Building a House on Samui, looking for suppliers of finishing materials

[Tropicalevo]

8 hours ago, khunPer said:

Rain was worse - much worse - in 2011,

Was that the year when it rained non stop for six weeks and people were sleeping at the airport because it was closed for 3 days?

 

I now have the memory of a goldfish and I can never remember which year that the 'big floods' happened.

[Griloux]

Hi, Thank you "kun Per" , I'm glad your roof still protect your house from rain... All your experience really helps..About Cement Mix from Truck, any advice ?  From what is the best especialy for swimming-pool ? Which cement mix and which truck company in the island... Thank you 

[RAZZELL]

On 7/4/2021 at 11:13 AM, Tropposurfer said:

Some small changes and re-thinking and -reapproaching is all part and parcel of any build.

I agree with doing one's best not to make too many and certainly try hard to avoid large changes. With painstaking observations and planning most problems can be avoided.

A great way to work out such things as electrical outlet types and placement as one example is to view, photograph and measure types and placement of same in already built homes.

I know that Thais build kitchens in block and bricks rendered. Personally I loathe them as they don't allow for variations of many kinds in size and function due to the restricted dimensions as defined by materials used. and the dimensions of these materials waste a huge amount of usable-space on the kitchen.

I had all my kitchen cupboards made from waterproof plywood then laminated (benchtops of stone).

No problem with humidity and moisture uptake in this material as with composite boards like MDF or other particle type boarding.  Also woodworm and termite-proof.

This allows for wider cupboard openings with no 'return' at the opening as in a brick or block structures. Also makes for easy install of all fitments and pull-out features internally.  

I'd advise you visit spec homes, contact developers who build places you like the look of and view them. As for HomePro it's got some good stuff, but a lot of cheap spec junk too so watch out. Beware of chinese made products - they can be of very poor quality, and in the case of porcelains and tiling take up stains and bleed.

The pre-build planning, and crystal clarity on design and plans before any sod is turned is crucial ... AND that the builders follow and understand every single aspect of the plans (and the relationship between each), and that you watch every step like a hawk is my advice (take it from an old builder like myself).

If you have not built before and aren't savvy with the intricacies of same I'd strongly recommend you get a licensed European or Australian builder, engineer, civil engineer, surveyor or someone of such qualifications to oversee and sign off on all aspects of the build as a contracted specialist. Of course thIs will cost you but it's well worth it for the peace of mind and avoiding shocking mistakes that sadly are often built into Thai builder's ways of doing things and seen as 'normal' in Thailand.

My experience has been a relatively easy one as the developer and architect at Botanica in Phuket, Khun At, has a impressive European experience in architectural training apart from his Thai degree and he builds with a European/Western design in dimensional relationships, aesthetics, and certainly quality (he uses only the best materials and fitments).

I guess because I spent 6 months sourcing almost every switch type and style, tap, etc to exact specifics, then checking with Khun At and the builder made things very easy. 

I made a specific thing of taking some western developers out for a meal or coffee and to borrow from some of their vast experience before I decided on Khun At's company to do the build which educated me on a whole lot of things thats aved headaches.

• Slab concrete must have waterproofing agents in their mixes, and laid on builders plastic/membrane as standard which sadly many Thai builders don't even think of and which later will see the house with damp problems if missed. (Yes I know it's not Code in Thailand but to act as a moisture/vapour barrier is essential, it also slows the cure of the slab and ensures a stronger structural cure - something which in a climate like Thailand is needed.
• Western spec damp-coursing in all your ground-floor walls.
• 100mm downpipes as standard
• 100mm or wider guttering throughout
• large diameter under-sink piping - 50mm minimum
• drainage as straight through as possible (with silt-traps, flow rate-adjusting pits of course) - Thai plumbers don't seem to have much of a clue about this and as such your drains may not draught properly, stale water and sewerage stench may occur, - watch the shower pan/s install carefully!
• If your building your roof in steel make sure all metal is either galvanised, and if not, then every cm be treated with a rust converter then spray painted thoroughly with a rust-proof primer then top coats. * Don't allow welds to be left untreated!
• Watch carefully and insist upon Aussie or Euro spec S-bends waste-water outlets.
• Despite the trend in Thai construction to shy away from wood and use plastic and metal everywhere - if the right species of timbers, and treated well then there's no need to fear termites, other wood borers and fungal rot.
• Watch the electrical fitout! I insisted upon a full Aussie spec wiring system throughout so electrocution, overloading, brownouts, damaging appliances etc is nigh on impossible.
• Get Alexa installed in the home - it's a great thing.

Is this who you used? Big Developer in Phuket?

 

https://www.botanicaluxuryvilla.com/

 

 

RAZZ

 

 

[khunPer]

6 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Was that the year when it rained non stop for six weeks and people were sleeping at the airport because it was closed for 3 days?

 

I now have the memory of a goldfish and I can never remember which year that the 'big floods' happened.

March 2011, it rained hard for 10 days - some 1100 mm if I remember right - and airport was closed with a huge stand-by line the morning it reopened (I know, I was there, but not stand.by). Shelfes in food stores were empty - apart from canned Spam - and tourists on Koh Tao were rescued by the Navy's hangar ship.

Recently we however got 1600 mm during the monsoon season in a November month, three times as much as average, and almost a whole year of Samui-downpour that in average is 1900 mm (in rounded numbers)...????

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, Griloux said:

Hi, Thank you "kun Per" , I'm glad your roof still protect your house from rain... All your experience really helps..About Cement Mix from Truck, any advice ?  From what is the best especialy for swimming-pool ? Which cement mix and which truck company in the island... Thank you 

Thanks...

 

I used CPAC (SCG), which can be ordered at HomeMart in Maenam. CPAC has a home page HERE.

 

APAC is also available on Samui - I presume, as I've seen APAC cement trucks - but I don't know any details. 

 

Water proof cement mix was only a few hundred baht extra per cubic meter - the small cement trucks delivers two cubic meters, if up hill you can only get cement from small trucks - but if you ask at HomeMart or CPAC, they will know exactly which mix and additives that will be the best for the purpose.

 

For a pool - and wet rooms - you need additional water protection to be sprayed on the finished concrete...????

[Griloux]

Thank you Very Much "Kun Per"... I appreciate your answer with the details and advices....I been to see CPAC, in Homemart, I will buy mix cement from them. Ciao...

[Silencer]

On 12/30/2021 at 11:13 PM, Griloux said:

Thank you Very Much "Kun Per"... I appreciate your answer with the details and advices....I been to see CPAC, in Homemart, I will buy mix cement from them. Ciao...

For concrete, I suggest you speak with Chris Baker. He's based out of Lamai (http://samuimodernconcrete.com/about-us/  He has his own concrete blend/consistency that the local cement company makes for him and he recently poured the concrete form for a large swimming pool at a house I am renting. He's quite busy but is certainly willing to discuss concrete mixtures, and anything concrete-related, and availability here on Samui.