Eco house building project

[ian Stanbury]

..Another weeks starts..

..And another section gets popped into place..this time the Abri..

 

[malcolm]

I googled Abri. It's either an agricultural research institute or a cover for your chopped firewood. Knowing Ian....

Have you had any feedback from the neighbours yet? That is always the best bit on the "Grand Designs Abroad" television programme. Normally the neighbours say "Well we like it but these English are very eccentric". What feedback have you had from the town?

 

[ian Stanbury]

..Brillant feedback Malcolm..

..In Ebay feedback style:

Positive - Amazing how fast its gone up - recommended
Positive - You are doing a grand job - keep it up
Positive - Lovely house but how are you going to move all those stones - by hand?
Positive - Are you going to live here?
Positive - When will it be finished?
Positive - How is it going to be heated - Geotextile?
Positive - Is it all made of wood or just the wooden bits?
Positive - Lovely house but don't steal any of my wood pile (Neighbour!)
Positive - Are you going to sell it and if so how much do you want for it?
Positive - Do you need some roof tiles for the roof as I have a couple of pallet loads that I want to get rid off?
Positive - Last week a clear site, this week a house has magically appeared - Are you any relation of Darren Brown?

And you are correct about Abri - A covered wood store that also doubles as a store for my 100 year old Thames skiff Hope of Glory, 2 SAAB's, a Citroen BX and these two!!

 

[ian Stanbury]

..Abri now finished and end wall has started..

..And it looks as though its going to be brilliant..

..Once that is finished, the roof tiling starts. Our mason has suggested we use locally made really 'tough' tiles that can be walked on - For those of you that don't know, these traditional roofs look the business but they are terrible to work on as its virtually impossible to walk on most new tiles without breaking them - To get to a ridge problem, you have to dismantle a narrow route to the ridge and then replace them all afterwards!!

..Windows and doors next week and then the house will be water and wind tight..

 

[ian Stanbury]

..The rain's coming in sadly but the end wall is looking good..

..Sadly our wood house is taking in a bit of water but nothing to worry about our friend Georges of ACV tells us!! (Artisans Concepteurs Vendeens)

..The masons Eric et Pascal however have struggled on in the rain and the end wall is looking good..

 

[ian Stanbury]

..Traditional or non Traditional..

..This lovely couple are our very good friends Joel and Marie-France who have been to see us today for a slap up Raclette lunch and took issue with me about this comment in an earlier thread:

'Here is roughly what I am aiming for - Looks a bit dull I know but as we are within 400 metres of the church and right under the Calvaire, we are not allowed to do something out of the ordinary - It has to be 'traditional'!!

Well they insisted that I completely wrong and that I should correct the idea of a traditional French house looks anything like a newly built French Lotissement 'Pavillon'

They have a home and an attached Gite at a place called La Fosse de Tigne right in the middle of the Anjou wine area near Angers and are neighbours of Gerard Depardieu.

I am to tell you all that this is their Gite House and IT is a 'Traditional' French house!!

If anyone is interested in holidaying in the Anjou area on a wine tasting week, or even a buying a Renault 4 trip, this is the place for you to stay.

They can be contacted on : www.gite-les-saules.com

Its a lovely place and I can thoroughly recommend it

So there we are Joel and Marie-France I apologise for my mistake.

Just for you interest, after you left us today Kate and I were overwhelmed with meetings on site, while you set sail for a couple of lovely days in La Rochelle - it is OK for some hey?

But and this is a big BUT...Thanks for coming to see us

 

[Bluebell]

It depends where you are, Ian. We only have to go a few miles in any direction to find a completely different style of house. If you cross the Saône it's like a different country.

A gîte may also be available in a different part of France!

 

[ian Stanbury]

..A Tale of 102 Tiles..

..Whoopee

Today the tiling started and here are the first pics..

I can't tell you all how pleased we will be to see all the tiles on as there is still water coming in George et Herve (ACV - Duramen)

 

[malcolm]

Our house leaks water when the tiles are missing too. Fortunately those tiles have now been replaced. One day I'll get around to putting the picture back on the wall that had the waterfall on it.

