Where to buy shower niche and lintel

[Polarizing]

6 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You have 2 red circles! The one beside FF03 opposite FF02 is, in my opinion, clearly not structural even if others could be (they aren’t but as you seem somewhat over concerned you can treat them as if they are)

 

You have a second red circle adjacent to FF06 and opposite FF05.

Again clearly not a structural wall given the sizes of the 2 pillars on either end, but there is no indication as to what is outside.

 

it's playtime then ????

[Polarizing]

 

On 12/6/2019 at 9:24 AM, Polarizing said:

 

 

 

So I feel like I should give you guys an update..., because of the insane amount of help I got in this forum. Just for entertaining purpose, but maybe it aint even entertaining, who would want to read about a DIYer playing reallife jenga with his condo? ???? 

 

So before I start, I was a bit hesitant because the last time I drilled this wall I hit a wire. Last time I wanted to put some wires in a pvc pipe in the wall, so I drilled some holes with my sds drill and was so lucky enough to drill into the cable. I freaked out that time because I saw some sparks, so I notified my juristic and after 5 hours of freaking out and thai stupidness they turned off the electrical panel. Got it fixed by a technician for 5500 thb (<deleted>). And she asked me to pay 2000 + free yelling and asking for deposit while renovating, which I refused for 3 months, and now I think she forgot LOL.

 

So turned off every breaker in my electrical box, but the bathroom socket and used a long multiplug to reach the wall next to ff06. Measured the depth of the outside wall, some parts are 11 cm some are 5-10 cm more than that (didn't bother). Decided that I don't want deformed bar in my wall as its just too much hasle to rewire inside the wall. So 30cm from each window, 6 cm depth would be conservative, according to my jenga mind. Taped off my drill to 6cm and started drilling. First hole in, a lot of noise and the hole looked huge. So since I wasn't sure if there are any other wiring in my wall. I paused... 

 

So the persistent DIYer in me wasn't going to back off and after 15 minutes I decided to continue building my reddit worthy dreamcondo LOL, so I developed a new technique with my sds drill by just hammerdrilling 1 cm at a time and bending the drill to remove bigger chunks of the wall. Nothing surprising in the wall until 40 cm from the right window. I found a metal mesh kind of thing in my wall. I wonder what's the use as it looks too weak to reinforce the concrete, so I carefully chipped off tiny bits to see if there is any wiring and BINGO, a pvc wire pipe!

 

KNOCK KNOCK, OPEN THE DOOR, while messaging me on LINE: OPEN THE DOOR. NOW.

The sender was... my juristic. <deleted>, she told me I may not dig in this wall! I told her I was removing some tiles. I panicked and I immediately stopped the job and took out a 20kg joint compound that my technician left in my condo, poured half of it in a bucket, mixed in 1 minute and filled the wall. I didn't open the door and never answered her message, but I picked up my microwave a day later at her office and she didn't say anything.

 

So I have been thinking what would be the reason that she knocks my door, she has never come this unnoticed. At most she have been threatening me by calling my gf and telling me she is going to call the police as "I don't follow the rules". (Which rules? Its all in thai and I am almost sure that nowhere in that document is saying I cannot dig that wall. ) Could it be the wire mesh in the wall that somehow notifies her that someone is attacking the wall? Too far fetched in my opinion so it's probably my sds hammer drill that's making too much noise...

 

Few days later, I decided to use my angle grinder instead and make vertical lines and hammer it off with my chisel as it makes a lot less noise. (35 cm instead from each window  30 as there are no cables there). I also noticed I could be spyed on from the other building's parking lot. Therefore, in order to not draw too much attention I will be doing 20 cm per day.. lol.. Currently thinking of what kind of old material i can use to cover my undercover project. As it's a white unsanded wall. I probably am going to use some old wood sheet and blend it in with the rest using joint compound, while it's still under construction... 

[Polarizing]

So some more cutting and chiseling I found this rebar in my wall, shall I continue? how to determine what it is for? Just dck it and cut it? Its in a really weird spot. BTW I think Its a rebar, not sure tho! Can it be something with electric? no right...

 

https://imgur.com/gallery/K73RFlE

[sometimewoodworker]

20 minutes ago, Polarizing said:

So some more cutting and chiseling I found this rebar in my wall, shall I continue? how to determine what it is for? Just dck it and cut it? Its in a really weird spot. BTW I think Its a rebar, not sure tho! Can it be something with electric? no right...

 

https://imgur.com/gallery/K73RFlE

Apart from needing my sea legs to watch the video you are going past the important area so fast it’s impossible to get any really good idea of what is there.
 

As it’s an outside wall I would be rather careful and make sure you don’t go more that ⅓ of the depth.

[Polarizing]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Apart from needing my sea legs to watch the video you are going past the important area so fast it’s impossible to get any really good idea of what is there.
 

As it’s an outside wall I would be rather careful and make sure you don’t go more that ⅓ of the depth.

Underneath the video is a photo, what's the deal with outside walls? Can water penetrate it if they are too thin?

