My House Plans

[fanboat 450]

I don't know about "spider cracks" in the finish, but none of the ceramic floor tiles in the house that were layed over the cement slab have any cracks in them.

 

 

You will find that the cement slab below floors that are to be covered with ceramic tile is finished rough (see photo below):

 

 

 

 

You will also find that the cement slab below floors that are to be covered with wood planks are finished smooth (no photo).

 

BTW .... They installed "Engineered" (hardwood veneer) wood planks in the bedrooms of my house. Between the cement slab and the wood planks was a thin layer of poly foam and then a layer of 10mm marine grade plywood which was screwed through the poly foam and into the cement slab to keep it secure ... Then the wood planks were glued on there back-side and machined stapled to in the plywood in the non-visable tongue and groove area:

 

Here is kinda how they did it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[fanboat 450]

I don't know about "spider cracks" in the finish, but none of the ceramic floor tiles in the house that were layed over the cement slab have any cracks in them.

 

 

You will find that the cement slab below floors that are to be covered with ceramic tile is finished rough (see photo below):

 

 

 

 

You will also find that the cement slab below floors that are to be covered with wood planks are finished smooth (no photo).

 

BTW .... They installed "Engineered" (hardwood veneer) wood planks in the bedrooms of my house. Between the cement slab and the wood planks was a thin layer of poly foam and then a layer of 10mm marine grade plywood which was screwed through the poly foam and into the cement slab to keep it secure ... Then the wood planks were glued on there back-side and machined stapled to in the plywood in the non-visable tongue and groove area:

 

Here is kinda how they did it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

Very nice...the tile guys here use almost a 1" float so this is the slip joint...in america we pour level and do not float like that...I still say do it the right way and put 2" of sand on the slab

[loosehead 47]

Thanks Turbota for the pics. I'm a fan of wood floors, particularly bamboo, and that laying method looks really good. $40 a square metre for materials only is not cheap but it really looks great. Would you say $50 per square metre would cover laying and sealing ? Nice to see a house built by quality tradesmen. You must be rapt with your Architect/Project Manager.

[Jess Bartone 1,820]

Very nice...the tile guys here use almost a 1" float so this is the slip joint...in america we pour level and do not float like that...I still say do it the right way and put 2" of sand on the slab

 

 

I know we're backward little f*krs down here, but all the concrete pours I do go directly on the heavy duty poly (plastic) sheet. Anything porous, like sand, sucks the water out of the concrete too fast, it drys too quickly and ends up cracking. Maximum Mpa is achieved by "drying" concrete underwater, but the next best thing is laying wet hessian over it and keeping it damp. Full structural strength after 28 days.

Edited March 27, 2010 by JesseB

[Turbota 95]

That price on the price sheet I showed above includes instalation and the marine grade plywood which they bought locally (out the door price).

 

The company sent the installers down here from Manila to do the instalation. In fact, after they finished my wood floors, they went to Cebu to do another job.

 

I was suprised with all the new equipment they brought with them ... A proffesional circular miter saw, a brand new air compressor, and a new air powered staple gun. I wish I got some photos of there power tools. For the Philippines, I was impressed!

 

We had a compressor on site, but they wanted to bring there own.

 

Ron,

[Headshot 29,349]

Some of the guys here on the forum have said sheetrock is tough to use here (skilled labor?), but I saw that they have a price for 1/2" gypsum board at City Hardware. I really prefer sheetrock for interior wall and ceiling surfaces to any of the other alternatives I have seen here. What problems would I run into using it here? Does anybody have any actual experience with it here? How hard was it to find skilled hangers and finishers (for you or your contractor)?

[fanboat 450]

Very nice...the tile guys here use almost a 1" float so this is the slip joint...in america we pour level and do not float like that...I still say do it the right way and put 2" of sand on the slab

 

 

I know we're backward little f*krs down here, but all the concrete pours I do go directly on the heavy duty poly (plastic) sheet. Anything porous, like sand, sucks the water out of the concrete too fast, it drys too quickly and ends up cracking. Maximum Mpa is achieved by "drying" concrete underwater, but the next best thing is laying wet hessian over it and keeping it damp. Full structural strength after 28 days.

