Query on landscape and House Construction for USA based NRI

QUOTE

Dear Mr. Thomas
 
I was going thru your website and found very interesting.
I have got an enquiry/advice;
Last 3 years back I built my house, there is no compound wall.
Now I want to construct compound wall with gate and a very good landscaping with tiles.
What is the economical but yet stronger and lifespan models available. What will be the approx. cost.
Do you have any contractor who can do this job for me.
I am residing at Thevalakkara near Karunagappally.
 
Thanks
Manu Alex

My reply

It will be better if I can visit the site.I can assess house construction work done,suggest ways to improve utility and appearance,check Vasthu compliance and suggest on landscaping and gate construction.We can also consider deputing our people for the work to be done after site visit.

QUOTE

Hi I have my old house in the land where I am planning to build my new house. I need to demolish that and make new one - my plan is for a 2-storied house, with 3 bedrooms on the 1st floor and two on ground floor. Rest of the things I would like to discuss with you on phone. Please let me know your convenient time so that I can make a call.

Martin of Massachusetts,USA

Reply

Yes.I can take up design and construction of your house with the best you can expect from a professional qualified and experienced in house design and construction in Kerala

I have to start preferably with a site visit and study in detail about your requirements,dreams and hopes for your house

You can call me in the evening our time in India

Query again on square feet labour contract rate

QUOTE

sir                                                                                                   I am planning to build a house in Trivandrum.while giving for labour contract which area is to be calculated is it plinth or carpet area?

Bijoy

My reply

Labour contract or square feet rate contract are basically crude methods of engaging work on contract basis and is not approved or recommended by any good professional.

Non professional contractors use these crude methods  like some one trying to catch a fish by offering a bait of food by hiding the steel hook inside food.These rates are just a lie  given to you initially by the non professional contractor to get you inside his arm.Once you are caught you cannot escape.After you start work,no other contractor will come to take up work even if you feel compelled to do away with original contractor.

As the work progresses  contractor will start demanding extras and you will end up paying much more than original agreed rates as you have little or no alternate way of completing your construction.
In any labour contract,non professional contractor will try to reduce labour content in the work to increase his profit even at the cost of quality of construction for which he will pay only lip services.
He will continue to misguide you and will try to convince you that wrong practices of construction adopted by him to increase his profit are the right way of doing the work.
If you have an independent qualified and experienced professional to provide drawings,specifications and instructions for the work continuously then situation can improve.In such a scenario,the contractor will either leave the contract or ask for increased rate
Whether the contractor considers plinth area or carpet area for calculating amount payable to him is for him to answer.Mostly they consider plinth area  as measured by them which again will be higher than actual plinth area.

If you need professional guidance, design ,detailed drawings for the work,we can be of assistance to you

Query again on square feet cost

QUOTE

Hello Sir,

I came across you blog http://kerala-architects.blogspot.com/ while searching in the net for the current labor contract rates in Thiruvananthapuram. We are planning on renovating our home. The plan was prepared by a qualified engineer but due to some personal issues on the engineer's part he could not take the work. So we decided on giving the project to another person based on labor contract. The square foot rate he has given us seems a bit unreasonable. The property is in Vellayambalam Thiruvananthapuram and the rate given to us is Rs. 300 per square foot. When I enquired around I came to know that this is indeed really unreasonable. Could you please give me a fair idea about the current labor rates per square foot in Thiruvananthapuram? Hope to get a reply soon.

Thanks and Regards,

Lavanya,

My reply

People are obsessed with square feet rate! Even for remodeling and renovation work ,square feet rate contractor comes!

First of all you have to understand that every non professional contractor who take up work on square feet rate for labour contract tries to do the work with as little labour content as possible.Even when there is a qualified experienced Engineer to supervise the work he will try to save labour cost even at the cost of quality of work.When there is no professional involved contractor will try to teach you that the way he does the work is the best method and procedure.

Best option especially for a remodeling renovation work is to fix unit rates for each item of work to be done in consultation with an expert.

In your case I can visit Trivandrum site, study work involved and suggest on work to be done, check Vasthu compliance and fix up labour rates for each item if the contractor is willing to co operate.If contractor is not a reasonable person,he will not do anything even if I tell him that his square feet rate is high

Queries on septic tank,Overhead tank,waste pits,clay tile polishing

QUOTE

Hi Sir,
   While surfing i got a chance to visit your blog, the site is informative and content rich.
I'm planning to construct a house I've a couple of doubts about septic tank capacity,
I'm planning to use two 750 liters overhead tank 
My house is having 3 bedrooms with attached toilet and a common toilet. In addition to this there two sinks one in kitchen and work area
The soil is good and normal rubble foundation is what recommended after soil testing
How can we arrive @  the capacity of septic tank, since drainage facility is not yet available in our area
  - What is the capacity of septic tank required for my house
- Do we need to construct separate septic tank for kitchen/work area and bathrooms
- Which one is better a ready made septic tank or to construct one.
- What is the maintenance period of a septic tank, i.e in what interval we need to do the cleaning
- Is there any other points to be considered before constructing a septic tank
Please advice me on this. When you are free .
 
with regards
Lalu George

My reply

You need professional guidance ,drawings and supervision from beginning to end of house construction and you picking up little bit of information on house construction from many people combined with misguiding you by contractor to save cost to increase his profit  will give you a house with lot of  quality problems,and insufficiencies.

There is no substitute for professional guidance and you will save lot of money by having  professional guidance even after considering fees payable to a professional

Three bed room house does not require two  750 liters over head tank.A normal family of four people will not use more than 500 liters of water in a day.So you need to go for only one 750 liter tank.

