Housebuilding Information Thailand - perimeter wall construction

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August, 2004 Editor. Pattaya, Thailand home construction, home building. Various types of perimeter wall construction. Examples of a wire fence constructed with preformed posts laid in cement. An example of a heavy duty concrete block perimeter wall being built. What are important things to check for when your wall is being built? Wall options and decorative aspects of having the wall built.

There are in general two main categories of perimeter walls: the 'heavy duty' concrete block constructed perimeter wall and the less heavy duty wire fence.

Wire Fence

You might consider this option if you're trying to fence of a large area and just need something quick and cheap. Normally these are made of prefabricated posts that cost about 100 Baht each, some cement and wire, the total cost being much less than a cement block wall. The wire used can be barbed or straight. This won't work if you are going to add fill dirt up to the border of your land, since the wall will not function as a retaining wall.

This shows the base of the wire perimeter wall. Post holes are dug at about 2.5 meter intervals. The post is inserted and then a temporary support is used to hold the post in place prior to the cement pour. (23-Jun-04)

Here wire is used use to as a fencing material. Later a mesh will be added to this fence to keep chickens in.

Notice the addition of chicken wire to the lower portion of the fence. (24-Jun-04)

This application was finished off with two main entry posts and an entry gate. A layer of bricks was used on top of these prefabricated entry posts for an artistic look. (06-Jul-04).

Cement Block Wall

Walls that are built from concrete blocks are great. They are durable and help hold in the fill dirt. Some things to be on the lookout for are: 1.) Poured fence posts and much stronger than prefabricated ones. 2.) The fence post should be poured around the rebar structure after the cement blocks are laid in-between. This binds the structure together and is much stronger than if the posts are poured first. 3.) The ideal distance between posts is about 2.5 meters (the inside measurement from post to post). 4.) The main ingredient which makes the cement blocks themselves strong is the application of the cement stucco. The stucco application should be at least about 5 millimeters thick.

Post holes like this should be dug each 2.5 meters. The stick at the bottom signifies the center of the fence post to be poured. The hole is 60 cm square, 60 cm deep. (11-Jan-04)

Supporting rebar structures, which are made by tying metal strands together, are placed in the completed post hole. There is a metal base on the bottom of the structure. The metal used on the upright pieces is guage 3 hun full, the square supports are 2 hun full.

The base is cemented in place with a cement pour around 30 cm thick.

Cement is poured using a large metal can as a form, about 30 cm square. (13-Jan-04)

A strip footing is created about 10 inches high by about 10 cm. wide. Straight form wood is used to form the concrete. The concrete is poured around a metal rebar structure, of 3 hun full (vertical) with 2 hun full (cross supports). (16-Jan-04)

The strip footing will have the rebar supports at 2.5 meter intervals.

Another shot showing the strip footing with the rebar supports at 2.5 meter intervals.

To add strength the blocks are cemented in place prior to pouring the supporting posts. The posts will be poured 'around' the blocks. Standard sizes for facing walls is 4 blocks high, the back sides are 7 blocks high. (24-Jan-04)

Another shot of the blocks. Note, there is a piece of rebar placed horizontally in the post then laid on top of the adjacent row of blocks. This metal piece is used to add strength. It is guage 2 hun full and is about 40 cm long.

This is the entry way reserved for the walk in gate.

Another view of the back wall.

The support post is poured around the adjacent blocks using a form structure.

A wall section (front and side) with completed support post structures.

To apply decorative tiles around a perimeter wall foundation post, the brick layer creates a rig which sits on top of the post and has 'straight-line' nylon line running down the side. (28-Jun-04)

Laying a brick in place.

Stucco being applied to the perimeter wall.

Finishing touches applied to the top of the perimeter wall foundation post.

Finished wall section with some decorative brickwork on the entry posts. (06-Jul-04)

Painted and finished wall section with decorative security metal. (15-Aug-04)

Various Options

This shot shows a nice application of a diagonal section which can be used to make entry easier. The diagonal section can be added at each side of the entry gate. (01-Jan-04)

This is another material which can be used in combination with the entry posts. Here the posts are surrounded with a large decorative brick. (06-26-04)

Wall Examination

A good enough looking wall section but can you notice two things? The posts are far apart (3.5 meters) and the fact that you can see the imprint of the underlying blocks indicates that the stucco layer applied was very thin. (06-Jul-04)

You can see from a close examination of this wall section that the post was not correctly poured around the blocks. (14-Jul-04)

A close up showing that the post was poured before the blocks were laid in, not after.

Another thing worth noting. If cheap paint is used on wall sections it will not last long. This section was just painted a few weeks before. (25-Jul-04)

One thing missing here! There is supposed to be a piece of metal extending out of the rows of blocks into the post area to add strength. Many people don't do this - you need to request it. (12-Jun-04)
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