Outdoor tiling and flooring in progress

As told before, we started with outdoor tiling of the walls on Monday January 6. Wednesday January 8 we got the message the flooring company will start today. So we worked to be ready with the basics (the entrance) before that date and, just on time, succeeded. 

Tiling is just a lot of work. All together we need to tile 40' meters, 3.5 meters high. For the entrance we finished 8'm. 

Yesterday we needed half a day for joint filling, after installing the aluminum corner protections/trims. 

I choose for a double sealing process of the floor tiles on the walls. After gluing and placing the tiles, I put an extra layer of special mortar around every tile to protect leaking. After the tiling process is finished I put a special (German brand 'Weber' joint-filler) also used for swimming pools. Just to be sure the indoor walls never will be wet or with moisture during or right after the rainy season. I always feel very sad to see this plastered and painted wet walls everywhere around here in the village. 

Under the lowest tiles we installed a 10 cm wide tar 'Duraone' flashing tape to be sure no rainwater can affect the concrete hollow core slab floor after we made the final pavement (we will install a pavement on sand around the house afterwards and you will not see this flashing tape). 

We installed three waterproof electric outlets. One of them with a 'hotelswitch' for the indoor roof lights of the meditation/yoga sala at the first floor. Also the waterproof outdoor lamp is installed already. Happy everything is functioning well.  

    

The only thing we still need to do is to polish the tiles and take some of the left overs of joint fillers off. The pictures in our blog are made without the final polishing. 

Phatsamon is preparing, with our favorite primer, the inside walls and we bought already the first finishing coatings (TOA Super shield brand) to put after the top floors are finished. Be sure we keep you posted about that and about the choice of the color combinations we made. 

Like it seems now we can order to install our kitchen end of January beginning February. So things, unexpected, are going quick at the moment.  

Our new generator was delivered yesterday. Too early to install yet (although all the preparations are ready) but prices this year went up with around 10.000 THB (around 275 Euro's). So happy this 'life comforter' during power breaks is there. 

This morning three workers arrived from the floor company and started to measure and level already. Cleaning the space we had to remove the bamboo ceiling sheets we already painted and prepared for the sala. Unfortunately we saw we cannot use this bamboo. We discovered all sheets are suffering of a kind of bamboo worm eating the bamboo. So, sad about the money and work, we have to find another option for that. 

The flooring will take around one week to be ready and, to be safe, another two more days to dry to use. We informed the kitchen company and this afternoon we got the approval they will install January 24th our kitchen we ordered. 

 

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Preparing for tiling, painting and flooring and dog house arrived

Because of the good weather condition for working (Thai dry winter period) we want to start with outside tiling. For that the outside walls need to be prepared. And for that again the veranda needed to be finished first. We succeeded with that. Only the last floor plank need to be installed after the outside wall tiling is finished. 

Inside the house we installed already all the electric outlets and switches.

We face too many and too long unexpected power-breaks through the year. So, to the consumer unit we made a connection for a second generator. This time a Rowel 6500E (5500 Watt) generator. We ordered this morning in Bangkok. 

This generator, in case of a power break, can take over most basic needed energy consumption of the main house mainly in relation to our hot climate. 

This new and stronger generator will support the fridge and freezer in the inside kitchen and the kitchen storage room. Also the bedroom air-conditioning and bedroom lights, internet and some emergency power outlets through the house. 

We already have a Rowel 3800E (3100 Watt) generator for the TED's and the control room/ pumphouse and are very satisfied with this one. 

Friday January 3 we got a firm to make a quotation for the flooring. Before they can start, the tiling of the entrance and coating of the inside walls with a first primer coating need to be done. Like it seems now, after we get the quotation and agree with it, they can start before the end of the month. 

Last Sunday, January 5th, at 9.50 AM the dog house/bedroom was delivered. Really a great service from the company in Bangkok during the whole process from order to delivery. Two cars came to deliver on time. As far as we can see now a great product made with craftsmanship. 

Baijka and Taffy have to get used with the new situation but are doing great. Space to breath (the cage they had for the nice really was getting too small for them. 

Now they have a kind of lasting 'dog hotel room' with inside light, outside light and even a special protected Hatari fan. 

To honor and say thanks for the land we got from the parents of Phasamon we ordered a 'remembrance stone'. A green marble plate (of 15 x 30 cm) with inscription in Thai and English. We will fit it in the tiling work between the sliding door and the entrance.

We finished tiling the first of two main pillars of the entrance/first floor yoga & meditation-sala. The second we only can do the lower part because I need to weld the stairs to the first floor first. This lower part with mosaic tiles now is finished to be ready for flooring.

Tomorrow we will start with tiling the outside walls. A process that will take a long time. First the walls with a kind of grater needs to be as flat as possibel. After that Phatsamon brings the basic TOA hydro quick primer on the walls before we can glue the tiles.   

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Plastering finished

25th December, Christmas day, at 5.30 PM all the wanted plastering on the inside of our house was finished. Thailand does not really celebrate Christmas and there are no holidays for this, just a normal Wednesday for working. 

Exactly 7 days it took for three workers from our village to do the plastering. They needed 33 bags of ready mixed Tiger brand plaster (1650 kg in total) to get the job done and delivered high quality work. It's all drying now. 

Next step, after drying, will be painting a special TOA Hydro Quick coating as a primer layer before our next steps we want to do with the walls. 

Except for our friend with his excavator and the people from the electricity lines to our land, these three men were the first we hired in five years. 

We, for them temporarily, tried to be a good employer offering them daily a warm lunch from our 'famous' restaurant in the next-door village, drinks and snacks and beer/a shot Sisip (40 % alcohol drink) at the end of their working day. 

Yesterday they all received a big bottle of Hongtong Thai Whiskey and a tip as an extra 'thank you' and to celebrate the New Year.  

Very thankful they did do this hard job for us (and better for my back after the problems I got two times during our building process already). 

Just a picture impression of the work they finished for us. 

In the mean time we worked on making the floor of the veranda with SCG decorative floor planks. We give them already a two layer special coating as a first protection. 

Our dogs now can walk and run around the house already. A new happy experience for them again. 

Prepared expansion joint

Detail of the wall of the storage room

Detail of the wall between
bathroom and cloth storage

Thank you all for following us during our building process again this year showing your interest. Also next year we hope to go on to show you on a regular base our progress. Have a nice change of the year and a happy and healthy 2025/2568.

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com