Bill

Hello Everyone..   We signed all of ten days ago and are now the proud owners of a Normandy  house that needs more work than I thought ! However it has a stunning view .   We are doing battle with the builders who want to do it their way and not my way, but  our world is a good. Thankyou all,  for the help over the past few months,   I have gleaned a huge amount of info from old postings, as well as from your  answers to other peoples more recent postings. Air to Air, boilers, electrics, insurance (Nick) , flues, furniture, legals , plumbing, Fosse.  We needed furniture in a hurry and Ikea in Caen came to the rescue, dammed good stuff if you ask me . I have read loads and learnt a  lot .  I hope some of my in between contributions to the forum haven't been to contrary contentious or cantankerous. No harm meant or intended with what may appear as an argumentative point of view .    That's just the way I am  [8-)]  ..   with thanks again , with many more questions to follow, I hope you will have time for me.    Bill  

assuming you have an odd car going by your house ,   put it at the end of your garden with a sign on it, 50 euro..( not free) .  when it doesnt sell, put a  blue cross sale sign up.. 25 euro whilst stocks last.. someone will buy it.. or know someone that needs one , or..   I got shot of my rusty ancient  but usable oil tank in that manner.. Reduced from a tenner to a fiver. or   for scrap , theres a lot of metal in these machines  and thats worth a couple of euro's. rgds

There is Green and Green,   some think green is just a year or so old, but for building, I think anything less than 4-5 years is being a bit fast and loose, given the choice (again ) I  would aim at 7-10 year old seasoned oak.. Harder to work and to cut, but it's possible. We have some 500 year old oak and a man with a regular saw ( or four)   cut three  joints into it to splice in three  beams,  It took nearly a week , but was right to less than a  fag paper.   We  have also just completed the repair to the front of our timber frame house , the architects spec was green,  and there is some shrinkage on some pieces  , even at 4 years , or the wood supplier lied !!!!  or perhaps you can  buy reclaimed ???   I should add.. 18no 150x150 or 200mm x 4.5m long,  I have just noticed the size/length , the aforementioned splicing was about  your size for our  joists,  The builder insisted we had a structural engineer in to check if the ceiling would hold up. (about 12/14 inches apart ) .   The engineer said, by todays standards, it wouldn't be acceptable, but in view of the fact the place hadn't fallen down in 5 centuries, he thought it would be OK to go ahead..  :) Still cost me for his time ! good luck Bill   more thoughts.. u said.. The old beams coming out will Do a big fire as they are a bit wormy!      that doesnt matter depends on degrees of worm.. and rot.. Dont throw it away if its just surface worm, the innner wood , if oak  SAND  very old,  will be tougher than anything you can buy today.   apologies if I am teaching my grandma to such eggs..

is this the beasty you are all  talking about as inverters ?    Bill   POMPE A CHALEUR CONSOLE DC INVERTER 5000 W la pompe à chaleur 995€00Dont 13,04 € d’éco participation Pour une pièce jusqu'à 60 m² (150 m"). Puissance : 5000 W en froid et 6000 W en chaud. Consommation : 1550 W en froid et 1650 W en chaud. COP : 3,62 en chaud. dB intérieur : 38 db.  

Hi , I don't swallow the green part of the equation simply the cash side.. blaming hair growth in your nostrils and elsewhere  on global warming, Now I have heard everything..   rgds  

my french is not good enough ,... but this MIGHT  help   http://www.cstb.fr/fileadmin/documents/telechargements/Installation_combustion_juin_OK.pdf   http://www.cstb.fr/    then search within this web site.   rgds      

