Help me design and build small house (please!)

[cheeryble]

Hi there

 

As she is aging we've been living with Grandmother. She has now split up her land among close relatives....2 rai in a village area half hour south of CM quite near the river......and wife's mum/wife have been given a plot  about 64m x 18m =ca 0.72 rai  essentially at the end of the garden farthest from the road and grandma's house which we live in now.

We started by building what I thought was going to be a storage room (only few inches above grade.......we have been told no chance of flood) but Mum likes it and has moved in.......though no bathroom/toilet facilities yet so still coming up to the main house. As well as the covered area (north) the roof comes out towards the camera (west) near two metres. There is now a hedge behind and blinds extending the roof left and front. And lots of unorganised belongings though to Mum's credit she's made lovely planted areas around and the beginnings of a vegetable garden to left.

 

 

 

We need to build our own place too.

I was going to link it to the existing chalet, but wife rather insistent on higher level because of snakes scorpions etc, and am tending to a separate dwelling some metres from the chalet and adding a shower room/loo to the chalet for Mum.

 

I want to keep a tight budget and the new building will be one largish room including kitchen area, and one bedroom with shower room and walk in closet (I think).

The obvious plot is to right of this photo. Here's a rough plan I knocked out:

 

 

I have random questions for myself and will just throw them out unorganised and undecided as yet

 

1. Anyone who loves designing tell me what can be better?

2. The chalet is gable roofed. For simplicity I'm thinking for new house same lightweight foil insulated metal roof but single  slope......Shall I slope it backward (north side higher) or forward?....or does an offset ridge offer advantages? (would ideally like to be able to add a platform bed in sitting room for nephew/niece/visitors.) 

3. Price differential if we use lightweight AAC blocks v. regular Thai style?

4. I know the layer of foil and foam, even though only 3mm thick, delivered stuck under the metal roof, works surprisingly well against both heat and noise. With a layer of plasterboard inches (ceiling to attach to sloping rafters) below is it enough?

5. What size/section of rafters is best. (The sitting room will be a span of 4.5m across, but I would like to ceiling the bathroom for storage (so bathroom walls don't support rafters)..... if I did this there would be a 5.5m span......possible with same weight rafters or need stronger?)

6. I'd love to have a little pond out front and walk out of the house onto an area surrounded by water. What are the implication if foundation footings near or in water? If we dug a pond in this flat area how do we keep the water in or just top up a bit? Can the earth from pond be used to support the house floors as 4.5m with will be too wide for concrete flooring planks right? Or can I buy longer than normal?

7. Want one internet to supply both buildings......I've heard of longer range routers. Any observations?

8. Prices for things like Bluescope metal roofing/AAC blocks/Car port concrete floor/Square Hardwood columns as a feature to hold up balcony roof  etc would be great to have.

9. Ideas about dry walkway between house and chalet?

 

Thanks so much for looking I'll no doubt come up with mor but this is a start.

 

Mum's chalet:

 

New house on right: (distance apart is not fixed yet)

Whoops I forgot sizing.......sitting room/kitchen area thinking 7m x 4.5m. Bedroom including shower and closet 4.5 x 5.5m

Edited August 4, 2017 by cheeryble

[tomwct]

I'm with your wife. Build up with parking under the house. I hate those bugs and snakes.

[cheeryble]

6 minutes ago, tomwct said:

I'm with your wife. Build up with parking under the house. I hate those bugs and snakes.

 

Hi Tom

actually the wife's thinking of a small rise of a couple of feet or so. 

I think I'd prefer not to see into neighbour's properties unless they clear them up :)

Though seeing the mountains would be nice and at this stage anything's possible.

[cheeryble]

ps: I forgot an important question:

 

10. What else should I start thinking or asking about?

 

pps: already run elec and water nearby

Edited August 4, 2017 by cheeryble

[bankruatsteve]

Don't know if this applies to the Chiang Mai area, but in Isaan if you go with local "builders" (as well as many of the self claimed high-end) you can have a design but they will build what they know how to do.  And, with very few exceptions that I have seen, the floor plan must fit to a grid comprised of 3m to 3.5m spacing of the "poles".  IE: your 4.5m spacing is most likely going to present issues.  Suggest you extensively research new builds in your area to get an idea of what you are likely to be dealing with in terms of form and fit.  In any case, go with the AAC block - the labor loves it and much better insulation.  And, forget about the pond for a couple years.  Good luck.

