|
|
visitors until today |
| | 
We have organized the Frequently Asked Questions database in such a way that
you may easily find an answer to your question(s) without it taking up too much
time. Determine under which paragraph your question should be categorized
and click on it.
If you are unable to find a proper answer in a category try another. If
that does not resolve your problem e-mail us at
contact@baliwoodworld.com and we will revert within 24 hours.
CATEGORIES
1.
WOOD
(general)
2.
WOOD
(walls, floors, roofs)
3.
KILN
DRYING
4.
TERMITES
(WHITE ANTS)
5.
FOUNDATION
6.
PREFABRICATION,
RE-ASSEMBLY AND RE-ASSEMBLY TIME
7.
SHIPPING,
PACKING AND CONTAINER SPACE
8.
PRICES
AND TAXES
9.
HURRICANES
AND EARTHQUAKES
10.
STRUCTURAL
ISSUES
11.
PAYMENT
ISSUES
12.
INSURANCE
13.
ARCHITECTURAL
ISSUES
14.
ELECTRICAL,
POTABLE WATER AND PLUMBING INSTALLATION
15.
TAILOR
OR CUSTOM MADE DESIGN
16.
WOOD
FINISHING
17.
THATCH
18.
DRAWINGS
19.
APPLIANCES
20.
DOORS
AND WINDOWS
21.
FUMIGATION
CATEGORY
1: WOOD (General)
| 101 |
What is the advantage of using
Bangkirai Hardwood, rather than the cheaper Coconut wood |
|
Bangkirai is a
Tropical Hardwood. Coconut wood is a softwood. There exist only three wood
species in
Indonesia
which are not susceptible to termite attacks (white ants), these are in
order of costs (the highest first): Jati Teak, Iron wood and Bangkirai.
Since Bangkirai is the cheapest of the three non-susceptible timbers, but
has similar strength, we use this wood for our houses and gazebos. NOTE:
Coconut wood is loved by termites. A house built in a termite infested
area may be devoured in a nick of time. Refer also to question 403. |
| 102 |
We were informed that Merbau
is also safe to termite attacks. Is this correct? |
|
Partly yes and
partly no. The part of Merbau which is not susceptible to termite attacks
comes from the hearthwood, the inner core of the tree. This is called
class I Merbau. The disadvantage is, however, that the price is about 50%
higher than the sapwood that surrounds the hearthwood (the outer core of
the tree). Reference is also made to Category
4. |
| 103 |
What
is the durability of the wood?
|
|
You will find
the answer to this question on the page Wood
Species. |
| 104 |
I would like
to catch rain water from the roof and store this in a cistern. I would
like to use the Iron wood shingles for the roof. Can I safely drink the
water collected from the roof that has come in contact with Iron wood? |
|
Iron wood is a
non-poisonous type of wood and does not contain any chemical substance
that is harmful for human beings. Since Iron wood is extremely durable no
chemical preservatives or water repellent sealers need to be applied to
maintain durability. As such the wood will retain its genuine natural
condition. Nonetheless we advise that a purifier be used to clean the rain
water. We advise you always to check with the Authorities whether the use
of Iron wood shingles is allowed for rain water catching roofs |
| 105 |
We have been informed that the
Counties in the
USA
do not recognize some tropical hardwoods. How do you cope with this? |
|
The USA Codes
and Requirements for structures are extremely protective as to their own
local building materials. Although world-wide any tropical hardwood
is recognized and allowed to be used, the
USA
does not stand out. The latest Codes and requirements (IBC 2006) still do
not deal with tropical hardwood. For many engineers this is a dilemma in
how to approach this problem since most tropical hardwoods are 4 to 5
times stronger than any local North American wood. In fact there is no
proper solution for this problem until the Code Councils will adapt
tropical hardwood as being a building material that is allowed to be used
in the
USA
. Our experience is that by convincing the County Authorities that
tropical hardwood is in average 4 to 5 times stronger than North American
construction wood (by prove and evidence obtained from recognized
technical papers) the Counties will allow the use. |
| 106 |
You indicate that both
Bangkirai and Iron wood have excellent durability qualities with a life
time of over 25 years without any protective coating. Will the wood
discolor without such protective coating? |
|
Bangkirai will
discolor to a very deep reddish brown color with small occasional light
blackish areas. Iron wood will turn into a grayish brown color |
| 107 |
How thick are the Iron wood
shingles |
| 108 |
I have been informed that
Bangkirai is prone to cracking. Is that true? |
|
Yes and no.
