A bit a change of strategy

Two heavy storms and lots of damage made us change our building strategy of the house a bit. 

As we told in the former blog already we decided to cut the high Eucalyptus trees around our site. A double feeling and maybe a bit 'tricky' decision. 

They give some shadow on the land and help to 'break' the wind and protect the constructions on our site a bit. On the other hand, the heavy winds show they are able to break the trees themselves and damage the buildings. 

We will plant different types (finally lower) new trees. 

The two already finished pyramids actually did not get construction damage. It was the heavy rains because of the tornado that was pressed inside trough the ventilation spaces and caused damage on the laminate floors.

Our main house is still under construction. Doors and windows are not yet in and the roofs are not finished. So wind uses the present structure to do a 'playful' and destroying game by causing inside air pressure through the open spaces. Lifting, blowing away and breaking, even screwed rooftiles. So far we had to renew 184 pieces and still discovered there are some more. We are waiting for 240 new tiles we ordered two weeks ago so we can finish the job of closing the roof. 

In the mean time we go on fixing the roof with the materials we still have. 

Last week we decided and Friday May 24 we ordered most of the aluminum windows and (sliding) doors. A special quality that needs to be ordered. This will take an extra week. Just to close already the prepared holes in the walls and to make it harder for the wind to play this game again. We just hope, in the mean time, no heavy storms will hit us. 

Normally in Thailand we place the windows at the end of the building process. This has everything to do with possible damage to the aluminum and the glass. We think we do not have another choice after our last experiences. If we should wait we are sure we will get lots of damage again because the rainy season started already. 

So we asked the company for this moment to place the windows but not to install the mosquito screens yet. They will come at the end. 

The wooden front frames and back sliding door we will temporary cover with wood to close during heavy weather. 

All together a lot of extra and unexpected work. Our holidays we intended to take in June need do wait. We need to finish the roof first first.

 

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Back on track

Yesterday afternoon we were 'back on track' again. 

All the pictures of this blog are made this morning.

Still we have hurricane damage to repair around but we will do that later. The house now gets our priority as well as direct needed maintenance because of for instance electricity damage because of ants-attacks. 

For the house we needed, to date, 184 new rooftiles. Some with only small damage and scratches, not causing leakage, we did not replace. We are still afraid new (thunder)storms will damage again. 

To close and totally finish the roof we need to have the May 10th ordered 240 new tiles. Hope they will come as soon as possible and... can be delivered. The road to our site for a heavy truck will give problems to reach us. 

We got the idea we installed nearly 5 roofs already now. Two pyramids and nearly three times on row, after the two heavy storms, the house ;). 

Several questions about our damage. Indeed, because the roof is not finished (tiles are screwed every other row) and doors and windows are not yet in, for the wind it's an easy 'game' to hit the roof with lots of pressure from the inside and create damage. 

So, I decided to go on working on the middle roof first now and try to close the window/door spaces with wood and/or put already at several places windows in. We succeeded yesterday afternoon already to close the front side with Shera wood planks. 

A bit a hard decision Phatsamon and I made this morning. We asked her brother to cut all the Eucalyptus trees around at the land. Be sure we will plant new, different kind, of young trees. 

The high Eucalyptus trees brought us shadow as well as a bit 'protection' against wind on the flat lands around. On the other hand, being too high, the storm breaks them into pieces and we got already several times damage of the metal sheet roofs of the control room/pump-electricity house, the workplace and the TED's. 

The roof of the TED's need to be renewed. My son Rik during the Dutch summer holidays will visit his sister in Australia as well as us in Thailand. Maybe we can do the TED's roof at that time together.

Fingers crossed these hurricanes are over so we can make progress again. 

   

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Our constructions under 'fire' again

(Updated Tuesday may 14)

May 6, 2024 in the early evening an unexpected hurricane hit mainly our village and close surroundings and caused a lot of damage. Over 30 houses lost their roofs and The Royal Thai Army, the next day, even came to help the elderly to repair.

I made a small picture impression of 'The day after'. A blog in Dutch but easy to understand the damage only watching the pictures. If you are interested to see click here. 

Also our constructions and garden were damaged. We mentioned in our additional blog of  May 7.

May 10 we ordered 240 new glazed ceramic rooftiles and hope they will arrive soon. It will take a maximum of three months but the company will try to hurry up. 

A lot of repairs still need to be done but, after five days of several hours effort (more is not possible because of the combination of high temperature and high humidity), we managed to fix the damaged roof of the house we are building. Yesterday afternoon at 5 PM this job was done so we intended to go on with our regular building process today. 

