Advise for first time building a new house. What mistakes did you make, what would you (NOT) do again.

[Orinoco]

On 7/21/2022 at 12:07 PM, Sametboy2019 said:

My worry is that almost every Thai house after a few years has rising damp of some kind wether it comes through the walls near a bathroom or from just the fact there is no damp course or polyurethane sheet under the oversite.

My friend is currently having a house built  and they have just filled the ring beam up with soil and poured a concrete slab over it. 

The builder told him there is waterproofer in the concrete but im dubious. Even if there is its probably not suffecient!

They are lying, nearly every time there mouths move.

TIT.

[sezze]

On 7/21/2022 at 7:07 AM, Sametboy2019 said:

My worry is that almost every Thai house after a few years has rising damp of some kind wether it comes through the walls near a bathroom or from just the fact there is no damp course or polyurethane sheet under the oversite.

My friend is currently having a house built  and they have just filled the ring beam up with soil and poured a concrete slab over it. 

The builder told him there is waterproofer in the concrete but im dubious. Even if there is its probably not suffecient!

Even if it a few Baht , or even free , provided by you , they many many times forget it , and/or do not add it while you did ask them to . 2nd reason is , are you 100% sure it is damp rising ? I mean , most houses to get water on the wall , from various sources ( the rain itself , aircon condensate , bathroom ..... ) . You only need a sip of water going inside the wall , it will make the paint peel off in blisters in a few years . Especially on outside wall , many times the lack of waterproof cement , together with the splash of rain , will make the wall suck up water .

Easy to fix , depending on the situation , yes or no . Anyway , most of the times it is no big issue , unless you are working with gypsum boards . Gypsum does not like water at all ( or is it opposite ... ) .Cement doesn't care about water . Yes you do get peeling or fungus , but there are products for it , and besides requireing more frequent repaints and uses of fungus treatment , there is no issue ( prob the reason why they do not use the waterproofing at all in the 1st place ) .