redgem:


The palm trees are much, it isn't worth the stress and funds....

Why do you want to uproot the palm trees? I will only uproot the built area and live with the rest of the trees. It will be really nice for me. I don't fight nature. It is cheaper to live side by side with nature.

MackyNaija:
Fabrication complete and it came out beautiful.

Frameless with top quality grey aluminium, 5mm reflective glass, nets, galvanized pipes and 16mm rods embedded.

Each requirement above came with a large added cost that increased the price way beyond costs for a casement style.

Well done. No be small something.

Skydivine:

With what you have highlighted, I think the best solution is to make provisions for binding wire loops during decking to be attached in situ.

This is normally the approach and also if you want a ceiling fan with your POP. All these are the concept and solutions you envisaged at the planning stage before breaking ground. But most people just start building and go along as the spirit led.

Lack of planning can add up to 20% to to the cost of a building.

bolu1986:


We sabi this work pass our self… not just to mould and fix with binding wire… na


We usually work with welders!! Fix and iron rod to your deck…. Before attaching biding wire don’t use concret nail! No it won’t work

These are extra work but it worth it!

God bless you. Very simple solution that's not very common. Anything that is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.

redgem:
Finally, buckets has been dropped... Building 98% complete 🙏🙏🙏🙏 I want to say a very big thank you to everyone here.....your contributions helped a lot through this journey... It wasn't easy but God came through... 🙏🙏🙏 May God bless everyone one of you....

Congratulations. I dey expect invite for house warming o. My eyes dey road.

gabbytabby:
This reminds me of a roofing problem I had for the better part of 6 years we got about 8 different carpenters to repair it unsuccessfully. We finally cracked it this year. A lot of them don’t trouble shoot properly and/or will not admit their area of specialisation and will take on work they can’t do. Some of them are more furniture carpenter but will say they can do roofing carpentry or construction carpentry which require a different skill set.

Some of them can’t do height and will try to tell you they will repair leak by putting flashband through the ceiling ie under the roof when this is a senseless no no and it should be done on top.

The main way to effectively deal with leakages is to have one on top and another through the ceiling who will spot the leakage and the one on top will use flashband to repair the holes.

The more one ventures into the building trade the more one gets knowledgeable about getting the right artisan for the job.

This is what I'm saying. It should not be difficult to find the right trades person to fix a leaking roof and do it properly and professionally and not all this "try and error" approach. The truth is they are not trained in the profession they profess, or half baked.

EgunMogaji2:


You seem to be a roofing Carpenter and not a finish Carpenter.

Thanks.

So you can see the difficulty in recruiting a skilled carpenter and joiner to do a very basic woodworking job. Then people turn around and say there's unemployment in Nigeria. The fact is what Nigeria is experiencing is structural unemployment. Over the years, there has not been the needed training in vocational qualifications and apprenticeships. Apart from the Ibo nation to a large extent, apprenticeship training is dead in Nigeria. Youths and school leavers no longer "learn work". Before, they go into keke business, now is skits and content creators.

Enough of tertiary qualifications as there is a glut. So so paper qualifications, not enough skills acquisition.

sonnie10:

It’s not that easy. Wood processing/drying takes a lot of time and steps. Averagely , a fresh cut plank would take months or even up to a year to cure if aired in a natural environment . Even when kiln is used for the processing, it takes weeks and a lot of resources ( sealants, electricity, equipment and the know-how) to come out right.
Anything short of these, would result in cracking and twisting down the line.
My question was not about how to know a dry wood but where to find and buy them. Such is extremely difficult to find at timber markets. Most people that do it, don’t sell them. They make use of the wood for their own finished products .
Not that you can’t find such wood. However, the price could be very expensive. A 1 x 6 feet plank depending on the wood could go as high as #30k. A homeowner might spend up to #3m on woods alone for a standard kitchen.
Compare this to the cost of HDF and you know why people don’t bother anymore with the stress.

To be honest with you, to achieve a dry wood for woodworking is not difficult at all. One just need time. The issue with wood in Nigeria, is that short termism culture of majority of Nigerians. Invest in the right tools and training. Dry wood for woodworking and joinery is not rocket science.

My grand mother's house was built in late 1969. The windows and doors are all wood. The house is still standing today with the original doors. No warping, very straight cut, no cracking. Very very solid door. How did the carpenters in 1969 achieved a dry straight cut wooden door warping free?

