Energy efficient building for hot climates. How are Thais building their homes?

Hi, in this video, we are looking at the flip side of a coin of sustainable living. Generating your own energy is only half effective if the building is not constructed in an efficient way. Let's look at this topic from a perspective when living in a hot climate.
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#Thai Construction #Building in the Tropics

[@ChristianWagner888]

Thanks for covering this topic for an Asian tropical climate. Here in the Philippines, Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) blocks by Stärken and other companies are becoming more popular. Theoretically available from 5 cm to 30 cm thickness. From what I observe though in actual use, I see 15 cm thickness for the outside walls and 10 cm for inside walls. Expats tend to use 20 cm for outside walls. A rendered AAC wall is at least twice as expensive per square meter than traditional Concrete Hollow Block (CHB) walls, but due to high electricity costs there is a good return on investment when using air-cons. Even without air conditioning, a well insulated room is more comfortable, because the insulated walls give off much less heat during the night than CHB. Due to earthquake engineering up to a magnitude of 8.0, we use very solid post and beam construction, either with reinforced concrete or steel beams. Traditionally, CHB are filled and reinforced by 10 mm reinforcement bars every 60 cm vertically and horizontally and tied in to posts and beams, preventing cracking and falling out during quakes. This is difficult to replicate with AAC. The advantage of AAC walls is, that they weigh only about one third of a typical CHB wall. Nevertheless, the AAC infill walls need special consideration in earthquake zones, as they easily form cracks even in relatively minor earthquakes (magnitude 5.0+). In the Philippines they use a seismic gap of 1 to 2 cm on the sides and on the top filled with polyurethane foam or very soft mortar. Also the walls are tied in to the posts/columns using dowels or brackets every 60 cm of height. By comparison in Italy even more earthquake detailing is required for AAC walls with continuous reinforcement layers every 3 blocks and better protection against falling over by fastening the walls to the top beam.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Thanks for this interesting information about considering earthquakes.

[@timjkinney3472]

@ChristianWagner888 do you have a company related to building in PH would be great to have contact. my wife has house in N. Vizcaya we plan to build home/office in Mindoro or vicinity.

[@PeterHendricks59]

We have built in the central plains with the 20 cm aac blocks. Roof and ceilings are also insulated. But, when the sun shines I can feel the heat from above. These blocks seem to be unavailable north of Bkk, but my wife knows how to trawl the net. In the end 3 trucks arrived and 6 people unloaded them one by one. We werehad by a local window maker. In the rainy season we couldn't leave the house unattended, because constant mopping up was needed. In the end we replaced all 5 windows with Belgian ones (made in Turkey). Expensive, but almost no bug can get in any more and if the neighbours are burning crop waste or have a noisy party, we just close the windows. Definitely recommended.

[@beefquiche]

thank you for this by the way, you can have more windows in each property by extending the roof East and West so that very little sunshine ever hits those walls/windows.

[@GlennBobFP]

I'm hoping to build a modest energy efficient house in Thailand in 2023 or 2024 so I'm starting to do research on what others have done and appreciate your video on the subject. Those extra thick blocks look great. Next time I'm in the Hua Hin area I will see about booking a couple of nights at your resort!

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Sorry, your comment was held for review and I didn't see it. Yes, sure. You should definitely prepare for the experience of "Building my house in Thailand". I I hope we will have a lot of time to watch over the construction team. :)

[@gordonchristophertubo3164]

Thank you. I live in the PH and have no background in construction. Thank you for this info, never knew there are non-hollow blocks available. I was thinking of making big windows to allow air inflow, with peripheral foliage to probably make air less hot.

[@adon8672]

Thanks a lot for this video. Most videos on energy efficient buildings are from developed countries where emphasis is on keeping the heat in or keeping the cold out. If you have a link to how those energy-efficient concrete blocks are made then that will be very well appreciated.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

This video would show you the production as an example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIuvdZ5mZaidaKs This types of blocks are typically made all over the world. The advantage is, that the material is containing mostly air, similar to a sponge. And it is the air, which gives you the good thermal properties. This would be a video as high tech manufacturing example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHecZ4quYtpjbbM

[@adon8672]

Great! Thanks a lot.