Bangkira is a type of hardwood that is so dense that any change in
moisture content will have an effect on the internal interlocking of the
wood cells. By no means we can change that, since it is a natural
process. Bangkirai will therefore always show some cracks, however, these
are only a fraction of a mm. These cracks will not in any way have
influence on the structural integrity, as such, these cracks can be
ignored. In some cases, however, Bangkirai may show wider cracks which are
caused by air drying. It depends on the depth of the crack whether we will
consider changing the part. Normally this is not necessary since the
cracks are surface cracks and only a few millimeters deep. |
| 109 |
How old are the trees used for
the timber? |
|
In average 80
to 100 years old |
| 110 |
My country only allows wood
felled at legal and Government controlled plantations to be imported. How
do I know that your wood is legal? |
|
The
timber that we buy comes either from the Indonesian island of Kalimantan
(Bangkirai and Iron wood) or Irian Jaya (Merbau). Even since we are part
of
Indonesia
(
Bali
) we are not allowed to be supplied with logs. This is the first step of
the Indonesian Government to crack down on illegal logging, since the logs
are checked for legal paperwork at origin. The second step to assure that
we receive legal timber is the thorough check by Government Authorities in
the
harbor
of
Surabaya
, Bali's gateway. If the paperwork is in order they allow the shipment to leave (mostly by
road).
After
we have produced a house or gazebo we need to send the drawings + volume
calculation and name of supplier to the Ministry of Forestry in Jakarta,
who reviews the drawings and checks the supplier. Once in full compliance
with the regulations an export license will be issued which is sent to the
cargo forwarder. A copy of the document will accompany the shipment. |
| 111 |
Is there any difference
between your standard houses, villas or custom made houses and your ECO
cottages? |
|
The simple
answer is "not for the full 100%". Our standard houses are being
prefabricated and assembled in the same way as the ECO cottages, except that
no facilities are provided for solar panels and roof insulation, while the
prices for the houses do not include insulation materials for the sidings.
However, we can adapt the houses to a full ECO house against a variation
order. |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
2: WOOD (walls, floors, roofs)
| 201 |
How safe are Iron wood shingle roofs against leaking?
|
|
We use the three layer system, while the supporting battens have been cut
to exact shape (our little secret) to avoid the shingles from gaping. In
addition a layer of aluminum foil is used on top of the plywood base. Refer also
to question 205
|
| 202 |
Can we order a house without roof covering? |
|
Yes.
In that case we will only provide the rafters, purlins and battens (if
required). |
| 203 |
We have seen prefab houses of which the floors deflected (bended)
significantly when walking over. Can you tell us how your floors have been
constructed to avoid this?
|
|
It is not a matter of construction. It is a matter of thickness of the
board, the intermediate distances of the supporting beams below and the type of
wood. We use 25 mm thick boards (1 inch) while the supporting beams do not have
a greater center to center distance than 500 mm (1’ – 8”). When Bangkirai,
Teak, Iron wood or Merbau is used any person walking over the floor will not
notice any effect of deflection |
| 204 |
What is the difference
between a single siding and a double siding and when to use a single board and
when to use a double board?
|
|
A
single siding has a thickness of one board (25 mm). A double siding has one
board at each side which is separated by 60 mm thick slats onto which the boards
are fixed. A single board is sufficiently effective for simple cottages in
tropical areas with a low chance of heavy rain storms. A double board can be
insulated and is very effective in areas with significant temperature changes,
or areas with heavy rain storms. A double board is also better sound proof
compared to a single board, while a double board can hide electrical cables and
pipe lines. Alternatively we can supply a single board system with an internal
plywood wall which is cheaper.