Living in a house which has had open fires for 5 centuries   [blink],  I admit I fell for the U must have a lining line . next door doesn't,  nor does my friend with  a pretty old house , but he is finding that to use the fire as it was intended is beneficial (with the doors shut in his case ) There are scare stories, many of them in the links below,. (all UK)   it seems not a (UK) regulation, but  reading all of these , it does depend on the state of your chimney as to if u should or shouldn't. . I must say.. reading all on this link, and all of the links below, I ask my self the question , would I install a liner again? cost 1000 quid ?  mmmmm Yes.  Remember I am with brick chimneys not stone, My lime plaster has to be suspect as I doubt if anyone has taken a look in the past 450 years, I have  huge fireplaces  &  a  good draw,   BUT being stupid in all matters such as this,  I can't be bothered with anything other than safe.  Will I installl a liner in our new house in France ?  Yes.   Pachapapa  is right about drawing in the air from the house, some people even  suggest a pipe from outside to the bottom of the fireplace , to draw in air from outside . Our house leaks so much, we didn't !!!  The point being,  why draw in air , that's already heated to expell up a chimney ?   It's for sure a complicated area, or just smoke and mirrors ???  I really don't think its  a fly by the seat of your pants  issue, I know I am not competent hence why I fall the safe line of the question , all be it unnecessarily.    French regs was your question, I don't know.. rgds Bill I googled, should I line my chimney and found these.. some  look like scare stories . http://www.countrystoves.co.uk/whylinechim.htm http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/why-line-a-chimney.html http://www.woodburningstoveslimited.com/index.php?action=cms.lining_56 http://www.halnakerstoves.co.uk/chimneys/why-line-chimneys.aspx http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_building_regulations.html An existing chimney must firstly be given a visual inspection,and make sure it is of a suitable size,a smoke test should be carried out to make sure it is clear of obstruction and check for gas tightness,your chimney should be swept before installing a new appliance,do not attempt to fit a liner without firstly sweeping the chimney,if your chimney passes the the visual inspection and passes the smoke test,it is deemed sound and not a legal requirement to line,lining your chimney has advantages such as increased draw and better efficiency,reduces the risk of chimney fire,and piece of mind having a sealed system http://www.pgfireplaces.co.uk/faq.php?action=cms.Multi_Fuel_Stove  

  solar arrays !     I'm  not sure if the french are subsidising, but many governments are...  seems to make a big difference, payback in this country is about ten years, disregarding inflation/deflation  of energy. farmer up to road (UK)  has gone barmy and spent 60,000 on one array on his barn.. put up the barn specially.. he is anticipating even faster pay back as claims agaisnt tax , and gets his vat back as registered.. If the gites are a biz niz, then perhaps the vat /cost is claimable . rgds bill  

so that's the point  Theiere   :) thanks rgds Bill

so that's the point  Theiere   :)   rgds Bill

good Morning Quillan   which brand are you using..   I will ( on friday )  have a huge room, of 75 sq m with tall ceilings,  !  the second room is around 55 sqm ..    The whole property is around 400 sqm. The heating needs to be thought thru.. It already has oil central heating, intending to put in a couple of wood burners to assist .    I do like the idea of heat exchange even if it  only takes the chill off the place.  Perhaps in winter on a frost stat , for when we are not there.. !  What really worries me is there is a tank in the roof space/loft, yes lagged, but as with all french houses the loft is ventilated and with the recent very low temperatures I am a little bothered..  any thoughts /bright ideas, or just euro notes to burn are welcome    are frost stats common in france, or will the plumber give me a blank look  ?   sorry for the hijack rgds Bill  

I know nothing about french regs,   but in the UK   you must have a twin skinned  flue, can be bought as a coil and dropped down from the top of the chimney ,   some people insist on then filling the void with something else, but my supplier didnt.   on the other chimney , it came in 2 foot segments, which snapped together and were stuffed up from the bottom , giving a rigid  flu   Whole point is to stop your chimney catching fire..  still needs sweeping  :(     So then one asks, whats the point ?   don't forget if you are up there anyway,  the bird protector for the top , worth its weight ingold.   rgds Bill    