[cheeryble]

9 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

Don't know if this applies to the Chiang Mai area, but in Isaan if you go with local "builders" (as well as many of the self claimed high-end) you can have a design but they will build what they know how to do.  And, with very few exceptions that I have seen, the floor plan must fit to a grid comprised of 3m to 3.5m spacing of the "poles".  IE: your 4.5m spacing is most likely going to present issues.  Suggest you extensively research new builds in your area to get an idea of what you are likely to be dealing with in terms of form and fit.  In any case, go with the AAC block - the labor loves it and much better insulation.  And, forget about the pond for a couple years.  Good luck.

 

Hi Steve

 

1. I know 4.5m is not standard but AFAIK the norm is 4m, in fact our chalet was built on 4m between columns.

I've heard of people using slightly longer beams with the same concrete cross section and rebar sizing as for 4m (and this place will at least have a lightweight roof if not walls) but am interested to hear more e.g. can i have 5m if i desire, and also what does a clever man do to support the floor given it may be raised well above grade.

 

2. What size of AAC, 3 or 4 inch deep? And anyone know do most local builders now know how to lay them? Price/sqm? AAC is more permeable to water so how does it work with the bottom courses getting wet?

 

3. I'm sure you have a reason but why wait a couple years for the pond. And do I need to waterproof or will it water proof itself gradually with biomuck sealing the surface naturally?

 

cheers!

[wayned]

I've  designed and built two houses here with additions over the years.  You could build the floor about 1 meter from the natural ground using footings and precast concrete slabs for the under floor and leaving a space between the natural ground and the floor as insulation.  One thing I would definitely do is have a "back" door, none visible in your plan

[bankruatsteve]

7 hours ago, cheeryble said:

 

Hi Steve

 

1. I know 4.5m is not standard but AFAIK the norm is 4m, in fact our chalet was built on 4m between columns.

I've heard of people using slightly longer beams with the same concrete cross section and rebar sizing as for 4m (and this place will at least have a lightweight roof if not walls) but am interested to hear more e.g. can i have 5m if i desire, and also what does a clever man do to support the floor given it may be raised well above grade.

I think spacing probably has to do with the stability of the ground for footings so perhaps your area is more stable for that.  The thing is, if you try to get the "builder" to do something they don't know how to do or don't want to do is when things can go bad.  Again, suggest you research new build in your area to see what is "normal".

 

2. What size of AAC, 3 or 4 inch deep? And anyone know do most local builders now know how to lay them? Price/sqm? AAC is more permeable to water so how does it work with the bottom courses getting wet?

We went with a few rows of the red brick at the bottom to protect from the wet and to get things level before the AAC. 6 years on no issues for that.  We also went with double walls using the 7.5mm blocks which are common and don't need to be ordered.  Some go with a gap to match the column width but I didn't want a space for critters to live and went with no gap.  There is no difference in insulation value so it's just a matter of how you view it.  There is a special "glue" to use with AAC and most builders will be familiar.  The labor loves them because easy to work with and go up fast.

 

3. I'm sure you have a reason but why wait a couple years for the pond. And do I need to waterproof or will it water proof itself gradually with biomuck sealing the surface naturally?

You will have enough to deal with building the house than to include a pond at the same time.  Go ahead and rough in plumbing but ponds can be more than a headache to get right.

 

cheers!

 

[pferdy62]

My thoughts

 

1.    I would try to use a simple rectangle for the shape of the house.  It will probably make the build simpler all round.

2.    A single sloped roof can look nice, but you need to consider which way it will face.  As the sun is south for most of the year, a north sloping roof will receive less sun, but this would mean that the roof is sloping towards the garden/yard which may not look as nice.  You could consider a very low slope roof which may actually look quite nice if the rest of the building design matches it. 

3.    In terms of cost difference between AAC and concrete blocks, you will find AAC to be more expensive, but in terms of insulation, AAC beats the rest by a wide margin.  I am looking at some alternate products from SCG to apply to the exterior of AAC walls that will provide another insulation gap while giving the appearance of weatherboards.  Their samples look quite good.  As labour is cheap in Thailand, material costs can become more of an issue, but look at the long term benefits of what you choose.  The more energy efficient the house is, the less power is needed to cool it.

