Thread: Baanpong House Build

The build is almost complete, still some snagging to do, plus we have a bit of an issue with the wiring installed in the master bathroom (no surprise there then!)...

The power feed for the shower was put in an approximated place, then the bathroom was tiled, then the shower unit installed, but the wiring comes in 6 inches from the shower position and runs around the corner and top of the shower unit and back in to the left hand side... ugly wires visible, so some cheap-arse plastic stick-on, snap-close surface conduit has been roughly hacksaw-ed and bodged in a shitehawke attempt at hiding wires. Same goes for light above bathroom mirror... power feed too high up, leaving exposed wired to light unit.. same crappy attempt with surface conduit.

It's not as if this is a DIY attempt at changing something already installed.. it's a bloody new build, with clean lines and nice materials, only to be let down at the final jump by lack of care... FFS!

Solution is either i) to knock out a couple of tiles, chase out the brickwork, install conduit and re-tile in the right position.

Or ii) re-site the shower unit to where the wires come through, but then the shower head and will be at 90 degrees to the unit, and it will look a bit odd. Plus there will be mounting holes visible in the tiles where it was previously sited, so the tile (or tiles) would have to be replaced anyhow!... a pain in the arse, all because of lack of attention before tiling.

I also requested lighting above the window behind the kitchen sink.. (I'll put in a shelf with a concealed LED lighting strip underneath), but somehow this request was ignored, I asked again, as the wiring conduit in the walls was being installed, as I noticed no conduit had been installed for this, and was told "no problem, will do".

Walls were then rendered, ceiling installed, decorating done, still no sign of electrical feed... so I asked again.

Khun Ranger and Tonto wiring services must have paid a visit yesterday, because now we have wiring coming out of the ceiling above the kitchen window... I presume that the proposed solution to hiding this now visible wiring is that same crappy surface snap-on conduit.

I don't think so! better get the angle grinder out and get some chasing-in done, followed by some very clever filling and painting or there will be trouble!

Again.. 95% fabulous, nice finish, nice materials, made to look 50% shite owing to a dodgy rushed finish and half-arse solution on a few things.

I'm not a happy chappy.

It's a learning exercise for me, I would never had thought that knowing what fittings are going in and where they are to be placed should be worked out at the stage where brickwork has just been completed, but this is actually the case. Noarng and the foreman should have known this, I perhaps should have, but I have never overseen a house build before, so I guess I am sort of excused.

The missus is on the case, so perhaps it can be fixed without too much of a faff... almost at the point where I don't want to go to see the house any more as every time I do, something annoying as hell is waiting to greet me!

Advice to anyone wanting to build in Thailand to any level of decent finish... simple answer is DON'T! Just rent, it'll be cheaper and more stress-free

Great thread jonny and I hope you get everything sorted.

I also wish you and your family many happy years in your new home.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Great thread jonny and I hope you get everything sorted.

I also wish you and your family many happy years in your new home.

Cheers LT.. I'm wishing too!

OK, so after a bit of a long-winded phone conversation with the missus, Noarng agreed to fix the issues.

Step one: re-siting the water feed pipe and waste pipes for hand basins to a higher position so that the pipes can be hidden behind ceramic mounting unit (as intended) and not hang down below like a bunch of blue pudenda!



A= original height, B= new correct height.

A would have been fine if the sink units had a floor standing pedestal, but we couldn't find one that matched and fitted the sink shapes we liked, so went for wall mounted instead, so this is what caused the issues.

We did however choose the bathroom stuff at the same time as the tiles (Noarng was actually with us during this shopping trip), so really the measurements for installation should have been cross-checked against the plumbing on site at that time BEFORE tiling happened.

Step 2 is re-positioning shower unit to sit 90 degrees to wall with shower head mounted, this hiding wiring and no need for stick-on uncle bob's DIY surface- plastic conduit...which means also that a longer water feed pipe needs to be purchased (and I can't help but think this was also a constituent factor in the decision to mount the unit where it was!).

Not sure what is going to be done about the plastic dicombobulation that carries the power to the over-mirror light in the master bathroom.. might as well re-position that too, it's only about 5 inches, but will still mean some chasing, a short length of conduit (hopefully) and a new tile being placed with a hole cut.


Also purchased a 2000 litre green plastic water tank directly from the manufacturer (which just happens to be the nearest source and also saved us some beer tokens!)

Getting there.. slowly!

Update on work this week:

White paint splatters have been removed from floor tiles (using solvent, as I caught one of the chaps scraping away and scratching off the smooth tile surface).

Stain splatters on walls have been painted over.

All wood has been sanded down and re-stained and a few of the planks used on door frames have had a second coat of brushed stain added to darken them down to match the tone of the rest of the wood). All wood has now received a coat of varnish.

Terracotta floor tiles have been sealed.

Showers unit has been re-sited, sinks have been re-positioned to correct height, lighting units re-positioned and all tiles have now been reset and finished.

All door and window furniture now fitted.

Some rendering done to concrete pillars and the walls on the carport/utility room.

Now waiting on kitchen to be fitted on the 18th Aug.