[@naumanzakir8005]

I think they are aac blocks- autoclaved air crete blocks with air cells inside

[@ChinhNguyen-yb3cp]

Saw your video today from Vietnam. Very helpfull as I am thinking about building my 1st home here in Hanoi, where climate condition is as hot as Thailand but even more humid. Thank you very much for video.

[@6.....5.....Detroit]

Great video! Thanks for sharing.

[@Mike_in_Thailand]

While the aerated concrete blocks are more efficient in theory, that only works when the house is shut up. in practice most Thais leave doors and windows open which negates any benefits of these blocks. Good luck with trying to get any of my wife's family or friends to close the door and windows!

[@nanateali1038]

Thanks dear, I like the ideas

[@naumanzakir8005]

Ra trap brick bond helps to insulate inside/outside

[@jhoon2345]

sustainability on the dictionary meaning is what people are not referring to. hence their understanding of the term is very different. hence the actions taken to act upon the word is also different in many ways. =)

[@demorippa]

Simiar but different processes to us in the caribbean. In my country DOminica the smallest blocks we use are 4 inch but only for internal walls. 6 and 8 inch are used normally for external walls. Also we put up the blocks first and then pour the colums. Then after pour the beams and decking so it can tie in better structurally for exquakes and hurricanes. The passive cooling is the biggest problem i personally have dealing with

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

In a hotter world passive cooling is getting more difficult as even places in shadow will be to hot. We will have to rely on AC in furure but keep our rooms as energy efficient as possible. And the energy for the AC will idealy have to come from renewables. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@Peter-td3yk]

a/c is the only way to make it bearable.. 100% humidity is not fun.. A fan just moves super hot moist air .. Like how west and souther america populated. It wwas the a/c unit..

[@alawoye]

I’ve done projects in the Caribbean ( and now Africa) which those traditional methods you mentioned are pretty common and although the 6-8” blocks DELAY the heat gain, by late afternoon ( especially on the west facing walls) they have absorbed an abundance of heat and then by the evening they slowly release the heat to the interior space Which is exactly the time when energy demands are high and often higher energy tariffs ( costing more than the residential day tariff) Concrete blocks (CMUs as called in the USA) used in the Caribbean, are designed to delay the onset of heat and unfortunately the release of heat, so at 6pm sunset those west facing walls will feel warm/hot for 6-8hrs or more, on the inside and outside That is the problem and it’s a design issue which can be solved What I do in retrofit like an existing building like you have, start with outdoor exterior wall treatment to cast a shadow on the west facing wall, that could be adding 1) trellis with creeping plants, 2) fast growing plants like bamboo 3) a pergola with canvas panels to create an outdoor shaded area for BBQ etc From 9-10am keep windows/doors closed late morning through late afternoon and add an extraction fan high up the wall to purge days heat and while opening at-grade windows (or a vent) which face the outdoor garden or landscaping ( not a paved areas ) from 8pm overnight until 6-7am These are simple solutions that will help you reduce your energy consumption for A/C If I was building your house I would have used either aerated blocks of 3” and do a double envelope with a 1” air barrier vented to the exterior roof elevation ( this works by creating a thermal separation air barrier from the outside wall, which absorbs heat, and the interior wall which has no direct contact with the outside wall preventing heat conduction-transfer, so the inside face of exterior walls remains cooled passively through night purges) another option is a single concrete wall of 6-8” but with 2-3” of rigid foam insulation covering the complete outside wall envelope, this system is faster and easier than the former, and it creates the best of both worlds I call it a capacitor and a resistor, the resistor is the outer later of rigid insulation that resists heat transfer conduction through the wall which normally heats the building in the evening, and the capacitor is the 6-8” concrete wall acting as thermal storage of cooling from the limited a/c or the night purges As you know the Caribbean nights are very enjoyable, and enjoys an average 10-12c variation from daytime highs to overnight lows, that is key and required for this design to work 100% Because the overnight lows is the temperature you’d want to maintain indoors throughout the day, using this technique you will be able to do this and with very limited or no energy consumption ( nearly passively) the Caribbean only has ~8 or 9hrs of heat to mitigate and the other 15-16 hours of the day are very temperate and enjoyable, meaning you use the majority of each day’ free energy to mitigate the effects of the hottest parts of the day….. 😊 this is much easier than a cold climate environment where the days are cold (avg -15c to -25c) and the nights are colder (avg -25 to -40) spanning 3-4months year, doing passive house design for that is tricky because 6mths later it’s hot and humid (+30c to +40c) so the design used to solve one issue is sometimes working against you to solve the other issue, need to be on your p and q 😅 I’m a passive house / energy efficient building developer, and usually I don’t give out professional services freely as it’s a business I do, I’m planning to do more such projects in Africa and the Caribbean I’ll like do vlogs on the topic, there are a few more tricks to do with it which will make the buildings fully passive and use no / very very minimal mechanical cooling in hot climates But using those tricks will save you a lot of money on energy costs, also in SE Asia Pacific, as well. Most of the narrative of passive house building design is dominated in the global north, which has different challenges, some apply to both but not all, I’ve spent over 20yrs doing such passive houses in Toronto Canada and NYC/Chicago USA and learned a lot about how to do them, I’m now applying that knowledge to tropical climates which has different challenges Thanks for the video 👍🏿

