₦airaland Forum

@KolaShangOne, wanaj0

Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory guys are well equipped to carry out those tests in most sites in Lagos these days. Destructive and Semi-destructive tests are carried out on materials, concrete and steel during important phase (every stage is important o) of construction.

Various tests that have been carried out by LSMTL on our project site include (but not limited to):

1. Water suitability test
2. Compressive test
3. Pile integrity test using echo tester
4. Steel test.

And a lot more. You have to pay for it and it's very beneficial to contractors especially those bidding for government projects because it's a requirement. The last one I did is around N80k (can't remember exact figure). Hopefully, individuals will start requesting this before selecting a contractor for their project.

If you're doing any project in Lagos and you didn't come across LSMTL, you're just lucky.

The Reserve by NextHome

Out

The Reserve by NextHome

Inside

gabbytabby:
it should be cheap there cos sharp and granite dust plenty and cheap.

Hmm! I'm doing some serious business calculations.

Cheap land + Cheap materials + Cheap labour + Nearness to a very large target market = Big Profit!

Angel investors wanted.

customised87:
Hello...pls house is it a MUST to do german floor when building a bungalow on a dry land?

Dry land? No!

Talking bricks and blocks, I wish I can be importing my blocks from Abeokuta. I can take a bet the blocks I used there can survive a 3m fall and the cost is simply amazing. N100 for 6" and N110 for 9"

Even their burnt bricks are super. Is there anyone who can attest to this? Or maybe I'm just lucky with the supplier?

Sir Egunmogaji,

Life will be more easier if we have more client like you. What that means is you're upfront with what you want right from the inception.

I need a builder and his equipment/tools of trade and not I need a quote for a house which you are fully aware you aren't prepared to let out as a full contract. You got started and start making a u-turn.

By clearly defining roles from the inception, you have set boundaries and rules/terms of service required. Such arrangement can never hit the brick.

But in case where you have to start changing terms/rules of engagement after commencement of the project, "that project get as e be"

We've had cases of people calling us for design work only. We've had cases of projects with supervisory roles only. We've had cases of people hiring NextHome truck or Marine boards for their project.

We don't have to be involved in everything.

@Sir EgunMogaji,

You remind me of Obesere's song. "Egungun be careful, na express you dey go."

My Oga Skimanski is speaking from experience. And I cannot agree less.

Many times some ideas works best on paper and are easier said than done.
I got into one of my clients bad side when I told him He can take up his project from where we left off and keep the savings for himself. The next thing I see is vicious attack online. I'm still waiting for the savings and side by side comparison of how much was saved in time, quality and money when we were doing the job and when the client took over. That may never come and it doesn't matter. Deep down, we all know the difference even though we can't admit.

I visited a project site this morning and I'm like why do we like playing "games" with our hard-earned monies. While I did all round beams during my Slab-work according to structural drawing specification, a new contractor did something different and the client is happy he's been involved and dictating orders. Who am I to complain? It's my money not yours.

I have another client who wanted to see all the happenings by himself and was been ill-adviced by friends and relatives on what to do. The type of sand, the build approach, what's important and what's not. At the end the builder is to be blamed even for a project he didn't have direct control on. Wetin we never see?

I know you can do it sir. It's just matter of getting the priorities right and opening your eyes wide. The 3 projects above have one thing in common. They are all a blend of the two (cost-plus and fixed-cost contract) like you wanted. A blend of the two as in builder do this, I do this and we achieve result.
Something like, builder bring marine boards for the floor, I'll bring planks for the beams, bamboo and the nails.

@all homeowner,

Fixed Cost or Cost Plus Contract: Which will you prefer and why?

With a Cost Plus contract, the cost of all materials, labour and an agreed upon percentage applied on all items is charged. The homeowner assumes the risk of unexpected expenses and cost over runs. Cost Plus contract if well managed should cost you less since the builder and subtrades do not need to pad their prices for the unexpected or unknown.

Fixed-price contracts gives the final figure you will pay for your home including change orders. The builder will assume the risk of the unexpected and unknown but will need to pad some prices to cover the possible surprises. You will pay more for the peace of mind.

Help us serve you better!

For instance, I just picked one of my generator from a project that went sour yesterday. The generator was on the project for 4 months and there has never been an issue of power supply. We try as much as possible to eliminate possible point of failures by doing so.

