Comments for askmatt.co.uk

Comment on French Wiring – Lesson 1! The GTL, Consumer Unit and Wiring Regs by Robert

Robert — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:20:19 +0000

It has long amazed me that the world just cannot get together and make the colours the same. Red has always signalled danger where as brown is the colour of earth. In my house I now have several different colours for live, all confusing.

Comment on Woodburning Stoves – DIY Servicing & Spares by Paul Cooper

Paul Cooper — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:11:01 +0000

Looking for handbook and replacement glass for old style Supra Colmar wood stove

Thanks

Comment on Gaz Cylinders – Butane or Propane – Regulators, Connectors and Pipework by blackberry

blackberry — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:36:13 +0000

The calor gas bottle cages are available from safeoptions

Comment on French Wiring – Lesson 1! The GTL, Consumer Unit and Wiring Regs by Mike

Mike — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:29:30 +0000

UK qualified electrician, arrived in France 2006 to retire, as most have found out it is rather expensive here so back to work. Can you possibly answer me a question, I have picked up a large job where a now defunct electrician has wired the top floor lighting using the 3 plate system, do you know if this is acceptable in France.

Comment on Woodburning Stoves – DIY Servicing & Spares by Grant W

Grant W — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:06:18 +0000

I have a Godin Grand Regenec in my house in France and the glass has cracked in two places. However the screws that hold the glass retaining “lugs” seem to be un-movable. Any idea’s ? I could pull the glass out, but I’m concerned I’ll still be left with screws I can’t remove….

It is a holiday home so the fires aren’t used for the majority of the year, and the cracks seems to be along the lines of where the “lugs” are, ie, the glass is now held in three parts split between the top lugs – so a bit precarious. I have inadvertantly scraped metal pokers across the glass in the past – could that cause this ? The only other thing I’m thinking is that because they’re let so long the problem is different metal expansions ?

Comment on Gaz Cylinders – Butane or Propane – Regulators, Connectors and Pipework by Les Foulke

Les Foulke — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:18:57 +0000

We are a Scout Group and are looking for a Calor gas cage like the blue one illustrated in the text.
May I ask where we could obtain one
regards
lf

Comment on French Plumbing : 15mm JG Speedfit v 16mm Blue Plastic Pipe v Multicouche by speedfit pipe

speedfit pipe — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:22:34 +0000

Speedfit plumbing has been about for sometime. Speedfit is actually a trade name but describes the product really well. Another name is Quickfit plumbing which does exactly the same job. The time saved using speedfit fittings and pipe is absolutely fantastic. Many die hard traditional plumbers will not use it but as the technology has improved and all fittings now comply with all British Standards, we are happy to use it. It is not ideal in places where it can be seen because even the best plumber in the world cannot make a run of speedfit pipe, complete with fittings, look neat.

Comment on Self Leveling Compound by Andrew W

Andrew W — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:12:33 +0000

Hi (again)

regarding this subject tow other points when you have a moment please;

1) Applying this Compound to a dry Concrete surface would you/did you dampen the surface first?
2) I noted the TIME you applied your Compound was this intentional or perhaps the heat in the concrete was a little too high?

Again thanks for your time.

Regards

Andrew W

Comment on Self Leveling Compound by blackberry

blackberry — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:01:32 +0000

The exterior stuff is move expensive. You would need 1mm coverage at the highest point on the floor. The coverage at 1mm per m2 is shown on the bag. Unless your floor is already pretty smooth and level one bag will not be enough, I reckon 2/3 bags.

Comment on Self Leveling Compound by Andrew W

Andrew W — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:33:41 +0000

Thanks for this useful insight into the COMPOUND. Not having used this before I wonder could you offer a little reassurance by advising on the following;

Is the Compound OK for outside use (will be tiled over once set)?

What was the advised thickness ’2-3-4-5mm’/

And given the average of above thickness what in your opinion would a bag cover (I have an area of 13 sq.mtrs)

Many thanks for your time hope your project worked out satisfactory.

Cheers

Andrew W

Comment on French Plumbing : 15mm JG Speedfit v 16mm Blue Plastic Pipe v Multicouche by Jack Davies

Jack Davies — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:21:01 +0000

Are planning a job in France but are having trouble reducing English 15mm and 22mm to work with French sizes 16mm and 22mm.
Can anybody advise of a supplier that has these esentials?

Many thanks

Comment on Woodburning Stoves – DIY Servicing & Spares by David Compston

David Compston — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 08:30:47 +0000

I have the same problem. Apparently it is a design fault, the back plate bulges then cracks apart, exactly what has happened in mine. I also need to replace the fire rope around the door and am having no luck at all finding a supplier. I belive Mr Bricolage in France can supply the fire I will do the same!

