Hello,
I am new to this site. New to diy also but have plenty of common sense and hoping to share ideas as well as get some input from others here. We have an 86 sq meter lot, ground floor takes up about 48, second floor presently is only about 24 sq. meters. We are adding a 24 sq meter slab of concrete to double the size of upstairs. We want to do it with permits and plans to make it legit. However, the subdivision we live in does not provide building
plans, and half the downstairs was done by family friends with little technical experience, meaning they didnt use materials, ie rebar, that was to code, or footings.
So for the slab we are adding and adjoining walls and roofing, we have to dig up the ground floor to install 6 footings with dimensions of 1.4x1.4x.7, with connecting concrete beams. then install columns of .2x.3 m up to the roof. the connecting beams are about a meter for the four side beams and about 2 meters for the ends. If this is overkill please let me know...
we are moving the stairs also but have recently realized he has stairs that are a rise of 20cm, which is adequate, but a run of only 17 cm, this seems insufficient and quite frankly with the history of my wife and stairs, an accident waiting to happen. I am considering a change of the run to about 25 cm, and doing a double back stair design with a landing halfway up.
We are looking at tiles for the flooring, they call some tiles granite which don't look like granite at all, and at hardware stores they are called ceramic with the same design. I am american, and the numerous miscommunication issues are quite frustrating and causes of many arguments with wifey and we are in only first week of building. Also, they have started deconstruction without plans in place and permits, is this legal? Will i have to grease the wheels on top of paying the normal fees? My contractor seems to be absolutely horrible at math and i spent at least three hours showing him that to add a 24 square meter slab he doesnt need to order 600 bags of 40kg cement. as well as sand and aggregate to match....
I want to do my own cabinets as they seem rather basic box construction as long as i follow some very informative instructions found on the web regarding dado's and the like. We are looking for ideas as to where to find materials of quality at a reasonable price such as tiles, sinks, tubs, wood, ( i am building her a walk in closet of 10 sq meters). Is it just safer to pay the extra and get it at a hardware store? If so which is recommended Ace, Handyman, Wilcon, Home Depot, any other major ones to consider?
Also considering doing the stairs myself, our contractor seems to have a love of concrete that i am currently lacking. Any lessons learned on stairs? I know this seems to be all over the place right now, as we progress i hope to be more focused. Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated and i will definately share any lessons learned as well.
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
:welcome: to PHM sober nomastequila :thumbup:
Most contractors have their own way, so sometimes they are better left alone and do their job. That is unless you really find something that is not up to your standards, if something's fishy or you think you're being taken advantage of - just the common basics.
The hardware stores you mentioned are all good. There is a place called Binondo (Chinatown) wherein you could get items at a lower cost but it would cost you more time and I guess more misunderstanding in the end. Better yet, get them on those mall wherein you could see a sample, ask questions and easily go back conveniently.
For other building questions, let's wait for our in-house architects and contractors to chime in.
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
I would suggest at least hiring an engineer to deal with the structural design of your renovation and also someone knowledgeable to oversee construction.
As for the tiles, there are a lot to choose from. The granite that you mentioned is probably synthetic granite. There are ceramic, porcelain and granite tiles (synthetic), with granite being the most durable but expensive.
As for the cabinets, you can do it yourself if you have the skill and tools to do the job properly. As for the stairs, i wouldn't recommend diy but if you know what you are doing and understand the risks of not doing it properly then go for it.
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
Hello,
Also considering doing the stairs myself, our contractor seems to have a love of concrete that i am currently lacking. Any lessons learned on stairs?
The traditional means of setting out the stairs is the formula twice the rise plus the going= 23 or 24 inches.
Stairs are a really interesting project
I would suggest you set them out on the wall first.
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
:welcome: to PHM sober nomastequila :thumbup:
The hardware stores you mentioned are all good. There is a place called Binondo (Chinatown) wherein you could get items at a lower cost but it would cost you more time and I guess more misunderstanding in the end. Better yet, get them on those mall wherein you could see a sample, ask questions and easily go back conveniently.
In Binondo, (China-town) there is a shop Panda,(google it). Edward who co-owns the store is very friendly and knowledgeable.
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
Thanks for all the great info, already scheduling a trip to chitown/binondo this weekend and the contractor is offering to go along with us. I like the guy, he is just really really bad at math. As for the stairs, its kinda up in the air right now. Just realized my original design didnt account for the slab of concrete and i would have hit it about the second step. We had to rework the design to cut our room from 4 meters x 6 meters to 4x5 gonna have 14 steps total, with a landing halfway up and it doubles back, open sort of design which leaves a nice opening in the 24 sq meter slab that will be about 8 sq meters which really will do wonders for ventilation from down to upstairs. The architect is creating the plans already, as of now five of the footing holes have been dug up. kinda late to really stop the overkill if its there but we are within budget so if there is ever an earthquake i guess you all can come over to our place am sure we are going to be safe...
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
Just remembered that spiral stairs are the most space efficient.
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
Just remembered that spiral stairs are the most space efficient.
And a big pain if your hauling large items between floors. 😀
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
Wikipedia have a very good article called "Stairway"
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
Yeah so better plan on an alternate route if you need to enter big ticket items later which won't pass the stairs. LOL
We have 3 spiral stairs.
Millermatic 180 Autoset Mig Welder
Miller Spoolmate 100 Spool Gun
Victor Firepower 350 Oxy Ace Outfit
3M Speedglas 9002X AD Helmet
Makita LC1230 Dry Cut Saw
Ingersoll Rand Air Tools
Snap On Tools
Metabo Power Tools
Norseman Drill Cutting Tools
Bosch Power Tools
3M PPS
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
if you're painting the cabinets i suggest skipping the dadoes and fancy joinery. properly made butt joints will last as long as the plywood itself. i've seen plywood cabinet doors delaminate with age, but with the joinery intact.
concrete's attractive because all sorts of things kill wood here. termites, fungus, etc.
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Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
And a big pain if your hauling large items between floors. 😀
That's so but the space saved may be worth the trouble, anyway it's Nomastequila choice.
The interest/experience of building a stair-case is great fun,think I've built 3 or maybe 4 of them.
(but no spirals)
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
thanks again for the advice, its not a spiral staircase, although my wife loves them, its a switchback staircase with an open ceiling above the steps. seven steps up to a landing then a 180 degree turn for another seven steps. precisely correct about moving things up levels, this will give me a two meter wide opening and 3 meters long, As for the cabinets. Thats good advice and will do more research on this subject. A good butt joint would save me from having to purchase a router, However, as a pseudo chef/baker. I will be putting quite a bit of strain on some of my counters. so much to consider.. i really appreciate all the helpful insights. have a great day and hit the nail on the head...
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
any thoughts regarding tile adhesive? brands, expected coverage from a fairly level slab, bathroom vs bedroom....?
Re: massive renovation for addition of 24 sq m...
Ok well here is some photos of work completed in two weeks. any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated. 
they are digging to move the septic to outside the house, the open area will be the living room in front and her mothers room in back. on ground floor, with switchback stairs going up the wall on the right side to a landing. The ground floor will protrude 1 meter farther out than the upper floor, allowing for a very small terrace running the length of the side. Am thinking the roof should be sloped from back to front with overhang of the terrace Not sure how to complete the main entry door we like the look of sort of adobe exposed 2x4's protruding to shade the door but not sure. thanks again and have a good day.
