Prosperity for 2012

So, here we are, already into September! So much has been achieved in the past ten weeks since we bought this property, 90% of the work being down to Robert himself.  He is such a diligent and conscientious worker, I am so lucky to have him in my life.

Guest bedroom is now ready for our first guest – arriving on the 7th September

(Wall covering only temporary to cover the plasterboard)

Robert forging ahead – only today, he fixed some stud wall and then the plaster board, batons and the door.

Even as I post this, Robert has moved further along, erecting another piece of plaster board to the left of the concrete pillar.

This is our sitting/dining room with bathroom plaster board providing a nice shelf for some ornaments

2nd September – Saturday

Robert gave himself a target on Friday 1st Sept …… to have completed the wall, dividing the bedrooms, bathrooms and laundry from the rest of the house.  So, here we are on:- 

4th September – Monday

Robert on his knees mixing the floor tile cement for the job in hand – tiling of the laundry room floor. Yesterday, everything had to be moved ….. again,  for this job to be completed. 

Nearly half way across the room  – tough job for one who will not take shortcuts. Each tile coated with cement, also the floor and then the tile fixed and separators placed.  I tried to get him to slather the cement over the floor or at least a portion of it, same onto several tiles, and then bang the tiles into place….. so, if one is not quite right (ahem 😉   🤓  ) I would just place a mat or small rug over it. This suggestion of shoddy workmanship, or should I say workwomanship did not go down well at all….. at all.

It will be no surprise to see that the target was reached by Sunday morning – The WALL is completed

Not long and flat but with indents too. First door on left will lead into the master bath room and walk-in wardrobe area

Middle door leads into the Laundry and as you can see the one on the right is the guest bedroom.

There>>>>>>  is the man of the moment, completing the second ‘third’ of tiling before we have dinner break.  Task will be completed this evening. 

View from the kitchen window – wild flowers did very well down in the corner

What we see when sitting in ‘Cap Corner’ – our sun spot.

Of course, it will look much better when the windows are in and the cladding is completed.

In reverse…..

Robert was up in the roof and found this little cricket guy… popped him in a glass and set him free outside.

“Jiminy Cricket”!!!!!

Lots of filling in spaces with plaster board and batons and preparing for next week to move forward to complete the laundry room.

August – 3rd Week:

The electrician was scheduled during the third week of August.  Particular works had to be completed before his arrival. The aim was to have all points and switches ‘live’ in the ‘north’ wing.  Of course, Robert achieved this target – window shutters working in the guest bedroom, bathroom and toilet.   See the video and also a quick tour of work achieved so far…..  ‘Electricity Connected to North End’

Guest bedroom with lights and sockets fitted

Corridor finished and plaster boarded – including the ceiling,  lights and sockets working.

Guest toilet now has a heated towel rail working.

Guest bathroom, also fitted with a heated towel rail is now only waiting for the tiling to be completed.

The day that the electrician came, was also the day that the swifts and swallows gathered together to fly south.

It was an amazing sight to see hundreds of these little birds swirling here and there. Lining up on the telegraph wires, looking like a piece of music.

This shot is quite a long one as the house is down the road a bit – to show the birds all the way, along the wire.

All of a sudden there was a different sound of chirping and all the birds took off of one accord. They circled higher and higher into the sky until they were out of sight. What a long trip they had ahead of them!  There were a few left behind – I know not why they didn’t go too?

This was a difficult week for Robert. I don’t know how he has the heart to face some of the jobs. Such as, when he had to put up the supports for the beams in the main area of the house. Fifty metal pockets with four screws in each one, to be drilled into cement. Each support to be sixty centimeters from the last one. Too much measuring, overhead drilling and up/down ladders for me!  So, this week Robert was again up and down ladders, this time he was knocking anchor clips in between the concrete breeze blocks of the ceiling to support the plaster board ceiling. Also, allowing access for any wiring to pass through.  Much forward planning required once again.

