• IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here.

    The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Status
Not open for further replies.

arsenal

Alfrescian
Loyal
Hi BigFatFish,

Can I seek your advise on one of my current Singapore house problem?

About one square feet of the marble tile seemed to be expanding.. When one walked on it, one will feel it is not level..and a bit hollow kind of feeling..

It must be poor workmanship.. What is the cause? How to rectify such problem?

Thank!
 

abugumgum

Alfrescian
Loyal
BFF, it is perfectly normal for a person with knowledge and skills in that field to apply them in their personal life outside of his job. Just as a Medical Doctor will. You are a water proofing doctor, that's why you can see what we usually don't.

Your recent posts will help me greatly in my looking around for a place, by highlighting to me areas that I should pay extra attention. Thanks man. Do share your expertise without worries.


Thanks Investor

Yes i'm fussy, sometimes i wished i didn't know so much. dat's why it took me such a super long time to settle a place in HH. I basically choose the hills because of locaton and what the developer promised and also mainly because it's progressive payment. when i found out how the house look like, i breathe a hugh sigh of relief. why? because less problems for roof. the roof designs at the Hills meant that i have less problems, i'm prepared for problems, but i rather have a little less problem and think of a solution. I'm going to think of a way how to fix the back part of the house roof. though it's not built yet i'm only preparing myself for it.

I miss going there seeing the golf course and less concrete jungle. :smile:
 

abugumgum

Alfrescian
Loyal
I am using P1 Home, it doe not use any phone line or SIM card. It is using WiMAx.
It works as long as there is coverage and power supply, just like a SIM card data plan.
Speed is now at 2mbps to 5mbps. I am subscribed to the 2mbps plan with 15GB quota.

As for speed, it depends on area and height (as in high rise buildings, more than 6 floors up will have to test the signal. I am staying higher than that, so it depends)

As for 3.5G modems on 4G networks, I do not know, the product manufacturer should have the answer.



Enjoyed reading this write up....

Your P1 modem is different right? Does it actually give you 4G speeds?... If 4G network not available does it switch to 3G/Edge/GPRS?

Also can 3.5G modems be used on 4G networks to ateast give lower speeds? Or do you need to change your modem altogether?

I am using both Digi and Maxis bro. For streaming and videos i use Maxis....

For normal browsing activity i stick to Digi...
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Ok thanks....

I know the Wimax concept.... Thanks for clarifying....

BTW you plan to use pfingo? Cheaper than even using Malaysian phone to call back Singapore!




I am using P1 Home, it doe not use any phone line or SIM card. It is using WiMAx.
It works as long as there is coverage and power supply, just like a SIM card data plan.
Speed is now at 2mbps to 5mbps. I am subscribed to the 2mbps plan with 15GB quota.

As for speed, it depends on area and height (as in high rise buildings, more than 6 floors up will have to test the signal. I am staying higher than that, so it depends)

As for 3.5G modems on 4G networks, I do not know, the product manufacturer should have the answer.
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Yeah i think they call it the Integrated Access Device.

On a previous post hangyong was talking about the Siemens VOIP Dect phone....

Yes both the above options can be used.

But i think the simplest option in my opinion would be this:

Lets say you have an Android phone.... When someone calls your pfingo no the app will be pushed to the foreground and you can answer the call...FOC

Now lets say somehow the app was not pushed to the foreground and you did not answer the call.... You will still get an MCA.

Now based on the MCA you can call back from your android phone at 2c/minute....

The contact book of pfingo sinks well with the contacts in your android phone... One of the settings is use pfingo for outward calls. If you make that setting then you can straight away call from your android phone. No expensive roaming charges to Singapore..

With this the hassle for an additional device is overcome??

Your thoughts?







Pfingo sells a VOIP (voice over-IP) phone set. It is a dedicated set like a conventional phone with cradle. It just hooks up to your wired/wireless LAN at home. It will also be "ON" so it can be used just like a conventional phone. So won't have issues like the computer based versions. Not sure about prices though. Just checked their website, it says out of stock for now.

http://www.pfingo.com/pf/portal/control/storeservice
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Bro can please be consultant for me?

I think soon you will be inundated with requests from Bros to offer consultancy over weekends.... Now please keep it FOC ok? Dun charge la!

IF we go Goa together i buy you toddy if you wanna try? Dunno these days Goa got toddy or not? I had toddy in Bali though.



A case of good quality tile, brittle cement.
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Starhub Digital Voice

For those guys who already have a Starhub Free home line, you can subscribe to their VAS to make it Starhub Digital Voice Global....

And then you download this software onto your iOS/Android based devices.....

And this then behaves exactly as your pfingo does.....

There you go..... dual use for your Starhub Digital voice line....
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Nice write up.

I notice BFF gaining his own reputation and fan following...


Haha there is no Moderator in this forum. We maintain our behaviour on this thread in respect of Wuqi, just as a guest would respect the owner of the house. Sounds like you have some construction knowledge, please do share and benefit us by all means.