Comment on Woodburning Stoves – DIY Servicing & Spares by Lisa & Andrew Crowe

Lisa & Andrew Crowe — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:54:43 +0000

We have a supra wood burner and the interier is starting to crack, break and perish. We are having trouble finding somewhere to buy a new complete interior from. Our local stockist said try supra direct but there are no spares at all on teh website.

Comment on French Plumbing : 15mm JG Speedfit v 16mm Blue Plastic Pipe v Multicouche by blackberry

blackberry — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:59:49 +0000

Just ordered some speedfit from UK-Plumbing.com, arrived in a couple of days, top service. Will use again.

Comment on British -> French multiway power adaptor by CRECCLESTON

CRECCLESTON — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:02:40 +0000

Very informative, I’ve just lost an hour reading about all sorts, I am just about to embark on a barn renovation 20 mins nor nor east of Albi, the barn has a foot print (internal) of 195m2 times two levels.

The vendor is selling with a lapsed CU and Permis de construire, we have since recieved a new CU and have reaplied for the permis, it looks like we’ll need to start from scratch as far as the services are concerned, the fosse is a nightmare, one mini digger to buy and sell backI think, it’ll also do the GSHP runs and other drainage, I wont ramble on any longer but thanks for all the info.

Creccles

Comment on This has to be the cheapest way to get a van to France by blackberry

blackberry — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:59:03 +0000

Works on Eurotunnel too!

Comment on Rayburn powered underfloor heating in France – Maybe! by Paul

Paul — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:31:26 +0000

I am interested in powering underfloor heating from my rayburn, I imagine that the rayburn would be able to produce enough heat to power a large system because the temperature required for underfloor heating is much lower than that needed for a radiator system. I am thinking of putting a ‘tee’ beneath the tank on the return pipe and pumping this around my underfloor heating pipe. I would be really interested to hear from anybody who is powering their underfloor heating using a rayburn, especially if their rayburn is their sole source of heat(no conventional boiler, geo thermal or solar system).

What will happen if the rayburn goes out, say if left unattended for a few days? Will the water in the underfloor plastic pipes freeze and cause problems or will the polystyrene and screen protect it from sub-zero temperatures? Are plastic underfloor heating pipes resistant to cracking and leaking after being subjected to expansion and contraction that freezing conditions cause?

Comment on Solid Fuel Water Heating Direct Hot Water System with Pump by blackberry

blackberry — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 00:52:34 +0000

How to make your own Venturi or Injector Tee http://www.torrens.org.uk/HowTo/Injector/index.html

Comment on How to buy a second hand wood burning stove in France by Johan Boesveld

Johan Boesveld — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:26:17 +0000

One of the best ad-sites in France for second-hand stuff (including woodstoves):

http://www.leboncoin.fr

good-luck / bonne chance

Comment on Antique Furniture and Wood Burning Stoves Delivered to the UK From France by How to buy a second hand wood burning stove in France « askmatt.co.uk

How to buy a second hand wood burning stove in France « askmatt.co.uk — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:19:46 +0000

[...] Can also bring you a wood burning stove back from France if you [...]

Comment on This has to be the cheapest way to get a van to France by White Van Man

White Van Man — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:40:12 +0000

Be careful when booking with norfolk line if you are likely to get to dunkirk early. They will charge you £60 to change the crossing if you are more than 2 crossings early. If you arrive 6 hours early you will either have to pay the £60 or wait. Very annoying and if your time is money then I would always take the eurotunnel route. I have arrived 16 hours early for that and just driven straight on. SeaFrance also charge but it is usually about 20 quid – and SeaFrance give you the option to book a flexible return where they wont charge you any extra. LD Lines / Brittany / Condor / Transmanche all seem to charge 10/15 quid to change to an earlier crossing.

Comment on This has to be the cheapest way to get a van to France by Simon Cowling

Simon Cowling — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:41:55 +0000

Thanks for that information, I got quoted much better prices to get my van to france on newhaven tp dieppe and dover calais routes. However it doesn’t seem to make any difference to the price with brittany or condor ferries.

Comment on Wind & Solar power – Cheaper and less hassle than connecting to the grid with EDF by Christiana Disharoon

Christiana Disharoon — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:52:45 +0000

Hi there, ive recently just been shocked at my electricity bills lately, paying way too much, im sure we can all agree? I think solar energy is the way to go, easy to set up and pretty self explanatory, and where i live, i can actually sell the power generated back to the grid, Pretty sweet. The post is really nice mate, giving me that extra push to go out plug my appliances in the sun from now on. Cheerio!

Comment on Gaz Cylinders – Butane or Propane – Regulators, Connectors and Pipework by Thierry Henfleet

Thierry Henfleet — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:58:40 +0000

I have fitted an LPG hob that I am trying to power using a 13kg butane cyclinder. I have swapped the installed jets for the included LPG jets but the largest ring will not ignite correctly. All the other rings are fine and gas bottle valve is fully open. Do you think this is faulty hob? Are all the LPG jets the same or does each one match a .specific ring? Can a standard domestic hob be powered off bottled butane or do I need to invest in a proper LPG tank outside my house?

