Cowboy Builders

[shaggy1969]

Hi folks,

This is not a thread to slag off all builders in Thailand....only the cowboys.

This is what we ended up with,needless to say it ended up being ripped down and rebuilt (the original builders refused to give us our money back)

Has anyone had a wonkier wall made?

Shaggy

[transam]

Never allow Lou Kou on site.

[Payboy]

The string line was used to hang their clothes, I guess.

Above post may contain matter offensive to some. Parental guidance is advised.

[krisb]

Where were you while this was going on?

My house is taking a while to finish because no one touches it while Im not there

And your photo reinforces why no ones touching it....sorry but....

.

[robblok]

Where were you while this was going on?

My house is taking a while to finish because no one touches it while Im not there

And your photo reinforces why no ones touching it....sorry but....

.

Problem is not all of us are good at construction. I am at the mercy of those people. But there have been times that i could (and later did) a better job.. and that is saying a lot.

[ThaidDown]

I think I've been here too long....what's wrong ? To me the wall looks well up to standard.

[shaggy1969]

Where were you while this was going on?

My house is taking a while to finish because no one touches it while Im not there

And your photo reinforces why no ones touching it....sorry but....

.

I was 11,000 km's away.

[chrisinth]

Shaggy, that is a cracker! Don't lose the original photo from that.

Would guess that was the sparky that put that up, after the lou kou!

[lizardtongue]

I don't have pics but the glass wall I had built in a bathroom was a work of art in as much that they managed to put a 'curve' in it! Apparently there are some competent builders out there, it just a matter of finding them, even then in my experience you gotta be on top of them 24/7.

Good luck!

[breadbin]

If you cannot go to the build everyday expect issues. Shoddy building is part of LOS. You need to be there cracking the whip and controlling every rubbish brick laid etc.

A nightmare I say. Known people who had fantastic results but others who 'trusted' their builder and befriended them had issues and then made enemies!!!

It's a lottery if you can't be there.

[shaggy1969]

Shaggy, that is a cracker! Don't lose the original photo from that.

Would guess that was the sparky that put that up, after the lou kou!

No worries Chris,i think i'm going to get that photo framed.

It all ended up a bit messy after the ' builders ' had gone because the neighbor came out to have a look at the wall and then started complaining to anyone and everyone that would listen that we were trying to steal her land.The old dear had a point but took it a bit far.When my missus and her mother came back home they were faced with the irate neighbor and the banana wall.My missus went round to the home of the builder the next day to yak yak him but that fell on deaf ears.

The rumor in the town now is that we didn't pay the builders,of course started by them because they didn't want to lose face from their shoddy work....you've got to laugh !!!

Shaggy

[transam]

Shaggy, that is a cracker! Don't lose the original photo from that.

Would guess that was the sparky that put that up, after the lou kou!

No worries Chris,i think i'm going to get that photo framed.

It all ended up a bit messy after the ' builders ' had gone because the neighbor came out to have a look at the wall and then started complaining to anyone and everyone that would listen that we were trying to steal her land.The old dear had a point but took it a bit far.When my missus and her mother came back home they were faced with the irate neighbor and the banana wall.My missus went round to the home of the builder the next day to yak yak him but that fell on deaf ears.

The rumor in the town now is that we didn't pay the builders,of course started by them because they didn't want to lose face from their shoddy work....you've got to laugh !!!

Shaggy

[Cloggie]

What's wrong with it? Looks fine for me...

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

[jbrain]

OP, do you realise how much craftsmanship it requires to build a curved wall with straight breeze blocks?

[Semper]

OP,. They were just avoiding the tree/bush that's groving just where they started the curvature of the wall. Maybe your wife/gf told them not to cut the tree?

[transam]

OP,. They were just avoiding the tree/bush that's groving just where they started the curvature of the wall. Maybe your wife/gf told them not to cut the tree?

Seems there was a dog turd in the way.

[damo]

Hey I'm still yet to see a home or wall in LOS constructed using brick bond. Everything just stacked. To lazy to cut bricks in half IMO.

[krisb]

Where were you while this was going on?

My house is taking a while to finish because no one touches it while Im not there

And your photo reinforces why no ones touching it....sorry but....

.