|
| 205 |
Can you provide me a detailed sketch of the build-up and structure of the
Iron wood shingle roof?
|
|
Unfortunately not. This is one of our little secrets. Be assured that our
Iron wood roof is 100% water proof, even in high winds. What we can say is that
we use the three layer system. Refer also to question 201
|
| 206 |
I have seen a shingle roof blown away from a prefab structure in a semi
hurricane. How is that possible?
|
|
First of all that was not one of our houses. Most probably improper or no
hurricane anchors at all were used. A roof is normally not blown away due to
wind pressure but due to wind suction. A more likely possibility may be that the
roof shingles were not properly attached to the supporting frames which may have
caused a failure to one or more shingles blowing away. This creates a local
vacuum at the leeward side of the roof, causing more shingles to fail. At the
end to the day the whole roof goes.
|
| 207 |
Can you tell me how your siding boards deal with rain water?
|
|
All exterior siding board are connected by tongue an groove and have a
rain water run-off bevel |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
3:
KILN DRYING
| 301 |
Why is the
kiln drying of boards so important. |
| 302 |
What is the
difference between oven dry, kiln dry and air dry |
|
Oven dry and
kiln dry is the same except for the wording. The timber is placed in an
autoclave and heated by hot air. The wood dries out losing enormous
amounts of water which is drained from the autoclave. A volume of 20 m3 of
timber may need 6 weeks in the autoclave to dry until 15% water content.
Air dry is a process whereas the wood is left in the open for months if
not a year to dry out. This process is preferred above kiln drying since
this is a forced method causing small cracks in the wood. Refer to Kiln
Drying. |
| 303 |
How much water contains a
freshly felled tree? |
|
The
“green” wood of freshly felled trees may have a moisture content
anywhere in the range of 30% to over 200%, depending on the species |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
4: TERMITES (WHITE ANTS)
| 401 |
What is the
advantage of using Bangkirai Hardwood, rather than the cheaper Coconut
wood |
|
Bangkirai is a
Tropical Hardwood. Coconut wood is a softwood. There exist only three wood
species in
Indonesia
which are not susceptible to termite attacks (white ants), these are in
order of costs (the highest first): Jati Teak, Iron wood and Bangkirai.
Since Bangkirai is the cheapest of the three non-susceptible timbers, but
has similar strength, we use this wood for our houses and gazebos. NOTE:
Coconut wood is loved by termites. A house built in a termite infested
area may be devoured in a nick of time. |
| 402 |
We were
informed that Merbau is also safe to termite attacks. Is this correct? |
|
Partly yes and
partly no. The part of Merbau which is not susceptible to termite attacks
comes from the hearthwood, the inner core of the tree. This is called
class I Merbau. The disadvantage is, however, that the price is about 50%
higher than the sapwood that surrounds the hearthwood (the outer core of
the tree). Refer also to question 403. |
| 403 |
We have heard
that in some occasions termites had attacked Bangkirai, while this wood is
not susceptible to termite attacks. How is that possible? |
|
Bangkirai
comes in different classes. It would be impossible to select all class
“A” Bangkirai wood (heartwood only), as this will significantly
increase the price (to almost double). The Bangkirai wood that we use is a
mix of class “A” and “B”. A termite may attack class “B”
Bangkirai, however, the good news is that it will only be able to devour
something from the surface (not more than a millimeter or two). Due to the
extreme hardness of Bangkirai a termite will not be able to dig deeper
into the wood. If it happens it will be closest to the foundation, as such
you will not even notice it. Apart from that it will not at all affect the
structural safety of your house. |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
5: FOUNDATION
| 501 |
Is the
foundation included in the design? |
|
No, but we are
well able to advise you which type of foundation is required. See also
question 502 and 503 |
| 502 |
We have been
informed that it is not allowed in the
USA
to have a wooden column cast in concrete. How do we fix the wooden columns
to the concrete foundation? |
|
You need to
use Simpson anchors, which are available all over the
USA
. We will specify the type that you need. Alternatively we can supply
similar anchors made in
Bali
|
| 503 |
What will be
the dimensions for the concrete footings? |
|
We are unable
to answer this question, since this depends on the strength of the
subsoil. A weak subsoil layer requires a wide square footing, while a
foundation on top of a firm sand layer may be reduced to only 300 x 300 mm
(1 ft x 1 ft), or even smaller. You need a local engineer to verify the
foundation based on the column reaction forces that we will provide. |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
6:
PREFABRICATION, RE-ASSEMBLY AND
