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Space in my Van


Saucedecochon
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[quote user="Saucedecochon"]Oh, and if I want to start an in depth discussion of merits or otherwise of various French v English building material, or techniques, of entirely no relevance to transport, I will of course go to the forum section on building. There is one I believe.[/quote]

If you look at the British houses for sale on Green Acres and houses for sale in the UK on 'right move' they all look the same. Same flooring, same kitchens, toilet in the bathroom, magnolia paint. They all look the same.

I just might give that forum a miss if that is the imagination of British renovation.

Sometimes I get the urge to move back to the UK and then I look at the renovations in the UK and realise I am better off in France. A toilet in a bathroom !!!!!! Walls custard yello. Closed kitchens. Washing machine in your kitchen. Arrrrrg.

Anyway, renovation in France is a mugs game. Well unless it is your hobby. But it must be the world's most expensive hobby. I can think of better things to waste money on.

You could learn how to fly a passenger plane for the same price.
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Please, oh please post some photographs of your exclusive and no doubt superb refurbishments to your properties. I'm sure we could all deal with our inferiority complex once we've virtually visited your perfectly hand built examples of paradise you wax so lyrically about. Please, pretty please.

Oh hang on, I thought you said that's a mugs game? Er, slightly confused.

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[quote user="BritinBretagne"]He might be starting with lovely stone walls but he’s renovating. That will mean covering all that lovely stone with insulation, plasterboard, British plaster and British paint. It’s much easier to buy a new estate house anywhere in the UK if you’re after that sort of ambience.[/quote]

and you may as well live in Cornwall or Wales if Brittany is your "ambience" (wtf is that anyway).

You don't know me, the area, the house, my plans, but the bile still flows. None of your business really, so please, respectfully, butt out.

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I'm ok for a lift thanks Sauce, but am staggered by the cr4p you've been given over this, but then again...maybe I should just adopt a "what did you expect" shrug.

ALBF, your posts have come on leaps and bounds recently. Balanced, entertaining of course, genuine even. So much so I was considering lifting the "ner ner nee ner ner" sentence. Alas, parole denied.

If I were you Sauce, unless you get a kick from it, don't feed the attention seekers.

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[quote user="Saucedecochon"][quote user="BritinBretagne"]He might be starting with lovely stone walls but he’s renovating. That will mean covering all that lovely stone with insulation, plasterboard, British plaster and British paint. It’s much easier to buy a new estate house anywhere in the UK if you’re after that sort of ambience.[/quote]

and you may as well live in Cornwall or Wales if Brittany is your "ambience" (wtf is that anyway).

You don't know me, the area, the house, my plans, but the bile still flows. None of your business really, so please, respectfully, butt out.[/quote]

You made a fairly comprehensive list about what you would be bringing from the UK. It doesn’t take too much imagination to work out what you are going to do with it.

By the way, you choice of language is debatable.
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Thanks for the van-space offer.

I read some of these replies and it all comes flooding back, the reasons that I stopped trying to contribute. It's a kind of cosy closed club, and if your views don't match, you're very much an outsider. I don't care if someone wants to cover their interior exposed stone walls just so they can be comfortable in the depths of winter. Live and let live. French paint is OK, some of it very good. Easier to buy stuff in UK - probably, no language problem. "I've been here longer than you..." So what ?

Bon route, Sauce
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That's about it sid, I've not been here for a few years until now as I was quite happy, am quite happy, prepping for retirement, enjoying the sun and pool. Its incredible the thread led to the assumption based comment that's been posted, some as a direct result of reading what's not actually there.

Not sure I mentioned bringing French paint, or English, except I won't bring it because its a bugger to clean if spilt on the family heirlooms! (mixed loads). My only preference, having tried many, very expensive French exterior paints, is for exterior Sandtex gloss which works out about half price, and has good resistance to extreme heat (on shutters) given proper back to wood preparation.

The plasterboard I'm using, for a French plaque/platre system for outer walls (which are not stone, but wafer thin brick) is from Leclerc.

I have a friend who gets UK trade on insulation, so bought enough 75mm Celotex to insulate loft spaces in a re-roofed grenier (which introduced Tyvek TLX uv25 to our French roofers),and our gite, which is already paying dividends in retained warmth and reduced energy costs. The roof is tuile canal, so the membrane prevents leaks making it through, should we get any slippage, and gives a small degree of insulation. The 75 mm C.Tex between rafters, and 100mm wool between joists in ceiling, mean I control almost all energy loss, from living space, down to virtually zero, and who wouldn't unless you win the lottery every week, as energy cost will continue to rise and the pension we'll get is fixed. Like I said insulation support net at low cost is easier than most to install wool into joists while spaces are open.

Boron paints and injection into timber are a reasonably environmentally friendly cure all for wood boring insects and dry rot mycelium. we've had the termite treated but I'm belt and braces here - everything that lives eats wood!

I don't really have a language problem, after 17 years owning and prior stints working and hitching France; but there are things better in France, and those better in England.

The Thermalites just happen to fit between joists above wall plates, with minimum cutting, where replacing rotten wood beams has loosened the original old brick and mortar infill atop wall plates. Beton cellulaire wasn't right sizes or thickness's without dusty days cutting and cementing. Extra noggins will help too.

No additional heating, bar the chiminee, so 3 bites on the heat - direct into room, for water via back boiler, and from forced warm air out of chiminee air space. I have half a hectare of woodland, coppiced and mixed timber, so aim to cut bought in energy to as close to zero, after dropping a big b*****k running the gite off tank propane which nearly bankrupted us prior to insulation.

Electrics and plumbing, all French, lady artisans too.

I've posted - the rest is French, and very pleased with quality and price too.

I've done my research, priced every bit with 3 or more quotes on stuff (we work too hard to give it away), checked with trades here and in France for availability etc.

This is why I'm not rammed full every trip, and ergo my offer.

I didn't want an epistle, just trying to help, so hope its now clear, its all been thought through, and I'll avail myself of French "liberte", and do my gaff the way I please, while letting others do the same.

Now, space anyone?
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[quote user="Yonner"]I'm ok for a lift thanks Sauce, but am staggered by the cr4p you've been given over this, but then again...maybe I should just adopt a "what did you expect" shrug.

ALBF, your posts have come on leaps and bounds recently. Balanced, entertaining of course, genuine even. So much so I was considering lifting the "ner ner nee ner ner" sentence. Alas, parole denied.

If I were you Sauce, unless you get a kick from it, don't feed the attention seekers.[/quote]

I'm afraid all I expected was only anyone who might want a bit of transport would respond?

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I said on the other thread, your post would have died a death in two days had it not been for some quick intervention on my part. It may have got ten views max and then disappeared into the World Wide wilderness.

Your thread is now 8 pages long with 1500 views.

Thank me.

Have you sold your van space yet ?

If not, have a look at Fretbay. Wink, Wink.
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