Lots of deliveries and more developments

We will create a double septic tank sewage system. Just a creation I developed to get rid of sewage problems (because of flooded soak away fields) during the last part of the rainy season. We picked up the system at Thai Watsadu construction market. 

The idea is the two toilets of our house will run into the first big (1200 L) tank to be biologically processed. The overflow runs into the second smaller (800L) tank that also will directly store the water of the shower, sinks, etc..  The overflow of the second tank runs into the soak away field. Connected with that second overflow pipe, half way between tank outlet and soak away pipes,  I install a 2'' pipe with a direct connection to the rice field as an extra relief.

For the inside- and outside kitchen we installed a DOS-50 liter grease trap to clean the kitchen water from grease, food residues, etc. that passes the kitchen sinks.

We totally finished the workshop/tool storage now. All tilework sealed and upper part of the foundation painted grey. A solar light installed above the entrance.

In the mean time lots of deliveries. 

First of all we got the three pyramid guard statues to be placed around guest pyramid 2, the same way we did with the first pyramid. 

We got gravel to surround the pipes of the soak away field and sand for general purpose and to start with the steps to the main house. Also sand will be under the veranda (a bit cooler for the dogs to in the shade under that floor). Foundation poles are installed now. 

The first five pallets of 500 pieces in total so far Q-Con G4 15 cm load bearing wall blocks were delivered.

The ceramic rooftiles (Exella classic green jadeite) we need next year are ordered already. So we are sure of the same type and color as the Guest pyramids we created. We will get them within about three months. Prices of construction materials are also 'exploding' so we thought better to order them now. 

We started to repair (fill up) some places at the newly poured ground floor with high performance non-shrink grout. The first results so far look good.  

The bathroom- and guest toilet floors are poured with the right sloop to the drains already. 

We finished the block gluing around the entrance of the crawlspace and as base for the sliding backdoor to place in the future.  

We are doing the last preparations at the sewage system so this weekend, we hope, the digging machine can help us to install and to do the first soil moving around the main house. 

Although the temperatures during the day are already very high for the time of the year (37 degrees C), no time to sit still. 

Two new flying visitors showed interest and came to see what we are all creating at our place. 

Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Underestimation of the amount of work and 'medium' results

Last Saturday we picked up the formwork and started to install. In the evening we worked with the laser to position all the planks same level. Again a great (and easy) experience to work with that instrument. 

Sunday afternoon we finished fixing and it all worked out well. 

Yesterday morning we picked up a Trowel Butterfly machine we rented in the city. 

At around 2.30 PM that day the KPS-Concrete truck arrived to deliver 5 m3 concrete for the top layer of the floor, filling (and strengthen the connection between the hollow-core slabs) the connection spaces between the slabs, and some other small projects that needed concrete, like the campfire place. 

The weather to work was more than great. Around 27 degrees C. and a soft breeze. 

Before pouring the concrete we had to water the concrete base slabs several times. 

To be honest... We totally underestimated the amount of work for only the two of us. 80 m2 ground floor topping and the other projects (both pyramids we did before were around 40 m2 each). Phatsamon again did a more than great and heavy job without any complaint. And indeed happy the weather was fine. But still, far to much work for only two persons. Afterwards we concluded four should have made the work better but... we did not think about it. The first concrete we poured already was getting stiff while were pouring the last and that made it hard to handle. On the other hand it was a hard job to get everywhere the same thickness. A galvanized s6 m long steel pipe at the top of the formwork helped us several times. 

On the other hand the machine we rented did not function well. The ability to change the position of the trowels failed and the speed I had to regulate to pull a metal wire. A very heavy machine (nearly not to carry by the two of us) and also very hard and heavy work. And, for me it was the first practical experience to work with such a machine. Many times I saw men from the construction firms I once worked for (around forty years ago), in The Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, used them but I never operated one myself. And to be honest again... It's a very hard job especially in the beginning and you need to be strong.

I treated the whole concrete floor area with the machine six times with intervals of around half an hour. 

Using this machine I wanted to get a totally flat floor already ready for tiling (gluing tiles). I did not succeed in that. We still have to equalize the floors of the individual rooms before we can finish the flooring. It is the way it is. 

Monday January 30 2023/2566 was a long day for us. 