[@jontzkyvideos2671]

thanks for the information sir

[@adon8672]

The problem with the large block is that the require something like a large factory to produce them. The regular congrete block can be made on site using local labour and simple molds.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Aren't all the aerated concrete blocks, even the 7,5cm which they are selling everywhere, all coming from a factory near Bangkok? I just know if you want to have thick ones, you have to buy a whole truck full of it. But in theory they can cut the molded factory block to any size you want. Locally they will make all those normal concrete blocks. If you think local is better because it saves the transport, then its still not better for the climate as those concrete blocks are useless in terms of thermal efficiency.

[@adon8672]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore I completely agree with your conclusion on the thermal efficiency of the aerated concrete blocks compared to the others. My comment was meant to draw attention to the main disadvantage of the aerated blocks and why it is relatively difficult to quickly adopt it's use in many tropical countries including Thailand but especially beyond (e.g. Most of Africa, South America and a good chunk of Asia). If there are small scale machines that allow local production by small/micro businesses very close to the building sites then adoption will be more widespread.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

@@adon8672 I saw a few videos, maybe from India where small, local companies where producing the blocks. But you know how things work in Thailand. It's always the big business who is taking over anything what potentially makes money.

[@NiaArifah-br6cr]

i plant to put water pipe in room ceiling, so the cool water can be circulated

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Roof areas and attics are usually the hottest places in a house. Your idea can block heat coming down that way.

[@NiaArifah-br6cr]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore indeed, beside cool water are cheap & since we constantly use it, the water constantly replaced. So no heat buildup happen But water pipe cost a lot

[@alawoye]

Although I agree with hydronic systems like that (running water through walls / roof) I’d be cautious about potential pipe damage or condensation issues since the roof will be the warm zone and the water will be cool It would be far better to build a secondary roof system atop existing roof with a sloped overhang that blocks afternoon sun and cast a shadow on the wall that usually gets the afternoon sunlight and solar heat gain Tree placement and shaded outdoor water pond also helps a lot because the breeze passing over the water becomes cooler bringing the coolness inside Also you should get one extraction fan and run it through the late evening to early morning (9-10pm to 5-6am) to get a good overnight purge of thermal heat trapped in the blocks, then try keeping the windows/doors closed from 10am - 4pm, try that out for a week (it’ll take a few days to purge the heat storage in the walls and bring them to a good level of average temperature) I’m introducing these and other concepts in Africa which is also hot and humid weather

[@Mark-gg6iy]

Good idea, the inevitable indoor pool should be very shocking (yes, pun intended) as well.

[@exceldesign]

Thank you so much for sharing this info. My partner and I are thinking about moving back to SE Asia and would like to build a home. I grew up on solar and realize that aircon uses many kwh of power, so I've been wondering about passive cooling options.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Thanks for taking time to comment. Yes, improving the structure of the house will help you to keep electricity cost on acceptable levels and you will feel a big difference inside compared to a cheaply built option.

