[sagarpadaki]

Guys any idea how is M-Sand comparable to river sand? The cost difference is huge. Good river sand being scarce costs 3X times M sand for the same quantity.

Main concerns-
1.Structural strength especially columns and roof
2. Longevity and resistance to cracks/water leaking

[kishgator]

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

Does anyone know a reliable interior designer in Bangalore? I am looking for someone who is value for money and can give good modern ideas to decorate my living and dining room. Someone who is familiar with metal & glass as well as marble/granite wall cladding will be good.

Contact Mr. Vinayak 990108659, he does a good job as well as charges nominally (mention that Kishore referred you to him )

[kishgator]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Guys any idea how is M-Sand comparable to river sand? The cost difference is huge. Good river sand being scarce costs 3X times M sand for the same quantity.

Main concerns-
1.Structural strength especially columns and roof
2. Longevity and resistance to cracks/water leaking

M-Sand can be partially used for construction, but lot of suppliers are giving/mixing stone dust in the name of m-sand. Also some suppliers mix M-sand with glass powder (which comes free at a factory) and sell to ignorant customers.

Its the same story with river sand as well, you will find it hard to source river sand, but still possible . Bottom-line is that River sand (in whatever quality) is always better than M-sand.

The only places you can use m-sand with eyes closed are for laying muddy for floor tiles, parking space, passage etc. where structural strength or waterproofing isn't required much.

Also using m-sand with cement blocks is the worst combination AFAIK

[Aroy]

Sand by definition is granular, but what most suppliers sell to ignorant is sand mixed with fines - extremely fine powder mainly from stone quarries. River sand if sold by an honest dealer is much better, but that too may be mixed with mud.

What fines do is to clog up the concrete mixture, so that the concrete is not uniform hence weak spots prevail. What we do is to sift the sand religiously, discarding fines from structural concrete.

Some quarries have state of the art crushers which do produce material of a selected particle size, with very little fines. But such plants are expensive and cater to mostly Industrial users - roads and large construction projects. If you can find a suppliers who can guarantee high quality as well as particle size, then that material is better than river sand as it will have practically no salt content (from polluted rivers) which will result in long lasting concrete.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by kishgator

M-Sand can be partially used for construction, but lot of suppliers are giving/mixing stone dust in the name of m-sand. Also some suppliers mix M-sand with glass powder (which comes free at a factory) and sell to ignorant customers.

Its the same story with river sand as well, you will find it hard to source river sand, but still possible . Bottom-line is that River sand (in whatever quality) is always better than M-sand.

The only places you can use m-sand with eyes closed are for laying muddy for floor tiles, parking space, passage etc. where structural strength or waterproofing isn't required much.

Also using m-sand with cement blocks is the worst combination AFAIK

Can you shed more light as to why Cement blocks and MSand are not a good combination?

[fine69]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

@fine69 - Use plastic wall plugs

So the issue is that the hole is about 5-10mm too left. So if I need to drill is to the right a little, it simply means that the hole is going to get bigger. I'm already using plastic wall plugs (in screws, not fasteners) but they aren't going to hold anything if I make the hole any bigger.

Any other way of reinforcing the wall strength post which I can drill holes in the same place (just 5-10mm aside) ? Or is it better to simply move it elsewhere?

[srishiva]

M Sand has been tested extensively and is not inferior to river sand. Just make sure the dust portion isnt much. My supplier even showed me a certificate which details the size of the particles.

After going through the web and reading research articles and its use, I have used it for my house construction for concrete (the ready mix concrete guys use only M sand now a days) and brick walls. Absence of mud/soil was of higher priority.

However for plastering, I will be using river sand.

[kishgator]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Can you shed more light as to why Cement blocks and MSand are not a good combination?

1. Heard from someone who builds apartments that cement blocks have a risk of letting water in, and the water might end up in other parts of the wall. however with good plastering and curing, this can be taken care of.

2. Same issue with using M-sand or dust for plastering, it doesn't cure well or cure on time, so if the plastered wall lets the water in, then it results in issue #1 mentioned above

[deepv]

Hi folks, was searching for solution to handle termites and came across this thread.
Need some advise on exterminating termites (not the wood specific ones, the type which grow any where on walls).
Ours is a flat on top floor of the apartment, yet seeing these growth since last few months, pest control per se didn't turn out to be too helpful.

[reverse_gear]

Originally Posted by deepv

Hi folks, was searching for solution to handle termites and came across this thread.
Need some advise on exterminating termites (not the wood specific ones, the type which grow any where on walls).
Ours is a flat on top floor of the apartment, yet seeing these growth since last few months, pest control per se didn't turn out to be too helpful.

Have handled this extensively in the last few years. Regular pest control treatment is no good for killing termites, this requires a different kind of treatment.

