Great talk on teak wood. Over 20 years ago we built a wooden house using 'legal' teak trees. At the time, I was told that this wood was termite proof and would last longer than I would. Well, that is true up to a point. Old teak wood is great. Green teak wood, not so much. Throughout the years we have had to replace wooden supports, roofing and some siding. Even with preventive maintenance, young teak wood is not the way to go. Expensive lesson learned.
Thanks again...and yeah that young teak is flavorful...we love our house but in the end we will likely let it get old with us inside...it'll turn grey and dry up and so will we...lol...then maybe have to move to a luxury care facility on the beach or build a more accessible house if we can't do stairs etc...lol
Its been a while between viewing your channel. I followed the build of the house very closely and the subsequent development of the grounds etc.. I gotta say, man you been busy and I congratulate you on the results. It is quite beautiful.
Absolutely fascinating Craig! Thank you for another brilliant informative video around knockdown homes. I wish I had stopped at a few sellers whilst heading to Udon Thani in May.
You should call this - "Did you know" or "Fun Facts" episode. Besides you travel stories, this is a another good episode, I mean besides your construction vdo's.
Hi Craig. Very informative vlog: many thanks. My thoughts: I like the just-enough aspects…My main house for decades has been 5 bedroom Victorian house in the UK…loads of space for multi-generations…when its just two of you left it becomes too-much of everything: hence just-enough and a more minimalist life-style is attractive. I have a small Thai bungalow that goes the other way: not-enough though good-enough while planning something simpler but sufficient... Btw: I have things moving around in my loft space that sound like velociraptors and I am not sure it wouldn’t take out a cat…I also have an abundance of mozzies which I put down to being on the edge of a village, probably why Dengue is more prevalent in populated urban areas??? The Wife: she leans toward an off the peg modern bungalow, though also quite happy with what we have. The reason she isn’t entirely on board is that as a kid there were several lost in the village following lightening strikes. I guess that is mitigated other than by lightening rods, by having a pond close by and high volume water pumps? I learned a lit from your blog: TBH I think even your smaller knockdown would suit our needs…
Size is relative….I mean if you only sleep and shower so to speak because you’re out and about…then yeah…smaller is better….I’ma post a small knockdown tour of mine so u can check it out……and those speedsters are probably the big geckos..or tokay’ they haul ass and are loud…sounds like a herd of rats…yeah we did have that one strike at the pond tree but lightning can strike ya riding down the road on a scooter….and dang Thailand does have it’s lightning…I’m a bit more careful now when I hear it coming…
Great stuff! I’ve always like the idea of a log home here in the states, but ever since traveling to Thailand from 2005 and thinking of retiring there, I’ve been looking at knockdown homes. Have you done a video tour of your small house? Did I miss it?
thanks...yeah I always thought about the log home kits when I was in the US....not sure of I've done a small knockdown tour but I'm sure early videos have shown the inside and when I replaced the beams underside...but maybe I need to do another tour video...this time on the small knockdown...thanks for the idea!...lol
@@frankdacosta6525 not sure I even read the sales contract..lol…but I do know the owner said if you need anything at all just let me know and I’ll fix it….I did have them come back and replace some roof tiles after I sent the drone up to look at the seams….they also replaced a stripped anchor bolt I found…and after two years they reapplied varnish on the outside for free…although I bought it….and my neighbor who just had his built also got the same message…I.e. just let me know and we’ll correct it….and he had them do several after the fact customizations for free as well…I think generally these are family owned businesses and they will stand by their work for many years if you keep in touch so to speak….as I don’t see the house falling down anytime soon…lol …and they can come back and move it to another part of your land if you like after say a year or so and just want a different view….lol…now I can’t speak for some of these more prefabricated homes made with steel and cement board that market themselves as knockdown builders of which they are not..where are you thinking of building?
Absolutely…..but does salt effect Thai hardwoods…yes as salt can accelerate breakdown of some fibers where cracks are growing….however here again when first moving a wood house to the beach simply reapply marine grade varnish the same way you varnish the house with regular varnish every few years…problem solved….think about how do all the wood boats survive on the ocean? Maintenance is key…even then as for salt and it’s negative effects…likely not in a retired persons lifetime….lol
Hi Craig I’ve just signed up for a knockdown house like yours I’m fighting with the swmbo about putting in insulation as she reckons they don’t need it. The builder never puts it in what are your thoughts?
