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Builders/Carpenetrs
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Chippy
Builders/Carpenetrs
What are the local builders like around carvoeiro?
Is there any call for a good quality english carpenter (a real one who can also plumb/plaster/electric etc)
Is there any call for a good quality english carpenter (a real one who can also plumb/plaster/electric etc)
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petermeachem
- CVO Senior
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:32 am
-
Guest
Yes there is a call for tradesmen like yourself...but once again we touch on the emotive subject of local rates .......don't want to get into it other than to say that most people here will only pay a local wage ..and also I must say the local tradesmen I have used here have been rather good.....and better in many cases than mySo called UK plumber...and as for Gardeners.......you'll never beat them, the Portuguese are supurb and very hard working.
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Chippy
Thanks chaps, Just a pipe dream really!
I've been over a few times to CVO and stayed in Villas - a super place, love it! Nice people about.
General quality of workmanship I've seen has been good - their groundworks/roads etc are very well laid, as I had the opportunity to watch the road being upgraded outside our villa at Vale de Milho year before last!(I'm a contract manager for a national building firm - but a carpenter by trade -so I'm inspecting work every day, my wife kept telling me to stop staring!)
Plumbing and electric are basically the same the world over....
water = water, just the fittings change, mains pressure/tank fed/well pumped, I've noticed a lot of the new places are falling into the "modern" way of using push fit pipe systems.....give me end feed solder anyday!
Foul water drainage is usually mains sewage or septic tank ( the bio ones are good)
Electricity= Electricity, different voltages/frequency and earthing systems around the world but Portugal is 220v 50hz ( UK is 240v 50hz) but in fact appliances are generally rated to run 210 -250v (50hz) in order to work around europe ( and the rest of the world except america 110v - and strange places like japan where they use 100v? then of course you also get some wierd DC current users)
Plastering - mostly seen rendering over there, in that heat you need to learn the bonding and drying times or you would end up with a pile of sand at the foot of the wall! - But wetting the blocks well and perhaps the use of a retarder admix might work - or just follow what the locals do!
Like a lot of europe they tend to use dry lining methods internally now - plasterboard and joint taping/filling - quick - but not as nice as a bond and set wall!
....and don't start me on wood.....!
Anyway, I've bored you rigid with building talk.....and I've just noticed it is 8am on a sunday morning......
I'm meant to be looking for a villa for 1st week October and taking tea up to wife not talking shop........
Thanks for replies - looking forward to a pint in smileys....or sullys.....or rascals......or bongos( can't remenber the bar name...thats his name..)
I've been over a few times to CVO and stayed in Villas - a super place, love it! Nice people about.
General quality of workmanship I've seen has been good - their groundworks/roads etc are very well laid, as I had the opportunity to watch the road being upgraded outside our villa at Vale de Milho year before last!(I'm a contract manager for a national building firm - but a carpenter by trade -so I'm inspecting work every day, my wife kept telling me to stop staring!)
Plumbing and electric are basically the same the world over....
water = water, just the fittings change, mains pressure/tank fed/well pumped, I've noticed a lot of the new places are falling into the "modern" way of using push fit pipe systems.....give me end feed solder anyday!
Foul water drainage is usually mains sewage or septic tank ( the bio ones are good)
Electricity= Electricity, different voltages/frequency and earthing systems around the world but Portugal is 220v 50hz ( UK is 240v 50hz) but in fact appliances are generally rated to run 210 -250v (50hz) in order to work around europe ( and the rest of the world except america 110v - and strange places like japan where they use 100v? then of course you also get some wierd DC current users)
Plastering - mostly seen rendering over there, in that heat you need to learn the bonding and drying times or you would end up with a pile of sand at the foot of the wall! - But wetting the blocks well and perhaps the use of a retarder admix might work - or just follow what the locals do!
Like a lot of europe they tend to use dry lining methods internally now - plasterboard and joint taping/filling - quick - but not as nice as a bond and set wall!
....and don't start me on wood.....!
Anyway, I've bored you rigid with building talk.....and I've just noticed it is 8am on a sunday morning......
I'm meant to be looking for a villa for 1st week October and taking tea up to wife not talking shop........
Thanks for replies - looking forward to a pint in smileys....or sullys.....or rascals......or bongos( can't remenber the bar name...thats his name..)
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Chippy
Thanks Tricky,
Made breakfast for wife - so I can go back to villa hunt now.......
If any of you owners over there need advice on building jobs/projects you are doing feel free to ask.....