Comment on Gaz Cylinders – Butane or Propane – Regulators, Connectors and Pipework by Simon Hughes

Simon Hughes — Fri, 07 May 2010 22:46:33 +0000

Interesting info matt, I found e-leclerc to be cheapest bottled gas supplier in France, their Clairgaz brand is available in 13kg butane, 6kg Butane and 11kg propane sizes. Butane is 30 euro for 13kg with a 5 euro deposit on the bottle.

I took a hob that I bought in B&Q to France and connected with a flexible pipe from e-leclerc that cost about 6 euros, However the flexible connection needed an additional rubber washer to make a good connection, gas was leaking at the connection before i fitted this washer. I got the rubber washer from the UK LPG connector that was supplied with the hob (it did not come with a pipe.)

I also had to put some PTFE tape on the elbow connector that fitted to the hob, initially i didn’t do that and butane was leaking from the connection. You can check to see if gas is leaking buy putting a small amount of washing up liquid on the connections and checking to see if any bubbles appear.

There should be no smell of butane when the hob is lit, if you can smell gas when cooking you need to turn the gas off at the bottle immediately and locate the leak.

Comment on Woodburning Stoves – DIY Servicing & Spares by askmatt

askmatt — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:12:26 +0000

Have you tried contacting Piazzetta?

Gruppo Piazzetta Spa
Via Montello, 22
31010 Casella d’Asolo (Treviso) Italy
PIVA 00200000263

Telefono (+39) 0423 5271
Fax (+39) 0423 55178
Fax ufficio commerciale (+39) 0423 527250
Email infopiazzetta@piazzetta.it

Comment on Woodburning Stoves – DIY Servicing & Spares by Vicki Bloomquist

Vicki Bloomquist — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:43:11 +0000

Hey,
We are looking for a replacement door for a Piazzetta wood stove. Model 904 grey, manufactured in 1988.
Having lots of trouble getting one from Piazzetta.
Any help or suggestions for next step would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks

Comment on Replacing the rotten lintel by askmatt

askmatt — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:39:08 +0000

Hi Chris

I think the lintels were 70 x 100, in the UK at the moment so I can’t check. Got them from Wickes.

Thanks for your comments,

Matt

Comment on Replacing the rotten lintel by Chris Russell

Chris Russell — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:32:36 +0000

Hi Matt

What an interesting and inspiring website. Now I’ve seen your photos and advice on lintel replacement I’ve run out of excuses for not doing my own! From your photo, I couldn’t tell what size lintel (cross-section, not length) you’ve used – is it 65 x 100mm or double that?

BTW from the dates on your photos I reckon my own French house restoration in Brittany must be moving along at the same pace as yours – it’s uncanny, I seem to have tackled many of the same jobs as you over the past 5 years!

Keep it up, it’ll be worth it in the end, that’s what I tell myself and my long-suffering friends …

Chris

Comment on Barn Roof Insulation by Barn Conversions – What is 131 pound in kilograms?

Barn Conversions – What is 131 pound in kilograms? — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:26:59 +0000

[...] Barn Roof Insulation « askmatt.co.uk [...]

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by askmatt

askmatt — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:40:22 +0000

I paid it into my moneybookers account with a maestro card, which didn’t cost anything. The withdrawal into my french Banque Populaire account cost £3.12. The cash leaves the money bookers account straight away but it takes a few days to show in your french bank account. The moneybookers exchange rate is 1% over the real exchange rate so thinking about it the transaction actually cost £6.57! It’s still much cheaper/easier than transferring direct from your uk bank account.

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by Mark

Mark — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:15:08 +0000

So presumably you set up a sterling moneybookers account, paid into it with a bank transfer (how long did it take for the sterling to transfer in?). Then transferred the money in Euros into your French account.
How long did this part take and did moneybookers let you know when the transfer had completed and the money was in your French account?

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by askmatt

askmatt — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:10:03 +0000

Cost to transfer £350 from UK bank account to french bank account with moneybookers = £3.12. HSBC charge £17, Santander £25 and Paypal, well paypal just keep your money for 6 months!

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by askmatt

askmatt — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:24:59 +0000

email me at barn@askmatt.co.uk and i’ll tell you all about it!

Most of the original barn roof collapsed!

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by Mark

Mark — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:39:18 +0000

Interesting – I am actually north of Fontenay close to a village called Serigne – is that any closer to you?
The roof of my house is made of, what look like branches for the rafters and larger logs roughly sawn for the beams, covering that are thin pieces of sawn tree (still with bark!) overlapping each other then the roman tiles on top. Your original roof looked the same – why did you demolish it – was it completely rotten?