Thanks...yes well the small knockdowns can be a bit different...if like ours it has double walls you might as well insulate as it will cool it down a bit...but with a small one and a big aircon...guess u don't need it right?..the big house like ours...we don't have it in the ceiling...cant have it on walls as they are single wide....but I see no difference...all insulation starts to break down eventually...at least the covering...and it can be a haven for wildlife as well so I'm not a big fan I'd rather spend the money on improved ventilation and cooling system upgrades...hell u could stick an aircon in the ceiling...lol
Hi Craig, who did you buy your house from ? I was looking at buying a teak house but as you say they are expensive....I've got a budget of around 1M...Do the people who make these build them too ?
@@petehuxham7359 Hey Pete…my description has the link to KriangKrai which was the company…and yes they build them and sell them..it’s a family run business…right on the highway….and you’ll be able to get a nice one for that 1mil….you should visit them…they are building on site all the time and have many models to look at…they just got more property across the street from their place and already have a bunch of new small models…
We’ll I’m not sure you’d call them suppliers…but most family owned places here along the rural roadside, and there are many, will have old teak beams from previous builds..some go remote villages and recover old teak by buying up and dismantling the houses then bring the wood back to their property where they sell it…there are many, and most look like small lumber outfits sorted by size and length…the average 6 meter long by 2” thick by 6”wide go for about 1200 baht each…bulk is negotiable..I recently paid a 1000 for one the guy wanted 1500…as for marine grade…there’s no certification for that here I’m sure…but most all of it is quite sufficient for milling down for boat decking and rails etc as in a marine environment you’ll be coating it etc..it may look old and grey but when milled it’s bright golden red…beautiful stuff…I have bought many…some are under water at times…no issues…
@@PhoneBoothLivin KamphaengPhet is located about halfway between Bangkok and Chiang Mai on the western side…the builders go anywhere in Thailand to deliver..
Hi Eric…here’s their Facebook link with their contact info….let me know if you need help… facebook.com/antant1503 There’s also a link in my description pull down on the video. Thai companies will often have Facebook as their primary social media as its free.
Thanks for the comment Chris...although here we don't have termite issues at all...it's been nearly two years and no signs yet...the hardwoods such as Burmese Redwood and Indonesian Redwoods are harder than even the Teakwood and termites just don't have to time to drill down...hell my metal drill bits snap off trying to...the termites move on to other wood such as the local trees within the root systems...added that the solvent based red stain along with the healthy coating of lacquers that are reapplied every couple years will certainly fend off any termite attempts here...I'm not sure the same can be said in other locations or if the property is left abandoned for years on end...or of your wood supports are buried in the dirt instead of on concrete...but living here and taking care of the property with regular maintenance, one shouldn't worry too much about termites with this quality of wood...
Hey Jim...no we didn't bother with insulation....and after almost three years we haven't really worried about it...as we have air-conditioning that works great...I know insulation can make it cooler perhaps but what I save on insulation can be better spent elsewhere...lol
SIR! Extremelly informative and interesting content (let alone for a narrow audience of owners of Thai wood houses ;-) ), of a kind I have been looking for! Very sober reasoning, and agree to everything said. Feel free to have a look at our Traditional Thai wood house on my channel, and comment on it (not trying to draw away traffic from your vlog or anything, mine problably being the most unprofessional, unambitious vlog in the universe, so won't be drawing any floods of viewers anytime soon ;-)) ). It's supposed to be predominantly built of (certified) teak wood - legs of "golden teak". Kind of checks out price wise, considering your benchmarks and certainly has the feel, although not an expert/ carpenter/ builder myself (but certainly a DIY-kindo' person). Whatcha' recon, by looking at the footage? Regardless, I'm loving it, and it has brough us so much joy for the 10 years since we had it built already, never regretted it for even a split second; there is nothing like walking barefoot on a nice, slightly flexing, - imagined or real - teak (?) floor (wooden, anyways)! Still standing strong, no signs of termites - every leg stands sunken into huge, concrete filled, vertical concrete cylinders, going like a meter down into the ground, and a concrete slab on top of it - AND reinforced, stabilising concrete beams casted in a grid between the foundations in every octogonal direction). Just had its first all around re-varnish this year... (pardon any misspellings and language errors etc., English only being my third language). Cheers, and thanks for the lessons! Great vlog for someone like me, giving it a follow! (Love those traditional, characteristic Thai panels on your walls, btw. - gives that awesome "Thai"-feeling)
Hey my friend…thanks for the comments…we love Thai houses!…..your house is indeed a very palatial home…and the golden teak coloring is amazing…there are only a handful of companies that can make a traditional teakwood home and it looks like you found one….our first teakwood home was about 15 yrs ago and it’s still in good shape….thanks again…and love your video shorts…!