RE-ASSEMBLY TIMNE)
| 601 |
Is it possible
to re-assemble the house by your crew at our place? |
|
Yes, we have a
team available that can do that. You may contact us for a quotation |
| 602 |
How many
persons are required to assemble a house? |
|
That mainly
depends on how fast you would like to erect it. In principle a few persons
can do the job, but this may take some months for a large house. You may
add people as much as you like, until the saturation point is reached (the
point where adding persons will slow down the process). It is advised that
at least a few persons have some experience with Do It Yourself. |
| 603 |
How do I assemble a two storey house? |
|
We will inform
you via the assembly manual how and where you need to make temporary
stability bracings and a scaffolding. |
| 604 |
How long will
be the lead time for a house? |
|
Such depends
whether you order one of our standard designs or whether we need to make a
tailor made design. We are unable to start any prefabrication if we do not
have a design available. Prefabrication requires shop drawings (detailed
drawings that show how to cut and profile each an every part). Such
drawings can only be prepared after a conceptual and basic design is
available. In broad lines the lead time can be reduced with some 6 to 8
weeks if a standard model is chosen. The transfer shipping time is in
average 6 weeks. Prefabrication time depends on the size of the house. |
| 605 |
Can you
fabricate a house in accordance with our drawings? |
|
Our team of
architects and engineers is well able to deal with your requirements. It
depends on the magnitude of design work that we need to undertake to
enable us to prefabricate the house. In such case we strictly apply our |
| 606 |
I am a total
layman when it comes to DIY. As such I need people to help me
re-assembling the house. Do you provide a team that can do that? |
|
Yes, we can
outsource a full team or a smaller team to assist you that will
re-assemble the house for you. |
| 607 |
How much will
it cost me to have your people re-assembled the house? |
|
A
foreman will cost USD. 9.50 per day. A 1st class carpenter will
cost USD. 7.80 per day and a junior carpenter will cost USD. 5.80 per day
(as per May 01, 2007, subject to change). On top of that you need to
provide economy class return air tickets and simple low cost board and
lodging.
The
daily rates are based on price level February 2007.
|
| 608 |
What is
included in the kit? |
|
The kit
contains all the supporting beams, floor and siding boards, rafters,
purlins, slats, battens, roof covering, standard doors and standard
windows with brass hardware, all connecting bolts (galvanized steel) and
copper screws, a re-assembly manual comprising a part with a full detailed
description for the re-assembly and a part showing the pictures made
during pre-assembly. |
| 609 |
How do I know
that I would not be left with a disordered mountain of wood after I have
emptied the container? |
|
All matching
parts are packed together in separate batches. Example: we will pack all
floor boards together in sequential order. For instance batch 1 will show
an indication “Floor boards 1 thru 20“, batch 2 will be indicated with
“Floor boards 21 thru 40”, etc. In the same way the beams and other
parts will be packed. The only thing you need to do when emptying the
container is storing the packs together with their batch name, thus, floor
boards together, siding boards together, main ground floor beams together,
etc., etc. |
| 610 |
How do I know
where to place the nails for floors and sidings etc? |
|
We do not use
one nail. All connections are fixed by means of bolts or screws. The screw
holes are indicated. You only need to drill thru these screw holes a few
cm into the back supports and fix the screw. The bolts only need to be
placed and tightened. |
| 611 |
Do I need to
cover the house during re-assembly against rain and sun? |
|
As long as the
flooring and/or siding boards have not yet been installed this is not
necessary. In the event that boards have not been treated with a
protective coating it is highly recommended that a cover be installed from
canvas or otherwise once the boards will be installed. The boards have
been kiln dried and thus are extremely sensitive for sucking up moist and
water. In the event that the boards have been treated with polyurethane
stain it is not necessary to cover the house. |
| 612 |
Would it be
possible to later dismantle the house and re-build it elsewhere? |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
7: SHIPPING,
PACKING AND CONTAINER SPACE
| 701 |
What is
fumigation and why is it required? |
|
Fumigation is
the process in which gas is used to kill any living creature that may hide
in the container. This not only holds for spiders, ants, beetles, mice,
rats, etc., but also for mildew, seeding grass (for thatch), borers, and
other nuisance. In almost all countries in the world fumigation at the
port of embarkation is a prerequisite. Thatch need to be fumigated two
times, viz; one time with Ethylene Oxide and one time with Methyl Bromide.
