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jxedwards

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Posts posted by jxedwards

    glass supplier / glazier

    in South West (Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées)

    Posted

    Sue,

    We started down that route then had a devis for new windows and shutters the whole house. 12K euro in total for 7 windows and 3 doors.

    After the hassle of taking 2 days to repair/paint 1 set of shutters we thought it well worth it. Job ongoing as I type should be complete by the end of the month.

    Just a thought and it obviuosly depends on how much repair work eed to be carried out.

     

    Bonne chance

     

    John

    Pool Foundations & Discovered a Roman Wall!!!

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    Just thought some of you out there might like an update.

    Archeologists have been at the house for 3 days.

    After talking to the 'supervisor' who travelled the 2 hours from Toulouse everyday it transpires that the Marie should have never given permision for the pool in the 1st place. However since the permission has been granted and we have paid out 10,000 euros already the pool can go ahead.

    The wall is not roman after all but dates to 11/12th century.

    Quite amusing watching the pool installer (locall 1 man band oufir) arguing with the trio of archeologits as they were trying to pour over the wall millimetre by millimetre. As he said they can do that post dig not whilst he has a machine and driver on hire. It did gt quite heated at 1 point and eventually the pool installer won shall we say.

    Also lots os sightseers from goodness knows where turned up. We are reasonable folk but we had to tell a few in no uncertain terms leave now please. We now lock the gate to the property just whilst work is ongoing.

    So outcome is, pool can go ahead but it will be inside the wall and 5X7 not 8X4. It will also be in a slightly different position than the original plan. A 'Modification de travaux ' to be submitted in retrospect once pool is completed.

    So here is a picture of the wall and hopefully will post a picture soon (2 months we hope) of the completed pool

     

    John & Julie.

     

    PS still awaiting pool pics under:- http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/934058/ShowPost.aspx

     

    [IMG]http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/jxedwards/France/swimmingpool_006.jpg[/IMG]

    Swimming Pool Pictures

    in Photography in France

    Posted

    As some of you may have read in the house renovations section a few weeks ago we are having to alter the design/size of our pool due to a Roman wall being buried in our garden. My wife is in France this week to assist in the digout and documenting of the wall and then hopefully re-negotiate size and placement of the pool.

    We are looking to incorporate the wall as part of the design of the pool.

    I would like to see pictures of swimming pools wether or not they are yours or pools you have seen in the past to hopefully give us some more creative ideas.

    So please get posting those pool pics

    Many thanks

    John & Julie

    Hiding electrics in a barn conversion.

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    FYI

    I have 12 seperately switched lighting circuits through the top JB. A bit over the top but thought being an electrician in a former life should try and make the best of it.

    4 power socket outlet circuits on the bottom JB.

    Those JB's pictured will be seen however the room has no thoroughfare so therefore the 'general' public so to speak will not see the JB's

    Have a look at the way to disguise the JB's if you are going to surface mount them. Dummy cabinet etc.

    remember where there's a will

    Bonne chance

    John

    Forum Members (photos)

    in Photography in France

    Posted

    Me working har in Brasil to pay for all the renovations!!!!!

    Not the best shot in the world but thought I would join in the thread just for the hell of it.

    Also thanks to Dick Smith, despite having the odd spat with DS over the months read his 'how to paste' post a few months ago so practising my skills.

    John

     

    [IMG]http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/jxedwards/France/BrazilOldTownBeach39.jpg[/IMG]

    Hiding electrics in a barn conversion.

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    Normal conduit can be installed behind plasterboard. Just be aware where they are when installing the plasterboard and metal frames etc not to damage the conduits or more importantly the cables within

    We have a similar situation and I have put the JB's inside a cupboard where you can access them. As far as I am aware french regs require all JB's to be accessible. Best advice is forget the '3 plate' wiring system that is used in the UK whereby a live and neutral is taken to every lighting point. Instead use the JB to make all your connections for differing switching configurations and just run  live light feed, neutral return, and earth wire to each light. JB's may have to be bigger than normal but at least you can hide them.

