The concrete staircase was poured yesterday.... it is nice to finally have an easy route up to the second floor, rather than the ladder that we had relied on before! We also took delivery of the cement for the exterior rendering which will be applied over the next few days.
Completed Staircase
Today, work has begun on the roof. By the end of today, all of the steel framework should be complete and then tomorrow, the roofing material will be fitted. I think the workers will be relieved to finally have some shade to work under. The temperature over the past few days has been over 40 degrees.
I've just realised that it is a week since my last blog post. This is not because there has been no progress, rather that it has been such a busy week and I have not seemed to have time to upload videos and pictures and write a post.
So, what has been happening. We have spent a lot of time trying to secure land for our next project, which has not been an entirely straight forward process.... more on that project in due course.
Much of the brickwork for the ground floor has been completed, including the casting of concrete frame for the large doors that lead from the living room and from the dining room out into the garden. The beams and slab for the large porch area has been poured.
The first brick is laid
I have had a very specific idea of the look and finish that I want to achieve with this home. Sometimes it has been hard to source appropriate materials, fixtures and fittings. After spending quite some time trying to source internal doors that fit my requirements, I have decided to make them myself and have been making preparations with the construction of tooling jigs etc... Sometimes it is the small details that make all the difference to a home and I am happy to have finally found the right door handles for the property!
We are now a little closer to having a complete set of kitchen appliances, having ordered a large refrigerator, to add to the oven, hob and extractor that has already been delivered. I have also more or less decided upon fixtures and fittings for the bathrooms, though these have not been ordered yet.
At the moment, there are three main tasks underway. Onsite, brickwork for the second floor is progressing at a fast pace. Also, the shuttering is being prepared for the casting of the main staircase, which should be ready to be poured by tomorrow. Meanwhile, off site, the steel structure of the roof is being prepared and will be brought to site for assembly over the next week.
After a few days of preparations, the concrete has been poured for the roof beams.
Also, today we took delivery of the first load of construction blocks. It is common, in Thailand, to use traditional small red bricks when constructing house walls. However, these are heavy, have poor insulation properties and are labor intensive to lay. Another common alternative to the red bricks is standard breeze-blocks and whilst these may be quicker to lay, they also offer relatively poor insulation and fire resistance properties. We are using a new type of block that is less than half the weight of standard bricks whilst offering over ten times the thermal insulation and eight times the fire resistance of standard bricks. Coupled with their already outstanding thermal properties, we will be using two courses of bricks with a gap between the two layers providing yet further cavity insulation which will be so beneficial in such a warm climate in keeping the house cool inside. The dimensions of these block, being 60cm x 30cm, lead to unmatched construction time when compared to any other type of brick.
Back at work and well rested from their days off, the workers made great progress today in preparing the supports for the roof beam shuttering. Tomorrow, they will begin to assemble the shuttering itself.
Roof beam shuttering supports
I have created a somewhat unique roof design, part of which involves completely concealed guttering and down pipes. In order to achieve this, the roof beams I have designed are also somewhat unique. I anticipate progress to appear slow over the next few days, as a lot of preparation will be needed in order to realise the design of the complex roof beam reinforcement structure, before the beams can be poured.
I had a nice surprise this morning to find that our foreman, Kan, had managed to get the shuttering in place more quickly than planned and so had already poured the first batch of columns. By the end of the day, the rest had been poured.
All final stage columns cast
It is important that freshly poured concrete is kept from drying out too quickly during the 'curing' period This is because the full bond between all of the ingredients will not be achieved if it is left to dry out of its own accord, leading to a weaker structure with a greater tendency to crack. With the columns, this is achieved by wrapping them in plastic, thus preventing evaporation of moisture. With the beams and slabs, it is done my periodically spraying them with water to ensure they stay wet. Now that the columns have been cast, another method has been employed on the second floor slab known as ponding. In this case, a sand wall has been formed around the edge of the slab and the slab flooded.
Today, with the all of the second floor slab cast, the final stage of steel reinforcement and shuttering was applied for the final stage of column casting.
Any one who has spent even a small amount of time viewing rental properties in Thailand will be familiar with the differences between western and Thai style kitchens. It is not uncommon for Thai style kitchens to be situated in a covered area outside of the house or when there is a dedicated internal kitchen, it often lacks the cupboard space and built appliances that one may be used to. There is nothing wrong with Thai style kitchens and with such a warm climate, having an out door kitchen can be a very nice feature. However, we shall be installing a typically western style kitchen complete with built in appliances, the first of which were delivered yesterday and are pictured below.
The house is L-shaped in form, consisting of two 'wings' with a two storey high entrance hall at the intersection. As such, the second floor slab for each 'wing' can be poured separately. Today the slab for the master bedroom, bathroom and balcony was poured. In the video below, you can also see that preparations have started for the second floor slab of the other 'wing' which will be poured on Tuesday.
Below you can see the finished slab. The areas marked by wooden boards denote different levels of the slab. The area in the front left corner of the slab will be the master bathroom so is at a lower level than the rest of the master bedroom as is the area beyond the board at the far end of the slab which will be the balcony. The steel bars protruding from the front of the slab will be used as attachment points for the reinforcement structure of the staircase. This picture also shows the initial plumbing preparations for the bathroom. Also in the picture is our foreman, Kan, who has done such an excellent job in ensuring that the build runs to plan!
Second floor slab
NKD
Architecture, Construction, Consultancy
NKD was formed in 2009 and employs Thai and English speaking professionals in order to deliver first class design and construction services. We have the experience and capacity to see your project through from the initial concept to final design, structural engineering and then on to construction, interior design and garden landscaping.
Whatever your budget or preferred style, contact us to find out how we can help you realise your dream home.
We also offer complete design and construction services for commercial properties such as restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels, resorts, guest houses or offices.
So, if you need an architect, structural engineer, house builder, swimming pool design and construction, interior designer, or garden landscaping, we offer a one-stop-shop solution for all your design and construction needs.
We are based in Nong Khai, Thailand, though we can undertake projects throughout Isaan, including Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and beyond. We also offer our design and construction services in Vientiane and throughout Laos.
Completed Staircase
Completed Staircase
