Building a new house in Isaan

[Encid]

I am going through the process of planning a new house build on my wife's farm land up country.

 

I have already prepared plans and elevations of our preferred house design in AutoCAD and am currently fine tuning details. The land is currently being filled and raised approx. 1.5 metres above original level. I anticipate leaving it to rest and bed down for the remainder of the year, and start construction in January next year.

 

I want this to be a reasonably passive house, so double glazed uPVC windows and sliding doors are being considered. An on-grid hybrid solar system will be added once construction is complete.

 

I am considering the following components for the external walls: Q-CON AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) blocks (150mm thk),

 

 

with an SCG Heat Reflector sheet lining,

 

 

with 50mm thk fire retardant grade polystyrene sheets,

 

 

then 8mm thk SCG Smartboard drywall. The polystyrene sheets will fit between the galvanized frame members.

 

 

Cement rendering followed by paint on the outside, and just a painted finish on the inside.

 

What do you think?

[John Bird]

You're a brave man. I hope you're frustration-resistant as well. 

[Will B Good]

We are 90% complete now (same as you: wife's land Isan).

 

Went the opposite though. Complete turnkey contract. Penalty of 1.300 baht per day for late completion. Way over due, but not overly concerned as I fully expected it to be late......and don't expect to see a penny of the penalty money either.

 

Good luck.

 

Keep us all posted.

[Robin]

Remember the old rule:

"Everything takes longer and costs more than you expect"

Paricularly applies o Thai building work.  Good Luck

[sezze]

Not 100% sure about the 8mm smartboard . Smartboard is very brittle , maybe somebody used the 8mm as drywall here , but i would not use it , and rather stick to straight on rendering on the building blocks .

[Lacessit]

Two things:

 

You don't mention the roof insulation, get the best R-factor encapsulated insulation blankets you can afford. Don't mess with PU spray insulation, it's a potential death trap.

 

Make sure the builder knows to put vents in the soffits, so that the heat in the roof space has somewhere to go. If not, your aircon bills will skyrocket.

[Olav Seglem]

Check on goverment electric supply.

Internet.

Government water supply-regularity.

Road access.

Drilling  for water-ironized or salt ?

Your security- register right to stay on property as long as you live ???

Do builder speak english??

Impotant-be on site, every day to check whats going on, and do adjustments/improvement along the way.

Ps: good luck-memory for life ????

[sometimewoodworker]

Make absolutely sure that there is zero rodent access to the polystyrene insulation. Is is a terrible idea as rodents animals and birds love it. 
 

However you may be planning a living (and dying) wall, in which case it’s a good choice. ???????? 

[KarenBravo]

Build a house using construction methods the contractor knows.

Nothing wrong with post and beam with rendered brick walls.

 

Frankly, building on your wife's land, close to her family, is in my opinion a mistake. If (God forbid) things don't work out, the house is unsalable.

[stigar]

I build a house in surin..cost me 360.000 bath.Included everything.Yeah..i lost it after 10 years.

Anyway past is past.My new lady have her own house and apartment so no worries.

[KhaoYai]

A lot is made of drywall systems - I'm not a fan.

 

They may be a bit cheaper to construct initially but I don't think the saving is worth the downside.  Trying to fix things to them is difficult - sure you may know what you want to fix to them now and strengthen those areas but things change over the years - I guarantee that at some point you'll regret the decision.

 

I bought a 2 year old house and during a complete re-plan and upgrade I built an internal wall using Q Con blocks.  I used a quilted 25mm thick insulating material between the 2 walls.  I installed good quaility, European profile double glazed windows and doors with low e glass.  Clearly I was aiming at cooling the house at less cost but I also was simply carrying out a build that will last. Like you, I plan on installing solar power at some point.

 

On the cooling side, I have achieved a reasonable reduction in temperature but its difficult to measure that for real at the moment - I have not insulated the ceiling yet as my next job is to replace the rubbish tin roof.  I am sure that is the source of most of the internal heat and I would suggest you pay particular attention to the loft insulation.

 

Generally, if there's one piece of advice I can offer its BE THERE when the build is taking place.  I could write a book on the hassle I had through not being there but its long and boring - just one example:

 

My UPVC doors and windows are high quality and have an anthracite grey textured finish.  They come from the factory fitted with a protective film.  The idiots peeled off the film and then screeded the walls - cement all over the window frames.  I am slowly getting it off but the finish is ruined in places.  I think I may have to have to paint them sometime in the future as it drives me nuts seeing them as the are - which defeats one of the objectives of using UPVC. I spent a lot of money on the doors and windows because I believe in only doing a job once.

