₦airaland Forum

gbadexy:
You may try both options.

Alright, thanks!

gbadexy:
It would.

Ahhh, in that case, varnishing is ruled out for me o.

What if the door is initially coated with only red oxide paint before installation, and then the final matte black coating is done after tiling OR the matte black coated door is taped off with nylon/paper before doing any mortar job?

gbadexy:
You may varnish it so that it would be easier to clean after tiling.

Ok, but I hope varnishing will not make it shiny.

michlins:
my people always love shiny something but I see nothing wrong with matte finish. It's your house and your rules.

All of them will gather dust in due time

Na that 'shiny something' dey put me off. Thanks for the insight.

@Gbadexy and @michlins, please what are your thoughts with regards to finishing exterior steel doors with matte black paint...I mean the type of matte black paint used for cars as seen below?

A certain welder told me that I'd have to shine it with vanish, otherwise it would gather dust quickly or get stained easily with mortar during tiling, but thing is I don't want a glossy finish.

spyder880:
After tiling.

After tiling? I thought it was better done before tiling, just like the bathroom windows.

Whitehorse:
Please has any done or has verifiable experience with underground water storage tanks?

I totally dislike those water tank stands as they're an eyesore, so exploring the option of underground water storage tanks.

I found these two designs online. Any thoughts from the experts in the house?

There is nothing wrong with any of those designs, as long as you can guarantee steady power supply to run a pressure pump round the clock.

The major problems you'll face are challenges with power and maintenance issues with the pressure pump.

There has to be water in those tanks all the time as well, otherwise you stand the risk of dry running your pressure pump, which may cause damage to the pump easily. This means you'll also need to automate the entire water supply system, by maybe installing a float switch or something to pump water automatically from your borehole to the tanks whenever water level falls below a certain limit.

jelloh:
I'm in the process of working with my architect to design a simple 4 bedroom bungalow and I need the inputs of the esteemed members of this community. I want to have an open plan living area that combines the living and dining rooms and the kitchen, and I don't want there to be any pillars. This living area will be 32ft long by 28ft wide

My architect is insisting that there must be at least one row of pillars in the middle as well as along the perimeter walls to make up for the reduced walls. I'm fine with pillars in the perimeter walls since they will be hidden but I don't want any pillars in my living room. So what are the most structurally sound and economical options?

So far we have these choices
1. Use thicker roof joists and have a normal wood frame roof
2. Use concrete beams to span the width of the house and mount a normal wood frame roof
3. Use a steel frame roof

Please can you advise me on the best option and what dimensions to use. Thanks a lot in advance. Below is the sketch I gave my architect

I'm no expert, but I think with regards to cost and safety, the concrete beams should be your best option. The Structural Engineers in the house would advise you better.

JustCryptos:
Thanks for the heads-up. So far, many advertisers have highlighted just the pros even here on nairaland. I needed first hand info from those who have used it.

It's also new to me that the biodigester is not designed to take water. So, where will these go?

Once again, thanks for the heads-up.

That's the thing with these biodigester vendors...they only highlight the advantages and if you don't ask those specific questions they'll never let you in on the full details of what you'd be getting until you're fully committed financially.

JustCryptos:
Good morning builders. I know this topic has been discussed a few times here but there has been no reasonable conclusion or testimonials.

Has anyone here tried using a biodigester in place of the traditional septic tank? What has been your experience so far?

I am considering the option for my farm as I don't have all the funds to start building the traditional tank. Max number of occupants are just 3.

Feedbacks will be well appreciated.

I think it's left for each individual to arrive at their own 'conclusion' after weighing the pros against the cons of a biodigester sewage tank. Nobody will make a conclusion for you Sir.

I'd like to believe you're familiar with the pros, otherwise you might not even consider it an option, but you need to at least know some of the cons before you can come to your own conclusion.

You need to know that the biodigester tank can only take waste from your toilets to be effective, so if you do decide to go for it, you'll need to find an alternative solution for disposal of waste water from other sources like your bath water, wash hand basins, sinks, floor drains, washing machine, dishwasher, etc.

Secondly, you also need to know that cleaning your toilets with your regular off-the-shelf cleaning fluids will render your biodigester system ineffective as well, so you may need to continue making orders of specific biodigester friendly cleaning fluids whenever the need arises.

If you do not mind these disadvantages, then by all means, go for it Sir.

MackyNaija:
You get mind o
Doing 10 to lintel and I am feeling it will come falling down.

