Grand Designs ?

[Piprob]

Those looking for plaster wall blocks, les murs en platre bloc, may find the following useful:

http://www.entreprendre-bricolage.com/trucs.asp?fiche=cloiscxp

[Punch]

[quote]One thing that made my jaw drop was the interlocking plaster blocks to make up the walls. I thought that they were phenomenal. I have never seen anything like before except in a child's house building...[/quote]

I've never seen them in the Uk but have seen them in other EU countries. They are available easily in builders merchants here and are called carreau de platre. I am building a bathroom for a client with the water resistant ones at the moment. One of the advantages is they can be only 5cm thick which can have it's advantages on lower walled construction where space is limited. If they are laid correctly (it's very important to start off perfectly square and level), and the correct jointing colle is used to construct the wall, a very good finish can be obtained. They can be cut with a disc cutter (outside!) or inside with a hand masonary saw. If you have cables than need to be flushed in then you have to cut very carefully with a disc grinder or what we use is a purpose built chasing machine.

Paul

 

[Alexis]

What joy!  Trendy at last!  My kitchen is made from these blocks.  What with the boards for the work surface and the boards for the shelves, it must have cost me all of 60 quid.  Dinky little curtains.....  Sadly, everything is now in containers because of the mice.

All my own work too.  So what if it leans a bit

[jrhartley]

To be honest, I don't know if you can really call where their chalet was "Les Gets" - I'm 90% confident its on Mont Caly, which is a bit like calling Luton part of London.  If it was EUR250,000 for the site, then that's probably a bit toppy for Mt. Caly - I think their chalet is at the top, so its not snow-cleared in winter, so that obviously affects rental potential / valuation.  Also a fairly long and windy drive down to the lifts - you could ski from the door in the morning, but put it this way, it would be ski touring.  I thought he said the price for the kitchen was EX-appliances, in which case I think that's bonkers.

Anyone interested in buying in Gets should be aware of the problems that the Maire is creating - he recently went to Brussels to try to put an injunction on Brits buying any more property in the town (he got told to stop being so silly).  He also has been recently placing compulsory purchase orders on places and there is an awful lot of planning blight owing to the l'egout / water issues.  So plenty to think about for those looking at Gets.  Its too British for my liking anyway, I'm happy just down the road in my sleepy hameau.

[Paolo]

I want to add my support for the presenter of Grand Designs. I love this guy! One week he reveals he speaks fluent Italian, the next he is speaking fluent French, and one you missed - for some reason he was skiing at the beginning of one programme recently and guess what, he skis like a god. This guy is so posh he could be Royal. But he's a builder called Kevin.

Paolo

[Dave&Olive]

love the programme love no like kevin he is a god every programme not just the french ones . building an eco friendly house of wood and straw refused planning permission so the house will be pulled down when he died BRILLIANT