Bazt Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Hi, does anybody have any idea what would be causing all the cracks in the sand alongside my townhouse.No trees in the general area.Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Lack of water, typically sandy soil that doesn't retain moitsure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Dry season. Get some compost in there and put down grass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve187 Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 get it watered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvs Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 How long has it been since you house was build? Could just be dry ground or the soil is settling in which case you may also get cracks in the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazt Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 House is just over a year old.It just seems that section on the side is cracking, the front is fine.Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogandave Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Is the soil in front starting to ripple? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Dont worry,till the house starts cracking. regards worgeordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazt Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 No ripples [emoji3]Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savilesghost Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Try watering the soil and those cracks will disappear like magic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveAustin Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Does that side receive most sun? When they build here, the MO is to compact a load of laterite clay over rice paddy to make up the substrate, plonk on a cursory amount of 'topsoil' (if any) and then toss on patches of tatty grass. Intense sun followed by heavy rains destroys/drains away that 'wonderful topsoil' leaving the exposed clay, which cracks and is no good to man nor beast for growing owt. What you could do with doing is sourcing a few inches of equal mix clay/silt/sand topsoil with some quality din-dam compost and earthworms and putting down (fence-to-house) yaah Malay grass, which roots quickly and binds the soil. Water liberally daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazt Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 Ok daveAustin will do thatThanksSent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatproblem Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 (edited) I would put water and sand down then use fake grass ,a bit more expensive to start but in the long run will be cheaper and always looks good ,feels good on the feet too,any you not need to buy a lawn mower Edited December 29, 2016 by whatproblem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailand49 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 That is what the desert look like, no water, look at it this way? If you didn't have water on your lips it would be dry and crack? If you want low maintenance fill in and extend your patio so it can be used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikiea Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 20 hours ago, chiang mai said: Lack of water, typically sandy soil that doesn't retain moitsure because your home has no foundation , apparently was built on a thin slab on sandy soil mix . cracks in ground are the least of your worries , check wall's and interior support walls for movement . cracks and ceiling sag or slope . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 11 minutes ago, mikiea said: because your home has no foundation , apparently was built on a thin slab on sandy soil mix . cracks in ground are the least of your worries , check wall's and interior support walls for movement . cracks and ceiling sag or slope . I don't think you understand how they build here. I've never seen a house here built on just a slab, all that I've seen is posts that are sunk and then tied at ground level, reinforced along the edges and then back filled with concrete. I am almost certain the OP will confirm that his house has posts that can be seen in the corners of each room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogandave Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 People always talk about how crappy the construction here is, but I don't see many buildings falling down. The site-work is generally not great but the the foundations are usually sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theguyfromanotherforum Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 People always talk about how crappy the construction here is, but I don't see many buildings falling down. The site-work is generally not great but the the foundations are usually sound.You gotta be joking.Try YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiWai Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Next week... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiWai Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 57 minutes ago, mikiea said: because your home has no foundation , apparently was built on a thin slab on sandy soil mix . cracks in ground are the least of your worries , check wall's and interior support walls for movement . cracks and ceiling sag or slope . Check all the door jams also. Do the doors all close smoothly without rubbing up against the jams? Any cracks leading up the walls from the top of the door jam corners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogandave Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 So if i can find a you tube video of a building falling falling down in Europe it proves that the construction in Europe is crappy? i did not say that the construction here was great, I just said the foundations were useually sound. Something confusing about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davehappen Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Yep Chiang mai mai is correct with the house building, mines built that way as are most new ones around here. Our builders were good but really messy, had to tell them more than once to clean the site, but hey everything worked out fine in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDfella Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Yes, I thought the same as other posters here that it was just lack water when I rented a place last year. The cracks got wider. The newly washing rack built on concrete about 3-4 meters away started to lean and the cracks turned into 3 meter wide hole about 1 meter deep when the owners son started prodding. The living quarters seemed to be unaffected up until the time I left. If the OP has children it might be worth getting a professional to have a look before there is an accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beats56 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 3 hours ago, mikiea said: because your home has no foundation , apparently was built on a thin slab on sandy soil mix . cracks in ground are the least of your worries , check wall's and interior support walls for movement . cracks and ceiling sag or slope . Down south in the US the houses are built on slaps also. They would water the ground around the house when it got dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catoni Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Just my own opinion..... but building a house on sand is almost the last place I would build a home. Building a home on the slopes of an active volcano is worse of course. But building on sand ...in my opinion... is a very bad idea. I simply would not do it. There's an old story somewhere of what happens to a house built on sand.. "Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn't fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall." - The Christian Bible... I hope that things do not get worse for your home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Not slabs, Thai's don't build that way and with good reason. I live in the middle of rice paddy land on the plains at the foot of the mountains outside CM, all of the land is sand based, at one time these flats were under an ocean. Most builders excavate the sand out of the building sites before sinking piles, either that or they sink deep plies with a spread base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitman Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 That's not sand but clay..sand doesn't crack up.. If you want to grow grass you need to top it up with sand and good black soil. If you want concrete than pour it....if you throw sand on it that will go in the cracks...for plants you better add topsoil and water it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rc2702 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 23 hours ago, daveAustin said: Does that side receive most sun? When they build here, the MO is to compact a load of laterite clay over rice paddy to make up the substrate, plonk on a cursory amount of 'topsoil' (if any) and then toss on patches of tatty grass. Intense sun followed by heavy rains destroys/drains away that 'wonderful topsoil' leaving the exposed clay, which cracks and is no good to man nor beast for growing owt. What you could do with doing is sourcing a few inches of equal mix clay/silt/sand topsoil with some quality din-dam compost and earthworms and putting down (fence-to-house) yaah Malay grass, which roots quickly and binds the soil. Water liberally daily. Dear Dave Austen What about a house 2 years old unlived in with thin long thin cracks beginning to appear in perimeter walls and also the actual outerwalls of the house? Normal? Also not sure if this has any importance but this same house we viewed had different thickness to walls. I only noticed this when knocking on wall and listening out for more hollow sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 6 minutes ago, fruitman said: That's not sand but clay..sand doesn't crack up.. If you want to grow grass you need to top it up with sand and good black soil. If you want concrete than pour it....if you throw sand on it that will go in the cracks...for plants you better add topsoil and water it. Disagree, clay doesn't sit on the surface, clay compacts and becomes squashed. Surface soil contains some clay admittedly but when it sits on rapidly draining soil, ie sand, the surface cannot retain moisture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitman Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 2 hours ago, chiang mai said: Disagree, clay doesn't sit on the surface, clay compacts and becomes squashed. Surface soil contains some clay admittedly but when it sits on rapidly draining soil, ie sand, the surface cannot retain moisture. At our house they told us we had 10cm sand on top of the clay soil, but that's only at some small pieces, mostly it's all clay and grass doesn't like it. Clay can also sit on the surface, especially at new elevated land. Just make it wet and try to scoop it, that won't go easy so it's not sand and i call it clay.. Clay can even be waterproof, it doesn't drain at all sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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