Chamonix studio renovation - build thread
Discussion
jinkster said:
Drainage in the ski locker, have you thought about the wet room tanking with gradient again on some cheaper porcelain tiles but standing the skis on a wooden pallete type affair?
This is plan B. I'll definitely use the tanking materials from the wetroom and drop a gradient in there. Ideally I'd like to drop this into the 100mm waste pipe that's close by. The trick will be doing that without losing too much height, otherwise I may struggle to fit decent sized skis in, given the ceiling is so low.jinkster said:
Bio ethanol fire - I was looking at a Morso BEL(bio ethanol), I'm not sure on the size of it but they look very fancy http://www.morsoliving.co.uk/Produktvisning-2188.a... however trying to source one is a bit of a nightmare. I did see a cheaper version in B&Q the other day for around £30!! Maybe could be an option depending on the size.
Apparently the place gets quite parky during winter. There's communal underfloor heating but I'm told it's a bit limp, so I'd like to get a bit of heat from a fireplace. I think 3-4°C is about as much as we can hope for from a bioethanol fire, but I doubt we'd get much at all from those ones. They do look lovely though.jinkster said:
I fitted a wet room about 12 months ago, it's all about getting the tanking right (I used the roofing felt type called homelux rather than paint on) and the gradient. The underfloor heating is ultimate luxury for not an expensive price (tool station). Will toolstation/ screwfix post out to you?
It's taken a while but I'm finding my way around and have managed to source pretty much everything I need now. Tanking kits are available from the local Entrepôt (le B&Q) and the Wedi boards from a slightly better place an hour's drive away. I'll be collecting those supplies on my way back from the airport next week.Day 18
Slight setback with the wiring. We came to wire everything into the consumer unit and learned that the terminal positions aren't standardised on breakers. So that job was put on hold until we were able to get a standardised set of breakers this evening.
Instead, attention turned to knocking together the tall storage units and getting some timber behind them to fix them to the wall. They stand about 140mm from the wall, to clear the conduit and line up flush with the staircase.
After that I went back to removing the old stone fireplace. Got a bit jittery, worried that it was doing support duties for the left timber or the window. There are also very old water pipes inside it for the communal underfloor heating. I paid a visit to the estate agent who reassured me that it can come out entirely, so I trotted back and had at it with the 'big ommer', disc cutter, power chisel and wrecking bar. What's left now is too chunky to budge with the tools I have (not in a hurry anyway) but I have a cunning plan...
This was snapped a bit earlier. The right hand side is gone now but the left hand side is mostly solid.
Slight setback with the wiring. We came to wire everything into the consumer unit and learned that the terminal positions aren't standardised on breakers. So that job was put on hold until we were able to get a standardised set of breakers this evening.
Instead, attention turned to knocking together the tall storage units and getting some timber behind them to fix them to the wall. They stand about 140mm from the wall, to clear the conduit and line up flush with the staircase.
After that I went back to removing the old stone fireplace. Got a bit jittery, worried that it was doing support duties for the left timber or the window. There are also very old water pipes inside it for the communal underfloor heating. I paid a visit to the estate agent who reassured me that it can come out entirely, so I trotted back and had at it with the 'big ommer', disc cutter, power chisel and wrecking bar. What's left now is too chunky to budge with the tools I have (not in a hurry anyway) but I have a cunning plan...
This was snapped a bit earlier. The right hand side is gone now but the left hand side is mostly solid.
It's an interesting idea. Getting power to it may be a problem now that the ceiling is plastered. I did realise today that there's no ceiling in the locker yet, so it currently extends right up to the floorboards. That gives another 150mm, which is probably enough to drain it into the 100mm pipe without a pump.
Gruffy said:
It's an interesting idea. Getting power to it may be a problem now that the ceiling is plastered. I did realise today that there's no ceiling in the locker yet, so it currently extends right up to the floorboards. That gives another 150mm, which is probably enough to drain it into the 100mm pipe without a pump.
