Thai Kitchens - Why Is The Floor Lower?

[Lazy Sod]

Why are Thai houses designed with the kitchen floor about 5 inches lower than the living room floor?

I have lived in this house 7 years and still I can't figure it out.

[transam]

Cos the crap plumbing will not flood your house, AND you can hose the food crap on the floor away no problem.

[Lazy Sod]

Thanks - and that solves another mystery - why refrigerators and washing machines are delivered with 3" high plastic plinths (to protect them during hosing down of the kitchen floor).

In 20 years here I've never seen anyone actually hosing down their kitchen floor, although I'm confident that your theory is correct.

[manarak]

Thanks - and that solves another mystery - why refrigerators and washing machines are delivered with 3" high plastic plinths (to protect them during hosing down of the kitchen floor).

In 20 years here I've never seen anyone actually hosing down their kitchen floor, although I'm confident that your theory is correct.

I would do it if I had a kitchen.

Many things are more cleverly made in Asia than in our countries. The opposite is true too.

[sezze]

I agree to the answer given before . The wet zone , where the plumbing is is the lower area of the house . If 1 fails it is contained in 1 area and not spread in the house . The kitchen is more often then not next to the bathroom , so also you need less waterlines ... and saving on the costs of having multiple water lines going through the house . That was actually the reason why i made the bathroom next to my kitchen , and i think it is the prime reason ... saving costs . The flooding is a 2nd reason which comes in very handy .

[Kwasaki]

Not all kitchens are, our's isn't, seen some in built in Phitsanulok at same ground floor level, sometimes it is just a matter of design.

An upstairs ensuite bathroom would usually be lower than the bedroom but no benefit unless it is immediately above a downstairs bathroom, or out on stilt piers at the back.

lf the kitchen is at one end of the build and lower as said, water problems from washing machines and fridges, overflowing sinks etc are easier to manage, so you could say a good idea and carried out for this purpose in mind.

Houses can be built with different floor levels as a design feature within, our ground floor has two levels within it's design.

It wasn't because the builder B...... up either.

Edited February 5, 2012 by Kwasaki

[transam]

Not all kitchens are, our's isn't, seen some in built in Phitsanulok at same ground floor level, sometimes it is just a matter of design.

An upstairs ensuite bathroom would usually be lower than the bedroom but no benefit unless it is immediately above a downstairs bathroom, or out on stilt piers at the back.

lf the kitchen is at one end of the build and lower as said, water problems from washing machines and fridges, overflowing sinks etc are easier to manage, so you could say a good idea and carried out for this purpose in mind.

Houses can be built with different floor levels as a design feature within, our ground floor has two levels within it's design.

It wasn't because the builder B...... up either.

My upstairs bathrooms are 2 inches lower than the main floor, l asked why, they said so you can clean the floors with lots of water and if a leak no problem cos we put a drain in the floor outside the shower also. Cool, after plumbing failure in the kitchen and bathroom l now thank god they did it.

PS. The plumbing failures were those so called flexible stainless braid tap connectors which are NOT stainless, marked stainless but the rusted out and the internal rubber is as thick as a fag paper.

Edited February 5, 2012 by transam

[Lazy Sod]

Downside is that I know a couple of friends who live in old houses in Bangkok - their kitchens flood in heavy rain (because their kitchen floor is almost the same level as the ground outside.

I guess they could raise the kitchen floor with concrete. . .but they rent.

Edited February 5, 2012 by Lazy Sod

[Pib]

PS. The plumbing failures were those so called flexible stainless braid tap connectors which are NOT stainless, marked stainless but the rusted out and the internal rubber is as thick as a fag paper.

Yeap, the stainless-looking braid is pretty much for aesthetics, may help a little with kinking in a tight bend, and adds little physical protecton...it's the rubber hose and connections that are important. I've had several of these hoses fail just below the screw-on nut where the hose and nut connector join..and in each case the hose failed after removing it for some reason and then screwing it back on...then I had my leak.

[David006]

PS. The plumbing failures were those so called flexible stainless braid tap connectors which are NOT stainless, marked stainless but the rusted out and the internal rubber is as thick as a fag paper.

Yeap, the stainless-looking braid is pretty much for aesthetics, may help a little with kinking in a tight bend, and adds little physical protecton...it's the rubber hose and connections that are important. I've had several of these hoses fail just below the screw-on nut where the hose and nut connector join..and in each case the hose failed after removing it for some reason and then screwing it back on...then I had my leak.

gotta agree pot metal fittings and fag paper plastic tubing in those stainless look pipes ( showers, bum wash, feeder pipes etc...gradually replacing all those up market pretty pretties with white plastic piping..much tougher/cleaner and even seem to have better quality fittings. dam_n those annoying plastic threads on shower heater inlets and outlets though!!!

...on topic our bathroom floors are sunken not the kitchen..fricking great idea.!!..never seen it before..got quite upset when I saw the floor weren't level with the rest ..had to eat crow when it was explained to me...

....now if bloody tilers could only learn not to slope the floor away from the drains!!!