Quick money. Now now now. Gestation period na alien concept for Naija.

VanuatuWycombe:


MDF wardrobe cannot hold heavy loads (clothes and bags), except the owner is the type that doesn’t keep loads.

MDF wardrobe will tear when climbed or stepped on, to bring down loads.

You furniture people won’t tell clients the bitter truth because of quick cash you want to make on them.

If the owner doesn’t plan to move around the wardrobe, hardwood is cheaper and better than MDF - even better than HDF.

Most of our furniture guys don’t invest in better woodworking tools and it makes their work look bad on hardwood. That’s why they push most clients to finished ‘woods’ like HDF, MDF etc. and they don’t last. Most of these finished woods have been greatly reduced in sizes from China factories before they get here which reduces their how strong they could be.

Invest better carbide ripping and finishing saws from known brands like ORIGINAL (not imitated) Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Festool etc. and better sanders like ORIGINAL 3M, Festool Rotex sanders, Mirka sanders etc and other accessories and you would do wonders with hardwoods.

Well done 👍

This same argument can be made for wooden internal doors as well. Nigeria as a nation doesn't have skilled craftsmanship labour market. All there is are just journey men, cut and nail pretenders. The advent of okada/keke business in the late 80s and early 90s killed "handwork" apprenticeship. Instead investing time learning a trade, youths and school leavers jumped into riding keke for quick bucks. The days of celebrating freedom from learning work are no more.

Phenmeson:
Good evening all.
I just want to ask opinions of how to manage properties perfectly in Nigeria for someone who reside abroad.

* What to do in getting rent payment promptly and how to manage properties repair through Estate Agency or any reliable Third party company's in Ogun state area.

Thanks 🙏

There should be reputable estate agents in Ogun state. Ask around. Try Jide Taiwo. They have offices in the Southwest. They normally charge 10 percent.

Regarding maintenance for rentals, there is really nothing to maintain as a landlord if you've built properly. All arising maintenance issues are built into the tenancy agreement and security deposit.

So tenants are responsible for maintaining the internal fixtures and fittings, suckaway evacuation and refuse disposal and replacement of the pumping machine when burnt.

As a landlord, you are only responsible for repainting of the building or leaking roof. If you've built properly, these are issues you may not deal with for years.

So all you need is an agency to look for and vet the tenants and issue the tenancy agreement and periodically visit the property to ensure the property is being put to proper use.

There is the conception that rentals in Nigeria is problematic but this is not my experience. My experience is very pleasant with really fantastic tenants. I'm a fantastic landlord as well I must praise myself.

Aforxzy:
Happy new month everyone.
This month of August shall favour us and there shall be no lost.

Amen o our lady engineer. Wishing you Happy and Safe peaceful protest.

Billions123:

What do you prefer?

H-pipe

twinskenny:
Overload?


https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-DWCG6uvsj/?igsh=bGt6b29pNTdzM205

Bravery, he wanted to stop the damages.... almost 🤣

Thank God no loss of life. The Galvanised pipe is not suitable for the amount of load.H-pipe or oil field pipe are highly recommended in such situations.

I'm never a fan of galvanised pipes for water tower.

Kaybthaniels:
Professionals and gurus in the house, please what’s the solution here?, I wasn’t around when this was done, My shower was screwed to the burglary bar, I still want to keep the shower design tho, From what I can see the solution is to shift the window and make it centred with the toilet but I will appreciate y’all’s inputs, Thank you 🙏

All these artisans sef. They should have brought your attention to the outcome before installing.

Note, there is no perfect solution.

First, dismantled the glass partition.

If you've tiled the floor chisel out the tiles and run a course of blocks on the floor on the same line the glass partition was. So, when you install back the glass partition, it will be taller than the window.

At the top of the window, (parallel) run a 4×4 poline, the same length of the window where you can screw the glass partition instead of the window. This will leave a gap between the window and the glass partition for you to hang and run a toilet window curtain.

afrobaby:
Hello Good people, please I just this quotation from my bricklayer for fencing, front fence not included because it is still a site, left fence is on ground level, right fence already has 3 levels of blocks while the back has 7 levels already .

Blocks 2300
Cement 38 bags
Sharp sand 20 tonnes
9' block for back fence 70
Labour 290,000

Is this a fair price

Block = 2300
Labour = N290,000

That is N126 per block to lay.

How much is it to lay a block in your area?

Will 2300 block complete the job?