If I know - I will gladly tell for free!
(but don't test me on portugese building reg's !)
Good things to remember when planning work:
Cheap materials and cheap labour produces cheap work
Cheap materials and good labour produces frustrated workers
Good material and good labour produces quality work
The quality of the work is remembered long after the price is forgotten
Thus spake the Chippy.........lol
....back to the villa hunt - I can almost taste that first ice cold pint in smileys....only two weeks to go!
Made breakfast for wife - so I can go back to villa hunt now.......
If any of you owners over there need advice on building jobs/projects you are doing feel free to ask.....
If I know - I will gladly tell for free!
(but don't test me on portugese building reg's !)
Good things to remember when planning work:
Cheap materials and cheap labour produces cheap work
Cheap materials and good labour produces frustrated workers
Good material and good labour produces quality work
The quality of the work is remembered long after the price is forgotten
Thus spake the Chippy.........lol
....back to the villa hunt - I can almost taste that first ice cold pint in smileys....only two weeks to go!
Chippy, our lst residence in England, is in desparate need of a Joiner,
can't get one in this area for love nor money. Last one I had told me he could start in three weeks and that the would drop the quote off to me next day - six weeks later, still waiting for quote never mind the job to be done! - you don't live anywhere near Cheshire do you?
in England, is in desparate need of a Joiner,can't get one in this area for love nor money. Last one I had told me he could start in three weeks and that the would drop the quote off to me next day - six weeks later, still waiting for quote never mind the job to be done! - you don't live anywhere near Cheshire do you?
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Guest
Rampage -
My wife would shoot me if i took my tools with me on holiday! (and I have enough kit to fill a reasonable sized van.....)
......however......if it is just a small job and tools/materials are available.......wife can go sunbathing (or probably shopping)... lol
Quite happy to have a look and see what can be done....if I can do it .....I will!
The cost ......well I could'nt take money and I would hate to take work from the locals .....so a pint will do!
Tricky -
I'm a soft southerner! (I'm sure I live in the south, not the south-east or the south west, just the south......but try looking for it on a weather forecast......I want a new area to be named South-Middle)
Refurbished a house in Nantwich a few years back though.........lol
The company I work for has offices all over UK - I could get in touch with your nearest branch and ask one of our guys if they are interested in a "private" job.....(and they had better not use company kit!)
I'll sort out the registering thingy you have to do to personal message and then you can "PM" me
I've just noticed this emoticon looks like me.....bald and four eyed.....I wonder if I can sue..........
My wife would shoot me if i took my tools with me on holiday! (and I have enough kit to fill a reasonable sized van.....)
......however......if it is just a small job and tools/materials are available.......wife can go sunbathing (or probably shopping)... lol
Quite happy to have a look and see what can be done....if I can do it .....I will!
The cost ......well I could'nt take money and I would hate to take work from the locals .....so a pint will do!
Tricky -
I'm a soft southerner! (I'm sure I live in the south, not the south-east or the south west, just the south......but try looking for it on a weather forecast......I want a new area to be named South-Middle)
Refurbished a house in Nantwich a few years back though.........lol
The company I work for has offices all over UK - I could get in touch with your nearest branch and ask one of our guys if they are interested in a "private" job.....(and they had better not use company kit!)
I'll sort out the registering thingy you have to do to personal message and then you can "PM" me
I've just noticed this emoticon looks like me.....bald and four eyed.....I wonder if I can sue..........-
petermeachem
- CVO Senior
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:32 am
-
Guest
Peter,
Personnally you are absolutely right!
Lots more.....generally you have 3 phases running from the transformers ( either in the ground or overhead) all running 210-250v - these then are split as they go into each dwelling (of normal size) to give a single phase supply of 210-250v usually with a rating of 65-100amp, larger dwelling factories/commercial premises/farms etc get all 3 phases supplied - any two of these are combined to give a 450v volt supply with a much larger rating for machinery or mass power needs, an office building with lots of equipment needs more phases in order to spread the load across the building in single phase. Care must be taken when you have a 3 phase supply not to cross phases in areas - this leads to sudden bright light and the smell of burning flesh......and a bloody great flash burn on the wall (seen a sparky do it when he was working on a live board in oxford street - it took him 3 hours to stop shaking! ...and he was lucky....)
