Walls

[Gonsalviz]

I have a plan. I would like to know how well it might work from the experts.

The typical construction here is a brick wall with a mortar covering. Then the wiring and plumbing is on the outside of the wall.

My plan is to let them build the walls and plumb and wire as they will because it is very difficult to change the Thai mind.

Then I plan to modify the plumbing and wiring as I desire. After I have modified and inspected the work I plan to use plastic sheeting for a moisture barrier, attach studs to the wall, fit fiberglass insulation between and cover with gypsum board.

I am hoping to insulate for cooling and to reduce the echo of the cement walls.

Any thoughts.

[patong]

for good insulation the walls should be two courses off brick, with a 50mm cavity. drywall gyproc plasterboard will help plus you can hide wires, pipe.

[Gonsalviz]

for good insulation the walls should be two courses off brick, with a 50mm cavity. drywall gyproc plasterboard will help plus you can hide wires, pipe.

No fiberglass? Seems it would just be another echo chamber.

[toptuan]

Tiring quickly of these cement walls, I have often thought of remodeling my current place using your method--a typical western solution to many building/remodeling needs. I would also certainly enjoy a softer gypsum-board wall, or even nice wood paneling in the study.

The only thing I hesitate about in the tropics is vermin which seem to abound in any building cavity. I don't know if fiberglass insulation would be enough of a deterrent to most house pests here. In the northern latitudes, I believe builders can get away with more building-space cavities simply because of less pests, and the cold, seasonal kill-off of many house vermin.

Here, I'm thinking of year-round 10 varieties of ants all the way up to jinchoes and large Tuka lizards which seem to love human habitations. Think "nests," "eggs," and then there's their pooh to deal with, which accumulates in worrisome amounts over time. Oh yeah, and don't forget the temporary dead carcass (think "lizard" here) until the other vermin clean it up--while running little insect expressways all over your walls and floors.

It just seems like this method will exponentially add to building cavities which will overwhelmingly invite the outdoors to move indoors. Maybe you're 24 floors up in a high-rise condo and don't have to worry as much as we ground-floor dwellers in the countryside. If your building's location is more like mine, then I see a potential nightmare.

I have no confirmation that the above would be a problem, but would like to bring it up to see if anyone else has input on this potential consequence of the OP's proposal.

Edited February 16, 2010 by toptuan

[patong]

for good insulation the walls should be two courses off brick, with a 50mm cavity. drywall gyproc plasterboard will help plus you can hide wires, pipe.

No fiberglass? Seems it would just be another echo chamber.

are your rooms empty? are your rooms empty? are your rooms empty?

Edited February 16, 2010 by patong

[patong]

for good insulation the walls should be two courses off brick, with a 50mm cavity. drywall gyproc plasterboard will help plus you can hide wires, pipe.

No fiberglass? Seems it would just be another echo chamber.

are your rooms empty?

[Gonsalviz]

for good insulation the walls should be two courses off brick, with a 50mm cavity. drywall gyproc plasterboard will help plus you can hide wires, pipe.

No fiberglass? Seems it would just be another echo chamber.

are your rooms empty?

They won't be after I build the house.

[patong]

for good insulation the walls should be two courses off brick, with a 50mm cavity. drywall gyproc plasterboard will help plus you can hide wires, pipe.

No fiberglass? Seems it would just be another echo chamber.

are your rooms empty?

They won't be after I build the house.

i have a plan, try some pictures on the walls maybe a rug on the floor.

[jackr]

The only thing I hesitate about in the tropics is vermin which seem to abound in any building cavity.

Yep, in the process of moving windows around and had to evict a pair of resident squirrels from the master bedroom cavity. They'd been squeezing in through the aircon pipe hole.

Seems like a lot of hassle, op; moving pipes and cables. If you're worried about cables on the outside, instruct and pay them to chase them in... they know how to do that. For the purpose of insulation, double walls is a no-brainer. The fibreglass/gypsum method would cost a fair amount and would still give you a hollow sound when you bang up against it, while the plastic sheet would more likely keep the temp and moisture in as well as being a fire hazard.

[patong]

The only thing I hesitate about in the tropics is vermin which seem to abound in any building cavity.