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by askmatt

askmatt — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:23:10 +0000

Fontenay-le-Comte? About 34 miles

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by Mark

Mark — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:27:17 +0000

Matt – the original construction of your barn is almost identical to that of the property I am renovating.
Mine is near Fontenay, sud Vendee – is yours anywhere near?
Mark

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by Transfer online money

Transfer online money — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:38:22 +0000

transferonlinemoney.com is another service you can use to send money into a foreign bank account.

Comment on Battle of the budget petrol generators by Stanley

Stanley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:03:17 +0000

Wolf generator are cheaper than some other generators. Is there anyother brand of generator in UK ?

Comment on Wind & Solar power – Cheaper and less hassle than connecting to the grid with EDF by acnerdy

acnerdy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:43:46 +0000

the cost of Solar Cells for Solar Power utilization has been decreasing over the past years. pretty soon, solar energy would be a more viable alternative than fossil fuels,–

Comment on Concrete Floor Paint by Mike

Mike — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:52:44 +0000

Epoxy base seems best if you are going to paint although I might suggest integral color for long term or maybe stain as its more durable than paint. Good luck

Comment on Concreting the barn floor – French Ready Mix Prices by Mike

Mike — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:51:05 +0000

While stell and wire mesh are common practice in a concrete floor as of late we are seeing a lot of macro fiber being used to replace wire mesh and most steel in floors as well as walls.

Comment on Barn Roof Insulation by Paul Hughes

Paul Hughes — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:55:38 +0000

There are a couple of companies selling cellotex/kingspan seconds on ebay. I have bought from the one based in Goole and the sheets are just as good as new sheets of insulation. They have obviously been left outside for a while and the foil is sometimes a bit dirty, but these sheets are always concealed. The price for 25mm celotex was less than half the price Wickes were selling for. I managed to get 14 8×4 sheets inside my estate car – cut the sheets into 8 x 2 and then cut a small piece of the end.

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by askmatt

askmatt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:31:28 +0000

Anna, using a pre-paid mastercard or visa is ok if you are just travelling to another country, but it is much better to use moneybookers to move money to your french bank account when you need to pay bills. French companies and tax offices are going to want to be be paid by a french cheque in Euros, you need a french bank account. The point of this post was that money bookers is the cheapest and fastest way that I have found to move money from my UK bank account to my french bank account. It is also the ONLY way that I can do this online because none of the online banking systems that I have seen support international transfers.

Comment on Transfer money to a french bank account by Anna

Anna — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:59:10 +0000

Another way of sending money abroad, that you may find useful, is prepaid cards. I work for Escape MasterCard Prepaid Card which is the cheapest way to get money to friends or family abroad – done in 60 seconds and it’s for free. Escape also brings financial inclusion with no bank account needed. It’s very useful if you need to send money to friends and family abroad on a regular basis.

Comment on Concrete Floor Paint by Sue

Sue — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:32:38 +0000

Do you know if the floor paint you used was epoxy based? Is it easy to clean? Do chairs and table legs mark the paint finish?

Comment on Mixer Mounted Concrete Conveyor Belts – Not Pumps! by Adamf

Adamf — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:48:18 +0000

Where was the cheapest place to buy concrete in the end? I took a ‘devi’ to all the local suppliers every supplier undercut the previous quote, so I ended up getting my concrete for half the original price quoted, it’s well worth shopping around. Readymix suppliers are out to make a quick buck out of people who are unlikely to use their service more than once.

Comment on Barn Roof Insulation by RHE

RHE — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:43:25 +0000

I am converting a barn myself and I am wondering which method of insulation to go for. When I initially tiled my barn roof I fitted cheap velux style windows, and whilst these are double glazed it seems to me that any heat that is retained by the insulation in the roof will be lost through these windows.
One could easily spend £40/square metre on insulation only to lose this heat through the roof windows. The best roof windows that I have found, the Fakro FTT Thermo Timber triple glazed roof window quotes,”Mid pane U value 0.5W/m2k, window U value 0.94W/m2k”, in the specification. 300mm of Rockwool is said to provide 0.40w/m2k, any ideas? The zero heat building seems a long way away!

Comment on Wind & Solar power – Cheaper and less hassle than connecting to the grid with EDF by Detox John

Detox John — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:36:20 +0000

Solar Power is so cool. it is clean and renewable energy. when the cost of solar panels goes down, i think every home should be owning a mini solar power station.

Comment on Barn Roof Insulation by mike

mike — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:03:34 +0000

I would not consider multi foil, such as Airtec Double Insulation or Thermawrap, you should check out this site before purchasing this kind of insulation
http://www.healthyheating.com/Page%2055/Page_55_o_bldg_sys.htm