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Here's one I made earlier |
Before starting any DIY project it's
important to make advance preparations. Land, equipment, lumber,
workers; they all have to be prepped ready for the start of your project.
This project can take anywhere from a
day to three weeks to complete depending on your workforce. At the end
you'll be the proud owner of a hut that conforms to both of Laos'
construction quality standards.
First you'll need a suitable plot of
land. If you don't own any land simply take possession of a vacant
lot, preferably one owned by a resident of a different country or by a large
corporation whose representatives are unlikely to visit the land for
the next year or two, as what they don't know won't hurt them.
We're only building a single hut a
ground area of roughly 4 metres x 3 metres is all that's required, however
the roof will overhand by approximately a metre at the sides. Basic
tools required are a saw, a hammer, a selection of nails and a few large
bolts, plus a spirit level and something with both 45 and 90 degree angles
marked on it which will reduce the amount of guesswork required at
various stages in construction. Finally, you'll need a supply of
illegal immigrant labour. No skillset of any kind isn't important only
the ability to lift, carry and hammer nails for 10 hours per day in any
weather conditions. Cambodians are best, but I'm sure that Mexican or
Chinese workers could be substituted without quality suffering.
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A solid frame is an expensive luxury |
Step 1 - Mark out the land where your
hut will be built, dig six holes roughly 30 centimeters deep these mark the
corners of the 3 x 3 metre room plus the balcony area. Place a concrete
support in each hole and have a couple of your workers stand around and kick
dirt into the hole before trampling the earth down to provide stability. (If
you're not on a tight budget concrete can be used instead of dry dirt to
keep the supports in place.)
Step 2 - Now you need to lay your hands
on six wooden poles. One option is to purchase 3 metre lengths of
totally unsuitable, but cheap, softwood from your local builder's merchants,
another is to 'find' the required wood in a nearby forest or area of
outstanding natural beauty. Bolt these supports in place to provide
vertical support for your roof. Affix cross beams at floor and roof
level.
Step 3 - You've now got a frame for
your authentic beach hut. The next steps are in no particular order,
if the sun is shining your dollar-a-day labourers may prefer to get the palm
frond roof up as quickly as possible. Make sure to minimise the number of
roof pieces that are required by limiting the amount of overlap to the bare
minimum thus providing the illusion of a roof over a guests head but without
the protection from the elements that more upmarket visitors would require.
The next step would be to lay the floor making every effort to leave gaps
that only the slimmest of mosquitoes can squeeze through. Note
that in order to save money, part of the floor is raised. Eventually,
a single foam and coconut husk mattress will be thrown on top of the raised
area of the floor to provide both decor and functionality to the room.
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Leave a wall off for additional
ventilation |
Step 4 - Walls are next. However,
prior to doing this you'll need several pieces of 1" x 2" wood to make a
basic window and door frames from. Don't worry about the lack of
support this size of wood provides as it's not as though the door and single
window will contain glass or even solid wood for that matter. Walls,
door and window are made from sheets from a type of water reed that has been
dried, woven together and pressed to form a long lasting board impervious to
light rain, blunt instruments and gently thrown objects.
All that's left to do now is to add a
padlock to the door and two small deadbolts to the 'window'.
Electricity, in the form of a single line reaching from the nearest building
or plug socket, can now be put in. Experience isn't required as all
you'll be doing is wiring in a single 'on/off' switch and screwing in a 40
watt bulb. Finally, try to recall ever having see the spirit level or set
square you specifically purchased for this project in use by your workers.
Now, sweep the debris off the floor,
throw in a mattress, hang a mozzie net and you're in business. Friends
and neighbours will never look at you in the same light again with a DIY
backpacker hut in your front garden.
Next week . . . . we'll be looking at
the need for adequate sewage and drainage and the Pros and Cons of not
bothering at all with it when a simple drop toilet and open gutter will do
the job for a fraction of the cost.
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