FIELD NOTES · 20 GUIDES
Construction guides for building in Bali
Written by our engineers between site visits: soil, concrete, roofs, water and everything else the tropics throw at a building. No fluff — numbers, methods and local reality.
2026-07-21 · 9 minPool losing water? Evaporation vs a real leakDo the bucket test first, then read the water level like a diagnosis2026-07-16 · 9 minWhy retaining walls fail in the rainy seasonHydrostatic pressure, weep holes and drained backfill — and the signs a wall is going2026-07-09 · 9 minGetting concrete right in a tropical climateWhy the same mix behaves differently at 34°C — and how we hold the strength2026-07-02 · 9 minSustainable construction in Bali: what actually worksWater, shade and waste beat certificates — plus an honest list of what we skip2026-06-25 · 9 minBuilding a commercial cold plunge: specs that matterChiller maths, turnover rates and the undersizing that kills studio plunges2026-06-18 · 8 minSteel vs timber roof trussesTermites, spans and coatings — how we choose a roof frame on Bali sites2026-06-11 · 9 minBamboo vs timber: an honest comparisonStrength, treatment, connections, lifespan and cost — where each material actually belongs2026-06-04 · 8 minProtecting structural timber from termitesTreatment, detailing and inspection — the three things that keep timber standing here2026-05-28 · 9 minDoes your Bali property need lightning protection?Storm-day data, honest risk factors and what a real system costs here2026-05-20 · 9 minSlope stabilization: gabions vs concrete wallsWhat holds a Bali slope through February, and what quietly gives way2026-05-12 · 9 minEpoxy vs polished concrete for Bali floorsSlab moisture, not taste, decides which hard floor survives here2026-05-04 · 9 minRainwater harvesting in Bali: the numbersA worked 200 m² example: monthly yield, tank size and what it saves2026-04-24 · 9 minBio septic vs conventional: wastewater done rightHow each system works, what size you need, and why clay changes everything2026-04-15 · 9 minDeep wells in Bali: depths, permits, real costsWhere the water sits, what a proper well costs, and when not to drill2026-04-07 · 9 minWhy flat roofs fail in Bali (and how to build one that doesn't)Ponding water, 15 mm per metre, and the details that decide a concrete roof2026-03-27 · 9 minRoofing materials for the tropics, comparedFive coverings, five failure modes — what actually survives 2,400 mm of rain2026-03-16 · 9 minBore piles vs strauss piles in BaliHand gang or drilling rig — depth, access, spoil and cost per metre compared2026-03-05 · 9 minWhy a soil test comes before any designSondir, SPT and qc numbers explained — and what skipping them really costs2026-02-24 · 9 minChoosing a foundation for Bali soil conditionsCoastal sand, paddy clay, limestone or river silt — what each ground demands2026-02-10 · 9 minBuilding materials that survive Bali's climateUV, salt and termites decide which materials last here — and which quietly fail