 

Be absolutely clear on what you want and how you want it - employ a translater if necessary but I repeat, BE THERE.

[Guest Isaanlife]

1 hour ago, sezze said:

Not 100% sure about the 8mm smartboard . Smartboard is very brittle , maybe somebody used the 8mm as drywall here , but i would not use it , and rather stick to straight on rendering on the building blocks .

Rending on the the blocks versus using drywall is cheap and foolish.

[Guest Isaanlife]

4 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

A lot is made of drywall systems - I'm not a fan.

 

They may be a bit cheaper to construct initially but I don't think the saving is worth the downside.  Trying to fix things to them is difficult - sure you may know what you want to fix to them now and strengthen those areas but things change over the years - I guarantee that at some point you'll regret the decision.

 

I bought a 2 year old house and during a complete re-plan and upgrade I built an internal wall using Q Con blocks.  I used a quilted 25mm thick insulating material between the 2 walls.  I installed good quaility, European profile double glazed windows and doors with low e glass.  Clearly I was aiming at cooling the house at less cost but I also was simply carrying out a build that will last. Like you, I plan on installing solar power at some point.

 

On the cooling side, I have achieved a reasonable reduction in temperature but its difficult to measure that for real at the moment - I have not insulated the ceiling yet as my next job is to replace the rubbish tin roof.  I am sure that is the source of most of the internal heat and I would suggest you pay particular attention to the loft insulation.

 

Generally, if there's one piece of advice I can offer its BE THERE when the build is taking place.  I could write a book on the hassle I had through not being there but its long and boring - just one example:

 

My UPVC doors and windows are high quality and have an anthracite grey textured finish.  They come from the factory fitted with a protective film.  The idiots peeled off the film and then screeded the walls - cement all over the window frames.  I am slowly getting it off but the finish is ruined in places.  I think I may have to have to paint them sometime in the future as it drives me nuts seeing them as the are - which defeats one of the objectives of using UPVC. I spent a lot of money on the doors and windows because I believe in only doing a job once.

 

Be absolutely clear on what you want and how you want it - employ a translater if necessary but I repeat, BE THERE.

Every build in the modern world uses drywall.

 

I think the OP knows what he is doing from his design.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

Rending on the the blocks versus using drywall is cheap and foolish.

On the other hand, termites love drywall, for food and to hide behind.

ZERO problems like that on rendered blocks/concrete.

[Denim]

Since you have plenty of time before you commence your build , now would be a good time to plant shade giving trees in places where , when they mature , they will throw a lot of shade on external walls and assist your passive cooling ideas.

 

In the first year of planting you see very little above ground level growth since any large shade giving trees need to get their roots down before they can start growing up.

 

During our build I belatedly planted a mango tree in a place that would give shade to the kitchen during the hot season. Works a treat now but I lost a year by not planting early.

[Guest Isaanlife]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

On the other hand, termites love drywall, for food and to hide behind.

ZERO problems like that on rendered blocks/concrete.

There is paperless drywall.

 

You can also paint the drywall with Propylene Glycol/Boric Acid.

 

Termites need to something to eat, they will not hide if there is nothing there for them to chew on.

 

If the land is treated correctly, you shouldn't have a problem with termites.

 

Termites can be a problem if they are not planned for in tropical regions.

 

I don't think most builds in Thailand ever plan for this.

[KhaoYai]

46 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

Every build in the modern world uses drywall.

They do not.  Mostly its those built by major deveopers. In the private sector, certainly in the UK, many smaller developers are returning to solid double walls. I've just built 2 and gone back to wet plaster, I won't even use dot & dab board.

[KhaoYai]

52 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

I think the OP knows what he is doing from his design.

He is clearly seeking comments or he wouldn't have posted!

[Guest Isaanlife]

3 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

He is clearly seeking comments or he wouldn't have posted!

Doesn't mean he would follow anyone's advice here!

[KhaoYai]

52 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

On the other hand, termites love drywall, for food and to hide behind.

Really?  They eat the board?

