Another brick in the wall

nomad97

nomad97

Resident Geek
Now the fine cooler weather has arrived it seemed a good idea to start a little project in the garden. We have always been short of space on our 'veranda' (3m x 2m) that I decided I would build a new veranda. The main area is 4m x 4m with an additional 1m x 4m strip along the front of the existing veranda. All in all, that's an additional 20 sqm. The whole area will be raised to the level of the existing and enclosed with a double thickness earth brick wall. The intention is to deck out the veranda with a composite wood/plastic decking and top off the wall with a 30mm wide marble slab. This will double as a sitting area.

Photo 1 - The start of the project with marking out and foundations for the wall.

Veranda 01.jpg


Photo 2 - The wall nearing completion.

veranda 03.jpg


Each earth brick weights 4.7 kg and has to be offloaded from my pickup and put in a stack. Then it has to be taken from the stack and put into the wall. So far I have used 400 bricks and I will require at least another 100 more. Then there is the 2 metric tonnes each of sand and stones that require digging up into my wheel barrow for carrying to the mixing tub. Once in the tub it needs to be thoroughly mixed with water to turn it into mortar or concrete. If nothing else this is very good exercise for me. It is beginning to firm up those muscles that previously had turned to flab. A few more weeks on this project and I will be looking like a new man. Further progress reports to follow.
 
nomad97 said:
Now the fine cooler weather has arrived it seemed a good idea to start a little project in the garden. We have always been short of space on our 'veranda' (3m x 2m) that I decided I would build a new veranda. The main area is 4m x 4m with an additional 1m x 4m strip along the front of the existing veranda. All in all, that's an additional 20 sqm. The whole area will be raised to the level of the existing and enclosed with a double thickness earth brick wall. The intention is to deck out the veranda with a composite wood/plastic decking and top off the wall with a 30mm wide marble slab. This will double as a sitting area.

Photo 1 - The start of the project with marking out and foundations for the wall.

View attachment 12413


Photo 2 - The wall nearing completion.

View attachment 12412


Each earth brick weights 4.7 kg and has to be offloaded from my pickup and put in a stack. Then it has to be taken from the stack and put into the wall. So far I have used 400 bricks and I will require at least another 100 more. Then there is the 2 metric tonnes each of sand and stones that require digging up into my wheel barrow for carrying to the mixing tub. Once in the tub it needs to be thoroughly mixed with water to turn it into mortar or concrete. If nothing else this is very good exercise for me. It is beginning to firm up those muscles that previously had turned to flab. A few more weeks on this project and I will be looking like a new man. Further progress reports to follow.
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Youll either be looking taught, trim and terrific or, in a fookin wheel chair.
 
Other parts of town - 13 Baht/brick - so not too bad. Not worth my while to drive to KC for bricks for this small job. What I save on bricks I pay for in Diesel (and time). Now then, when I start to build my 'man-cave' out the back of the house it will be worthwhile to look around and order in bulk. This wall around the veranda is very much proving the technology. I had a friend a few years ago who manufactured these bricks and built his own house from the same. This is where I developed my interest in this material and the building technique. Tragically, and ironically, he was returning to Surin from KCI when a lorry did a sudden right turn in front of him as he was overtaking. He was on his Ducatti and shielded his wife from the full impact. He died shortly afterwards in the hospital in KC. RIP Greg.
 
I dont see an exit into the garden!

I do many jobs around the house, but bricklaying and concreting are not 2 of them. For 300bt/day someone else can do the hard bits.
 
nomad97 said:
Other parts of town - 13 Baht/brick - so not too bad. Not worth my while to drive to KC for bricks for this small job. What I save on bricks I pay for in Diesel (and time).
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A friend of mine (albeit a tight *******) asked me if I would give him a lift to Chong Chom to do a border run back in the summer of 2008. I did and upon return to Surin, he asked me how much he owed me for the gas. "Bht 450.00 should be OK", I said. He had a bloody heart attack!
 
Prakhonchai Nick said:
I dont see an exit into the garden!

I do many jobs around the house, but bricklaying and concreting are not 2 of them. For 300bt/day someone else can do the hard bits.
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...... and for 300 Baht a day you wouldn't get me crawling in dark/dusty places arsing about with electrics :mask:

I fell for that 'no access' trick at first, then realised that entry/exit is down the left hand side.
 
CO-CO said:
...... and for 300 Baht a day you wouldn't get me crawling in dark/dusty places arsing about with electrics :mask:

I fell for that 'no access' trick at first, then realised that entry/exit is down the left hand side.
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But CO-CO, access down the LHS is only to the new extension. No way out to the garden!

As for electrics. I do it because I do not have the trust in Thai sparkies. Try explaining to a Thai what the problem is, and he will look and test forever before giving up. I know my electric layout, and can quickly pinpoint the problem and repair it.
 
Prakhonchai Nick said:
I dont see an exit into the garden!

I do many jobs around the house, but bricklaying and concreting are not 2 of them. For 300bt/day someone else can do the hard bits.
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There is no direct access into the garden - I thought about it and decided I preferred no exit. What I am trying to achieve is a degree of privacy from the road and to make the garden seem like it is a walled garden. The presence of steps leading into the garden would work against that objective. Not shown in the picture is the front hedge that was planted back in February. This has made good progress and is now over a meter high. Given another year and I think it will easily reach one and a half to two meters in height. There will be access to the garden from under the carport, similar and adjacent to the access to the house - also from under the carport.

I have the option to employ some staff for the really heavy work. It will cost me more than 300Bt/day though. However, in all honesty this project was as much about giving myself a good workout as it was about the fun and sense of achievement from doing so.
 
Why more than 300 baht Steve ?

Surin is not on par with Bangkok surely ?
 
Prakhonchai Nick said:
But CO-CO, access down the LHS is only to the new extension. No way out to the garden!

As for electrics. I do it because I do not have the trust in Thai sparkies. Try explaining to a Thai what the problem is, and he will look and test forever before giving up. I know my electric layout, and can quickly pinpoint the problem and repair it.
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On that basis you may wish to do the same with plumbing - it will avoid you finding the wc in the middle of the floor. :grin:
 
CO-CO said:
Why more than 300 baht Steve ?

Surin is not on par with Bangkok surely ?
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I pay Bht 800.00 for my gardener. That's two, sometimes three of them plus two machines for around 3 hours. Cutting the grass, trimming the bushes and clearing away the rubbish. Around 1/3rd rai. If I didn't pay that I would need to do it myself. Bugger that for a game of soldiers!
 
CO-CO said:
On that basis you may wish to do the same with plumbing - it will avoid you finding the wc in the middle of the floor. :grin:
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You live and learn CO-CO.

I am likely to do more electric jobs in any given year that install a toilet once in 10 years!
 
Thai Widows and Expats said:
It is certainly more on a par than with the villages around Prakhonchai.

Nobody in the main towns, let alone Bangkok would get off their arse for considerably more than 500baht! for a one off job.
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Have you been drinking Nick - you are like Ivor posting under his other pseudonym :mask:
 
Yorky said:
I pay Bht 800.00 for my gardener. That's two, sometimes three of them plus two machines for around 3 hours. Cutting the grass, trimming the bushes and clearing away the rubbish. Around 1/3rd rai. If I didn't pay that I would need to do it myself. Bugger that for a game of soldiers!
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We pay 220 Baht to each of our 'gardening team'. I wanted to increase it to 250 Baht but was told (via the missus) by Auntie in the village that I should do no such thing as it would fcuk up the rates for others.
 
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