Thread: Farm House near Nong Bua Lamphu

Malcolm ...... you write as though you have reached the end of this story .

Will there not be a staircase up to your cabin ? Or any hand rails ?

I ask so I can put the building into my Gallery of builds - but surely you're not using a ladder ? Your plans showed a staircase .




Wasp

Slow and steady as this isn't a Formula 1 race.

Better to go slow and steady than to allow a "quickie fix" by Thai workers that one will never see again to repair what went wrong on the first go.

Khun Legend doesn't require a move in until his bathroom and stairs are built to his preferred specs.

The ant will win the race. No house warming mash up until the job is finished hence it will get finished.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Thanks for posting the build, interesting to say the least.

But I'm confused, by many things.

Initially I saw that you built the pad up and judging by the grass on it and the weathering, you left it for a rainy season for it to settle?

Yes, we let the road and pad settle for about nine months.

Why on earth have you built it on what look like 5' stilts/stumps?

Actually, the cement posts are bonded onto six foot column footers. Some detail on that is contained at: THE ISAAN: Bann Nah 6 - Column Footers and THE ISAAN: Bann Nah 9 - Foundation and Beams

Not high enough to build under, way to high to walk up the stairs to get to where you sleep (you're not getting any younger). Given that the remaining plot, after selling to the Temple 4 Rai (from memory) it isn't that large to own a lot of Farm Machinery, if any, so I'm scratching my as to it's intended use.

The cement posts under the house are tall enough to build separate rooms down below the porch and bedroom, should we ever decide to do that. The stairs will be easy for me to navigate.

How do you plan to get a vehicle, car/truck/or bike to the house/salsa?

We built a road from the government road to Bann Nah which takes about three minutes to traverse on a motorcycle. We have delivery trucks that come out there all the time. The road itself is six meters wide.

Who will be working the Rice Paddy?

Family members work the rice paddies at 9 rai (where Bann Nah is centered) and our other farm, which is 8.5 rai. I wrote a little bit about this year's harvest. Part 1 of 4 begins here: THE ISAAN: Giao Khao, 2015 - 1

Do you get one or two harvests a year?

Family harvest sticky and jasmine rice once a year.

If not you (working the Paddy), do you plan another out building for them to sleep under?

The current hangout spot is the outdoor kitchen (THE ISAAN: Bann Nah 23 - Interior Walls & Ceiling) and the hammocks we have strung under the house. I expect once we have the area under the house cleaned up, it will also be a center of activity especially during the heat of the day and when it's raining.

A tin roof will be the noisiest option I could think of during the monsoon rains. Why not Fibro-Cement tiles?

Yeah, it gets loud up there (also at our village home), but the main considerations were cost, durability and color.

Where will the toilet be? In the dwelling, or on the ground floor?

There will be a small bathroom next to the bedroom, upstairs. The main bathroom will be in a separate cement building, on the ground, that will also house a laundry room, utility closet and kitchen.

Thank you for your interest in Bann Nah!

Originally Posted by PeeCoffee

Slow and steady as this isn't a Formula 1 race.

Better to go slow and steady than to allow a "quickie fix" by Thai workers that one will never see again to repair what went wrong on the first go.

Khun Legend doesn't require a move in until his bathroom and stairs are built to his preferred specs.

The ant will win the race. No house warming mash up until the job is finished hence it will get finished.

You got it right, Khun PeeCoffee... sometimes I think I'm gonna die before those stairs are built, but they'll be the best stairs I've ever had in my life!

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

... the story continues and is far from over. It will be a record-setting build for length of time it's taken, per meter, but I'm good with it.

In Post 149 you were thanking folks like you were signing off .

So I thought that was it !




Wasp

Originally Posted by Wasp

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

... the story continues and is far from over. It will be a record-setting build for length of time it's taken, per meter, but I'm good with it.

In Post 149 you were thanking folks like you were signing off .

So I thought that was it !




Wasp

We got lots more to do, Wasp. The main building is the biggie, but there's also the building to be built on the ground (kitchen, bath), water tower, plumbing, etc.). I expect after all that, my wife will have additional add-ons, as well!

Building stairs from scratch is not easy, especially if you’re using wood you’ve harvested, along with other milled wood – and all of it hard.