Again totally unexpected yesterday evening heavy weather that brought our constructions under 'fire' again. At 9 PM a heavy lightning hit between the village and our construction site. Everything in one time dark because of power break again. For your information, we deal the last couple of weeks with two till three power breaks a week. So yesterday evening we started up our generator again. Happy we once bought and installed that electricity machine. 

 

Five minutes later, wind that brought also rain out of North-Western direction. And within another 10 minutes it turned out to become a very heavy thunderstorm.

We already heard the sound of breaking glass and this morning we found the sad results. Most of the last five days repair work destroyed. Parts of the top-roof we are installing blown away and dropped 3.5 meters deeper on the middle roof. And other new damage, glass blocks, trees, branches, the back roof of the TED's, and so on. 

We need a bit time to make up our mind about how to move on because this is only the start of the rainy season and this area never before was hit so hard by these terrible storms.  

New thunderstorms are on their way. It is raining already. We hope not too heavy.

6 o'clock Monday afternoon May 13:

Repaired the roof behind the TEDs.

Replaced 58 broken roof tiles from the last storm. Makes the total to date 182 tiles. Buckets full of broken pieces for sure we cannot use for the roof anymore. 

Various piles of broken rooftiles that we hope to be able to use a little for the corners.

Fortunately, the temperature is a little bit more pleasant.

Tuesday another day we hope...

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Additional blog. Sudden weather (climate) change and lots of work destroyed.

Yesterday already I mentioned the totally unexpected extreme thunderstorms, heavy rains and tornado. 

Although human beings think they are in charge of everything and know everything better, it shows also technique is failing. Not a single weather channel expected this destroying weather Not a single warning. 

Or, maybe, and who knows, like the 'Summer storm' last year in Mae Rim/Chiang Mai, it was the helping hand of the local government trying to help citizens against even more suffering because of the very long extreme high temperatures by making rain. I think nobody ever will tell.

It is the way it is now. 

Temperatures dropped in a very short time from the present evening temperature of nearly 40 degrees C (about 104F) to a temporary 25 (77 F) degrees. All producing a terrible steam sauna today. 

The results of this 'summer storm' and weather change? ... it's to cry. So much work destroyed within two hours time and lots of damage in our environment. For instance, many houses in our village lost their roofs. Part of the roof of the house of Phatsamon's sister in the village was blown away as well. Also our village temple has a lot of damage. Electricity poles cracked. Trees collapsed everywhere and we are in lockdown again. "The road to your house will come soon and is in the process" is already a more than one year promise. 

Yesterday already we could see parts of the damage. This morning after a first check we have already a better view. We are sure there will be some more surprises. Insurance? Not for a construction site. 

The gardens are a mess. Fallen trees, cracked trees, flown construction materials and broken pieces of rooftiles everywhere. The entrance gate to the labyrinth broke and need to be renewed. The pond filled up with water again.

The laminate floor of our TED's, although 65 cm above the land, under water because the water by the tornado blown under the roof of the veranda against the sliding doors, had no other way to go. The laminate floor is starting to billow. Also the sunroof above the TED's is damaged. 

The floor of the second pyramid partly under water because many liters of water were poured in by a sliding window (covered by a more than 2 meters sunroof). We are trying to vent this pyramid now hoping the laminate will survive. Also the mosquito screens under the glass top roof window of this pyramid are totally blown away. Only a little bit roof damage, easy to repair.

The first pyramid not too much damage but still some water on the floors because of the enormous amounts of water thrown to windows and doors. 

Our control room (pumphouse and electricity supply) so far we can see now has no damage. Happy our generator could serve us a bit last night during the around 7 hours power break in the area. Also our workplace and storage survived. 

Several solar cell lights and street lanterns stopped broke down and/or stopped working.  

The house we are building? 

Now, during daytime it's clear. It's a (only) a small disaster at our place and actually really a bit to cry after all the efforts we made in creating something beautiful. But, if we compare with several people in the village, we can also still be a bit happy. 

Several rows of terracotta rooftiles are totally blown away or broken. The way to fix rooftiles is to screw every second layer. Even screwed rooftiles are cut into pieces because of this tornado. 

After a scary night dog Kadhow takes a nap now. Our two girls Cupid and Singto are overviewing the mess in the garden. One thing, for a short moment, is clear. It's not too hot for them now. 

May 12, 2024. Broken pieces of new rooftiles collected from our
garden so far. Several broken tiles we will ty to re-use installing the
corners but not sure about the quality. Already 124 tiles renewed. 
Two days ago we ordered 240 new tiles. Max. 3 months delivery
time but they try to do their best to hurry up. 

Never give up. Happy the five of us are safe. The TED's worked out to be a safe harbor. Happy to have no schedule as well. We will go on and everything will take some more time and will cost a bit more. We also have to take into account that ordering and deliveries will take a long time. We are not the only ones with damage. 

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com