Ginger world

Hi,can anyone help on this one?
We have an old house 40mins from Dijon at langres which has been rendered as per they all were but is quite obviously traditional stone underneath,I would like to chip off and re point the stone,does anyone know who can perhaps help me with this,I will have all the gear,scaffolding etc just need some help from someone who knows about this,can pay but not the stupid local prices I have been quoted.
Still struggling with the local"French-English"rates!
Thanks G

Chatter Static

Running a business in France is not a cheap prospect and it will influence any quote for work you get here, it is without a doubt one of the most overlooked pitfalls of life here. You need to be wary of employing anyone one the black here it can get you in to as much trouble as them and if they were injured whilst working on your premises it opens up a horrible can of worms.

dmu

Our "legal" builder employed some one on the black some time ago. He fell and was injured. The builder, although insured, subsequently went bankrupt, by dint of paying compensation to the injured party and high penalties to all official bodies concerned. Luckily we could plead innocent as we had paid the builder the 30% of his Devis and it wasn't our responsibility who he employed.
Quotes for work include such things as Professional Insurance and your House and Civil Liability Insurance wouldn't cover such an accident. Not only that, but some one working so openly on the black would be denounced and you'd be in trouble with the "official bodies".
Don't take the risk - use a professional!

Chatter Static

I know some one who had a builder fall off his ladder in their house he was hospitalised for 4 months and won't be working again. Luckily all was above board so his own insurance picked up the ongoing bills.

But as I said the cost of renovations seems to be overlooked it is not cheap to run a business here.

cjm

Basics. Has some of the render come off, so you can see the stone and 'mortar' underneath? Render in France and UK was an unfortunate fad, but it also covered a multitude of sins in that if the stone was flaking and mortar crumbling, render was and can still be used to hold it all togather. Also the belief it helps insulation. Check what the render is made from and that nothing is in it that may create health issues. Is the inside stone and mortar in good nick? Are there any really bad patches, perhaps showing green algae?

My advice, as a start, would be to choose a smallish area outside, explore, remove and re-point yourself. I don't believe you need permission, but it is always worth keeping a contact point with the Marie. Our village has a full-time jack of all trades and for me I would ask him or some locals for guidance. The Marie may not wish to recommend, but you may get a steer. Agree with wise words here don't go black route.

miss limousin

Hi- It is a very expensive business, cleaning/re-rendering. I have had a quote of €63 per sq mtr! and apparently that is cheap...

nzneville

Make sure that the house is not in a heritage area too. Ours is, and we cannot remove or paint the existing render on the front of the house in a different colour without special application through the Mairie to the regional authorities.

InVinoVeritas

Without wanting to pour more cold water on your plan you need to bear in mind that the render is waterproof whereas the stones beneath may not be - this is one of the reasons many old stone houses were rendered in the first place.

bigglesworth

Re-pointing should be cheaper than re-crepir. I have just had one wall done -crepi removed, stone cleaned, and then repointed - 80 square metres of stone-work. Cost just under 50 Euros a square metre (plus TVA).

I have also had another wall re crepi-ed- crepi removed, stonework cleaned, under plastered , and then a top coated - 65 square metres - 63.5 euros per square metre (plus TVA). So much as Miss limousin says. (You do need two coats by the way.

This is top dollar stuff around here. All Weber materials. All rubbish cleared.

The cleaning is different if you want to repoint. Clearly you need to get a decent depth into the joints. If you are rendering, you only need a bit of depth, so a GOOD (not from M Bricolage) pressure washer can do the job, I am told. Clearly that is only if you have a soft under-surface, like the old mortar the French used, on top of the mud that was used before that.