4.    A decent gap between the roof material and the ceilings should be left as an air gap.  I would consider insulation on top of the ceiling material as a must, on top of the foil that you plan to use on the roofing material.  It can make a huge difference on the internal temperatures.  Venting of the ceiling space is also useful to allow the hot air to escape.  Also consider wide eaves around the house to help keep the sun off the walls. 

5.    It is certainly possible to get rafters to span 5 to 7 metres.  I have seen rafter spans of up to 30m in Australia with purlin spans of 10m so I know it is possible.  It is just a question of using the right materials.  I think you may find it hard to get your architect to research how to achieve this.  I have built 7m spans for a carport without any problems at all using 75x45 C sections using a tile roof.  Personally, I prefer to use rectangular section for its greater strength and I have seen Thai buildings that span over 10m using rectangular section that looks like 100x50mm and 150x50mm

6.    You need to understand what type of soil you have.  Clay soils will expand and shrink as its water content changes which can lead to a lot of cracks and other problems in a house.  Make sure your footers are deep enough and large enough for your house.  I would consider lining your pond with a thin layer of concrete over plastic sheeting to keep the water in. 

7.    Most home routers offer 4 wired connections as well as a wireless setup.  I would think about running a CAT 5 cable from your router to the new building and then attaching another wireless access point there.  This gives you a great wifi system that will cover a large area with good signal strength. 

8.    Can’t help you with prices at the moment, but Bluescope has an outlet in Chiang Mai that you can contact.  AAC is available from many places and they have specials from time to time.  Think about using the 10cm thick AAC bricks for exterior walls for added insulation effect.  If you contract your builder for his labour only, he will already have a good set of contacts for places where you can buy your materials.  But I would suggest you post their quotes to see if others can tell you if the prices are reasonable or over inflated

9.    For a dry walkway, you can use concrete of gravel.  Just make sure you sort out the drainage so that water does not settle on the path.  If the drainage is good, the path will be usable even when wet.  As some other people have pointed out, some builders do not seem to understand that water can only flow downhill.  I have some surveying tools that we could use to measure your levels if in doubt.

10.  What else do you need to think about?  A range-hood or other exhaust for the kitchen stove.  Air conditioning for the two main rooms.  Shade trees to help keep the sun off the walls.  Using white colourbond from Bluescope to reflect a lot of the light off the roof.  Making sure that your architect does what you want, not what he is comfortable working with.  Planning for the time when your mother may need to use a wheelchair.  Avoid steps in the design wherever possible and build ramps leading to the main entrance.  Bugs may be a bit more of a problem, but if the area around the ramp is not suitable for them, they are not likely to venture into this area.  Will you add a dedicated water pump for the house to ensure adequate pressure?  The septic tanks can be the basic concrete rings, but make sure you use 100mm pipe with the correct slope and that you have plenty of outflow from the second tank to disperse the treated water.  Perhaps roof gutters to collect the rainwater and going into a drainage system to stop the area around the house from getting too wet.

 

 

 

[cheeryble]

Terrific info and thinking points coming in already.
I gotta rush out to check a dog we're trying to rehabilitate and find a home.....then the doc....but will answer by tomorrow sure
Thanks!


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Carib]

Take a look at this page ; http://www.crossy.co.uk/Thai_House_Plans/

 

It is "a translation" made by thaivisa member and moderator Crossy of the free government house plans.

Always good for some ideas.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

On 05/08/2017 at 0:43 AM, cheeryble said:

 

2. What size of AAC, 3 or 4 inch deep? And anyone know do most local builders now know how to lay them? Price/sqm? AAC is more permeable to water so how does it work with the bottom courses getting wet?

 

cheers!

It's a common fallacy the AAC blocks are more permeable to water, they are not, they are much less permeable than all other materials apart from concrete with a waterproof additive.

 

This YouTube video is very interesting on the water absorbing quality of AAC And brick https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6KotndCJeps

Edited August 6, 2017 by sometimewoodworker

[bbradsby]

Can space concrete columns further apart if you use a cold-formed light-gauge steel roof & ceiling beam system versus concrete roof beams. Or use load bearing AAC blocks with light-gauge metal roof framing. Its your floor beam support posts that would need to be closely spaced.

