As per your observation, that is quite what seems a number of builders/developers are doing with their build in this country. However there are also good contractors who follow the industry norm but you have to really look for them to get what you want. If you do find them it will ease your worries about over building or over doing some parts of your project to avoid wasteful resources. Be wary of contractors or builders who don't have construction engineers or professional project managers as you would wind up with a lousy house built by workers whose expertise is based on passed on knowledge from their elders and not from professional trade school training. This country churns a lot of Architectural and Engineering graduates every year so there should be no excuses for shortage of schooled project managers.

code-user js-bbcode-user" href="#" data-cke-saved-href="#">PeterAustralia code-user js-bbcode-user" href="#" data-cke-saved-href="#">PeterAustralia bcode-user js-bbcode-user" href="#" data-cke-saved-href="#">PeterAustralia stralia;n82879]HI All, I am only new here and will be retiring in the Philippines early next year. One question that I have been trying to find the answer to is and having lots of trouble. I am planning on getting a house built, I have looked at many designs and photos and builds, one thing I don't understand is why is the mortar between concrete blocks so thick, the normal standard is 3/8 inch or 10mm. From what i can see in photos and visits, a lot seem to be 1 inch or more, this to me is very bad, i dont care if wall has rebar and filled with concrete. Is this a practice to use less blocks or is there something I am missing with the way construction is done in the Philippines. Hopefully someone can answer me as unable to find out why. Many Thanks in advance.

This is a last year inquiry and I would like to answer...

@ wiilyfernando

I'm agree on what you had said. As I started on constructions projects I found out that there is various skill workers with different approach and they are all differ from there mentor and on what nature they perform such like the difference of "PAKYAWAN", Manage with licensed contractor or company held policies..

I have not yet seen of a 1 inch or even 3/4 inch mortar between hollow blocks. If doing so, It will have a very rocky or unstable when placing and affixing the CHB on that kind thick of mortar. It would be a waste of man hours and materials. continuous doing it, as high it goes, the weight on each level will compress the lower levels that it will move like a concave wall. because the mortar in-between is not yet dry. If managing a 1 inch mortar, it would be likely to lesser water and putting some spacers to withstand the effect of unstable emplacement.

In my process I'm doing not more than 12mm in between. and also I'm looking of workers held from company policies and process.. mas madali sila makaintinde ng engineering words and technicalities unlike to Pakyawan workers, andameng bansag sa mga proseso kahit sila sila di magkaintindihan lol... at di rin sila sanay makisama sa mga company held workers..

I hope this had help and gave an idea..