Cost of building a fence?

[FACTOR]

"Google Wetting Bricks if you don't believe me."

Why wouldn't I believe you?

[JaiLai]

I always wondered about the need for prison like walls.

Is it for keeping people out? That does not really work.

Or is it to keep people in? Does not work either.

Is it for marking the border of your land? A 30cm high border will work just fine.

Is it so that people can not look inside? What do you have to hide? You don't want passersby see that people are trying to break into your house after climbing the wall? Walking naked in the garden?

Or is it that you do not want to look outside? Only a good reason if the surroundings are terrible.

Is it to be more 'Thai', you know to conform and fit in? You will always be looked upon as an Alien , so that also does not work.

Why spend the money on it? I am really puzzled by it.

I personally like a hedge, one with thorns and nice flowers. I never have to worry about it falling down. Instead i have to spend a few hundred baht a month for someone to keep it in shape.

Now if you make a wall like Naam did, then i agree. It adds to the garden.

If you need to watch how much it's going to cost and are considering posts and infill, then what you get is a hideous wall, that probably needs to be painted with cheap paint every year. The the render starts falling of and posts are shifting etc.

I just planted seedlings for the cost of about 50 baht per meter. The seven rai was probably a few thousand baht. Only places that had a not so nice view were done, the rest just has a 30-40 cm high hedge with the occasional pillar with a light.

Not much face was gained however.

I don't mind.

How long do the hedges take to get to a reasonable height ( approx 50cm's )?

I thought everyone walked about naked in their gardens or is that only me?

[Khun Jean]

About a year. If they are at the height you want to top them off. It takes at least a year after that to get it more thick.

You can also plant closer together. I forget the name of this hedge, you see them often in parks and even along roads in the city. When a bit biger you can shape them.

Bougainville can be used for the higher perimeter. They grow very quickly and need more care to keep them from getting to big.

[JaiLai]

About a year. If they are at the height you want to top them off. It takes at least a year after that to get it more thick.

You can also plant closer together. I forget the name of this hedge, you see them often in parks and even along roads in the city. When a bit biger you can shape them.

Bougainville can be used for the higher perimeter. They grow very quickly and need more care to keep them from getting to big.

Thanks for the info.

[rotary]

But shouldn't I be able to rustproof the iron with something?

Thanks.

Sure, electric wire brush to take the rust off, use RUST-O-LEUM Red Oxide primer, let it dry at least 24 hrs, then use same brand of oil based enamel. Thats the best I have found. Using all these cheap paints and even good brands other than Rust-o-leum just does not give the service time.

[Bucko]

But shouldn't I be able to rustproof the iron with something?

Thanks.

Sure, electric wire brush to take the rust off, use RUST-O-LEUM Red Oxide primer, let it dry at least 24 hrs, then use same brand of oil based enamel. Thats the best I have found. Using all these cheap paints and even good brands other than Rust-o-leum just does not give the service time.

Has'nt Red Oxide Paint been banned in a lot of countries because of the lead content ? was commonly called "Red Lead" in my day- and replaced with a safer product--

Maybe I've got it wrong---It's been a while since I have Wielded a Paintbrush

--------------------------------------------------------

Oops just " Googled" it-----should have done that first --Red Oxide is NOT a Red Lead----back to sleep

Edited November 16, 2013 by Bucko

[sirineou]

Cuban, Thank you very much for all the detailed information about building a fence... . Very useful.

One question: soak the bricks first? What's that? Can you tell me more about that?

firstly let me apologize If some one has already properly answered this question and I missed it

When The brick or most commonly used in fence construction, breeze-block ,is delivered, it is stacked in cubes all along the length of the fence to be build, and will stay there in the hot Sun until needed. There unless it is the rainy season it will become bone dry . When it is time to use, a bed of mortar will be places on the base and sides on the block, and the blocks will be joined together, preferably in a staggered configuration for additional straighten.

Water content in the concrete (mortar) is very important so that it would achieve its Max final curing straight. that is why when we pore a slab we place plastic under it, so it will not loose it's water content to the ground, or wrap columns in plastic so they loose water to the dry air, as they reach a min. curing strength.

in the same way

If the block is Bone Dry it will absorb, a percentage of moisture , away from the joining mortar , thus greatly reducing it's straight.

That's why it is important to keep the block/brick moist while laying.

[klikster]

Factor , Great responce to Fabphil

and ur letting the wife oversee the building..whoops

fabphil, I asked for comments and advice about building a fence, not about my wife's character. Thanks.

Well, you know what? I knew it would just be a matter of time before the Thai women-bashers picked that one up. Maybe fabphil has been hanging out with the wrong kind of women, or men for that matter.

Anyway, I hope this thread can recover from fabphil's attempted hijacking. I really appreciate all the good advice.

I can give you an "appropriate" answer.

My wife negotiated a "labor only" build of a 3 m wall by a group from her village near Khon Kaen. The group specializes in wall construction. Build in in KK Muang District.

Three reinforced beams, side walls are on sois so rendered one side only. Front wall decorative, gate by others. Wall about 50% and waiting now on house construction the finish. Petty darn goog job.

Cost Bt 500/m.

The price is a "friendly" price as she is well-respected in the village.

[klikster]

^^ Some information in my post above is wrong.

I remember that we debated about 2m vs 3m. So today I measured. The ground beam is 30cm, then the fence extends 2 m above the ground beam. Section between ground beam and intermediate beam is double row concrete blocks (not the double-thick block). Section between intermediate beam and head beam is single row.