clarksinfrance

Most RMC wagons are 8m3, so you will end up paying for 6m3 + a charge for not having the other 2m3. You will also pay for the Chauffeur (driver) as well as the wagon, you can pay extra for a tapis (conveyor belt) to get the rmc where you want it, well worth while. It generally works out between €80 and €100 a m3. Bythe time you buy the sand and gravel and cement, and pay for delivery or all that, plus the extra time and grief it will take to mix yourself, and the extra work of barrowing the concrete around, it will work out roughly the same cost and take a lot less time. Hope it helps.

And the electric for all that extra street lighting has to come from somewhere [;-)]

1 If tar is showing on the outside of the tubes then they have been fitted incorrectly, and joint should have the female end (socket) pointing towards the sky, so that when condensates trickle down the inside of the tubes (as they will undoubtedly do) they stay inside. 2 More info needed about the "regulator" is it on the burner or is it installed in the flue? 3 High wood consumption is indicative of air passing through the burner with a greater than necessary force, 2 main causes I have come across are:A) flue size has been reduced from exhaust size of burner, if this is what is happening in your friends case, then as a matter of extreme urgency she needs to get the installers back and have the correct diameter flue fitted. B) Joints in the burner have not been sealed properly at the manufacturing stage. There are some other causes. 4 Very few fires are designed to stay alight all night if burning wood. If hers is designed to achieve this, then same answer as 3 above. It can be quite damaging to an installation to try to keep a fire in all night, as the temp inside fire and flue is reduced, leading to a greater build-up of condensates in the flue liner and the burner itself. Having just looked at the Supra website, it doesn't appear that the Vosges is designed to stay alight all night. I doubt she will get her money back for the stove as it is almost certainly working correctly, more likely to get better results ensuring the installation is correct and complys with French Normes and European Normes. Please keep us informed of the outcome.

While vermiculite is the right product for the job, think on to the future, flexi liners are designed to last 10 years, that said, depending on type and quality and humidity of the wood, the condensates are very corrosive, so liner may need replacing in as little as 5 years, it may also last 15 years. Areyou going to still be living in that property when/if it becomes necessary to change the liner? If yes, what will you do with dozens of bags worth of loose vermiculite when it comes cascading down the chimney, as you remove the old liner? Can you postthe web-address of the company with an insulating jacket? Flue has to be supported top and bottom, exit from chimney should be at least 60 cms above ridge line (though it isn't always possible, so other distances from neighbours/rooves etc are recommended). Does your burner evacuate from the back or top? If from behind, the horizontal run should not be more than 150mm. You need solid tube to sit between fire and flexi-liner, IIRC at least 40cm. Need permanent airsupply to room, amount depends on fire rating. Hearth has to be certain size. If you have to use bends, no more than 2 and both 45degrees or less. NEVER REDUCE DIAMETER OF FLUE FROM FIRE EXIT.  Fire needs to be sat on a suitable heatsink. Need an installation plate describing the type of installation. Plus a myriad or other rules and regs. If you have plenty of space around your woodburner, may I suggest 2 things, firstly don't store logs there, as the side of a burner can quite easily reach 500degrees, and set light to the stored logs (personal experience), and secondly we have used high density foil-backed insulation to line the old fireplace, that allows nearly all the heat to be refected back into the room, instead of heating up the immediate wall area around the fire, which can be 1m or so thick. Have a doc on our website, which shows distances of combustible materials from flue: http://www.gite-maintenance.co.uk/Home/UsefulDocuments/tabid/96/Default.aspx Hope it helps Nick

New Start - The tar (condensates) builds up overnight for you (and many others) for the following reason. "Shutting down" your woodburner to try to keep it going overnight is exactly the wrong thing to do. This reduces the airflow, which reduces the burn, which reduces the temperature inside the fire. The flue needs heat (a lot of heat) to make the air rise up the flue. This doesn't happen when you try to keep your fire in overnight, so hence the glass, box and flue cool down, this leads to condensates adhering to the glass, burner and flue. Much better to allow your fire to burn normally and to burn out. To save time cleaning the glass, get some glass cleaner, others have posted here, what it is called and where to get it. You spray it on a cold glass (some doors can be lifted off the fire for this task) leave it a couple of minutes, and wipe it off with paper tissue (you can buy massive rolls in the bricos, looks like elephants toilet rolls). This passage taken from BFCMA guide - Solid Fuel burners: All chimneys operate on the principle of having a natural up draught created by maintaining warm flue gases of between 150oC to 500oC. It is therefore very important to use the appliance correctly and maintain a bright, warm fire so that under normal operating conditions the flue gas temperatures created are kept between 150oC and 500oC. Burning solid fuel slowly with insufficient air supply, particularly on stoves or closed appliances must be avoided. Low flue gas temperatures will cause condensation and greatly increases the risk of producing excessive tar and corrosive soot deposits. This is a common problem, particularly when burning wet wood or coal and must be avoided. If soot and condensate deposits are allowed to accumulate in a flue, the deposits can ignite causing a chimney fire which is likely to cause damage to the chimney and appliance. These deposits can also be very corrosive and if they are not regularly removed can cause corrosion of metal parts of both the chimney and appliances. See here: http://www.feta.co.uk/bfcma/downloads/2008/q1/bfcmayellowguideforsolidfuel.pdf Hope it helps

