Standard Interior Walls

[Guest]

Has anyone ever used western standard interior walls in their Thai House Build?

 

Meaning 2" by 4" studs 16" on center with a layer of insulation and then the sheet rock? Or even aluminum studs?

 

 

[The Hammer2021]

I was more concerned about termites.

[Guest Isaanlife]

2 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I was more concerned about termites.

There is such a thing as treated studs that termites won't touch or aluminum.

 

The question was the building technique.

[sometimewoodworker]

5 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Has anyone ever used western standard interior walls in their Thai House Build?

That is not “the western standard” way to build interior walls. It is only the standard in the USA/Canadian 

 

However there was 1 person who got his house framework mostly built using steel not wood. I never heard the final result but AFIR it was never finished and abandoned as the steel structure had been mis calculated and local labour couldn’t fix it.

 

As to the question of if it’s been used in Thailand just for interior walls? Yes, though of the reports I’ve read it was never easy, simple or fast. The problem being that there are few people who understand the techniques required, along with essential fittings and materials not being available or expensive.

 

The method of building using AAC blocks, concrete blocks or bricks then render is well known, well understood, and every farmer knows how to do it, so the builders can be unsupervised and you will get your wall. It may sometimes  be in the wrong place if you weren’t careful marking out but it will be sound,  that isn’t something that can be said of the stud wall.

[Kwasaki]

7 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Has anyone ever used western standard interior walls in their Thai House Build

I used the method to build a room in my farmhouse house but I use steel at half the price. 

[KhunLA]

5 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

There is such a thing as treated studs that termites won't touch or aluminum.

 

The question was the building technique.

Good luck with that ... ????

 

They build houses here the way they do for a reason.  Avoid using any wood in your house, termites WILL get to it.  That's from experience.

[xylophone]

21 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Good luck with that ... ????

 

They build houses here the way they do for a reason.  Avoid using any wood in your house, termites WILL get to it.  That's from experience.

Have to agree with you on that, apart from the fact that I believe termites are not particularly fond of teak, however anything else made of wood becomes fodder for them.

 

The worst case I have ever seen here was in a small semi detached house which had been left vacant for a while and the owner came back to clean it up in order to rent it out, and the place was eaten out by termites, and I mean that just about literally, and even the sink worktops had been attacked, and it was usually thought that this type of "chipboard" (stuck together with glue and then laminated) would be safe – – not!

 

Cupboards, worktops, doors and furniture had all been a feast for the termites.

[DaLa]

My main house is a Japanese modular build from Steel boxes ( allows for infill insulation).  I thought I was safe from termites but they used timber laminate flooring which was 6-8 mm of softwood; the termites had a field day.  They are almost unknown in the UK so timber floors, studs, roof structures are safe , but here  I wouldn't build anything from wood.

 

Just hope Thailand doesn't run out of concrete.

 

[Yellowtail]

SCG sells a full line of galvanized stud wall system to be used with smart-board and gyp-board. It is very common for interior walls.

 

They also do installations. 

[Guest Isaanlife]

10 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Good luck with that ... ????

 

They build houses here the way they do for a reason.  Avoid using any wood in your house, termites WILL get to it.  That's from experience.

You obviously have zero experience with treated wood. So, no, you don't have any experience.

 

Do you think termites eat Teak Wood? Redwood? Composite Wood? Aluminum?

 

The question is the building method, you are not a builder, and have no experience.

 

Any ideas how professionals prepare the land before building? I guess not.

 

If you have to clue how to prevent termites, of course you have NO experience, so stop claiming you do.

 

 

 

[Guest Isaanlife]

34 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

SCG sells a full line of galvanized stud wall system to be used with smart-board and gyp-board. It is very common for interior walls.

 

They also do installations. 

Thank you very much.

 

That is the answer I was looking for.

[Guest Isaanlife]

10 hours ago, DaLa said:

My main house is a Japanese modular build from Steel boxes ( allows for infill insulation).  I thought I was safe from termites but they used timber laminate flooring which was 6-8 mm of softwood; the termites had a field day.  They are almost unknown in the UK so timber floors, studs, roof structures are safe , but here  I wouldn't build anything from wood.

 

Just hope Thailand doesn't run out of concrete.

 

You need to educate yourself on termites.

 

Do they eat Teak Wood, Red Wood, Treated Wood, Composite Wood? Of Course not.

 

However, using cheap softwood, what do you expect.

 

If the land was prepared professionally, you wouldn't have a termite problem either

 

 

[DrDave]

I've been wondering about this too.  Don't they use steel studs and gypsum board for interior partitions in high-rise office buildings? 

