House Construction

[penzman]

Has anyone here used any insulation to keep the heat from building up in the attic? If so, what can be found and purchased here in LOS?

I know of fiberglass insulation(pink,yellow or green(soundproofing) wooly stuff), styrofoam sheets (impossible now, ceilings are in place), also that sticky foamy stuff that can be sprayed onto surfaces, cellulose insulation (think rodents like this one) that can be sprayed on the attic floor and that reflective aluminium foil insulation( I doubt this one really works, so thin and usually used between roof and fiberglass insulation layer back in Canada...)

The sticky foamy stuff would be easy to put in as there is only a trap in the ceiling to access the attic now.

I'm also thinking of installing a wind powered turbine on the roof to suck out the hot air as there is sufficient soffit ventilation and plenty of wind in the area (Chonburi).

Your advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Penzman

[GuestHouse]

We've got a fibreglass matting that was installed by the builder at my request, I had them put two layers in and that makes about 100mm of insualation.

I also had the builder install a window frame into the end gables and fitted the frames with mosquitti screens and slatted wood screens, this greatly reduces the heat in the loft space and therefore the amount of heat the insulation needs to keep out of the rooms.

These two measures had a marked effect on the heat gain in the rooms and we now find that we have to have the AC on low fan speed otherwise we get too cold.

THere are two great advantages of Fiberglass, vermin don't eat it and it is fire proof.

You can also get a kind of spray on insulation that sprays under the roof tiles, it is advertised in various papers from time to time and they claim it also increases security.

In my first house I had a roof that was corragated tiling held down with steel screws with a nut and washer (the kind of thing tha looks like a tent peg)

To increas the security I used a 25cm length of 6mm ID steel pipe as a tool to bend the screws where they come through the tiles, this prevents ###### theiving bastards unscrewing the nuts to remove the tiles and gain access through your roof.

[lopburi3]

Fiberglass batts, with or without aluminum foil, is the normal thing used here and the oldest and first maker is called Micro-Fiber. As both of you said you really do need a method to remove the hot air so vents or turbine would also be in order. If you have cement board ceiling (good as no water problem but radiate heat like mad) you might consider a change to gypsum.

Then there is always the trees outside to provide shade. Very helpful.

[tutsiwarrior]

OK, smart guys...who knows of contractors available to supply and install roof space insulation up country. I went around locally in Suphan Buri, described what I wanted via my wife and local building material suppliers presumed that I was from the moon...never heard of it.

If it is a matter of hiring a specialist contractor out of BKK please advise with details.

Question...how to protect roof space vents on vertical walls against rain infiltration?

[lopburi3]

It is usually called Micro-Fiber no matter who makes it and it should be available as is made here in Thailand - wife may not have a clue either so perhaps download a photo and take with you?

Vents will let some rain in but should not be enough to soak through the insulation and will quickly dry. Chances are that roof tiles also leak some in heavy rains. You just don't notice.

[penzman]

The ceilings are made of gypsum in the new house, good.

In the townhouse where we live now ,the suspended ceiling tiles get incredibly warm as I suspected, I touched a few here and there today, the aircon was on but it can't keep up because of all that heat radiating from the ceilings..

So i'll go for the spray-on stuff since I think it will be easier as there is not much support up there for a crew to walk on all day, one of them may end up putting his foot through the ceiling or end up falling into the couch. I also like the idea that it may prevent leaks.

The roof pitch may be too pronounced for a turbine (maybe not). If so , I will definitely get window frames into the end gables and fit the frames with mosquito screens.

Thanks (the fridge will also do less work to keep the Chang cold)

Penzman

[KevinN]

Alright,Here is what I did when we built the add on to my wifes house,it has the regular Thai suspended tile ceilings,and as was said,those tiles were hot during the day,but no body knew what I was talking about "insulation"?,so I was down at the building supply to buy a new toilet, they had on display a roll of aluminum covered 3"X 24"X13',Called STACOOL, I got a bunch of that as the room I wanted to do was 13',removed one tile and unrolled it in two layers across the room on top of the 24" square tiles,then I went in and did both downstairs bedrooms,,Up stairs I bought some 48"X 50' rolls of 2'[all I could get] and put it in two layers as we put up the suspended ceiling,and the ends of the house has large louveres in them for attic vents,seems to work real well.

There is a company in Chiang Mai that does styrofoam spray in on the underside of the roof tiles,and that is not to expensive,more by a long shot than I payed getting fiberglass wool,but still a good deal,I think their estimate was less than 80,000 for the job.They do have a web site but I don't remember the URL but I think was under foam insulation in the search engine.

[tutsiwarrior]

Micro-fiber and Stacool appear to be un available in Suphan Buri...gonna have to look for it elsewhere.

