Our House Construction

[Nickleback99]

Love reading the progress And seeing the pics.  We will be moving down NLT than Nov18 and will be looking in several provinces for the right place and then the right property to buy and build.   Thanks again and keep 'em coming!....I need to learn all I can from others' projects on building a Good one in the PI. 

 

 

[intrepid]

I guess it's time for update and photos.  As you may have noticed we changed a little from the first drawing.  There are arches on the front porch, balcony and also the garage front will sport a long arch across the front.  Last week the second floor concrete was poured and some blocks were started on the first floor while the second floor dried.  Since then they have been working on the second floor blocks, columns, and lentils.  They want to get the roof started by the end of the week or early next week.  Once the roof is on there should be little rain delays.  I was surprised again with all the rebar.  They left rebar bent up from the concrete floor where all the walls will be.  When the blocks are set they are fed down over the rebar and after two rows of block are set, rebar is laid across the blocks and tied to the vertical rebar and also rebar that was left sticking out of the columns.  Should have at least one photo below to show this.  Also they have started to remove the wood bracing on the first floor.  The plan is to get the roof on and then move all the tools and supplies inside the house so they can start working on the master bedroom which is on the left side which now contains the temporary storage sheds.

[intrepid]

Just reread my posts after getting a PM.  Seems I forgot to mention what rooms and how many.  The first floor contains the formal living room which is open too the roof ceiling.  11' first floor and 9' second floor.  Behind the living room is the dining.  Beside the dining is the kitchen.  Beside the living is the first floor family room.  Behind the family room in front of the kitchen is a den.  The master bedroom is on the left side the main structure of the house.  The two car garage is on the right side.  Behind the garage is the dirty/daily kitchen with the maids room behind that.  Also behind and attached to the back of the garage is my workshop.  The second floor contains our daughters bedroom with WIC and bath.  Two spare bedrooms and another common bath.  There is a second floor family room and balcony also.

Okay,that's the nickle tour!

[intrepid]

Time for the March construction update.  Things are chugging along steady.  The main structure with both floors has now been roughed up.  Also the East Wing, (master bedroom) has been roughed in.  The West Wing, (garage), is now under construction.  The rough electrical and plumbing as recently been started in the main section.  Most all the walls of the main center section have been parged and smoothed.  Just this past mid-week they have started on the roof framing.  One thing thing still amazes me is that there is now finally some wood in this project.  The interior door jambs have been installed.  Overall I feel good with the progress and the workmanship.  Sometimes it does seem things are going slow.  Like the roof frame.  Then I have to remember that it is all steel and each piece has to be measured and cut to fit.  Then there is only one welding machine and every joint has to be welded.  Still it appears to be ahead of schedule me.  After watching other projects around the city, they seem to move slow.  Just hoping to move in before the end of September.

[Jake]

On 3/11/2017 at 11:14 PM, intrepid said:

Time for the March construction update. 

Hey Danny,

I am curious if they installed grounding for your electrical outlets.  Or is it still beyond their common practice to NOT install earth ground throughout the house.  If you insist, how much do they charge extra?  

[intrepid]

42 minutes ago, Jake said:

Hey Danny,

I am curious if they installed grounding for your electrical outlets.  Or is it still beyond their common practice to NOT install earth ground throughout the house.  If you insist, how much do they charge extra?  

Very good question Jake.  Back in 2006 when we had a house built in San Carlos City, Negros, I was not here as it was being constructed.  When I arrived after completion I saw there was no grounding system!  I made the decision then when the the time comes to build our next home to finally retire in, It will have a grounding system even if I have to install it myself.  So since moving here and renting until our house is built I noticed this rental has grounded outlets in the kitchen and GFI outlets in the bath.  That was encouraging.  Later when working with our architect, he told me, (and in our contract), that all outlets in the house will be grounded and GFI protection in kitchen and bath, as well as any other place which would be required.

Here's a photo of our service entry with the temporary service taken back in November.  This pole will be used for the permanent service but the meter will be installed on the left side of that pole from looking at the photo.  That will make the meter face the street.  If you look at the botom of the photo you can see I captured the grounding rod while taking this photo.  That rod is about 2 meters long.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

7 hours ago, Jake said:

Hey Danny,

I am curious if they installed grounding for your electrical outlets.  Or is it still beyond their common practice to NOT install earth ground throughout the house.  If you insist, how much do they charge extra?  

I did not even bother to have them put in a ground, or 3 prong outlets, since almost nothing you buy here is set up for a ground anyway.  The TV, computers, Playstation, refrigerator... nothing except the window unit.

[intrepid]

1 hour ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

I did not even bother to have them put in a ground, or 3 prong outlets, since almost nothing you buy here is set up for a ground anyway.  The TV, computers, Playstation, refrigerator... nothing except the window unit.

I think you are somewhat correct on this Tim.  My limited understanding on a lot of the two prong appliances is they have built-in internal grounds.  Even in the US I'm sure you have noticed many portable electric power tools no longer have the third round ground prong.  Even so, being the handyman I am and usually not safety minded, I do always check things for grounds.  In the past I have been shocked with 115 and 220 volts and one thing I can assure you is, I don't like it!  While on the safety subject, another lazy streak I had in my past was safety glasses.  Hated them and they were never available or where I could remember I last placed them.  When I turned 40 I needed glasses for the first time.  I can still see very well without them but there has not been a day since I started wearing them that they are not on my face.  They have saved my eyes more times than I can count.  Now I have safety glasses in several locations in my workshop that I try to put on over my glasses to protect them.  Seems silly, I would not put on safety glasses to protect my eyes. But I will put safety glasses on to protect my glasses. Never thought about that before.  Hmmm  

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

 nothing except the window unit.

And, the AEG instant water heaters I was talking about in another thread.  According to the manual, the heater must be grounded.  Mine has a ground wire coming in but I have no idea where it is grounded, as the rest of the house is not grounded.  Probably attached to a pipe somewhere.

[jpbago]

17 minutes ago, intrepid said:

Even so, being the handyman I am and usually not safety minded

How about ear plugs? Many here, quite young still, have a hearing problem and I don't mean selective hearing. Our grass cutter uses a gas whipper snipper all day everyday with no hearing protection. Drivers of heavy equipment should use ear plugs. From birth, they all ride motorcycles with no helmets and the wind rushing by the ears causes deafness. So does cleaning their ears with a bobby pin. Ears, eyes, heads, and feet should be protected.