If you think of your house having a 20amp ring main supply ( or radial) for your socket outlets (sometimes done as one for each floor) and another 16amp (often only 10 )for lighting (again one for each floor) then a 40amp ring for the kitchen (high use area) and possibly a separate supply for the showers etc, although alot of french places I have worked in tend to tie in the shower to the kitchen ring - that is the newer places, old places in france are still running a separate fuse to each socket/light in what looks like bell wire! this is all usually easily covered by a 100amp supply.
Important things to remember when working with electrics:
Turn it off! ( if fused then take the fuse from the board and put it in your pocket so no one can put it back by mistake - if MCB then clearly mark the board with a sign saying why that circuit is off and apply lots of tape to stop someone "accidently" opening the cover and flicking you back on!)
(Testing the RCD prior to turning it off is not a bad idea - then when you turn it all on again and the RCD pops you have a slight clue that you may have done something wrong!)
Use the correct cable thickness for the load i.e. don't use bell wire for a cooker (see previous note on frenchies ) it melts the pvc cover,is messy, smells awful and sets fire to your house.
....and use the correct cable - Butyl for emersion tanks etc HOFR where required
Good terminations! - strip back the cable correctly and firmly tighten holding screws - do not try to cut through the cable with the screw! loose terminations can cause arcing within the outlet
Sensible cable runs - in conduit wherever possible (single strand 2.5mm in conduit is so easy to replace - pulling a 10mt run of 2.5 4 core through the 1st floor is not) ( there may be a regulation for housing in portugal requiring conduit - don't know myself but should be easy to look up)
Correct fusing/MCB rating - don't stick a 40amp on the lighting circuit (unless you have some serious lights!) when it only requires a 10/16/20 etc it could allow a fault to develop without you knowing (i.e. melts the pvc cover,is messy, smells awful and.......)
Test your cabling/outlet prior to using an appliance - a quick test can be performed by a Martindale tester (there will be a portugese equivalent) which will let you now if all is OK - in the UK every addition/change must have a minor works test certificate signed by the sparks or an IEEE test cert for larger works (can't remember the form name, and I see them daily!) this also includes bits like equipotential bonding (yeah right....like I'm going to explain that !!)
Use insulated tools (normally 10000v rated) - just in case that idiot didn't read the sign, ripped off all the tape and thought it would be funny to switch your circuit back on........
Generally though the RCD will protect you from serious harm, they are designed to operate in 40milliseconds or thereabouts so if you get a belt it won't be for long....if it works.......
.....and thats my little bit on electrics (but hey, I'm not a sparky! what do I know.....if in doubt get an qualified electrician in, don't know the process over there but we expect ours to be IEEE 16th edition qualified)
How to plaster an adobe wall - out of interest adobe comes from the spanish word adobrar? ( ok ...hang me on the spelling....) which means plaster!!! ...or to plaster or something - amazing eh! Sometimes they are called dobe walls - which is strange when you think we have our old wattle and daub walls ... daub - dobe....amazing again!
Is the wall made of adobe "bricks" or was it shuttered (form work frame and filled) is it true adobe - sand and clay/mud , with or without straw in the mix? Shouldn't really make a difference though....well hardly any....
The most important thing to remember is not to cause damp to be trapped in the wall - this is often done by using a cement sand mix of over 10% and can cause quite spectacular results in years to come (like the side of your house falls off) The render coat (term used rather than plaster as the mix doesn't contain any gypsum) is best made using lime/sand as this allows it to breath. Internally you could render and set the walls with a lime plaster - for a finer finish
But don't forget the paint! covering a lime/sand mix in a impermeable coat or three of dulux's finest vinyl paint will have the same effect as a cement/sand mix - in years to come you end up with a bigger window than you thought.....Limewash is traditional for rendered adobe but there are plenty of modern paints about that will do the job and last longer (and cost more...)
We used to have the problem in england of people buying an old cob walled cottage (similar but not quite the same as adobe) and installing a silicone damp course + waterproof render outside.....fortunately they are few and far between now - this caused the cob to dry out - especially the chalk cob ones.....and the structural integrity of dry chalk dust ain't too good.....
