Renovating a gite in Brittany.

Barn before conversion into two gites started in September 2004. Click for larger image. Proposed gites upstairs floorplan. Click for larger image. Latest picture of gite renovation. Click for larger image.
Proposed gites downstairs floorplan. Click for larger image.

Starting point of gite renovation and latest picture of progress with floorplans of each gite. Click on each image for a larger picture.

View a timelapse of the renovation in pictures. Broadband users only.

 samedi 22 janvier 2005

Rainwater drainage

Finally finished digging the trench to take the rainwater away from the new guttering on the kitchen out into a ditch on the edge of our property. It's was not a long trench but it was heavy going clay type soil mixed with rubble and some old farm rubbish and ended up taking about a week all told (not full time!).

Part of the process involved excavating around the bottom of the building to remove the builders dropped bricks and motar and put in a French Drain and gravel. The depth of the new foundations meant that the soil , when returned, would pile up around the foot of the building and could cause a damp problem if the water is not allowed to soak away. The French seem to paint a rubber solution around the base of new building below ground level rather than use a damp proof course between bricks.

Of course at the first sign of rain I was stood out in the ditch watching the water gush out of my new pipework.

 6:59:30 PM   Rainwater drainage