ventodue
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Posts posted by ventodue
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[quote user="Jonzjob"]This is one of our little visitors ... [/quote]That's an interesting photo, John - thanks for posting. That colouring is quite unusual, I think (I was even wondering whether it was a Southern Smooth Snake; but the head markings don't look right).If he/she should happen to return, might you be able to get a close up photo of the scales on the top and side of the head? Their size and arrangement is the only certain means of ID.TIACraig
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[quote user="Jonzjob"]SWMBO has just walked within a couple of feet of a small Montpelier snake that lives in our garden. <snip> [/quote]Nice, Jonzjob. They're meant to be fairly common round here, but - and this despite their name! - I rarely see any [8-)]. "Discrete" is how I've seen them described ...Handsome beasts, as you say. And the adults can be impressively large ...[:-))]
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[quote user="Val_2"]I NEVER said anything about chopping snakes up at all. [/quote]And I never said you did. However, what you DID say, and it was these words which I chose to caracterise as stupid and irrational, was:[quote user="Val_2"]Horrible nasty slithery things which bite or constrict you. I am not alone either, most people hate them and would not trust them not to attack. [/quote](And I remind you that this was following your earlier advice that the mere presence of an unidentified species of snake was something worth consulting the Mairie or the Gendarmarie about ...)
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[quote user="Val_2"]Cannot abide snakes of any kind. Horrible nasty slithery things which bite or constrict you. I am not alone either, most people hate them and would not trust them not to attack. [/quote]Well, I find it sad that you feel that way, Val_2, allowing stupid, irrational prejudices to get the better of enlightened knowledge. But then that's the world we increasingly seem to be living in ... It's a shame, and it does you no credit, that you should be part of it..
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[quote user="vette"]We had an encounter with a similar sounding Snake a while back. It turned out to be an 'Aesculapian' Snake. It was black with yellow markings, around 5 feet long and looked quite threatening as it was ready to strike out at my missus.They are also called Rat Snakes and are the symbol used on Doctors badges.They are a constrictor and not venomous.[/quote]Could be, Vette, could be ... altho' Aesculapian tends to be fairly uniform yellow-brown or grey-brown-black in colour without any, or only faint, rings. They do sometimes have spots of white/pale above and also pale, often yellowish, bellies.I suspect Loiseau has got it right with Western Whip Snake (see my posting on the other thread), but we'll have to wait to see what Angie says.P.s Thanks for pointing out that Aesculapian is not venemous.
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[quote user="Val_2"]Personally I would go to the Mairie and ask them for help as if it is a venomous creature, someone could get bitten or worse.Failing that, enquire at the local Gendarmerie as to the nearest expert in reptiles who might come out and take it away. If it were me, I would want the thing removed regardless of being poisonous or not or even a pet. Better safe than sorry![/quote]Spoken like a true native there, Val2. Why not just chop the innocuous thing in half with a spade? Jeez ... 50 years of environmental education and what have we learnt?
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[quote user="Angie"]We found a snake curled up around our water stopcock in the garden - its down a nice deep hole so safe and cosy. It was black with yellow rings, about a finger in diameter and from what we could estimate about 40 - 50 cms long. A friend in UK who knows a lot about these things said it sounded like a King snake ... <snip>[/quote](IMO, 'He don't know so much ...'). 'Pound to a penny' it's a Western Whip Snake, Fr. Couleuvre verte et jaune, Hierophis viridiflavus. Have a look at this photo:http://www.natureswindow.dk/HBR/hbr675-25.jpg... and any others you can find on Tinterweb. However, just be aware that colourings and marking can and do vary with snakes - this is because, for reasons I won't go into here, appearance isn't very important to them.A common enuf species altho', like all snakes in France, in decline. Neither poisonous nor dangerous.P.s For all practical purposes, there are only 2 species of poisonous snakes in France: Adders, the same species as you find in UK, but which only found in the north of France; and Asps which are found only in the south. These latter are generally timorous beasties, but problems can occur because their preferred method of defence is to flatten out and keep still. This doesn't really work with over-excited dogs, however, who can occassionally suffer the consequences of their boisterousness....
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[quote user="Sydney and Huggy"]Everything is solid, nothing moving at all. <snip> [/quote]
Well, SOMETHING is - it's the reason the flaunching is failing [:)]. (And is also why Steve, aka grumpyaudeman, posed the question ... )
Basically, you've got movement due to the different expansion rates of the stone wall and the lean-to roof. To deal with the problem, you need to either:
1. Use a flexible flashing band to cover the joint between the roof and the wall. This kinda stuff:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/225mm-FlashBand-Flashing-Roofing-Flash/dp/B004LKDVDS
This solution is cheap, but not pretty [:(].
2. (If you can) Install a stepped flashing into the joints of the stone wall to cover the existing zinc soakers (note the correct roofing terminology btw). Put 'Stepped flashing' into Google images to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
This is the 'proper' way to do things; but it's more expensive, and is a right PITA (if not impossible) to do in a random-coursed wall. But even that can be done ...
http://www.fickbros.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014-08-06-Dan-16.jpg
HTH
Craig
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Well, 'cos Matelot then goes on to talk about cement, not lime, starting with, "The source of the cement is the local builders merchant ..." and then, "it is not possible ... to deliver ready-mix cement to the cave" and, "wet ready-mix cement will be collected .." etc etc.