I had been correct about expecting a long work stoppage after Ohpensa. It turned out to be the second longest in the year and a half that we’ve been building: two months.




When Lott and Naht came back briefly around Christmas time, they resumed work on the stairs pad and began shaping the main support beams (stringers) and steps (treds). The stringers are made of teak (mae sot) and the steps are made of mae doo – both woods we cut from our farms.


(Steps [tred] Trimming)


(Steps [tred] Ironing)


Mae sot is a protected wood in Thailand, so in order to cut it – even if you own the trees – you have to get permission from the government. Even when you get the go-ahead, you are limited to the amount you can cut in a given time. All the main support posts and the stairs stringers are teak from eleven of our trees. Other teak, for the walls, ceilings and railings, were purchased. We just couldn’t cut enough of our own wood to cover all our needs.


(Mae Doo tred in-process)

[originally posted at http://http://the-isaan.blogspot.com/]

Staying the course. Forward...one step at a time. Wow- teak staircase. Amazing Thailand.

A temporary fix, we installed a 2,000 liter water tank on a metal stand about five feet high. Thip designed the stand, red oxide painted the metal and we paid a local crew to weld it. I connected the PVC from the well to the tank and created ports for multiple use. Our workers were away, so we are now in a mode where we are trying to do as much of the work at the farm on our own.



Eventually, we will move the tank to a much higher tower so that we will be able to have water pressure to the second floor of Bann Nah. The tower will have a roof to shade the tank, as well as a lightning rod.

The temporary tank set-up now gives us the ability to easily water plants and trees that Thip has put on the pad’s periphery; mango, papaya, doolean, mak mee (jackfruit), palm nut, coconut and other trees I’m not quite sure what they are. She’s doing well with the trees, but struggling a bit with the vegetables due to the exposure of the pad to the sun; little to no shade.

Having pressurized water also makes it easier in preparing and cleaning up in the outdoor kitchen.



This winter of 2015-2016 was not an exceptionally cold one, but it lasted far longer than previous winters I’ve experienced in the Isaan. For example, I estimate winter season, last year, went for about two months. This year, it was a solid three.


[originally posted at: THE ISAAN]

Just install a pump so much easier??

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

The stringers are made of teak (mae sot) and the steps are made of mae doo – both woods we cut from our farms.

Hi there, Malcolm. Just a question/comment about the wood. Is "mae sot" a particular kind of teak or is "mae sot" just a mistake? I ask because in Thai, teak is 'sak' สัก (or ไม้สัก 'mai sak'/'my sack' - teak wood).

Do you know the English name for the other kind of wood (mae doo)? Or could you get your wife to type it in Thai?

Originally Posted by Neverna

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

The stringers are made of teak (mae sot) and the steps are made of mae doo – both woods we cut from our farms.

Hi there, Malcolm. Just a question/comment about the wood. Is "mae sot" a particular kind of teak or is "mae sot" just a mistake? I ask because in Thai, teak is 'sak' สัก (or ไม้สัก 'mai sak'/'my sack' - teak wood).

Do you know the English name for the other kind of wood (mae doo)? Or could you get your wife to type it in Thai?

Apologies for the late reply on this, Neverna. I've been away in the USA for a couple of months, followed up by half a month in Lao.

"Mae Sot" is probably a mistake on my part. That's what teak is called, here in the Isaan, as far as I can tell. My wife used to call it "sik see" but that's not it... I'll see if I can pin down a more accurate identification of the mae doo. It's a lot like mae daeng, but is really only red in the center.

Originally Posted by mykthemin

Just install a pump so much easier??

Probably, mykthemin. I really haven't set a firm plan on permanent water flow at Bann Nah. Right now, gravity fed works fine and is cheap. When and if we get to the point of taking water to the second floor, I'll have to revisit the options and cost.

While I was away visiting family and friends in the USA, our workers finished up the one remaining inside wall of “yellow wood” and did the trim work for the entire inside.





When I returned to Thailand, Sam Lott and Sam Naht had completed all the inside work and had moved on to working on the porch handrails and balluster, which, like the stairs, were partly designed by our head monk, Lungpaw Boon Long.







One problem that they had encountered was that the mae sot (teak) originally bought for the balluster had split badly when it dried. I suspect the wood pile should have been placed in more shade, but what was done was done.