All wood parts need to be fumigated with Methyl Bromide only. See also
question 1704 |
| 702 |
How many
containers do I need to ship my house? |
|
That
differs from house to house and depends on the total net volume of wood to
be shipped. Shipments can be done with either 20 ft, 40 ft or 40 ft high
cube containers.
A
basic volume can only be provided if we know which of our standard houses
you are interested in. For custom or tailor made houses we cannot
calculate the basic volume until we have made a conceptual design. In
addition the weight may be governing. Bangkirai wood is very heavy (900
kg/m3). You may need to ship in 2 or more containers if the weigh is over
23 tons.
|
| 703 |
What if some parts are broken during shipment? |
|
Apart from the
fact that we are not responsible for broken parts caused during shipment
we supply a number of extra beams and boards in the event that some repair
works need to be done at your end. |
| 704 |
Do I need to
insure the shipment, and if so how much will that cost? |
|
You are free
to decide whether you want to insure the shipment or not. The costs will
be 2% of the declared value on the Pro Forma invoice. |
| 705 |
How will the
prefab parts be packed? |
|
That depends
on the cargo forwarder. We do not pack. The cargo forwarder collects the
goods at our yard, transports it by trucks to their facilities, pack it
and stuff the container. Our responsibility ends at the moment the cargo
forwarder loads the goods into their trucks. |
| 706 |
Can we choose
our own cargo forwarder, and if so, what will be the procedure? |
|
You may choose
your own cargo forwarder. Just log on to internet and search for “
Bali
cargo forwarder” |
| 707 |
Can you
provide me the shipping costs to <destination>i |
|
That is virtually impossible. We only fabricate and
do not ship. We have a close working relationship with a
Bali
cargo forwarder who will be able to provide the actual shipping costs,
based on our estimated volume. Click Sipping
Costs for a broad overview of the cost for a container to be shipped
to <destination> |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
8: PRICES
AND TAXES
|
No, all our
prices are ex. factory. We do not ship ourselves, instead we have a
working relationship with two
Bali
cargo forwarders. We can ask them for a quotation however you can also
assign your own cargo forwarder. In any case, however, the cargo forwarder
needs to collect the goods at our yard. |
| 802 |
What is the average square
feet price of a house? |
|
That is not exactly to define. It depends on the
type of houses and whether this house is a standard type or a custom made
house. It also depends on the shipping costs which vary significantly. In
general you may reckon on € 29/sqft up to € 33/sqft, ex factory. Price
level: February 2007 and subject to change without prior notice. |
| 803 |
Can I pay in another currency than Euro |
|
Yes, but we
will use the conversion rate issued by the Bank of Indonesia, while we
will add a percentage of 1.5% to the invoice for extra bank charges. |
| 804 |
Do we need to pay export
taxes? |
|
No, the export
of prefabricated houses is exempted from export tax. You only pay an
endorsement fee and a BRIK retribution, which is some € 300 per each
container and is used for reforestation. |
| 805 |
Are your prices negotiable? |
| 806 |
What is
included in the price? |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
9: HURRICANES AND EARTHQUAKES
| 901 |
Is the house designed such
that it can withstand hurricane force winds and/.or earthquakes? |
|
Since
our houses are being exported world wide we need to keep the design a
simple as possible. A hurricane or earthquake proof house which is
exported to a non hurricane or earthquake area will be too expensive for
that purpose. However, in the event that a house needs to be built in such
a specific area we will adapt and modify the design as to comply with the
local regulations. We normally apply the IBC 2006 (International Building
Code), the IRC 2006 (International Residence Code) and the ASCE/SEI 7-05