[Guest Isaanlife]

10 hours ago, xylophone said:

Have to agree with you on that, apart from the fact that I believe termites are not particularly fond of teak, however anything else made of wood becomes fodder for them.

 

The worst case I have ever seen here was in a small semi detached house which had been left vacant for a while and the owner came back to clean it up in order to rent it out, and the place was eaten out by termites, and I mean that just about literally, and even the sink worktops had been attacked, and it was usually thought that this type of "chipboard" (stuck together with glue and then laminated) would be safe – – not!

 

Cupboards, worktops, doors and furniture had all been a feast for the termites.

Sorry, not true

 

Teak is only 1 kind of wood termites don't eat. 

 

Redwood, any hardwoods, treated wood, composite wood. etc

 

If you prepare the land professionally, you will never have termites

 

Lots of things the Thai hillbilly builders do not do correctly.

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, DrDave said:

I've been wondering about this too.  Don't they use steel studs and gypsum board for interior partitions in high-rise office buildings? 

The termites will eat the paper that holds the gypsum board together.  Buddy of mine had his living room ceiling cave in because of it.  Luckily overnight while sleeping.

 

Y'all haven't a clue.   Unless building the house out of teak ... skip the wood, you've been warned.

Within 3-5 years, they'll be in every piece of wood in the house.  UP2U if you take the advice you asked for.

 

On my 3rd house, not 1 piece of wood involved.

Edited January 18, 2022 by KhunLA

[KhunLA]

3 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Any ideas how professionals prepare the land before building? I guess not.

 

If you have to clue how to prevent termites, of course you have NO experience, so stop claiming you do.

You mean something like this, spray system under the build, and resprayed / treated ever so often, along with spraying / saturating every other nook & cranny around the exterior of the house every so often also.

 

NO, I haven't a clue ... photos of 2nd house build.  That didn't work either, although only wood was door frames & some doors.

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by KhunLA

[Guest Isaanlife]

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You mean something like this, spray system under the build, and resprayed / treated ever so often, along with spraying / saturating every other nook & cranny around the exterior of the house every so often also.

 

NO, I haven't a clue ... photos of 2nd house build.  That didn't work either, although only wood was door frames & some doors.

 

 

 

If you were a builder and understood structural analysis, you would see something wrong right away.

 

This only happens in Thailand with people that do not know what they are doing.

 

 

[Guest Isaanlife]

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

The termites will eat the paper that holds the gypsum board together.  Buddy of mine had his living room ceiling cave in because of it.  Luckily overnight while sleeping.

 

Y'all haven't a clue.   Unless building the house out of teak ... skip the wood, you've been warned.

Within 3-5 years, they'll be in every piece of wood in the house.  UP2U if you take the advice you asked for.

 

On my 3rd house, not 1 piece of wood involved.

You had 3 houses built, you are not a builder nor do you understand load, stress or structural analysis. 

 

Do you see any rebar posts in this wall in the photo? Do you see a rebar post on the corner where the walls join together?

 

The load of the roof should be spread across the entire length of the wall, that is, of course, if you know how to build a wall correctly in the first place.

 

Placing loads on hand poured rebar posts with 6" of surface is Ludacris.

 

In a normal house, there is a reason the load is spread across the entire 20m wall.

 

Do you understand load bearing walls?

 

Your Thai build would never pass an inspection in the first world and there is a reason for that.

 

Ask any professional builder that has a contractor's license and has to build to code.

 

There is no reason at all why you cannot have a house built correctly in Thailand but first, you as the buyer, have to know what correct is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ralf001]

http://www.steelframethai.com/

[DrDave]

So I guess all of these newer commercial buildings that have been built with steel stud and gypsum interior partitions are doomed to failure due to termites ????

 

I've had 2 houses built in Thailand. The first (which contained a lot of wood flooring and furniture) I owned for over 10 years and never had a bit of termite trouble. The second, I've had for over 10 years and similarly, never a hint of termite problems.

 

The advantages of steel/gypsum interior walls are many. You don't need to have footings under each interior wall, as only perimeter footings are required for a single monolithic concrete slab. This also makes a remodel easier, since interior non-load bearing walls can be easily removed or relocated without concern for support under the slab. Plumbing and electrical system installation are much simpler since pipes and wires are run in the wall voids and can be easily relocated.

 

Costwise, it may be a tad more expensive for materials compared to concrete block or brick, but building a typical stud/gypsum interior wall takes virtually minutes instead of days. Cost of 3 meter steel "C" studs and U channel (for sill and top plates) in Thailand is about the same as the cost of wood studs in the US. The wall is assembled with sheet metal screws, screwed to the slab with tapcons and the gypsum is hung using fine-thread drywall screws.

