contractor say this is not unusual?? im doing extension of kitchen, so outer floor was lower (so need to make it higher to even out, if u get me) They hack the old wall etc, & they use broken wall brick old tile & other rubbish/dirt/worker spit as filler. Ewww. 'Con' traktor even say its better than using just sand. grrrrr. So my question is; is this usual practice & whether there would be problems in the future with this arrangement. if so, what is better to fill floor with? also if use contraktor method, will virus/bacteria seep up the floor tile??

This post has been edited by skippro: Oct 7 2008, 10:29 AM

Normally it's using debris as it's less hassle & cheaper. Using sands will cost more as loads will be needed to filled up the level.

but with things like old paper, plastic bag, chopstick, pipes, etc underneath, is it ok?

Should be ok if its just normal floor slab. But it's just downright lazy on contractor part to put in rubbish as well. Normal practise is to put in debris from demolished wall only NOT all rubbish as those debris will not be biodegradable & it cost $$$ to remove & dump it to dumpsite.

what normal floor slab mean? hmm. We are doing tiled floor.

It's normal plus the materials are on hand just make sure they cover it with cement and smooth it over before laying any tiles.

In my case I also had my contractor install metal rods before cementing over to prevent cracking and add strength.

how much approx. extra for the metal rods in ur casE?

for concrete floor, reinforced with steel netting is a must, or else it will crack or sink. there is no need to ask them to add. so whatever is underneath is not so important as the floor is not supported by the debris that they dump in

Normal floor slab means that it sits on ground. Not suspended.

I think that is BRC which is a type of reinforcement used for slab. It comes in 4 x 8 feet & the price depend on the type.

I forgot exactly how much is the total cost but it came up to roughly RM600 to cover up a 22x6 sqf section of my backyard.

edit: Doesn't include tiles since it's the backyard and I didn't wan't grass growing there

vries for my knowledge, what does BRC stand for? Tried google but the acronym is too general

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Oct 7 2008, 06:52 PM

contractor say re-use those rods (which is acts as grilling) from old window , u know from those old-style cheapo variety with glass panes fyi below the debris is concrete, underneath that, is the septic tank. its really old house lor.

This post has been edited by skippro: Oct 7 2008, 11:27 PM

Sorry, too long edi, the BRC full name given back to my lecturer
But it's steel fabric reinforcement that's mostly used on slabs construction. Can be used under roof tiles also to prevent thief from coming in from roof.

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Added on October 8, 2008, 11:38 amDon't think it's much of a problem. The window grill act as basic reinforcement, but then you can reduce his price cos he use debris & save on dumping debris.

This post has been edited by vreis: Oct 8 2008, 11:38 AM

dont think he will reduce price coz i didnt specify (im newbie) now he said use the old fencing underneath (30 years old)....

This post has been edited by skippro: Oct 8 2008, 08:29 PM

The concrete will hold better using the debris. it is due to the fact that concrete need something big and uneven shape to be able to hold together better. If just sand, sand are most sort of round in shape and the concrete would not have such a better grip as compared to the debris. I read about this when surfing for some info on concrete last week.

Yeah it's very normal for renovations
The debris can grip the concrete better than sand actually, especially when there's re-bar in it
just make sure there's no plastic / mud that won't bond with the concrete / cement render
and also it's best the thickness of the concrete is 4" or more

Contractors use debris to reduce his cost, I don't think he will offer u a discount!!???