Thailand House Build

[Tubtaywun]

This is what's referred to as a "cold joint". It is very important when pouring a horizontal load bearing beam or a floor slab as this will be a weak point. On a vertical load such as the main posts it is not so important. Concrete (properly mixed) is extremely strong in compression, not so much in tension, hence the requirement for rebar in any situation that the concrete may be subjected to tension (pulling) or bending loads.

Thanks ..that makes sense. My head was melted...I could not comprehend how to pour a floor and the posts at the same time..as i said no experience with concrete.

[dirtydog]

Well I was back in the wilds of Jomtien and had to go into Pattaya so went the long way to stop off at the land and also to see how the house building was going, it turns out they will be 3 seperate houses, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms each, the builder reckons on 500,000baht each labour and materials, although he isn't using ant Q Con or insulation blocks, just ordinary blocks, he did say he was putting a proper roofup though.

This picture is from the back of the first house, pretty crap view for him and basically right next to the road.



This is the second house, they are just finishing up the form work for it, so it looks like a few months time we will get to see what a half million baht house looks like.

[Mamasun]

If the house is only for exemple 70 m2 ! it will be around 7000 Baths m2...not so cheap !

[Troy]

Something doesn't look quite right to me. I am more of a sparky than a builder but I did manage the building of my bungalow 12 years ago (in Isaan) and it's still looking good now.

The initial pictures showed some plant life around, which is not good. However, the worrying thing is the cross beams being too high above ground level. I would have expected them to be at ground level (the top of them) to ensure that any movement of one of the posts, due to soil movement, would not be in isolation and cause severe tension in the beams and eventual fractures in the building walls.

As I say, I am only a sparky so expect someone to put me right on the purpose of these intial cross beams and there position in the photos shown.

[dirtydog]

Nothing wrong with a raised house with the ground beam off the ground, don't forget they put real big feet on this building.

I done the same for my garden wall, I aint buying dirt when previously I used to charge for dumping it for them

[Troy]

^ Thanks for the explanation...I didn't use such large post feet as the ones shown.

[dirtydog]

Nearly a month has passed and I haven't seen anyone working there, may delay the expected completion date of 3 months to finish a bit.

Photo from the front left of the land.



They have set up supports for the concrete plinths and thats about it

[splitlid]

They have set up supports for the concrete plinths and thats about it

'plinth' ??- im sure they are there for the precast concrete planks.

[dirtydog]

From wiki.

In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests.

[Marmite the Dog]

In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests.

On the ground, yes. Not up in the air.

[BKKBILL]

Ouch! Also noticed the re-bar is getting a nice patina.

[dirtydog]

Well this thread started in January, they said 3 months to finish, it is now June and they are finally back on the job.

They got all the floors poured, this they mixed by hand, not really enough room to get a concrete lorry in there.

Here is one of the Thai workers just finishing the leveling of the concrete for the last bathroom.



Each house has 2 bathrooms, note the waste pipes are already in, also they are lower than the main floor so they are obviously expecting leaks



The end house they are starting to weld up the steel work for the roof, joined all the upright concrete posts together with steel.



View from where the entrance to the house will be, to the left will be 2 bedrooms, 1 with ensuite bathroom, down the end on the right is another bathroom, far left is a small kitchen area. Living room seems a bit narrow.

[dirtydog]

The end house they are doing the block work, shame they didn't use qcon or some other type of insulating block, suppose it all comes down to how much the customer will pay.

[dirtydog]

Well the Thai workers seem to be zooming along now, well the welder at least, this picture is from the front left of the land, the 2 houses behind the steel work for the roofs are complete.



The far end house the roof tiles are going up, yeah they used the big horrible ones.



Walls and room divisions are nearly complete for the last house, this is the living room with bedrooms to the left, the kitchen at the back is quite big, shame the living room is so narrow.



Just a few more rows of blocks to finish the walls on this house.

[nigelandjan]

Christ no liner or insulation under those crappy tin tiles ,, hope they supply buckets + mops with the title deeds ,,,,, my SIL,s new home has just been roofed like that ,, allthough she had to go to the market for the buckets + mops

[dirtydog]

The Thai labourers have put in a hard week, probably about 10 of them so they have done well, the block work is up for 2 of the houses, roofs nearly complete on all 3 houses.