hi Partout,   I am no expert, so take this with a pinch of salt, ..    Our boiler has just broken down, and a new oil pump was required , plumber suggested it could be that there was condensation in the oil tank, oil floats, and our feed is from the bottom , so any water would be at the bottom , The point being  beware of water in your system !!!  in passing ,  we used to keep the boiler running whilst the tank is being filled, whereas you should switch off , as the additional oil  will stir up any grot in the bottom of the tank, again damaging the pump/burner. he did say there were some special filters that u can put into the tank to soak up water, but I haven't yet sorted that out. Have had oil for 25 years, and I only learnt this a few weeks ago. Bill   

thanks for the hint  JP and all ... we will certainly take a look at these guys as we have two baths and a kitchen to do , they seem just right..   will they do the electrical and plumbing part, ie get the wires and pipes to the right place/room  as well ?   Bill

Good afternoon Sweet,   only contribution I can make is , when we last did our kitchen we had granite surfaces , It's a real slab of polished granite. light and speckled, but lots of colours to choose from , We are supposed to  wax them once or twice a year, but failed miserably, ten years on & still as good as new . Worth pricing up .      the joy is , u don't need a cutting board ever again, whilst we use boards , on the odd ocassion I don't , it doesn't matter. Hot pans out of the oven , no problem .   we are about to move into our french house which will need  a kitchen ,  so this thread has been of interest good luck, Bill      

Dear Robert We are just about to complete on our house in Normandy and I know I am going to be struggling with the  builders   This translation service has been very usefull for me, and can give me an idea of what's meant .. it's instant. If you are an i phone person there is also an app, but it uses 3g or wifi.   It allows me to send e mails in french, providing I keep my english fairly simple. (and of course to google words to find services )   http://translate.google.com/   With regards to costs, when I made an offer, I priced the repairs needed  based on my experience in the UK, having read a lot of the stuff on these sites, I am now doubling my budget. I concluded I  must use french equipment eg pipes or cable, it is french kite marked !!   U need to consider french labour , ( I thought for just a moment about bringing a lorry full of materials and labour with me,  my brothers !!!  ) . I will receive my first quotes in the coming weeks.. and I expect to be startled ! There are horror stories , reading one about insurance on this forum today.. aaaaaaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh !  at least Mrs Bill speaks fluent french and she doesnt take any nonsense from anyone including me..[8-)].. In fact almost every question I want to ask has been asked before, it's just a question of trying to find out where..   good luck with your project. Bill        

thanks pommier  

[quote user="Jon 1"][quote user="P-D de Rouffignac"]Replying to your question about notifying the French utility companies - This can be left to the agent or notaire, who will take readings just before completion, so the buyers can take over the services (water, gas, electricity) without delay and there is no cut-off/re-connection. The compromis de vente and acte finale will also state how the property taxes (foncière, habitation) will be apportioned, . Hope this helps. P-D de R. [/quote] Yes it does. Thanks[/quote]   The compromis de vente and acte finale will also state how the property taxes (foncière, habitation) will be apportioned,   we are completing at the end of feb, I am told, the  property tax is due in october, but is the responsibility of the seller as he owned the place in January.   I will pay him the proportion for feb to october, what happens, come october and he decides he doesn't pay his tax,   I hope they don't come chasing me !   also reading this mail, looks like it is a good idea  for us and the sellers to read the meters together, and each to have a signed copy and to give one to the Notaire ?    rgds Bill

don't forget an  airvents, lack of air circulation  may be the reason you have to replace in the first place.. gds Bill

[quote user="breizh"] In it's original conception Tobin Tax was great. Tax all financial transactions, and redistribute the money generated to the world's poorest. 100% agree. The Financial Transaction Tax would be the first time the EU has taxed it's population directly, for the benefit of itself. Sorry, that is wrong. The EU has no democratic mandate to tax directly. To me it is a fundemental issue of sovereign democracy versus technocratic bureaucracy. Do not call it a Tobin Tax. [/quote]   I understand, the Eu gets a slice of all import duties, and I can not recall for sure, but possibly Vat.  