But I agree there does seem to be some confusion about exactly what we're talking about ... [8-)], which is kinda important given that cement and lime don't share the same handling and curing/setting properties.
P.s And, of course, it's not 'cement' anyways in the last two examples quoted above, 'cement' being correctly a "Powdery substance made by calcining lime and clay" (OED). Add an aggregate to it, and it becomes 'mortar' or 'concrete'. But hey, that's just being pernickety...[:D]
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Hi Matelot,
OK, you may risk losing some of the water in the mix as the lorry bumps down the road. But remember that most of the water in the mix is only there to make it workeable, i.e. it's not required to make the cement set. So, should the need arise, you can always add a small amount of water once the mix arrives on site (but see ps below).
But essentially my advice is the same as AnOther: talk to the batching plant about adding a retarder. As you may imagine, you're not the first to have been confronted by this kind of problem [:-))]. Even in the UK, batching plants can be some distance from the construction site and the solution is to add a retarder (and keep the drum turning.; but that doesn't apply here [:)]).
Also, be sure to let the batching plant know what the mix is for, i.e. a floor. They can then design the mix so that it flows well and self-levels as much as poss (by selecting the most suitable aggregate and/or by using property modifying additives). You want to make this job as easy as you can. Unless you really like making life hard for yourself, don't try knocking up 3 cubic metres of concrete in a mixer ...
P.s Just be aware that all that excess water has to escape somehow. It does this by evaporating through micropores in the concrete. However, if it evaporates too fast, you risk getting cracks in the surface of the slab. To stop this, once the slab is laid, cover it with sheets of polythene as it cures. If it's really hot, lightly spray the top of the slab with water. But again - not too much! Otherwise the top of the slab can turn dusty.
HTH
Craig
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Hi Jon,
Try Serapias lingua (Tongue Orchid) - go http://www.tela-botanica.org/bdtfx-nn-73975-synthese
Or S. parviflora (Small-flowered Tongue Orchid) - go http://www.tela-botanica.org/bdtfx-nn-63203-synthese
And yes, according to Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean, Blamey & Grey-Wilson, these two hybridise readily.
P.s Here's a comprehensive French orchid identification site: http://perso.numericable.fr/~durbphil/Ouv2&Listalpha&Pres/sitorchidouv2.htm
S. lingua is here: http://perso.numericable.fr/~durbphil/F_NeoTraunSera/Slingua.htm
HTH
Craig
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[quote user="mint"]You can't jet clean the surface too vigorously because you'll loosen the stones.[/quote]Good point! It is, 'spray off' the uncured cement, not 'jet it off' [:-))]!
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[quote user="jerrycan"] Off topic are you the ventodue I've seen on other forums with a bevel drive Ducati?[/quote]Strangely ... yes! You'll have to reveal your alto ego, now ... [:D]
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[quote user="jerrycan"]What exactly are the techniques involved?[/quote]
It's called an 'Exposed Aggregate Finish', and one method (for example) involves spraying a chemical known as a concrete retarder onto the surface of the fresh concrete and then returning 12-24 hours afterwards to spray and/or brush off the un-cured surface of cement, thereby exposing the aggregate.
This isn't the only way, but is the most usual. Have a look on Tinternet under 'exposed aggregate'. Can be fun, but best to practice on a sample area to hone your technique before launching into the real thing ... [:D]
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Hi Angie,
The magic word that works in my local Pages Jaunes is 'goudron/goudronnage'. Try also: 'bitume', 'aspahlte', 'macadam', 'enrobé/enrobement'.
HTH
Craig
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[quote user="ventodue"] <snip> So more research needed, I feel. [/quote]
Me again, Steve [:)].
Have a look here, for example:
http://balustrade.comprendrechoisir.com/comprendre/normes-hauteur-garde-corps
I found this by searching 'normes+ garde corps'.
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Hi Steve,
You're right to be cautious - there will be normes for balustrades, and for good reasons. Too many people have had accidents due to badly designed or executed balustrading.
For example, and as Théière has said, the UK Building Regs used to (and may still) require balusters to be close enuf together so that a 100mm ball cannot pass between them. Why? 'cos 100mm is about the size of a baby's head (and where a baby's head can go, the rest can follow). As to height, the top rail for an external balustrade must be at least 1100mm above datum. 'Datum' here means what you'd normally be standing on to look over. Why? 'cos 1100 is above the hip height of most adults, and it's from your hip that you pivot if you ever topple over a handrail.
In addition ...
Balustrades have to be able to resist a certain level of sideways pressure. This is to prevent it giving way if someone falls or gets pushed against it. So, for example:
"For external balconies, and in light office areas not susceptible to overcrowding, the handrail must be able to withstand a pressure of 0.74 kN/m. This can be compared to having an averagely weighing person of 75kg applying the full force of their body on every metre of the balcony."