That's quite a gap in updates about the house. Stone walls took a while?

 

[ian Stanbury]

..Spot on Malcolm..

..Stone end wall did take a while but is looking good..

..I am not sure how the weather is with all you Renault 4 fans around the world but check out the Vendeen sunshine today - t'was so nearly shirtsleeve weather that even Jesus looked happy today.!!

 

[John Doe]

I was just about to comment the weather. Over here cold, wet and foggy over here... Nice house Ian

 

[The_Blacksmith]

..And do you live in Wassenaar like my friends Beth and Peter?

Thanks for your interest in my little project - The walls are made of 150mm studs in filled with high density 'laine de bois' - Wood Wool (made in Germany)

On the outside of the wood studs is a 50mm layer of dense fibreboard - again made in Germany. The wall will be finished with some stuff called Storender - colour to be decided.

To all intents and purposes, sadly it will look like a traditional French house but will be really well insulated - The house will be heated by this English Firebelly Firepod 5 kW wood burning stove (www.firebellystoves.com).

In the roof space, there will be a heat distribution system that picks up heat from the wood burner area and distributes it all round the house.

That's it - no other sort of heating at all!!

We may generate electricity from wall mounted solar tubes at some stage but that's next years job.

I take it they saw the dark blue R4GTL there before it expired. There aren't that many R4's in this area I suppose.

 

[The_Blacksmith]

I must say both the weather and the house look very nice. My parents have a chalet in Luxembourg. It wasn´t done nearly as fast as your house. A lot has changed in 35 years.
I remember putting in the glass wool insulation after the thing was built. Boy, did that itch.
No hot water yet, but we were thinking of a solar powered sollution with a 200 liter boiler.
The garage was actually designed to accomodate 1 or more Renault 4-type vehicles.
With the Kangoo being too high, they opted for a Clio III.

 

[ian Stanbury]

..'What a difference a day makes' - Dinah Washington

..You will remember me mentioning that 'Jesus was happy' yesterday - Well today, he might not have been so happy nor were the roof chaps as it rained all day and they were worried that they may dissolve in the rain so failed to pitch up..

C'est la vie...but don't you think the wall looks fab!!

 

[The_Blacksmith]

Are they related to the wicked witch from the wizard of Oz?
The wall looks like it's been there for hundreds of years. Does remind me of a castle. Same construction method.
A man's home, eh.

 

[ian Stanbury]

..Half a roof on..

..Only another half to go and we will be water tight at last..

 

[Andre Ozanne]

Do the Frenchies have a topping out do?

Hi Ian

i have just received a Birthday message from the forum which touched me, how thoughtful the forum's computer is and so organised almost better than..... no i wont say you may use it against me. I think the thread is superb and once the landscaping has been done and there is a photo of your 4's stylishly angled in front they will be a match for that chappy up on the cross.

Do they have a top out glass of cidre or is that against EU h and s ? Interesting the traditional comments from your mr.and mrs. france friends a very tricky thing to pin down a traditional french house as the the country is large and many vernaculars within even a region. Have the builders being keeping abreast of your posts and did your employment criteria run to only tradesmen with R4s need apply!!!! Some casually parked r4 van with a whole load of tools spewing out the back really would be good

It is soo clever how google have scanned your thread spotted its not soley r4 stuff and are advertising solar energy and eco companies

see you Andre

 

[ian Stanbury]

..And a very Happy Birthday to you Andre - 36 years young ?

.And 'Happy Roof On' to us as well - Its been raining cats and dogs all day but Eric et Olivier struggled on all day to get us watertight so thank you both very much..Merci beaucoup

..I was even worried that the telehandler would get stuck in the mud!!

 

[ian Stanbury]

..Horray, done and dusted..

..We are at last water and wind tight and not before time..

..And we also have a fab end wall and an oak front door!!

 

[The_Blacksmith]

That looks really nice, Ian. You do realise that you'll be spending the next 40 years improving it?