Problem is not all of us are good at construction. I am at the mercy of those people. But there have been times that i could (and later did) a better job.. and that is saying a lot.

straight lines and being square is 90percent. its not rocket science.

You dont need to be good at construction to see these 2 things.

OP, did your wife find this guy in the village? If yes then give her a hard time.

[pigeonjake]

damo,, more like book bond,,lol

mine are, im lucky my dad was a builder and i used to help in the school holidays so i can lay blocks,

and i even had them tying in the internal walls properly,

but its like so many say here, if you can you do have to be on site with them, but i will say some are good craftsmen, just hard to find,

they loved it because i was there laying blocks with them, im going to be bringing a couple of the proper big trowels back with me, im allways building something, ive got more stys to build allsorts, but i enjoy it,

jake

[NeverSure]

I wonder how many beers it took to build that? Why did they even waste the builder's line?

Speaking of no running bond, I've seen good block layers break those blocks cleanly with a concrete chipping hammer. The missing part in the center is made up for with the grout. The center is strengthened when the holes are grouted.

[damo]

Thailand really can easily improve its building prictices with the use of some western products you dont find in Thailand.

Fortecon plastic lining for slabs/ piers,

PVA for tiling/priming,

tile spacers for uniform grout joints, etc, etc...

I met a Thai woman last week and was a hairdresser in Bangkok, she had her own salon and was very successful. She asked myself about how she can get work in Australia as a hairdresser and showed me a certificate she achieved in Bangkok. The cert was a 3 month training course for cutting hair which I think for Thailand is good. I think a simmilar type of training for builders would do alot to improve the minimum standard to construction in Thailand. I know I would pay more cash for a builder with some sort of learnt ability.

How many cowboys out there have absolutly no idea of how concrete works, you can see this when they use too much water, the same with paint thinning it down to make it more workable. String lines / straightedges, pfft. piss in the wind. Don't try and tell them either, ego damage control can be futile.

[meatboy]

must be the same ones that laid tiles at the side of our neighbours house,kept a straight line till they came to a stone sticking out of the ground they just went round it.

[jackr]

Seems there was a dog turd in the way.

Or it was laid by one.

[giddyup]

Shortly after I moved into my brand new house I had a couple of stainless steel L shaped shower curtain rails made. The two guy who came to install them managed to crack four tiles and leave a couple of skid marks where the drill had slipped. When I said to them, maybe they should have drilled some small pilot holes first instead of attacking the tiles with a 10mm bit and a hammer drill, they looked at me like I was stupid. No apologies for the damage caused or offers to rectify the damage, just hands out to be paid. I've had to live with the damage because I can't find matching tiles and probably more damage would be caused in trying to replace the cracked ones.

[pigeonjake]

if ever you come to drill holes in tiles, a piece of masking tape does the trick,

place on tile and drill through that, stops sliping

[robblok]

if ever you come to drill holes in tiles, a piece of masking tape does the trick,

place on tile and drill through that, stops sliping

That is how my dad does it, watched him enough.. emulated him too little.

[robblok]

I got some small and useless windows that need to be removed and i want to have them tiled close. Its hard to find a good builder, also got some plumbing that needs to be done. But after my previous experiences i am real hesitant to let them work on the house.

My dad will be here in november and i might use him to supervise the work. At least he has an idea if work is going well or not.

Its not easy for people who themselves are not good at construction to get work done here good.

[loong]

The only time that I've had any type of building work done that I'm satisfied with is when I've done it myself.

Thais seem to expect and accept crap work and so there is no incentive for a builder to improve his standards. He still gets paid, so why put in more than minimal effort?

[giddyup]

if ever you come to drill holes in tiles, a piece of masking tape does the trick,

place on tile and drill through that, stops sliping

That is how my dad does it, watched him enough.. emulated him too little.

I know it, you know it, but try telling a Thai that. They just aren't interested in changing their ways.

[robblok]

The only time that I've had any type of building work done that I'm satisfied with is when I've done it myself.

Thais seem to expect and accept crap work and so there is no incentive for a builder to improve his standards. He still gets paid, so why put in more than minimal effort?

I think part of the problem is we pay them by the job not by the hour. So they do it as fast and easy as they can. I wish that by paying them more you could get better work done. Unfortunately that is not the case unless you find a real craftsman. They are there just hard to find.