|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 9:48:30 GMT
I'm sure that a number of us are curious about where the rest of us live. We've seen a glimpse in photos from time to time but generally only a small detail. Here are a few photos of my upstairs room, which is really the only one worth looking at. I created it myself, by paying someone to drill through my ceiling so that I could annex the attic. It was a horrible mess -- I'll find the photos some day to show you. I have occupied the space for more than 10 years, but my neighbors and I (who did the same thing) are just now regularizing the operation to make it legal.    If anybody else would like to show what their residence looks like, I would love to see it. |
|
voy
member
Offline
The Lobstah Lady
|
Post by voy on Apr 12, 2009 14:03:08 GMT
that is a lovely space! - as it's the "living room" - what have you got in what was the original flat? kitchen, bath, and... ?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 14:14:35 GMT
Downstairs is a small living room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, WC with a sink, walk-in closet and the entry hall.
|
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Apr 12, 2009 14:29:56 GMT
Really, really intelligent and clever use of space! Do the book shelves to the right of the stairs go from floor to ceiling? From the depth of the floor and the size of the beams, your building must be very old. The last picture is a little dark -- what is to the left of the fan? Does the floor drop in level there?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 14:41:28 GMT
That is a black cupboard to the left of the fan. I'll come across more explicit photos one of these days.
|
|
|
|
Post by spindrift on Apr 12, 2009 15:21:11 GMT
The roof looks in good order. Nice beams there. Old oak? I like the way you've arranged the plants. You were brave to drill through the ceiling; I suppose you knew there wasn't a supporting beam in that area.
Did you put in that Velux window? Nice touch. You had to do it though, otherwise not enough light.
That took a bit of doing and it looks lovely. The room downstairs must be a large one otherwise the staircase would be at a steeper angle.
The lighting is well done.
Can you stand up full height in the attic?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 15:28:35 GMT
The window was already there. That's the main thing I need to change because it is still the old window with absolutely no insulation. I need to put a Velux there one of these day.
Yes, there was indeed a supporting beam that had to be dealt with. Luckily, the guy who was in charge of the work was a real architect, so he knew what to do about the problem. My main problem was that since the work was all under the table, he just came when he had the time, and the whole thing lasted about 9 months.
As for "full height," only 12m² out of 40m² qualify as per the law governing the calculation of such things. (That was excellent for me when I had to negotiate the price I would pay for the area.) I would say that I personally can stand up in about 25m² of the area (I am 1m87 in height), which is fine with me. I have lived long enough with the beams to (almost) never hit my head, but I constantly warn visitors when they are anywhere near them.
|
|
|
|
Post by spindrift on Apr 12, 2009 15:35:43 GMT
That's a long time and would have been very trying with all the muck and workmen coming and going. I have put a large Velux in my shower room and am pleased with it; however there isn't much insulation and it's freezing in winter. I'd have to have the shower-room re-roofed to even start to insulate it. Too expensive.
Is your roof in good order? Is there a chimney up there? Are the ridge tiles all right?
I've recently had my ridge tiles re-mortared as I had a leak last year and I had the chimney re-pointed. There's always so much work to do on old houses.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 15:44:53 GMT
I have a traditional Parisian zinc roof. My Montenegran illegal workers who put in the insulation made some horrible mistakes (The guy in charge was an alcoholic -- one day I came home and half of the Jack Daniels was gone and he had a big bandage on his hand. He said that he had an accident and since I had no disinfectant, he had used that to disinfect his wound. In reality I am sure that he got drunk and injured himself.) I had given very specific instructions about placing wooden inserts between the beams before attaching the insulation panels, in order to protect the roof. As it turned out, he screwed in quite a bit of the insulation without any protection and in many cases the screws pierced the roof. So I had big leaks during major storms for several years. I think it is finished now, because the leaks have plugged themselves over the years, but I still have some stains and damage that need to be repaired one of these days.
|
|
|
|
Post by spindrift on Apr 12, 2009 16:04:22 GMT
The joys of employing workmen!
I don't know anything about zinc roofs. We go for slate over here.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jazz on Apr 13, 2009 6:16:16 GMT
Beautiful. I love the beams, the staircase library, the wood floors, the skylight,and the painting and lapis blue light as you go up the stairs. This is an ingenious use of your space. I find that the most ill-used and ignored areas are the attics and basements. A waste of precious space.
