Termites

Markit

Borax is only used in combination with a boiling salt bath and is meant only for bamboo. How it would work with other woods is questionable as you need to cook it for about 4+ hours and whether normal wood would do well with this I doubt. With bamboo being hollow the solution can get inside and out (internal walls on bamboo are holed through). I do know people that have used coconut wood (it looks great) but have had serious bug problems with it too. Bare in mind there are other sources of infestation, for instance, bamboo furniture here is usually infested too as they save on the treatment and hope their customers will be far, far away before the holes start showing up.

Markit

You can poison the ground you live on as much as you want but the nasties will just fly over from the neighbors land and munch yours down. Forget any soft woods! You builder will do and say anything he thinks you want to hear so forget that shit too. Whatever you spray on your wood house will wash off the next time there's a rainy season so that's also subject to the law of diminishing returns. Your options are really quite simple: Build entirely from either Teak, Mirbau(red) or Binkarai - they are expensive but will outlast the bugs. OR find a design of house that you love - let your imagination run wild, built of bamboo. Treated with borax and heat (boiled for 4 hours in solution) will last at least your required 15 years and and any bit that gets munched on just replace. Nuttin lasts forever. Check out the Green School in Ubud and https://ibuku.com/ Make your dreams come true~!

Juggler

Ummm. That is not correct! They only portion of that statement that is correct is that the aylets will fly in. They then drop therir wing go under ground and become a queen. The vast majority of termites are subterrainium and hence they live below the ground and travel under the ground. When they hit a structure they build "leads" which are mud tubes to travel up masonary and into the wood. When they pass through a non repellant such as fipronil they take it back to the colony and through feeding each other and the transfer effect the colony is eradicated. Fipronil bonds to the soil molecules and last and lasts. If the application is done correctly you can get 15 or so years from the initial treatment. I do a lot of termite barriers and have never had a failure,

wanderingant

Markit wrote I found some local builders that were quite proficient with bamboo through just asking around and got the feeling that it's part of the local building tradition so just ask around and maybe you'll be lucky. Ibuku are the Kings of the Hill but perhaps they can recommend someone that is "only" a proficient bamboo builder instead of an artist?

Let's see.

wanderingant

So the quote for a bamboo building was 3 million per m2. The architect said this price is for the simplest model, a square box with a roof. Quite expensive I must say; not cheaper than wood or masonry

Markit

I actually wouldn't go through an architect. He'll just make it more expensive and in the end call in help cause he's got no clue about building with bamboo. If it was me I'd search with Google what kind of bamboo building would best suit me then use some 3D modelling program, for instance Sketchup, to work up my own ideas of what I'd like to have. When you have a good idea/plan then go to a builder or, if you must, an architect with experience with bamboo and ask for a finished price (I'd guess somewhere between 2,5 and 3 million/squ. meter). Or you could just make the plan modular (using bamboo finished panels) and put it together like a lego house. It really isn't rocket science and if it was to fall down it's only grass.

wanderingant

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I really appreciate it. It is true that termites belong to two kinds, subterranean and softwood termites. The latter make less damage but they can fly. However, once they shed their wings they too need to enter some hole and start a colony. I thought that since the wood will be treated with borax, both on the surface and also in the inside through injections, the termites won't find it very appetizing? Or they will die once they eat it anyway? Markit since you have found borax so successful for bamboo why don't you trust it for wood? And by the way you said softwood, but I think the species I mentioned in my initial post belong to hardwood. Surprisingly I have just been given a 120 mil quote for a joglo made of old teak today. I haven't gone to meet the builder yet, I've only spoken with him over the phone today but I am going to visit him soon. I am a bit surprised though that a joglo from old teak can be 120 mil only, when the mixed wood one would cost 150... Is 120 mil a normal price for a 35 sq.m. joglo made of old teak? The company is called Dunia Joglo and they are based in Canggu.

Markit

Unless you are looking to build some ultra-modern design like the efforts at Green School a simple form modeled on a Joglo or Bale Begong would suffice I'd think. My biggest mistake with the first house I built here was thinking in European/western terms of what a house should be. Including all kinds of unnecessary walls and doors and all that shit. Here you basically only need a roof to keep off the rain and some walls/windows for your privacy and that's really it. If you look closely at the designs from Green School they mostly just try and frame the outside with moveable walls and windows. "Think outside the box" was never so true.

wanderingant

Juggler wrote Ummm. That is not correct! They only portion of that statement that is correct is that the aylets will fly in. They then drop therir wing go under ground and become a queen. The vast majority of termites are subterrainium and hence they live below the ground and travel under the ground. When they hit a structure they build "leads" which are mud tubes to travel up masonary and into the wood. When they pass through a non repellant such as fipronil they take it back to the colony and through feeding each other and the transfer effect the colony is eradicated. Fipronil bonds to the soil molecules and last and lasts. If the application is done correctly you can get 15 or so years from the initial treatment. I do a lot of termite barriers and have never had a failure,