[@Peter-td3yk]

Have you ever lived in asia.. Hot and humid, hot and humid rain, high humidity.. things get moldy and fast.. I used 3 dehumidifiers, others used closet heaters to prevent mold.. I never turned off the a/c.. If no ac then no fabrics whicker etc..cooler and no mold.. In pi they have woven beds cooler.. Rugs duh mildew smell yuck.. Passive options when its over 90 degrees and super high humidity.. You aint getting cooler air coming in. .Plus a lot are concrete termite and pest proof..Got the oven effect, suck up heat during day gives it off at night.. Solar have you ever been in a typhoon? well solar becomes airborne and a killer.. Yup.. Termites soo bad last time in thailand the roof rafters were metal pest proof.. Metal roofs, cheap and pest proof.. A matterss in a non conditioned space is a moisture grabber.. Rainy season nothing dries out, permanent high humidity.. You can feel it when you inhale.. And always have extra shirts in the boot.. One must condition at least the bedroom so clothing and bedding is kept in a usable state.. With a dehumidifier, add some heat too.. How does one lower humidity at 100%? For weeks a season at a time.. One must remove the humidity thats how.. Basically the locals live with no a/c, but my sis in law definetly has an a/c in phillipeans.. And uses it..My dad doesnt my wife visited and could not sleep or eat. There is no way i would live back in asia without a/c in a few rooms.. Ahh the coolness and dryness are intoxicating.. When 100% humidity how does one dry cloths?? Locals just hang them to dry?? (hello its 100%) Me save enough to have a/c and a back up generator to power them.. Super insulate the bedroom on the outside with foam baords with aluminium backing to reflect radiant heat.. I live in san jose and the sun is really hot and strong.. I use foam with aluminium covers for my sunny windows to stop radiant heat.. I cover them in fabric look good.. On the window side over 100 degrees, on the inside its 76 degrees and the room doesnt heat up.. You damn well know when the windows arent covered, the room really heats up.(radiant heat rays come in and heat up the items in the room thats bad). Think australia and they have overhangs to stop sunlight.. My lesson one must stop solar radiation.. Bounce it back.. Read articles on best heat reflectors.. Mine are up already upper 88 or so today im bottling cool air.. But in asia you dont get cool air.. A fan just doesnt cut it.. San jose homes and commercial the roof plywood is aluminum reflective on one side now.. food for thought.. Mildew is bad in asia so mildewicide paints inside are a must, you can surf stores in asia for what they use there.. ac units geet clogged from dirt in asia so my sis has hers cleaned every year or so.. Bedroom windows at a minium they just lose or allow heat to enter.. Or as I always say if you live in an asian country get used to it live like a local.. Bob coated his roof 2 times a year with a reflective white paint in PI.. See articles there are a lot of them now.. So how to stop radiant heat? trees, ivy, thats the real killer.. If one can limit the heat build up your a winner.. Id insulate the outside because cold meats hot you get moisture keep it outside.. Inside no sheet rock plain walls stuccoed like how i lived in HK and singapore.. Must move air around mold etc.. Asian cars have supped up ac systems to handle the heat.. Not like usa units.. you see your breath, ahhh what a relief after walking about for hours.. one must have at least 1 room with a/c with a tv computer clothing.. Some days are unbearable..

[@arcdeecee6190]

Not too familiar with this. So what you're saying is thicker solid blocks are better than hollow ones in tropical regions? I'm from Nigeria. I understand the ceiling insulation and ventilating the roof. There is really no quality control here. Blocks are made with just cement, sand and water. No aeration agent (though I don't get that too). Best case os the blocks are vibrated. Also want to ask whether these solid blocks won't add more weight to the building? What happens if you're building on an already existing substructure or building? Do I get the structural design redone? Also what materials are best for roofing sheets or covers. We mostly have regular aluminum or stone coated ones. Any better options? Sorry for the many questions. Hope to start building my house soon and my focus has been on passive cooling. Fortunately the estate plot has mine well oriented. So thinking more of the material and cooling techniques

[@LastMan855]

you save me! thanks you !