I'll rather spend 40k to give service to my clients than spend it at the bar which is the usual tradition here. "Owo meji loke fun engineer yen"

EgunMogaji:
*cough* kolashangone *cough*

"Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it." James A. Baldwin

I'm sure that it's included in your construction fees and your clients won't mind as we all know the epileptic nature of power in Nigeria and there project won't stall because of NEPA.

Anything that can make us remain relevant in the most competitive market we do without second thought.

Check my projects on NL from 2012. We were doing night work and I discovered my workmen are motivated not just because we paid them on time but because we treat them as human. Even when we went as far as Ondo, we still have our own generator and all the power tools.

We call it service. Clients should have all this from a builder. Those little things separate us from Baba Mulika the bricklayer.

rotecch77:
Using of one water heater for 2 toilet or a big central water heater (80 or 120 lts) for a duplex, flat...etc, this safe money also

Will be more interested in the central water heater. Tell me about it.

erico2k2:
there you go, let me ask, how did you face the challenge of power during outage or low current??

I have dedicated generator in almost all my sites. Power outage is never an issue. The generator power our work tools and provide constant power to our resident workmen.

We've made this a part of the business since 2012 and 90% of our projects can attest to this.

erico2k2:
It works like magic I have done this b4.U can check youtube. Cement and sand mix proper. How do you think they do it I. The west to lay brick?I'm at wrk wen I gt home I will post you a clip on here

You're very right. I have an electric mixer used for that purpose. Mixing concrete for interlock stones, small lintel works and mortar mixes. But the bricklayers didn't find this easy.

APC playing the opposition. #100daysofchange

@abdulwastecx

A fast growing population without a corresponding rise in mass housing development we are. Let's cut the chase, there's no cheaper alternative to building if we continue the way we are going.

Lagos HOMS is a step in right direction and I wish most government and investors will look into Multi Dwelling Houses. We cannot really talk about driving down costs if we still have to invest heavily on things like septic tank, borehole, and even roads to mention few in every residential builds.

How do they do it in developed countries? Shared facilities. The water plant, sewage system, gas, electricity, etc aren't individual responsibility. Land use is another prob. We are the architect of our own misfortune.

A lot is wrong with the system and we need a good blueprint to get back on track. Honestly, there are good guys doing it right now. Warri business park, rivtaf in PH, UPDC and so many developers have stepped up their game.

So the small builders also need to bring in the A-game and see how we can drive down the cost of construction without compromising on quality.

spyder880:
Well done bro, how work over there? I hope its not as hard as ours here, rain rain everyday.

The builders association here don bribe rain o. We even get July break. Now it's August holiday!

We are trying small, small.

I referred one Owerri man to you. I think you should get a call from him anytime soon. A student in diaspora who's trying to do something positive. I told him you can help. Make long throat no come kill person.

Oga spyder880, when I say there's no rule. I mean the Y irons can be on pillars and in block holes.

Anyway, it's a great way to start a new day. Nice discussion.

spyder880:
I also share these exact sentiments, how about my barbed wires, where will they be rooted if I don't have my concrete coping?

Bros, there's no rule that says those Y angle iron must be installed at a particular point. I'm my case, I planned using electric wire and the pipes will be installed on the columns (concrete columns anyway) which are standing at 3m interval.

This method is not just about function. It's about function and aesthetics with less wahala. Sorry to say this, if I have a way of doing without carpenters in my projects, I'll do so without a second thought.
90% of formwork end up been a waste in the long run. And most beautiful structures we see on houzz today aren't constructed using our traditional approach.

gabbytabby:
Since we tend to have a lot of this would broken tiles not work in place of the pvc.

Anything that prevent concrete waste will do the magic. Not compulsorily pvc. I used pvc because of its length and I have them in abundance.

mufutau55:
Thanks. I will look into way of implementing it. The sides mould is a precast concrete?

Hajji M.

Yes it is.

Materials needed:

1. Cement
2. Sharp Sand
3. Plywood (to make the templates)
4. Water
5. Binding wire
6. Concrete Nails
7. PVC sheets or Any other items to cover the block holes.
8. Skilled artisans to cast the precast belts and a bricklayer to finish the top surface.

You can drive down the cost of doing a coping using this method by 50% when you compare the cost with the traditional method and materials needed.

1. Various sizes of planks
2. Nails
3. 8mm or 10mm iron rods
4. Binding wire
5. PVC sheets or any other materials to cover the block holes
6. Sharp sand
7. Gravel or Granite (1/2 inch down)
8. Cement
9. Carpenter
10. Iron bender
11. Casters
12. Bricklayer to plaster after casting
13. Extra cost of plastering

mufutau55:
I like this alternative way of doing the coping... so what type of PVC was used.... may be more pics of the installations will provide more lectures. Thanks.