Yep, in the process of moving windows around and had to evict a pair of resident squirrels from the master bedroom cavity. They'd been squeezing in through the aircon pipe hole.

Seems like a lot of hassle, op; moving pipes and cables. If you're worried about cables on the outside, instruct and pay them to chase them in... they know how to do that. For the purpose of insulation, double walls is a no-brainer. The fibreglass/gypsum method would cost a fair amount and would still give you a hollow sound when you bang up against it, while the plastic sheet would more likely keep the temp and moisture in as well as being a fire hazard.

there is no reason based on vermin not to have a cavity wall, i suggest there should be no holes big enough for squirrels or rats in your exterior walls.

jack lucky you had a cavity wall, because the squirrel or rat would have entered inside your property.

Edited February 16, 2010 by patong

[jackr]

I would have noticed if it'd been a singular wall. I never realized before because the gap was just above the aircon pipe. On squirrels, they're actually fairly switched on and would have found another dark, quiet place rather than enter the domain

[patong]

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT

This is the house that Jack built.

This is the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat,

That ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog that worried the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the dog , that worried the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the maiden all forlorn,

That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the dog , that worried the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the maiden all forlorn,

That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the dog , that worried the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn,

That married the man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the maiden all forlorn,

That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the dog , that worried the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cock that crowed in the morn,

That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,

That married the man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the maiden all forlorn,

That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the dog , that worried the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the farmer sowing the corn,

That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,

That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,

That married the man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the maiden all forlorn,

That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the dog , that worried the cat,

That chased the rat , that ate the malt,

That lay in the house that Jack built.

----THE END----

[jackr]

Interesting. Hasn't mummy told you the internet's a dangerous place?

[bifftastic]

Interesting post, I have a similar question, relating to the vent blocks that were used in the top of the walls of the two rooms constructed under my g/f's sister's house. I've seen many concrete block rooms under Thai wooden houses and all seem to be single wall (ie no cavity or insulation) block constructions with these vent blocks (same sized concrete blocks with vent holes in them).

I would, in the future, like to construct similar ground level rooms but having stayed in the single wall rooms and noticed that the walls soak up the heat from the sun and act like a storage heater, I too was considering double walls with a cavity or, at least, adding studs, insulation and plasterboard.

Question is, given that holes in the outer wall would invite wildlife to colonize, how would the walls be vented? Indeed do they need to be vented at all?

The advantage of the stud/plasterboard walls would be insulation, allowing greater control over internal temperature, concealed wiring and a better (than concrete skim) surface for painting.

Advice appreciated

[patong]

The whole concept of the cavity wall is that the air in between the walls acts like a barrier, therefore is sealed. having ventilation would bring the outside in.

Edited February 21, 2010 by patong

[jackr]

Question is, given that holes in the outer wall would invite wildlife to colonize, how would the walls be vented? Indeed do they need to be vented at all?

The advantage of the stud/plasterboard walls would be insulation, allowing greater control over internal temperature, concealed wiring and a better (than concrete skim) surface for painting.

Advice appreciated

If you do decide to make a room in one, be sure to close up all those ventilation holes on the exterior - cavity walls don't need ventilation but the gap can go all the way up into a loft space. The object being the outside air doesn't come into contact with that of the inside.

Make sure they use the butterfly-type ties (metal wire) between outer and inner wall as opposed to beams of concrete that they typically use to strengthen that type of wall here:

Using thermalite blocks is also a good idea:

[bifftastic]

Question is, given that holes in the outer wall would invite wildlife to colonize, how would the walls be vented? Indeed do they need to be vented at all?

The advantage of the stud/plasterboard walls would be insulation, allowing greater control over internal temperature, concealed wiring and a better (than concrete skim) surface for painting.

Advice appreciated

If you do decide to make a room in one, be sure to close up all those ventilation holes on the exterior - cavity walls don't need ventilation but the gap can go all the way up into a loft space. The object being the outside air doesn't come into contact with that of the inside.

Make sure they use the butterfly-type ties (metal wire) between outer and inner wall as opposed to beams of concrete that they typically use to strengthen that type of wall here:

Using thermalite blocks is also a good idea:

Thanks for the info re vent holes yep, ties would be used for sure.