SENCO

Everyone - thanks very much for your comments

hello - thanks for your reply. Concerning the polythene membrane - yes - it's a vapur barrier and i am just copying what iis on ybs website - http://ybsinsulation.com/superquilt14.htm - I am just worried about moist air from inside meeting the cold from outside and condensing onto the roof timbers and creating a problem later. The builder put a layer of some kind of reinforced polythene  underneath the tiles (a bit like roof felting used to be used here) and as i said I have now put Rockwool between the joists and stapled this tri-iso to the joists, then put 25mm cross battoning on to create the the required gap between the p/board and the tri-iso to get the full insulation effect. You seem to think that ordinary p/board will do and that I do not need to create a vapour barrier with polythene or  use foil backed board - is this what you suggest? - Again - thanks for your reply

Seeing the posting by "trees" on metal battons and plasterboard has raised a question for me - can wood be used instead of metal battons to make a normal studding partition wall as in the UK?

Hello - the pitch of the roof forms part of the upstairs room in the barn we have, i.e. there is no ceiling. I have put 75mm Rockwool between the joists and then stapled "tri-iso" ( the insultion matl. contructed of ali foil/multi layer insulation/ali foil) to the joists to form a blanket of this material on the inside of the roof . In accordance with good practice (eg - data sheet from Yorkshire Building Supplies which shows how to use their "superquilt" ( www.ybsinsulation.com/PDFs/superquilt.pdf) I have then put battoning onto which I have started to fasten the plasterboard. I have now been told that it's advisable to use foil backed p/board or produce a polythene moisture barrier between the p/board and the "tri iso". Given that the "tri-iso" must be a moisture barrier in itself is it necessary to use foil backed p/board in the roof ? - If I didn't use foil backed p/board, and  constructed a polythene membrane behind the p/board,  what thickness or gauge should the  polythene be please and do all joints have to be taped etc? Thanks for your help

We are hoping to build a pergola off the end of the house this summer, to measure about 4m x 5m. Although there will be no roof on it of course it will catch the wind etc when plants have grown up and over it so I need to make sure it's robust - are there any guidelines or books on timber sizes etc for building one of these or is it best to just go and look at someone elses? Do I need planning permission for a pergola of this size, - and if i do is there a size I gan build that does not require it? Thanks      

Hello  -a bit of advice if possible please. The house i have has been wired using "souple" cable (inside gaine)and it received a Consuel.  I am mindful to replace the flex with more traditinal three single strand wires just because then it would be more normal. What are the rules in france with regard to re-wiring?  Do I need to apply for permission? - and when I have finished does it need inspecting again by the Consuel - or some other competent body? If I put a new socket  in - do i have to go thro' any rigmarole like apply for planning permissin etc? All the sockets are wired with the live on the right looking at the socket but i bought a couple of sockets the other week which were somewhat unusual in that the connections were marked "L" and "N" and the "L" was on the left looking at the socket. If I use these sockets it would be prudent i think to connect as marked (i.e live on the left) - would that generate a probl;em with any regs etc since i would then have in the house sockets connected in different modes? Thanks

Thanks for your reply:) Gordon

Thanks for your reply :) Gordon

Thanks for your help:)

Hello - am new to this forum so not sure how it all works - but here goes! I have wired sockets with live on the right - looking at the socket or at the back of a plug, - since none of the termimnals of the sockets i bought (Legrand) were marked which was live and which was neutral.. however I bought a socket the other week and it had "L" marked  on the left (looking at the socket in position) - have I wired mine the wrong way? The double (legrand) sockets seem to be set so that no matter how you wired them one socket would have "P andN reversed" - this means that if you had a switched appliance plugged in then it could be that the return was switched - rather than the live. Is this ok in France? I have more questions to ask but as i am new to this i had better ask them one at a time:) Thanks in advance