Also waiting on electricity to be hooked up from entrance gate to the main house, plus a spur ran over to the carport for lighting and power for the pump and utility room. After which water can be hooked up and the leaky pipe joins fixed! 555

No photos, as it's a bit boring, will post photos of the 'completed' build, which should be 'in a few weeks' (TM).

Update on progress;

Temporary power feed has been connected up to house to test all the circuits and fittings.. all seems fine and there was no blinding flash and the house didn't burn down!

All manner of small bits and pieces have been fixed, still a few more to go though.

Finally got the house number from the land office, so can get power connected up with permanent meter.

The carport is 99% completed, just need a tap and a waste pipe installing to plumb in the washing machine in utility room.

Water has been connected up to the house via tank and pump in utility room, all's good and no leaks that I can find.

Bit of a balls-up with the kitchen installation, some of the doors delivered were the wrong colour, will take another week to complete.

So, until then, here's a shot of the house form the road through the village, in a few years you won't be able to see the house at all after all the trees I have planted grow a bit;

Beautiful view of your house. I hope it is only the trees that grow to block the view of your house.

Originally Posted by runker

Beautiful view of your house. I hope it is only the trees that grow to block the view of your house.

Plots of land are going up for sale already.. it's only a matter of time before a moo baan or resort developer moves in on the act. I'm not too bothered, the mountains will still be visible and I am right on the edge of the valley, right at the end of the road. This picture actually shows the back of my house, the front faces the mountains, if the view of my house disappears, the view from my house (with mountains) will hopefully remain.

OK, as all may have noticed, there's been an update with Teakdoor forums, so certain functions and processes have changed, after spending ages trying to find 'My Gallery' or even anywhere to upload images to, realised that's all obsolete and no longer the necessary process. So, here's testing the direct way by posting images straight from my PC into the post:

Images of 'completed' car port, still needs washing machine feed and waste pipe installing, but hey, near enough. It also looks a bit stark right now, but will plant around to soften the structure in. Ideally I would have wanted it hidden from the house, but space and land size limitations forced the location and orientation. It will eventually be connected to the house with a covered trellis walkway. I'll also have to plant more shade trees opposite as the sun shines straight in to the car port in the late afternoon:

Progress has been slow on the kitchen installation, a few mistakes were made, some mismatching colours on the doors, and some slightly dodgy installation details, which were rectified over the 5 weeks it took (I was quoted 5 days! ).

Extractor hood still needs to be hooked up, but I have to put in a shelf that goes above the counter, from the extractor around the corner and over the sink, above which will house the vent pipe and also down-lighting and power supply.


Monster fridge arrived, complete with usual ugly energy efficiency sticker (applied in regulation wonky fashion).. any tried and tested method of removing this bloody thing would be appreciated! The surface is just paper, but the adhesive under it will be a different issue. Loathed to use any spirit-based approach, as it may attack the surface of the door, abrasion is out, so perhaps just soap and warm water? I have used gasoline on things with adhesive before, but not sure with this.



When I get more funds, I'll stick in a 1 X 1m island for extra storage, preparation space, it will sit directly under the middle pendant light.

All the rest of the house is pretty much complete, doors and window wood frames need another coat of matt varnish, the rest just needs a good clean and a whole bunch of furniture putting in, will spare you shots of everything, but here's one of the lounge, so you can get an idea of the look and feel of the place.



As this is a construction thread, not intended for interior design ideas, I guess I'll call this job done. Cheers for following and your interest, comments and support, all very much appreciated. Chok dee Khrup, Pop gahn mai!

Nice, large kitchen you've got there. The island will make it perfect.

I hate those stickers, also. Half vinegar and half water will take the goop off. Dab on and let it sit a few minutes, then wipe.

The delivery guys usually have something to take the stickers off if you make a fuss when they bring the appliance in.


We want to see the design ideas, too! Right to finished.

Originally Posted by jonnyenglish

Is the caged area a 'lock-up', an 'avery' ... or something else?

BTW, looking great

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Is the caged area a 'lock-up', an 'avery' ... or something else?

BTW, looking great

555, it's a laundry room, the idea is to have washing machine in there, can hang up clothes to dry without being bleached in the sun or getting rain on. It also houses the pump, and no doubt will have my bicycle in there too. I guess it could also be used as a holding pen to quarantine feral visitors

Coming along splendidly, Johnny.
Nice large spaces!!

Cheers.

Looking great.
Those stickers are tricky to remove. I used some adhesive remover , it worked great but also removed the finish in the fridge door.

Originally Posted by jonnyenglish

Advice to anyone wanting to build in Thailand to any level of decent finish... simple answer is DON'T! Just rent, it'll be cheaper and more stress-free

Sorry to hear you feel that way (Probably frustration at the time). I disagree though. I know I could never personally rent here. I did a few times both condo and a house and it never feels like home.​ Is there a different level of patience required when building your own place...yes. I think the challenge is usually communication and expectations. Your comments are invaluable for others but sadly you are now the teacher for the next guy. There were 2 or 3 things done at our home that made me shake my head. They were minor but you just look and say....OK. 2 of them were the towel racks in the bathrooms. Just put where he thought it looked good. I will take a pic and show you. It is what it is. I found as westerners we have much higher expectations and thus get very frustrated when it is not like we expected. Our general contractor was really good. Paid great attention to detail. I feel very fortunate in that regard. aAter 2 years I have found no wall cracks anywhere which is a good thing. I expect some more settling in the next few years.

