FRENCH HOUSE: BUILDING THE ABRI
AN ABRI IS A ROOF STRUCTURE THAT IS OPEN ON ONE OR ALL SIDES. HERE IS A TYPICALLY CHARENTAISE EXAMPLE.
I`M FASCINATED BY THESE ROOF STRUCTURES AND ADDED ONE TO MY HOUSE DURING THE PLANNING PHASE AND THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW I BUILT IT.
FIRSTLY I HAD TO FIND SOME ORIGINAL OAK ROOF TRUSSES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT THE ABRI. AFTER FOLLOWING UP AN ADVERT IN THE LOCAL ADVERTISING FREE PAPER I WENT TO SEE THE VENDOR OF THE TRUSSES A LADY LIVING IN A VILLAGE CALLED XXXXXXX BATARD. SHE AND HER MALE COMPANION TOOK ME TO A HUGE BARN WHICH CONTAINED A PILE OF LARGE TRUSSES LEFT STORED THERE AFTER AN OPEN ABRI HAD BEEN DISMANTLED. THESE TRUSSES HAD SOME AGE AND WERE BEAUTIFULLY PATINATED. THIS LARGE BARN HAS NOW BEEN BUILT INTO A LOVELY HOUSE BY SOME BRITS.
FIRSTLY I HAD TO FIND SOME ORIGINAL OAK ROOF TRUSSES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT THE ABRI. AFTER FOLLOWING UP AN ADVERT IN THE LOCAL ADVERTISING FREE PAPER I WENT TO SEE THE VENDOR OF THE TRUSSES A LADY LIVING IN A VILLAGE CALLED XXXXXXX BATARD. SHE AND HER MALE COMPANION TOOK ME TO A HUGE BARN WHICH CONTAINED A PILE OF LARGE TRUSSES LEFT STORED THERE AFTER AN OPEN ABRI HAD BEEN DISMANTLED. THESE TRUSSES HAD SOME AGE AND WERE BEAUTIFULLY PATINATED. THIS LARGE BARN HAS NOW BEEN BUILT INTO A LOVELY HOUSE BY SOME BRITS.
THE PHOTO ABOVE LEFT SHOWS THE TRUSSES AS FOUND COVERED WITH A THICK COATING OF CHICKEN DROPPINGS, THEY WEREN`T EXPENSIVE BUT THE TRANSPORT TO MY HOUSE WAS. THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO SHOWS THE TWO TRUSSES LYING IN MY GARDEN READY TO BE CUT UP AND ERECTED.
THE PHOTO ABOVE LEFT SHOWS MY HELPFUL NEIGHBOUR MICHEL IN A TYPICAL POSE, DRILLING HOLES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE POSTS TO ENGAGE WITH THE METAL STUDDING SHOWN PROTRUDING FROM THE CONCRETE PLINTHS. THE PHOTO ABOVE RIGHT SHOWS THE WOODEN STRUCTURE EMPLOYED TO LIFT THE HEAVY OAK HORIZONTAL BEAM INTO PLACE
THE PHOTO ABOVE LEFT SHOWS MICHEL AND MICHAEL THE MASON STARTING TO LIFT THE BEAM INTO POSITION USING THE "GUILLOTINE" WHICH THE LIFTING STRUCTURE SEEMS TO RESEMBLE. AT THE RATE THAT WE WERE WORKING, IT MADE NO SENSE TO HIRE SCAFFOLDING AND INCUR THE TERRIBLE COST, SO WHAT I DID WAS TO BUY SOME OLD STOCK DOUGLAS FIR TIMBER THAT WAS BEING SOLD FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF NEW PINE. THIS WAS USED TO BUILD THE GUILLOTINE AND THEN THE SCAFFOLDING TO ENABLE THE GHASTLY CLADDING TO BE REMOVED FROM THE REAR OF THE HOUSE TO EXPOSE THE BEAUTIFUL MELLOW STONE. THE SCAFFOLDING WAS NAILED TOGETHER AND AFTER USE WAS DISMANTLED AND THEN WAS USED TO LINE THE INSIDE OF THE ROOF TO SCREW PANELLING TO. DOUGLAS FIR IS EXTREMELY RESISTANT TO WOOD BORING INSECTS AND DOES NOT REQUIRE CHEMICAL TREATMENT.
MY BUILD PHILOSOPHY WAS NOT TO USE ANY POTENTIAL HARMFUL CHEMICALS OR FIBRE GLASS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE. INSTEAD I USED HIGH TECH INSULATION OR NATURAL MATERIALS THAT DID NOT REQUIRE CHEMICAL TREATMENT SUCH AS OAK, DOUGLAS FIR OR XXXXXX.
MY BUILD PHILOSOPHY WAS NOT TO USE ANY POTENTIAL HARMFUL CHEMICALS OR FIBRE GLASS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE. INSTEAD I USED HIGH TECH INSULATION OR NATURAL MATERIALS THAT DID NOT REQUIRE CHEMICAL TREATMENT SUCH AS OAK, DOUGLAS FIR OR XXXXXX.
IN PROGRESS