Septic tank with brick walls and plastering will be costly and over a period of time tree routes may damage brick walls.So use only Ferro cement  septic tank and underground water storage tank.Your Architect will select appropriate size septic tank in consultation with the manufacturer for your house.

For disposal of waste water from kitchen,wash basins and bath rooms waste pit is required and not septic tank.Here again your Architect will advise you on specifications of such waste pits.Septic tank cleaning may be required after ten years or more.At present live bacteria is available which when poured as per instructions through closet can clean septic tank within a few months.Use of such a product available in market can help clean septic tank without any hassles.

QUOTE

Sir
I read an article in Kerala Architecture and House construction on clay
tiles for indoor use.I am already purchased and installation of terracotta
tiles in my home is under progress. However manufacturer/installer has
given different opinion on polishing. Please clarify.
You are suggesting polyurethane coating on terracotta flooring. This
coating needs any special care?
How it apply.
what is the commercial name of this coating.
Is machine cleaning is required after installation of tiles.
How it apply.
Where it is available.
please give your suggestions
Rajasekharan Pillai.G

My reply

Clay tile is manufactured  by using good quality mud only by reputed manufacturers.Others use low quality mud which in turn can affect strength of clay tile.With lesser strength,clay tile used in floor can get damaged by wear and tear over a period of time.

You should never do machine cleaning over clay tile.It will damage and remove the top coating on clay tile.After laying  of clay tiles you should cure it with water for few days.Thus mortar joining clay tiles will get strengthened.After curing period of at least seven days are over wash surface of clay tile laid with heavily diluted acetic acid.Leave it for drying for few days.

After the tile is dried  apply polish by hand.You can use polish material like mansion polish.After this polishing surface of clay tile will become moisture resistant.As an additional precaution you can apply poly urethane coating which you can buy from any paint shop.

It is available in Cochin,Coimbatore etc.In small towns it may not be available.Poly urethane coating is not essential if polishing is done well.

Query on Elevation for house under construction

QUOTE

Dear  Mr.  Thomas,

I have seen your blogs in the internet.

I am constructing a house and the construction has reached up to the lintel level near Ettumanoor.  I did not finalise the Elevation of my house.

Can you please design an elevation and 3D view if I send to you the Plans. You can charge me for the above. If you would like to visit the site I can arrange.

Awaiting your valuable reply.

Best Regards,

Lal.

My reply

Lot of people have a mistaken notion that Elevation of the house is something independent of Plan of the house.If you need a good Elevation ,Architect who prepare plan of the house will have to prepare plan of the house in a manner by which a good Elevation is possible.

Having finalised plan of the house and construction reaching lintel level,there are of course constraints in designing a better Elevation.With a site visit I can study the matter,comment on work so far done,check Vasthu compliance and suggest changes that can improve on external appearance of the building.You will have to send me plan of the house before site visit so that I can prepared . during site visit

Queries on Kerala Style house in Chennai,Modular Kitchen and square feet cost

QUOTE

Dear Sir, We have a G+1 floor house at Chennai, we wish to construct one more floor using wooden structure of Kerala Heritage house. Is it possible to relocate? we can discuss all details, in case you see a possibility. regards,

Chidamber PL

My reply

There are people in Kerala who buy old houses with lot of traditional wood work,knock it down and recreate it anywhere.Even though they buy at lower cost,they charge very high.

So It will be better to do the work using new material keeping all good features of traditional  Kerala work.If interested we can work out details.

QUOTE

Dear Thomas,
 
Surfing through the NET in search of someone to provide technical advise on Kitchen designing , came across your web site and felt you can help me to get my Kitchen designed and arranged in a proper manner. Based in Vypin, my house is now under construction and wish to get your professional advise for my upcoming house's kitchen. My kitchen's plan would be as per the attached photo (it is from your own site) as its entrance from West and the window side is East and the out door is towards South as it is opening out to a work area room .
Hope to hear from you soon to discuss more details.
Thank you for your time.
Sebastian

I can visit your house under construction and give my suggestions on pending works and comments on work already done.I can also do a Vasthu evaluation of the house
After the visit,I can give you offer for design and construction of modular Kitchen and other interior work.I can get the work done with professional care and quality with my workers and professional team.

QUOTE

I have 7 cents in an housing plot.Again the reliability, management style of your company, man and material active reference from your list, all are important  factors for my decision making process. Also the budgeting part for a medium house 2500 sq. feet is very essential. I will be visiting Kochi, during the month of March. I can make a deal,  Why don't give me a figure, which you have already constructed from your list.

.Again I am well aware no body can pin point the right figure with respect to material handling of house constructions.. But as a marketing point of view, there is a figure. 1+ is always two ?  
Regards,
Mathew,

My reply

Unlike non professional contractors who try to get contract by telling lies ,I do not have to tell lies to get business.As a qualified and experienced professional in the field,after directly constructing more than 200 houses in Kerala,I can tell that if some one talk of a square feet cost of construction without studying site conditions and without a design of the house,it can only be a lie
If you are  going to give work related to your house only if I tell a lie,I do not want that work.

Farm House in Andhra Pradesh-Query and reply

QUOTE

I am totally impressed with your designs and I need a farm house design from your side for which I need your commercial terms...The design need to be mediocre in a south facing plot of 146 ft. x 150ft..

On hearing from you we will proceed further
warm regards
Ravisankar Ch.
VIJAYAWADA 520002
Andhra Pradesh INDIA

My reply

I require more details like what exactly do you require in the house and your dreams for the house.So,write in detail.

I can design the Basic Plan of the house and all detailed drawings required to complete the design and required during progress of construction work