Simple insulating material not available in a place that has dozens of pick up truck and motor bike dealers...where are the priorities? Got to admit that the locals don't use much A/C...to expensive too run, so why bother with insulation?

The approach filters down to local food...why eat something decent when shit will do?

[Pepe']

Tutsi,

OK tough guy climb up in there and do it yourself

Also on the side vents they are called louvers. Slats desigened just like shutters onlyabout two inches wide. They will let air in and keep rain out unless its comming from the ground up. Should be able to find a prefab metal or plastic.

Here they're called gable vents.

Kevin,

Very "cool" idea man. That's how most of the commercial spaces are insulated here in southern Cal.. Also good for sound proofing between offices.

Some is stapled up between the rafters though.

[tutsiwarrior]

pepe...but,...I am enfeebled, middleaged and diabetic. How could I be expected to install the insulation myself when either stroke, heart attack or another circumstance equally debilitating/fatal may result? Plus I got the brothers-in-law that will do it for free...I just got to supervise from my wheel chair. I had to turn down $50k per month in Iraq as there weren't any Marines that could push me and out run bullets at the same time...

If you could suggest a catalog of products designed for the specific service I may consider your suggestion regarding roof space louvers for evacuating hot air. However, louver alignment to horizontal to prevent rain entering will necessarily constrict airflow...want to know what the optimum arrangement would be.

...cough...cough...I need another drink but my wife is next door playing cards and I can't negotiate the stairs alone...what's a ni(tutsi)gger to do???

[Pepe']

Tutsi,

Your pulling my leg, right? If not sorry you're incapacitated dude.

Brothers-in-law that will do it for free now that's the ticket.

Check kevin's post as I am not yet in LOS. He seems to have a handle on local suppliers...

[KevinN]

TUTSI; I looked and can't find the site for the insulation,lost it after my system crash and it been over 2 years since our construction.But will go down and get the info soon from the builders supply and let you know,some I had delivered by truck from BKK, By the way where is SUPAN BURI? I had a welding foreman that worked for me at Basrah that was named Supan,,maybe he came home and built himself a town?.

PEPE Yea we stapled it between the rafters and studs in the states,but here we aint got no studs and the rafters is 2X4 steel tubing, no wood as the tremites like to eat it,and we even had the little bastards trying to eat the door casings and doors.

[tutsiwarrior]

pepe...yeah, pulling your leg somewhat as it is true that I am middle aged, enfeebled (can't really go surfin' no more) and am diabetic but I don't need a wheelchair yet.

I would hate to get up into the roof space as it is dirty and full of spiders and I am arachnophobic. However I would need to supervise the brothers-in-law to ensure proper installation of the mats and to inspect the final pointing and etc for the louver arrangement on both walls.

I did manage to traipse downstairs to fill my glass with the vile local whiskey so you could say that I was takin' the piss with the last post...

[tutsiwarrior]

kev...yeah, I would be willing to pay extra for installation contractors as I believe we got tubing for rafters in this one...just need a good guarantee from them.

Suphan Buri is NW of BKK about 2-3 hour drive...probably the most boring province in Thailand...that's why I complain so much...

[Pepe']

Have you guys heard of these all vinyl exterior Thai Style house kits.

I would think they suck for security but do they exist?

Hoe about other prefabs

[KevinN]

never heard nuthin about em here but do know about the styrofoam batts,6" thick that they was putting up in mex a few years ago,would be ###### fine here also.

[Jorn]

I am about to build a house these days, and will go for the fibreglass type. Can be seen here: http://www.siamfiberglass.com/SFG_eng/images/NEW_SFG/06.JPG

maybe an idea to print it and show the guys at the shop.

Jorn

[Kringle]

If you want great insulation, check out:

Cool or Cosy Natural Insulation Co.,Ltd

25 Bangkok Insurance Bldg 25th Floor

South Sathorn Rd.

Thungmahamek, Bangkok 10120

Tel: 02-677-4028-31

Fax: 02-677-4032

The owner is Stephen Griffiths and would be happy to give you more information. It's a spray on application and is also great that bugs can't live in the stuff and that goes for termites as well. It's better than any fiberglass or any kind of foam insulation.

[penzman]

Thanks a mil KRINGLE.

Here is their web address,

http://www.1stplanet.com/lohr-trade/eng/lohrtrade.html

PENZMAN

[KevinN]

OK, Thats the outfit that has an office in CM also, and I was going to have the underside of our roof sprayed with styrofoam, very good way to insulate and stops the warm breezes from intering the eves and coming into the house and mixing with the aircon cooled air and will stop the house sparrows from trying to build nests,it will stop the heat from the roof and with ceiling insulation of 4 inches of fiberglass wool,and attic vent louvers, we should be in real good shape.

I will pobly have it done this year as we are finished and have the ceilings done,and I think the bid was less than 80,000 baht.

Many thanks for the link as I lost it when I had that crash.