[cheeryble]

Can space concrete columns further apart if you use a cold-formed light-gauge steel roof & ceiling beam system versus concrete roof beams. Or use load bearing AAC blocks with light-gauge metal roof framing. Its your floor beam support posts that would need to be closely spaced.

hi BB
Well it will certainly be a lightweight roof and likely AAC, so speaking of supporting the concrete floor planks, the beams forming the 4.5 or 5metre sides of the rectangle won't be supporting these beams, it'll be the longer sides which support them by their ends. What I'm saying is I'm presuming ......if for example one has s simple long rectanglular structure4.5 or 5m wide, it would only need two rows of foundation feet as online ends of the concrete floor planks are supported not the sides, right?
This brings the question of availability of longer than standard concret floor planks. Are they available do does one make them on site......or dig s pond and use the dirt as a base for the floor?

[cheeryble]

Take a look at this page ; http://www.crossy.co.uk/Thai_House_Plans/
 
It is "a translation" made by thaivisa member and moderator Crossy of the free government house plans.
Always good for some ideas.
 

Thanks think I've seen those before from the ever helpful Crossy.
Can't seem to download on iPad will try the Macbook


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[cheeryble]

On August 5, 2017 at 9:52 AM, pferdy62 said:

My thoughts

 

Wow good thoughts and plenty of them

 

1.    I would try to use a simple rectangle for the shape of the house.  It will probably make the build simpler all round.

Would like that but I'm restricted for the length of the house, as it is there's only just room for a two car port so I cant add the bathroom and closet to the east end of the bedroom so that bit has to be wider I reckon.

Also thought as there will be a sitting verandah in "front" of the house (north of main doors to sitroom) the extra metre the bedroom sticks out might define that area a bit, maybe make it cosier. Also if the roof overhangs a 1metre plus from the bedroom north I can keep the same roof edge line.....simplicity....and it will mean an overhang of 2metres plus for the sitcom verandah which I need 

2.    A single sloped roof can look nice, but you need to consider which way it will face.  As the sun is south for most of the year, a north sloping roof will receive less sun, but this would mean that the roof is sloping towards the garden/yard which may not look as nice.  You could consider a very low slope roof which may actually look quite nice if the rest of the building design matches it. 

Agreed. Right now I'm considering a modest slope down to north and maybe a brick raised "moat" two or three feet wide to catch the falling water.......might look/sound nice. I may be able to get enough height on the south side of the sitroom for a platform bed for visitors.

3.    In terms of cost difference between AAC and concrete blocks, you will find AAC to be more expensive, but in terms of insulation, AAC beats the rest by a wide margin.  I am looking at some alternate products from SCG to apply to the exterior of AAC walls that will provide another insulation gap while giving the appearance of weatherboards.  Their samples look quite good.  As labour is cheap in Thailand, material costs can become more of an issue, but look at the long term benefits of what you choose.  The more energy efficient the house is, the less power is needed to cool it.

Agreed. Had also thought of growing ivy or something up the south walls to reduce sun......there's already high bamboo a few metres away might help shelter that side.

4.    A decent gap between the roof material and the ceilings should be left as an air gap.  I would consider insulation on top of the ceiling material as a must, on top of the foil that you plan to use on the roofing material.  It can make a huge difference on the internal temperatures.  Venting of the ceiling space is also useful to allow the hot air to escape.  Also consider wide eaves around the house to help keep the sun off the walls. 

Sure. I'm considering attaching the ceiling boards directly as possible to the roof rafters to get as much height as possible for possible high bed, so it may not be simply laying rock wool on the plasterboard. Agree about airflow in that space. I have previously done it in the UK with a pitched roof and artificial slates but that was using special ventilation sections top and bottom.......on the chalet I simply used the undersheeeting outside with vent slots in it top and bottom.

5.    It is certainly possible to get rafters to span 5 to 7 metres.  I have seen rafter spans of up to 30m in Australia with purlin spans of 10m so I know it is possible.  It is just a question of using the right materials.  I think you may find it hard to get your architect to research how to achieve this.  I have built 7m spans for a carport without any problems at all using 75x45 C sections using a tile roof.  Personally, I prefer to use rectangular section for its greater strength and I have seen Thai buildings that span over 10m using rectangular section that looks like 100x50mm and 150x50mm

Useful info.

6.    You need to understand what type of soil you have.  Clay soils will expand and shrink as its water content changes which can lead to a lot of cracks and other problems in a house.  Make sure your footers are deep enough and large enough for your house.  I would consider lining your pond with a thin layer of concrete over plastic sheeting to keep the water in. 

