At Home in Brittany

Team Breton – Installing Under Floor Heating

Heating the old Breton houses can be quite a challenge and the choice is often dictated by the cost of initial installation as opposed to the benefits long term. I have recently been helping a neighbour to prepare his Breton longhouse for the installation of under floor heating and it has been quite a learning curve for me in terms of the local methodology, the size of farmer’s midday meals, language immersion and the incredible ‘all for one’ culture of the Breton people

 

My neighbour, Jean-Paul’s house already had oil fired central heating but ensuring a consistent heat throughout is always a challenge in these stone built houses. Despite the fact that most of them have had internal insulating walls built to retain the heat, high ceilings and open stairwells mean heat loss is still a problem. Open fires are often used to supplement the background heat provided by central heating; such is the case in my neighbours house.

 

So after much planning it was decide to commence the installation of under floor heating throughout the ground floor. Phase one of the plan was to excavate the existing floor down to a depth of 45 cm which involved removing the existing floor tiles, the concrete base and then whatever we found under that. So large Kango Hammers were duly hired and battle commenced.

 

It was as we started this initial phase that I started to appreciate just how things are done in rural Breton communities, as if from nowhere people started arriving with shovels and wheelbarrows to remove Jean-Paul’s floor. You have heard of Barn-raising well this was ‘floor raising’ Breton style. At midday it was down tools and everyone gathered around the trestle table for the traditional farming three course meal with home made cider of course.

 

This routine continued for the next three days until the smell of fresh earth flowed through the ground floor. I have to admit that at this stage I would have been a bit concerned as we had by now exposed a considerable amount of stone wall below the old floor level. The internal insulating walls were hanging in midair held in place by the minimum of support. But as I have now discovered such “apparently minor problems” do not faze the DIY Breton.

 

DIY Shopping in Brittany

In common with the rest of France, Brittany has seen a surge in the opening of new DIY superstores as a result of the increasing enthusiasm for improving the house and garden. This is completely contrary to the France of a few years ago where dilapidated buildings falling into the street were a common site in rural areas and building maintenance in general had a low priority.

Coming from the UK the first thing a DIY shopper in Brittany notices is the incredible range of tools, building materials and ancillary equipment available. My wife complains that when I go to the DIY store a glazed expression comes over my face and she is convinced that I drift off into an alternative dimension.

 

It is immediately clear that there are no boundaries beyond which a DIY aficionado is expected to go; every dangerous bit of kit is freely available to all. From an ex-pat point of view this can be quite a dangerous prospect, especially as a large majority are retirees. It is not unusual to see people walking out of the stores carrying chain saws, welding plants and aluminium building towers; one would hope that their complimentary health insurance is in place. My advice would be to take advantage of all the recommended protective equipment for the use of individual tools, read carefully all the advisory guidance on use supplied with the tool and in the case of potentially dangerous equipment like chain saws, make enquiries regarding a training course for safe use.

Living With the Fosse Septic

I remember those halcyon days in the UK when flushing the toilet meant that you would never see your bodily waste again. In rural France, unfortunately this cannot be guaranteed and you spend a lot of your spare time making sure that your fosse septic (septic tank) is functioning correctly in order to ensure that the required bacterial action continues.

 Actually it is a marvellous system which deals with all your household liquid waste and if correctly installed, ensures that no environmental damage is caused by the eventual run off.

 Since 1992 the French government has taken its environmental responsibilities seriously and started to enforce European directives on the disposal of waste. An organisation called SPANC, (Service Public d’Assainissement Non Collectif,) has the responsibility of inspecting and enforcing the safe disposal of liquid waste. An initial site visit is carried out to ensure that those properties that cannot be connected to a communal or town drainage system have a safe system of collection and treatment.

Heating the House in Brittany

 

It is no good having a palatial mansion in France if you cannot afford to heat it, so think carefully about the cost of any existing heating services and make sure it is a priority during the planning of any renovations. What is the point of a large house with lots of entertaining space if you end up having to keep warm gathered around a fire in one room.

 

Insulation

 

Insulation is obviously a key element in the efficiency of any heating plan; however it is sometimes difficult to achieve a balance between maintaining the aesthetics of an ancient house and insulating to a good standard. In ancient granite houses the wall is anything up to 600mm thick. Most builders will install a 50mm tile block wall on the interior to create an air gap and allow for the insertion of insulating material. Occasionally this can be achieved using a galvanised stud partition and plasterboard but only when the external wall is free of damp or water penetration.

 

Similarly roofs are a major source of heat loss in ancient French houses and insulating is very important particularly when constructing additional rooms in roof spaces. A number of building suppliers provide fact sheets giving clear advice on the correct materials to be employed in each location to achieve the required standards. Suppliers have a detailed catalogue which includes diagrams and instructions on installation, but most will be only too pleased to give free advice. From 1 November 2006 a diagnostic ‘de performance énergétique’ (DPE) has to be carried out on the property at the time of sale and presented to the Notaries prior to the signing of the preliminary purchase contract. Whist there is no obligation to carry out remedial works to improve the standard of energy efficiency it could be used to negotiate a reduction on the sale price, therefore correct insulation works during renovation can avoid future problems as well as reduce your annual fuel bills.

 

Methods of Heating in Common Use

 

Electricity is still in common use for home heating in France and individual panel radiators and the French version of storage radiators can be found in many homes. The cost of electricity at the time of writing is still relatively cheap compared to the UK but can be expensive if it is used to heat a substantial property. Oil filled towel rails are also very popular as they avoid the use of central heating to dry towels in the warmer months. As in the UK electricity tariffs are reduced for eight hours during the night.