I once had renovators with me for six months, when I had my basement lowered two feet for my new bathroom and bedroom. So, I empathize with having 'the boys' around for nine months. But, what can I say...renovators fascinate me. I could write a book of their finest stories...(told over a beer at the end of a long day of work). I love your man who used the bottle of Jack Daniel's to 'disinfect' his hand. ;D
One question:...Below your skylight, there is an opening in the floor, without railings. Is there glass? mmm...you wouldn't want to have a drunken and impetuous night! This reminds me of one of my favorite movie scenes, ever. A Pink Panther movie and Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is solving a crime in a cottage in the english countryside. He goes to the second floor and and explores the private gymnasium...he decides to return to his athletic past and vaults over the hobbyhorse(?) and is hurtled down the open staircase. hahaha.
|
|
|
|
Post by spindrift on Apr 13, 2009 7:02:14 GMT
I'm sorry to say that my attic space is too cramped to be of any use as an extra room. It contains my water tanks as well as old stuff from the past. It needs a good sorting-out but means I'll have to crawl about and risk banging my head on the roof beams. I know there's an ancient wooden water-ski up there and a pair of old long snow skis that are of no use to anyone. I hate going up there mainly because of the rickey dangerous ladder that I have to pull down with a long wooden pole.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2009 10:53:58 GMT
One question:...Below your skylight, there is an opening in the floor, without railings. Is there glass? No, there is no protection whatsoever. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2009 13:29:59 GMT
I have actually installed a rope from the beam over the stairs so that the scaredy cats have something to hang on to if they wish.
|
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Apr 13, 2009 15:01:06 GMT
That is good - just looking at that gives me vertige. I'd love looking up at that but would be terrified to be up there. I know it is a neurosis.
|
|
voy
member
Offline
The Lobstah Lady
|
Post by voy on Apr 13, 2009 18:38:47 GMT
I'd love to get to see it, but even with a rope to hand onto, I think the only way up or down those stairs for me would be on my bottom.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2009 18:40:51 GMT
That's the only way my mother would go down the stairs.
|
|
|
|
Post by spindrift on Apr 13, 2009 20:14:50 GMT
I can't take you lot trekking!
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2009 20:24:42 GMT
According to my Physical Therapist this a.m. I have only one more session with him then I'm ready to boogie,trek,whatever.
|
|
voy
member
Offline
The Lobstah Lady
|
Post by voy on Apr 13, 2009 20:50:51 GMT
today is the day for that.. my PT told me that after Friday I'm outta there!
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2009 20:58:10 GMT
According to my Physical Therapist this a.m. I have only one more session with him then I'm ready to boogie,trek,whatever. That's great news, Casimira, except for us. I have been assuming that your extremely regular presence here has been related to mobility problems!  |
|
|
|
Post by tillystar on Apr 14, 2009 12:08:36 GMT
I love that hideaway K. I would make good use of the rope though as I also have terrible vertigo. I would force myself up there though, it looks like the perfect place to curl up with a book and a glass of wie on a stormy night with the rain hammering on the skylight.
|
|
|
|
Post by spindrift on Apr 14, 2009 12:42:58 GMT
He said he has leaks up there!
|
|
|
|
Post by Kimby on Apr 14, 2009 17:56:11 GMT
Kerouac, did you have to get a building permit to do that remodel?
The lack of a railing would not "meet code" in the US. Does France not worry about such things?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2009 19:07:21 GMT
Everything was done totally illegally with no permit. However, don't think that a railing would have been required by law. No amount of protection will ever keep people from falling down stairs if that is their destiny.
|
|
|
|
Post by tillystar on Apr 14, 2009 19:13:04 GMT
Ha! I had missed about the leaks! Well it would be very cost amongst the buckets catching water ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2009 19:32:50 GMT
There were just a few drips. There was never enough to even fill a small drinking glass. And the leaks all finished plugging themselves about 3 years ago.
|
|
|
|
Post by tillystar on Apr 14, 2009 19:34:49 GMT
Ok, me and my book are on our way!
|
|
|
|
Post by Kimby on Apr 14, 2009 20:03:26 GMT
Everything was done totally illegally with no permit.. Will you have trouble when it's time to sell the place? In the US, your taxes would have gone up for increasing the square footage, so you could be in trouble with the taxman, too. I didn't realize you believed in fate, K2. I'd be more worried about someone taking a book off the shelf, taking a step backwards and falling right through the hole in the floor, which looks like it makes up a sizeable percentage of the floor area. |
|
|
|
Post by spindrift on Apr 14, 2009 20:38:59 GMT
Do you think he's insured?
|
|
