bamboozled

Hi all, thanks for the back and forth.... I've been away building walls and moving stuff. I have the holes up, right or wrong. Yes, only one layer high. I have a waterproof tarps for walls that later on down the road I might turn into something beefier but for now it will do as long as I secure it well (wind! Last night was the first time to experience that since building it and I see the room I've created is a big sail). It ain't pretty but it was pretty cheap. The tarp is on the outside of the blocks so they won't get rained into. I don't know that I need to bother capping it since I can't even see from the outside as it's covered by the tarp. All this is a work in progress so we'll see.

Now....back to moving stuff. Man, what a workout!

Just now, Kwasaki said:

Couldn't you of carry out drainage works. 

No, the whole place floods. The yard, the street, everything. It drains off quick enough... I suppose if I owned the house and had the money, I could raise the whole area a foot or so but it's a rental.

Thanks all. The water doesn't get that high as the carport is already raised a bit. Only has to hold back a couple inches at most so not a big issue. I've already laid some without mixing anything in to the mortar and def paying attention to getting a good bead down on the bottom and between the bricks. Can I go back over all the joints a second time with the mortar as if it were spackle/caulking to make sure it's water tight?

So some say I should invest in a waterproofing cover and some say not. Can we get a consensus? Will the bricks fall apart from getting wet?

Awesome, thanks. I'm only going one block high...I'm just building a barrier wall trying to keep flood water out of my carport which happens a few times during the rainy season in the big downpours. I laid some yesterday and luckily did put them hollow side up but was thinking rain water is going to get in the hollow spaces now. They are so porous, will the weather destroy them? I don't care that much about the aesthetic, that's not a concern. I just don't want the water flowing over the carport which I want to use for storage.

Good morning, I am making a small wall with these concrete blocks but am pretty ignorant. I've got the mortar already and in fact have already started but....which way do the blocks sit, hollow part up or down? What do I cap it with...do I need to cap it? And lastly, do I need to seal it with a layer of cement or stucco or paint to keep out moisture/water damage?

Thank you!

Personally, I don't hire them. I've always lived in rentals and it is the landlords that hire them. And I'm sure they hire the cheapest they can find. Also, I don't think they mind that much when things are done half-assed because they are used to it and it doesn't bother them. Well, one of my houses, the landlords lived right next door and kept good care of the house. Any problem and they would call their trusty "engineer" as they referred to him. He could do anything and everything, and anything and everything badly.

Thank you again. It will be a work in progress. All this stuff is in another house that I want to vacate so as I pack up there I will have a better idea how much space this loot will take up and then I can make a more precise plan. I would prob be smart to hire someone and yet I have a DIY streak that sometimes is my own worst enemy. Also, finding "skilled" labor is, well...every guy and his brother is "skilled" here. Anyone that has ever done work on the house here, they don't even arrive with the proper tools and I end up having to loan them mine. Crazy.

33 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You wouldn’t have any significantly larger amount of humidity hanging around as the racks will not accumulate water and your walls are not going to prevent airflow depending on the construction. Also assuming you are going to want to access the items you are storing you will need walkways between shelving so allowing for airflow. The kind of shelving I am talking about is like this.

 

FWIW sandbags, unless you are going to be moving them out as soon as any floods subside, are going to retain large amounts of water so making the area even more humid. Sandbags are a very temporary flood control method so you will need an area to store them 

 

 

Some good points, friend. I do have some good shelving but not enough for all the stuff. I was trying to keep expenses down as much as possible and to purchase enough shelving would be thousands of dollars. Those things are not cheap and I have toooo much stuff. I'm hoping just to stack the plastic crates and though I need some access I'm willing to have it a little uncomfortable if that keeps my cost down and allows me to store everything.

Today, I took the rest of the stuff out and power washed everything, floor and ceiling. It's looking better. What I started to lean more toward is constructing a low wall with some bricks and mortar around the perimeter. Since the area is fairly old and stained I began to think that if a little mortar is left over after I deconstruct the wall when I leave that it won't really matter all that much. Plus, the landlords, I think, would understand that flooding is an issue. The house/yard is not pristine by any means and has plenty of jerry-rigged pieces and parts. Of course, I don't have much experience with bricks and mortar. I will do some research but I'm hoping I can just lay down a "bead" of mortar on the concrete floor and set a brick into it without really making too much mess of the floor. Am I dreaming? The water in this area, since it is already raised 6 inches or so, does not get that deep, ever, and a 6 or 10 inch height would be plenty.

Do you have any experience using bricks and mortar?

Hmm, how about concrete blocks and that polyurethane spray foam "Great Stuff" instead of mortar? Pretty unsightly, however. Probably not any easier to remove than the mortar itself. Speaking of, how difficult is it to remove mortar from a cement floor in the case that I used it like glue to cement blocks down...if that would work?

39 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

As far as waterproofing there are really 2 options.

1) actually waterproof it. This will be expensive and permanent so probably not what you want.

