Stuart

Speaking only on the tile front, at most, depending on tile size and complexity of the walls (how many corners etc etc) I would charge 20-25 Euro psm inclusive of materials. Try getting individual trade quotes, it's harder to hike costs up if individualised tasks. Where are you based ? Good Luck  

I have always used EGG WHITES as the solvent glue...Can use it even when the fire is lit and hot...Worked wonders over the last 20 odd years of woodburners...In fact, the fire NEEDS to be lit to "cook" the egg whites..At least you get no loss of fire for 12 hours..

Give or take a few mtrs...5,500 = 1 acre.

Enduit a joint...Various sized bags...Mix with water, and when dried, so soft/easy to rub back. WWW.homepratik.fr. It's the specific product for jointing boards.

If you get mice enter the gap behind the boards , they are bad enough with the fiberglass insulation...They'll thank you eternally for shredded paper...

I guess speed comes from practice...I put the mix on a mortar board and apply with several sized filling blades. The trouble can arise on larger gaps, the jointing will slowly fall out unless it is quite a stiff mix. And even worse, if you're going for a flat result, you'll have to rub down and second fill everywhere. (Do not joint over untaped joints it will eventually show cracks)

Cost cutting, I now use the metal railings from stud walls which are a fraction the price of timber battens.They screw just as easilly to the beams... I cut the boards in 120cm widths, nothing longer as its hard to single handedly screw up...Cut fractionally oversized, then offer up and pencil the bits that need shaping...Use a tool, hand held rasper thingy that shaves off the unwanted areas...Then, the worst bit, fill all the lines...I use slightly drier than norm jointing compound.....Labouious, but effective.. Good Luck

Good vets practice in Confolens... Place de Dr de Faut (sp)  05 45 85 58 58....Off top square in town. Also opp side of railway station carpark in Chabanais...Don't know their tel #. I assume you have passable telephone French !   T

16500 Confolens Pads.. I recall getting sunburnt 2 years ago in November whilst strimming some wild area on our land. Even had drinks outside on Xmas day....But, as we were living in 2 static mobile homes at the time whilst our 2 dwellings were being worked on, it sank to minus 16 in February...(Bloody cold)...But hey...we now live in 1 of those houses and it is warm (must get some wood in for winter)... 

I love shopping(spending Dosh) its my second nature...But I also try to get through to November in shorts. That,s why I came to France 5 years ago.Though I have to say, the jury is still out on if it was a wise move..Job wise..being a registered artisan and still £25,000 down on UK earnings...But hey, baccy and wine is cheaper...Plus no mortgage

What's wrong with you all ! I'm still in shorts and t-shirts. Temp is still above 20 C in day light

Sorry to be slightly off topic, but.... As a regular lurker on this forum I have oft followed Chris Heads threads...Marvelled at his skills with a "sharp" chainsaw to the point that I've made a note of contact details for possible future sculptures...I clearly missed the last years thread on "alcohol"...Do I  take it that Chris from time to time needs a little "away" time ?  I ceased reading after the trauma of 1977 English A levels (aside from the Stephen Clarke "Merde" series of books.So can not offer my literary collection for perusal...But wish the chap well for me....Where in France does he hail from ? ps...Sorry for the overuse of "..." Regards..Stuart Park

Buy the contentsyourself and make it. My wife did several years ago and we're still on the same batch. 

I live within 2 1/2 hours of Bordeaux. Mr.Bowie is a good 2 hours drive from you. I throw in the fact that he has another 2 properties within the French main land. He has only visited these houses twice in the last 6 years. I know he occassionaly browses forums..Hence my obligation to remain tight lipped.Plus I was a fan from 1969..

He does have a "pad" in France, not more than 30 minutes from my place. I know this because I've done work on it 3 years ago and met the gent for the 6th time in my life going back over 30 years. He's even on my Xmas card list..

Just make sure you see the reciepts... We all pay generaly 19.6 TVA  on goods bought...But some will charge TVA on top of their reciepts (ie: double...1 lot for the shop and 1 lot for their bank). You should offer to pay all materials on sight of the shop reciept.. I registered above the"micro" system due to potential future earnings.I understood that Micro could not charge TVA in any circumstances. But I'm sure some better educated than I could shoot that argument down....

Hi Paul. If I understand your terminology ref the top/bottom butting up... Do you mean that you've got the tapered edge joined to untapered edge ? It does happen from time to time, especially if you're trying to use up odd sized boards..........What I do, picked up a long time ago from seeing someone else doing it, is with a blade, shave off the hard/acute edge of the untapered side....Only a little bit, to much off and your taping will not spread the width of the joint.This reduces the small kick in the 2 surfaces.....2 coats of jointing compound sanding after each....Works for me.....I also only use the adhesive webbing tape on all non angled surfaces (Some prefer paper tape)...Because the paper will fur up if the joint is sanded on a bad joint. Thats what I do, time served but self taught, no official training...but still going after 15 + years..Hope this made sense. Good Luck Stuart

I used to be the sole decorator on a Wimpey Site in Norwich many moons ago... All modern sites are only plasterboard and jointed...Using only dulux high opacity emulsions, we only ever 2 coated the boards....One can poo poo the modern houses, but believe me, if the joints could have been seen we'd have been told, not only by the independant snaggers, but the purchasers as well....Here in France I have never primed the boards, just 2 coats of good quality emulsion....No joints visible...I also do the boarding and jointing as well...Once again, the slightest hint of a joint and apart from the fact that I am my own worst critic, the clients have never seen a joint.... I have tried these sous-couch products, and whilst they do their job well, they are not technically needed...As I see it.....Horses for courses...Other opinions can differ..I stand by mine.

Don't use the old Paper Paste. It might dry and look ok, but when rolling/brushing on the emulsion it will become slimey again and will mess with the paint.....Bite the bullet or wait till promos occur and buy your very own paint (Not for other 1/2)..

If you forget about emulsions all together.... Go for oil based white undercoat,  followed by a satin/eggshell white oil based paint for topcoat... Effect is still white, but spongable etc in later years. Its worked to good effect on several jobs I've done recently.

You're Lucky to have Varnished shutters..... I've not got round to fitting ours yet...Or rendering the internal walls...And on... 

Not a typo Norman....145 for tax habitation... I believe that well over 100 E of that relates to a TV licence... Win some, lose some I think..

I'm starting to get realy confused with the replies covering such a wide area of France. We live in dept 16 (Charante)...Have 60 acres and 2 houses contained within... We pay 145 tax habitation and 1700 Tax fonciere... We are addressed as Confolens, although 1 km outside the town.... Just goes to show the large differences between communes. Regards  

Many moons ago I picked Shane Macgowan of the Pogues out of the Urinals at Athens Airport. I also shared a stage with Rowan Atkinson, he was the lead actor, I was in the 1st form and in a bin liner on the side of the stage...