Rendering is about half done on the end house, the kitchens are quite big, still don't like the narrow living room though.



They are hiding the electric cables in the walls, albeit in grey conduit for some reason, obviously recessed plugs etc.



Fascia is going up and a tiny bit of roof ventilation.



Nothing better than sitting out on your porch all day and getting pissed as a sack, trouble is they are south facing, going to be a tad warm out there.



The house front doesn't look bad for what the houses are costing.

[dirtydog]

Now this suprised me, all 3 houses have/had that open air underneath section which I would imagine would be good for cooling, although with it being dirt would be a great place for snakes and poisonous insects to live, personally I would have concreted it and left it open, nice place for the family dogs to spend the day, but they are blocking it all in with breeze blocks/cinder blocks.

Beam work going in.



Breeze blocks and little red bricks to block it up.



The whole lot being rendered off so nobody would even know it was there.

[nigelandjan]

Now this suprised me, all 3 houses have/had that open air underneath section which I would imagine would be good for cooling, although with it being dirt would be a great place for snakes and poisonous insects to live, personally I would have concreted it and left it open, nice place for the family dogs to spend the day, but they are blocking it all in with breeze blocks/cinder blocks.

From what I have seen on other builds this indeed is the case , plenty of airflow ,, looks to me especially with the fresh looking wall foundation put in this is a last min change of plan either by the builder or by the client who has his name down for it.

[dirtydog]

Quite amazing where Thai's can sleep, the roofer is having a little nap.



Normally under the roof tiles you fit a plastic strip that goes with the curves of the roof tile, this is to stop birds getting in and making nests, a packet of these strips cost next to nothing, here they are cutting the board to the shape of the roof tiles, obviously have way too much spare time as noway on earth is it cheaper to do it this way, might look slightly better but nobody notices that sort of thing anyway.



Would you have noticed on the roofline?

[English Noodles]

Quite amazing where Thai's can sleep, the roofer is having a little nap.

All three are.

[dirtydog]

A view of the back of the 3 houses, shame the wall is there otherwise they could have a nice view of a lake, with the houses so close to each other none of them really have a view of anything other than concrete walls.




The ceilings are going up, well at least the aluminum frame work is on the first house, this system doesn't take long, just flat ceilings though with no fancy bits.



Outside the are finishing off the front porch.



Down the side of the house also.

[dirtydog]

All the block work is up for the 3 houses and rendering nearly finished, just a bit to do on the last house.

First house plaster board ceilings are up and finished, no fancy lighting in these houses, ie just a light in the middle of the ceiling, and 2 in the living room, so now it's a quick single coat of paint to tidy them up and than the floor tiles and bathroom tiles can be layed, once they are done the electricians will probably come and finish their stuff and then the painters will be back to paint over the light switches, plugs and lights.

Still, they aint bad for what? 12k stirling?

Front porch area looks quite nice.



Living room still too narrow, 2 bedrooms to the left, far right is a bathroom, far middle is the entrance to the kitchen.





Main bedroom with en suite bathroom, note the cable for the single light, another 10k baht and they could do some real nice lighting, oh well.

[nigelandjan]

As you say for about £12k not too bad at all if your happy with that kind of living arrangement

[Mamasun]

Quite amazing where Thai's can sleep, the roofer is having a little nap.



Normally under the roof tiles you fit a plastic strip that goes with the curves of the roof tile, this is to stop birds getting in and making nests, a packet of these strips cost next to nothing, here they are cutting the board to the shape of the roof tiles, obviously have way too much spare time as noway on earth is it cheaper to do it this way, might look slightly better but nobody notices that sort of thing anyway.



Would you have noticed on the roofline?

Dirtydog How much is the plastic things for under the tiles (to stop the birds ) ? here they want 20 bahts for one ! thanck you

[terry57]

Thats $15,600 AUD.

Could near on go halves with a mate and use it as a crash pad.

Whats the deal on Farangs buying these places ?

Cant do it Eh, as one can only own a condo.