Regardless, Nice view and house looks good. Should bring you many years of enjoyment and when your trees start to mature you will get some privacy. We just added 6 more very large mature flowering trees to our house area ( five are 6- 7meters and one 10+ ). I have found it is best to plant big mature trees from Aug thru Oct. Lots of rain water to encourage root growth along with vitamin B1 and 12. They are doing really well. Next year they should look good.

Absolutely right JP, frustration at the time, but also being made aware that even without looking at things too closely for levels of finish, many things towards the final stages of the build were approached with a certain sense of "that'll do" or quite often thoughtlessness. I don't want to be judgemental, mistakes get made and what is someone's idea of a good choice is not the next person's, but when it comes to things like walls, doors, windows, floors, tiling, installation of bathrooms, even by being there on-site every day, it was a struggle to even get close to the minimum level of what I would deem as acceptable standard (at the very least to the standard that I could achieve). Which is very strange as 90% of the build, what I would consider the tough stuff, was achieved with relative ease. I could tell that the team were tired and just wanted the job to finish. Noarng brought in other workers towards the end to help with painting, varnishing etc, but they really were a haphazard bunch and actually made as much work as they saved in the end.

If level of finish is not an issue however, then the whole process could quite possibly be stress-free.

Just waiting on the electricity to be hooked up with a permanent meter, have ordered the cable, posts and gubbins, should be any day now.

The trees are very happy at the moment, all of them have nearly doubled in size over the past few months, I can't wait to get more funds in and convert it into plants and bits for the pond, and other bits around the house (will work from house outwards with the garden).

I also need to fix the road, it's in a sorry state after the rains. $$$$$$

Yep, care over those 'finishing touches' is definitely in short supply. A particular bugbear for me was grubby paw prints over the paintwork. I'm afraid people doing the job presumably expect someone to clean up afterwards.

Great thread though Jonny...your place looks knockout.

Thanks for the positive comments guys, I'll post a few updates on progress over the coming weeks/months... Baanpong Country Club is almost open

Great thread, and good to know that I am not alone in wanting those ugly stickers off my appliances.
Often they will peel off readily when new. They seem to get more stubborn with time.
I use nail varnish remover. Not for nail varnish, before anyone asks. It is cheap and available everywhere. Cotton balls too.
Mainly I use it for taking paint splatters off tiles. (In Thailand, surely no paint splatters! I here you say.)
It worked great on the label on my plastic fridge. However, it started to dissolve the white plastic on the air conditioner. So best to have a wet cloth to hand and test it on an inconspicuous area first.

Update: I have managed to remove the offending sticker from fridge by using the old squirrel fingers method of carefully teasing it off whist the adhesive was still soft and warm, without the use of any tools or potions... That said, some incantations were muttered to the land spirits to not let the sticky backing come away from the paper sticker, which seemed to work! I was of course then chased about by the missus with a broom for removing the sticker, I guess she liked having it visible (can't explain why that is).

It also has to be noted that this sticker is not a manufacturer's sticker, one shouldn't remove a factory sticker, even if it looks to be temporary, otherwise one runs the risk of malfunctions, which are as sure to follow as rain is when the word 'barbecue' is uttered.

Originally Posted by jonnyenglish

555, it's a laundry room, the idea is to have washing machine in there, can hang up clothes to dry without being bleached in the sun or getting rain on. It also houses the pump, and no doubt will have my bicycle in there too. I guess it could also be used as a holding pen to quarantine feral visitors

Yeah, I was thinking "in law accommodation" in a smart arsed kind of way.

What's the width of the carport, from a standing-behind-the-truck perspective? 6m?

Any idea what's the cost difference (roughly) in going for the longer span as opposed to a column in the middle?

(We'll be building a carport next year...)

Love the lounge room btw, that pond sets it off nicely. That's a > 4m span as well isn't it? I am pleased to see it is doable going outside the standard 4m x 4m.

Hi Bindog,

I did jokingly tell the builders that the room at the back of the carport was where I would be sleeping... I guess that's why they neglected to put in a water feed and wastepipe for the washing machine!

The width of the carport is 8 metres I think, I wanted to be able to park 2 pickups/4x4's side-by-side and a couple of motorbikes there and still be able to open the doors without bashing into things. The cost difference is probably hardly noticeable, perhaps a few thousand baht more for a few extra metres more that's all.

You are right about the lounge, the span is 4m, as the house interior is essentially 16 X 8m (plus and extra 2 metres for the front veranda) , I think any wider than this and you have to put in extra posts and beams.. had a few cms of sagging in the middle of the precast floor slabs at this size, even with temporary bamboo supports in place for the floor pour , but solid as can be now.

4m wide lounge? Well done, it looks wider than that - must be the doors "bringing the outdoors in" as they might say in a marketing brochure.

That's good news - I thought 4m would be too narrow for a living space, but you've proven me wrong.