[@MrMartgolf]

Great video, we are looking to build in 2 years in the north east of Thailand, today was 38degrees, so would like an alternative than relying solely on air con

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Yeah. Such high temperatures are tough especially when your options of letting outside air circulate in or around your building due to bad air quality. As temperatures are rising above a certain level and stay up high even during night times, there is only as much you can do with creating shady places, etc. We will all have to rely on air con more than ever. Thats why it's important to use highly efficient building materials and at least try to use solar energy to run those devices as best as possible. Greetings to the North!

[@raymondsmith4401]

Hi Roland I retired here in Thailand. I can buy the concrete block in the video for 5 Baht each, but when I go to SCG and look at the aerated concrete blocks, they want a small fortune for them .

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

How much is it for the 7.5cm aerated, around 35B? Red brick is as well that price for the same area to build. The thick one is around 100B I guess. I know that the 7cm concrete block is super cheap, but in terms of using air-conditioning, it is the way, that the room might feel cool as long the AC is on, but immediately will turn to outside temperature once you turn it of. So you are basically just pumping cool to the outside with your electricity. You could easily save 1000-2000B a month just on electricity with better walls. You need to calculate, how much money it is just for the wall filling. You will see, that at the end it is not that much more to go for aerated blocks, as wall filling is only a small part of total cost. The big ticket item in construction is the steel reinforced frame, and the roof. If you are planning to stay in Thailand at that place for the foreseeable future, go for at least 2 layers 7,5cm aerated (15cm wall). You will later find, that the climate inside the home is very much more comfortable. You can use that material for only the rooms with AC. The other non critical rooms, you can use cheap concrete as well...

[@raymondsmith4401]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore Hi Roland. well, I was just commenting. I’m up here in the little farming valley of Samoeng, about an hour up in the mountains above Chiang Mai. I actually took apart three old wood Thai houses, and repurposed them into one new / old Thai house. Thought that was the right thing to do. Hate concrete ! But, doing the right thing comes at a cost, and I’m probably about 100% over budget. But I’ve got a house that breathes, is cool almost always, doesn’t trap poisons inside, no need for a/c or heat. Cheers, and thanks for the video.

[@greenheritage4275]

Nice

[@sonictravels4112]

What do you think about a Passivhaus type build (airtight building with efficient low heat bridging) for Thailand? It will require an ERV for air exchange and humidity control. I am seriously planning a house build in Thailand and cannot find any Passivhaus builders there online.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

For the tropics this is a tricky concept. Passivhaus works well in moderate climate where you can as well play with sun angles during winter, etc. The concept there is to recycle your waste heat, catch it and reuse it before it leaves the house. Here you would need to cool the interior always, and the fresh air you bring inside needs to be cooled as well. Good walls and sufficiently overlapping roofs to not let the sun burn into the windows should do most of the trick. You will need to generate your electricity for cooling and that will make you Passive. Such concepts are unknown in Thailand. You will have to bring in your ideas and hopefully find a contractor who can follow your concept.

[@robdavinroy1761]

Roland, you have been so helpful, another question sir. My thai wife is telling me that a farang (or anyone) cannot use their own drawn-up plans and build a house in thailand without first paying a Thai architect for the plans and a thai engineer for an assessment of the plans and foundation requirements. She said the local government would not allow the construction without the architect and engineer. Can you please provide insight into this? I am a civil engineer and have built my own house in the USA and was wondering about what your experience was with this.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Hi. Yes, that is correct. 2 Thai civil engineers must sign your project, while one needs to draw the plans. But you can let it do the local Or-Bor-Tor office. Usually they charge around 20000-25000 Baht per building/floor for the drawing and permission. It is as well important to permit as the correct property type. Like domestic, or used for business rental, etc. If you permit lets say for private usage and later want to rent out the property, you would do the whole permitting again. So yeah. Best to go to the local administration office and speak to the engineer there. It the easiest way and usually the overall cheapest if you let the local office do it.

[@markkica8755]

Somehow I have expected house partialy under ground , or with some kind of passive ventilation (trombe wall) from soil . I was suprised with thin bricks with low heat capacity .

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Can't build a house under ground in the tropics. Everything would rot from moisture and humidity. Idealy it's kind of opposite and houses are lifted up from ground.

