chidexy:

Oga Spyder, good job so far on your duplex. A suggestion though, why don't you consider using Silicon or Acryl for the junction where the 2 walls meet instead of just normal grout. Prevents the growth of mildew on tile edges. Also the juction floor/wall should be filled with Silicon.

Meanwhile, it seems you are on the way to eating watery soup since you missed Madam's deadline for moving in hahahahahaha!

Yes I am also thinking in that direction only that I have not bought any type of grouting material yet. Madam was so pleased when she saw the images of the finishing, she is already packing her bags. [quote author=chidexy]

Ferya: [b]

Thank you Ferya, my Madam dey try jare, she is my number 1 fan and a strong pillar of support, more pictures later this evening.

oyewole123: Hi Spyder
Good job
Pls, is it advisable to do decking before the entire block work
Thanks

Honestly, I dont understand this question very well, can you explain more please? Thank you.

OP,

Beautiful thread. Very inspirational and delightful. I hope the project turns out perfect for you in the end.

I hope to build a house in Enugu someday. something simple. Thanks for the ideas. Most importantly, thanks for sharing!

All the best.

supremebeing09: OP,

Beautiful thread. Very inspirational and delightful. I hope the project turns out perfect for you in the end.

I hope to build a house in Enugu someday. something simple. Thanks for the ideas. Most importantly, thanks for sharing!

All the best.

I hope you will delight us with you building pictures when you start, we are going to learn some tactics from you also, thanks for the kind words bro.

My iron benders are here to do the decking rods of this toilet tank,

and tile works continue in the kitchen walls, note that the tiles are done halfway upwards to provide space for the kitchen cabinet which will come later.

and more of the kitchen

oyewole123: Hi Spyder
Good job
Pls, is it advisable to do decking before the entire block work
Thanks

If you don't cut corners with your Foundation (i.e do a quality German Floor) and quality pillars, yes you can deck before any blockwork. In fact for working class salary earners with not so robust cash-flow, but who wish to do a storey (four flat) project, decking before block setting is adviced. How? Why? Is it cheaper?

For a four flat project there are THREE critical nodes: Foundation, Decking and Roofing. Lets use a case study approach to explain: Mr Homeowner has saved up about N4 million after purchase of land and now wishes to do a four flat. He could only muster up N200k a month savings (probably with madam) after family expenses. It is known that a moderate four flat will set him back to the tune of N12 million. So Mr Homeowner needs an additional N8 million to complete his project, if he saves N2.4 million a year it means it will take him a little under four years to complete his project right?

If Mr Homeowner set about doing his foundation, German Floor, Block setting, Pillars and Lintel, he is going to run out of money in the first month the project started at lintel level and will take him about one year to save up for decking which average about N2 million. This means the project will be abandoned for a year and will cost a bit more to re-commission it for decking. And if you factor in rate of inflation, that cost is even higher. Again it will take him another one year to save up for the roofing. It means the project will be abandoned for a total of two years. So two years (abandonment) plus three years of actual work means the project may take five years.

Now if Mr Homeowner set about doing just Foundation and Pillars, he will have money left to do his decking thereby running out of money in the first month the project was started. Decking takes about a month to cure and by that time MR Homeowner has saved up another N200K which can be ploughed into setting block for the ground floor immediately going forward.With two/three months savings the ground floor may be completed with decking. The advantage of doing decking with initial savings is the project will not be abandoned and stands a better chance of completing the project on time.And with two/three months savings the first floor may be completed ready for roofing.

Apart from Foundation, Decking and possibly Roofing, all other aspect of a four flat project can be done "small" "small". So if you have an initial savings after land purchase and four flat is your dream and your cash-flow is challenged, talk to an architect about your wish to do decking before block-setting.

diordaves:

If you don't cut corners with your Foundation (i.e do a quality German Floor) and quality pillars, yes you can deck before any blockwork. In fact for working class salary earners with not so robust cash-flow, but who wish to do a storey (four flat) project, decking before block setting is adviced. How? Why? Is it cheaper?

For a four flat project there are THREE critical nodes: Foundation, Decking and Roofing. Lets use a case study approach to explain: Mr Homeowner has saved up about N4 million after purchase of land and now wishes to do a four flat. He could only muster up N200k a month savings (probably with madam) after family expenses. It is known that a moderate four flat will set him back to the tune of N12 million. So Mr Homeowner needs an additional N8 million to complete his project, if he saves N2.4 million a year it means it will take him a little under four years to complete his project right?

If Mr Homeowner set about doing his foundation, German Floor, Block setting, Pillars and Lintel, he is going to run out of money in the first month the project started at lintel level and will take him about one year to save up for decking which average about N2 million. This means the project will be abandoned for a year and will cost a bit more to re-commission it for decking. And if you factor in rate of inflation, that cost is even higher. Again it will take him another one year to save up for the roofing. It means the project will be abandoned for a total of two years. So two years (abandonment) plus three years of actual work means the project may take five years.

Now if Mr Homeowner set about doing just Foundation and Pillars, he will have money left to do his decking thereby running out of money in the first month the project was started. Decking takes about a month to cure and by that time MR Homeowner has saved up another N200K which can be ploughed into setting block for the ground floor immediately going forward.With two/three months savings the ground floor may be completed with decking. The advantage of doing decking with initial savings is the project will not be abandoned and stands a better chance of completing the project on time.And with two/three months savings the first floor may be completed ready for roofing.

Apart from Foundation, Decking and possibly Roofing, all other aspect of a four flat project can be done "small" "small". So if you have an initial savings after land purchase and four flat is your dream and your cash-flow is challenged, talk to an architect about your wish to do decking before block-setting.