2) accept that you will get up to 300mm of water (double your estimate for the metrical challenged) so use steel racks that start storage at 300mm and keep anything that is sensitive at least that far off the floor.

 

For the actual construction of your walls chicken wire and plastic tarps will probably only last a year or two possibly even less.

 

I would create a steel framework and use something like fibre/concrete board sheets to clad it. the plastic sheeting can work but from experience you need something heavy duty so a steel frame with cement boards is probably a cheaper option. You can easily make the frame modular so it can be disassembled.

 

As an alternative you can use the light-ish weight silver tarpaulins you are already using and hang them off the roof beams as you already are doing, though you will need a significant overlap to stop rain, you would them use a long piece of timber as a weight on the bottom to prevent them blowing in the wind and rain.

I also would not bother doing anything with the floor, just keep anything that will not be effected by water on the floor

I thought of that....just keeping everything up and off the floor. But it's a lot of stuff. I'm not talking about a few boxes. And then I did not want to have all that moisture lingering underneath everything which would just make mold and mildew a bigger issue and potentially ruin everything I'm storing. Any experience with sandbags?

37 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Simply get rid of all the rubbish you are storing.

Truth there....but that doesn't solve the rest of the problem!

Top of a Sunday morning to y'all. So, I would like to make the carport where I live into a storage area. I'm in a rented house so no permanent structure desired. It is a sturdy structure already with a pretty decent roof, concrete floor, and some uprights keeping the roof up. The roof will need a few cracks mended to keep out water but I think fairly simple with some caulking. The items in storage will be in plastic containers in plastic bags so I think they will be protected from water, dirt, and insects, for the most part. I also have birds and cats that could make problems. I am thinking plastic tarping and perhaps some chicken wire for the sides to keep out rain and animals....with some reinforcing uprights at various intervals to give the tarps some resistance against wind and weather. This seems to my mind to be the easiest and cheapest method and still substantial enough.

The biggest problem I foresee is that in big rains the yard floods and though the carport is raised a bit it can still flood sometimes in big storms as much as 6 inches. How to keep the flood water out? What can I construct around the bottom perimeter of the carport to accomplish this that is not permanent? I could make a foot high barrier with blocks and concrete and it would probably easy enough to remove but I'm sure would still leave some traces behind. Granted, the area is not in perfect condition but if the landlords come by and see that, even if removable, they might be unhappy (they rarely rarely come by but still). I thought sand bags, perhaps? I'm not sure how well they work.

Anyone have input on this? Ideas much appreciated. I'm looking to do it cheap and cheerful so please keep that in mind.

A thousand thanks in advance.

In and out in 5 minutes. Thank you very much, Mahseer, for your information. You made this so smooth and quick and easy. I appreciate it. Yes, "Diamond" was on the ball and it was a very pleasing experience. I paid 500 and will be back tomorrow to pick it up.

Thanks again!

You. Are. The. Best. Much obliged! I'll let you know how it goes.

Right...the tent. THE TENT! Ugh. I had forgotten about the tent.

Will be giving it a whirl tomorrow. So you're telling me I have to wait neither in the line nor in the crowd? And a diamond at the top of the stairs? Score!

Hmm, is she at a particular window in that case? Or I suppose I'll automatically be directed to her. You've piqued my interest...

Thank you, sir!

I know this has been done to death but the search is useless, more or less. Is this to be had now at Immi next to the airport? And it's still free but free comes with a long wait and a frown otherwise 500 baht and done the next day....something like that? I need to transfer my car from my wife's name to mine. Oh, and I'm on a year validity, multi-entry, Non-O to visit Thai wife. Any other hurtles to expect? I know this has to be done together at the Land Transport. office. Cost anyone?

Thanks!

...Thought of something while going about the day. Is there a place to leave my Rolls Royce while I cross into Laos? Is there a large parking lot, by chance, at Thai immigration in Chang Khong?

Thanks, fellas!

This is also useless to the OP or to anyone, for that matter, but I can't help myself. Whenever I see the name Kalasin my heart gives a little pang for a past Kalasinian lady-love. Gosh how those feelings linger... She might yet be a sight worth seeing if you're game.

My first stop for health stuff is Rajavej because I have found them effective, for the most part, both for price and advice. Not all nurses speak English but the doctors do. If I don't get satisfaction there, I broaden my circle. There is an English speaking liason who you can make an inquiry with by email. Here is the address: [email protected]

If that gets redacted, just google the hospital and you can find the contact info.

Plus, they have two letter "j"s in the name and that has to count for something!

28 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It will be open.

Thank you kindly!

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

An immediate return is permitted, no problem, at all Thailand's land crossings with Laos.

Great, thanks BritTim. I assumed so but I don't have experience doing such a thing with the Laos border so thought it best to check. Heck, I'd rather stay a few days  but not sure I can spare the time.  I saw that Monday is a holiday. I don't suppose that has any bearing on a border crossing, does it? Could be busier, I reckon, but not closed, yes?