This
cottage was actually originally a grain store. The cottages were built
into a hillside, as is common in this area of France, so much of the ground
floor was taken up by a cave. Granite steps led from the doorway to the
first floor. The cottage was the last part of the farmstead to be built
and was in the best condition internally. Because the ground floor wasn't
suitable for conversion, our plans for a two bedroom cottage centred around
conversion of the first floor
The
first floor area was completely clear so we had a blank canvas to work
with, however we did decide that as the grenier (attic) was too small
for conversion then we should remove it altogether to increase the feeling
of space. We also needed to incorporate the two large main beams into
the design as they were a major feature of the cottage. The conversion
was also going to be difficult because there weren't a lot of original
features to work with, so we would have to invent some along the way and
make the whole thing look "right".
We never remove more than we absolutely need to, every piece you remove
from a property like this takes away a little bit of the heart of it.
We have seen some beautiful conversions it the area, from the outside
they look fantastic. Inside, sadly, you could be in a modern suburban
Paris house, we even know someone who covered in a Limousin fireplace
- sacrilege! Of course it's much easier, faster and often cheaper to cover
up walls with plasterboard etc. than to renovate what is already there,
but nowhere near as attractive or satisfying.
We
started out with a good clearout! The greniers in many old buildings like
this have floorboards which groan under the weight of "tuf",
a volcanic dust which was used as insulation and compacts over time. It's
not unusual to find over a foot in depth of this material spread over
the attic space. The sheer weight often distorts the joists between the
main beams. In this cottage, fortunately, there was very little, presumably
because it was used as a grain store.
The oak floor had been heavily attacked by woodworm and although one half
of the floor could be saved, sadly the rest had to go, and be replaced
with new pine flooring. It was during this process that I had my first
accident - I fell through the beams!
Still
nursing a heavily bandaged leg and some pretty sore "wedding tackle"
we started work on the ceiling in the living area. As this was going to
extend from the eaves up to the ridge, then it's obviously wise to complete
this work before removing the grenier. Most of the roof timberwork was
fairly recent and had evidently been replaced when the roof tiles were
renewed in the 1980's. However, they were re-treated with Xylophene to
protect against any attack from woodworm. Woodworm is rampant in this
area of France and it really is essential to treat everything - existing
and new. Although all new structural timberwork is treated when you buy
it, it's a wise move to give it another dose. Xylophene is relatively
cheap, but also pretty unpleasant to use - always wear a mask. I normally
spray it on using a paraffin spray attachment which gives a good healthy
jet and soaks the wood without too much overspray.
In the case of the first cottage, we didn't use the modern metal hangars
and rails for the ceiling structure, although this is advisable. The timberwork
was in good condiition and level, so after insulating between, we attached
the plasterboard directly to the chevrons. In this case we were only using
100mm insulation, as the cottage was only for summer use. If you are intending
to convert a property for all year use then the minimum you should use
is 200mm.
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