If more blocks are needed, will the labour cost stay the same?

Answers to the above questions will determine if the labour cost is fair.

raymondFirstborn:


This is understandable. But two months of intensive fabrication and you only come twice is that the usual thing?.

Honourable, look at the situation this way:

If the tradesperson contacted you that your materials have been stolen at his business premises, what would be your expectations?

My expectations would include the tradesperson replacing the stolen materials through their insurance or from their pocket. The insurance (security) of any business premises is the responsibility of the "registered" owner.

From your own account, you are the resident contractor at that site. You are responsible to provide insurance (security) for all goods stored overnight. Three cases of theft are alleged to have been reported to you. It is your responsibility to investigate the thefts and take appropriate actions which could include instructing that no tools should be stored overnight at site and further to advise all that any tools and materials stored overnight are at owners risk.

From your own account, you have failed to do the above. As the resident contractor, your insurance is liable for any theft at site for goods and materials stored overnight.

You should sit him down over a cold drink and arrive at a reasonable compensation for his missing tools.

I am sorry, but you have not managed your site to the standard expected from a multi million project.

Dam5reey:


Stop misleading people.. 3M will get you 14.4KWH real capacity now...

Lithium Price has fallen in china drastically.. making it affordable for home storage, China has mass produce them its soo affordable, just stay informed.

Below is a Lithium set up under 1.3M

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xRVwyt3fXkw

There is no misleading as you put it. If you can get one at the price you mentioned, go for it and be happy. There are some no names that are below 3mil sef.

gabbytabby:
Oga at a point its about what you deserve not so much about the value for money. If you have the money spend it on your life’s comfort unless those wey no know how hard you worked will get to squander am.

If you are making financial/commercial decisions then value for money comes to play.

For Nigeria if you know how liberating being able to go off grid is eh you go see yourself dancing without music when you go by those long queues at petrol stations.

I don hear jare Madam Honourable.
How your side?

Na Nigerian government and its civil service turn the citizens into water board companies self providers, Energy companies, security companies and all.

ajabani4allah:


Pls go for Lithium battery, any installer still telling you to use lead acid is no doing you any favour. I have just a 60Ah locally built lifepo4 battery and it's over 3 years now without noticing anything drop in its efficiency. So, a good lifepo4 battery will have a life span of nothing less than 8 years

A genuine 6.5KWh LiFePO4 battery is just under 3million. Never mind the 15KWh they write on the body of some batteries. This is not true.

One will need about a genuine 15KWh to have any descent power supply and we will be into the 6million range for batteries alone.

For me, this is where everything breaks down value for money wise. A 20M off grid solar set up for a residential home is not good value for money from my perspective.

Rany4all:
I don't think you live in this same Naija wey we dey so. Or maybe you haven't bought fuel for quite a while now.

A 7.5kva gen has a 25L fuel tank and a full tank can run non-stop for only about 12hrs. In today's economy, that 55k you mentioned can get you just about 70L of fuel, which translates to about 3 full tanks on that 7.5kva gen, hence you'd only be able to run the gen for just 3 x 12hrs (1 and half days, if run continuously).

Get an inverter generator. The science is, an inverter generator of the same capacity you evidenced will run 75% longer than your normal generator as it will use less fuel. Inverter consumes fuel according to the load. Less load, minimal fuel consumption.

So if you have a situation where your appliances like energy saving bulbs, TV run on solar, but only your fridge, occasional A/C and washing machine run on inverter, a 25L fuel can go well more than a week.

For a homeowner with an average family, a hybrid system just like a hybrid car, is the best energy solution with a solar budget of 2M.

sonnie10:

This one no be hear say. My brother is using only solar in his hospital. The whole 2 storey building, and has been off grid ever since. 24 hours electricity with ac, water pump, fridges and all tvs . The system has 45 solar panels.
When most of the appliances are on, it say only 25% usage, meaning he can even add more load. 15kva total. Cost more than #10M.

This is what we're talking about. On an industrial scale, solar is spot on. The hospital will pay for it.

Spending onwards of 15M on electricity for an average family home does not make any economic sense.

michlins:
most 7.5kva generator will take 7k fuel for 24hrs daily. Now you will have to add the cost of the noise, the cost of the maintenance and the best part of it, the generator even with best servicing history can decide one night not to start. You will have to wait until the next day to get a mechanic.