[@alawoye]

You could use the earth for passive ventilation, similar to a ground source heat pump, where outside air is brought underground to pass through subterranean piping to cool the air before being directed into the building It’s used in North Africa and the Middle East for centuries, becoming popular in Europe and North America (called earth tubes)

[@Peter-td3yk]

Bricks have the oven effect..Suck heat during the day give it back at night.. One must stop radiant heat..

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Yes, that is correct. Dense bricks, concrete blocks, etc will heat up a lot and then radiate heat. But as you say that you use an outside layer of aluminium sheet, then foam, then the wall, in comparison the aerated concrete block is about similar. You have dense plaster, then the foamy block and then dense plaster again. The trapped air inside a material is what makes it thermally effective. Tiled roofs heat up, right. That's why my roof is detached from the room underneath. Back-ventilated and ceiling insulated. One could use light materials for roofing too, but those typically fly away in storms :) I can see that you have a lot of experience with living in the tropics. Thank you for sharing.

[@BackonTrailasia]

Very informative video. I am in the process of building a house in Kalasin, and opted for the cheap hollow bricks for bathroom and livingroom, and the 7.5 cm white blocks for office and bedroom. Sound and heat insulation being a priority. We paid 25 baht per block. I am curious to know how much the big ones are. We have not yet arrived at the point to do the roof, so now is a good time to ask about your choice of insulation. What did you use, how much per sqm and where did you get it? I was recommended a metal roof, so certainly need all the protection I can get.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Hi. White blocks are paid by quantity of material in them. a double wide brick will typically cost 2x of the thinner one etc. At the time we built it was around 60 baht a brick. You can just use a extra layer of the thin one if you want to simplify. Our roofs are C-pak stone roof. directly underneath the stone is a thin layer of heat blocking foil. But then we put extra insulation wool on top of the ceiling in the attic. I don't know about the stile of your house. Guess it has a flat roof thats why the metal? Metal roof is very loud when raining. You will have to keep some air circulation below it too. Enjoy living in Thailand:)

[@patrikprekop8975]

Good video. What about moisture control, thermos bridges, etc? I'm concerned about all of those as a package of building physics

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

here in Thailand moisture will mostly creep up from the foundation. So the lowest beam on which the walls are resting should optimally be higher above the ground. I am draining surface water away from my buildings as good as possible. Thermal bridges in my opinion in hot climates are not such a great concern as the temperature difference between inside and outside are not as huge as in cold climates.

[@patrikprekop8975]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore ok. Thanks. Rising moisture is one problem - horizontal hydro insulation but there is horizontal moisture through the walls as well. If you cool down your room to 25 C and there is outside 35-37 C, it creates an enormous pressure difference. Result - the moisture is traveling through the enclosure and high possible, that there will be a wet point somewhere in the wall. Air ventilation may help. But in some cases still not enough.

[@DanielDuedu]

Building a passive house in a mostly hot climate is a grossly overlooked area. One important question I have is, "Do you need to insulate the building as in the colder regions if your only focus is keeping the house cool?"

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

For energy balance it doesn't really make a difference if you want to keep warm inside when it is cold outside or to stay cool inside when it is hot outside. Energy will flow from the warmer side to the colder, and it will do it more quickly if the material of the wall is not insulating well. The reason why house insulation was mostly an issue in cold regions till now is that temperature differences between inside and outside can be much higher in such places. But on an increasingly hotter planet those issues will shift and get other relevance as well when energy costs might get higher in some places. You might still help yourself with architectural elements when building a house in the first place. Create a shaded space in front of the main walls for example. Nature can help there too. But the core structure, especially maybe sleeping rooms if you want to have it cool, will need to be insulated so that heat and humidity cannot enter.

[@DanielDuedu]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore Thanks

[@ganesankpillay3768]

Amazing insight .😂

[@chrisrauschebart348]

Hi, nice video thanks for this information it is so helpful. Could you tell me, how tall are your rooms? I saw in many buildings high rooms up to 4m, what do you think about this topic? Kind regards Chris

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

hi. our rooms are typically between 2,6-3m. in higher rooms it is even more important to use superior wall materials as surface area is larger where heat could enter building. thanks for watching.

