Installing uPVC Wellington Windows and Doors in QCon 10 cm Blocks

[kannot]

Berty,

Thanks for your replies before, but you don't need to critisize a poster who is trying to give me advice.

If you've lived here on and off for 30 years, you would know that them's thiefs can get in anywhere. ?

I've lived here permanently for close to 30 years, not on and off, and hinges on the outside is the same a leaving your key outside of the door.

Thats the problem with living in a crappy neighbourhood............... I dont even lock doors and the brick will go through the glass anyway so "whats the point"

[kamalabob2]

Kannot: VERY nice use of granite on the inside of the window ledge. It looks great.

[Lamkyong]

That's why my LEEeeeooooo is empty.?

Smart arse Aussie.

sorry mush uk

[carlyai]

That's why my LEEeeeooooo is empty.?

Smart arse Aussie.

sorry mush uk

[carlyai]

If I knew you were a Pom, I wouldn't have replied. ☺

Anyway, windows in now, now the doors and QCon lintels.

[kannot]

Kannot: VERY nice use of granite on the inside of the window ledge. It looks great.

Cunning use of the left overs from a sink top piece that happened to be the right size after being cut out.....the stuffs so cheap here its hilarious compared to the UK at about £600 metre

[carlyai]

Windows and doors in.

I used 3 different methods from posters.

Rendering in process.

Looks great.

Want some pics?

[wpcoe]

Want some pics?

Yes, please.

[carlyai]

Ok, will take some today.

I tried 3 methods of installing the windows.

1. using the metal straps supplied for the QCon blocks. I screwed 2 straps to the top, bottom and sides of the window and then secured them to the QCon blocks with 2.5 inch screws and concrete nails hammered into the blocks.(same as a poster mentioned).

I did not like this method as the windows could still move on the straps, which made it more difficult to plumb up.

2. The next window I drilled through the upvc and metal window frame and a hole into the QCon block. I couldn't find any special QCon block fasteners in our area so hammered a 3" screw attached to a metal plug into the block, and then screwed in the screw until on the outside of the upvc.

3. I did not think this method was too strong as the upvc is very thin and easy for the screw head to go thru the upvc.

So this method I drilled a hole thru the upvc and screwed the screw into the metal window frame and bashed in a 3" screw on a metal wall plug and screwed it into the metal window frame. I bought some small hole covers that they use for Al sliding doors to cover the holes in the upvc.

It's very easy to drill too big a hole in the upvc as it is very thin. Probably use just Al windows next time, although the result ended good.

I think i would go for the second method (screw into the upvc) as the window just needs to be secure and plumb and this method worked ok.

I had some help with the farmers across the road who helped install the QCon lintels. These are probably a waste of money as no one here uses them (same with the bigger QCon blocks). They all use 7.5 cm.

Before we put the lintles on top of the windows and doors we filled around the windows and doors with white cement.

I wouldn't use the metal straps again, as we ended up using the 6mm reo hammered into the pillars and QCon blocks as per the QCon video.

The farmer across the road has finished his rice planting and is continuing the rendering. Great job too.

I showed him the QCon videos of rendering etc and now we are doing everything as per the videos ie installing the strips of mesh around the window and door frames and on each conduit cut out.

I'm finishing off the wiring and undercoating with speed primer at the moment.

I'll send the pics tonight when I finish.

The cheap Windsor upvc windows are ok, but if you get them from home pro make sure you check them as a couple of mine were dammaged in transit, which I descovered later.

[carlyai]

This post is in response to 'want some pictures'?

Some of the pics may be nearly the same, but they are from 2 days ago.

The guy doing the rendering is insisting on creating a 'liam' (sounds like 'liam' in Lao haven't had time to look it up in my dic.), but it is a little lip on all the window, door and pillar frames that they build first with the green bag cememt and then render up to it. Looks good, but really don't care as I'm going to use TOA WallTex (if I can get it up here for a reasonable price), for the finish paint.

I do note that the Thais build all the block work and lintels around the windows and doors first, then put the windows and doors in, and it seems to work well. The only problem I find with this is that every little stuff up in the building is left for the renderer at the end to get right and if you don't have great renders, then the finished product is not the best, and you can't change the render much. When I built the house I thought I could just sand it back before painting and would be OK, but it don't work like that. Bad render is a bad finish (TOA WallTex helps heaps.)