As to how you get it on the wall and smooth ....lots of practice! just practice by putting some on a small area and scrape it off and try again if it is no good (it is generally done in two coats of 10mm) when you have enough on roughly smooth it - then leave it alone! as the suction (bonding) takes place you will only pull it off or leave areas with a weak bond (these will sound hollow when tapped after drying, and needs to come off) if you try and work it. When it is almost set ( test it every now and then - times will vary according to weather conditions temperature/humidity/wind) you will be able to float the surface flat ( use a wooden or urethane float, size depending on job...not a metal plastering trowel, this causes the cement or lime to come to the surface) rub the surface with the flat of the float and you will find it cuts away excess areas and you can infill any voids left. This does take a bit of practice though - so don't expect good results 1st time (or second come to that) for large areas use a "derby" or feather edge to generally flatten the area to one plane prior to floating (setting) the work
Floor insulation - depends on what you have already - I am going to assume you have a concrete slab oversite that has a dpm under it over a blinding of sand over the correctly compacted sub base material etc....which differs slightly from an earthen floor......
if you are having the floor screeded then incorporate a proprietry system like Rocksil floor slab ( thickness will depend on the U value (W/m2K) you require...this of course depends on the thermal conductivity of the base and sub soil.....but we are going into la la land here....) which can be pricey (ish)
if you just need to stop the cold floor feel then a 25mm polystyrene slab like Jablite or Polyfoam (available in 2400x1200 and other sizes) under a 65mm reinforced screed would do - easy to work with and much cheaper.
Both need a DPM over prior to screed.
But....you may be putting down underfloor heating (lovely stuff...and getting more and more popular....I await the calls when it goes wrong.....) this system incorporates insulation between the pipes.....and your timber floor has a U value as well...so do you need insulation under the screed?
If the screed has already been laid without any insulation and you are putting down a timber floor (without underfloor heating) then there are various systems of varying thicknesses to use, again you need to think what you are trying to achieve, a warm floor or just a floor that doesn't bite you in the morning in bare feet.
Generally for England the minimum used is 25mm thick - which I would have thought is ample for the algarve (rolls of the tongue ...ample for the algarve) but you do tend to have tiled floors there.....so cold winter mornings can be a bit chilly underfoot ....hmmm....if the screed is already down, and you want to tile,what about a 25mm insulation below a moisture resistant chipboard floor (fully floating) which you can tile on or lay laminate flooring.
Really I need to know a bit more before giving out sound advice (well it may sound like advice...)
1. Is it an existing screed?
2. If a new screed, has a finished floor level been set in the design? If no insulation has been designed in then putting one in will impact on the door opening heights, stair design etc etc unless you have enough height available within the proposed screed thickness to incorporate insulation without reducing the strength of the screed.(or change the screed type)
3. if an old screed - the same as 2. applies, will it have an effect on door opening/stairs etc.
Basically ....let me know the site conditions!
I've tried to answer as best I can without seeing any of this - so any errors are caused purely by about 800miles and my short sightedness...
I am but a simple woodman......
Chippy
Personnally you are absolutely right!
Lots more.....generally you have 3 phases running from the transformers ( either in the ground or overhead) all running 210-250v - these then are split as they go into each dwelling (of normal size) to give a single phase supply of 210-250v usually with a rating of 65-100amp, larger dwelling factories/commercial premises/farms etc get all 3 phases supplied - any two of these are combined to give a 450v volt supply with a much larger rating for machinery or mass power needs, an office building with lots of equipment needs more phases in order to spread the load across the building in single phase. Care must be taken when you have a 3 phase supply not to cross phases in areas - this leads to sudden bright light and the smell of burning flesh......and a bloody great flash burn on the wall (seen a sparky do it when he was working on a live board in oxford street - it took him 3 hours to stop shaking! ...and he was lucky....)
If you think of your house having a 20amp ring main supply ( or radial) for your socket outlets (sometimes done as one for each floor) and another 16amp (often only 10 )for lighting (again one for each floor) then a 40amp ring for the kitchen (high use area) and possibly a separate supply for the showers etc, although alot of french places I have worked in tend to tie in the shower to the kitchen ring - that is the newer places, old places in france are still running a separate fuse to each socket/light in what looks like bell wire! this is all usually easily covered by a 100amp supply.
Important things to remember when working with electrics:
Turn it off! ( if fused then take the fuse from the board and put it in your pocket so no one can put it back by mistake - if MCB then clearly mark the board with a sign saying why that circuit is off and apply lots of tape to stop someone "accidently" opening the cover and flicking you back on!)
(Testing the RCD prior to turning it off is not a bad idea - then when you turn it all on again and the RCD pops you have a slight clue that you may have done something wrong!)
Use the correct cable thickness for the load i.e. don't use bell wire for a cooker (see previous note on frenchies ) it melts the pvc cover,is messy, smells awful and sets fire to your house.
