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coolthaihouse.com ->
info -> wall August
2004 - editor. Information on home construction in Pattaya, Thailand. How the house wall is constructed.
Walls made from cement blocks. Application of stucco
on the outside of the wall and what to watch out for.
The stucco should be fairly thick as this is what give the
wall its strength - this also being a place where 3rd party
contractors will often cut corners. How to tell if
stucco has been applied correctly. |
Concrete block walls are formed by stacking blocks in rows to form the
wall. A string, normally clear nylon, is used as a 'straight-line'
to aid in the row being laid down straight. Between the blocks (on
all sides), cement is used to keep them in place and add strength.
Rebar is used at the intersection with a foundation column to add strength.
A hole is drilled in the foundation post and the rebar strand, about 30
centimeters in length, is inserted in the hole. It is then laid on
top of a row of blocks and cemented in place.
The 'chap' or stucco layer is applied next.
The cement for this stage is mixed with less sand than for other
applications. In the following example we used a thick coat of about 1 centimeter in
depth. The 'chap' is what gives walls the real strength. A
good job can be determined by examining the wall after the chap is
applied and allowed to dry. If done poorly, small cracks will
appear on the surface. When painted these cracks disappear and
can't be detected.
A example of a house wall being
constructed:
 Wall
section in progress. (13-Mar-04) |
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 Wall
section - notice how there is a level base above
and below the window and red bricks are used
to make the upper roof support.
(28-Mar-04) |
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 The
blocks are laid in rows with cement
in-between. (28-Mar-04) |
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 Completed
rough wall section. |
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 The
stucco is applied in coats. This is a
rough coat. (02-Apr-04) |
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 The
stucco being smoothed in the finishing coat. |
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 Stucco
being applied to the rear of the house.
(09-Apr-04) |
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 Stucco
applied to the front of the house.
(19-Apr-04) |
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 The
stucco coat is thick as seen here, at least
1 centimeter thick. (17-Apr-04) |
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 The
foundation posts are finished off by having
decorative corners added. (19-Apr-04) |
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 The
traces of underlying blocks will show until
the cement dries. Before painting is a
good time to examine the surface for cracks.
(25-Apr-04) |
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