good french renovation book?

[Soozie]

Can anyone suggest a good french (or english) book about renovating an old french house?

We are finally making the leap from renting to buying, and have just signed the papers on a house from early 1900's that needs a bit of love and we need as much help as we can get!

Thanks in advance.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

Hi

Where are you buying? French houses differ quite a bit from region to region so it's difficult to offer specific advise..but i will anyway! After 3 yrs on my house don't bother with a book. Common sense, trial and error and talking to locals who have done something similar will start you in the right direction. I'm afraid if you have to read it from a book then you've got a long, slow slog ahead of you.

good luck anyway

[Soozie]

Thanks for the reply. We are in the North--lots of brick and lots of torchi. We know a good deal about houses, but it's the terminology we're a little stuck on. We are a danish-american couple who know about danish and american houses--it would just be nice to have something on hand for the french equivalent.

 

 

[HoneySuckleDreams]

find a local book store (le'clerc etc). They normally have "Local" authors who write about the local region, which normally includes building/architecture/local history type stuff.

[Anton Redman]

"Construire ou Renover sa Maison" - Published by Editions Denoel - ISBN 2-207-2562-0. Available from the book section of the Hypermarkets.

In French but so full of illustrations it is almost a Cartoon Strip. Better than some dictionaries for find the right word.

"The Housebuilders Bible" - Mark Brinkley -Rodelia Litd - ISBN
0-9524852-4-9

Completely UK orientated but full of time estimates for jobs, cost comparisons and general information. Worth a read while you are planning in the UK

"How to Renovate a House in France" - Ackers,Aumont and Carslake - Ascent Publishing - ISBN 0954669-3-4 Attractive coffee table book. but not enough hands on for my taste.

"Dictionary of Building & Civil Engineering" / "Dictionaire du Batiment et Du Genie Civil - Don Montague - E & FN Spon - ISBN 0 419 19910 1 ( Now even more expensive and includes German )

Generally useful but some interesting phrases which I have not met
'Air de appoint' = 'Make Up Air' and lists
'Wing Screw' = 'vis a ailettes' ( screw for wing of house ?) but
'Nut,Wing' = 'ecrou papillon/a ourieles' was also there

"Bricolage" Christian Pessey - La Maison Rustique ISBN 2-7066-0646-0
Too much text unless fluent in French but useful hands on illustrations

I would avoid any book which began like in English and then was translated into French. Howlers from the past include Hachete who translated a Dorland Kindersley DIY book but kept the illustrations the same resulting in Ring Mains and plugs with square pins. One of the big DIY encyclopedias - not sure if it is Readers Digest currently on sale in France shows loop in ceiling roses.

Posted most of the above in 2003 but have not found anything better since

 

I picked up "Le Grand Guide" 520 pages of Techniques,Produits Conceils pour construire renover et amenager from Leroy Merlin in March. Free and worth every cent. Answers loads of the questions which have been posed on this forum in recent months like depths and separation of pipes and colours for warning mesh.

 

Also free from any of the ‘Tout Faire Materiux Franchises “Guide des Materiaux”

 

 

 

[HoneySuckleDreams]

if you can lay your hands on a recent legrand catalogue it will help with all the re-wrireing. I have a 2005 version, but doubt it's changed much. Very useful for cabling and schematics. very clear pictures as well, and useful for printing of and taking into your local leccie place and pointing to the picture... je voudrais quelque chose comme ca.. etc

[HoneySuckleDreams]

i concur with anton.

I have a Le Guide des solutions from Chausson...only 200 odd pages but very, very useful. if you have a chausson local go and pick up a free copy.