....and use the correct cable - Butyl for emersion tanks etc HOFR where required
Good terminations! - strip back the cable correctly and firmly tighten holding screws - do not try to cut through the cable with the screw! loose terminations can cause arcing within the outlet
Sensible cable runs - in conduit wherever possible (single strand 2.5mm in conduit is so easy to replace - pulling a 10mt run of 2.5 4 core through the 1st floor is not) ( there may be a regulation for housing in portugal requiring conduit - don't know myself but should be easy to look up)
Correct fusing/MCB rating - don't stick a 40amp on the lighting circuit (unless you have some serious lights!) when it only requires a 10/16/20 etc it could allow a fault to develop without you knowing (i.e. melts the pvc cover,is messy, smells awful and.......)
Test your cabling/outlet prior to using an appliance - a quick test can be performed by a Martindale tester (there will be a portugese equivalent) which will let you now if all is OK - in the UK every addition/change must have a minor works test certificate signed by the sparks or an IEEE test cert for larger works (can't remember the form name, and I see them daily!) this also includes bits like equipotential bonding (yeah right....like I'm going to explain that !!)
Use insulated tools (normally 10000v rated) - just in case that idiot didn't read the sign, ripped off all the tape and thought it would be funny to switch your circuit back on........
Generally though the RCD will protect you from serious harm, they are designed to operate in 40milliseconds or thereabouts so if you get a belt it won't be for long....if it works.......
.....and thats my little bit on electrics (but hey, I'm not a sparky! what do I know.....if in doubt get an qualified electrician in, don't know the process over there but we expect ours to be IEEE 16th edition qualified)
How to plaster an adobe wall - out of interest adobe comes from the spanish word adobrar? ( ok ...hang me on the spelling....) which means plaster!!! ...or to plaster or something - amazing eh! Sometimes they are called dobe walls - which is strange when you think we have our old wattle and daub walls ... daub - dobe....amazing again!
Is the wall made of adobe "bricks" or was it shuttered (form work frame and filled) is it true adobe - sand and clay/mud , with or without straw in the mix? Shouldn't really make a difference though....well hardly any....
The most important thing to remember is not to cause damp to be trapped in the wall - this is often done by using a cement sand mix of over 10% and can cause quite spectacular results in years to come (like the side of your house falls off) The render coat (term used rather than plaster as the mix doesn't contain any gypsum) is best made using lime/sand as this allows it to breath. Internally you could render and set the walls with a lime plaster - for a finer finish
But don't forget the paint! covering a lime/sand mix in a impermeable coat or three of dulux's finest vinyl paint will have the same effect as a cement/sand mix - in years to come you end up with a bigger window than you thought.....Limewash is traditional for rendered adobe but there are plenty of modern paints about that will do the job and last longer (and cost more...)
We used to have the problem in england of people buying an old cob walled cottage (similar but not quite the same as adobe) and installing a silicone damp course + waterproof render outside.....fortunately they are few and far between now - this caused the cob to dry out - especially the chalk cob ones.....and the structural integrity of dry chalk dust ain't too good.....
As to how you get it on the wall and smooth ....lots of practice! just practice by putting some on a small area and scrape it off and try again if it is no good (it is generally done in two coats of 10mm) when you have enough on roughly smooth it - then leave it alone! as the suction (bonding) takes place you will only pull it off or leave areas with a weak bond (these will sound hollow when tapped after drying, and needs to come off) if you try and work it. When it is almost set ( test it every now and then - times will vary according to weather conditions temperature/humidity/wind) you will be able to float the surface flat ( use a wooden or urethane float, size depending on job...not a metal plastering trowel, this causes the cement or lime to come to the surface) rub the surface with the flat of the float and you will find it cuts away excess areas and you can infill any voids left. This does take a bit of practice though - so don't expect good results 1st time (or second come to that) for large areas use a "derby" or feather edge to generally flatten the area to one plane prior to floating (setting) the work
Floor insulation - depends on what you have already - I am going to assume you have a concrete slab oversite that has a dpm under it over a blinding of sand over the correctly compacted sub base material etc....which differs slightly from an earthen floor......
if you are having the floor screeded then incorporate a proprietry system like Rocksil floor slab ( thickness will depend on the U value (W/m2K) you require...this of course depends on the thermal conductivity of the base and sub soil.....but we are going into la la land here....) which can be pricey (ish)
if you just need to stop the cold floor feel then a 25mm polystyrene slab like Jablite or Polyfoam (available in 2400x1200 and other sizes) under a 65mm reinforced screed would do - easy to work with and much cheaper.
