My Home in France
updated 2025
updated 2025
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2003 - 2004
1, Shows the patio area of the house we were able to paint the rendered part of the house the un-rendered part will need more work before paint is applied, planned for next year.
2, The west view of the house this end get the majority of the weather thrown at it, we have given it three coats of paint to ensure it is ready for the rain..
2, The west view of the house this end get the majority of the weather thrown at it, we have given it three coats of paint to ensure it is ready for the rain..
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3, The North view or front of the house the walls were painted in the daytime as this side gets less sun light than all the other walls.
4, The west end of the house this where the balcony or terrace is situated, it is a new extension built for the bathroom and inside toilet. The whole area needs rendering before paint can be applied.
4, The west end of the house this where the balcony or terrace is situated, it is a new extension built for the bathroom and inside toilet. The whole area needs rendering before paint can be applied.
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5, The shower area when we took ownership of the property, the bathroom was just a concrete shell with a bath, sink and water heater fitted. The exterior outside walls did have plasterboard fitted, and pipes were in place although not all were connected
6, Partially completed shower we also wanted to add a shower; this will allow the bath to be removed for floor tiling later on. The bathroom was just a concrete shell with the bath and sink and pipe work fitted around. After buying the base, we made a wooden frame to allow the pipe work through to the water cylinder and the waste to drain.
7, The shower door, some basic white tiles a stand the side wall of the shower was constructed with wood and overlaid with plasterboard, and then tiled just the plumbing left to do.
6, Partially completed shower we also wanted to add a shower; this will allow the bath to be removed for floor tiling later on. The bathroom was just a concrete shell with the bath and sink and pipe work fitted around. After buying the base, we made a wooden frame to allow the pipe work through to the water cylinder and the waste to drain.
7, The shower door, some basic white tiles a stand the side wall of the shower was constructed with wood and overlaid with plasterboard, and then tiled just the plumbing left to do.
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October : With only a week out in France not a great deal of time for work :
The bathroom plumbing was worked on, the French have started to use plastic pipe blue for cold and red for hot, they also have manifolds that allow the different area's of the house to be isolated when working on them. It also reduces the pressure drop when more than one tap is running.
The bathroom plumbing was worked on, the French have started to use plastic pipe blue for cold and red for hot, they also have manifolds that allow the different area's of the house to be isolated when working on them. It also reduces the pressure drop when more than one tap is running.
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With only a week out in France not a great deal of time for work :
The bathroom plumbing was worked on, the French have started to use plastic pipe blue for cold and red for hot, they also have manifolds that allow the different area's of the house to be isolated when working on them. It also reduces the pressure drop when more than one tap is running.
The bathroom plumbing was worked on, the French have started to use plastic pipe blue for cold and red for hot, they also have manifolds that allow the different area's of the house to be isolated when working on them. It also reduces the pressure drop when more than one tap is running.
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We have just returned from France after probably having our busiest week with work on the house.
The work complete this week
Installing above ground pool:
Rendering three external walls of house:
A big thanks goes to Brian Edwards for the knowledge and experience in completing this project.
The work complete this week
Installing above ground pool:
Rendering three external walls of house:
A big thanks goes to Brian Edwards for the knowledge and experience in completing this project.
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The last time we saw the house we were still recovering from the rendering work, it was hard but the results very impressive. Especially as we have now given it a coat of paint, if the weather had been better we may have been able to give it 2 coats
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The balcony had at least two coats of paint, this was due to the exposure it get from the rain, the difference the painted render makes is extremely rewarding.
When the weather was wet which it seemed to be for the two middle weeks of August, the bath panels and room were finished and if you look back to the earlier pictures it shows the difference.
And finally at the end of August the sun did come out and the pool we put in earlier was in full use
When the weather was wet which it seemed to be for the two middle weeks of August, the bath panels and room were finished and if you look back to the earlier pictures it shows the difference.
And finally at the end of August the sun did come out and the pool we put in earlier was in full use
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This was a holiday for us, even before we had arrived in France I was under strict orders not to undertake any work so I prepared my self mentally for putting up my feet.
Being me I was unable to totally relax so after the electricity tripped out twice, I convinced the family that there was just one job that could be done.
Anyone who owns a property in France may be aware of the limited power supply there is the each property, the supply board in an effort to maintain a green supply encourage low maximum demand and penalise heavily for having to supply a electricity supply above 30 amps. Most people I tell struggle in imagining how you can cope with such a small supply, it does take a little thinking about in the winter months in the summer its not a problem. But after you have been out side after having a bath or shower as that's when it normally goes you soon learn to think about the loading before loads such as water heating come on. Most people in France tend to us gas for cooking, so the immediate fear of copping with 30 amps is not so difficult.
After studying some of the electrical books for France I found a device that automatically controls the current being used in your house. These devices are known as a Délesteur the one I purchased was made by ABB and is model number LSS1/2 which stands for load shedding switch and it has two switched outputs and cover supplies of 5 amps to 90 amps and cost €135 from Leroy Merlins, Legrand make similar devices but they do tend to be more expensive at €290 for two channel or €140 or for single channel. The advantage with the ABB unit is that it came with instructions in about five language including English.
Being me I was unable to totally relax so after the electricity tripped out twice, I convinced the family that there was just one job that could be done.
Anyone who owns a property in France may be aware of the limited power supply there is the each property, the supply board in an effort to maintain a green supply encourage low maximum demand and penalise heavily for having to supply a electricity supply above 30 amps. Most people I tell struggle in imagining how you can cope with such a small supply, it does take a little thinking about in the winter months in the summer its not a problem. But after you have been out side after having a bath or shower as that's when it normally goes you soon learn to think about the loading before loads such as water heating come on. Most people in France tend to us gas for cooking, so the immediate fear of copping with 30 amps is not so difficult.
After studying some of the electrical books for France I found a device that automatically controls the current being used in your house. These devices are known as a Délesteur the one I purchased was made by ABB and is model number LSS1/2 which stands for load shedding switch and it has two switched outputs and cover supplies of 5 amps to 90 amps and cost €135 from Leroy Merlins, Legrand make similar devices but they do tend to be more expensive at €290 for two channel or €140 or for single channel. The advantage with the ABB unit is that it came with instructions in about five language including English.
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his shows the LSS1/2 mounted in the fuse board, I used secondary relays to protect the contacts in the unit although they are rated at 16 amps per output they will always switch the load off under load conditions I used Hager double pole relays units.
This shows one of the two old fuse boards in our house, I have now mounted all the trips in the new board, this incorporates a main switch, RCCD and trips
This shows one of the two old fuse boards in our house, I have now mounted all the trips in the new board, this incorporates a main switch, RCCD and trips
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Last modified: 04 March 2025
Last modified: 04 March 2025