The metal anchor clip

Hammered between the breeze blocks

Then a metal suspension hangar is attached

A metal bracket/rail will hang from the ‘suspension’ bracket, to which will be attached the plaster board.

As can be seen here the stud wall metal bracket is in place. Robert will next fix batons to attach the plaster board.

Ready now for the plasterboard!

There is a marvelous piece of equipment that one can buy or rent, that raises plasterboard to the ceiling for easy fixing. We used said machine for the living room area. Unfortunately, the guy we got it from was away on holidays, so, I had to drive all the way to St. Malo, to rent one from a rental outfit. We had very limited space and the machine was more bulky than the first one. Pal Peter came to give a hand, for which we were most appreciative. 

IN the shower!

I recorded a video of one panel going into place in the bathroom  – it is absolutely priceless and reflects the difficulty of working like this in such a confined place – also the importance of correctly measuring the space to be filled!

“Fixing the Plaster Board for the Bathroom Ceiling” 

After returning the plasterboard elevator, Robert and I put the last sheet of plasterboard up in the toilet.

The only equipment we needed were the steps, a hat and a broom.

Robert climbed the steps with the plasterboard resting on his back, I was holding the end, when he was on the top step I slung the head of the broom underneath and pushed the plasterboard up into the space, at which time Robert transferred the plasterboard to his head…… hence the need of the hat.  Fitted perfectly of course (the plasterboard and the hat), Robert attached it with the aid of screws and his drill.

It has been so long since I updated the blog and so much has happened over the month of August. Sometimes there isn’t a lot to blog about. Changes in the house are going on all the time, but much of the work that Robert is busy with is the ‘finishing off’ and ‘filling in’. Pieces of plaster board, wooden batons and also preparing a wooden backing behind the plaster board where a cupboard, or even a sink, might need to be attached. There is a huge amount of forward planning that needs to be done, and compliments to Robert for thinking out most of them.

One thing that didn’t happen, is we didn’t have a lot of rain. Not much at all, in fact. This has meant a lot of carrying water to the wildflower beds down at the road. But it was worth it as they have flourished.

Delighted to see a number of butterflies and bees visiting

Inside the house – Robert has been busy 

The guest toilet is now equipped with a basin and cupboard and a door !!

and the guest bathroom is taking shape.

A new ‘whirlymajig’ clothes line put up

AND…….  a line of bird balls for the wild birds to feed on – only took them a day or so to test them out.

I decided to build a shed with all the extra blocks that we have. So, I laid down these paving stones for a floor, carried some blocks from the front and placed them where the outer wall would be. Surveying the scene, I then decided that this would not be the place for a block shed. (1) It would be in view from the media room window, (2) it would be too permanent a building if anyone in the future might want to extend out of the back of the house, and (3) I just didn’t like it in this position. Back to square one! 

One week after raking out the whole eight tons of gravel, grass and weeds started appearing! I cannot tell you how annoyed I was. The people at the DIY store directed us to buy the membrane assuring us it would not let growth through. I thought, at the time, that it looked too ‘soft’ and ‘light’ to do the job, but with new and improved products appearing all the time, I accepted what I was told. At our last house, I laid a more sturdy membrane on top of a lawn, then topped it with bark mulch. We didn’t see anything come through for years. Neither the manufacturers or the store are interested in my complaint.  ‘Buyer beware’ isn’t that what they say?

Before I could hardly turn around, one afternoon, Robert put up another five sections of fence. 

This has made a huge improvement.

I found two things that I have not come across before in France. First of all was this handsome old ‘Stick Insect”

And, the second thing was this curious looking ‘Poo’. Anyone got an idea what animal it could have come from? 

One observer noted that there are seeds in evidence. It was quite big, similar to dogs poo. There are no stray dogs running about and I haven’t seen a fox anywhere locally but that is a possibility. I discovered it when mowing the grass to the front of the house, close to the fence.