So more research needed, I feel.
HTH
Craig
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[quote user="Lehaut"]Concrete is not too pretty, top layer of nice gravel brought to the top with either acid or jet spray gives a more appealing look.[/quote]This is a sloping driveway? Well, if you live somewhere where it freezes in winter, you should rather think about tamping some diagonal grooves into the concrete to provide grip for vehicle tyres. It might not look so nice; but a run-away on ice can have nasty consequences ...
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[quote user="Angie"]We have clay soil has a lot of rock in it ...[/quote]
Hmmm. I trust this doesn't mean you're intending to pour the slab directly on to the ground, i.e. with no sub-base? [:-))]. The ground and the concrete slab have to be able to move differentially, or you risk the concrete cracking. That's one of the jobs of the sub-base.
[quote user="Angie"] ...Definitely using the wire mess (sic) ..[/quote]
I trust you are aware that the primary purpose of the mesh is to resist shrinkage as the concrete cures ? It adds nothing to the compressive strength of the finished product.
[quote user="Angie"] ... as it's a large area want to get it right first time.[/quote]
Plan carefully. Don't try to do it all at once. Partition the area up into small bays with expansion joints between them. Once that concrete hits the ground, there is no going back ...
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[quote user="Quillan"] Now I have realised that (because the tiles are sitting on chipboard) the leak through the tiles could be anywhere .. <snip> [/quote]
A very wise observation! Just be aware that chasing the source of minor leaks can be a deeply, deeply frustrating pass time [:'(], with the point of entry often being a considerable distance away from the eventual point of exit. In small quantities, water can track a surprisingly long way across a horizontal surface before eventually reaching a barrier which, altho' almost imperciptible, is just enuf to make it start to drip, drip, drip ...
That said, and as other have advised, do cast a very suspicious eye on all your flashings and cement joints. If the leak only occurs in heavy rain, they, IME, are a more likely culprit than a cracked tile.
[quote user="Quillan"] I really am now worried that the whole roof will have to come off and be replaced all because of a small leak that only happens when it rains hard. [/quote]
No, won't come to that .. honest![:-))]
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[quote user="idun"] edit, everytime I think about any of this stuff it has me shuddering in disgust.[/quote]
Ah, but we are all just a dinner plate for something else ...[:)] [:-))]
Great thread, this. I now know more about scabies than any reasonable person should ... [:D]
P.s You can let your friends know they don't need to be too worried - apparently the mites don't survive for very long outside a human host, so there was little chance of any one else being infected. But I do agree that not being told was pretty lame, to say the least ...
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Last week, Leroy Merlin was selling 12 litres (10 litres + 2 extra) of Ripolin 'RénovExpress' Matt White Acrylic for 39.90€.
And it's covering in a single coat (walls not painted in 7 years of tenant occupation, so you can imagine what they're like). And it doesn't spatter. Can't say fairer than that ....[:)]
Craig
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[quote user="Quillan"] <snip> ... get professional, qualified and independent advice. I have no clue what you would call one of these people in France but they must exist.[/quote]
Indeed they do, Quillan [:)]. Tap 'Expert+diagnostic+fuites' into your preferred search engine to get a bucketload (ha, ha!) of propositions. Like this lot, for example, who appear to operate in MrFixit's patch ...
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Lots of good info in the posts above. A few comments:
1. Before dismissing condensation as a possible cause, please consider knee gel's point (reinforced by Quillan's post) about condensation ocurring in unoccupied buildings. It's not unusual, being all to do with relative humidity levels and the dew point.
2. If you tell me where you are in the Languedoc, I may be able to tell you what the rock is. The area is mainly limestone, of course; but there also some areas of volcanic intrusions, while the Espinouse/Montagne Noire is metamorphic - mainly schists, but also some granite.
3. If you suspect a broken drain, there's no need to dig the road up to find it! Breaks in drains are found using an endoscope camera - these kind of things:
Do you know who might be responsible for any drains that might run under, or within the potential 'catchment area' of, your building?
4. Please do not pay too much attention to whoever is advising you to, "to take the plaster off to stop the wicking and cover with polystyrene backed placo. then sell the house."
a) I don't understand what he/she/you mean by 'plaster 'wicking' the water'. If you have rising damp, it's not the plaster that is the problem - nor is it a problem if the damp is due to condensation! Taking the plaster off will achieve nothing apart from leaving you with an unfinished wall - and a damp problem!
b) As Chancer has warned, sticking insulated plasterboard on a wall suffering from rising damp (or any other form of water penetration) will just make the problem worse - much, much worse. Insulated plasterboard is, however, a suitable response to cold bridging, a phenomenen which, btw, encourages condensation.
c) Selling the house in the knowledge that there is a damp problem which you have now been advised, wrongly or not, is due to rising damp - and which your letting agent is also aware of - but not disclosing it will open you up to legal action under the principle of 'vices cachés' (hidden defects).
Anyone clued up on snakes?
in Wildlife/Nature/Environment
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