Hajji M.

I'm not lucky with those old pics. The job was done in early 2013 and painted last year. But the PVCs are just offcuts of the regular types. We just used them to cover the block hollow spaces before pouring the concrete.

EgunMogaji:
Trust me Sir, I'm up for trying new ideas. But they have to make sense to me as a non builder.

There are so many alternative building methods to explore and I'm always using my personal project as a test model.

For instance, why must we do coping on fences? I even proposed this to one of my client recently and he felt I'm speaking tongues.

But here's what I did on my own fence. Ornamental works and we used some damaged PVC sheets to cover the block hollows and do a light cement screed over it. In the long run, I was able to save the cost of carpentary, iron bender, caster, plastering and the various material costs because the new method doesn't require this. And it's more beautiful!

Pics below:

1. Pic of a fence I found on Internet.
2 & 3. Installation pics
4. The fence after painting.

The day you change foundation though.. That day won't come.

EgunMogaji:
We cannot compare high rise design to a typical 2 or 3 stories building.

erico2k2:
My point, and with those tall buildings, they have up to 30 feet deep piles

Why can't we compare them? I'm still talking about chained-lintels now. How is it different in both construction?

Most residential builds in my part of the country now have raft foundations.

To start with, a lintel is a horizontal member which is placed across an opening to support the portion of the structure above it. And it can be wood, steel, stone, brick or reinforced concrete.

So, whether high rise or medium scale development or a backyard project, any structural member placed over the doors and the windows is called lintel. Why is it always different in residential build? Why must it always be reinforced concrete?

The Usual Excuses! Blocks are not always strong. It bind the house together. It prevents crack. It prevents snakes from having access into the house through the block hollow space. (Don't mind me, I made that up)

What about the damage it does to our pocket? The imposed load on structure. How it makes redevelopment nearly impossible without tear down.

twinskenny:
Boss brabus.

I think you have a lot to do... this is not good.

Make peace with your clients.. Make them happy most time its sacrifice do it.

Today I was with an angry client... at point he asked me to go and come back yo fix the issues another day cause of traffic.. but I stayed, the aim is to make him happy cause this client has spent money and he must get value for his money. I had to stay till 8pm.. at the end he was super happy gave me some cash for fuel.

Pls make sacrifice...

May God help you sir.
Thabks

Thank you bro!

erico2k2:
On what you are saying I will agree to some extent, I think there should be a weight formula to determine where and how support ie pillars and column should be placed.I think there should be a way of builders to calculate stress and where to relieve these stress in terms of pillars.it should not be a guess work

Here's a typical example:

Have you ever seen a chained-lintel in any high rise building? Have you ever seen it specified in most structural drawings? We tend to build as the "spirit leads." Why must partitions be block wall? Aren't there alternative building materials?

If a high-rise building can ignore this, why should it be compulsory for small residential building?

FastShipping:
I have said these things here many time. It is called overbuilding. Too many unnecessary columns/pillars, chained lintel, German Floor......

At the end, the finishing is nothing to write home about.

The house I currently live in is a brick home with no single lintel, German floor or concrete beam.

Hmm! I cannot agree any less. My post in 2013 below https://www.nairaland.com/1338637/chateau-ile-oluji-construction-journal#16519897

But some clients be like I need raft, German/England floor, 40ft roofing kingpost, chained-lintels, pillars at every angles etc

We tend to overbuild and overspend on projects.

abdulwastecx:
To be frank, concrete mixers, compactors, levelling instrument, pulley system, filling machine, sprayer, excavators and other specialized equipment should be basic in running of a small building construction film.

We hardly built to specification due to lack of simple tools that can easily be sourced.

I will be looking at acquiring some of these tools in the near future

Nice thread.

mavverick:
Bosun/Brabus/next home

please come and get your marine boards away from my site. I have told them to remove it with immediate effect. This has been done and put to the front of the site.

Once you collect your marine board. This marks the end, I wish you luck in all your endeavours and pls don't come to my site again. I'm quite concerned about sabotage.


Thanks.

Thank you! My men will do the needful. I've responded your whatsapp chat.

It's a busy day here.

The Reserve - Updates

Wraparound Terrace and Skybridge Construction by NextHome