 

 

What happens to us if the concrete is poured directly on plastic is we end up with all the water sitting on the surface of the slab

we want the water to suck into the sand so the surface will dry to a point that the mud can take a smooth finish

 

the water is still there....as soon aa we can we spray a concrete cure on the finished product...followed with a water down the follow day.

 

all the blue prints that go through plan check...show this very detail...and before mud is poured the inspector signs off on the grade work!

[SkyMan 23,691]

Turbota, looks like they did an excellent job with the wood floor but it looks like they're using concrete under the tile. I know that's common here but i think it's a real mistake. It's not long before tiles start popping up and if you let them go too long, breaking. I think it's worth a few p to get regular tile adhesive. Hope I'm looking at the picture wrong.

[fanboat 450]

Turbota, looks like they did an excellent job with the wood floor but it looks like they're using concrete under the tile. I know that's common here but i think it's a real mistake. It's not long before tiles start popping up and if you let them go too long, breaking. I think it's worth a few p to get regular tile adhesive. Hope I'm looking at the picture wrong.

 

 

Thats a wet set.....100% used here........sticks real good.....has to have a 1" float or more on floors...walls about 1/2" float

 

never seen em use thin set here?

[Turbota 95]

Some of the guys here on the forum have said sheetrock is tough to use here (skilled labor?), but I saw that they have a price for 1/2" gypsum board at City Hardware. I really prefer sheetrock for interior wall and ceiling surfaces to any of the other alternatives I have seen here. What problems would I run into using it here? Does anybody have any actual experience with it here? How hard was it to find skilled hangers and finishers (for you or your contractor)?

 

Sheetrock (drywall) is not tough to use here. In fact, all my interior ceilings are drywall. The drywall is hung on an aluminum framework. The drywall sheets are held to the aluminum grid by screws. Joints are taped and "mudded" with drywall compound. Then sanded. After that, 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of flat white latex paint is applied. The end result looks just like any other drywall job in the US.

 

BTW .. They call drywall "Gypsum Board" here.

 

 

Few photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Headshot 29,349]

Sheetrock (drywall) is not tough to use here. In fact, all my interior ceilings are drywall. The drywall is hung on an aluminum framework. The drywall sheets are held to the aluminum grid by screws. Joints are taped and "mudded" with drywall compound. Then sanded. After that, 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of flat white latex paint is applied. The end result looks just like any other drywall job in the US.

 

BTW .. They call drywall "Gypsum Board" here.

Technically, they call it gypsum board in the US as well. Sheetrock and drywall are just slang terms. There are two gypsum board plants in the little town where my parents live in central Utah (US Gypsum and Georgia Pacific). I'm glad to hear that others are using it here. Was there any problem getting perfa-tape and drywall compound? The aluminum framework you used is interesting. Did your contractor get that for you? How did it compare in price to using formed steel framing to do the same thing with the tray ceilings? BTW, who was your contractor? You can PM me if you prefer.

[Headshot 29,349]

I like how you did your tray ceilings. I will be doing something very similar, but I will put a small ledge around the bottom of the tray for uplighting.

[Jess Bartone 1,820]

Technically, they call it gypsum board in the US as well. Sheetrock and drywall are just slang terms. There are two gypsum board plants in the little town where my parents live in central Utah (US Gypsum and Georgia Pacific). I'm glad to hear that others are using it here. Was there any problem getting perfa-tape and drywall compound? The aluminum framework you used is interesting. Did your contractor get that for you? How did it compare in price to using formed steel framing to do the same thing with the tray ceilings? BTW, who was your contractor? You can PM me if you prefer.

 

In Western Australia, they call it "Gyprock", which is a brand name, in the other states they just call it "plasterboard".