What did you do post lintel?
Is it possible to use lintel as roof beam? Just thinking...

Post lintel external wall was 1 block followed by concrete fascia beam which was 2 blocks high. Post lintel internal wall was 4 blocks followed by roofing beam.

Of course, I believe it's possible to use lintel as roofing beam even though I haven't seen one before. What I've seen though is lintel serving as decking beam.

MackyNaija:
Rany has explained some of this.

1. I need a high ceiling but want the lintel beam to carry less courses.
10 before and 3 after instead of 9 before and 4 after.

2. I am planning on using tall windows of 7 courses for the living room (see the attached picture).
If I do 9 to lintel, window will start at level 2 which might be too low.
So 10 to lintel allows us start the window at Level 3.

On the bolded...I've seen builds that have windows, especially living room windows, starting from DPC, so starting from level 2 isn't necessarily too low. I actually started my living room windows after 2 blocks and lintel after 11, so the windows are 9 blocks high (same height as the doors).

See attached pics below

greenermodels:
why ten courses instead of nine? Four before window level and additional five to lintel level?

I believe it's just a matter of personal preference. I did 11 courses before lintel for the external walls of my build, but 9 for the internal walls.

The high windows have a certain appeal and they come in quite handy in terms of ventilation if you have high fence walls close to the building.

twinskenny:
Pabx should be telephone point

Thank you.

topsy23:
The correct abbreviation is PABX and it is called Private Automatic Branch Exchange. It is for telephone

Thanks!

Another quick question for our electrical gurus in the house:

In the electrical drawing attached below, please what does the abbreviation "Pabs" stand for? Thanks.

topsy23:
Yeah

You know your onions, thanks!

topsy23:
You can have them on solar inverter, It will now depends on the size of Inverter equipment you plan to install and also number of batteries

Ok...I guess that's when the looping of the 2 DBs comes into play, so the sockets for the inverter appliances can be removed from the heavy loads DB and added to the light loads DB, while the other kitchen sockets remain with the heavy loads DB, right?

topsy23:
You can use the one for lite loads( Lighting and Socket I guess) for solar Inverter, You need not to have another DB for the solar Inverter. But Make sure all the kitchen socket are on the heavy loads DB

Also make sure you loop the two DB's with pipes in case you want remove or add some loads on either of the DB

Wonderful insight, thanks...but a have a little concern about having all kitchen sockets on heavy loads DB, since this would mean an inverter refrigerator and inverter deep freezer kept in the kitchen cannot be powered by solar or a generator connected only to the light loads DB, if I'm getting you right.

topsy23:
With the 2 already installed DB you can dedicate the second DB with light and socket for solar inverter . If you use the same DB for solar and raw power, remember they share the same neutral terminal and again if your earthing is not properly done you will definitely have feedback power on your raw if you test with tester because of the common neutral terminal they shared.

We have done a lot of correction on this type of installations before because of the problem they encounter

Ok, thanks for the explanation, but permit me ask a more direct question...

For an uncompleted residential building that is yet to be plastered but has already been piped with carcass of 2 DB's, one intended for heavy loads and the other for light loads, would you advice the owner to install another DB if he intends to add solar power as one of his home energy sources?

N/B: the house is piped to have 10 ACs, 4 water heaters and 1 cooker unit, amongst many other power and lighting points. Thanks.

topsy23:
The cause of the fire outbreak might not be from the solar equipment. Most of the technicians have little or no knowledge of installation especially when it comes to wiring aspect. Most of the solar inverter are hybrid type with sources of charging. Either through sun or through NEPA or Gen. if the Out going of the Solar inverter are not totally separated can lead to this. It is advisable to separate Solar Inverter DB from your raw power DB. if you using single DB for both Solar and raw power hmmmm....

Just being curious...

So if someone wants to install solar in an already completed building, the person would have to install a new DB with fresh wiring?

What about a situation where the building already has 2 DB's, one for heavy appliances like AC's, water heaters and cooker unit, and the second DB for sockets and lights...would the person still need a 3rd DB for solar installation?

GloriousGbola:
it is also possible , unfortunately that the plumbers who worked on the house deliberately blocked a pipe so there can be expensive post completion consultancy

I agree nothing is impossible, even though I think this should be the least likely cause anyway.

twinskenny:
Ogami you are on point sir!!! After solving all these he should try and get an extractor fan for each toilet space

Yes, extractor fan is a viable additional option alright, but for me it will constitute an ongoing cost which, in my opinion, isn't really necessary if the plumbing is done right.

topsy23:
Congrats for moving in to your new apartment.

