Thread: Aussie Style House Build

Originally Posted by peciacake

Where is the missing shower screen in the second bathroom? In the original job spec, but never installed.

Well the missing shower screen finally arrived today. Two months late, but nevertheless it's installed and looks great. Finally, TANA Aluminium delivered. The installers did a good job.
Would I recommend TANA Aluminium? Short answer, no. Their service was less than satisfactory in comparison with the rest of the build.
In the end it didn't detract from the build quality, so there's really nothing to complain about. However, for stuffing around, TANA sets a new standard, even on the stuffed-around-by-Thai's-scale that we've all experienced.
Never mind, all's well that ends well.

Next jobs to be done include building a ramp to the back door and, in lieu of guttering, putting in a ring drain / French drain around the house.
Updates will be posted as and when these are completed.

Final Build Video: Thru to Completion

The attached video is a compilation of many of my previous TD posts. It shows the final stages of the build up to occupancy.
it is likely to be the last post on TD on this topic from me. The next steps with our house are small projects that don't really add too much to the overall project (code for boring).

It would be remiss of me not to thank TD members who have taken the time to offer advice and opinions along the way. Many thanks to all who have contributed. In particular Norton, with his wise counsel and advice.
Any final comments or observations would be very much appreciated.

Very nice.

Did it come within budget ?
What would you do differently ?

I have seen a Traditional Queenslander built near UBON, but they didnt sell.

Thinking about doing same myself.

Looks great PC. Enjoy your new home.
I know it wasn't your original plan but I rather like that non-opening kitchen window and its panoramic view. If I ever build anew I'll have some non-opening windows that mean I don't have to deal with termite invasions and cleaning mountains of insect carcasses and squashed geckos.

Originally Posted by peciacake

Final Build Video: Thru to Completion

Very well done. Thanks for the effort!

A quality build, congrats to you and Yuri.

Originally Posted by moose65

Thinking about doing same myself.

Where?

Down south, between Bkk and Chumpon

Originally Posted by moose65

Down south, between Bkk and Chumpon

Too far for the builder that built PK's house. He is Roi Et based but will travel to ajoining provinces as he did with PK house in Surin.

Originally Posted by moose65

Did it come within budget ?
What would you do differently ?

Hi Moose, Yes, it did come with a budget. 12.0K THB per sq metre for the basic build. The fit out and add-ons (air cons etc.)take it well over that though.
Definitely have less opening windows, a point covered by Shutree above (see my post in response).
I would also plan for better storm water removal. Missed the ball badly on this one. Too many other things going on at the time and just completely missed it.

Originally Posted by Shutree

I rather like that non-opening kitchen window and its panoramic view. If I ever build anew I'll have some non-opening windows that mean I don't have to deal with termite invasions and cleaning mountains of insect carcasses and squashed geckos.

Hi Shutree, You are absolutely right. The original non-opening kitchen window was much more practical, and much easier to clean. We ended up with an opening window after all, a decision I regret.
Given the friendliness of the insects round these parts I wish half of the windows we have are non-opening, particularly those that don't really add that much in terms of ventilation. It would make the house more secure too.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

A quality build, congrats to you and Yuri.

Thanks Mike, Appreciate your kind words.

Driveway

A new driveway probably isn't a lot of interest to fellow TD members, however hopefully there may be some members who gain something out of this post. After a couple of false starts finding the right village contractors we settled on a team strongly recommended to us, albeit by a family member. Before launching into the driveway project they installed a French Drain around the house. We were impressed straight away with the professional approach - the attention to detail was good, leading to the overall quality surpassing expectations, making the decision to have them do the driveway straight forward. The price quoted for labour was pretty fair too - 120 THB / square metre.

A couple of points did detract from the overall quality of the driveway - no rebar chairs under the mesh and the edges were left unfinished rather than using edging trowels, which we actually bought specifically for the job and no leveling off of the soil around the edge of the driveway. Plus I had to insist on cutting expansion joints after they told me they were planning not to put any in place.

A total of 15 m3 X 240 grade concrete ( 3 loads) covering 140 m2 was used. All up cost including mesh 54,000 THB. A fair price for the work done - particularly considering they were in a hurry to harvest their rice.

