Any Successful Steel Houses Built near UdonThani?

[ajarnudon]

Hi guys
Like Bluejets, my 1990 slab-on-ground build on the Gold Coast (Oz) was one of the last to have really effective sub-slab treatment. Later timber add-ons had to be protected with a 30 x 30 cm trench of sand with perforated hose thru which a Bayer product was pumped. Initial treatment had a 3 yr warranty, but it proved so effective that the second treatment had a 5 yr warranty. I never had an issue, although one neighbour (build 5 yrs later) had a massive problem.
Nevertheless, this is Thailand, and discussing what happened when in our home countries won't help people building here to any great extent.
A couple of years ago a friend told me that he had bought DDT off the shelf of a local hardware store in Udon. I have taken a different route - my build is 100% steel and concrete. Not a stick of timber in the place, termite-proof and fireproof.

[bluejets]

Termites are termites so whatever one experiences in Aus could be assessed as a warning note to Thailand also.
As I said earlier, it's not just timber they have a crack at.
Electrics have been know to be on their munching menu.

https://www.voltimum.com.au/articles/te ... cal-cables

[ajarnudon]

In Thailand it would be hard to go past rats as the specie with the most voracious appetite for PVC insulation. All electric cables in my build are run in conduit for this reason.

[bluejets]

Little tip in the rat situation, run cabling on the underside surface instead of clipped to the side or strung out like a madmans breakfast.
Still have to do conduit drops to wall panels etc.

[glalt]

With the labor as cheap as it is, If I were building a new house, I would use concrete blocks doubled up with an air space in between and aluminum windows. I would use steel rafters and no wood. Wood would not be used at all if it could be avoided. If the builder uses a little care, he will seal the airspace against rats as well as possible. If rats should find their way between the walls, it is not difficult to gas them. Renting a large canister of nitrogen will do the trick and it is not dangerous like most poisons.

[Stantheman]

3 cats, all outside, equals no rats/mice and big decrease in gecko

[glalt]

Some time back I had a brainstorm about importing pressure treated lumber from the US. After emails back and forth, these companies would NOT guarantee their treated lumber against Thailand termites. It was another idea that crashed and burned.

Concrete and steel is the best way to build a house here in Thailand. Steel framing sounds good but termites will eat the paper off inside drywall. Plastic Siding is supposedly termite resistant but stucco on blocks is still cheaper.

[bluejets]

If building anywhere within cooee of coastal areas just be aware that the natural breezes carry salt like you wouldn't believe. ( Yes realise this is Udon )
Seen houses within 2 klm of the coast with steel trusses completely rusted away within 800mm of the facias.
Can only imagine what the frames are like but as an indicator, points on outer cavity walls need regular replacement.
Latter being a side effect of mandatory installation of elcb's (safety switches)

[ajarnudon]

May 10 2018

[fatbob]

No harness and no scaffold, life is cheap...

[ajarnudon]

Hi fatbob. The safety issues were all considered, and this is an excerpt from my build thread on CTH.
I am pondering the safety issues which would never enter these guys minds (I doubt they have much experience in working at heights) - hard hats maybe, but that won't help if they break their back in a fall. Safety harnesses (they have never used before) would probably lead to an accident.
It turned out that I had underestimated their experience - they have all worked on several medium rise condo sites in Udon. I stand by my assessment however, that safety harnesses they have never used before would probably lead to an accident.
As for scaffolding, it is directly below him. He is only painting over the welds in the centre - all steel was painted on the ground before it was welded in place up top. He could easily reach the welds standing on the platform, but chose to climb along the battens as was his experience. Too lazy to slide the platform along the rails? Maybe.
I did note, as I carefully observerved them moving around the roof framework, that they always adhered to the safety code of having three points of contact at all times.
Cheers
John