[@9squares]

I am looking to build in Thailand. Do you know of a builder experienced in these more efficient designs? Would it be better to source plans internationally? Do you have any experience or knowledge in the use of heat chimneys to draw in cooler air?

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Hi. You do know Thailand is a big country, right 😉 I would look for a local architect. They all use the 3 inch aerated Concrete. Just tell them to double up. Most will have experience with other insulating materials too. They just don't use all of it because clients want to stay cheap. I have a heat chimney on our main building. Typical Thai buildings will also have openings in the roof gables. There is knowledge there...

[@9squares]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore Thank you, yes have lived in Thailand for some years. I was hoping you knew of specific architects with experience.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

@@9squares well, the architect who built most of our building moved to Phrae in the North. In Thailand they do have their style of building which is based on the pile and beams. So you are sort of limited to design in a grid. But you are totally free of what material you want to use to fill the wall spaces. You as the client are telling what you need and they will follow. Just don't let the contractor tell you how it will be done 😄

[@robdavinroy1761]

Great video. Thank you so much. A couple of questions. What kind of foundation did you make? Friction drilled piles or columns on base? Also. The insulation in the open roof. Seems like moisture would get inside and cause mold. Also seems like a good place for snakes, rats, and bats. Your thoughts are appreciated.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Our foundation is columns on base. The open roof is actually preventing moisture as air isn't trapped under the roof. There is a fine net covering the opening in the gables so nothing going in there. Nevertheless rats will always find a way in. They typically crawl under roofing tiles. I do have to catch them periodically. Never saw a snake in a roof space. They might actually be helpful against the rats. :)

[@robdavinroy1761]

Fantastic. Do you know anything about the piles they are using in Bangkok construction around the airport? I get different stories. Some tell me they drill piles down 30 meters. Others tell me much less. Since it’s basically a sponge marsh I would think the piles go deep. My two bother in laws have some subsidence after 15 years.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

@@robdavinroy1761 it of course depends on the weight a pile has to carry. A multi story house will have deeper driven piles than just a single story house. Usually before one starts building in Thailand the soil has to be analysed, and based on the findings the architect will decide about the type of foundation. In Bangkok you will always have to go for piles.

[@robdavinroy1761]

Thanks so much. You are in hua hin? That’s where we are looking to build on the other side of the mountains. By the way what do you think of the construction quality at Ban Yan? I visited their display villa. Looked like they were using the thick concrete bricks like you did. Again thanks for your insight.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

@@robdavinroy1761 Pranburi. Just 25kms south of Hua Hin. Don't know how Banyan has built its buildings. Some contractors use the heavy concrete blocks and say 'look we have thick walls'. Many people who try to build better walls are using layers of thin aerated concrete as it is everywhere available.

[@robdavinroy1761]

Ok thanks. Can they just copy or draw off the plans I already made?

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

they can use your plans. but it wont save you the money unfortunately :)

[@robdavinroy1761]

I was thinking that. That’s ok as long as they approve. Thank you so much for your help.

[@ffuk-m1e]

We chose 15cm aac blocks but we are being told that they are on a 3 month lead time. Does anyone know where we can get them sooner? We were offered double skin 7.5cm but I am not happy about that because of the potential for moisture ingress between the skins and also the lack of structural integrity and lack of strength of two blocks back-to-back.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Which province? Those aac blocks are all coming from factories near bangkok. The typical construction markets all have the thin ones on storage. The further away from bangkok, the longer it might take to get wider sizes.

[@HairyPixels]

Do you any opinion on using the insulated roof panels compared to placing insulation over the ceiling like you showed? I've seen the insulated root panels and they cheap, effective and easy to install so they're maybe a better option? The ceramic roof tiles do look better though.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

My architect here once said that insulated panels like the insulated sheet metal ones tend to degrade and then the insulation will crack, fall off, being eaten by critters, etc. They usually put metal foil under the ceramic tiles. But those foils also crack. The insulation on the ceiling will be damaged by mice too. So, there is no perfect solution for all. It's best to use a combination of different methods to achieve a better result. Energy efficient buildings will not necessarily be the cheapest, but it makes sense once you have to pay less for electricity.