for our structural calculations. In most cases the structure needs to be
beefed up and hurricane anchors installed and/or earthquake-safe measures
taken. For complicated structures we use our 3-Dimnensional STAAD-III Pro
finite element computer program |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
10:
STRUCTURAL ISSUES
| 1001 |
Do
you rubber stamp the drawings? |
|
Yes, we can,
but we are not allowed to. None of our structural engineers or architects
have a PE license (only required for the
United States
). However, we have a close working relationship with Professor David
Rockwood from the University of f
Honolulu
, who is able to rubber stamp the drawings and calculations for his
county, whereas he will advise us who will be able to rubbers stamp the
documents for counties beyond his jurisdiction. |
| 1002 |
What is our guarantee once you
have supplied the house? |
|
Your guarantee
is our 40 years of world wide experience in design and construction. If we
would be able to obtain a third party liability insurance for each house
that we export (for example thru Lloyds; in
London
) the house will become so expensive that it would be useless to continue
this business. Nonetheless we cherish our clients and if there should be a
problem which is clearly a design error or a fabrication error we will
certainly do everything in our power to help and advise you. |
| 1003 |
Is the foundation included in the design? |
|
No, but we are
well able to advise you which type of foundation is required. See also
question 502 and 503 in Category
5. |
| 1004 |
We have seen prefab houses of
which the floors deflected (bended) significantly when walking over. Can
you tell us how your floors have been constructed to avoid this? |
|
It is not a
matter of construction. It is a matter of thickness of the board, the
intermediate distances of the supporting beams below and the type of wood.
We use 25 mm thick boards (1 inch) while the supporting beams do not have
a greater center to center distance than 500 mm (1’ – 8”). When
Bangkirai, Teak, Iron wood or Merbau is used any person walking over the
floor will not notice any effect of deflection |
| 1005 |
I have seen a shingle roof
blown away from a prefab structure in a semi hurricane. How is that
possible? |
|
First of all
that was not one of our houses. Most probably improper or no hurricane
anchors at all were used. A roof is normally not blown away due to wind
pressure but due to wind suction. A more likely possibility may be that
the roof shingles were not properly attached to the underlaying frame
which may have caused a failure to one or more shingles blowing away. This
creates a local vacuum at the leeward side of the roof, causing more
shingles to fail. At the end to the day the whole roof goes. |
| 1006 |
We have been informed that the
Counties in the
USA
do not recognize some tropical hardwoods. How do you cope with this? |
|
The USA Codes
and Requirements for structures are extremely protective as to their own
local building materials. Although world-wide any tropical hardwood is
recognized and allowed to be used, the
USA
does not stand out. The latest Codes and requirements (IBC 2006) still do
not deal with tropical hardwood. For many engineers this is a dilemma in
how to approach this problem since most tropical hardwoods are 4 to 5
times stronger than any local North American wood. In fact there is no
proper solution for this problem until the Code Councils will adapt
tropical hardwood as being a building material that is allowed to be used
in the
USA
. Our experience is that by convincing the County Authorities that
tropical hardwood is in average 4 to 5 times stronger than North American
construction wood (by prove and evidence) the Counties will allow the use. |
| 1007 |
Do you guarantee that my
wooden house will still be standing after a hurricane? |
|
Unfortunately not. We cannot fight against the power
of nature. We can significantly reduce the risk but we cannot 100%
guarantee that a house will not have any damage after a hurricane.
