Builder required

[dstarkey]

Builder required to lay 9 square metres of concrete in the garden in a hexagonal shape for a base then sand wash. I require this done on my next visit preferably around the 21st June to the 26th June can anyone recommend one.

[Hervelon]

if you come accross anyone...please let me have his number too...and if you dont mind give me an idea of costing..
Thanks

[bozzman101]

would be interested too as the builder is chargeing absorbent prices

[Hervelon]

will be in hua hin in the next few days to look at possible builders so will let you know

[Wanderlust]

would be interested too as the builder is chargeing absorbent prices

I think you have invented a great new phrase! However I think you meant 'exorbitant'.

[Nomad]

No, absorb is correct phrase as these "builders" who were dustmen, mattress salesmen, convicts, drug dealers or bar men in the country they are escaping from will absorb your money leaving no proper constuction behind while dispensing sage information and excuses why it can not be done the way you have ordered it.

[Nomad]

Did I mention that they were unqualified?

[Nomad]

And money hungry?

[gaijin]

A 5 day window of opportunity in which to get a tradesman to actually show up and do the work is a bit optimistic; I think sometime in a 5 week window of opportunity would be more realistic. No shows or show ups sometime later, are more the norm.

[PeteC]

One thing I've learned from experience is that once you get settled in, try to find a man who has experience with plumbing, electricity and minor repairs of all types that you don't want to tackle yourself. There's plenty out there, you just have to search and do some trial and error. I've found it works if you turn the search over to your Thai partner to chat around the area during her travels, and they'll be found. When you find a good one make the initial experience and impression a good one for him if he does a good job, like giving him a few hundred baht more than he's asked for. He'll then be at your beckoned call anytime you need him and will be there usually within an hour.

We found an electrician that works at one of the hotels here but does anything and everything else. He also works evenings as a volunteer tourist police civilian which means he can come over if problems up to midnight. Getting into a relationship like that with a handyman really avoids a lot of headaches. Pete

[gaijin]

The problem of getting a tradesman, properly qualified, to turn up is a very real drama. Perhaps you should give consideration to doing the concreting yourself and, if you have little idea of how to do it, make the necessary enquiries. It will be a lot quicker; and the job will be done no worse than it would otherwise.

Having endured relatives of friends and/or friends of friends who all seem to have the same skill level, I thought I had hit the jackpot when I discovered that Home Pro have a design centre who will not only design but arrange for the work to be done. I had used them a couple of times with satisfactory results and then tried to get some plumbing done – a mixer tap on the kitchen sink kept on coming loose and my attempts at tightening it only resulted in it staying tight for a couple of days. So we booked a plumber with Home Pro. Alas we kept on getting a no show. After 3-4 no shows, I gave up on Home Pro and went back to the network of friends, relatives etc. A delightful old man turned up with a big wrench, the obligatory drill and a few other bits and pieces. (Thai tradesmen seem to love marking walls with ball point pens or pencils and carrying electric drills. It doesn’t seem to matter what type of job the tradesman is engaged to do, he will always turn up with a eclectic drill). Well he did his best and then insisted on teaching me some Tai Chi for the next few hours. But the tap came loose after 2 days. Mrs Gaijin is getting fairly pissed off and wants her tap fixed – not too good for my blood pressure.

Sometime later back in Australia I am talking with 2 plumbers. I swoop. How do I stop a mixer tap from becoming loose? They laugh and tell me it’s a common problem where unqualified tradesmen fit mixer taps. They tell me I need a spring washer (I had no idea what this was), some loctite and a special ratchet tool for getting into the tight and deep space between the twin sinks. Now when it comes to this sort of work yours truly normally stuffs it up big time. I take the plunge and duly buy items 1 & 2 at a hardware and item 3 from a specialist plumbing supplies firm. Back in HH with my new toys I get to work. After a bit of messing around we now have a properly fitted mixer tap. With my new found confidence I am about to tackle some painting although Mrs G is still apprehensive.

[Wanderlust]

It doesn’t seem to matter what type of job the tradesman is engaged to do, he will always turn up with a eclectic drill

Sorry to sidetrack, but is that a drill that will only work on certain architecture?

[Takiap]

Hi

Not sure if it helps but the folk next door to us have just had a whole lot of sandwashing done as well as a pool being put in. The workmanship looks good so if you want, I can let you have the boss mans number. Communication is no problem as he speaks fluent English having spent many years in the US. By the way, I asked him about sand washing and they price is 500 baht per square metre.

Cheers

[Nomad]

Does anyone have any good stories about builders? i mean the person or company that built your house not fixed the problem that the so called builder ignored?

[cole]

The prices for sandwash may vary with colour, aggregate size and the thickness of application. The price paid by a builder to a sandwash sub is substantially less than 500 baht per m2, but for smallish areas paying a contractor 500 baht is OK. A low price may indicate that the Sandwash will be applied too thinly.

Make sure the sandwash is a reasonable thickness or it will crack and spall; in fact most of it seems to crack and become unsightly so it may not be the best finish to use where it is a feature of the work. Also it seems to work better with a tile inlay which stops the areas of unbroken sandwash being too large.

There is a product on the USA called "Kool Deck" which was developed for use on the walking surface around a pool and to keep the paving from getting too hot underfoot. I have not seen it here but it would be a useful product to have available.