RobH

We have a Panasonic 8Kg which doesn't heat the water. Works OK though, just as well as it gets used every day. I do complain though that items like towels seem to come out a bit scratchy, probably down to the washing powder, out of my pay grade, just as well.

Very glad your dogs OK, it can be a very worrying time.

We've got 4, 2 proper GSD, brought with me from the UK and 2 Philippine wannabes 2/3 the size. all the males are aggressive, the females not so much. The 2 UK ones sleep in the bedroom with us. That took a major fight to achieve with the wife, she's ok now, but as I said to her they aint gonna steal plants from the garden. I wouldn't be without them, but I do love GSD's

Come on, This is the Philippines. What do you think?

I would have thought that would apply to me, I'm 72. She's 66, but it seems not. I am not allowed out on my own. If she has to go away for any reason one of the daughters has to stay here, in case there is a team of women waiting at the gate.

Once unlocked you open by hand. I think its a screw the key undoes it its recessed so it cant be opened without the key. We Have 4 German shepherds, 2 are British I brought them with me, and 2 Philippine they are much smaller than the British. the males are much more aggressive than the females but all nice dogs. the females will bite but just not as nasty as the males. Filippinos just don't know how to look after dogs or how to get the best out of them, I am trying to teach the wife but it's an uphill struggle. I keep telling her that the stuff they want to steal is in the house which is where the dogs are now they sleep in the bedroom but she now accepts that, she will insist of putting the 2 puppies on chains it sends me mental. so they now sleep on the veranda at night. It's a lot of responsibility looking after the dogs, they have to be fed properly, no bloody rice. And thier inoculations its all expensive. I have had dogs ever since I was a kid and I do love them. The locals here came to the gate when we moved in the old boy barked at them they all ran back across the road. They are literally terrified of them. Even the delivery people from Iba know about the dogs and always ask if they are inside. A proper size GSD is very expensive here 35 - 40,000 PHP, Philippine version about 12,000 We have CCTV everywhere at her insistence which to be fair is useful . To make sure the gardeners are not asleep under a tree. But she's not going to have a gun

You can't open them when closed, well I couldn't, anyone who climbed over would be dog food, Its good exercise for them. Thats where they fitted them I had no preference, but thinking about it it would be difficult to unlock them if they were near the ground, in case of a power cut.

Here are the photos of the gates. I couldn't show the gates open the German shepherds were out (they terrify the locals) I also show the 2 roller shutter garage doors.

That 35000 was just for the 3 stainless gates and fitting. The wife just told me, The 2 electric roller shutter garage doors and fitting the electric actuators to the original gates was 100,000 PHP

We have just had the gates replaced with stainless steel ones. The original gates were mild steel box section, they were rusting from the inside, no protection inside. they were about 3 years old. The gates open inwards and are wide enough to get a truck through. there is a side gate as well but not electric, no one uses it. We can open the gates if there's a brownout with a key thats like an old fashioned clock winder. the cost for the 3 gates was 35000 fitted. The pivots had to be changed for pillow blocks. I have no knowledge of the sliding type. I didn't fancy having to fit the guide rails at the top and bottom. There is enough room here for inward opening gates. Our regular guy did the making and fitting.they are not fancy in any way. top and bottom rails 4 x 2 and square, vertical tubes 2 inch square 4 inches apart, 1.5mm thick stainless tube. So you get a good view through them.

I was told by our roofing and metalwork man not to have plastic windows as they won't last too long in the Philippines . He said go for aluminium frames.

We had 2 fitted but I can't remember the cost as it was a while ago. they are wireless electrically operated, they can be operated at 80meters away, galvanised steel, Painted. 3m wide and 10 feet high. It would take a gorilla to lift them, although there is a chain lift for brown out, the chain is stored on a locked box at the top. Cant fault them, the only slight annoyance is that one of the remotes operates in reverse (down is up, up is down) its because they fitted one in reverse so that the chain lockers are both at the centre. Trying to remember the cost but I cant. They were not that expensive, we had them done at the same time as the electric gates. It was done by a really good guy who does metal and stainless steel fabrications, roofing etc, we use him for a lot of things round the house, that were cocked up by the original builders. The gates are a god send as the gates are 100M away and it stops having to go up and down to open the gates.

The cost was 49.300 PHP. Thats with all installation and ¾ pipe. They wanted to fit ½ inch, but I said it had to be ¾. It took the best part of a day to fit. Pleased with it.

Just an aside. We used to have a central electric water heater that went on the blink (Thermostat no parts. 6 Kw) I went for a 200L solar heater works fine but it does take a time for the hot water to appear. Thats down to Philippine plumbing practice of ½ pipe everywhere. Going to replace that with 1 inch around the outside of the house, not so bad as its at the back. the plus side is that there is no electric costs and even with no sun for 4 days the water is still hot enough for a shower. the tribe of Filipinos that live here (family) only use cold water for showers and dish washing.

Hi All, Any idea what this type of building costs? per square meter. What its like for heat insulation? I am thinking of building a 5X4m shed for a radio shack remote from the house.