 

The big challenge is finding laborers that know how to build steel/gypsum walls. Surprisingly, many know how to install a gypsum ceiling on a steel grid, but a wall using gypsum over steel studs may confound them. This is especially true upcountry where they know only one way to build walls. I even asked about using ACB (lightweight aerated concrete blocks) and got blank stares.

[Guest Isaanlife]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

http://www.steelframethai.com/

I like the idea. Easy to finish and run the wires and water pipes.

[Guest Isaanlife]

46 minutes ago, DrDave said:

So I guess all of these newer commercial buildings that have been built with steel stud and gypsum interior partitions are doomed to failure due to termites ????

 

I've had 2 houses built in Thailand. The first (which contained a lot of wood flooring and furniture) I owned for over 10 years and never had a bit of termite trouble. The second, I've had for over 10 years and similarly, never a hint of termite problems.

 

The advantages of steel/gypsum interior walls are many. You don't need to have footings under each interior wall, as only perimeter footings are required for a single monolithic concrete slab. This also makes a remodel easier, since interior non-load bearing walls can be easily removed or relocated without concern for support under the slab. Plumbing and electrical system installation are much simpler since pipes and wires are run in the wall voids and can be easily relocated.

 

Costwise, it may be a tad more expensive for materials compared to concrete block or brick, but building a typical stud/gypsum interior wall takes virtually minutes instead of days. Cost of 3 meter steel "C" studs and U channel (for sill and top plates) in Thailand is about the same as the cost of wood studs in the US. The wall is assembled with sheet metal screws, screwed to the slab with tapcons and the gypsum is hung using fine-thread drywall screws.

 

The big challenge is finding laborers that know how to build steel/gypsum walls. Surprisingly, many know how to install a gypsum ceiling on a steel grid, but a wall using gypsum over steel studs may confound them. This is especially true upcountry where they know only one way to build walls. I even asked about using ACB (lightweight aerated concrete blocks) and got blank stares.

Steel Frame Thai has their own installers.

For all the things you mentioned definitely the best way to build a house in Thailand.

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

You had 3 houses built, you are not a builder ......  Do you see any rebar posts in this wall in the photo? 

 

You have no clue what I did for a living in the USA.

 

Rebar / steel .... nah, just paper mache & elmers glue is all you need, in column & beam construction.

 

Wow ... 20 m of no cross interior walls, and the house didn't fall down, F'g magic,

 

Use steel in a house, nah, that's just crazy ...

Edited January 19, 2022 by KhunLA

[xylophone]

12 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Sorry, not true

 

Teak is only 1 kind of wood termites don't eat. 

 

Redwood, any hardwoods, treated wood, composite wood. etc

 

If you prepare the land professionally, you will never have termites

 

Lots of things the Thai hillbilly builders do not do correctly.

True enough, they don't like the hardwoods and of course wood that is treated to prevent termite infestation, however I've seen composite wood in a kitchen top, which has been eaten away by termites, and as someone else has mentioned, they can also eat away the paper which holds gypsum board together, something I have also seen.

 

Termites are also a problem in Australia, and a friend of mine had a termite infestation in his house, even though the land was prepared by a registered and well known professional builder, and it took a lot of work and the laying of pipes around and under the house, and spraying, as well as continuous treatment, to try and prevent further damage.

 

And, no I'm not a builder and I have never built my own house, but I have seen the damage done by termites to know that I would steer away from including something in my house that they would like to eat!!! 

[DaLa]

18 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

You need to educate yourself on termites.

 

Do they eat Teak Wood, Red Wood, Treated Wood, Composite Wood? Of Course not.

 

However, using cheap softwood, what do you expect.

 

If the land was prepared professionally, you wouldn't have a termite problem either

 

 

I’m pretty certain that the company that constructed my property, SCG Heim ‘understand structural analysis’ and ‘know what they are doing’. I am also 100% certain they have a ‘contractors licence and ‘build to code’. Although I don’t understand what is structural regarding limiting termite infestation. I would bet that SCG Heim also ‘prepared the land professionally’ but obviously not, so I’d like to know what constitutes ‘professional preparation’, along with a definition of ‘composite wood’ which I would categorise wooden laminate flooring as.

[Guest Isaanlife]

9 hours ago, xylophone said:

True enough, they don't like the hardwoods and of course wood that is treated to prevent termite infestation, however I've seen composite wood in a kitchen top, which has been eaten away by termites, and as someone else has mentioned, they can also eat away the paper which holds gypsum board together, something I have also seen.

 

Termites are also a problem in Australia, and a friend of mine had a termite infestation in his house, even though the land was prepared by a registered and well known professional builder, and it took a lot of work and the laying of pipes around and under the house, and spraying, as well as continuous treatment, to try and prevent further damage.

