The Devils of Loudun

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Additions to GTL or Why French Electricity Regulations Will Be the Death of
2007-10-02 21:17:00
We did some more work on the GTL (Gaine Technique de Logement) this week.If you think the picture is overwhelming, imagine what it's like in real life. The box in the top left hand corner is the 'tableau principal' (main box). The box in the top right hand corner is what EDF installed and is where the current comes in.The bottom right hand box is the 'coffret de communication' (communication box).And the bottom left hand corner is the new 'tableau d'atelier' that we bought this week.You have to leave 20% of free space in your main 'tableau', according to French regulations. We thought we had correctly calculated enough space for the free 20% but somehow made an error and realized that we were only leaving 15% free. I checked on a number of different forums about Consuel inspections and apparently they are very strict about their being a full 20% free.So we bought what is called 'un tableau d'atelier', which has two plugs (which are required for the GTL area) and a coupl...
More About: Electricity , Death , Regulations

2nd Beam
2007-10-02 20:28:00
2nd Beam Originally uploaded by carterannmahdavi And here's the other beam. I was holding the baby so couldn't get an angle that showed both beams, even though they are in the same ceiling. In this photo you can see the plaster board in place, which will of course be plastered over and painted.

Upstair's Beams
2007-10-02 20:26:00
DSCF5193 Originally uploaded by carterannmahdavi Alex is almost done installing the new upstairs beams. The actual beams are cut and fixed in place but we still have to finish putting up the plasterboard between the beams. Once that's done, the main bedroom ceiling is basically done, expect from painting.The beam fixing is a job that I thought would be horribly painful and long, but Alex got them up in a day. Fixing the plasterboard in place and filling all the holes with plaster is taking a bit longer, but mainly because other jobs that need doing keep popping up.

Kitchen Counter
2007-10-01 21:40:00
We've finally started work on the kitchen counter. The oak that we got from Leroy Merlin was about 2 inches too wide, so we had to strip it off the side. But we are using the piece we stripped off to act as part of the support structure underneath. This means we don't need to worry too much about it looks since it matches the counter top.We made a decision not to box it in. The oven will be boxed in at the middle, but on either side of it will be open space, with oak beams cut in half to be used as legs. Once we go the counter top up we loved how it looked and realized how much floor space we were loosing if we shelved it all in. We have so much cupboard space, we're not worried about there not be enough shelves. And this means you can see more of the floor!
More About: Kitchen , Counter

Part 3 Kitchen Cabinets: More of the Window Seat
2007-09-21 16:55:00
Alex finished the window seat area this week. Two pieces of panelling can be taken out to access the earth clip, which of course the Consuel inspector will have to inspect. Obviously it all needs filling and painting. Also, the two remaining side along the window will be plaster boarded. The tuffeau isn't in good enough condition to leave uncovered.Detail around sink
More About: Kitchen , Seat , Part , Part 3 , Window

Kitchen Window
2007-09-20 17:10:00
The kitchen window came out this week for the first time in I don't know how many years. Alot of the wood had moved out of place and it wasn't very secure. It had to be fixed before we finished working on the window seat. Thankfully, we don't have to replace any wood, which is pretty amazing considering how old it is. I forgot to take a picture with the windows rehung. It doesn't look any different really. We are not going to replace the glass until later on.
More About: Kitchen , Window

Living Room Door to Window
2007-09-20 16:39:00
We've been working hard. I just haven't been posting about it. First project this week to turn the living room door into a window. This is one of the many jobs that wasn't going to happen until the winter but of course it has to be done for the Consuel.There are certain regulations about where light switches have to be in relations to doors so if they show up and see a door there not adhering to the norms, they probably aren't going to believe us when we say we're changing it into a window in the future.We decided to use the top of the old door for a window. Firstly, we really like the door. It was beautifully made (I'll try to get around to taking some photos of the details) and we don't have any need for it anywhere in the house, so couldn't recycle it like that. Secondly, the width of the door frame is a very awkward size. No standard, ready made window will fit in it unless we start chipping away at a few inches of brick. But this would take ages and time is not on our ...
More About: Living , Living Room , Room , Window , Door

Indian Summer in Loudun
2007-09-10 21:35:00
The weather is still being strange. The last few days have been warm and sunny. Today Bea and I went for a walk, which we haven't done in a few weeks. Fall is on the way and it reminds me of New England and how beautiful the leaves are there when they change.
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Part 2 Kitchen Cabinets: Window Seat Area
2007-09-08 21:35:00
Work on the kitchen is coming along now that the plumbing is done. The window seat is all ready for the tongue & groove panelling and the oak for the top of the seat.Here's another picture so you can see its relationship to the sink:
More About: Kitchen , Seat , Part , Window , Area

Plumbing Finished!
2007-09-08 13:48:00
Yes, that's right, we've finished the plumbing! Kitchen sink, hot water heater, upstairs bathroom sink, toilet and shower and all the evacuation pipes are done. We turned on the water and started checking for leaks. The only two that we found were coming from tap compression fittings (robinets d'arret) downstairs, which Alex fixed this morning with good old horse hair.This is pretty momentous considering there was no real plumbing when we first moved in. It's made me feel like the house is actually transforming into a more manageable project. Now, we just need to pass the Consuels and the services will be done!
More About: Finish , Bing , Nish , Plumbing

