BEAMS GLORIOUS BEAMS
ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I BOUGHT THE FRENCH HOUSE WAS THE ALMOST PERFECT OAK ROOF STRUCTURE.
WHEN I INSPECTED THE HOUSE, THE ONLY WAY TO SEE THESE BEAMS WAS TO CLIMB UP A LADDER THROUGH A HOLE INTO THE WEAK FLOOR AREA WHERE THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD KEPT THE FOOD FOR THE PIG AND DUCKS.
IN THE PHOTO BELOW YOU CAN SEE THE ANCIENT WAY THAT THE ROOF WAS CONSTRUCTED. THE ROMAN STYLE TILES WERE SUPPORTED BY SPLIT CHESTNUT STAVES NAILED TO THE RAFTERS.
WHEN I INSPECTED THE HOUSE, THE ONLY WAY TO SEE THESE BEAMS WAS TO CLIMB UP A LADDER THROUGH A HOLE INTO THE WEAK FLOOR AREA WHERE THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD KEPT THE FOOD FOR THE PIG AND DUCKS.
IN THE PHOTO BELOW YOU CAN SEE THE ANCIENT WAY THAT THE ROOF WAS CONSTRUCTED. THE ROMAN STYLE TILES WERE SUPPORTED BY SPLIT CHESTNUT STAVES NAILED TO THE RAFTERS.
THE ROOF STRUCTURE HAND SAWN OR SHAPED WITH AXES AND ADZES BELIEVED TO BE 300 YEARS OLD
I`VE ALWAYS BEEN A STRIPPED PINE MAN TO THE CORE AND THE STONE HOUSES THAT I HAD RESTORED IN SCOTLAND WERE ALL FITTED OUT WITH PINE. HOWEVER AS SOON AS I SAW THIS OAK STRUCTURE I WAS SMITTEN AND GRADUALLY LEARNED HOW EFFECTIVE OAK IS IN DEFEATING WOOD BORING INSECTS ALSO THE FEW OAK MEMBERS THAT HAD SUFFERED WATER INGRESS, ONCE THE ROOF WAS SEALED, WOULD DRY OUT AND STILL RETAIN IT`S STRENGTH. THOSE ANCESTORS WERE NO FOOLS.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ABOVE PHOTO CAN BE SEEN THE OAK AND CHESTNUT BEAMS THAT CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE CEILING FOR THE BEDROOM BELOW. IN THE 1960`S WHEN THIS RESTORATION WAS CARRIED OUT PLASTER BOARD HAD NOT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE IN FRANCE AND THE WAY THAT THE CEILINGS WERE BUILT IN THIS HOUSE WAS THAT BEAMS WERE INSTALLED OVER THE WALLS OF THE ROOMS AND A TEMPORARY CEILING BUILT UNDER. THEN THIN BRICK TYPE TILES WERE LAID ON THIS TEMPORARY CEILNG AND CEMENTED TOGETHER WHILST AT THE SAME TIME WIRE HOOKS WERE INSERTED INTO THE CEMENTED JOINTS AND FIXED AT THE OTHER END TO THE BEAMS ABOVE. SO THAT WHEN THE CONCRETE SET AND THE TEMPORARY CEILING WAS REMOVED THE CEILINGS BECAME SUSPENDED FROM THE BEAMS. THE CEILING WAS THEN PLASTERED ON THE INSIDE.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ABOVE PHOTO CAN BE SEEN THE OAK AND CHESTNUT BEAMS THAT CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE CEILING FOR THE BEDROOM BELOW. IN THE 1960`S WHEN THIS RESTORATION WAS CARRIED OUT PLASTER BOARD HAD NOT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE IN FRANCE AND THE WAY THAT THE CEILINGS WERE BUILT IN THIS HOUSE WAS THAT BEAMS WERE INSTALLED OVER THE WALLS OF THE ROOMS AND A TEMPORARY CEILING BUILT UNDER. THEN THIN BRICK TYPE TILES WERE LAID ON THIS TEMPORARY CEILNG AND CEMENTED TOGETHER WHILST AT THE SAME TIME WIRE HOOKS WERE INSERTED INTO THE CEMENTED JOINTS AND FIXED AT THE OTHER END TO THE BEAMS ABOVE. SO THAT WHEN THE CONCRETE SET AND THE TEMPORARY CEILING WAS REMOVED THE CEILINGS BECAME SUSPENDED FROM THE BEAMS. THE CEILING WAS THEN PLASTERED ON THE INSIDE.
"LET THERE BE LIGHT" YOU CAN SEE THE HOLE FOR THE NEW WINDOW PUNCHED THROUGH THE WALL IN THE NEW LIVING ROOM. IT PUT A LOT OF NICE STONE INTO STOCK AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS AN INTERESTING VIEW OVER THE OLD TOWN. INCIDENTALLY I RECYCLED THE WINDOW REMOVED FROM THE SMALL LIVING ROOM BY INSTALLING IT IN THIS LARGE HOLE, ONCE THE STONE FRAME HAD BEEN BUILT.
ABOVE LEFT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE WINDOW HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN THE GAPING HOLE, IN THE PHOTO ABOVE RIGHT THERE IS A NEW FLOOR BUILT OVER, BUT NOT RESTING, ON THE EXISTING BEAMS AND ALSO SHOWS THE NARROW STAIRCASE BUILT TO ACCESS THE MEZZANINE FLOOR. YOU CAN READ ABOUT THIS ON THE PAGE: MEZZANINE FLOOR.
IN PROGRESS