Hurricane Katrina may have proven this. |
| 1008 |
Is it true that after a year
or so, connecting bolts may need to be re-tightened? |
|
Yes,
depending on the level of humidity in your area. If you live in an area
with low humidity and changing temperatures from hot to cold between the
seasons it may indeed be necessary that bolts be re-tightened after a
certain period. The moisture content of wood changes with changing
humidity. This may cause some contraction or expansion which is called the
breathing effect. This breathing may loosen the bolts a bit. Though not
dangerous it is advised to re-tighten the bolts until the wood finds its
equilibrium and will stop having an effect on the bolted connections. |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
11:
PAYMENT ISSUES
| 1102 |
What will
happen if I have ordered a house which I need to pay in Euro and the
Indonesian Rupiah gains or depreciates against the Euro? |
Back
to CATEGORIES
CATEGORY
12:
INSURANCE
| 1201 |
Will the shipment be insured? |
|
The shipment
is not insured, but you can add that against a percentage of 3% of the
value |
| 1202 |
What is our guarantee once you
have supplied the hous |
|
Your guarantee
is our 40 years of world wide experience in design and construction. If we
would be able to obtain a third party liability insurance for each house
that we export (for example thru Lloyds; in
London
) the house will become so expensive that it would be useless to continue
this business. Nonetheless we cherish our clients and if there should be a
problem which is clearly a design error or a fabrication error we will
certainly do everything in our power to help and advise you. |
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CATEGORY
13: ARCHITECTURAL ISSUES
| 1301 |
What is the advantage of using
Bangkirai Hardwood, rather than the cheaper Coconut wood |
|
Bangkirai is a
Tropical Hardwood. Coconut wood is a softwood. There exist only three wood
species in
Indonesia
which are not susceptible to termite attacks (white ants), these are in
order of costs (the highest first): Jati Teak, Iron wood and Bangkirai.
Since Bangkirai is the cheapest of the three non-susceptible timbers we
use this wood for our houses and gazebos. NOTE: Coconut wood is loved by
termites. A house built in a termite infested area may be devoured in a
nick of time. Refer also to question 403. |
| 1302 |
How safe are Iron wood shingle
roofs against leaking? |
|
We use the three layer system, while the underlaying
battens have been cut to exact shape (our little secret) to avoid the
shingles from gaping. In addition a layer of aluminum foil is used on top
of the plywood base. Refer also to question 205. |
| 1303 |
What is the difference between a single siding and a double siding
and when to use a single board and when to use a double board? |
|
A
single siding has a thickness of one board (25 mm). A double siding has
one board at each side which separated with 60 mm thick slats onto which
the boards are fixed. A single board is sufficiently effective for simple
cottages in tropical areas with a low chance of heavy rain storms. A
double board can be insulated and is very effective in areas with
significant temperature changes, or areas with heavy rain storms. A double
board is also better sound proof compared to a single board, while a
double board can hide electrical cabled and pipe lines. Alternatively we
can supply a single board system with an internal plywood wall which is
cheaper. |
| 1304 |
Do you supply
windows with insulated glass panes? |
|
Yes, we have
many types available |
| 1305 |
I would like
to catch rain water from the roof and store this in a cistern. I would
like to use the Iron wood shingles for the roof. Can I safely drink the
water collected from the roof that has come in contact with Iron wood? |
|
Iron wood is a
non-poisonous type of wood and does not contain any chemical substance
that is harmful for human beings. Since Iron wood is extremely durable no
chemical preservatives or water repellent sealers need to be applied to
maintain durability. As such the wood will retain its genuine natural
condition. Nonetheless we advise that a purifier be used to clean the rain
water. We advise you always to check with the Authorities whether the use
of Iron wood shingles is allowed for rain water catching roofs. |
| 1306 |
I would like
to tile the bathroom and toilet with ceramic. Is that possible over wood? |
|
Without a
problem, provided you apply the following method in the following sequence
of installation: water tight membrane, metal lath, scratch coat, mortar
bed, bond coat, ceramic tile. |
| 1307 |
Is there any difference
between your standard houses, villas or custom made houses and your ECO
cottages? |
|
The simple
answer is "not for the full 100%". Our standard houses are being
prefabricated and assembled in the same way as the ECO cottages, except that
no facilities are provided for solar panels and roof insulation, while the
prices for the houses do not include insulation materials for the sidings.