Teka is a soft wood, not structurally suitable. Termites completely destroyed my wife's family home I witnessed it, among many others, but it may take decades.
Indeed, it will likely take decades....to wit I'll be dead by then...lol...thankfully we do not have termite issues at all...it's been nearly two years and no signs yet...the hardwoods such as Burmese Redwood and Indonesian Redwoods are harder than even the Teakwood and termites just don't have to time to drill down...hell my metal drill bits snap off trying to...the termites move on to other wood such as the local trees within the root systems...added that the solvent based red stain along with the healthy coating of lacquers that are reapplied every couple years will certainly fend off any termite attempts here...I'm not sure the same can be said in other locations or if the property is left abandoned for years on end...or of your wood supports are buried in the dirt instead of on concrete...but living here and taking care of the property with regular maintenance, one shouldn't worry too much about termites with this quality of wood...
Great talk on teak wood. Over 20 years ago we built a wooden house using 'legal' teak trees. At the time, I was told that this wood was termite proof and would last longer than I would. Well, that is true up to a point.
Old teak wood is great. Green teak wood, not so much. Throughout the years we have had to replace wooden supports, roofing and some siding. Even with preventive maintenance, young teak wood is not the way to go. Expensive lesson learned.
Thanks again...and yeah that young teak is flavorful...we love our house but in the end we will likely let it get old with us inside...it'll turn grey and dry up and so will we...lol...then maybe have to move to a luxury care facility on the beach or build a more accessible house if we can't do stairs etc...lol
Its been a while between viewing your channel. I followed the build of the house very closely and the subsequent development of the grounds etc.. I gotta say, man you been busy and I congratulate you on the results. It is quite beautiful.
Thank u brother …a work in progress indeed..:
Absolutely fascinating Craig! Thank you for another brilliant informative video around knockdown homes. I wish I had stopped at a few sellers whilst heading to Udon Thani in May.
Thanks….and yeah stopping in at these places makes your mind wander in all directions…so much potential…
Great video really useful and intresting talk 😎👍
@@boxcartwilly hey thanks man,..glad it was informative…I really like the style of homes…
You should call this - "Did you know" or "Fun Facts" episode. Besides you travel stories, this is a another good episode, I mean besides your construction vdo's.
Hi Craig. Very informative vlog: many thanks.
My thoughts: I like the just-enough aspects…My main house for decades has been 5 bedroom Victorian house in the UK…loads of space for multi-generations…when its just two of you left it becomes too-much of everything: hence just-enough and a more minimalist life-style is attractive.
I have a small Thai bungalow that goes the other way: not-enough though good-enough while planning something simpler but sufficient...
Btw: I have things moving around in my loft space that sound like velociraptors and I am not sure it wouldn’t take out a cat…I also have an abundance of mozzies which I put down to being on the edge of a village, probably why Dengue is more prevalent in populated urban areas???
The Wife: she leans toward an off the peg modern bungalow, though also quite happy with what we have.
The reason she isn’t entirely on board is that as a kid there were several lost in the village following lightening strikes.
I guess that is mitigated other than by lightening rods, by having a pond close by and high volume water pumps?