I recall arguing with the developer back in SG on the seepage of rain through the adjoining area between the bay window and concrete. The fella insisted that there is no waterproofing done around that area other than the sealant which could crack over time, in particular so for my apartment which had afternoon sun. Till this day i am still not sure if that is true? I very much agree with you as house owners one should DEMAND certain basic standards such as roof should not leak, water should not seep through the walls, land should be termite treated before building, etc.

The root cause is developer's greed to maximise margin to the extent of not having adequate quality control. Just go around any construction site, even EL, i can't see any supervisor??? 99% of the time the Indonesian workers are left to build the houses very much on their own. 20 years ago you will see the local foreman keenly supervising the construction but gone are the days.
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Setia Tropika side still no P1 coverage....

So i am using Digi and Maxis...

I am using P1 Home, it doe not use any phone line or SIM card. It is using WiMAx.
It works as long as there is coverage and power supply, just like a SIM card data plan.
Speed is now at 2mbps to 5mbps. I am subscribed to the 2mbps plan with 15GB quota.

As for speed, it depends on area and height (as in high rise buildings, more than 6 floors up will have to test the signal. I am staying higher than that, so it depends)

As for 3.5G modems on 4G networks, I do not know, the product manufacturer should have the answer.
 

jasonjst

Alfrescian
Loyal
Hi Ginfreely

depends on how wide and how deep the crack lines are. one crack will lead to another crack, there is no end. however there are ways to solve cracks. First of all we must understand the nature of cracks and why it happens. It's gonna be a super big thesis so i won't even touch on this part. too long to write easier to talk. Crack lines from inside the house can lead to crack lines outside the house , so crack lines on outside the house also can lead to inside the house.if i see a crack line i will do my very best to stop it right away if it's in Johor.

Wow take out tiles , no guranteed, might crack. I also don't want to do if you don't have spare tiles. very scary. yes you can try to squeeze some boding material and try to keep it holding tehre. in other for 2 materials to bond together there must be some form of adhesion. to have some form of adhesion the surface must be prepared. in your case can try boding material and pray that it works.

give u an eg. for parquet flooring, if it's too hollow, what they do drill a very very small hold and pump bonding material into it using special device so that the bonding can hold the flooring a long period. there fast dry and slow dry.

your tiles to take out really very very hard work, can be done but takes painstaking efforts. it's basically restoration work which is not worth it at all. too expensive.


give you another eg. you want to stick a tape a wall, the wall dusty cannot. must prepare surface , whatever we do must have surface preparation. in your case no choice, have to make do with what you can.


you make me feel so guilty now. i better think of a way to fix all the tiles in my dad's home. done by HDB years ago. tiles also come in different qualities. so dependent on tiles quality, the either crack easily or they don't.

Hi BFF ,

What is best way to repair a crack ? Can we simply fill it up with crement ?
 

Bigfatfish

Alfrescian
Loyal
Bro can please be consultant for me?

I think soon you will be inundated with requests from Bros to offer consultancy over weekends.... Now please keep it FOC ok? Dun charge la!

IF we go Goa together i buy you toddy if you wanna try? Dunno these days Goa got toddy or not? I had toddy in Bali though.

I miss Goa, ok deal, what help you need from me. i prefer north goa by the way. bamboo forest, italian beach. hahahahaha.
 

Bigfatfish

Alfrescian
Loyal
Hi Jasonjst

filling up a crack with cement only covers the exterior. there are a few very unorthodox method which no one will go and do. and also proper methods which is crazy. if a crack is not serious, filling up with cement for aethetics is ok. if it's serious or if you deem it serious, then you need to operate on the crack and then fill up with cement or a kind of cement compound which is very very strong. this type of compound is used for bolting works to glue the whole bolt to the wall.

from the start of the the crack line and the end of the crack line, depending how big the crack is. get a drill bit the same size or slightly bigger than the crack only, and drill into both ends of the crack line. after that, blow out the debris and dust. then fill the crack hole with the cement compound. once dat is done make sure it's even with the wall. once ok, repaint the whole wall again. be sure to clean the whole wall before painting. this is called cheating. to really paint a wall you need to have proper surface preparation, which is to make sure the surface is not too smooth, must be rough so that the new coat of pain can adhere to the wall.

it's a lot of work dat's why a lot of people cover up cracks with cement plaster and say it's done. which is also acceptable. the above method may work, it may also not work. once we know the nature of the crack we will know what the best remedy for cracks are. i'm trying to piece everythign together and then do a write up.


Hi BFF ,

What is best way to repair a crack ? Can we simply fill it up with crement ?
 

eatshitndie

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Hi Jasonjst

filling up a crack with cement only covers the exterior. there are a few very unorthodox method which no one will go and do. and also proper methods which is crazy. if a crack is not serious, filling up with cement for aethetics is ok. if it's serious or if you deem it serious, then you need to operate on the crack and then fill up with cement or a kind of cement compound which is very very strong.

we call it stucco. mortar is what you'll find at home depot. modern stucco has lime in it.
 