Vintage Diordaves, always with well thought out analysis. We respect you so much sir!

@spyder880 and others in the house , please I need your input .


My electrician gave me bill of 750,000 naira ( workmanship inclusive ),for wiring of a 6 bedroom duplex with 2 sitting rooms,dinning ,study room , kitchen, laundry , anteroom . Note this house is in my village in Imo State . Is this price reasonable ?

Below is the list of materials he quoted:


(1) 13 coils of 1.5mm single cable red

(2) 11 coils of 1.5mm single cable black

(3) 5 coils of 2.5mm single cable Red
(4) 5 coils of2.5mm single cable Black
(5) 6 coils of Tv cable
(6) 10 coils of colours cable
(7) 3 coils of 16mm for load Red & Black
(cool 2 coils of 6mm colour cable
(9) 5 coils of 4mm single Red
(10) 10 coils of 4mm single Black
(11) 3 wo of finishing tape

Lord Spyder880, bravo I just went through this thread and believe me this is an encyclopedia of building knowledge or better put the diary of the adventure of a GREAT builder

Well done sir and more grease to your elbow.

spyder880:

Yes I am also thinking in that direction only that I have not bought any type of grouting material yet. Madam was so pleased when she saw the images of the finishing, she is already packing her bags.

Oga Spyder, I thought grout is applied the same time that the tiles are laid? won't the grout crack while setting if done at a much later stage? Anyway, what I am used to is the grout being applied and the tiles cleaned immediately afterwards. Good luck with your project and more blessings

chidexy:

Oga Spyder, I thought grout is applied the same time that the tiles are laid? won't the grout crack while setting if done at a much later stage? Anyway, what I am used to is the grout being applied and the tiles cleaned immediately afterwards. Good luck with your project and more blessings

Because of my schedule, I was not around my house this morning when the grout was applied, since they didnt find silicon easily in the market, I asked them to buy the normal grout over the phone, (white cement). They have since applied the grout as the tile works continued today in my house. Thanks for your contributions.

From Owerri, decking pictures to follow shortly, plus cost updates.

more materials were bought today to be used to finish this deck, wood, bamboo, and some more plumbing pipes were bought today.

We offloaded another large consignment of granite for use in this deck, my target is to move for sharp sand from tomorrow.

some of the wood offloaded inside the site.

lets walk you up to this deck, start from the wood work for the steps and climb up slowly. Very solid carpentry from my team imported from Enugu.

Please note that I always ensure that my stairs are very wide, to accommodate two persons who might be passing each other on the stairs without brushing past each other. Stairs should be wide at both the walk up paths and the landing for the stairs, even if you want to carry large furniture upstairs, it should not give you sleepless nights. Why should people be squeezing up and down their house?

from the top of the deck

More deck wood work showing

This space will still be decked, you can see the 2x3x12 wood we bought showing

@spyder880

In a short distance time, I will give you a call, I have new project I will want you to handle for me .
Meanwhile, I need your input on the following matter. My electrician gave me bill of 750,000 naira ( workmanship inclusive ),for wiring of a 6 bedroom duplex with 2 sitting rooms,dinning ,study room , kitchen, laundry , anteroom . Note this house is in my village in Imo State . Is this price reasonable ? Do you have an honest electrical materials dealer who can supply to me original list of the following items with reasonable price ?

Below is the list of materials he quoted:


(1) 13 coils of 1.5mm single cable red

(2) 11 coils of 1.5mm single cable black

(3) 5 coils of 2.5mm single cable Red
(4) 5 coils of2.5mm single cable Black
(5) 6 coils of Tv cable
(6) 10 coils of colours cable
(7) 3 coils of 16mm for load Red & Black
(cool 2 coils of 6mm colour cable
(9) 5 coils of 4mm single Red
(10) 10 coils of 4mm single Black
(11) 3 wo of finishing tape

more deck work showing.

As a safety measure on site, I asked this carpenter to place some temporal wooden steps so people cannot fall from this wood while climbing.

more works on the steps,

Empero1: @spyder880

In a short distance time, I will give you a call, I have new project I will want you to handle for me .
Meanwhile, I need your input on the following matter. My electrician gave me bill of 750,000 naira ( workmanship inclusive ),for wiring of a 6 bedroom duplex with 2 sitting rooms,dinning ,study room , kitchen, laundry , anteroom . Note this house is in my village in Imo State . Is this price reasonable ? Do you have an honest electrical materials dealer who can supply to me original list of the following items with reasonable price ?

Below is the list of materials he quoted:


(1) 13 coils of 1.5mm single cable red

(2) 11 coils of 1.5mm single cable black

(3) 5 coils of 2.5mm single cable Red
(4) 5 coils of2.5mm single cable Black
(5) 6 coils of Tv cable
(6) 10 coils of colours cable
(7) 3 coils of 16mm for load Red & Black
(cool 2 coils of 6mm colour cable
(9) 5 coils of 4mm single Red
(10) 10 coils of 4mm single Black
(11) 3 wo of finishing tape

I will attach a quote I collected today for wiring a portion of a house we are working on, let me fetch the quote from the car downstairs.

Okay !

These prices are current, the quote was meant to fit the down stair portion of a duplex of 6 bedrooms (2 bedrooms downstairs), upper part not inclusive, please note that the electrician quoted for two different types of wire, cutix and comet star. They are of different standards and the prices are different. It might just give you an idea of what to expect.

Thanks greatly .Is cutix brand in anyway better than other Nigerian brands ?

Empero1: Thanks greatly .Is cutix brand in anyway better than other Nigerian brands ?

It is adjudged to be better, they say it is made of more refined copper materials.