Once the porch railings and balluster went in, the beauty of the porch was even more enhanced. Not only that, but the railings were super strong. Combined with the inside trim work, Bann Nah was really shaping up and I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel for Phase One (the main house) construction.




[Originally posted at: THE ISAAN]

Beautiful handcrafted woodwork. That's something that is not to he found in most home projects.
Something that you and your wife will enjoy for many years to come (as long as you can still walk up the stairs ;-)

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

I'll see if I can pin down a more accurate identification of the mae doo.

( ไม้ประดู่ ) mai pra-doo perhaps? If so, it is Pterocarpus macrocarpus, the Burma padauk.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterocarpus_macrocarpus
http://samakkeetimber.tarad.com/product-th-796508-3936340
http://www.banpansiwareewood.com/535545/

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

mae daeng

Mai daeng (ไม้แดง)

Perhaps Pyinkado - Xylia xylocarpa?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylia_xylocarpa
Xylia xylocarpa - Useful Tropical Plants
http://samakkeetimber.tarad.com/product-th-796508-3936259
https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/แดง_(พรรณไม้)

That's a bit special, I didn't know my tiler also did woodwork!

Very interesting thread with lots of great pics, and some really nice woodwork.

Originally Posted by PeeCoffee

Beautiful handcrafted woodwork. That's something that is not to he found in most home projects.
Something that you and your wife will enjoy for many years to come (as long as you can still walk up the stairs ;-)

Thank you for your appreciation, Khun PeeCoffee... We may be able to move in there within a month or two.

Originally Posted by Neverna

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

I'll see if I can pin down a more accurate identification of the mae doo.

( ไม้ประดู่ ) mai pra-doo perhaps? If so, it is Pterocarpus macrocarpus, the Burma padauk.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterocarpus_macrocarpus
http://samakkeetimber.tarad.com/product-th-796508-3936340
http://www.banpansiwareewood.com/535545/

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

mae daeng

Mai daeng (ไม้แดง)

Perhaps Pyinkado - Xylia xylocarpa?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylia_xylocarpa
Xylia xylocarpa - Useful Tropical Plants
http://samakkeetimber.tarad.com/product-th-796508-3936259
https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/แดง_(พรรณไม้)

Yes, good call on the mai doo which is sometimes called here "pah doo" (or "pra doo," depending on inflection). Not sure about the mai daeng. It is the local equivalent of "red wood." Both woods are nail benders and usually have to be screwed rather than nailed. Thanks for the links!

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

That's a bit special, I didn't know my tiler also did woodwork!

Very interesting thread with lots of great pics, and some really nice woodwork.

I didnt realize my x brother inlaw did work for you, actually, looking at that, he slowly getting the hang of it.

^^^^^ All bull sh-t aside, I do envy you, it was my dream for years to have my own home in Thailand

Look forward to seeing more pics on your build.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

Originally Posted by Neverna

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

I'll see if I can pin down a more accurate identification of the mae doo.

( ไม้ประดู่ ) mai pra-doo perhaps? If so, it is Pterocarpus macrocarpus, the Burma padauk.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterocarpus_macrocarpus
http://samakkeetimber.tarad.com/product-th-796508-3936340
http://www.banpansiwareewood.com/535545/

Originally Posted by LEGENDARY

mae daeng

Mai daeng (ไม้แดง)

Perhaps Pyinkado - Xylia xylocarpa?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylia_xylocarpa
Xylia xylocarpa - Useful Tropical Plants
http://samakkeetimber.tarad.com/product-th-796508-3936259
https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/แดง_(พรรณไม้)

Yes, good call on the mai doo which is sometimes called here "pah doo" (or "pra doo," depending on inflection). Not sure about the mai daeng. It is the local equivalent of "red wood." Both woods are nail benders and usually have to be screwed rather than nailed. Thanks for the links!

Also, Neverna, I did write "mai sot" incorrectly. My wife pronounces it "mai sac."

Originally Posted by Mozzbie47

^^^^^ All bull sh-t aside, I do envy you, it was my dream for years to have my own home in Thailand

Thank you. It is fun, rewarding and frustrating all in one. It is not a process us Westerners are used to... BTW, the detail work looks better at a distance!