Advice on building materials; bricks, tiles etc

[OscarMike]

Seeking advice on building materials, specifically bricks/blocks and floor and roof tiles. What is recommended and why, what are the price differences and advantages/disadvantages of each type? If anyone has any pictures of different types available here it would also be a great help.

Thanks in advance.

[splitlid]

wow, big questions.

so lets start with bricks and blocks.

BRICKS:

theres a few types of bricks available, they come in varying sizes as usually they are made locally and not from a large manufacturer.

the most common are the small red bricks (about 50mm x 150mm) they have holes running through them. they are becoming less used nowadays, as concrete blocks become easier to find and more widely accepted. However, they are still used in rural areas and by some developers.

i have seen very few face bricks.
the ones i have seen are ok, but if using them then make sure the correct ammount is ordered so as not to get different batch colours.


CONCRETE BLOCKS:

more commonly used now, they also come in many sizes, the main ones being 70mm, 140mm and 180mm thick, they are hollow inside which increases their insulation properties.

the 140mm when used with the column system in thailand ensures that all columns are hidden.it also means that services (water,electrics, etc) are easily buried.

all the blocks do have a high thermal mass, which means that although they may take longer to heat up, they also retain their heat for much longer, so direct sunlight should be kept off the walls wherever possible by using large eaves and vegetation.

AUTOCLAVED AERATED CONCRETE BLOCKS:

these also come in the sizes above, and more.
the have great insulation properties, are lightweight and easy to cut and lay(after inital training).

i personally dont like them because they should hollow when you tap a wall built out of them, i like a solid sound (thats just me) the other issue with them is that they are basically sponges.
so there are a few additional consiserations when building with them.

they seem to be the trend at the moment with many developers using them, however, i think time will tell.

PRICE:

best to goto your local supplier for their quote as it can depend on time of year, quantity, etc.


NOTE:

the 140mm block and up are load bearing (dont quote me), but with the thai consrtruction system all blocks and bricks are used simply as infill.(between columns and beams).

so pick them on what you need them for.


OTHERS:

lots of other solutions out there, concrete tilt panels, brick veneer, reverse brick veneer, steel and timber frames, adobe bricks, stabilised rammed earth etc.

the brick and block system are most commonly used and therefore, easiest to build with due to their availablility and ability to be constructed by local labour force.

[JimmyGreaves]

Get down to a builders merchants and check them out :-)

[miked]

splitlid
CONCRETE BLOCKS:

more commonly used now, they also come in many sizes, the main ones being 70mm, 140mm and 180mm thick, they are hollow inside which increases their insulation properties.

the 140mm when used with the column system in thailand ensures that all columns are hidden.it also means that services (water,electrics, etc) are easily buried.



not quite sure what you mean by a concrete block. are you referring to a " thai brick". also what width of post do you recommend together with the thickness and number of re bar per post.
miked

[lazerlab]

I am building a 2 storey house with the small red bricks. They are so cheap that I could afford to build dubbel walls with 5 cm. air between them. It gives a very good protection against heat.

[splitlid]

here are standard 140mm blocks, the upright column pictured is 150 x 150. 'c' on the drawings.
however, the column size and steel size will be dependant on what loads they are taking from above.

[miked]

splitlid
very interesting looking at the plans and the building taking shape. is this your own property or are you a developer.?
out of interest how high do you build off the ground and do you fill in with brick below the first cross beam to ground level.
miked

[splitlid]

finished floor levels for this house pictured are 300mm above natural ground level.
no infill under beams required as they are below ground level.

and im a sleasy developer, but dont hold it against me please. or i may have to send the boys round

[miked]

splitlid
i'm confused. nearly every house i see here suffers from rising damp. as a developer you will be far more aware than myself that damp can rise up to 150 cm.
if you are building below this height how do you damp proof. ?
miked

[splitlid]

yes rising damp can be a problem, there is a serious lack of damp proof coursing in thailand.
there are however ways to minimize the problem,the main one being to keep the surrounding areas as dry as possible.
guttering, large overhangs, pathways around the house, good drainage, all help.

[miked]

you can't damp proof the support posts because of the re bar. you can however refer to Thai building regulations ( yes suprise surprise they do exist but are never enforced.)
your first cross beam should be at least 155 cm above ground level. not below as yours is. building at this height will guarantee that damp cannot penetrate the house. the posts can be tiled to 155cm this will at least stop any damp showing.
damp proofing material is generally not available in Thailand because it is not needed. if you return to your own country have a look at commercial buildings that are built using support posts. they are built sufficiently high from the ground that damp cannot be a problem.
why do you try to build a western house in Thailand.? the house you are building will suffer from damp before it is even completed.
i will give you the opportunity to respond to this post before i raise the numerous points that i have.
miked

[splitlid]

yes your 100% right.
we should all be living 1500 min above the ground.

now can you tell all those thai people living in 'western' houses please.

never seem a damp column. but hey. carports with damp showing?

please post the thai building regs, that bit interests me.

[miked]

do a search on the internet, they do exist. they tend to vary from area to area depending on geographical conditions. they are in place and largely ignored due to developers cost cutting.
if it was just carports with damp columns that wouldn't be a problem. you say you have never seen a damp column ?? have you ever seen damp walls ?? if i am 100% right why do you build less than 155cm from ground level. ? the house that you are constructing will have damp columns and walls and this will come into the house.
the shame is if you build at the correct height then damp isn't an issue.
i will be very interested to see an overall view of the house.
miked

[poosmate]

^ I have now moved upstairs. I will be converting my ground floor into a water feature to comply with Thai building Regs.........Whew! glad I never bought that bungalow.

[miked]

mock if you will but building regs are in place to protect you. but hey, just ignore them if you don't mind living in a sub standard damp house. as long as the developer makes money that's what matters.
miked