 

Drywall systems are just cheap rubbish - designed to increase developer's profits.  Long term they can be very problematic.

[Guest Isaanlife]

6 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

They do not.  Mostly its those built by major deveopers. In the private sector, certainly in the UK, many smaller developers are returning to solid double walls. I've just built 2 and gone back to wet plaster, I won't even use dot & dab board.

Solid double walls meaning what? Show an example.

 

You are in the UK building houses right now?

 

Every house I have ever seen built in the US, including 2 brand new ones being built right now 2/22 that I have been sent photos of, all use drywall.

 

There is a reason for that.

 

 

[KhaoYai]

3 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

Doesn't mean he would follow anyone's advice here!

Here we go. Why is there at least one like you on almost every thread.  Post your advice to the OP by all means but don't start slagging off other people's comments - especially when one of those posters is a developer himself!

[KhaoYai]

2 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

Solid double walls meaning what? Show an example.

 

You are in the UK building houses right now?

Can't be bothered, if you don't know now, you never will. Brick or stone external, 100mm insulated cavity 100 - 150mm concrete block internal. Obvioulsy that is designed for UK weather but I would still (and have) go for a variation of that in Thailand.

 

I built 2 houses last year yes.

 

Thai houses move a lot - even the block and render cracks.  How much do you think a drywall will crack due to movement and how would you repair the frame if its a large crack?

[KhaoYai]

9 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

Every house I have ever seen built in the US, including 2 brand new ones being built right now 2/22 that I have been sent photos of, all use drywall.

 

There is a reason for that.

And most major developers here also use drywall.  However, there are the beginnings of a return to more traditional builds.

 

'There is a reason for that' - Yes, to increase profits.  Take a look at luxury builds, see what system they use.

[Guest Isaanlife]

1 minute ago, KhaoYai said:

Can't be bothered, if you don't know now, you never will. Brick or stone external, 100mm insulated cavity 100 - 150mm concrete block internal. Obvioulsy that is designed for UK weather but I would still (and have) go for a variation of that in Thailand.

 

I built 2 houses last year yes.

 

Thai houses move a lot - even the block and render cracks.  How much do you think a drywall will crack due to movement and how would you repair the frame if its a large crack?

You ever wonder why Thai houses move and crack?

 

Never had 1 crack in my Thai house, built by my own FIL.

 

I have never had 1 crack in either of my 2 western houses.

 

Do you know why that is?

 

If you built 2 houses in Thailand, then that is the extent of your knowledge.

 

I would love to see some quality houses in the UK recently built with internal block walls?

 

 

 

 

[Guest Isaanlife]

3 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

And most major developers here also use drywall.  However, there are the beginnings of a return to more traditional builds.

 

'There is a reason for that' - Yes, to increase profits.  Take a look at luxury builds, see what system they use.

Houses being built across the street from my house 2/22 in the US are in the US $400,000+ price range.

 

That is an average house. Not a luxury house by any means.

 

Florida, tropical climate. Why no termite issues?

 

16" by 8" by 8" outside concrete full block, framed walls 16" on center, insulation, covered by drywall, finished and painted. To state hurricane code.

 

Of course in the west,  every step has to be signed off by the state building inspector, electrical inspector, plumbing inspector, etc.

 

I would hope a person would have enough sense to build a structurally sound house that didn't crack in any location?

 

Not just build one the only way they can afford it.

 

You get what you pay for.

 

Finished photo below is an example as the house is not finished yet.

 

 

[KhaoYai]

49 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

If you built 2 houses in Thailand, then that is the extent of your knowledge.

NO! I am a developer in the UK - I thought I made that clear.

[KhaoYai]

52 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

You ever wonder why Thai houses move and crack?

No, I know why they do.

[Hummin]

Do your self a favor and make drainage and dikes around your land, before you elevate your land and start building. ROCKWOOL as insulation is a good move to. 

[sezze]

Did you ever work with Smartboard ? Thats the fiber cement type . Good luck trying to attach anything on it . I'd rather use a double wall with cement rendering then touch 8mm fiber cement for a wall . Like i said , it is very brittle . If you do go with the drywall , i suggest anything thicker , so not the 8mm but 12mm .

It is just my opinion , the fiber cement boards are not as strong as they suggest they are . Plenty of examples of cracked fiber cement planks / boards and all other things made out of fiber cement .