 

And, no I'm not a builder and I have never built my own house, but I have seen the damage done by termites to know that I would steer away from including something in my house that they would like to eat!!! 

Composite meaning the wood used outside for pools and decks that last forever.

[Guest Isaanlife]

11 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You have no clue what I did for a living in the USA.

 

Rebar / steel .... nah, just paper mache & elmers glue is all you need, in column & beam construction.

 

Wow ... 20 m of no cross interior walls, and the house didn't fall down, F'g magic,

 

Use steel in a house, nah, that's just crazy ...

From your rebar photo, one side is not even connected, the pad is cracked and the cement is uneven.

 

The rebar does not carry through the post to the bottom of the footer as you can see in your photo. 

 

That method is never used in the 1st world.

 

Thank God Thailand never has any earthquakes because you would find out quite quickly why no one in the 1st world builds this way.

 

The roof load in your photo is spread across a couple of 6" wide concrete posts ONLY!

 

Structural roof  load is always spread across the width of the entire house 20m+, with the roof tresses every 24", not the length as shown.

[sezze]

13 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

 

 

Do you see any rebar posts in this wall in the photo? Do you see a rebar post on the corner where the walls join together?

 

The load of the roof should be spread across the entire length of the wall, that is, of course, if you know how to build a wall correctly in the first place.

 

Placing loads on hand poured rebar posts with 6" of surface is Ludacris.

 

In a normal house, there is a reason the load is spread across the entire 20m wall.

 

Do you understand load bearing walls?

 

Your Thai build would never pass an inspection in the first world and there is a reason for that.

 

Ask any professional builder that has a contractor's license and has to build to code.

 

I am not a builder , but according to me , load bearing walls are 1 method of structural building . Another way of building is with NON load loadbearing walls , instead working with columns . A method also being used also around the world , especially in commercial/industrial buildings . In Thailand this method is used all around , load bearing columns , walls are non load bearing and can be moved / replaced / whenever wanted or needed .

 

[Guest Isaanlife]

3 minutes ago, sezze said:

I am not a builder , but according to me , load bearing walls are 1 method of structural building . Another way of building is with NON load loadbearing walls , instead working with columns . A method also being used also around the world , especially in commercial/industrial buildings . In Thailand this method is used all around , load bearing columns , walls are non load bearing and can be moved / replaced / whenever wanted or needed .

 

There is no building in the world supported by 6" columns.

 

Now back to house building 101.

 

The width of the building determines the span. If you can get across the span with a single roof tress, you don't need load bearing walls.

 

However, if you cannot get across the width with a single roof tress, then you do need load bearing walls to carry the load where the roof tress ends.

 

Interior walls are non load bearing only where they do not have to carry the load of the roof tress.

 

Here is an example of a load bearing wall.

 

To the front of the photo is where a 2 car garage extends forward.

 

The roof tress isn't long enough to go from the front of the garage all the way to the rear wall.

 

A load bearing wall is required for the roof tress that will be built over the garage.

 

This wall will support the aft load of the garage roof tress extending forward to the front of the garage.

 

Load bearing walls are also attached to the floor different than non load bearing walls as shown.

 

They are also strapped for extra support.

 

I went to school.

 

I have years and years of construction experience in the US, you can argue all you want about your Thai builders

 

I don't need a Thai to build me a house their way. 

 

Their use of columns in between the exterior walls is crazy.

 

There is a reason exterior walls are built in the first world the way they are built in one continuous length.

 

Continuity of the entire wall and the interwoven pattern of the block is what provides the strength.

 

The concrete footer and floor can all be poured and finished in 1 day

 

The entire concrete exterior (all the walls) of a 2000+ sq ft house can be built in 1 day by a crew of 6 to 8.

 

The entire roof tress can be installed in one day.

 

The roof can be papered and shingled in 1 day.

 

Windows less than 1 day.

 

Same with plumbing and electrical.

 

Non load bearing interior walls, 1 day

 

Compare that to Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sezze]

@Isaanlife

I not gonna argue with your building experience . But as far as i know/heard most stones used in Thailand are not for load bearing walls . I mean the cinder block types and the red bricks . I am not sure about the big white cellular blocks .

Most places in Thailand got span of 3-4m between columns which is plenty to hold the roof structure in its place , resting 100% on the columns . Like i said , i am not gonna argue with your knowledge , but Thai builders got their techniques , trying to explain something which they do not know is very difficult and requires even a lot more supervision . The technique with the columns work , especially if your roof is made out of steel panels ( colorbond or similar ) , since then the weight of the roof is very minimal .