Sunday 06 November – Getting into Hot Water

This week has again been entirely focussed on the main project – the garage – and, while we haven’t enjoyed such amazing weather we have been able to make more good progress and, on 2 of the garage bays, we have got the wooden frame up to roof level.  At the end of Day 1 (Monday) we had made great progress on the first bay.

garage-day-1

As we build, it is evident that the garage will be a large building.  We wanted to ensure that we have space for 4 cars and, as space is cheap, we thought it would be sensible to have room for 4 large cars.  This has meant that the room above the parking spaces is going to be very big which will allow us to use it for a number of purposes in the future.

garage-end-of-week-2

While it will be a large building, we don’t think that it will look out of place in the space we are having it built, indeed it will smarten up our old service area hugely and allow us to tidy up the parking spaces and create a more formal petanque pitch which we have always wanted.  The garage will be clad in timber and we are adding a few details that should make it look a little older than it actually is.

I am really enjoying assisting our builder in the construction process and being a wooden frame it is it very simple to assist as one of us can cut the wood while the other fixes it.  I should keep a record of just how many screws we use to construct!  Over the weekend I have been concentrating on fitting the ‘noggins’ between the uprights something I am sure should have been more straight forward than it turned out to be however, the frame is absolutely solid as it needs to be – it can get windy here!

garage-end-of-week-2-2

The only other significant task I have managed to achieve, and it was an important one, was to change the hot water heater (ballon) in Granary.  We have always known that the ballon was too small for the gîte which can sleep up to 6 people and a couple of our, thankfully very understanding, guests had highlighted that the hot water ran out quite quickly.  It was only relatively recently that we learned why the ballon was too small.

old-ballon

The one fitted was a 100 litre tank designed to be used vertically but had been installed horizontally so, of the 100L hot water only about 60L could be used.  We have now changed the ballon for a 200L tank designed, and installed, horizontally so it will be able to cope with a full gîte which is handy as we have 6 guests arriving on Wednesday.

new-ballon

Dave has also been working hard on a number of tasks on our ‘To Do’ list (now up to 120) including clearing out his gym (again!)  I say again as, and mostly my fault, it had again become a bit of a layapart store for DIY materials as space had run low (the enlarged manshed and garage will make a HUGE difference).  The reason Dave wanted to clear his gym was that he was having an introductory session with a potential new PT client who, impressed with Dave’s abilities, has now become a new regular client (and Dave has also been able to use his own gym again after a number of months!)

Sadly, as we have been working we didn’t give ourselves a day off last week but hopefully we will next week and I can provide some other pictures (although for a number of weeks I’m afraid they will be mostly of a growing garage!)

The coming week looks to be colder, and sadly wetter, than it has been for months so our progress may be slower but we will update next week – and watch with interest global events States side …

Salut.