Both need a DPM over prior to screed.
But....you may be putting down underfloor heating (lovely stuff...and getting more and more popular....I await the calls when it goes wrong.....) this system incorporates insulation between the pipes.....and your timber floor has a U value as well...so do you need insulation under the screed?
If the screed has already been laid without any insulation and you are putting down a timber floor (without underfloor heating) then there are various systems of varying thicknesses to use, again you need to think what you are trying to achieve, a warm floor or just a floor that doesn't bite you in the morning in bare feet.
Generally for England the minimum used is 25mm thick - which I would have thought is ample for the algarve (rolls of the tongue ...ample for the algarve) but you do tend to have tiled floors there.....so cold winter mornings can be a bit chilly underfoot ....hmmm....if the screed is already down, and you want to tile,what about a 25mm insulation below a moisture resistant chipboard floor (fully floating) which you can tile on or lay laminate flooring.
Really I need to know a bit more before giving out sound advice (well it may sound like advice...)
1. Is it an existing screed?
2. If a new screed, has a finished floor level been set in the design? If no insulation has been designed in then putting one in will impact on the door opening heights, stair design etc etc unless you have enough height available within the proposed screed thickness to incorporate insulation without reducing the strength of the screed.(or change the screed type)
3. if an old screed - the same as 2. applies, will it have an effect on door opening/stairs etc.
Basically ....let me know the site conditions!
I've tried to answer as best I can without seeing any of this - so any errors are caused purely by about 800miles and my short sightedness...
I am but a simple woodman......
Chippy
-
Guest
Lol....it was a bit rambling now I look back at it.......
Wife now happy in front of TV watching romantic comedy - which is a good reason to be out here by the PC
Tricky -
Apologies, I haven't registered yet - and can't PM you until I do - but I will!
Ktee -
Yep - caught me on that one, never thought about pool (didn't cross my mind over here in the not so sunny south), could be a reason for 3 phase supply to house. But only 45amp supply? It could be you have a larger "company" supply (i.e. the incoming company fuse is rated at 65-100amp) and your consumer unit only has a 45amp RCD - this can be uprated as your needs increase ( again the need for safety - only install an RCD slightly larger than your presumed usage)
I'm sure someone could put me right on this but maybe the rating for each phase is lower in Portugal (from power loss over distance?) and that is why you need 3 phase in houses? sounds unlikely but I can't think of a reason to put 3 phase in if you don't need it - it can get messy if you make a mistake with it! - Of course properly installed and maintained it would be as safe as single phase....ho humm ....getting above my station again.....
Restaurants would of course be a prime candidate for3 phase - the kitchen alone could use one phase (if all electric) so if the griddle/salamander/bain marie/microwave(s) etc are all on and something pops, then the lighting (which could be on a different phase)would still be on while they sort it - and the fridge and ice machine for the drinks would be on that phase which means you could still enjoy yourself while they light the barbie!
Oh my god - the tea
Must dash
Chippy
Wife now happy in front of TV watching romantic comedy - which is a good reason to be out here by the PC
Tricky -
Apologies, I haven't registered yet - and can't PM you until I do - but I will!
Ktee -
Yep - caught me on that one, never thought about pool (didn't cross my mind over here in the not so sunny south), could be a reason for 3 phase supply to house. But only 45amp supply? It could be you have a larger "company" supply (i.e. the incoming company fuse is rated at 65-100amp) and your consumer unit only has a 45amp RCD - this can be uprated as your needs increase ( again the need for safety - only install an RCD slightly larger than your presumed usage)
I'm sure someone could put me right on this but maybe the rating for each phase is lower in Portugal (from power loss over distance?) and that is why you need 3 phase in houses? sounds unlikely but I can't think of a reason to put 3 phase in if you don't need it - it can get messy if you make a mistake with it! - Of course properly installed and maintained it would be as safe as single phase....ho humm ....getting above my station again.....
Restaurants would of course be a prime candidate for3 phase - the kitchen alone could use one phase (if all electric) so if the griddle/salamander/bain marie/microwave(s) etc are all on and something pops, then the lighting (which could be on a different phase)would still be on while they sort it - and the fridge and ice machine for the drinks would be on that phase which means you could still enjoy yourself while they light the barbie!
Oh my god - the tea
Must dash
Chippy