CONSTRUCTING THE TERRACE
AFTER I PURCHASED THE HOUSE IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT A LARGE TERRACE WOULD BE NEEDED WHICH WOULD BE ACCESSED BY REMOVING THE WINDOW IN THE SMALL LIVING ROOM AND REPLACING IT BY A DOOR.
THE ACCESS TO THE GARDEN WOULD BE FROM THE TERRACE VIA A REINFORCED CONCRETE STAIRWAY.
BEFORE THIS THE ACCESS TO THE GARDEN WAS VIA THE GARDEN GATE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IN ORDER TO DO THIS THE FRONT DOOR HAD TO BE USED. VERY VERY IMPRACTICABLE.
THE ACCESS TO THE GARDEN WOULD BE FROM THE TERRACE VIA A REINFORCED CONCRETE STAIRWAY.
BEFORE THIS THE ACCESS TO THE GARDEN WAS VIA THE GARDEN GATE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IN ORDER TO DO THIS THE FRONT DOOR HAD TO BE USED. VERY VERY IMPRACTICABLE.
THE ACCESS DOOR TO THE TERRACE WAS CREATED BY CONVERTING THE WINDOW APERTURE INTO A DOORWAY. THE WINDOW WAS LATER BUILT INTO THE JAGGED APERTURE SHOWN IN THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO.
I HAD ASKED A CARPENTER TO MAKE A DOOR FOR ME BUT WHEN HE CAME TO MEASURE UP HE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FIVE WEEKS FOR THE NEW DOOR AS THE FACTORY THAT MADE THEM WAS ON ANNUAL HOLIDAY. I HAD BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS GENTLEMAN WAS GOING TO BUILD ME THE DOOR HIMSELF SO DECLINED HIS OFFER AND WENT TO THE LOCAL DIY STORE AND BOUGHT A HARDWOOD DOUBLE GLAZED DOOR. THEN WENT TO NORD CHARENTE BOIS TO HAVE SOME OAK CUT TO SIZE, MADE THE FRAME AND INSTALLED THE DOOR MYSELF. I WASN`T GOING TO LIVE FIVE WEEKS WITH JUST A SHEET OF PLY IN THE HOLE!
I HAD ASKED A CARPENTER TO MAKE A DOOR FOR ME BUT WHEN HE CAME TO MEASURE UP HE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FIVE WEEKS FOR THE NEW DOOR AS THE FACTORY THAT MADE THEM WAS ON ANNUAL HOLIDAY. I HAD BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS GENTLEMAN WAS GOING TO BUILD ME THE DOOR HIMSELF SO DECLINED HIS OFFER AND WENT TO THE LOCAL DIY STORE AND BOUGHT A HARDWOOD DOUBLE GLAZED DOOR. THEN WENT TO NORD CHARENTE BOIS TO HAVE SOME OAK CUT TO SIZE, MADE THE FRAME AND INSTALLED THE DOOR MYSELF. I WASN`T GOING TO LIVE FIVE WEEKS WITH JUST A SHEET OF PLY IN THE HOLE!
THE ABOVE PHOTOS SHOW THE WINDOW APERTURE BEING CREATED AND IN THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TERRACE DOES NOT CONTINUE TO THE END OF THE HOUSE AS IT SHOULD SO THAT THE DOOR SHUTTERS HAVE TO BE DOUBLED UP ON THE RIGHT OF THE DOOR. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PLANNING ANOMALIES WHICH DEFY LOGIC. ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS TO BE A MINIMUM OF 6 METRES FROM A NEIGHBOURING PROPERTY BOUNDARY LINE! IN THIS CASE, AS THE HOUSE WAS ALREADY EXISTING, THE RESULT AS YOU CAN SEE IS THE PROVERBIAL DOG`S BREAKFAST!
THE FOLLOWING SIX PHOTOS WERE TAKEN IN 2006 WHEN MICHEL AND I WERE COMPLETING THE TERRACE HANDRAIL. I HAD BOUGHT A SET OF DECORATIVE WROUGHT IRON PANELS WHICH IN ALL PROBABILITY HAD BEEN ENCLOSING A WAR MEMORIAL OR PERHAPS A PRIVATE PLOT AT A CEMETERY. THIS WAS AT A BROCANTE FAIR IN THE VIENNE AND COST ME 80 EUROS. I THEN GOT TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND FIGURED OUT HOW I WOULD BE ABLE TO SPREAD THESE AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE TERRACE. FIRSTLY THE PANELS WERE NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO BE LEGALLY USED AS A HANDRAIL AND THEY WERE MOSTLY ABOUT 1.5 METRES LONG SO THAT A FRAME WOULD BE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THEM AND ALSO A PROTECTIVE BAR PLACED JUST ABOVE THE POINTS OF THE SPEARS TO PREVENT ANY INJURY FROM OCCURRING.
AS USUAL I HAD BEEN COLLECTING PARTS FOR THE HANDRAIL AND FOUND THE PILLAR SHOWN AT THE RIGHT OF THE ABOVE LEFT HAND PHOTO AT A BROCANTE DEALER`S PREMISES. WITH THE DESIGN DONE AND THE PURCHASE OF THE STEEL SECTIONS FROM THE LOCAL, VERY HELPFUL, STEEL MERCHANT ALAIN DEBLAIS WHO HAS HELPED ME WITH WELDING FOR THE BENTLEY PROJECTS. I NEEDED TO HAVE THE PANELS SAND BLASTED AS IT WAS TOO BIG A JOB TO DO WITH A WIRE BRUSH, SO I FOUND A COMPANY NEAR ANGOULEME THAT DID SAND BLASTING BUT COULD NOT CARRY OUT THIS WORK FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AS IT WAS URGENT AND I NEEDED TO GET THE HAND RAILING COMPLETED I OFFERED THEM 700 EUROS, ABOUT THREE TIMES THEIR ESTIMATE, TO GET THE JOB DONE QUICKLY. IN THREE DAYS THE PANELS WERE BLASTED AND SPRAYED WITH PRIMER READY AND WAITING TO BE PICKED UP.
WE STARTED THE WORK AND FINISHED IN ABOUT THREE DAYS, I HAD BEEN EXPECTING TO MAKE A BIG SAVING OVER THE PRICE OF 4000 EUROS THAT THIERRY NOBLE AT AIGRE HAD QUOTED ME FOR A MODERN STEEL RAILING BUT AFTER CALCULATING THE COSTS OF THE SELF CONSTRUCTED RAILING, I FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT THE KILLING THAT I HAD ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER THE RESULT WAS FAR MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE AGE OF THE HOUSE.
IN PROGRESS