I will learn more about this......I just let the builders do the chalet footings without instructions.....but I'd say what we have is fairly sandy din dang. As to the pond a friend in Chiang Dao was told to fill up his new pong (lake more like!) with water and top up. As the months went by he had to top up less and less as I think a biomass formed to seal the bottom. I believe it requires little or no water now. I must ask about his soil.

7.    Most home routers offer 4 wired connections as well as a wireless setup.  I would think about running a CAT 5 cable from your router to the new building and then attaching another wireless access point there.  This gives you a great wifi system that will cover a large area with good signal strength. 

Got you.

8.    Can’t help you with prices at the moment, but Bluescope has an outlet in Chiang Mai that you can contact.  AAC is available from many places and they have specials from time to time.  Think about using the 10cm thick AAC bricks for exterior walls for added insulation effect.  If you contract your builder for his labour only, he will already have a good set of contacts for places where you can buy your materials.  But I would suggest you post their quotes to see if others can tell you if the prices are reasonable or over inflated

For the roof there's a factory on the superhwy with a very civilised chap the owner speak xlnt English and has previously given me sqm all-in prices for supply. (night be useful for you?) I shall go again. As for blocks if anyone knows a comparison between AAC and regular blocks prices per sqm it will help me adjust the building costs i got from a friend who used regular blocks. I'll add that I've spent fourteen years in houses without aircon or even glass in the windows, just flyscreen and shutters using fans, so don't need supercool, but yes A/C for the hot spells would be nice. The house is not an investment in the sense it will never be sold I don't think, the worst will be the missus hits me too much and i have to walk.

9.    For a dry walkway, you can use concrete of gravel.  Just make sure you sort out the drainage so that water does not settle on the path.  If the drainage is good, the path will be usable even when wet.  As some other people have pointed out, some builders do not seem to understand that water can only flow downhill.  I have some surveying tools that we could use to measure your levels if in doubt.

Water only flows downhill?

 

10. Getting hungry.......will look at 10 separately,,,,,,and thanks!

 

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by cheeryble

[cheeryble]

45 minutes ago, cheeryble said:

 

 

I'm finding Thaivisa a pain quite often.

Right now I'm simply replying in the reply box, but it;s showing a quote.

No big deal, but the last post, for which incidentally I can't find a post number, a useful thing no?, I wrote responses in red.

But on the iPad it;'s all the same normal font so my comments are very difficult to discern. Had I known I would have written bold to signify responses.

 

On the plus side is the great experience and willing one can call on from you esteemed posters.

 

Anyway would be interested if you guys are seeing red for responses.

Edited August 6, 2017 by cheeryble

[sometimewoodworker]

On 05/08/2017 at 9:52 AM, pferdy62 said:

 

3.    In terms of cost difference between AAC and concrete blocks, you will find AAC to be more expensive, but in terms of insulation, AAC beats the rest by a wide margin.  I am looking at some alternate products from SCG to apply to the exterior of AAC walls that will provide another insulation gap while giving the appearance of weatherboards.  Their samples look quite good.  As labour is cheap in Thailand, material costs can become more of an issue, but look at the long term benefits of what you choose.  The more energy efficient the house is, the less power is needed to cool it.

 

Once you add in the cost difference with sand cement and labour compared to the glue used for AAC blocks you will find that AAC, certainly for 75mm blocks, is actually cheaper than concrete blocks

[canuckamuck]

Here's a 3D sketch of your floor plan with walls. I didn't know where your house entrance was so I left it out. I also gave you a door from bedroom to sitting room because you don't want to be using the bathroom as the hallway to the bedroom. You will get trapped on either side when a visitor is using the bathroom for a longish shower or whatever. I added columns where they would likely need to be. Of course a lot is dependent on your roof line. the columns in the veranda area are not necessary, but there to help make the roofline simple.

Of course if you made these load bearing walls you could get rid of the columns entirely.

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by canuckamuck

[canuckamuck]

One thing I noticed is that you don't have any storage space,

We have a pantry and a storage room and still we have clutter, I don't know how you will manage without storage,

Also make an island in your kitchen. You will be very glad you did,

[cheeryble]

9 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Once you add in the cost difference with sand cement and labour compared to the glue used for AAC blocks you will find that AAC, certainly for 75mm blocks, is actually cheaper than concrete blocks

 

That's heartening and useful info Woodworker......

though I wonder how would a clever man get the labour price reduced for AAC :)

Thought to self:

Given someone may be able to kick their way through 3 inch blocks, I wonder if there's a mesh that could be fixed to the blocks and under the render for strengthening purposes.

