AWS

Just contributing what I know and experienced. In the picture you shown, the efflorescence is due to water seepage, due to pores in the grout gap, into the under side of the tiles/stones and there are not proper drainage done. The trapped water need to come out the way they went in. This is through evaporation. During the process, the water brings along dissolved carbonate(from the cement mix used)during evaporation. When the water dissipated, what’s left is efflorescence. Ways to improve the situation is to use good grouting compound with good workmanship to prevent water from going in through holes in the gap in the first place. The same for wall that was tiled. There are also products like stone sealant which after application, will greatly reduce efflorescence. Other than efflorescence, often there will also be a problem with ‘framing’ of the stones. All around the edges of the stones will trap water and end result is a light brown border all around the stone. Stone framing is impossible to remove but efflorescence can still be removed with using acid products together with metal bristles brushing.

Yes, not to mention ICs and also the main sewage ‘highway’ pipe running through one’s plot. PUB has every right to gain access to conduct inspection/rectification works if there’s any choke downstream or upstream.

Haha, anything outside your land boundary doesn’t belong to you, literally. NParks even claim possession of your trees in tree conservation zones.😓 Contractors hoping to cut the trees outside normal office hours or weekends, there is google map street view which has about 9 months of old street views before it’s updated. The agencies can use these to their advantage.😅

Just to add, other than doing the box culvert, your QP will have to determine the location of the culvert access cover according to LTA’s distance requirement between covers and thus in turn will also determine the location of the raised kerb’s drop inlet chamber. Your QP will be able to help assist. Just to share, NParks may have decided the location of the young tree to be planted and the PVC pipes joining the drop inlet chamber to the culvert and cover access need to comply with 1.5 meter radius separation from the replacement tree’s branch.

Just to add, moving the gate post(meter box) to widen the gate will mean affecting the outside planting verge/kerb and also the culvert(underside of the pedestrian walkway). Most likely LTA, NParks and PUB will all be involved. Getting approval for external works from the 3 agencies is getting more and more difficult in recent times.

BCA officers doing the TOP inspection will never get involve in neighbor’s illegal extensions. I have personal experience on a rear neighbor having illegal extension on the rear RC ledge and causing rain water flowing down from the ledge and landed on my plot. He basically extended the ledge all the way to the boundary line. URA taichi all the way and not wanting to get involved to demand removal of the illegal extension. 2 issues involved here: 1. illegal extension and 2. rain water from the whole rear roof portion all landed on my plot. This is worst than rain water bouncing off the roof and landed on neighbor’s plot.

Thread starter, don’t you have retention sum before obtaining CSC? Usually there’s a 10% retention sum after TOP obtain to cover the 1 year defect warranty and also to cover the obtaining CSC. Most often, CSC after TOP always concern external works with namely 3 agencies: NParks, LTA and PUB.

If you plant tall plants/shrubs/trees along the boundary wall, do consider the high possibilities that the dried leaves may fall over to the neighbor’s property and may cause unhappiness/dispute. I have heard cases of affected owners has applied to CDRT(Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal) to resolve such issues. Other than falling dried leaves, there’s also possibilities of moth caterpillars feasting on the leaves and had their black poo droppings scattering all over. If the neighbor is 3 stores high, wouldn’t the building already block the west sun coming through along the boundary wall? IMHO, best solution is to talk with your neighbor your plans/methods to go about blocking the sun and come to a solution that both will agree.

Just my 2 cents: Ducted more prone to leak along the ducting compared to cassette, hence damaging the false ceiling. Cassette rate of cooling can match to that of ducted if proper BTU selection done properly by determining overall air volume in the room.

Either a Design & Build contractor or engage an architect/PE, personally I prefer the architect/PE route. The architect/PE must act in your interest and cross check the builder. The best is of course all are independent parties i.e. different architect, PE, builder, RTO etc.

Just to chip in a bit. I have used the same builder as MetalTab. Any forummer that is interested to get a second opinion on this builder, feel free to PM me. Doing my part to contribute back to this forum.

Here’s a resource by URA. https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Planning/Master-Plan/Control-Plans

I think most part of the East area can build 3+Attic. Additional cost required. If close to the coastline, expect piling as mostly marine clay. Again additional cost required.

My port clearance agent is able to settle everything after the container arrive singapore port and truck the pallets to reach site and unload everything. Only catch is if one fully maximize the 20ft container to 27 ton, a bigger triple axle truck will be required as normal truck is limited to ferry 24 ton, so extra $50 thereabouts. All the truck comes with build in crane to off load from truck onto site floor. To answer your query, a special crane(unloading device) is required to get the pellets out of the container if you buy slabs, not a normal fork lift. If you buy cut to size tiles, a fork lift is ok to do the job. Slab pallets and cut to size pallets are totally different. The pallets are then placed on the cargo area floor and the truck’s crane is used to load the pallets onto the truck bed and off the truck bed after reaching site. But if one buys slabs from China, then it will be transported to the cutting facility in Singapore. Average cutting service in Singapore is $10 psf thereabouts.

