above Picture: Another view of the unfinished Makha Wood flooring in the office.


Above Picture: Unfinished Makha Wood flooring in the Master Bedroom.


Above Picture: Unfinishe Makha Wood flooring in Master Bedroom Walk in Closet.


Above Picture: Unfinished Makha Wood flooring in the Walk in closet.

My plan all along has been to bring the electric line into the property via underground. Received some advisement not long ago that, for various reasons, there would be some difficulty with bringing in the electrical underground and into the property. I was not necessarily buying the electrical company's reasoning or explanations nor did I completely understand, because of the language differences and to what I attribute the Thai way of not really answering a question, why it would be a problem. Long story short, I was told that because the electric poles on on the opposit side of the street from my house and because the road is not yet blacktopped/concreted, it would be required for me to put an electrical pole on my property at my expense. It did not make all that much sense to me and working from a afar, did not feel inclined to want to contractor to pursue this for me. So, slightly dissapointed, I went with a tradition approach for bringing in the electricity. It is what it is and I'm over it already. Lets move on to the next issue.... I just consider myself fortunate that all else is going well with the project.

[The_Dude]

Why do want 3PH coming onto your property? Will you have large loads (motors)? It seems odd for a residence to have 3PH. It would be great for a machinist in a work shop. Is this your intent?

[HINO]

I can try to answer the "why" of the 3-phase question.

ST's need is for a higher amp supply not 3 phase to run a motor. The 3 phase supply from PEA will give him up to 50 amps per phase or 150 total. The highest supply I have ever seen on a single phase system is 100 amps. I believe it is possible to get a 150 amp meter single phase but not here in Ban Chang that I know of.

Currently the soi cannot supply 3 phase as the line down his soi is just single phase but his panel is being wired for a 3 phase split supply so when they do put 3 phase on his soi he can then get the higher supply to feed his need.

That in a nutshell is why he will install 3 phase. For the higher amp supply

[The_Dude]

ST might as well order 3PH A/C units and run the pool pumps on 3PH other then that I don't see him needing a larger service unless he is running more loads then mentioned. But it could be a "Tool Man Taylor" thing!

Agh-Agh Agh!!!

[HINO]

Hey Dude, sounds like a plan---------->> Only trouble is the house is almost finished and all the wring is in place and the electrical fixtures are purchased for the pool and such so your idea of 3 phase equipment won't work at this stage. the other piece is that 3 phase is not available on his soi yet.

He is wired and ready for 3 phase or 1 phase. Next year he can re-evaluate his load and needs and when higher current supply is available on his soi he can upgrade as the need arises.

[SEA Traveler]

Why do want 3PH coming onto your property? Will you have large loads (motors)? It seems odd for a residence to have 3PH. It would be great for a machinist in a work shop. Is this your intent?

Khun Dude: What you ask is a reasonable question and I can assure you that I would not be able to explaain the logic any beter than Khun "Sparky" Hino. By the way, "thanks Khun "SPARKY" Hino for the explanation...

No plans at this point for any work shop equip but I was looking to have enough electricity on a continual basis without feeling the variable surge/decrament in power. The fact that 3 phase is scheduled to run up the soi in the not too distant future prompted me to be prepared to accept that without having to do any retoolling of the electric box. By doing it up front during the original construction, I will be prepared for when they do install the 3 phased lines. No problem.

As for feeling the need to do a "tool time", nah, my tools are suficient to get the job done.

[The_Dude]

Thanks, Hino & Sea Traveler for enlightening me. Keep up the good work! And, Feet Forward!

[lom]

Currently the soi cannot supply 3 phase as the line down his soi is just single phase but his panel is being wired for a 3 phase split supply so when they do put 3 phase on his soi he can then get the higher supply to feed his need.

I did the same when building my house.
3-phase distribution panel with 3-phase main breaker and even put a 3-phase underground cable between house and meter.
So it was an easy job to change from 1 to 3-phase when the 3-phase line became available.

One point of caution for systems where 3-phase is used as 3 x 1-phase (ie , no true 3-phase equipment installed) :
The current flowing in the neutral line is the sum of the current in the 3 phase lines.
So the diameter of the neutral cable should be quite a bit bigger than the phase cables.

[More Volts Igor]

One point of caution for systems where 3-phase is used as 3 x 1-phase (ie , no true 3-phase equipment installed) :
The current flowing in the neutral line is the sum of the current in the 3 phase lines.
So the diameter of the neutral cable should be quite a bit bigger than the phase cables.

Nope! You can't just add the currents to get the neutral current, remember the phases are 120 degrees apart so you'll be needing to do some phasor calculations

Actually, the neutral current will never be greater than the largest phase current even in the most hideously out of balance systems. A quick and dirty calculation for your neutral current is:-

There is a quick way which is not exact but very close;
Example;
L1 = 7.5A
L2 = 5.5A
L3 = 4.0A
Subtract the smallest current from the other two:
L1 - L3
L2 - L3
7.5A - 4.0A = 3.5A
5.5A - 4.0A = 1.5A
The square root of (3.5(squared) - 1.5(squared)) = 3.162A

Works for power-factors better than about 0.8.

[chuckd]

Looks like your project is moving along very well. Congratulations.

One thing you might wish to consider, if you haven't already done so, is to install variable dimmer switches on your overhead lights in each room.

Just a thought.

[SEA Traveler]

Looks like your project is moving along very well. Congratulations.

One thing you might wish to consider, if you haven't already done so, is to install variable dimmer switches on your overhead lights in each room.

Just a thought.

Thanks Khun C for your recommendation of dimmer switches and for you encouragement on the project. Actually the dimmer switches thing is probably something to look at.

[lom]

Nope! You can't just add the currents to get the neutral current, remember the phases are 120 degrees apart so you'll be needing to do some phasor calculations

Yes I remember.. And stand corrected,

[SEA Traveler]

Nope! You can't just add the currents to get the neutral current, remember the phases are 120 degrees apart so you'll be needing to do some phasor calculations

Yes I remember.. And stand corrected,

Thanks Khuns loom and Igor. It is all clear as mud to me now. Guess I'll have to pull out my Sparky to English translation dictionary.

[SEA Traveler]

5 June 2008;

Painting and paint trim work on the exterior of the house continue as is the placement of tile in the Living Room and preparation of the Teak Wood doors throughout the house. You will be able to see from the following pictures that the progress is slow but deliberate and I feel that it is making a real difference. It is all coming together nicely. Good work Khun.


Above Picture: Front of house paint and trim.


Above Picture: Front terrace tile almost finished.


Above Picture: Living Room tile almost completed. Contractor Khun was nice enough to put down some craft paper so that the tile already place doees not get marked up.


Above Picture: Living Room floor tile has a design put down just inside the entrance way.


Above Picture: here is a closer picture of the tile design just inside the front door way.


Above Picture: Teak Wood doors are being stained. I'm told that at least 3 coats of stain will be applied because the stain gets absorbed by the teak and to make sure that the color is a deep smooth color rather than just a rough look.


Above Picture: Weat side of the house painted with trim.

[sunsetter]

lovin it mate, floors looks pukka, not far to go, hows the pool coming along?