Deck Ape's Big Gringo House

[Deck Ape]

Right back atcha Loombucket. Your place looks great too. You'll be tossing empties off that balcony in no time.

I'm off to Bangkok for a few days of R&R. No love from the roofers- date pushed back (for the third time) to the 28th.

[jaiyenyen]

Great thread Deck Ape, I'm really enjoying it. You come across as having a good attitude to this building lark, which helps, imho.
I'm living with wife and kids in BKK at the moment, but the dream is to build a traditional wooden Thai style home one day, on some land we have outside Roi-Et. Threads like yours keep the dream alive, thanks.
Enjoy your R&R in BKK, ( Maybe not too much )

[maily]

Another good thread, keep the info coming

[Deck Ape]

Khun Jaiyenyen,

Traditional Thai house still very do-able. Whereabouts you looking to build it?

My attitude in this thread and the shouting matches with Tilac are two very different matters. Did the major rebuild of my house five years ago and temper tantrums (mine, unfortunately) were a regular occurance.

We built a store three years ago and my behaviour and attitude had cooled off quite a few degrees. Part of it has to do with the increased trust and respect I have for the builders. No they're not perfect, but they know what they know. They're just working guys like myself.
There are a few defects with the store, but my family and our neighbors enjoy it immensely. (built it 4x too big so it's the defacto ubc and ps2 lounge.)

Honestly the house project has been a drain financially, trying to come up with all the cash. And the sooner it's done the sooner all the bad "surprises" will end. But while I of all poeple don't expect to be a shining beacon to the locals, Na Nai and I were discussing yesterday how this'll be the first house in this area (maybe a few hundred houses) with the QCon. He seemed proud of that and I am, too.

See you in BKK!!

[Deck Ape]

I'm living with wife and kids in BKK at the moment, but the dream is to build a traditional wooden Thai style home one day, on some land we have outside Roi-Et.

My bad- Roi-Et. Should be great. Maybe some tasty yardbirds running around under the house?

[DrAndy]

Another superblock in the wall!!

Due to some drunken decision making last night the small red blocks in the foreground will go back to the supply store. The 15cm Qcon will make the interior walls, and I anxiously await the delivery of the 20cms for exterior walls. Painful decision, as the bigger blocks will "eat" more interior space.

.

why send them back? they would make very nice paths or patio areas

brick paving can look excellent

[Deck Ape]

Will think about that one Dr Andy. By the way, wish my gables were a lot bigger and looked like the roof on your rice barn.

I'll be in BKK and might look for a good sized tank style water heater. Anyone know the best place to buy- and if for sure it's better than the point of use units? Had my little point of use one for years and it's worked flawleessly, just thinking it's probably ineffecient.

[Loy Toy]

[quote=ataloss;725327][quote=Loy Toy;723594]

The solar panels that you can see for water heating only and the results are fantastic.
Have 6 people showering twice a day, laundrey and kitchen use and never run out of boiling hot water (you could almost boil an egg int it).Done away with all of those ugly dedicated hot water units that continously break down and overload.Never could fault these units which for a house of that size costs around 150,000.00 Baht including instalation, with all the copper piping and a back up heater (which we have never had to switch on).Highly recommended.

These are available at Global house for 35,000 to 45,000B for the larger unit. Good quality. Prices seem to have dropped considerably, so now I am considering one. Cheers

Be careful "ataloss" or you will be at a loss.

20K, 30K yes you can have the system of your dreams but how long will it last.

Been there done that matey!

By the way have you been quoted instalation including full copper pipes to all of your hot water outlets.

Prices coming down? You must be living on another planet!

If you know something I don't kindly PM me!

[Thetyim]

I'll be in BKK and might look for a good sized tank style water heater. Anyone know the best place to buy- and if for sure it's better than the point of use units?

We got a Steibel Eltron immersion heater with a tank of about 150 litres
Worked well for 5 years

.:Welcome to Stiebel Eltron :. The water heater germans most

[Norton]

I'll be in BKK and might look for a good sized tank style water heater.

Believe you can find them in Korat. Many brands available in various sizes. I got mine at Global House in Roiet. If you have a tub, suggest you get one that has a liter capacity about two thirds the capacity of the tub.

[Deck Ape]

[Deck Ape]

Back in town and here's where we're at. The inside walls have progressed up to the headers and the guys are readying the roof trusses for the IMMINENT arrival of the roof tiles and roofers.

[Travelmate]

looking progressive for sure. when do you expect to move in?

[DrAndy]

Be careful "ataloss" or you will be at a loss.

20K, 30K yes you can have the system of your dreams but how long will it last.

Been there done that matey!

By the way have you been quoted instalation including full copper pipes to all of your hot water outlets.

