Glumpy

July 18, 2016

Never a problem. The pretty lady at desk 2 Khon Kaen most obliging.

February 17, 2015

Pics that should have been attached to my 'Newbie post yesterday at 15.30 !!

February 16, 2015

I had a 3 bedroom house built 5 years ago, up here in the North East, by a local builder on my wife's land (one and a half football pitches) for Baht 2.6m.This for the foundations, pillars ( 76 in total !!)and main structure. Brick / Conbloc cavity walls and he provided all the labour for tiling and painting. I purchased all floor and roof tiles. I sub contracted the chippy and electrical work. The plans were drawn up by an architect but the builder didn't know how to read them !! I fitted all the plumbing for the 5 toilets, three bathrooms ,2 kicthens .laundry room. 2 RO water filter systems, the main pump house with storage tank , two 2000 ltr.septic tank systems with drain fields and most important of all a sink in my bar. The costs were mounting rapidly ! The 2 meter perimeter wall (almost 1/2 a kilometer) and the 70 meter drive cost another Baht 1.7 m. Rule No. 1..... Cost the main items, Rule No.2...stick to a budget . Rule No.3......find a builder who knows what he's doing and his workers know what 'square' means ! The brickies had never built a cavity wall or used Conbloc . I showed them the maker's DVD. I showed them how to build the cavity wall using wall ties at 1m intervals along and up. 'We can't build the inner and outer walls together'' they said....... 'OK then, build the outer wall and place the wall ties where I said'..... Some of you will probably have guessed what happened next. Because the wall ties didn't line up with a course of Conbloc the ties were bent out of the way and the wall continued up !! The electricians did not know what a 'ring main ' was. They were self taught and used by the builder for all his other builds. I sent them packing. Rule No.4..... seek a qualified electrician... difficult I know ! However I did find one and he was excellent. Rule No. 5..... if you haven't applied Rules 1 & 2 then don't look at your building supplier's receipts ! Five years on and I still haven't. The 6 mtr wide arch over the main gate was too difficult for the builder so I and my wife's cousin built one. The swimming pool cost another Baht 1 million. Good luck with your build and remember the rules ! Luckily I don't know where the receipts are. I will attach a heli-cam shot when I find out how to.

June 10, 2014

We, the British, 'managed' many countries before leaving them to their own devices. Leaving because they thought they were up to running the show on their own or better. Look at Kenya, Zimbabwe, India...the list goes on. When the British were in 'charge' the people had a sense of order........now look at them. Thailand would have had a far better rail service around the country that's for sure.

March 2, 2014

I had a 12m x 4 m overflow type pool built 4 years ago. Concrete,tiled and chlorine. Observations so far.

1. Insist on it being level if you build an overflow type ! I'm not joking. See pic 1

2. Use a smooth bull nose tile for the 'rim'.....mine was built using a sand wash mix which now has all the properties of a saw ! Any armbands, swim rings or lilos last only seconds ! See pic 2

3. If you have a s/s safety step rail 1.2m down around the deep end make sure it's attached with s/s bolts. Mine was attached with steel bolts which resulted in brown rust marks on the tiles. The whole assembly was removed and a tiled step fitted.

4. Site the pool away from trees, shrubs, flowers or at least keep same to a minimum !

5. Ensure surge tank overflow is to a soak-away and not your fish pond !

6. Similarly the filter's backwash water........ although the fish don't mind it tends to turn the water very green and nothing will grow up the sides of the pond which results in erosion of the pond's sides !

7. Site the pumproom, sand filter and debris filter at ground level and not below ground next to the pool. My access hatch weighs a ton, I have to climb down a ladder to get to the filters and selector cocks. See pic 3

8. Ensure the 12v underwater lights are fully waterproofed !

I only wish I could have chatted with someone like me before I decided on a pool !!

April 28, 2013

My experience of 'SS' tanks is not good. Here in the NE we have a 50mtr bore hole which supplied two 1600Ltr 'SS' tanks via a Master Filter system . I fitted them just over three years ago in a 3.5m x 3.5m 'pump house' . After six months one tank began to leak through holes the size of a pinhead . The flow was stemmed with tape. I Emailed the company......... no relpy. More pin holes appeared in this tank but not the other. The tank was shut off and the second tank used. Over the next 18 months the second tank sprung leaks which were too many to control with duck tape etc. I removed both tanks and fitted a 2000 Ltr plastic/fibreglass tank.

The SS cover around the Master Filter body showed signs of corrosion !! . This is a heavier guage SS than that used for the SS tanks. I also noticed rust on the chains of the block & tackle and other steel items in the pump house. Our swimming pool chemicals were stored in the pump house !!!!

These chemicals are now stored 60 mtrs away. At first I thought that the well water contained some corrosive elements but am now convinced that 'fumes' from the chlorine, sulphuric acid and soda stored in the pumphouse were to blame. All the containers had secure lids. Or was the salt dispenser of the Master Filter system to blame ?

If you decide on a plastic/fibreglass tank do check the base which is not very thick. These tanks get pushed around the builder merchant's yard many times and the underside becomes scored and the strands of fibre are exposed. Any doubt reject the tank....... as I did after it was delivered.