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Post by jeliecrack on Jan 11, 2024 9:33:04 GMT 1
The glue wasn't done for speed, although it is faster,its to keep the r value of the wall as close to the bloc as possible.Sand and cement changes that value.
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Post by iolar on Jan 11, 2024 13:12:34 GMT 1
The only part of your statement I agree with is that the internal walls are crap, they are based on commercial construction ie used for speed of construction, tiled floor are easy to clean cool in the summer, and if you have UFH warm in the winter, the clay blocks are the best for thermal as against the two more widely used, none of the builders around here use the thin spread type of laying them, they call it glue, again its done for speed, good old mortar is the preferred mix. We bought a field to build our dream home, we did build it, it took eleven years of living in a caravan, however a faulty geny took care of that dream. And what is your experience of aercrete blocks? As i said in my first post the thin joint method is used using the correct 'fixative' not mortar that is porous. In the Netherlands they use semi engineering bricks, rake out the joints and use a silver sand finish that is virtually waterproof. UFH is great for commercial properties but if things go wrong, which it did for my wife's niece. I take it you have a back-up power supply in case EDF goes down? Suggesting clay blocks tells me you know nothing of other materials. Clay conducts temperature changes very easily, is heavy and has to have other insulation methods used with it to achieve a decent U value.
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Post by jeliecrack on Jan 11, 2024 15:21:17 GMT 1
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Post by houpla on Jan 12, 2024 0:33:19 GMT 1
Give me UFH and tiled floors every time! Beautiful, comfortable heat with no hotspots and, more importantly, no cold spots. Of course you do need to plan a back-up, but it's no more onerous than planning a gas hob or BBQ so you can cook during a power cut!
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Post by spectrum on Jan 12, 2024 8:38:09 GMT 1
The only part of your statement I agree with is that the internal walls are crap, they are based on commercial construction ie used for speed of construction, tiled floor are easy to clean cool in the summer, and if you have UFH warm in the winter, the clay blocks are the best for thermal as against the two more widely used, none of the builders around here use the thin spread type of laying them, they call it glue, again its done for speed, good old mortar is the preferred mix. We bought a field to build our dream home, we did build it, it took eleven years of living in a caravan, however a faulty geny took care of that dream. And what is your experience of aercrete blocks? As i said in my first post the thin joint method is used using the correct 'fixative' not mortar that is porous. In the Netherlands they use semi engineering bricks, rake out the joints and use a silver sand finish that is virtually waterproof. UFH is great for commercial properties but if things go wrong, which it did for my wife's niece. I take it you have a back-up power supply in case EDF goes down? Suggesting clay blocks tells me you know nothing of other materials. Clay conducts temperature changes very easily, is heavy and has to have other insulation methods used with it to achieve a decent U value. Considering that we have rebuilt a few property's in the UK and the DW family are mostly builders and master stone masons, then yes I do have a small amount of knowledge of all things building, however here in France they use different methods that we had to adjust to, as for your assumption that I have just got off the ferry is a laugh, now if you was a Clay technologist as my friend was, I may be more inclined to have a little more faith in your answers, have you built a house here yet? As for being heavy I have lifted both the clay and the parpaing blocks, the clay is not kind to your hands but it is lighter, but Iam sure you know best. As said after the fire I was given a choice in what we wanted building, and the materials the clay blocks came out the most expensive but a better thermal value, so the builder a second generation of a well known local firm, used mortar with them, my own builder also uses mortar, so unless you live in a clay block house then you cannot really comment, anyhow we are sat here in tee shirts with the UFH at a nice 23C, if the power goes off, the slab will take about 8/10 hours to cool down, so will be installing a modern log burner in the lounge this summer, just in case. I have a allergic reaction to generators.
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Post by glazedallover on Jan 12, 2024 16:06:50 GMT 1
He's a WUM, spectrum, from beginning to end.
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Post by iolar on Jan 12, 2024 17:00:21 GMT 1
Clay is lighter than aercrete really!
I've worked in the Netherlands, Germany and would have built alt. energy properties in Spain but if your not enchufargo/connected forget it. Clay as you will know is a substance of fine particles/zero air gaps, the complete opposite of the structure of aercrete blocks and you didn't answer my question - what experience do you have of them. To say that traditonal mortar is superior to the thin joint method is ------
What has master stone masons got to do with modern U value construction, nothing at all. A very interesting and skilled profession but not relevant. As for clay blocks being lighter than aercrete LOL. The xella 15cm wide block is a good one to work with, nice and light. By itself makes for good internal work, great insulation both thermal and acoustic. Easy to introduce wiring during construction by preparing the cut outs for the wall boxes on a bench, apply a 5/1 unibond coat, chase out the perp on one course and drill the second feed the cable through with each course, all done.
