Our French farmhouse build thread.
Discussion
As no-one can give a straight answer on what will happen, I shall continue to live life my way and take what comes and keep living dreams to my plan.
Exchange rates are always fluctuating. I did well when I moved out to Australia, but not so well when moving back. France move was ok but would have been so much better a year later!
Exchange rates are always fluctuating. I did well when I moved out to Australia, but not so well when moving back. France move was ok but would have been so much better a year later!
Neilsfirst said:
mikees said:
Can I ask who cargeeks wife is? Another Ph members wife you have abducted? Or have thou changed your ID and forgotten and you used to be cargeek? Been confused by this for ages but too embarrassed to ask.
Mike
It is my wife who thinks I am a car geek. She registered under that name. No abductions were carried out or previous marriage harmed in the choosing of it. If you were confused by it other were to so they will be glad you asked and sorry for confusion. Mike
Mike
The forecast for tomorrow is not the best, but as it is my birthday and I can't change that date we are ploughing ahead with it. The hangar will be setup with tables, chairs and a gas stove. The bread oven is being used to cook our pizza tonight and will be going again tomorrow to do jacket spuds, think we have about 15 to 20 to do.
Probably best to park on the drive. Look forward to seeing the brave ones who make it tomorrow. If all goes well tomorrow we will be hosting another one next month on the 26th June as it is our wedding anniversary so would be rude not to celebrate.
Probably best to park on the drive. Look forward to seeing the brave ones who make it tomorrow. If all goes well tomorrow we will be hosting another one next month on the 26th June as it is our wedding anniversary so would be rude not to celebrate.
Greshamst said:
Do you have previous experience when it comes to all the DIY stuff you're doing? I wouldn't know where to start with most of this stuff!
A bit of home DIY finishing off an attic conversion is all we brought to this. Believe me, we have made mistakes along the way and had to redo quite a few bits, but you learn and get better!Kev_Mk3 said:
Fantastic thread and wonderful read. Reminds me when my mum and dad first moved to France and holidays ended up helping dad do building work at the house - Still the same now but sadly he is no longer with us 
So I have to finish the jobs he didnt the swine lol
Thanks for the feedback. There are a few jobs I'd love not to finish too! Nice that you can help the legacy of your dad's project.So I have to finish the jobs he didnt the swine lol
After a very wet Sunday Service/birthday which I enjoyed immensely, where we were all sat around the kitchen table for a good few hours talking, eating and drinking, it was back to work on Monday.
The week so far has consisted of insulating, boarding and a very small bit of plumbing.
The back 2 bedrooms are coming along nicely. Wilfrid should be in next week and can sort out what he intends doing with a load of wires terminated in one place in the 4th bedroom which is stopping me putting up my last board along that wall.
I had to put up a couple of extra studs up as we have not run just a single board from the bathroom to the bedroom, instead we split it so wiring could run through and this left me with nowhere to screw the board in the bedroom to at the corner. This meant I had to pull the 2 wires back through 9 studs and then re-do.
Last job tonight was a bit more wire re-routing as for some reason Wilfrid had laid 2 wires coming through the passageway from one half of the barn to the other. These have now been pushed through with the VMC piping hiding them, what I consider to be a more correct way, rather than burying them in render.
The week so far has consisted of insulating, boarding and a very small bit of plumbing.
The back 2 bedrooms are coming along nicely. Wilfrid should be in next week and can sort out what he intends doing with a load of wires terminated in one place in the 4th bedroom which is stopping me putting up my last board along that wall.
I had to put up a couple of extra studs up as we have not run just a single board from the bathroom to the bedroom, instead we split it so wiring could run through and this left me with nowhere to screw the board in the bedroom to at the corner. This meant I had to pull the 2 wires back through 9 studs and then re-do.
Last job tonight was a bit more wire re-routing as for some reason Wilfrid had laid 2 wires coming through the passageway from one half of the barn to the other. These have now been pushed through with the VMC piping hiding them, what I consider to be a more correct way, rather than burying them in render.
Yesterday we spent the day pointing. My least favourite activity that I would rather do plumbing instead. We managed to get the 4th bedroom finished which means we can scribe the 2 pieces of plasterboard for that room.
Last job yesterday was to clean out the joints in bedroom 2 for pointing today. A nice mess that I need to clear up this morning before we put the floor protection down.
The walls we are having built are coming on nicely. Once they are done they can finish off the driveway and we will then be able to use it again instead of parking in the garden. It is a bit slippery occasionally getting in and out.
Last job yesterday was to clean out the joints in bedroom 2 for pointing today. A nice mess that I need to clear up this morning before we put the floor protection down.
The walls we are having built are coming on nicely. Once they are done they can finish off the driveway and we will then be able to use it again instead of parking in the garden. It is a bit slippery occasionally getting in and out.