Edited August 6, 2017 by cheeryble

[cheeryble]

8 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Here's a 3D sketch of your floor plan with walls. I didn't know where your house entrance was so I left it out. I also gave you a door from bedroom to sitting room because you don't want to be using the bathroom as the hallway to the bedroom. You will get trapped on either side when a visitor is using the bathroom for a longish shower or whatever. I added columns where they would likely need to be. Of course a lot is dependent on your roof line. the columns in the veranda area are not necessary, but there to help make the roofline simple.

Of course if you made these load bearing walls you could get rid of the columns entirely.

 

Very kind of you to put this together Canuck.

PM on way soon.

[cheeryble]

7 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

One thing I noticed is that you don't have any storage space,

We have a pantry and a storage room and still we have clutter, I don't know how you will manage without storage,

Also make an island in your kitchen. You will be very glad you did,

 

Agree entirely about storage have closet for clothes thinking lean to addition for more storage which is an easy and economical type of addition and would keep the sun off part of the south side perhaps.

Also as we're getting another seating outside area with this house maybe part of the roofed-but-open area of the small chalet could be built up.

That building needs a shower/toilet anyway, though that would fit to the side of the south window on that building as a lean-to, any extra build on the chalet could be real storage......and amazing what you can fit when you have plenty of shelving.

Island for kitchen........yes had thought that, could be good.

Edited August 6, 2017 by cheeryble

[wayned]

9 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Here's a 3D sketch of your floor plan with walls. I didn't know where your house entrance was so I left it out. I also gave you a door from bedroom to sitting room because you don't want to be using the bathroom as the hallway to the bedroom. You will get trapped on either side when a visitor is using the bathroom for a longish shower or whatever. I added columns where they would likely need to be. Of course a lot is dependent on your roof line. the columns in the veranda area are not necessary, but there to help make the roofline simple.

Of course if you made these load bearing walls you could get rid of the columns entirely.

 

Nice 3D model.  I have some constructive (I hope) ideas;

 

 

1.  The entrance door from the bedroom into the closet is a good idea as you don't want "steam" and water vapor entering the closet where your clothes are.  It would just be an invitation for mildew.

2.  Since the house is small, I would eliminate the door to the bathroom from the bedroom as it takes ypu a lot of wall space.

3.  I would move the door to the bedroom down next to the door to the bathroom.

4. I would put the entrance door to the house in the corner of the patio near the place where the current bedroom door is located.

5. I would add another door on the wall on the right so that you could enter directly from the carport.

6.  I would build the carport structure as part of the initial build so that you have one continuous roof.

7. I would have at least a 1 meter overhang all the way around the house with a concrete walkway.

8.  Plan where you septic tank cesspool , water tank and pump will be.  I would assume that the water tank and pump and tank would be on the  carport next to the wall where the kitchen will be.

 

I have built two houses here and was the general contractor, electrician and plumber on both (same as the one the I built in the US) and both were built by local farmers so I do have some experience on the dos and don't as I did most of the don't s first and had to rework to do what should have been done in the first place.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

10 hours ago, cheeryble said:

 

That's heartening and useful info Woodworker......

though I wonder how would a clever man get the labour price reduced for AAC :)

Thought to self:

Given someone may be able to kick their way through 3 inch blocks, I wonder if there's a mesh that could be fixed to the blocks and under the render for strengthening purposes.

There is. It's stainless steel, usually used to bridge the transition between the concrete frame work and the AAC walls

Mesh in the Third picture down

 

however just make a sample section and try kicking it down, if you've used the correct straps to fit it to the frame work your foot will break before the wall.

Edited August 7, 2017 by sometimewoodworker

[cheeryble]

11 hours ago, wayned said:

Nice 3D model.  I have some constructive (I hope) ideas;

 

 

1.  The entrance door from the bedroom into the closet is a good idea as you don't want "steam" and water vapor entering the closet where your clothes are.  It would just be an invitation for mildew.

The great thing is one door will protect against dust on clothes......much better/more economical than multiple wardrobe doors, and IMHO nicer to have shelving etc open inside the room.

2.  Since the house is small, I would eliminate the door to the bathroom from the bedroom as it takes ypu a lot of wall space.

Hmmm take your point but I'd have to look closer at that.