Start your journey with the available 2ml and keep increasing the batteries and panels as days go by. You will get off the grid in no time

I don't have solar (yet) I cannot use 5ml on generator at all. I will rather use it to set up solar and budget a six months upgrade until I get what I want.

Last year,a friend of mine went off grid in Enugu. Like completely for a little over 4ml. It was a DIY project

Solar only makes good sense if one can get to off grid stage. Here resides the problem. The cost is so prohibitive that it is out of reach to majority of Nigerians.

Mind you, about 90% of Nigerians living in urban areas are renters. And about half (or less) of Nigerians living in rural areas and villages own their own homes. For these demographics, off grid is not feasible.

This is why a hybrid system comes highly recommended. A well managed 2M hybrid system with 50k monthly outlay can guarantee more than 15 hours access to power per day.

twinskenny:


50k on petrol monthly Maybe you are putting on the gen for just 30 or 45minutes

Mind you, there is already solar. So you don't have to run the genset flat out.

sonnie10:

This one no be hear say. My brother is using only solar in his hospital. The whole 2 storey building, and has been off grid ever since. 24 hours electricity with ac, water pump, fridges and all tvs . The system has 45 solar panels.
When most of the appliances are on, it say only 25% usage, meaning he can even add more load. 15kva total. Cost more than #10M.

A decent complete off grid solar system will set you back 10-15M. The initial cost is the issue. This set up cost makes it not fit for purpose, not cost effective. There is no savings to be had. At 10M, the unit cost per kilo watt is very prohibitive. It may take you 14 years to match a genset user who spends 55k a month on petrol.

So, ideally, a hybrid system is by far cheaper by a country mile than complete off grid solar. Spend about 2M on a solar set up and get a 7.5kva generator for about 500k. That's a total of 2.5M. Have a monthly budget of 50k on petrol for the genset.

Run the solar by day, run genset by night. The numbers add up for an average family home.

cash1115:
Good day NL fam.
I want to ask for opinions of everyone here. Many of our ogas and beloved clients are here. We also have here is fellow artisans who may likely have experienced this thing. I have talked about this here some time ago.

To the glory of God, I've worked with several nairalanders and I've had 90% positive experience from both home-based and abroad-based clients. However, there are few not-so-great clients which is expected as people differ. The grouse here is about some potential clients who would ask you to come to their site (especially in another town/state) to take measurements or even start immediately, only for them to leave you stranded without any tangible reason than saying "You're a scam". I recently had this bitter experience from someone who contacted me from here. We've discussed and she was well aware of my location and that I had to travel to where her site is located. I left home as early as 6am and got there around 9a.m. we were supposed to get the materials on that day. I met with the site engineer who said he had no knowledge of what I'm talking about even though she said otherwise. I called her and she said she's busy and I have to wait till 1pm before she send money. I waited. And by that time she changed tone, telling me she cant trust me, someone from a different city, with her job. I was very surprised. I tried explaining things to her and she just went off and called me all sorts. I was so stunned I didn't even know what to do. The day was wasted. Time, money and resources all wasted. I had rejected a job slotted for that day because I was so sure I was going to get materials for her site as we discussed. I was given #5k for tfare even though I spent double of that. I didn't want any wahala, na so I traveled back. It felt surreal but it is what it is.

Now, this is the second time I'm experiencing this. The first time was when I went to Benin and I was communicating with the woman till I get to Benin after a whole day journey only for her to do a turnaround. Since then, I do ask for tfare at least from prospective clients. Especially if I have to travel to your site. You can deduct it from my payments if I eventually start the job, if not, I lose nothing. That worked but not all clients agree to it.
Sometimes even, when some refuse mobilization fee, I tell them at least pay for the materials directly to the outlet I'm buying. That way, even if na scam, they get the materials and I get nothing. We all know as Nigeria be so I'm not offended that some clients want to be 100% sure. But as you as a client is trying to be safe, please also consider the artisans.
We also take risks to go to people and sites that we don't know. We've seen cases of people who were kidnapped or robbed just because they went to check a site. And there's also this particular matter I just raised. We should be able to meet each other halfway because life itself is a risk.

It is a tricky situation where the odds are stacked against you. We've not heard from the client and we may never hear from the client.

I understand the motivation to land a job, so the need to bend over backwards to accommodate a client. However, it is acceptable to demand for a mobilisation fee upfront. In situation like this, the cost of mobilisation (visit to site) will be deducted and the balance returned to the client. The percentage of deduction MUST be discussed with the client before making payment. It is not something you make up along the way or as the spirit led.