Another day of pointing but thankfully the last whole day we will spend doing it. It didn’t start off so well as yesterday we finished the lime so I sent cargeekswife off to get some more. This morning we come to use it and they had supplied the wrong sort as it had cement mixed in. A trip back to the supplier to get the right stuff and we took our chance to get some fuel. Pulled up at the Intermarche to see a whole 2 cars there and no restrictions. Back to the house and started over an hour later than I wanted to. I am so glad to be seeing the back of that particular task. I ache all through my shoulders but off to see a physio on Tuesday to try and help with the tendonitis. I am glad we did most of it in the winter as I lost a lot of fluid today and yesterday.
First stage
Finished
Happy with the finished result and we need to get 1 plasterboard scribed against the wall and up for Wilfrid to sort out another circuit of power points. As it has been a full on week we rewarded ourselves with an all you can eat Chinese buffet. Looking forward to a more relaxed weekend.
First stage
Finished
Happy with the finished result and we need to get 1 plasterboard scribed against the wall and up for Wilfrid to sort out another circuit of power points. As it has been a full on week we rewarded ourselves with an all you can eat Chinese buffet. Looking forward to a more relaxed weekend.
A bit later with this update than I expected to be. Meant to post on Tuesday and then yesterday, but forgot to take pictures of where we were up to.
Wilfrid came by on Tuesday and had a look around at all the changes and couldn’t understand why we have gone to so much trouble everywhere to place a Formica top on a table in the bathroom! Hopefully it was just because our “handmade oak table top” was covered in plaster dust that he didn’t recognise what it was. With him suitably chastised he wired up 3 plugs chatted and said see you this afternoon or tomorrow but hasn’t showed up again yet. Might also have something to do with the fact that cargeekswife is not allowing anyone to drive on her nice white gravel driveway as with all the rain and the fact that you have to drive over a muddy patch before you get to it means tracks of dirt are left. My car has a nice coating of gravel on its tyres after I took the dog out for a run! Sooner it is all finished and gravelled up to the road the better.
Back to progress inside now. On the back 2 bedrooms I am almost there. Plaster boarding on 3 of 4 walls done. The last wall has had the stud work put up and the support for the VMC pipe so it runs in a nice straight line extracting the moisture from the bathroom.
We are a little tight on space for the landing light switch so had to hack out some of the stud to get it in.
In the middle bedroom cargeekswife has scribed and put up a board against the stone wall and another over the beam. Intricate horrible work. Would love 4 straight walls and a flat ceiling in every room but it would be boring.
The bathroom table is coming along and should be varnished tomorrow and then put together allowing me to do my measurements for the plumbing and then putting the last wall boards up in there.
Got a new toy in Lidl for 4€ and to screw in hard to reach places it has most definitely paid for itself.
Wilfrid came by on Tuesday and had a look around at all the changes and couldn’t understand why we have gone to so much trouble everywhere to place a Formica top on a table in the bathroom! Hopefully it was just because our “handmade oak table top” was covered in plaster dust that he didn’t recognise what it was. With him suitably chastised he wired up 3 plugs chatted and said see you this afternoon or tomorrow but hasn’t showed up again yet. Might also have something to do with the fact that cargeekswife is not allowing anyone to drive on her nice white gravel driveway as with all the rain and the fact that you have to drive over a muddy patch before you get to it means tracks of dirt are left. My car has a nice coating of gravel on its tyres after I took the dog out for a run! Sooner it is all finished and gravelled up to the road the better.
Back to progress inside now. On the back 2 bedrooms I am almost there. Plaster boarding on 3 of 4 walls done. The last wall has had the stud work put up and the support for the VMC pipe so it runs in a nice straight line extracting the moisture from the bathroom.
We are a little tight on space for the landing light switch so had to hack out some of the stud to get it in.
In the middle bedroom cargeekswife has scribed and put up a board against the stone wall and another over the beam. Intricate horrible work. Would love 4 straight walls and a flat ceiling in every room but it would be boring.
The bathroom table is coming along and should be varnished tomorrow and then put together allowing me to do my measurements for the plumbing and then putting the last wall boards up in there.
Got a new toy in Lidl for 4€ and to screw in hard to reach places it has most definitely paid for itself.
Very little progress this week. I am suffering from a nose and throat infection so feeling weak and struggling to lift plasterboards. Not a feeling I am used to and is messing with my goal of getting the last 8 plasterboards cut and installed. At the end of last week though I managed to finish off the 2 bedrooms with the exception of the board that the air-con units are mounted to.
I have the last piece for the bathroom wall ready to install, just waiting for the table the sink sits on to be finished. I have cut 2 pieces for the bathroom ceiling and they were both wrong so called it quits until I am better.
Turned our attention to a bit of weeding instead. Not sure there are many places where you have to weed with a 5ft breaker bar to get to the roots. 2 truckloads of weeds so far and that is barely scratching the surface.
I have the last piece for the bathroom wall ready to install, just waiting for the table the sink sits on to be finished. I have cut 2 pieces for the bathroom ceiling and they were both wrong so called it quits until I am better.
Turned our attention to a bit of weeding instead. Not sure there are many places where you have to weed with a 5ft breaker bar to get to the roots. 2 truckloads of weeds so far and that is barely scratching the surface.
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