Still the most reliable insulation of all time.
In Sarawak This is consider the Good Grade Meranti. For me i would reject them all.
These are the planks I use for all my Bhs. Many consultants or contractors will not give you this type of planks even though they promise you. They might charge premium price but give you low grade type. (beware). It is hard to get such quality now.( you can compare the pictures)
Entrance hole
The concreate slap.It was a good visit to Bintulu. I have to get up early at 4 am so that I could catch the 7am flight. As usual the schedule was tight I have to complete everything in 2 days.
I have to check the progress of the 3 storey Standalone under my care I am making sure everything is according to my plan. My building plan and design has indicated clearly the measurement, size and the structure materials needed. All the contractor needs to do is to follow my plan accordingly.
The Bh is located about 20 minute drive from the Town. It was a good a location. I have many readers from Bintulu and the feedback from them somehow not promising due many Bhs being done poorly. Though from outside most Standalones here looked huge, nice and tough (3-4 storey) but inside are badly designed. This would deter the birds from making nests. Well I could say most are building a building rather than building a swiftlet farm.
After landed in Bintulu we headed to the site. The contractor is already there waiting for us. I guess he is a bit nervous because I am a very fussy person. He is afraid I might ask him to hack down things that are not according to my plan. Anyway I am happy to see the progress and everything I wanted and planned is there. He did a good job and I complemented him for that.
The next step is to install the nesting planks and the sound system. The nesting planks formation is very important. It has to be pre-calculated designed not just following the traditional way of estimation the length between the planks. (Which 90% Bh is doing the estimation type).
'There are plenty of birds here the potential is great why not all Bhs are doing well?' Ask one of Mr.K's friends. My sincere reply was “Most of them are building a Building but not a Swiftlet farm”.
Mr.K wanted to show me the Meranti planks he had bought. He got it from a well known local supplier. Prior to this I had advised him to make sure all plank must be dried properly (Machine chamber 100% KD) not under the sun like the primitive way. The Meranti must be of good graded type that could resist the fungus. No white or yellow Meranti , possible Red which to me if possible I demanded Dark Red (Brown). This is the wood plank that is going to be in the Bh for many years perhaps your grand children will still see them fungus free. I doubted that he could get it from Sarawak.
Anyway Mr.K had bought it , he said the supplier sells to all bhs in Sarawak a well known one and it couldn’t be wrong and he is very sure he had the right planks. Mr.K said the supplier said this is the type and the best Red Meranti and is Kded. The planks were stored in his warehouse.
When I reached there I saw the Planks I was shocked. It was a mixture of all woods. 10% already infested with fungus even before installation only 10% is good ones the rest will be infested with fungus I give them 3 months if installed. ( I doubted it was KDed).
I told Mr. K, I never use this type of woods for planks for all the Bhs I build. Mr.K replied “the supplier said all mega farms here are using this type of wood”. I advise him to reject the planks and use the better one for long term. ( long term means 5-10 years)
I told him this type of wood normally people use as firewood. It is very cheap. I remember my Sawmill owner once told me there are lots of consultants and people requesting for this type of wood because they could make more profit and it’s cheap. But Mr.K paid premium price for it.
After the inspection we went for lunch. It was already 3 pm. I wasn’t hungry at all and I have forgotten about lunch. Mr.K had kept quiet, he must be very hungry. I am sorry for that. I guess he didn’t remind me about lunch because he saw my seriousness in work, going up and down the 3 storey Bh. Going into the roof, up the roving area,etc to making sure all going according to my plan.
That’s all for now.
Good Swiftlet farming All!