We worked (and cleaned the machine and our tools) till nearly midnight to get the best possible results. But still there is, so to say, some 'aftercare' to do. Still happy we rented this machine because only by hand for sure we did not succeed to get this final 'medium' result. 

One thing is for sure the strength of the floor will be more than great. This type of floors normally are used in sport- & party centers. 

Early in the morning we had to start to cure the concrete by spraying water first and covering with tarpaulins. The cement has to do it's work and with our climate (the sun and sometimes wind) the needed water for the chemical reaction/bonding otherwise will be taken out of the fresh concrete and weaken it. 

In the evening we will take the tarpaulins off, water again for the night, and give it the time to 'breath' having great temperatures now for that in the night of about 14 degrees C. We will have to do that three days. After that we will spray the fresh concrete for a couple of days every hour. 

Phatsamon did do a great job

Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

All ready for the concrete floor top layer and more

Sad but still no wire mesh to finish the top layer of the ground floor. So we decided to do the left parts ourself by braiding reinforcing steel bars (6 mm) ourselves for the floor as well as for the extra foundation for the prefabricated balcony poles and around the camp-fire place. The last to get rid of the disturbance of ants while sitting there. 

During the week wire mesh 'waiting time' we finished the wall tiling of the workspace. Some last paining need to be done as well as joint filling. We will use the same material for the main house. 

So this morning I finished with all the preparation of the ground floor. With a magnet I took all the remaining's of the braiding wires out and afterwards cleaned the prestressed concrete slabs from dust, sand and small stones. 

Around our site many interesting cows are watching. Kadhow and Cupid keep an eye on them and bark if they try to enter. 

Last week we celebrated Phatsamon's birthday. Early morning the dogs were already ready for the party and to sing their birthday bark looking at the front door of the pyramid to open for the happy birthday girl to walk out. 

This afternoon we will go for renting the formwork and we hope this Monday or Tuesday we can order again around 5 m3 concrete. All depends on renting a trowel butterfly machine to make the surface as smooth as possible as preparation for future tiling. 

Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Water, electricity and sewage work

The weather at the moment is great for building. Happy we made the decision not to take our half year break after the long and strong last monsoon. Enough to do at our place now.

The change of the year caused us some delay in a back order for additional wire-mesh. So far no problem but within about one week I want to pour the concrete top layer of the ground floor and without the additional steel this is not possible. We have some more time but want to finish this floor before high temperatures kick in again. 

The first order of load bearing wall blocks is on its way.

The electricity (light in all four connected crawl spaces and an electric outlet and switch) are in and working. 

Sewage pipes for inside- and outside kitchen, guest toilet and all the connections for the bathroom are placed. 

All water supply pipes are fit. Glued the 'cold water' pipes and welded the green hot water pipes as well as the connection for our Stiebel Eltron hot water boiler. The main supply pipe is 1 inch.. All the side branches 1/2 inch. All the green (hot) water pipes we gave an isolation cover. First of all as energy saving (keep the water warm), the second thing to give the pipes some space for expand and contract. 

Under the floor, in the crawl space, a network of all kind of pipes and fittings are in as well as special expansion solutions because the 12.2 meters width and 6.2 and 8.2 meters length of the floor. 

Connections for the inside kitchen, outside kitchen, guest toilet, bathroom, outside washing machine and two connections for watering the garden around / cleaning the pavement and veranda (to build) are installed. 

An electricity connection, water supply and sewage outlet are prepared for a, possible later to install whirlpool.  

We placed a special wired (thicker and on a separate 32 Amp. switch of the Siemens consumer unit) electricity line in for the inside kitchen induction cooking plate. Two separate electricity lines (one for the right and one for the left side of the building) are in already for the outlets of bedroom, corridor and indoor living room. 

We also installed the anchors for the columns for the first floor meditation/yoga space and are working on the poles for the ground floor veranda now.  

Today we got the first eight, of fourteen, trucks of soil to fill up/raise the land around the house next month. Early morning tomorrow the next six trucks will be delivered. The main house is 75 cm higher than the surrounding construction site land and 2.75 meter higher than the rice field. 

In the mean time my Stihl Chainsaw did a good job with me. We started already with cutting and trimming some trees before the next stormy and rainy season starts. Just to be sure the trees are strong enough to 'survive' and not damage the buildings. 

Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com