3.  I would move the door to the bedroom down next to the door to the bathroom.

Definitely, didn't realise I'd put it elsewhere......doors especially in a bedroom should be inconspicuous as possible.

4. I would put the entrance door to the house in the corner of the patio near the place where the current bedroom door is located.

That's just where it's going......thinking a double or triple glass door 

5. I would add another door on the wall on the right so that you could enter directly from the carport.

Yes, a choice between that and the "back" (south) wall which would also be easily and dry-ly accessible for carport and give access/view to rear garden area.

6.  I would build the carport structure as part of the initial build so that you have one continuous roof.

Absolutely 

7. I would have at least a 1 meter overhang all the way around the house with a concrete walkway.

Absolutely

8.  Plan where you septic tank cesspool , water tank and pump will be.  I would assume that the water tank and pump and tank would be on the  carport next to the wall where the kitchen will be.

As to the septic tank, it would be great if the house and chalet could share one, but right now they look a long way apart......the chalet toilet position not yet even decided......if I remember a soil pipe should flow at 1 in 40 (must check). On reflection if the house is raised a bit the septic tank could be nearer the chalet

 

We actually have good pressure and cheap tesabahn water supply......but naturally a back up tank would be useful, even if it only ran slowly on gravity for the odd day or half day the supply might be off. There is a well up near the main house but sooner or later we need to become independent.

I installed the below tanks in Chiangrai, I like them aesthetically and they were very well priced, may use another one if I can still get hold of them. The foreman is in one of the pics.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by cheeryble

[sometimewoodworker]

11 hours ago, wayned said:

7. I would have at least a 1 meter overhang all the way around the house with a concrete walkway.

1 metre is OK for a tile roof, we have 2.5 meters with steel.

 

I disagree with the concrete walkway as it provides a nice night storage heater.

[wayned]

23 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

1 metre is OK for a tile roof, we have 2.5 meters with steel.

 

I disagree with the concrete walkway as it provides a nice night storage heater.

I actually have tile roof.  The overhang on the entire front of the house is 3.5 meters, a 2.5 meter front porch with 1 step down to a 1 meter walkway covered with an additional 1 meter overhang.  There are 4 meter wide carports on both ends of the house, both with tiled roofs and 1 meter over hang and a 1.5 meter overhang on the back. The walkways are there mainly for access and to keep the undergrowth away from the house.  I really don't think that heat storage is a significant factor.

[wayned]

1 hour ago, cheeryble said:

The great thing is one door will protect against dust on clothes......much better/more economical than multiple wardrobe doors, and IMHO nicer to have shelving etc open inside the room.

2.  Since the house is small, I would eliminate the door to the bathroom from the bedroom as it takes ypu a lot of wall space.

Hmmm take your point but I'd have to look closer at that.

I have walk in closets in the bedrooms with places to hang clothes and shelves for folded clothes.  I did all of the work myself ans was  pressed for time so I built the shelves intending to go back and put in some drawers but that was 18 years ago and there's still no drawers.  I also have a walk-in pantry and another walk-in closet near the entrance door.  I took some pictures today and will try to download them tomorrow.

 

Just remember that doors take up a lot of space, usually twice the opening size since they have to swing flush against a wall when opened. A double door with two 90cm doors effectively takes up4 meters of wall space. In the US I used a couple of sliding pocket doors.  They slide into the adjoining wall so there is no wasted space.  I've not seen them here but reckon that I could build one if push came to shove. I'm American so all of my doors swing into the room including the bathroom and  outside doors.  The closet doors swing out.  I have security/screen doors that swing out on the outside doors and the screens on the windows are on the outside with security bars on the inside.  The security bars are hinged to allow access to the windows for cleaning,

 

I would hire the foreman in the picture as my main contractor!

[sometimewoodworker]

29 minutes ago, wayned said:

I actually have tile roof.  The overhang on the entire front of the house is 3.5 meters, a 2.5 meter front porch with 1 step down to a 1 meter walkway covered with an additional 1 meter overhang.  There are 4 meter wide carports on both ends of the house, both with tiled roofs and 1 meter over hang and a 1.5 meter overhang on the back. The walkways are there mainly for access and to keep the undergrowth away from the house.  I really don't think that heat storage is a significant factor.

I was assuming an unsupported roof with those size. Supported you can go as much as you like. Our front overhang is 5.5 to 6.5 metres with the outer 2.5 metres unsupported.