assuming these are not bearer bonds or similar. if you are not in a hurry, then no point in using fed ex/dhl.. I have spent the past 25 years looking for alternatives as I hate their price.  a registered letter is just as secure, assuming its not for the back and beyond of darkest africa, also the speed isn't so bad to america (from UK) , can take just a few days which is as fast as a courier . You have calculated the cost of replacement, but then you have to weigh up the chance of loss, and  my view is its insignificant and the paper has no value to anyone else rgds Bill

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="idun"]I doubt that Nissan will feel much, or volkswagon or any of the others whose country had started the wars.[/quote]Renault owns half of Nissan.[/quote]   Nissan (as well as mitsubushi , itohchu, mitsui etc ) were on the wrong side at that time as well, so ...   from Wicki Nissan built trucks, airplanes, and engines for the Japanese military. The company's main plant was moved to China after land there was captured by Japan. The plant made machinery for the Japanese war effort until it was captured by American and Russian forces. From 1947 to 1948 the company was called Nissan Heavy Industries Corp   rgds   Bill,        the two  O level kid.. [:D]  

I think all are affected one way or another by  fx rates..   and some general comment if of interest.   these are LLoyds banks forecast of future rates on a qtrly basis starting with december this year. Thru to June 2013. I am pretty sure they are excluding any big bang from a collapse of the euro on politcal grounds, this is purely an economic outlook.     £ £/eu                1.18     1.18     1.22     1.25     1.22     1.20     1.20     1.20   these rates are mid interbank rates so you may be exchanging at two to three percent from these rates.      As all economists say,  my forecast is only valid  untill my next one.. in other words don't blame us if it goes the other way & we change our mind  !!! The capital repatriation refered to below is banks bringing money back to europe, and buying euro's  and that has supported the euro over the past weeks.. rgds Bill   on the euro , they said..     EU leaders have put forward their latest proposals to stem the debt crisis. The statement following the December summit signalled greater economic cooperation and a strengthened rescue plan. However, much still remains to be resolved and the euro is vulnerable to investor sentiment and could exhibit significant volatility as events progress. Further, the impact of the crisis on the real economy is becoming increasingly evident, with an imminent recession and possible outright contraction for 2012 as a whole looking likely. The ECB cut the refi rate to its previous floor of 1% in December, however a further reduction cannot be ruled out. Although sizeable capital repatriation should help support the euro, our central forecast is for it to fall sharply against its peers in the coming quarters, with targets for EUR/ USD and EUR/GBP lowered to 1.20 and 0.80 at end-Q2 2012       on sterling .. Having traded above $1.61 in late October, sterling has since fallen below $1.56. Concerns over the UK economy have weighed on GBP/USD, but the recent fall has mainly reflected the renewed strength of the US dollar following a recent spate of stronger US data and ongoing concerns over the euro area. Amid the euro crisis, sterling has continued to appreciate, with GBP/EUR touching a recent high above €1.18. Looking ahead, GBP/USD is forecast to drop further, weighed down by relatively stronger growth prospects in the US and the likelihood of further aggressive QE in the UK. Based on our central expectation that the euro ‘muddles through’, sterling is forecast to appreciate to €1.25 by end-Q2 2012, with the risks skewed towards a sharper appreciation if the euro crisis continues to escalate. GBP/USD is forecast to fall to 1.50 at end-Q2 2012.    

thankyou all  that have posted, will keep viewing in case there are other pearls of wisdom   rgds Bill             lousy  2   "o"   levels     [geek] 

thanks very much  for that Mr Coops   [:D]  a swift look at redoute seems ok for fridges as an example  , but for Mrs Bill to decide as well beyond my pay grade, .. what are they like for nailing down a delivery date ?  can it be am or pm on a monday if requested ? or is it when it turns up? rgds Bill      Just two O levels