Houses On Stilts In The Provinces

[j0hnga1t]

I noticed up in Roi-et, a lot of houses up on stilts. Why? Is it a question of flooding? My girlfriend says it keeps the house cooler, but I thought heat rises?

I'm looking at building a house in Pak Chong. She said it would be better to put it on stilts/above ground.

ground level (or rather 50 cm above ground level) or on stilts? what do you suggest and why?

[Goinghomesoon]

Airflow under my FIL's Isaan house means it is pretty comfortable most of the time. I'm not sure what percentage of the cooling effect comes from being raised up. He also has lots of big shady trees over the house, large windows, vents in the eaves of the house and a large dam nearby which all contribute. Where his house is located is not flood-prone so for him it is not related to floods. When I lived in Cambodia houses in many rural areas had to be raised to stay out of the water in rainy season.

Also with the house raised up you get a nice shaded area underneath to laze around in hammocks or eat lunch and the kids can play in the shade. By building up you effectively double the size of your living area.

For me the most enjoyable thing is that the stilts keep the animals out. FIL's favourite cow has a habit of hanging around at the bottom of the stairs looking balefully up at her beloved owner. I'm sure she's plotting how to get up there!

[chiangmaibruce]

There are many potential advantages of this type of contruction including:

1. to catch the breeze and cool the house

2. to prevent entry of termites (when using concrete poles and termite caps)

3. to protect from flooding

4. provides usable shaded area which can be built in later when funds allow

5. provides ability to fill the lot with soil, for example when surrounding neigbours suddenly raise the level of their lots by a metre and yours turns into a swimming pool

6. keeps (some) snakes and animals out of living quarters

7. give you a view over the neighbours tall fence (think pool + hotties)

etc

Common feature in older houses in Queensland, Australia - together with wide verandahs, lattice screens, fixed awnings over windows, etc. I would have thought all of which would make sense in Thailand also, instead of the silly Connecticut meets KMart boxes they seem to prefer instead.

[bangkokrick]

There are many potential advantages of this type of contruction including:

1. to catch the breeze and cool the house

2. to prevent entry of termites (when using concrete poles and termite caps)

3. to protect from flooding

4. provides usable shaded area which can be built in later when funds allow

5. provides ability to fill the lot with soil, for example when surrounding neigbours suddenly raise the level of their lots by a metre and yours turns into a swimming pool

6. keeps (some) snakes and animals out of living quarters

7. give you a view over the neighbours tall fence (think pool + hotties)

etc

Common feature in older houses in Queensland, Australia - together with wide verandahs, lattice screens, fixed awnings over windows, etc. I would have thought all of which would make sense in Thailand also, instead of the silly Connecticut meets KMart boxes they seem to prefer instead.

Agree with one addition. Its more difficult for intruders to enter the house. I am going back to when the Khymer Rouge where knocking around in Isaan.

Cheers, Rick

[Rimmer]

Can store old bicycles and sofa's under there just like they do in Oz

[londonthai]

do house on stilts, if the otjer houses are build this way. Your girlfriend might not remember, but most probably there are floods from time to time. Even if it's every 10 years or so it's still worth to protect your house from being damaged

[Pib]

- Provides a shady/cooler area for living, cooking, storage, etc.; basically, construction cost-wise, this ground-level is turned into a low cost living area

- Protects second level of house from flooding since house was probably built-on "un-raised" land (i.e., not above road or rice patty level)

- Helps to keep some critters out (reptile, animal, & human)...creates a little fort so to say

Edited February 26, 2009 by Pib

[dotcom]

Good place to store motorcycles & water buffalo.

[Nignoy]

Good place to store motorcycles & water buffalo.

Best Place in the world to keep the beer fridge card table and other necessities, also plenty of room for swags and hammocks if I,m under the affluence of inkahol and cant get up the steps

[trogers]

Cast a raised reinforced concrete slab under the house and install proper drainage all round to prevent ponding of rain water.

I have seen the houses of the less well off with ponding under their homes which breeds mosquitoes and other insects. My suggestion to these folks is to buy packets of coarse salts and spread them under their houses.

[londonthai]

I have seen small houses, even in bangkok, where water from the bathroom and kitchen was flowing straith under the house instead of being piped to the septic tank or municipal drain.

Not sure how salt can prevent insects breeding under the house, but it would stop vegetation.

[trogers]

Not sure how salt can prevent insects breeding under the house, but it would stop vegetation.

This is a Grandma's secret. Here in Asia, before refrigerators were available in the 60's, we keep food in a screened cupboard. The four legs of the cupboard sit on porcelain plates that has a U channel surrounding the leg. Water is filled into the channel to prevent ants from getting up to the cupboard. And Grandma would stir in a couple tablespoons of salt. Mosquiteos do not breed in very salty water. Neither would land based insects.

Edited February 28, 2009 by trogers

[JimShortz]

I agree very much with what others have said regarding providing a nice shady area to sit, raising your main living area to catch better breeze, etc. However, I think the best solution is to raise your site anyway (you don't want any of your land flooded, especially where you sit in the shade, store stuff, etc), build a house on stilts with at least a bathroom and perhaps one other room under the house. You gain extra space for minimal cost and I think get a lovely combination of shade, breeze and convenience... as they say - up to you; just my thoughts!

[canopy]

Excellent information. To get a balanced viewpoint, does anyone have insights on reasons NOT to build houses on stilts?

[donx]

Excellent information. To get a balanced viewpoint, does anyone have insights on reasons NOT to build houses on stilts?

I can think of at least one good reason. If you are an 80 year old farang (or expecting to live to be an 80 years old farang), then you may not want to be constantly climbing steps just to get into your home.

[chiangmaibruce]

and it might get a bit exciting in a hurricane

[trogers]

I would use reinforced concrete columns (as stilts) to raise the house.