If its into 100mm then make sure you have a trap, and as deep as possible. During summer it could dry out. How much water comes off skis? If its not much then why not let it run onto the flat floor of the locker and evaporate? If the floor is flat it wont take long. Think how wet your bathroom floor gets when you step out of the shower.
Edited by 98elise on Thursday 17th October 08:36
98elise said:
How much water comes off skis?
Trust me it is enough worry about, snow gets in to every nook and cranny of the bindings etc etc, it's impossible to get it all out until it thaws... so I'm with Gruffy on this one.. you do really need a place to store snow covered skis/boards where the water drains away.This is why most blocks have ski lockers (yes even the block Gruffy has his apartment in) but unfortunately these aren't secure and prone to being raided during the night and completely emptied, no one who cares about their gear uses them.
Marcellus said:
98elise said:
How much water comes off skis?
Trust me it is enough worry about, snow gets in to every nook and cranny of the bindings etc etc, it's impossible to get it all out until it thaws... so I'm with Gruffy on this one.. you do really need a place to store snow covered skis/boards where the water drains away.This is why most blocks have ski lockers (yes even the block Gruffy has his apartment in) but unfortunately these aren't secure and prone to being raided during the night and completely emptied, no one who cares about their gear uses them.
A deep trap is not a bother at all. I've got plenty of room beneath it.
The ski locker in the building is useless anyway. It was built in '68 when skis looked like toothpicks. There's absolutely no chance of getting a snowboard into it and I'd be surprised if most of today's skis would fit either.
The ski locker in the building is useless anyway. It was built in '68 when skis looked like toothpicks. There's absolutely no chance of getting a snowboard into it and I'd be surprised if most of today's skis would fit either.
Day 19
Armed with uniform breakers we got the electrics wired into the consumer unit.
This was followed by much faffing to get the storage units fitted with absolute precision, to ensure the doors line up flush with the under-stair unit and sit right up against the ceiling.
They sit a little forward from the wall to line up sweetly with the stairs, which also leaves lots of room for conduits.
We also cut out the left side of the first unit to give access to thefifth bed under-stair storage.
No updates tomorrow. I'm typing this at the boarding gate waiting for a flight back to Blighty, enjoying watching everyone rush and jostle and queue as early as they can to board a Sleazy flight with allocated seating. Back on Monday morning and kicking the week off with some shopping.
Armed with uniform breakers we got the electrics wired into the consumer unit.
This was followed by much faffing to get the storage units fitted with absolute precision, to ensure the doors line up flush with the under-stair unit and sit right up against the ceiling.
They sit a little forward from the wall to line up sweetly with the stairs, which also leaves lots of room for conduits.
We also cut out the left side of the first unit to give access to the
No updates tomorrow. I'm typing this at the boarding gate waiting for a flight back to Blighty, enjoying watching everyone rush and jostle and queue as early as they can to board a Sleazy flight with allocated seating. Back on Monday morning and kicking the week off with some shopping.
Well that was a busy weekend. Back to Blighty for a wedding and some other social duties. Just managed to make it back to France this morning (all trains to Gatwick inexplicably cancelled).
I got out of GVA quickly enough but wasted lots of time in IKEA getting the extractor unit replaced. The original box didn't have the fittings, plug or instruction booklets. I had it exchanged and checked it in the car park before I set off. Same story. Back to customer service and we discover that the missing items are inside the unit. You have to remove the filter panels to find them. Obviously.
Next stop was Leroy Merlin for the final sockets and switches, plus some tiling and underfloor heating research. I'll probably be getting my tiles there, but not the Mickey Mouse heating on offer.
Point P next, which is a serious trade/customer materials place. Their website shows they stock the materials I need for creating the wet room. The folk behind the counter are beyond useless though. They don't sell it at that particular store and they couldn't be bothered to find out the nearest store that did. Lots of Gallic shrugging. f
k 'em, I'll build it manually instead. [famouslastwords] How hard can it be? [/famouslastwords]
After 12 hours of travelling and shopping I rocked up to the site with just 25 minutes left in the noisy period. I was hoping to get the final bits of channeling done but could only manage a fraction of it before 6pm.