However, we can adapt the houses to a full ECO house against a variation
order. |
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CATEGORY
14:
ELECTRICAL, POTABLE WATER AND PLUMBING INSTALLATION
| 1401 |
Is the electrical installation
included? What about water and plumbing? |
|
Not
included, however, we can design this for you and install the cables,
switches and sockets. These works will be executed against a variation or
change order.
With
some extra costs we can indicate the potable water lines and sewage lines
on the drawings. If you wish these lines to be included in the kit we can
do that against a variation or change order.
|
|
Tap-ins
are thread ends or pipes extending from the wall to connect water supply
mains and /or sewer mains. |
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CATEGORY
15: TAILOR OR CUSTOM MADE DESIGN
| 1501 |
Would you be able to fabricate
a house in accordance with our drawings? |
|
Our team of
architects and engineers is well able to deal with your requirements. It
depends on the magnitude of design work that we need to undertake to
enable us to prefabricate the house. In such case we apply our Company
Policy. You may send us an e-mail at baliwoodworld@indosat.net.id
for a copy. |
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CATEGORY
16: WOOD
FINISHING
| 1601 |
Do we need to treat the wood
with typical paint that prevents the wood from catching fire? |
|
You may do
that, but it will disguise the beauty of the wood. In fact, when a wooden
building catches fire it will remain in tact far longer than a steel
building which will collapse soon after the fire is wide spread. As a
result there will be much more time to distinguish the fire for a wooden
building compared to a steel building |
| 1602 |
What is the difference between
French polishing and Polyurethane stain? |
|
French
polishing is a mix of Shellac and alcohol and cannot be used for external
finishing, since it does not protect against ultra violet light and has
low resistance against water. Polyurethane stain has an anti-ultra violet
filter and is also a heavy duty coat. Polyurethane stain has excellent
resistance against rain, sun, chemicals, scrubbing, solvents, impact and
abrasion |
| 1603 |
I live close to the Ocean. I have very bad experiences with
corrosion due to constant the salty spray. How effective is your finishing
in regard to this? |
|
The use of
Polyurethane stain solves the problem of salty spray attacking the
underlying wood. Moreover, Bangkirai has an extremely good resistance
against salt. The life time will not be reduced when a Polyurethane stain
is applied. |
| 1604 |
Do you use a different type of
Polyurethane stain for the exterior walls and the floors? |
|
Yes, the
floors are treated with a fast drying Polyurethane stain |
| 1605 |
Can you tell me what type of
finishing I should use for my wooden house? |
|
Polyurethane
stain for the exterior walls, fast drying polyurethane for the floors and
a choice between French polishing for the interior walls, columns, etc or
Polyurethane stain. French polishing is advised if you would brighten the
tone of the wood grain with a beautiful satin finish appearance. |
| 1606 |
What is Polyurethane stain? |
|
Polyurethane
is an all-in wood finish that combines the durability of a satin
Polyurethane varnish with the warm and rich colors of a stain. A range of
popular ready-mixed colors is available. |
| 1607 |
Does your standard protective
coatings contain any lead? |
|
Polyurethane
does not contain any lead and/or mercury and has no photochemically
reactive solvents. |
| 1608 |
What do I need to do to touch
up a part or parts of the wood which may have become damaged during
re-assembly? |
|
We provide you
a free of charge tin of Polyurethane stain and some Shellac flakes to mix
with alcohol to touch up the French polishing (if applicable). |
| 1609 |
Can I do a French polishing
treatment by myself? |
|