Prices coming down? You must be living on another planet!

If you know something I don't kindly PM me!

tell us your story then! I have had my solar hot water heater for only a year, what happens after a few years?

I think that they are much better than any tank heater, esp now that electricity costs are rising

and copper hot water pipes! they are such a rip-off, being charged by the metre

I could not find anyone to fit mine who would not charge that way, rather than me supplying the materials and paying them for their work

they also feel the need to braze all the joints rather than solder them, as if they were for aircon

[Andrew Hicks]

Been browsing the site for six months now. I especially enjoy the construction threads, so since I'm currently constructing, I thought "HERE'S MY CHANCE"!!!

I laughed when I saw that you started by building the wall. That's the theme of one of the chapters in my new book, MY THAI GIRL AND I.

Cat wanted a big, big wall that was going to cost half the price of the house and I dug my toes in. Don't mention the wall!

Anyway we're still together under its roof after five years and nice people tell me there are many lessons to learn and laughs to be had by reading the chapters on building the house.

It was sheer hell and one of the most difficut things I've ever done in my life. Driving across the Sahara in a Beetle was a breeze in comparison.

Choke dee khrap! I'm sure it'll be worth it.

Andrew

[chuckd]

Great read, Deck Ape.

Keep the sense of humor. You'll need it before you are finished.

[DrAndy]

oh yes, us too

when we built our wall (see chapter 4 of my new book "MY SIAMESE CAT AND OTHER FEMALES" $45 in some 7/11s) we actually did not know what we were doing

so much fun, even more than trying to cross Patpong in a tuktuk

[Deck Ape]

Thanks for the input Gents,

Yes Andrew, the wall was, without question, necessary. Okay, she just left. We could have done without the wall, but it's good to have. Keeps out stray dogs and the livestock that the neighbors bring by to graze nearby.

GOOD NEWS!! After days of nervously watching the sky our driveway and land dried out enough to bring in the roof tiles. The second truck with the stringers, fasteners and foil never materialized. Tilac says "truck come on Mon-day". Maybe.
Bought the roof stuff and install all arranged at Homemart. They have a great roof department. You can order all supplies, get an estimate and they give a five year warranty. Unfortunately our install date has been moved back three times. More, much more on the roof as it is installed. I've developed a minor obsession with roof and house ventilation and will finally see my dreams and vision become reality.

20cm Q-Con blocks also arrived.

Don't know why this last picture looks so big. I previously tried to resize with different max pixel sizes, but this time just copied straight from the camera. Wierd.

[Deck Ape]

looking progressive for sure. when do you expect to move in?

Still trying to figure that out, Khun Travelmate. Just might run out of money before the paint/ tile stage. Wife might not want to move in at that stage.

[Loy Toy]

Be careful "ataloss" or you will be at a loss.

20K, 30K yes you can have the system of your dreams but how long will it last.

Been there done that matey!

By the way have you been quoted instalation including full copper pipes to all of your hot water outlets.

Prices coming down? You must be living on another planet!

If you know something I don't kindly PM me!

tell us your story then! I have had my solar hot water heater for only a year, what happens after a few years?

I think that they are much better than any tank heater, esp now that electricity costs are rising

and copper hot water pipes! they are such a rip-off, being charged by the metre

I could not find anyone to fit mine who would not charge that way, rather than me supplying the materials and paying them for their work

they also feel the need to braze all the joints rather than solder them, as if they were for aircon

Had a solar panel hot water system commisioned for about 8 years now and never had a problem.

I was responding to ataloss who was quoting systems for about 30k which I found outlandish.

Like everything DrAndy things don't last and I expect to have to replace something on it in a few years but in reality there is nothing to these systems.
Sun rays heat the water, water is gravity feed to the tap and voila, hot water.

[Deck Ape]

Solar water heaters for your home will cost you in excess of 100,000 if done properly. Enough then, lets move on.

[jandajoy]

oh yes, us too

Shit, have you written a book too! I'd nearly finished mine but "Dog" ate it.
So I've built a big, big wall and that's where she'll stay. You can read about the whole incarceration / SM / Bondage in my new book which will be out soon.

"Me, my dog and a wall" available at Pong's noodle house of pleasure in Moo 3.

[jandajoy]

Sorry to go off topic Deck

[Deck Ape]

No sweat Khun Janda,

The thing is, this thread is about my own Napoleonic complex, LPS (little penis syndrome), and my new book "My Thai Wife's New House". Here are the roof tiles. Tiles only account for 25% of the total roof cost. No idea why as the bill was in Thai. Burned out enough that I don't really care.

[Deck Ape]

Here are the 20's. They stacked them up in a big cube. If I don't render the exterior walls the place will look like an igloo from the cartoons.