The cunning plan for the final fireplace demolition was to persuade the chaps renovating the nearby restaurant to help me out, as they've got some serious kit and would go through it in no time. Sod's Law dictates that I came up with the idea an hour after they'd finished their project and left. Now it's a decision whether to get someone in (££) or just have at it with the tools I have.
I got out of GVA quickly enough but wasted lots of time in IKEA getting the extractor unit replaced. The original box didn't have the fittings, plug or instruction booklets. I had it exchanged and checked it in the car park before I set off. Same story. Back to customer service and we discover that the missing items are inside the unit. You have to remove the filter panels to find them. Obviously.
Next stop was Leroy Merlin for the final sockets and switches, plus some tiling and underfloor heating research. I'll probably be getting my tiles there, but not the Mickey Mouse heating on offer.
Point P next, which is a serious trade/customer materials place. Their website shows they stock the materials I need for creating the wet room. The folk behind the counter are beyond useless though. They don't sell it at that particular store and they couldn't be bothered to find out the nearest store that did. Lots of Gallic shrugging. f
k 'em, I'll build it manually instead. [famouslastwords] How hard can it be? [/famouslastwords]After 12 hours of travelling and shopping I rocked up to the site with just 25 minutes left in the noisy period. I was hoping to get the final bits of channeling done but could only manage a fraction of it before 6pm.
The cunning plan for the final fireplace demolition was to persuade the chaps renovating the nearby restaurant to help me out, as they've got some serious kit and would go through it in no time. Sod's Law dictates that I came up with the idea an hour after they'd finished their project and left. Now it's a decision whether to get someone in (££) or just have at it with the tools I have.
Well fair bloody play, how on earth you manage to discuss the finer points of underfloor heating or rally a group of local builders without the language I don't know.That bit has taken a lot of effort to figure out. I can probably now add 'building materials and methods' to my vocabulary. Local suppliers have been largely sourced via email (and Google Translate) and the odd awkward phone call. In terms of serious on-site labour there's only been me, my mate Maurice, who speaks passable English (he's from the Black Country), and a joiner I shipped out from Blighty. I was warned off French labour before the job began. Twice/thrice the price and half the speed and quality.
Incidentally, for anybody else following in my footsteps, I can recommend sourcing tricky things from Germany or elsewhere in Europe. The French really don't seem to understand the web. After a frustrating period searching in France I've found that elsewhere in Europe they offer much more detailed information, in multiple languages and multiple countries for delivery, and usually cheaper and much quicker than items sourced in France. They tend to carry more items in stock too. I've ended up sourcing stuff from far and wide:
Switzerland | Kitchen and IKEA stuff
Italy | Lights
Belgium | Lights
Sweden | Cow hide
Germany | Washbasin, taps, toilet
UK | Underfloor heating, glass, stairs, bioethanol burner box, oven, seat foam*
France | Timber, plasterboard and other basic building materials, washing machine and dishwasher
*because I couldn't figure out the exact translation and it was easy to get from Blighty
Switzerland | Kitchen and IKEA stuff
Italy | Lights
Belgium | Lights
Sweden | Cow hide
Germany | Washbasin, taps, toilet
UK | Underfloor heating, glass, stairs, bioethanol burner box, oven, seat foam*
France | Timber, plasterboard and other basic building materials, washing machine and dishwasher
*because I couldn't figure out the exact translation and it was easy to get from Blighty
Gruffy said:
Incidentally, for anybody else following in my footsteps, I can recommend sourcing tricky things from Germany or elsewhere in Europe. The French really don't seem to understand the web. After a frustrating period searching in France I've found that elsewhere in Europe they offer much more detailed information, in multiple languages and multiple countries for delivery, and usually cheaper and much quicker than items sourced in France. They tend to carry more items in stock too. I've ended up sourcing stuff from far and wide:
Switzerland | Kitchen and IKEA stuff
Italy | Lights
Belgium | Lights
Sweden | Cow hide
Germany | Washbasin, taps, toilet
UK | Underfloor heating, glass, stairs, bioethanol burner box, oven, seat foam*
France | Timber, plasterboard and other basic building materials, washing machine and dishwasher
*because I couldn't figure out the exact translation and it was easy to get from Blighty
I love France but I am always struck by the general lack of enterprise. Be it Le Mans or touring Bordeaux - no one seems to know how to target a captive market and make a buck. They don't have or want to I guess but you would expect someone would give it a go. I fear it is all driven by the red tape in setting up a business, paying taxes and hiring which strangles the "get up and go". Anyhow, great progres and loving the thread gruffy. Inspiring.Switzerland | Kitchen and IKEA stuff
Italy | Lights
Belgium | Lights
Sweden | Cow hide
Germany | Washbasin, taps, toilet
UK | Underfloor heating, glass, stairs, bioethanol burner box, oven, seat foam*
France | Timber, plasterboard and other basic building materials, washing machine and dishwasher
*because I couldn't figure out the exact translation and it was easy to get from Blighty
Gruffy said:
Incidentally, for anybody else following in my footsteps, I can recommend sourcing tricky things from Germany or elsewhere in Europe. The French really don't seem to understand the web. After a frustrating period searching in France I've found that elsewhere in Europe they offer much more detailed information, in multiple languages and multiple countries for delivery, and usually cheaper and much quicker than items sourced in France. They tend to carry more items in stock too. I've ended up sourcing stuff from far and wide:
Switzerland | Kitchen and IKEA stuff
Italy | Lights
Belgium | Lights
Sweden | Cow hide
Germany | Washbasin, taps, toilet
UK | Underfloor heating, glass, stairs, bioethanol burner box, oven, seat foam*
France | Timber, plasterboard and other basic building materials, washing machine and dishwasher
*because I couldn't figure out the exact translation and it was easy to get from Blighty
Great build so far!Switzerland | Kitchen and IKEA stuff
Italy | Lights
Belgium | Lights
Sweden | Cow hide
Germany | Washbasin, taps, toilet
UK | Underfloor heating, glass, stairs, bioethanol burner box, oven, seat foam*
France | Timber, plasterboard and other basic building materials, washing machine and dishwasher
*because I couldn't figure out the exact translation and it was easy to get from Blighty
How was the quality of the wash basin taps and toilets? I need to source an entire bathroom with separate shower, another complete shower room and a WC - is it worth looking at the german suppliers for this or should I just stick to the old local UK merchants?
Any recommendations on the suppliers in particular the taps?
I've used http://www.reuter-shop.com but I've gone for branded items. Villeroy & Boch washbasin and WC, Hansgrohe taps, Grohe concealed cistern and frame. That should all be good stuff. I've gone for an unknown brand of shower column, which was also quite affordable. None of it has arrived yet so I can't comment on quality or value just yet. It all comes down to price, so I'd certainly have a look at the German sites as you may be surprised at the odd saving, especially if you can get it all from the same place and have a single delivery. If you're going for the very cheap stuff then I think you're probably best to get it from the UK, but the savings are quite substantial buying online, if you know what you want.
Unfortunately I spoke to soon in commending the German company on their service and stock levels. I specifically ordered only items that were ready for immediate despatch but have this morning had an email to say that between ordering and making the payment (which was done at the same time) some of the items have become out of stock and have to be ordered from the manufacturer, which could take up to 10 days. I call porkie pies on that - very disappointing.
Unfortunately I spoke to soon in commending the German company on their service and stock levels. I specifically ordered only items that were ready for immediate despatch but have this morning had an email to say that between ordering and making the payment (which was done at the same time) some of the items have become out of stock and have to be ordered from the manufacturer, which could take up to 10 days. I call porkie pies on that - very disappointing.
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