Part 1 Kitchen Cabinets: Sink Area
2007-09-06 09:19:00
We have been hard at work these past weeks, besides the slow posting. Alex has been working hard on getting the kitchen surfaces up and since we are building almost everything from scratch, it's a pretty big project.The Consuel inspection is forcing our hand in terms of scheduling otherwise we would have started this probably some time in October. During the inspection, they will need to measure the distance from the top of the work surface to the bottom of the sockets to make sure there is enough room. Also, they need to see that we haven't installed a socket above the kitchen sink, that we've installed a special plug for the oven (which is built in to one of the cabinets), a special plug for the washing machine, and that we have earthed everything metal in the kitchen.The washing machine is going to be next to and half under the kitchen sink and covered by one of the blue doors. We were really lucky that the doors fit almost exactly to our specifications. Also, the green wood y...
More About: Kitchen , Part , Area , Kitchen Cabinet , Cabin

The Actual Kitchen and Bathroom Taps
2007-09-06 09:13:00
Bathroom SinkKitchen Sink
More About: Bathroom , Kitchen and Bath

Kitchen & Bathroom Taps
2007-09-02 20:06:00
Another trip to Brico-Depot and Leroy Merlin this weekend. We got the kitchen and bathroom sink taps (robinet), amongst other things.The Kitchen Tap We ended up getting a simple version that looks like this:It's not incredibly elegant, but it fits with the budget and isn't offensive.The Bathroom TapWe wanted to get a tap that matched the 'Cirene' set that we bought for the shower. However, when we got to Leroy Merlin we were told that the 'Cirene' sink taps were no longer available in stainless steel and they had no idea if the company was going to start making them again. We found a tap in the kitchen department that was incredibly similar to the 'Cirene' line, called 'Phedre' and designed for kitchens, but we loved it:

BlogDay 2007
2007-08-31 11:36:00
BlogDay is all about discovering new blogs that are different from your " own culture, point of view and attitude". The following are five blogs that I think are pretty interesting:1) Chasing the Southern Cross, a blog by Jacqueline Zenn.2) Brave New Traveler, a blog/ezine for that is not "destination specific" travel site, which is a nice idea. It means you can read it and not leave you with that horrible feeling that you haven't travelled enough and there is so much still to see.3) Vagablogging: Rolf Pott's Vagaboding4) Jackfruity - American in Uganda , blogging about aid & development, amongst other things.5) Mother JungleTags: BlogDay2007

If I could afford to...
2007-08-30 23:12:00
Yes, this would be a great way to live: Nothing Down, $0 a Month, Hammer Required - New York TimesOf course, it means looking at house restoration from a different angle. The economics of it is still relevant, just not the time factor. One of the essential elements of property investment is timing: when to buy and when to sell. The curating system mentioned in the article is more about quality of life, yet it is still an investment in terms of rent and taxes.I also think this sort of program is great in terms of philanthropic activity. You give a great deal back to the community (even thought it can also be construed as giving back to the US government), which you might not have been able to do without such a program.

2 More Days to Enter Rough Guide Competition
2007-08-30 17:51:00
There are only two more days left to enter the Rough Guid e s competition!
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Kitchen Envy
2007-08-26 19:54:00
We spend allot of time trying to figure out how to make the kitchen look nice. Hours, in fact. Amy H and her husband from Chitlins & Camemberts have just finished making their kitchen from scratch. Go and take a look. That is what I'm talking about. Wonderful.
More About: Kitchen , Envy

Before and After: Plants 2
2007-08-25 17:43:00
BeforeAfterBeforeAfter
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Before and After: Plants 1
2007-08-25 17:03:00
I've never really had a green thumb and never actually enjoyed gardening until now. I'm so pleased that nothing has died yet and everything has grown a fair amount considering most of the plants weren't in until late June/early July.I'm having to do this in a couple posts because there are too many photos (which are too big) and I'm filling my quota.BeforeAfterBeforeAfter
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Kitchen Floor Part 4: Done!...for now...
2007-08-25 16:56:00
The tiles are done!Alex finished the edges last night and today he filled in the spaces with a lime mortar (chaux) mix: 2 parts sand to 1 part lime. He brushed it in dry and then wet it all down so the mortar could set. We will do this again in a few weeks time.All that's left to do is make a decision about the sanding, then clean and seal them, which won't be done for a while.
More About: Kitchen , Part , Done , Floor

Kitchen Floor Part 3: Almost there!
2007-08-24 13:42:00
The above photo is taken from the living room door looking into the kitchen. All the previous photos have been from the stairwell, looking across into the living room.We think that today may be the last day in terms of laying down the tiles. Tomorrow we hope to brush the lime grout mix for the jointing.We miscalculated slightly and will not have enough to tile the area near the back door, which is disappointing but not the end of the world. We spent most of this morning cleaning off cuts and broken tiles that could fit along the edge.
More About: Kitchen , Part , Part 3 , Floor

Turkish Property Stories
2007-08-23 10:01:00
Turkey often pops up in conversation about the next hot place for property investment. It's beautiful coastline draws people in but the Turkish government makes it pretty difficult to get anything done. I've heard more than one horror story about the difficulties of building permits and local government; stories that sound like they should be happening in France.An article in today's NYT, Turkish Palace as Summer Home, does bring a successful Turkish renovation to light. However, it sounds like this couple weren't restricted in their budget, which of course makes any renovation seem like a walk in the park (sort of).
More About: Stories , Property , Prop , Pert