May I ask what wood your joglo is made of and how old it is?

wanderingant

Markit wrote Borax is only used in combination with a boiling salt bath and is meant only for bamboo. How it would work with other woods is questionable as you need to cook it for about 4+ hours and whether normal wood would do well with this I doubt. With bamboo being hollow the solution can get inside and out (internal walls on bamboo are holed through). I do know people that have used coconut wood (it looks great) but have had serious bug problems with it too. Bare in mind there are other sources of infestation, for instance, bamboo furniture here is usually infested too as they save on the treatment and hope their customers will be far, far away before the holes start showing up.

It sounds counter-intuitive but you're right, bamboo can be made safer than wood. You're right about the furniture; I bought a bamboo wardrobe once and it was infested. I am sure the bamboo wasn't treated. Can you recommend some good bamboo construction specialists who are more affordable than ibuku? I love what ibuku do but my budget won't be sufficient. I don't want to spend more than 150 mil.

Markit

wanderingant wrote It sounds counter-intuitive but you're right, bamboo can be made safer than wood. You're right about the furniture; I bought a bamboo wardrobe once and it was infested. I am sure the bamboo wasn't treated. Can you recommend some good bamboo construction specialists who are more affordable than ibuku? I love what ibuku do but my budget won't be sufficient. I don't want to spend more than 150 mil.

I found some local builders that were quite proficient with bamboo through just asking around and got the feeling that it's part of the local building tradition so just ask around and maybe you'll be lucky. Ibuku are the Kings of the Hill but perhaps they can recommend someone that is "only" a proficient bamboo builder instead of an artist?

wanderingant

Markit wrote I actually wouldn't go through an architect. He'll just make it more expensive and in the end call in help cause he's got no clue about building with bamboo. If it was me I'd search with Google what kind of bamboo building would best suit me then use some 3D modelling program, for instance Sketchup, to work up my own ideas of what I'd like to have. When you have a good idea/plan then go to a builder or, if you must, an architect with experience with bamboo and ask for a finished price (I'd guess somewhere between 2,5 and 3 million/squ. meter). Or you could just make the plan modular (using bamboo finished panels) and put it together like a lego house. It really isn't rocket science and if it was to fall down it's only grass.

That was actually an architect specialized in bamboo. He used to be a senior designer at Green School so no wonder he's expensive. I'll have to find a less famous architect or do as you said, design it myself on Sketchup and then find a builder, but how do you know who to trust? I don't want the roof falling on my head after a year..

Markit

wanderingant wrote You're right about walls and doors. Mine will hardly have any. I'm still taking offers from different architects atm. One of them told me that the alang-alang roof won't last for more than 3 years, which sounds to me like he is planning to use a low quality material. What do you reckon?

My alang2 roofs have lasted well into 5 years and I'm expecting to get at least 8/9 out of them - it all depends upon the surrounding trees - if your alang2 doesn't get a chance to dry off completely between rains ie is shaded by surrounding trees, it will rot quickly. My alang2 guy was great and is still a good friend. He works all over the island so if you want his contact details for a quote let me know.

wanderingant

Markit wrote My alang2 roofs have lasted well into 5 years and I'm expecting to get at least 8/9 out of them - it all depends upon the surrounding trees - if your alang2 doesn't get a chance to dry off completely between rains ie is shaded by surrounding trees, it will rot quickly. My alang2 guy was great and is still a good friend. He works all over the island so if you want his contact details for a quote let me know.

Of course I do. Please send me his WA. Thank you so much

wanderingant

Markit wrote Unless you are looking to build some ultra-modern design like the efforts at Green School a simple form modeled on a Joglo or Bale Begong would suffice I'd think. My biggest mistake with the first house I built here was thinking in European/western terms of what a house should be. Including all kinds of unnecessary walls and doors and all that shit. Here you basically only need a roof to keep off the rain and some walls/windows for your privacy and that's really it. If you look closely at the designs from Green School they mostly just try and frame the outside with moveable walls and windows. "Think outside the box" was never so true.

Well the design will be simple overall but it would be a shame to make a house from such a flexible and versatile material and not give it a bit of a twist. So I am looking to incorporate some interesting design features but nothing as fancy as the Green School. Also because I want my house to be knocked down if I want to and transferred to a new location. You're right about walls and doors. Mine will hardly have any. I'm still taking offers from different architects atm. One of them told me that the alang-alang roof won't last for more than 3 years, which sounds to me like he is planning to use a low quality material. What do you reckon?

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