13 December 2013

December is already upon us - and in spite of the cold we managed to have a BBQ outside (where it was warmer than inside).

Pierro, Michel, Nico, Boris and Antoine

 The work is progressing well and rapidly - almost too fast. I am enjoying being part of a team of builders so much I am worried about being here alone once they have finished and gone!  Must be a first that a client can complain that the builders are working too fast!  A few problems with getting the plumber to bother to reply to calls though. I'll have to do some serious chasing up there. A bit upsetting.

This week Nico and Antoine have been laying out the 'gaines' (tubes) for the electrics with Michel,  the 'doublage' lining of brick over the galandage frame in the bedroom and kitchen. The space on eitherside having been filled with 10cm of Ouate  cellulose insulation. It is all looking very tidy - and good to know it has the same excellent insulation as the rest of the house.

Also the partition wall between the dining room and guest bedroom has been put up. It is 4m high !!  I really wanted to ensure good sound insulation on this wall - the only wall between 2 living areas that isn't 20 cm thick.  So - we chose to use a product I read about on the internet 'Green Glue' which is used in between 2 sheets of plasterboard or better still Farmacell to reduce phonic transmission. The wall is made with 1 sheet of Farmacell on one side of an aluminium frame, which is filled with Ouate cellulose and 2 sheets on the other side with a few mms of  Green Glue between. If the product lives up to the makers description - this 10 cm partition wall should be top in sound insulation - the importance of which is all too frequently underestimated. It really is just as important as lighting and heating for comfort.  The Green Glue was 179E for 12 tubes - enough for a wall of about 20m2. I will have to inject expanding foam at the top of the wall into the space between the steel grid and insulation to avoid sound transmission through this space. Otherwise all my efforts on the wall below would be wasted.   Finally there are 2 doors at 90 degrees between the guest bedroom and living area.

 I'll come back here later  and put in the full final price for this wall (and compare it to a standard 7cm plastered brick wall) - and report on our findings on it's sound proofing qualities!
The alcove is for a cupboard on the dining room side and a wardrobe and table area on the bedroom side. Nico and Boris humoured me and put in the extra work the shape required!


One thing that has bothered me since the windows were installed - I don't like 2 of the windows (kitchen and upstairs).  There is too much 'frame' for the size of the windows. I had chosen sliding windows to avoid the window opening across the surface of the kitchen - and I'm now sorry that  the view from this window is reduced and broken by the central bar - there is so much 'frame'.   I've decided to bite the bullet and change it to a single pane window with 'oscilo' opening (hinged at the bottom for ventilation and on the side if I want  to open fully). The existing window can be removed without damage and re-used).

The upstairs window is also a bit 'small'.  It is such a wonderful room I don't want any regrets. I've decided to change it to hinged opening  - and increase it's size by 5cm - upwards which is feasible - with a bit of work in hacking out the brick up to the re-inforcing.

When I finally told Antoine of my concerns - I was relieved that he agreed with me. So new windows are ordered.  I'll see if I can fit them this next time myself now that they have done the hardest part in truing up the hole!


Now it is only Pierro (the plasterer) who is working on site with me (except he didn't turn up today).  The transformation from 'raw' brick walls to white rooms is stunning!  I can't wait for the stairs to be plastered - the will be a big difference. My work is now concentrated outside - building walls and finishing off the waste water ponds.

Wall on the boundary with Bruno and Christel.  Retainer wall for the first 80 cm - then it will be 'above-ground' for another 80cm. So only half the height of the wall from their side is visible. This will give me a nice private sunny corner for the clothes line, the heat pump and a bit of sun-bathing.  I've done the first 3 layers in 20cm breeze blocks  and will go down to 15 cm blocks for the above ground part.

Next on my list of things to be doing is the retaining wall near the entrance. I've done most of my half up to the land boundary (left hand side of the picture) and will now finish my part and continue with Bruno & Christel's. For which they will pay me.




It is going to be quite a lot of concrete in the foundation - so I will use the cement mixer this time!  It will still be a good day's work to just get 1 ton of balast/cement mixed and poured.  Hopefully I'll be able to set the first run of blocks in to bring them true in line and height.  I still need to arrange material for by the house so this can wait another week - or until the New Year now.




 

My bedroom

Dec 15th and the last week before Christmas. The plasterer hasn't finished yet - but has progressed well.  Not easy to do justice to his work when all you can see is 'white' but here are a few photos I took today.  The finish is perfect and it is interesting to see the forms and volumes of the rooms.

Dining room

My room again

Looking from dining room into living room, kitchen to the right

The next phase (plumbing) will have to be pushed back to the beginning of January.  A bit of a shame because it had originally been planned to use the Christmas period for the cement on the floor to dry (needs 4 weeks).   Jerome will now start on the 6th of January with the plumbing in for taps, installing the Heat pump and running the pipes to the various areas. After that the builders will be back to screed over all the pipes and electrics ready for the polystyrene plaques and underfloor heating serpentines to go down.  This will then be put under pressure to check all is OK before the liquid concrete is poured (which is what needs 4 weeks to dry). In this time the electricity will have to be sorted out anyway.

Outside - (again all blue skies!) I have completed the wall to create my sunny private corner and now 'topped' the edges of the 2 water treatment ponds. 







Next will be for Stephane to do the filling in of the earth around the ponds and landscaping the area nicely. But - that too will now wait until the beginning of January.

Candice and her little brother Camille

Had 2 little charmers visit last Sunday!  Camille (17 mths) was soooo impressed with the Manitou (digger)!  Candice preferred the bamboos. Mum (Aude) loved the plastered walls and Dad (Gilles) everything!  They hope to one day build their own home too.