I learned a lit from your blog: TBH I think even your smaller knockdown would suit our needs…
Size is relative….I mean if you only sleep and shower so to speak because you’re out and about…then yeah…smaller is better….I’ma post a small knockdown tour of mine so u can check it out……and those speedsters are probably the big geckos..or tokay’ they haul ass and are loud…sounds like a herd of rats…yeah we did have that one strike at the pond tree but lightning can strike ya riding down the road on a scooter….and dang Thailand does have it’s lightning…I’m a bit more careful now when I hear it coming…
Great stuff! I’ve always like the idea of a log home here in the states, but ever since traveling to Thailand from 2005 and thinking of retiring there, I’ve been looking at knockdown homes. Have you done a video tour of your small house? Did I miss it?
thanks...yeah I always thought about the log home kits when I was in the US....not sure of I've done a small knockdown tour but I'm sure early videos have shown the inside and when I replaced the beams underside...but maybe I need to do another tour video...this time on the small knockdown...thanks for the idea!...lol
Thank you
You’re welcome bud!
Hi, looking at building a knockdown house, I've got one question for you, what sort of warranty do you get when building a knockdown house?
@@frankdacosta6525 not sure I even read the sales contract..lol…but I do know the owner said if you need anything at all just let me know and I’ll fix it….I did have them come back and replace some roof tiles after I sent the drone up to look at the seams….they also replaced a stripped anchor bolt I found…and after two years they reapplied varnish on the outside for free…although I bought it….and my neighbor who just had his built also got the same message…I.e. just let me know and we’ll correct it….and he had them do several after the fact customizations for free as well…I think generally these are family owned businesses and they will stand by their work for many years if you keep in touch so to speak….as I don’t see the house falling down anytime soon…lol …and they can come back and move it to another part of your land if you like after say a year or so and just want a different view….lol…now I can’t speak for some of these more prefabricated homes made with steel and cement board that market themselves as knockdown builders of which they are not..where are you thinking of building?
You mentioned the beach. Can the wood handle salt air?
Absolutely…..but does salt effect Thai hardwoods…yes as salt can accelerate breakdown of some fibers where cracks are growing….however here again when first moving a wood house to the beach simply reapply marine grade varnish the same way you varnish the house with regular varnish every few years…problem solved….think about how do all the wood boats survive on the ocean? Maintenance is key…even then as for salt and it’s negative effects…likely not in a retired persons lifetime….lol
Hi Craig
I’ve just signed up for a knockdown house like yours
I’m fighting with the swmbo about putting in insulation as she reckons they don’t need it.
The builder never puts it in what are your thoughts?
Thanks...yes well the small knockdowns can be a bit different...if like ours it has double walls you might as well insulate as it will cool it down a bit...but with a small one and a big aircon...guess u don't need it right?..the big house like ours...we don't have it in the ceiling...cant have it on walls as they are single wide....but I see no difference...all insulation starts to break down eventually...at least the covering...and it can be a haven for wildlife as well so I'm not a big fan I'd rather spend the money on improved ventilation and cooling system upgrades...hell u could stick an aircon in the ceiling...lol
Hi Craig, who did you buy your house from ? I was looking at buying a teak house but as you say they are expensive....I've got a budget of around 1M...Do the people who make these build them too ?
@@petehuxham7359 Hey Pete…my description has the link to KriangKrai which was the company…and yes they build them and sell them..it’s a family run business…right on the highway….and you’ll be able to get a nice one for that 1mil….you should visit them…they are building on site all the time and have many models to look at…they just got more property across the street from their place and already have a bunch of new small models…
Would u happen to know any teak suppliers there that have marine grade old growth teak ?
We’ll I’m not sure you’d call them suppliers…but most family owned places here along the rural roadside, and there are many, will have old teak beams from previous builds..some go remote villages and recover old teak by buying up and dismantling the houses then bring the wood back to their property where they sell it…there are many, and most look like small lumber outfits sorted by size and length…the average 6 meter long by 2” thick by 6”wide go for about 1200 baht each…bulk is negotiable..I recently paid a 1000 for one the guy wanted 1500…as for marine grade…there’s no certification for that here I’m sure…but most all of it is quite sufficient for milling down for boat decking and rails etc as in a marine environment you’ll be coating it etc..it may look old and grey but when milled it’s bright golden red…beautiful stuff…I have bought many…some are under water at times…no issues…
@@unclecraigbaannawk oh wow thank you for the info 🙏 what part of Thailand is this ?