It is 200mm. Have a diagram on our site, here: http://www.gite-maintenance.co.uk/Home/UsefulDocuments/tabid/96/Default.aspx

With Tomtoms (don't know about others) you can change the voices very easily, there are some soft voices, harsh voices, some a little rude, others quite explicit, there are 1 or 2 that are incredibly funny (for a while anyway). My "manchester lass" says, "Go straight over the roundabout, no I mean straight over the roundabout. Trash those geraniums, and that hythyncia, they're only the councils you know." and "Thank God for that, you've arrived at your destination, and I've got something to tell you, I think I might be pregnant with YOUR baby, shall we have a fag?). Ozzy Ozbourne (swearing) version is funny for a short while, as is John Cleese.

I have only ever once come across the situation where internet was possible, but phone calls not, this was about 3 months ago. In the cable somwhere between the pole box (outside on a pole probably) and your telephone, there is a break in one of the tiny copper wires. Only 2 wires are needed for Internet and phone line, the internet wire is good, the phone wire is lacking.Place your phone in the line test box (the first socket on the line into your house) if it still doesn't work, the problem is between that and the pole, and fortunately for you your phone providers responsibility.

There are various cowls that can be fitted to a chimny top, from the spinning cowls all ready mentioned, to powered ones, so that on a windless day/night you can still get a draw, there are various shaped cowls that look like a large "H" shape, to cowls with vanes on to turn the exhaust away from the wind. A couple on the accessories section here: http://www.poujoulat.co.uk/gamme.htm

Reducing the liner diameter is indeed an absolute NO. You can have upto a maximum of 2 changes in direction should not total more than 90 degrees. If your burner exits from the rear, a max of 150mm horizontal is allowed, before going vertical (though this will make your fire harder to light), a 90 degree "T" will allow a plug to be fitted at the bottom of the "T" to enable easier sweeping. Flexi flue liner is to be: 1. At least 50mm from metal montant (used to build internal walls or box in structure), (if touching or embedded in chimney). Any combustible materials fixed to the metalwork to be at least 40mm away from surface of chimney. 2. At least 200mm from combustible materials, such as: joists, picture rails, dado rails, skirting boards, architraves, (if touching or embedded in chimney). For combustible materials other than those mentioned above, if not more than 200mm from flexi liner there needs to be at least a 40mm airgap from the chimney surface itself; such as bookcases, shelves, tables, LAMBRIS etc. There should be 225mm of hearth in front of the woodburner (300mm on an open fire) so that if anything spits out while fire is being stoked, shouldn't damage any floor coverings. A flexi liner must not be connected directly to a fire, 1mm thick sloid stainless steel or enamelled pipe should be used to join the 2 (can't remember the length but 40cms rings a bell). If using any metal fittings/joints then the socket (female end) should poit skyward. The chapeau should not be connected directly to a flexi flue liner, again a ss tube should be used. If your installer says a reduction is allowed, then personnally I would ditch him, and find a professional installer. Flexi flue liners should be guaranteed for 10 years, but be aware condensates are extremely corrosive, and to check your liner regularly, I have known one or two need replacing after 5 years. There are or course a myriad of other Normes and regulations that apply, most are "get at able" on the internet (free) some you have to pay a lot of money for. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL INSTALLER, but have done an awful lot of research on this subject, to fit many of my own fires. I never ceases to amaze me how many woodburners belonging to our friends, have been fitted incorrectly in some cases, downright dangerously in others. Flexi liners can be purchased for approx €30 a metre and 1m connecting tubes about €25. A chapeau is about €40; Ts and bends about €20. For safety 2 people should install a fire (weight, roof work and moving fire) a reasonable installation should take 2 people a day to complete. (Though of course every situation is different). Just don't like to think of people (like a set of our friends) being charged €3000 for 6 meteres for a flexi flue liner. Hope this helps, there are professional installers out there that read this forum, if they feel any of the info given is wrong, I apologise, they might like to correct anything I have written; and I would welcome being pointed in the direction of any updated current Normes and regulations to update and improve my knowledge.

If its a new house; you should have a VMC fitted, this should either be a "running all the time" model, or a model that switches itself on and off, if the humidity reaches a certain level. That said, the cheapest solution for property without a VMC is to introduce some ventilation, this can be as simple as installing airvents in window frames, or a hole in the wall (or two) with vent covers. Failing any of the above, get yourself a dehumidifier, and leave it on the draining board, and remove the little plug sometimes found at the back, and this will allow the water to drain into the sink, rather than filling the water recepticle, and needing human intervention to empty it.