Finish plaster had to be used in the old days because the bonding plaster was too rough. With aercrete use a corker to skim out any minor defects, a unibond wash to harden the surface, something I will not use on my music room or paper (reflections) just organic paint for other rooms size and cross line with 1200 or 1400 lining paper - nice quiet rooms.
A lot, nearly all modern log burners still have a basic design fault which means that when you open the fire box door, out pours a lot of really polluting smoke. C/H by whatever method has been burned into peoples heads and they all require electricity. The only room/ rooms that actually need heat for most if not all day, especially for the retired is the lounge/living room/s.for all other rooms - only when they are being used. Of course this implies that they have effective insulation between an internal and external environments.
Air change especially in well insulated homes is a must otherwise the internal air is very bad for health. That's why a lot of kids pick up nasty pulmonary problems. Most of the air change systems I have seen are expensive to buy and to run. It's possible to combine air change and secondary heat together and with a very reasonable running cost.
It's been my experience that builders in all countries cannot let go of the products, methods of their own countries, the one exception is cordless power tools, everyone latched onto those straight away
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Post by houpla on Jan 13, 2024 1:10:07 GMT 1
Have you heard of VMCs?
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Post by jeliecrack on Jan 13, 2024 6:57:49 GMT 1
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Post by hughnique on Jan 13, 2024 11:03:43 GMT 1
I always considered myself lucky in the fact that I was able to turn my hand to most things and therefore did not need to employ these charlatans, some jobs, however, required a degree of skill I do not posses, such as rendering the front of my house. All looked fantastic for a few months but then developed a few cracks so get the builder back, yeah think again, plenty of promises but no show, until I engaged the Huissier, he was round here double quick. Several years later, still within 10 year period further little bits start falling of, and we are back to this cat and mouse game of broken promises to come and repair. Then we had the "roofer", parted with 4K€ up front, basically he turned up and buggered up 4 expensive lumps of timber on the first day, so he got the push, and again a long drawn out procedure to get any of the money back, he ended up keeping 500€ as his days wages and inconvenience. But the authorities did not give a toss, he was not registered for VAT but charging it, the siret was that of a dead man, and they just let it slide.
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Post by jackie on Jan 13, 2024 18:47:11 GMT 1
We were ripped off when we bought our first house here many years ago. We were still living in the UK and trusted a UK builder who said he had done stuff when he hadn’t and the photos somehow got ‘lost’ in the post.A lot wiser now 20 years on. Lots of others were hoodwinked by him too. They take advantage of naivety and to be honest we had lots of that in those early days - not so much now…..
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Post by hughnique on Jan 14, 2024 12:47:27 GMT 1
I took, what I was told by the estate agent, a very unusual step in employing a so called surveyor to inspect my property before purchasing. Amongst the load of crap he delivered was a note that he had sight of a bill for the electrical work carried out by a bona fide electrical company. Several years after I found several examples of 2 way switching where a piece of 3 core cable had been used for strappers and the earth and neutral had been taped up with a bit of red phasing tape to denote they were now being used as live cables. Some bona fide company that was, think at the time it was about 500€ total waste of money.
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Post by houpla on Jan 14, 2024 13:09:31 GMT 1
We were ripped off when we bought our first house here many years ago. We were still living in the UK and trusted a UK builder who said he had done stuff when he hadn’t and the photos somehow got ‘lost’ in the post.A lot wiser now 20 years on. Lots of others were hoodwinked by him too. They take advantage of naivety and to be honest we had lots of that in those early days - not so much now….. We had a similar situation although it could have turned out worse in the end. Brit neighbour turned up with a wide smile, bottle of wine and the offer of a quote for the gros œuvre to turn the barn into a house. Given the ’english price’ quotes from local French builders, (250k to mackle up the existing building, still no foundations!) , and the assurance that he was qualified and registered, we didn’t see a choice. Turned out he was registered as a gardener! He didn't actually do a bad job, under close supervision, and using French artisans for electricity, plumbing etc. Naive, I suppose we were, and certainly didn’ t have the knowledge or experience to have done it all ourselves. In some respects the house is built to higher standards than it would have been if built to 100% French normes. Just extremely glad we did it 16 years ago ’cos we certainly couldn ’t afford to do it now!
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Post by jackie on Jan 15, 2024 10:51:56 GMT 1
Glad yours turned out ok in the end, houpla. We were put on to this ‘builder’ by the estate agent we bought the house from who thoroughly recommended him 🤷♀️😳 and were alerted to his very dodgy practices by an English lady he had ‘employed’. She had not long moved over here herself, was single with kids. He ripped her off for most of her savings…😡 Nice guy eh? Anyway the gendarme got involved but think he slipped the net and went back to the UK.
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Post by hughnique on Jan 15, 2024 12:57:29 GMT 1
Yes the estate agent we purchased through had their fingers in many pies, if they recommended anyone or anything to you bet your bottom dollar they were on a backhander or freebie
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