If a client is not comfortable in mobilising their tradesperson, they shouldn't be making contact in the first place. It is also the client's responsibility to ask for the structure and method of payment to avoid situations like this.

It is unfortunate.

Rany4all:
There are so many other things that tenants are usually willing to pay more for...I don't think a screeded wall or paint quality is one of them though. You'd be surprised, some tenants would even paint over your quality paint with a different colour of their choice, unless you restrict them beforehand.

Some tenants will even lay wall paper over your nicely screeded wall. Some will build a media centre over it or lay plastic panel all over the wall.

For rentals, a professionally finished plastered wall will do. No tenant will pay more for a screeded wall than a plastered wall all other amenities being equal.

therealMcCain:
Guys please help me critize this plan. I initially wanted them to be detached units but I changed my mind.

I specifically asked for the rooms to have some form of cross ventilation.

CC
saydfact
twinskenny
mufutau55
OnMyHonor
michlins
diordaves

It is a half decent design for a bedsit but I think you've missed a trick or two relating to space utilisation and functionality. With your design, there are lots of dead spaces and non functional spaces.

#That 1200 space by the side of the bed is a dead space and a waste for a bedsit.

# A Balcony of 2850 for a bedsit is a very expensive luxury which is a waste.

# The room has no focal point. Where will you "hang" a TV, where will you put a table and a chair to watch the TV. It is a non-functional room.

# A rear balcony for a bedsit is a very expensive luxury which is a waste of space.

# The kitchen is non functional. How? Two doors in such a small kitchen kills all useable space. How do you arrange the space for a stove (gas cooker) and a worktop and even wall units and shelves.

SOLUTION
Look at my suggested design of apartment 2. For me, I think with my suggestion, the space works better for the occupants. There is proper cross ventilation which you want and there is a functional sitting area with no dead spaces.

You can compare and contrast and then decide what you think is appropriate for your target audience. But I believe my design is a better design for a bedsit than yours.

kkonsults:


We do all types of designs.
We’ve posted bungalow’s in the past.

Which of your line is your WhatsApp number?

kkonsults:
Contact us for your Architectural Designs & Construction Services

Honourable, nice design but you no dey do bungalow plan? I like to see your bungalow work.

rmx:


Do commercial not industrial, those pictures are cement board wall partitions for office , eatery and bakery space in an open floor space for a supermarket , with pop boarding for ceiling . The most appropriate solution if you don’t want to do block works after all tiling and other civil works has been completed

My point still stands that cement boards are more expensive than using pop boards either for ceiling or for wall partitioning or for basically anything . I know cos I use both regularly .Maybe cheaper outside Nigeria

Now I think I got you. Of course plasterboard is cheaper per square meter than cement board. So this is even a better argument against PVC and Polystyrene ceiling.

However, plasterboard MAY not work out being cheaper than cement board as cement board is a factory FINISHED product near plug and play - screw it up, joint it and paint.

But with plasterboard it is prone to moisture and damp and water damage. So plasterboards must be protected from water damage by skimming over it (screeding)/plastering before painting. This process might just even out the cost differential or even add more.

I have not used plasterboard ceiling solution in Nigeria before. This is something I will need to crunch the numbers in my coming project to see if it works better for me than cement board in certain situations.

You use "POP board". Just to be clear, you mean actual POP boards and not plasterboard? Is that right?

rmx:


Wont agree to the last paragraph , cement board more expensive . Been using both for all my projects for years . Installation is basically the same for both , Pop boards comes in 1.2m x 3 m , cement boards come in 1.2 x 2.4 meter yet more expensive , likely 30 to 50 % more , don’t do wood , use hanger ,profiles , angles , screws , etc

Use cement boards for wall partitioning since they are stronger and sturdier while pop boards for ceiling .pix from an ongoing project

Cement board are not the right solution for an industrial project such as yours. POP boards as you would know are the right solution. For residential (home) projects, fibre boards are effective alternatives to installed POP at a fraction of the cost.

fashrola:



thank you so much........ So that means before woodwork, I have to determine the size i will use before the nogging right?

Do Nigerite have any distributor or installer in Akwa Ibom?

The fibre board are of standard size. To save cost, decide what you want from the beginning - POP or Fibre board. When you are doing your roof wood work, tell the carpenter to nog for POP or Fibre.

There must be in Awkward Ibom.