Fourbarewalls

Does anyone know how to calculate the loads that you may exert on the beams in these ancient barns found in many of these old barns. We are planning on using the original beams to hang our new mezzanin floor on. Any hints tips and advice you can sure with us.

Can anyone give me any advice, phone number details of any of the above in the Creuse department 23 area, we have a place in St Agnant De Versiuat, near la souterraine, north of Limoges off the A10. Hopefully the keys to the property will be ours in June so the first working trip will be as soon after the keys are in our hands. Look forward to hearing your comments, im sure there are plenty of you out there with advice and the odd story to tell. Thanks very much Lee

We have just purchased a Barn we are planning on converting in La Souterraine near Limoges. We have 6 years experience in converting homes in the UK and have built a number od stud walls. The thing we have found is that obviously as wood contracts and expands the plaster work does tend to crack in places. My concerns are that if we build stud walls onto the old wooden mezzenine floors in the barn we will have the same trouble as we have back home, especially with the change in climate and the change in tempretures throughout the year. Does anyone have any experience, any hints and tips and advice on what should and shouldnt be done. Look forward to your responses Thanks Lee

We have just purchased a barn not far from La Soutarraine near Limoges, I have been designing the layout of the barn conversion and now require 2 sets of staircases. Can these be brought wholesale? If so does anyone know the costs involved? Are they good quality and will they go the distance? Can these be made to order by a local carpenter? Any ideas where to start on finding someone? Is this a specialist job to make and install? Has anyone out there had any experience in this field, maybe your a carpenter yourself and could offer me some advice or maybe you have a carpenter working for you as we speak. I look forward to hearing you comments and advice Thanks Lee

We intend on digging out the floors and lying a new timber one, with plenty of room beneath to run all cabling and pipework much the same as the traditional english property. Does anyone know what tip of floor boards are available in the Limousin region, we are near La Souterraine. I dont want to end up with the new looking boards you get from the big warehouse stores, I hope to be able to find some salvage from an old house or barn. Any ideas of where to look and search for these, or any alternatives? Look forward tohearing your replies Lee

I have priced up a system that Screw fix sell in the UK and this works out to 260 per 10m2. I have worked out to do the entire floor space downstairs it will cost in the region of 2,600 Would this be an efficient and cost effective way to heat an entire barn or do you think additional heating will be required. The barn will be converted into an open ground floor level with kitchen dinner and lounge area, and seperate toilet washroom and utility room. First floor will consist of 2 seperate mexxanine levels with 3 bedrooms and a bathroom, no ceilings on these rooms to allow full appreciation of the structure of the barn. The lounge will also have the largest awood barner available I dont really want to install radiators, so if it does require addational heating what sort do you advise. Any experiences with this or other forms of heating

We need to install a fosse septic, does anyone have any experience with doing this themselves, How far away from the property do they need to be installed, how deep do they need to go, and do they smell? How do you calculate the size require for your property?

We are having electricity installed into our barn by the EDF. My father is a qualified electrician and plans on doing the rest himself as he has an understanding of the rench system. Do you think this is advisable?

Can antone recommend a qualified window fitter/carpenter? We are in The Limousin Region near La souterraine some 30 km north of Limoges. If you happen to be in the trade then the windows I require (approx size) are as follows: 5 wooden windows approx 1m2 1 wooden window approx 2m2 5 standard height exterior doors 1 set of barn doors with inset windows 3m2 i look forward to any of your replies. lee

We have just brought an old 1800 centruy barn in the Limousin Region and amoungst many of the jobs we have listed we need to dig out the old earth floors so that we may fit a new wooden floor, thus avoiding damp and allowing some air to circulate beneath the floor boards, we are also looking at installing an underffloor heating system. If anyone out there has any usefull hints and tips on the subject, do these old barns have any king of footings, how close to the walls can we dig out, what footings are required if any are to sit against the old walls, how deep shall we dig out. I look forward to hearing your comments on this subject Thanks Lee