Termites come up from the foundation and climb through the walls of the building. They break out of the walls wherever they have nowhere else to go or where they can chew on old wood. The lasting solution is to treat the entire building foundations to make it termite proof. Pest control agencies will be able to do this. But sometimes, it is either difficult or takes time to get the building society (especially older ones) to approve this treatment, when only a few flats appear to be affected by termites.

If that is the case, you should take out a termite treatment contract (typically an AMC) with a pest control agency for your apartment. They will typically inject the pesticide into the walls (especially the inside part of the exterior walls) at floor level. This will temporarily prevent termites from breaking out through those walls. This will have to be repeated every now and then as termites will keep breaking out in different places on a regular basis.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by reverse_gear

Have handled this extensively in the last few years....

Thanks for detailed insight!
Regular pest control didn't work out well as you also pointed out, we are in the process of getting all the flats involved for full apartment treatment.
If that doesn't work out, then will look for contractual options.

Meanwhile came across this nice piece of link on termites, posting for others' reference - Howe to Get Rid of Termites.

[nijelj]

Hey Bhp-ians,
Can anyone tell me what the below device is? This is connected on my water supply line, before the analog water meter. There are no distinguishing marks on it. There is some electrical circuits visible through the top layer. 3 months back it was not there, I'm positive. Even though it is ours, I don't live in this house, so was unaware when and why this was fitted.

If this information helps, my house is in HRBR layout IInd block, Bangalore

PS: Forgive the untidy appearance around the meter.

PPS : This is the link, I found on searching with 'JICA' http://www.jica.go.jp/india/english/...140218_01.html

[WorkingGuru]

Hi guys, I wanted to know about how much painting costs.

I have ~6000 sqft of interior walls at home that need to be painted & I was able to narrow down to a quote of Rs.10/sqft by someone for 1 Coat primer & 2 Coats of Tractor Emulsion.

I find that if I call local painters, it doesn't seem that it'll cost more than half of that under any circumstances.

Though this guy seems professional & the other guys not, just to be safe in both cases I feel I'll have to take an break from work to ensure stuff at home doesn't get damaged.

Why do professionals claim such prices ? The pro guy doesn't seem to insure me from any possible damages.

Am I missing something ?

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

Why do professionals claim such prices ? The pro guy doesn't seem to insure me from any possible damages.

There are lots of hassles with a local guy. I got some rooms and walls painted in different colors just for a change from the cream that was there earlier in our rented home. The guy would come some days drunk. I had warned him not to come if he was under the influence. I don't think it would cost half though. I think I paid as much as a professional rate. Advantage was he would patch with patti the cracks etc to my satisfaction and would do some odd jobs in terms of painting the window sill etc. one of my rooms he did not do a good job though. There were tiny bubbles appearing on the surface and he was not able to make them go.
I have also got asian paints to do the concept painting for five walls at home and there is definitely a difference but don't think the pro price is justified...

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by nijelj

Hey Bhp-ians,
Can anyone tell me what the below device is? This is connected on my water supply line, before the analog water meter. There are no distinguishing marks on it. There is some electrical circuits visible through the top layer. 3 months back it was not there, I'm positive. Even though it is ours, I don't live in this house, so was unaware when and why this was fitted.

If this information helps, my house is in HRBR layout IInd block, Bangalore

PS: Forgive the untidy appearance around the meter.

PPS : This is the link, I found on searching with 'JICA' http://www.jica.go.jp/india/english/...140218_01.html

Seems to be the newer type water meter with remote readout. DJB replaced water meter at our house with a similar one. The meter reader just places a reader near the device and the reading is transferred electronically.

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

Hi guys, I wanted to know about how much painting costs.

I have ~6000 sqft of interior walls at home that need to be painted & I was able to narrow down to a quote of Rs.10/sqft by someone for 1 Coat primer & 2 Coats of Tractor Emulsion.

I find that if I call local painters, it doesn't seem that it'll cost more than half of that under any circumstances.

Though this guy seems professional & the other guys not, just to be safe in both cases I feel I'll have to take an break from work to ensure stuff at home doesn't get damaged.

Why do professionals claim such prices ? The pro guy doesn't seem to insure me from any possible damages.

Am I missing something ?

Professionals cost money. What you have described is similar to getting your PC repaired. The options are either a free lancer or a professional service provider. The former is much cheaper as he has neither over heads nor in most cases any post repair obligations. The latter has a business to maintain so will have more over heads for maintaining a staff and in general better work ethics.

So in your case what a professional is charging is the labour for your work and the cost of maintaining staff during lean period and the cost of good materials (a casual painter may for all practical purpose either skimp on material if his or steal some if yours). Now if you have the patience and the skill to supervise the job as well as check the quality of materials, a labour contract is fine,if on the other hand you are neither knowledgeable nor inclined to supervise full time a professional service is the best option.