Now to the issue you have in the house , you need to chambers if the waste and soil pipes are not linked to the same chamber.

Also, you need to change your floor drains to S-Trap floor drain to prevent the odour flowing back to the house. Make you all the toilet have outer Vent .

Introduce magic waste to all the basins in other to retain some water so as to prevent the bad odour as well .

You're absolutely right about installing drain traps as well. Without those drain traps that retain some water within the piping system hence providing a sort of 'water barrier,' the drainage inlets will simply serve as unintended 'vents' within the house for septic gases.

sethtsadopp:
We just moved into our house 3 weeks ago. A 2 Floor 5 Room Terrace in Abuja.
But there is an issue that we have been facing. Serious smell has been coming from different parts of the house, mostly from the toilets but now it's spreading to the lounges and today we started smelling it even in the living room downstairs. I have complained to a plumber sometime ago and he came to cover the opening for the Jacuzzi in the master toilet since we haven't bought it yet and one other place. But it has gotten worse sef. From my own personal observation that smell is coming strongly from the water vents (where you take your bath) and even directly from the WC and some even coming from the other outer vent in the bathroom (the one where water is to go through if you wash the bathroom). Where do we begin to permanently tackle such and issue. It's happening in all 3 floors and I don't think there is any toilet in the house that isn't smelling.

Were the inspection chambers and septic tank vented? Gases generated from breakdown of sewage need an alternative escape route, otherwise they'll simply flow back into the house through floor drains, wash hand basins and sinks.

If the septic tank and/or chambers were not vented to expel gases, that should be the cause of the problem, in which case the solution would be to install vents.

Another possible cause is that one or more chambers or drain pipes may be partially or completely blocked. Sometimes these drainage systems aren't covered properly before plastering or doing concrete flooring in certain cases, and mortar/concrete can get into them in the process, cause partial or complete blockage.

horlorbah:
Good morning house. Please I'd like to know the prices of the following aluminum window sizes.
1500*1200
1200*1200
900*900
600*700
Thank you.

On this forum, you may have to specify the type of windows and whether it will come with net and burglary to have a quote Sir.

Eg: Sliding, Casement, Frameless, etc with or without net and/or burglary.

michlins:
it can handle 4000 to 6000 gallons of water.

Four(4) 750 gallons at the top,two to three (2 to 3) 500 gallons at below

They will be arranged as shown below

We do not use "gallons" as a unit of measurement in Nigeria, so many people here might not understand what you are saying. Why not use a more familiar unit like litres Sir, thanks.

Kudos man. You're really not compromising on quality. Even using BRC mesh for your oversite concrete...any particular reason for that?

Your 4" pipes seems a bit much though. I thought that was just for the 5 toilets or are you doing the outdoor piping as well?

MackyNaija:
True to that, we'll keep building and see how the costing goes.

What I am sure of is I'll build with an appreciable quality irrespective of the cost.

When I roof, then I'll take a break.

Good to know you're up for it, irrespective of cost. At least with that mindset, you'll hardly get discouraged and abandon the project due to cost.

Best of wishes man.

MackyNaija:
This is absolutely a threat to my life!

Are you sure yours was not a duplex??

Hatesin:
Supervising the work yourself doesn't necessarily change anything sometimes except you know what exactly to supervise. Some of us think that being on site looking at workers while they work means supervising them. No. There's more to it. You must know their tricks. You must know the exact quantity and quality of materials needed for a particular work and insist on that, else, they will waste double of your materials and still give you a less quality work.

Yes, you are absolutely correct, but does not apply in my case though.

MackyNaija:
Rany, taking into consideration the unexpected blocks surprise, what other surprises await me?

Pop, parapet, roofing cost. What did each cost you on average?

My entire carcass cost me about 13m, even as I did the foundation back in 2018 when a bag of cement was about 2.7k or so and a 30T trip of chippings went for just 280k, plus my foundation filling was also achieved with zero material cost and I didn't even do oversite concrete.

Can't say exactly how much my parapet cost me because I did the entire superstructure (from DPC to roofing beam and parapet) at the same time with same materials, but I know we used up to 144 bags of cement for it. Entire superstructure cost about 5m though.

Roofing cost me about 4.9m. Woodwork was done with about 1.7m, while stone coated roofing sheets were installed with about 3.2m.