Building a Home in Davao

[earthdome]

Glad to hear your home build is getting back on track. When do you expect to move in?

[Tommy T.]

10 hours ago, earthdome said:

Glad to hear your home build is getting back on track. When do you expect to move in?

Wish you hadn't asked that question...

The short answer (guess) - I am sure it will be at least another month, probably two. Windows need to be installed, Floor tiles were not ordered before the lockdown because there was no stock or not enough. They could not order because the entire system was shut down. It will take three to four weeks - or more - just for those. The fence needs to be completed, gates to be fabricated and installed, roofing and awnings need to be finished, sewer lines installed, utility lines installed, electrical fixtures picked out and installed, appliances to be picked out and installed. Then we will need furniture because we do not like to eat or sleep on the floor.

 We were supposed to meet the contractor two days ago. When she returned to Davao from outside, she was stopped at the incoming checkpoint. She had a slight fever so they let her just rest before re-checking. She also was tested, but no results immediately available. Then an hour later, they let her pass and told her to self-quarantine. Then she contacted us again that she had sore throat and high fever - not sounding good... So a few things will be delayed because of that. We have not heard back from her since then.

But it WILL happen...I am still optimistic. At least the cement work has had plenty of time to set before laying tiles!!!

[Tommy T.]

We ventured out to the home site on Thursday. Again, hassle free with nobody looking closely at our FM pass, especially when they see L's DepEd id. The checkpoints seem to be a bit perfunctory around here - at least the few that we have passed through.

The boys are continuing to install the steel bars along the top of the fence and have worked on completing the sewer/drainage pipe run out to the nearby wet/dry creek. It amazes me that raw sewage is - by mandate - simply "stewed" in the two-tank septic tank, then drained off into the creek about 100 meters away from the house . If in USA, we would have installed a drain field. I researched the regulations about sewage disposal and there is an entire section devoted to constructing and using drain fields. However, when I initially inquired to the contractor and foreman about installing one, all I received was 1,000 yard (meter) blank looks. Oh well... I wanted to do the environmentally correct thing but when in Phils......

The electrician was on site and we discussed lighting locations and types with him at length.

There was also a painter on site and we learned that the paint we specified for the interior (cream satin) was applied to the outside too, instead of the Church White colour we specified... another "oh well" moment. But it looks okay so we let it ride. If that's the extent of misunderstandings or mistakes, I can easily live with it.

A guy was also out taking final measurements for the kitchen cabinets. However, they - like the floor tiles - will not be installed until the windows go in. The window installer will come out soon to measure the final sizes of all windows - we changed almost all of them after we could see how they would fit in the house as it developed. He needs the openings for the windows to be totally finished and painted to complete his measurements...

So there really was not much to photograph since there are few visible changes since last visit.

They have constructed "vaults" for access to the rainwater/sewage drainage system to permit easy access for clean-outs. This one is located where the sewer line passes beneath the fence and then along the right-ofway.

We were pleased and impressed that they cemented over the top of the sewage line where it crosses underneath the right-of-way on the way to the creek. That will make it easy locate in the future. Maybe difficult to see, but you might note the access vaults at either end of the cemented-over part of the sewer line where it crosses the right-of-way.

The next door neighbour has sort of taken over the use of the right-of-way where it passes in front of his property, but he had no issue with our running the sewer line through that area. We offered him the chance to connect to our line for free, but he declined... I can only guess where his sewage goes! But I am glad our property is up-hill from his!

This neighbour was not pleased to see our development (I would not be pleased either), but the foreman and contractor have worked with him. He should be pleased because our cement and steel fence replaces his shoddy chain-link fence between our properties - he has already removed it. He is permitting our guys to plaster the fence on his side of it.

Lastly, yesterday we went to Citi Hardware and Wilcon to look at moldings for along the ceiling/wall and floor/wall joins and also for door and window framing. So many frilly and busy moldings - L was a bit irritated when I referred to most of them as rubbish - just way too "cute" for me.

Interestingly, L went into Citi Hardware first while I waited for a parking spot to open up. When I finally went in, I had my mask and hat on already and just walked right in like I owned the place while the security guard was chatting with someone else. He simply nodded and greeted me and let me pass with hardly a glance. L told me that, when she went in, they checked her temperature with one of those contactless detectors. We browsed for moldings and picked out a few. Then we bought a sink (and related plumbing fittings), for the dirty kitchen and the upstairs wet-bar so that the workers could knock out the already-constructed counters with openings to fit the sinks and plumb them in.

We also looked at light fixtures and chose several for different interior locations and purposes - "pinlights" and "canlights" for ceilings in all rooms, spotlights (for the track between kitchen and dining areas), domelights for the ceilings in the CR's and entryway areas and lights for above the vanities in the CR's. The exterior lights can wait. Phewwww! We were both tired after that foray. But now we know that they will let me in there without question...at least that time.