Biggest stone city in the world is in ShuiTou 水头, Xiamen. It’s about 45 minute drive from Xiamen GaoQi International Airport. One can spend weeks just visiting the 水头stone market 市场 alone. Biggest manufacturer of tiles is located in FoShan 佛山, Guangzhou. It is about 60-70 minutes drive from Baiyun international Airport. There are thousands of tiles shop in the tile street. Import container load into Singapore Port is limited to 27 ton. So use a 20 ft container is good enough. A estimate guide for stone of size 600x600x20 is about 500 sqm. Like wise, tile of similiar size but thickness of 10-12mm can load close to 950 sqm. A 20 ft container can load about 15-20 pellets for stone. Shipping usually takes 10-14 days, depends on distance from Singapore. Xiamen is further compared to Guangzhou. Port clearance will cost about $1200-$1300, including transport to site. GST will be charged by government before the container can leave port. If your container arrived too early, storage facility is available and chargeable at $30 per pellet per month limited to 1m cubic size. This a bit of info for people who intend to self import stone/tiles from china.

Snoozee, there are 2 issues with tiles, flatness and 90 degrees angled edge length. A bit hard to put it on writing though. Nowadays, can easily get vetrified edge tiles.

Let me chip in my limited knowledge on tiles and stone differences: 1. For porcelain tiles, the bigger and longish size tiles will end up will slight bent along the edges which can be felt by the foot after laying. Tiles are made made and during the firing process, they are not 100% flat. Marble and granite can be precision cut to achieve flatness to 0.5mm or less, even more demanding tolerance on countertop. Even if the cut to size is not flat, marble can be polished after laying to achieve 100% flatness. Tiles is impossible to be polished. Granite can do very mild polish but still cannot polished off to achieve a 100% flatness after laying due to its hardness. A super heavy polisher is needed to create a down force to wear the top layer and this is an issue for a single man polisher to handle, like for marble. 2. Gaps are required for tiles due to the edges are not 90 degrees to each other. Again because it is man made. Stones can achieve 90 degree angles during cutting. That is why the bigger the tile, the bigger is the gap required, else, the tile layer will have difficulty laying. Imagine the cumulative effect of this small angle difference will propagate a few tilesaway and will end up with a ‘curved alignment’ between 2 ends of a living room. Because of a precision cut of stone, one will notice the gap is only 1-2mm and once polished, the gap lines is hardly noticeable. For tiles, due to the big gap required, the gap lines is forever very noticeable and they will blacken over time and even more noticeable if a white marble tile lookalike was used. So end of the day, there is no perfect solution. Accept the noticeable gap lines or get a nice looking marble floor but with regular maintenance. For tiles, once laid, the gap lines is permanent. For marble, with regular maintenance, it will still look nice and shiny and non noticeable gap lines.

Oh yes. Is it after PP is issued, we have 6 months to make payment for WP? Is it a norm that once PP is obtained, QP will try to delay as long as possible to apply for WP?

I might be wrong but do correct me. You have 6 months to resubmit amendments after submission is approved. But even then, during construction, there is bound to have changed here and there. As long as not major change that affects structure/load bearing, builder is able to do a ‘as built’ drawing submission before TOP.

I think it will be difficult to chip off a bit of the front of the stone wall because the individual stone pieces are relatively big and random in size. Removing the stones will loose your base support for the brick wall above and the brick wall may crack due to lack of base support. I think you will have to redo the whole wall after removing your stone wall plus brick wall. Alternatively, remove the top brick wall, cement plaster the sloping stone wall vertical and join up with a new brick wall. This this case, you have not touch the original position of the stone wall and you have a better chance of getting away if the authories check on your work done

Just to add, if removing the existing attic, you may need to comply to the envelop control requirements by URA and the size of the new attic is under envelop control requirements. Please check with a QP(qualified Person) on your case. https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Guidelines/Circulars/dc15-02

All replied written directions from the various agencies must be complied with after the fist submission. The agencies involved are: 1. URA (reply by 2 weeks from first submission. I received mine in 3 days) 2. BCA(reply by 2 weeks from first submission. I received mine in 1 week) Written directions from BCA is usually quite a lot as they are very concern with the ajoining neignbor's structure being affected for the whole project. Its can be the abutting wall structure/foundation, depth of foundation of new build up not affecting neighbour's foundation during excavation, beams joining the foundation footings will not affect other structures like RC sewage trench etc 3. PUB(reply by 2 weeks from first submission. I received mine in 1 week) PUB is particularly concern about drainage reserve( if your plot has one). Next of concern is RC sewage trench layout/alignment. 4. LTA(reply by 2 weeks from first submission. I received mine in 1.5 weeks) LTA will be looking out for your kerb design, gradient of ramp access from gate to building structure, gate access facing opposite neighbor's access because now they don't allow change of gate location such that your new gate access will end up directly facing opposite neighbour's gate access, road reserve if there is any in front of your plot, shifting of lamp post due enlarging or relocating gate access. 5. NParks (Reply by 2 weeks from first submission. I received mine in 1 week) NParks will be concern if your plot is in one of the 2 tree conservation areas in singapore and any tree greater than 1 meter girth measured 50cm from the ground. Since Feb 2017, your QP will need to submit a demolition plan to BCA. Additional charges applies, usually $2000. Once the plan is approved, QP will apply for the permit and after obtaining the permit, builder together with owner will need to get signatures from left, right, front and back neighbours for agreement to enter into their premise during the building process to retify anything that was caused damaged by the builder or the portion of work on your new house that can only be done from the neighbour's location.

Just to add, the above is for architect+PE submission. Other fees still required for submission during the construction phase and the TOP/CSC final phase.