Following are images of the job:

Looking good mate. A nice place to park when I next get down your way.

A driveway is very exciting. Really looking good.

One thing I have noticed on many house builds is the tendency to have front and back doors open to outside rather than to inside. Any reason?

Faster that way if you have an upset stomach and have to run for the outhouse.

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

One thing I have noticed on many house builds is the tendency to have front and back doors open to outside rather than to inside. Any reason?

Easier to force a door open that opens inward.

Looks outstanding. Nice job. Driveways are very nice when it rains. No more mud.

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

One thing I have noticed on many house builds is the tendency to have front and back doors open to outside rather than to inside. Any reason?

One of the first tasks done by the builders when they started the block work was to put the door jambs in. By the time I noticed the way they were set it was too late to change. It works okay and as Fondles points out, inward opening is harder to force open.

Path and Ramp - Another box ticked

After the rice harvest finished our local builder, who did a semi terrific job on the driveway (great value, but edge finish was almost ordinary), came back to put the pathway in and finish off the ramp. His work on both made up for the sloppy finish to the driveway. The path looks great and the ramp & stairs done to a high standard. Now all that remains is a hand rail for the ramp. SWMBO has all sorts of ideas: polished stainless, brushed stainless, powder coated aluminium, anodized aluminium... You get the picture. Somehow I think the hand rail may take some time.

Meanwhile, both the ramp and stairs blend well, linking the house to the driveway. An added bonus is the foot wash / dog bath at the bottom of the ramp.

That pretty much completes the outside of the house, leaving the garden as the next major challenge. Plenty of work required out there after a period of neglect as I recover from being knocked off the bike by an errant villager with a 6 metre long bamboo ladder on his shoulder. Fractured rib hurt like f*ck for the first four weeks. Starting to settle down now.

First project is to get the area around the house level and then lay some Malay grass. Any TD members who have experience with this type of grass who can pass on their knowledge, it would be very much appreciated.

Following are pictures of the ramp and pathway.

Originally Posted by peciacake

Any TD members who have experience with this type of grass who can pass on their knowledge, it would be very much appreciated.

Planted in my place. Next time we chat will discuss do's and don'ts.

Twelve Months Since Moving In

It's been just over a year since we moved in to our new home.
This is a quick update on the first 12 months of occupancy.
The render that I was worried about hasn't been a problem - no cracking either inside of out. A big relief as this was a real area of concern after the dramas we had during the rendering.
The "Smartmat" flooring we opted for in the bedrooms is a problem. To install it successfully the concrete base has to be absolutely flat. We lucked out on that one - the floor looks great but because the concrete is uneven in several places, mainly high traffic areas, the Smartmat panels move under foot. Should have gone for ceramic tiles.
The bathroom drains were not fitted with "stink pipes" despite being raised with the builder at the time of installation. Definitely do need them as well as P traps.
Bluescope ZACS steel roof with 25 mm pre-fitted insulation handles tropical down pours well - the noise doesn't get too intrusive. However I should have had the ceiling insulation installed during the build. April and May were pretty hot inside as a result. It's at the top of the list of December - January's projects. It will also mean the air con will be used less, as I spec'd the size of the living room air con based on full ceiling insulation.
The Solar PV system has worked well. Total PEA cost for the 12 months: THB 17,668. April: 2,258 May: 2,051. Based on this year's consumption we will be installing 2 X 100 Ah LiFePO batteries early in 2025. Expected 5 year pay-back on these.
Lightning spike wasn't fitted during construction despite advice to the contrary. A recent severe electrical storm where half the village had appliances destroyed due to lightning strikes has made installing this a priority. Don't be fooled that surge protectors will prevent damage. Even an expensive one didn't save the in-law's TV.
Otherwise the house has exceeded our expectations. We enjoy the design and the overall quality very much.

Some images showing how it looks at present:

PC thanks for the update and its great to hear that your selection of builder and active engament through the build has paid dividends in terms of the product 1 year on. The Insulation is must. If you have Solar and can run the Aircon "Free" aren't you running it daytime to cool the place and then come nighttime you should hardly need any?

The place is looking sharp and very HiSo with all that productive agricultural land used for grass

Best to have an update, your home looks great!