[JDDavao II]

8 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

They have constructed "vaults" for access to the rainwater/sewage drainage system to permit easy access for clean-outs. This one is located where the sewer line passes beneath the fence and then along the right-ofway.

We had our guys fabricate steel frames with handles and then fill them with cement. Something you might want to think about.

[hk blues]

From what I've seen here so far, the standard is to thin cover the perimeter and have a rebar handle inserted - works and a practicality zero cost option - to Western standards no but...

[Mike J]

20 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

The boys are continuing to install the steel bars along the top of the fence and have worked on completing the sewer/drainage pipe run out to the nearby wet/dry creek. It amazes me that raw sewage is - by mandate - simply "stewed" in the two-tank septic tank, then drained off into the creek about 100 meters away from the house . If in USA, we would have installed a drain field. I researched the regulations about sewage disposal and there is an entire section devoted to constructing and using drain fields. However, when I initially inquired to the contractor and foreman about installing one, all I received was 1,000 yard (meter) blank looks. Oh well... I wanted to do the environmentally correct thing but when in Phils......

Here they do not use leach fields either, at least none that I am aware of.  The popular method seems to be to leave the bottom of the pit open.  That is dig the pit, then cement block the side, and a slab for the top with access, but the bottom is left open.   The penalty for not following the code is only 1000 peso.  I wonder if that, plus lax enforcement, is the reason the code is not being followed? 

[Tommy T.]

16 hours ago, JDDavao said:

We had our guys fabricate steel frames with handles and then fill them with cement. Something you might want to think about.

Thanks, JD... going to maybe return to the property tomorrow. I will ask them about this and show them your picks. Seems like a good idea to me.

15 hours ago, hk blues said:

From what I've seen here so far, the standard is to thin cover the perimeter and have a rebar handle inserted - works and a practicality zero cost option - to Western standards no but...

Yeah, that's what I see everywhere. The do seem to work okay because I don't ever smell sewer when near one. I have even seen the covers actually cemented with a thin veneer along the edges of the lids - I guess that is either a precautionary step or perhaps to fix a bit of leaking smell after the fact?

I guess that all the open ditches that carry sewage do remind me a bit of Paris?

Edited June 1, 2020 by Tommy T.

[Tommy T.]

I am so tired of virus related posts here and in the news... so I will post the latest about our home for a bit of fresh air. And, yes, I am wearing a mask as I type and also washed my hands before touching the keyboard... don't want to get any of you sick... (yeah... I know I said tired of virus posts, but I am trying to make a bit light of it now)

We cruised out to the site today... The "checkpoint" in Mintal along the way was a joke - as was the one in the city on the highway heading out of town. They didn't even ask to see any FM card - just passed us through since we were dutifully wearing our masks...

The build continues... We spent over three hours with the foreman and the electrician regarding styles, location and wattage of lights, colours of paints, and various other topics... I was very tired after mainly just standing around while L spoke at length with the foreman and electrician. She knows what we want but had to explain it all... My God!!! It took forever to just decide on a few locations and styles! I did get a bit bored...

But we made progress. On Saturday we will go to a couple of lighting stores and finalize what we want to purchase. L and I will be busy picking and choosing fixtures, bulbs and other things.

The boys were digging a ditch for the piping to channel the sewage from multiple floors and CR's and black water from sinks to the septic tank. The fence continues toward slow completion with ever-more pointed angle-steel welded to pipe supports. 

Last week, we bought sinks and faucets and delivered them for the dirty kitchen and wet bar so that the boys could fashion the cement counters to fit.

So things are moving along...

Outlets and switches in the kitchen... I am curious - does anyone on the forum suggest whether the grounded outlet should have the third (round, ground pin) to the right or to the left in an outlet? The electrician, so far, has installed them both ways, and I want to have them all installed with the same configuration... So when I am drunk on Tanduay I can plug something in easily???

The steps are not permanently installed yet... But now you can see the wiring for the "under-step" strip lighting we want - wired in beneath each step... I think (and hope) this will look so cool!

If you look closely, you can see the stainless bar installed for the top of the railings at the roof deck. We decided on 115 cm height since I am over six feet tall, and don't want to lean too far over and maybe fall in a moment of ????

The lower parts of the railings are 1 x 1 inch, I believe... But they forgot to include the 2 x 2 half way along and embedded into the cement. The foreman said he would fix that. We will also have rebar hooks installed so we can attach canvas canopies in the future...

Yup... there are multiple hiccups along the way, but we are confident that our attention and research and frequent visits will help make this our true dream home... Nothing really fancy, but comfortable... at least, that's our dream!

[GeoffH]

Love the idea of the step lights Tommy!

[Tommy T.]

24 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

Love the idea of the step lights Tommy!

I refer to them - to myself only - as the romance  lights...

I reckon that, if I fix a special meal for L, with some red wine, then soft music and low lights, then turn on the step lights???? Well... you know... Hahaha... I hate the song, but "The Stairway to Heaven," does come to mind...

Edited June 4, 2020 by Tommy T.