    My understanding is if you already have a supply to the house the EDF/inspection consuel (not sure of the correct name) will not really bother too much with an inspection. If you do not have a supply at your barn and require a new suply then they will carry out ful inspection to the french norms.

    Hope this helps.

     

    John

     

     

    Pool Foundations & Discovered a Roman Wall!!!

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    First a little background info: -

     

    We have bought Le Presbytere (French equivalent of the vicarage) in a small village in the Lot region. The church which is some 30 metres from our property was built on the site of a Roman temple, and you can still see evidence of 2 large pillars of the original Roman site. Occasionally the odd interested party visits the church for a look around with regard to the Roman connection.

     

    Last August we applied for permission for a small 8X4 swimming pool. Permission was duly granted and we started excavation this week. However the contractor we hired using a small earth excavator discovered the remains and very good remains at that of a Roman wall. The dimensions which match the outside dimensions of the church. The wall has been covered by lots of rubble which appears to have been put on the wall around the time the house was built in 1828. So we are not really dealing with a ‘virgin’ site

    The Marie called in a local archaeologist (she had made a study last year of the church) who has since reported back to a higher authority in Toulouse who has since stopped the work pending further investigation. It also appears that the Marie and the archaeologist(s) suspected that the wall was there but did not have the funds to investigate the matter

    We are hoping (the Marie and the local archaeologist suggested thus pending Toulouse approval) that access to the site for recording purposes (photos measurements etc) then we will be allowed to continue with the pool construction with minor adjustments to the pool size and placement as to not damage the wall.

     

    Obviously the fate of the pool lies in the hands of the Roman gods and elsewhere. Worst scenario is the pool construction gets stopped/cancelled leaving me with a bill to the contractor for nothing!!!! We are hoping the outcome is agreeable to all as we have no desire to demolish/damage the wall ourselves

     

    I was wondering has anyone else had a similar experience in finding such ruins, dealing with the relevant authorities, timescale, stress levels etc.

     

    John & Julie

    Grounding Armoured cable

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    Ian,

    Yes confusing posting sorry.

    Anyway you seem to be mixing up armouring and shielding. The metal armouring found on cables has to be earthed both ends. This armouring is purely a mechanical protection for the conductors  inside the the cable.

    Shielding is totally different and is not a mechanical protection. You are correct this is normally 'grounded' at one end only.

    However it sounds as if mains 220V cables have been run alongside telephone and ADSL cables. If this is the case you can possibly have electrical interference between the different voltages thus causing the problems that you are experiencing. Can you physically seperate the cables by 1/2 feet apart and see if the results are the same.

    Hope this helps poit you in the right direction.

     

    John

    Perfect Pronunciation?

    in French Language

    Posted

    Let me try a slightly different approach before being 'blown' out of the water again.

    1) I am not a huge fan of MT however I am trying est to use up dead time whilst ravelling rather than listening to Dire Straits/Eagles/Max Boyce yet again!!

    2) Compare say a strong Glaswegian/Brummie/Cockney/Welsh accent/conversation to say an Oxford counties/1950's Beeb radio announcer accent, then if you were french trying to learn english then which of these would be easier to uderstand. Likewise we have a property in the lot (46) and sometimes encounter older generations who we really do not understand. Younger people of the region laugh and tell do not worry they have 'heavy' accents.

    So it really was a simple question I think, but there again I await Mr Smith to prove me incorrect again!!

     

    God gave us two ends. One to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use; heads you win -- tails, you lose.
    ~ Anonymous

     

    Perfect Pronunciation?

    in French Language

    Posted

    I have just spent the last 4 weeks listening to Michel Thomas whilst travelling to/from work 45 mins each way. It has struck me that M Thomas would probably have spoken near perfect french, correct?

    It is said that people from and around Inverness speak the most correct and perfectly pronounced english in the UK.

    Having encountered several people from that area I tend to agree. I am sure Miss Jean Brodie would have been from Inverness.

    I was therefore wondering is there a town/city/region of France that is regarded as having the same trait of speaking 'perfect french.'

     

    John

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