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, Polarizing said:

Underneath the video is a photo, what's the deal with outside walls? Can water penetrate it if they are too thin?

You stand a reasonable chance of knocking a hole through it if you happen on a weak spot. I’ve no idea if you can easily access the outside wall to repair it if needed but any repair is not likely to be simple.

[Polarizing]

2 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You stand a reasonable chance of knocking a hole through it if you happen on a weak spot. I’ve no idea if you can easily access the outside wall to repair it if needed but any repair is not likely to be simple.

Thanks for your advice! Did you take a close look at the picture under the video? I wonder what diy regs think about it like you and @Crossy

[Crossy]

That looks like a solid concrete wall rather than block/brick. Probably one of those pre-fab chunks you see being hauled around on trucks. The bit of bar you've uncovered is probably one of the loops used to lift it into position (so you can just cut it off).

 

But.

 

I'm not sure I would want to be cutting into an outside panel at all, as previously noted it's likely not vital to the integrity of the building (it's probably a curtain wall) but ...

 

You really don't want to end up like Ronan Point. OK it was a gas explosion that took out a panel and a very different construction technique (those panels ARE load bearing) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronan_Point  

 

 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

That looks like a solid concrete wall rather than block/brick. Probably one of those pre-fab chunks you see being hauled around on trucks. The bit of bar you've uncovered is probably one of the loops used to lift it into position (so you can just cut it off).

Quite probably correct, though the picture is of too small an area to be sure. There are a couple of what could be joints.

 

@Polarizing please delete the video, or at least hide it, and add a few more pictures 

Edited December 24, 2019 by sometimewoodworker

[Polarizing]

@sometimewoodworker @Crossy

 

Uploaded some new pictures!

https://imgur.com/gallery/RZbZ4ZS

 

Can have your new input please :D?

[sometimewoodworker]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

I'm not sure I would want to be cutting into an outside panel at all, as previously noted it's likely not vital to the integrity of the building (it's probably a curtain wall) but ...

I completely agree, the internal wall marked will be no problem and is where the shower niche goes. Also if cut through is completely inside the apartment easily sorted.
 

I had thought that the marked area between the windows was an error and while certainly not load bearing is not a wall to significantly weaken. Depending on where in the building it is there could well be a significant amount of wind pressure and if too thin will be a little too exciting.

[mogandave]

Looks like it the ground floor. 
 

OP, how many floors above?

[sometimewoodworker]

3 minutes ago, Polarizing said:

@sometimewoodworker @Crossy

 

Uploaded some new pictures!

https://imgur.com/gallery/RZbZ4ZS

 

Can have your new input please :D?

It’s an AAC block wall. The rebar may be (probably is) there for something outside. The thickness is unknown but  may well be 7.5 cm. See above for comment on cutting too far into an external wall

[Polarizing]

1 minute ago, mogandave said:

Looks like it the ground floor. 
 

OP, how many floors above?

4th floor and 4 floors above me

[sometimewoodworker]

3 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Looks like it the ground floor. 
 

OP, how many floors above?

Almost certainly not ground floor, probably not 1st floor either 2nd or 3rd

[sometimewoodworker]

3 minutes ago, Polarizing said:

4th floor and 4 floors above me

4th floor American or English?

Edited December 24, 2019 by sometimewoodworker

[Polarizing]

1 minute ago, sometimewoodworker said:

4th floor American or English?

In my building, it starts from 1st floor, where I enter and exit. However, I have go down half a floor to enter the building as its an parking lot. And there's a B floor under the first floor. 

[sometimewoodworker]

1 minute ago, Polarizing said:

In my building, it starts from 1st floor, where I enter and exit. However, I have go down half a floor to enter the building as its an parking lot. And there's a B floor under the first floor. 

So American.

 

Having seen the picture about a 10cm wall is definitely a 7.5cm block. It’s not clear if there is anything outside. It could be part of the window mounting system. With a 7.5 cm external AAC wall I would definitely not reduce it beyond 5cm, and I would not be doing even that if I didn’t have a pressing need.

 

I would gently tap it with a Birmingham screwdriver and see if it moves sideways, if it’s immovable then I would not be messing with it. See my comment on cutting into external walls.

[Polarizing]

9 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

So American.

 

Having seen the picture about a 10cm wall is definitely a 7.5cm block. It’s not clear if there is anything outside. It could be part of the window mounting system. With a 7.5 cm external AAC wall I would definitely not reduce it beyond 5cm, and I would not be doing even that if I didn’t have a pressing need.

 

I would gently tap it with a Birmingham screwdriver and see if it moves sideways, if it’s immovable then I would not be messing with it. See my comment on cutting into external walls.

So if the wall is 11cm and the block is 7.5cm, whats the 3.5cm? Wiring, plaster, or something else?

[sometimewoodworker]

8 minutes ago, Polarizing said:

So if the wall is 11cm and the block is 7.5cm, whats the 3.5cm? Wiring, plaster, or something else?

Render. As you can see from the bit you have already cut.

Edited December 24, 2019 by sometimewoodworker