Yes you can insist on a new TV. More than that, DEMAND it, until people such as you and I stand up for our statutory legal rights, you will continue to receive bad customer service. See this leaflet: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_info/10principles_en.htm It lists your case exactly, the rest of the legislation in all major European languages can be found here: http://europa.eu/pol/cons/index_en.htm If you don't get satisfaction, do what I do and have a sit in (only in extreme cases). Go into the shop 1 hour before it closes, and stay there, and keep repeating what you want. The company are part of the Kingfisher Group, send a letter direct to the CEO of Kingfisher if you don't get satisfaction.

No its not illegal, its exactly how I have fitted mine, with reflective dense fibre insulation around the back and side stone walls, to reflect all that lovely heat back into the room, must have a register plate, and a supply of fresh air into the room, as shown above. The correct size and type of flue used, with 2 or less bends of less than 45degrees. No horizontal run of flue, unless from a rear venting fire, and then less than 15 cms IIRC. There are of course many other regs regarding fitting the fire, flue-liner and venting, such as height above roof-line, distance from windows, and neighbours property, and from boudaries etc. I used the cheapest €150 fire from a Brico shed, and its our only form of heating in a well insulated longere,  we only use €100 of wood a year, about 2/3rds of a cord of wood

According the the European Normes I have (they are subject to change, and will need to be confirmed by yourself) EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 13229. This paragraph is shown:- DIMENSIONING THE FRESH AIR INTAKE Wood consumes oxygen when it burns. A deficit of new fresh air can cause bad combustion (production of unburnt residues and carbon monoxide), and in consequence significant medical risks. If the habitation is equipped with a mechanical system of air extraction (VMC), a supplementary air intake is obligatory for the room where the stove is positioned. In any event, this air supply is recommended. The section of the air supply pipe, must be at least 4 dm2. This air supply can be blocked when the appliance is not functioning and must not be placed facing the dominant winds but on the leeward wall, or better at the sides. During the performance of the appliance, to make sure that it is free of any obstruction. If other fireplaces can be brought into service simultaneously, to envisage sections of supplies of fresh air additional for these appliances. Hope it helps

svp.co.uk, excellent service.

my car has so far passed 3 cts with RHD headlights, but with manufacturers lenses over them, these have black strip to remove directed beam.

There MAY be some tax to pay on it, but depends on certain conditions: Even if it's your main residence, IF you have made a full renovation, and you sell within 5 years of purchase, then you will be liable for TVA on the total sell price (according to my notaire,  we are holding off selling ours for 1 more year to meet the 5 yr rule). You need to seek expert advice from your notaire, you can ask for a devis to include total taxes payable.

Why use lightscribe, when you can buy glossy coated discs that will fit into some inkjet printers, and produce a photo quality cd/dvd in colour; not just black on a coloured background?

MAP for sticking board to a wall. Mortier Adhesif Platre (IIRC), just a word of caution though, it needs to be much more than 5 dabs on the back, more like 25 for a full sheet of board. And the biggest thing to be aware of, is: if the wall (that you are sticking the board to) is in any way damp, the MAP will absorb and pass the damp through to the back of the board, and will in time lead to an awful small of mould, the cardboard layer on the board will rot away over a few years, and your board will no longer be secure. If you have a spare 5 cms, much better to use metal rail and fix the board to that.

Leroy Merlins do a fireproof cement board, that is much cheaper than fire-resistant plasterboard, can't for the life of me remember what its called.

Can't answer the first part about the fosse pipes, but the second part regarding downpipes, it depends where you live, in our village a definate no-no. Ask at the Mairie for a definitive answer (get it in writing) for your location.

We chose to take up the old wooden floor, dig out about 2 feet deep, (concrete and earth). and then dug 3 trenches, 1 at each side and 1 in the middle. Laid reinforced concrete footings, and then a damp proof  course, then buiult a small dwarf wall, with air gaps. On the dwarf walls we used 300mm x 50mm joists across the span, and then insulated in between before laying Hydrofuge T&G flooring. We also installed, a 90m3/hr fan to bring air (from vents in external wall) to increase air movement under floor to keep any damp at bay. The damp air is vented out a eaves level. This works an absolute treat, and we have a lovely dry warm longere as a result. If you do the work yourself, it isn't that expensive, (just time consuming) just the cost of concrete, beams, flooring and insulation.(and a fan).

Hope you've got broadband, as its an Adobe .pdf file and they can take quite a while to download, but persevere, it has all the info you require: http://www.archi.fr/CAUE93/conseil/pdf/shonshob.pdf Good luck

http://www.promoconso.net/ For those that like the regular Brico Depot catalogue with arrivages, (and all the other junk mail) click the link above and then the bricolage link on the LHS.

La société Mondial Relay, SAS au capital de 39060 euros, immatriculée au Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés de Roubaix sous le numéro B 385218631 et dont le siège social est sis, ZAC des 4 vents - 4 avenue Pinay - 59510 HEM ; Numéro de TVA Intracommunautaire FR 39.385.218.631Téléphone : +(33)(0)892 707 617*, Fax : (+33)(0)3 20 20 23 78 (ci-après " Mondial Relay ") Have you tried a fax?