@@PhoneBoothLivin KamphaengPhet is located about halfway between Bangkok and Chiang Mai on the western side…the builders go anywhere in Thailand to deliver..
ooh man thats a trek but i guess worth it. is there anyway i can contact you?@@unclecraigbaannawk
hi Craig Eric here do you have website where to order house like yours or similat thank you
Hi Eric…here’s their Facebook link with their contact info….let me know if you need help… facebook.com/antant1503 There’s also a link in my description pull down on the video. Thai companies will often have Facebook as their primary social media as its free.
TERMITES NUMBER 1....
Thanks for the comment Chris...although here we don't have termite issues at all...it's been nearly two years and no signs yet...the hardwoods such as Burmese Redwood and Indonesian Redwoods are harder than even the Teakwood and termites just don't have to time to drill down...hell my metal drill bits snap off trying to...the termites move on to other wood such as the local trees within the root systems...added that the solvent based red stain along with the healthy coating of lacquers that are reapplied every couple years will certainly fend off any termite attempts here...I'm not sure the same can be said in other locations or if the property is left abandoned for years on end...or of your wood supports are buried in the dirt instead of on concrete...but living here and taking care of the property with regular maintenance, one shouldn't worry too much about termites with this quality of wood...
Did you use insulation in your house
Hey Jim...no we didn't bother with insulation....and after almost three years we haven't really worried about it...as we have air-conditioning that works great...I know insulation can make it cooler perhaps but what I save on insulation can be better spent elsewhere...lol
@@unclecraigbaannawk thank you
SIR! Extremelly informative and interesting content (let alone for a narrow audience of owners of Thai wood houses ;-) ), of a kind I have been looking for! Very sober reasoning, and agree to everything said. Feel free to have a look at our Traditional Thai wood house on my channel, and comment on it (not trying to draw away traffic from your vlog or anything, mine problably being the most unprofessional, unambitious vlog in the universe, so won't be drawing any floods of viewers anytime soon ;-)) ). It's supposed to be predominantly built of (certified) teak wood - legs of "golden teak". Kind of checks out price wise, considering your benchmarks and certainly has the feel, although not an expert/ carpenter/ builder myself (but certainly a DIY-kindo' person). Whatcha' recon, by looking at the footage? Regardless, I'm loving it, and it has brough us so much joy for the 10 years since we had it built already, never regretted it for even a split second; there is nothing like walking barefoot on a nice, slightly flexing, - imagined or real - teak (?) floor (wooden, anyways)! Still standing strong, no signs of termites - every leg stands sunken into huge, concrete filled, vertical concrete cylinders, going like a meter down into the ground, and a concrete slab on top of it - AND reinforced, stabilising concrete beams casted in a grid between the foundations in every octogonal direction). Just had its first all around re-varnish this year... (pardon any misspellings and language errors etc., English only being my third language). Cheers, and thanks for the lessons! Great vlog for someone like me, giving it a follow! (Love those traditional, characteristic Thai panels on your walls, btw. - gives that awesome "Thai"-feeling)
Hey my friend…thanks for the comments…we love Thai houses!…..your house is indeed a very palatial home…and the golden teak coloring is amazing…there are only a handful of companies that can make a traditional teakwood home and it looks like you found one….our first teakwood home was about 15 yrs ago and it’s still in good shape….thanks again…and love your video shorts…!
Teka is a soft wood, not structurally suitable. Termites completely destroyed my wife's family home I witnessed it, among many others, but it may take decades.
Indeed, it will likely take decades....to wit I'll be dead by then...lol...thankfully we do not have termite issues at all...it's been nearly two years and no signs yet...the hardwoods such as Burmese Redwood and Indonesian Redwoods are harder than even the Teakwood and termites just don't have to time to drill down...hell my metal drill bits snap off trying to...the termites move on to other wood such as the local trees within the root systems...added that the solvent based red stain along with the healthy coating of lacquers that are reapplied every couple years will certainly fend off any termite attempts here...I'm not sure the same can be said in other locations or if the property is left abandoned for years on end...or of your wood supports are buried in the dirt instead of on concrete...but living here and taking care of the property with regular maintenance, one shouldn't worry too much about termites with this quality of wood...
Get gegos
we have them...and they stay busy...lol