Grago

Alfrescian
Loyal
I do not attempt to hide anything, we are all here to share our experiences be it good or bad. There is not such thing as everything good. If everything sounds too good to be true, then it's not!. I learned a lot from a friend's father how to see many things in the contstruction/renovation industry.we start with water leakage. things to note, as already mentioned by our dear friend 2 to 3 pages from here. after rainy day when rain stop, you will start to see certain areas more damp than others. there will be a reflection mark. as the ceilings of many units in this part of Johor are made from gymsum board, this water wetness will actually cause the board to be light brown after the water seeps there. due to dirt in the roofing ceiling area. i've gone up into the ceiling inside and seen how it was all formed up. it's not only HH but all these new developments around. not all of them but majority of them. after a rain , water will trikle down the sides of walls and some of it will actually enter the house from the side or the top. you will not miss it. water dripping into the house.so when viewing a house sub sale, look at the ceiling, look at the floor, look for visible marks. if owners are cleaning and mopping the house when u visit or just finish mopping , you can guess something there already. look at the outside of the house, look for difference in colour for the walls. crack lines are scary. they mean a lot of stories behind the wall. I do water proofing in the past so i'm scare of crack lines. crack lines also mean the process of putting the brick tiles up, not letting enuf time for it to set then putting up the rendering straight away a day later or even the very day itself. and even before first layer of rendering dries up, 2nd layer comes in. even before 1st and 2nd layer dries, they throw the plaster all on straight away.i was having a minor discussion with a sub con yesterday who does tiling, he says if wall new , can do many things to it. i said no, and explain to him, then told him the practices overseas which is normally done by a professional. hence no professionals in SG and JB? he said no time, no choice everything rushing and it will be to costly to do the method i told him about. basically only well trained skilled Chinaman in Singapore do it. hence all these special group of people are here in singapore only to do the landed private properties. and probably half of the condos done by them. in order to qualify to come here to work in the construction industry they have to pass a few tests before they can come. there are 2 kinds of them, the skilled ones who are here to do all the walls leveling and so on. the not so skilled ones are unskilled here to do the manual work ...... don't want to go too much in. hence i refuse to let any malaysians enter my place to carry out renovations. i know too many of them, not that they are bad , they are good but......as a johorian, who stays in johor, by the time enter singapore what time already? in order to avoid the jam, must rush back early. so if a certain wall cannot finish in time, rush rush rush, think of the end result. the style to cover up imperfections are many. i've seen it and i ask why they give me reasons since i'm part of them in the team. its' a no choice sitiuation. Yhence i will not allow any shoddy work should i have a team of workers.
BFF, Nicely written up. I' ve got a couple of SD at the Golf precint in HH and appreciate the frank assessment. I know what to expect. I would rather hear the truth though it's quite disturbing. Please do not take to heart the comments made, I know your assessment is meant well though initially when I read it and the subsequent comments I must say I was taken aback. However on contemplating your comments I realize you are after all sharing and in a sense looking after "US" if I maybe so bold to put it........ I would like to say Thank you.
 
Last edited:

2bFree

Alfrescian
Loyal
I have come across another simpler method which is a thin flexible fiberglass mat that is put over the crack and then painted over. The idea is that the fiberglass will enter the crevices and then hide the crack and also prevent it from spreading.


Investor has put in a very nice method of solving cracks, this is another common method but rarely done in this part of the world.
 

Whathefish

Alfrescian
Loyal
Let's kid ourselves futher , it's purely Fotoshop. I belive everyone knows what fotoshop is. it's 100 % authenic fotos shop hahahahahah..llllolllololll

Bro, i've not physically seen the building nor read any official news or reports that the building is really slanted. If there is, so be it, there's nothing to debate really. Facts will be facts.

However, what i've seen is only a dubious picture. I'm not suggesting photoshopping, but merely point out possible causes. lens issues, cropped picture etc. (you can blow up the picture and measure with a ruler if you want...)

No offense, what you're doing is shrugging off other possibilities, which further reinforced the idea that you might look at things with a tinted lens.

On your points on poorer quality of built in Johor, i think it's very subjective. I've accepted poorer quality and am prepared to cough out some money to do a better renovation, since even after matching the quality compared to SG's property, it's still at a fraction of the price. But i do agree with you it's the price vs acceptance level. If the price hits above my expectations, i might not find it worthwhile to pay so high for such low quality.

Also, i'm one who believes in statistics, if there's sufficient sampling size to prove that defects are prevalent, then i believe. i.e. even in sg, there're perceived durability of different cars.. but stats are stats, ignoring whether you're unlucky or not. So, if overall the stats is acceptable, i'll still buy that house or car.
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
There you go..... More fans for you BFF..

This thread is great.... After awhile everone bonds well...

BFF, Nicely written up. I' ve got a couple of SD at the Golf precint in HH and appreciate the frank assessment. I know what to expect. I would rather hear the truth though it's quite disturbing. Please do not take to heart the comments made, I know your assessment is meant well though initially when I read it and the subsequent comments I must say I was taken aback. However on contemplating your comments I realize you are after all sharing and in a sense looking after "US" if I maybe so bold to put it........ I would like to say Thank you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top