[@HairyPixels]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore I have seen thicker panels that appear to have about an inch of foam underneath them which look much better than the thin foil I've seen under many cheaper panels in many buildings. Yes the foil will fall off as I've seen this myself at many locations.

[@GBobFree206]

Do you mind sharing the name of the architect or engineer you used when you obtained your building permits? I'm starting to compile a list of architects or engineers that I might hire for my own house build and I want to use one that understands good insulation design like your structures.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

You will build in Thailand? Which place?

[@GBobFree206]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMoreYes, in Loei province for starters. But I assume any architect or engineer that is licensed in one province is also licensed in them all?

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

@@GBobFree206 yes, any Thai civil engineer can sign a construction project. But sometimes it is easier to use a local engineer from the Or Bor Tor for drawing your plans etc as the local authority might have preferences. Thai construction as shown in the video is anyways based on reinforced columns and beams and filler materials for the walls. When using better filler materials, then you will get higher energy efficient buildings. The architect that I was using is actually living in Phrase now. So it's not to far away from your place. I could give you his phone number once I am back in about 2 weeks. You can contact me by E-mail at the address shown in my channel info.

[@GBobFree206]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMoreThank you. Yes, my plan is to try to make something very energy efficient with high R value walls and also windows, both for energy efficiency and for noise reduction. I also like the earth berm style with berms around the structure, and rammed earth, but I want whatever I build to be properly permitted and to follow appropriate building codes.

[@darwinjina]

Is your house custom? Most Thai houses built by developers that I have seen do not have the insulation above the ceiling or an open gable. (Like you have in your video) Instead, they are relying on a radiant barrier underneath the tile roof. I ask why. And their engineer say that insulation would make it harder for the house to cool off in the evening. Basically, Insulation will make sense if you want to use an aircon. (Hence higher $)

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Hi. Yes, all buildings are custom built by my specification. A typical Thai house with concrete walls will heat up during the day and cool of during the night. That's why it will have holes in the wall and nothing else than the thin dry-wall board as ceiling. During the day you will sweat if you don't leave everything open and during the night you will need a blanket :) But not every region in Thailand can offer cool nights and the air is staying hot and humid all around the clock. If you just equip such houses with Aircon you will just end up with high electricity bills. You can always keep a window open at night as well. Because in Thailand money is all what counts at construction, engineers are trimmed for cost savings. And they really don't care what you are doing after you move in. They mostly don't even understand the needs of foreigners when it comes to housing.

[@darwinjina]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore been told we don't need your luxury. Cuz I do think it's useful to use that insulation on the ceiling. Saw homepro having two thickness. But its a later project, after some air dehumidifier/ or air filters due to burning season.

[@darwinjina]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore ps. Thanks for the responses

[@svenlima]

The video is interesting. The sound is crap.

[@efrahaimrn]

thai concept house edition 😅

[@Mark-gg6iy]

"I'm not your gf, it's just your turn"

[@Mark-gg6iy]

@3:43 Very poorly done brick work, each brick should overlap ~50% not 20-30%; very basic.

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Such wall usually do not stand long. One or two storms will do its job. I even saw portions of brick walls collapse while they are constructing them before they had the chance to put a steel reinforced intermediate layer. Thats why I have sworn to myself to never lean on a wall in a high-rise building in the city :)

[@breadgarlichouse2265]

What are your thoughts on using double brick walls 🧱? Is it significantly better than a single brick wall? Must you use an air gap?

[@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore]

Air contained within the material, is what makes a material thermal efficient. If a double layer wall is put up, it will surely be better then a single layer wall, but it will still mostly depend on the thermal coefficient of the type of brick which is used. An air gap is probably not as efficient than a better building material, as the air inside the gap can circulate and is not encapsulated inside the material itself. A better solution would be to fill the gap with styrofoam or wool, etc.

[@breadgarlichouse2265]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore thank you 😊

[@jormamannikko4304]

@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore wool is not good, it can suck moisture in it and it does newer disappear, aerated light concrete blocks inside and outside and between them empty corked bottles, could be worth of try, in some small house