Living the dream !

[KIM]

That's a large amount of building! So much potential with that outbuilding there Kim. Doesn't get a lot more rural than that. No wonder you get down there for the summer. Must be sooo relaxing! Love it.

All the interior is done. (will try find some picture's). he is just finishing the exterior now, mainly on the out buildings, the roofs have also been re done by a local man, to a high standard. the actual house is massive, you can seriously lose yourself in it. you get far more house for your money in france, and land.
the two local towns are Bressuire & Parthanay, and are very nice places with lots of history. and the locals are very friendly.

 

[JakTheRuby]

...stage one, empty the room and take up the temporary lino flooring to reveal the old, rather tired wooden floor.

What are you gonna do with that Sean? I see there used to be a chimney in there... I'm now about to level-out the floor in my front room where I got rid of mine.

 

[SeanDezart]

KIM,

about 300m SE of the 'swimming pool looking water' in the bottom of the photo is a 'T'' junction and to the right of that is Martins' house ! Just a dog walk away !

Ripped up half the floor this morning (and cleared it out/dry-stored it).

Jak - as one walks in the room turn left and you'll see a wall mounted black-glass gas fire (M-design - LUNA GAS - 1000h) with a 3m long sofa with returns against the door side wall and opposite that (on the opposite wall to the door) will be a 4m sofa with returns. My PC will be in the wall cupboard to the right of the door and a book cupboard on the other wall (other side of the window).

 

[SeanDezart]

End of stage two (ripping up the old floor) and treatment against bugs !


And part of stage three (replace and/or support the joists rotten away from damp - including shoring up the principal central beam) !

Note the celler beneath - not a good idea to walk on the insulation.........

 

[SeanDezart]

Stage 4 - the stock of new joists (treated pine) and parquet (oak from the forests of Limoges at £40 per m²).

 

[JakTheRuby]

Wow. You have a cellar! Love that. Can't wait to bring my own first z down to thee and spend some lazy days sipping a chateauneuf du pape. Yummy!

 

[SeanDezart]

Wow. You have a cellar! Love that. Can't wait to bring my own first z down to thee and spend some lazy days sipping a chateauneuf du pape. Yummy!

celler....s !

I'm more of a Bordeaux / Bergerac wine person but if you fly your carcass over, I'll get in what you drink ! Currently about 300 bottles in the cave plus eau de vie.

 

[SeanDezart]

Back on subject :

Stage 5 : reinforcing and levelling ! And the passing through of lighting and hi-fi cables.

The main beam was burnt out at the end - probably due to cinders falling down from the old chiminey - the rest just from damp.

 

[SeanDezart]

Stage 6 - the laying of the floor (christ, I hope I have enough of it........)

We're going for low, oak skirting boards - gotta buy it tomorrow then have it shaped by a carpenter - you can just see one in the third photo.

 

[SeanDezart]

Stage 6 completed and skirting (only just enough wood - I don't want that stress again !).

Time taken off for chipping away the yukky plaster and jointing the interior walls.

Stage 7 started - rubbing down :

3x with 80 paper
2x with 100 paper and
1x with 120

then rubbing down the skirting with 80 and 120.....
then going around the edges of the floor with 100 and 120.

Stage 8 next - tinting the wood, veneering and waxing it.

 

[SeanDezart]

I have also added a pic of the house and some of the outbuildings from the pool.

I wonder if the alterations and the pool have been registered at the mairie...... shouldn't the pool have some form of security ?

My parents' place...8mx40m, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms plus a barn flat of 2 beds, 1 bath and a cottage conversion of 2 beds. No pool but two donkeys and the land goes down to the poplar trees.

They've been VERY busy stripping off the rendering and jointing the stone beneath.

 

[SeanDezart]

Jacuzzi

Got it working again and as it was almost 6°c last night, we had a dip for 40 minutes.

Glorious.

 

[JakTheRuby]

Nice! I've now got to cycle home in the sleet (it's around 3-4ºC out there with that lovely North Sea wind blowing up the docks). Another driving lesson tomorrow so one step closer to not having to do it any more! I was worried (when the page was loading) that we were gonna be treated to a pic of you in the tub. Getting there matey!

 

[SeanDezart]

Sun's up !

The terrace is beginning to come into its' own and the decoraters are in the salon.

 

[Sylv1]

nice job, sir!

 

[SeanDezart]

Thanks - the sunshine raises the morale somewhat - I guess, Mr Sylv1, that your household chores are limited to the garage for the foreseeable future........?

 

[Russ]

Sunshine is a great catalyst for progress! Looks like your brood can enjoy whizzing around safely as well

I've been thinking about decking, but I'm an totally anti anything that requires much maintenance (as it'll cut into fiddling with car time), what's the upkeep like? I'm hoping it lasts a fair few years and when it comes time to treat it you just replace it and start again.

 

[SeanDezart]

I'm anti-maintenace (kids and car time) hence the aluminuim windows - decking ? Zero - it's supposed to 'weather' and the wood bleaches - just pay the price and get good stuff !
Picked up 85m² of more oak parquet Saturday - had to load and unload by myself......I fell asleep in the Spa that night !

 

[SeanDezart]

An update :

the salon is finished and furnished - just waiting to fit in the last shelves in the bookcase and fit the enormously heavy glazed doors........it is from here that I communicate with you all.

 

[SeanDezart]

And there's more - we finally 'negociated' a new floor in the family room as the previous wooden one had it's joints opening (floor remained in place as a good base layer).

Solid oak (22mm think), placed as per my request at an angle following the longest wall in the room. Easier to keep clean now too !
Hole is for the wood-burning stove.