That fireback is absolutely stunning! Makes you appreciate the effort to keep it and restore the whole fireplace. I’m so looking forward to seeing it when I visit – in a year when it is operational – and myself and cousin and sister intend to celebrate here in Australia when it is all done. Keep up the good work J-M and call on friends and neighbours to help.
Rosemary Kneipp
March 1st, 2013 at 10:24 am
Thank you, Butcherbird. I’m hoping it will be operational next year. The roofer’s coming tomorrow to have a look and give us a quote. Gulp. The four chimneys all need chimney pots as well.
Oh! So disappointing and frustrating about the chimney! The fireback looks fabulous — in fact the whole thing looks fabulous. Chin up — you’ll get it sorted eventually (what did I tell you about allowing 10 times as much time and 4 times the money on any first estimate for doing up an old house? 🙂
BTW, crocuses or snowdrops? I see lots of little white flowers that look like snowdrops, but nothing in the pic that looks like crocuses? Is this where your orchids are too?
Rosemary Kneipp
March 1st, 2013 at 10:19 am
We’re certainly getting close to 10 times as much time and if we have to pay a roofer, we’ll be way over the 4 times the money …
They are, of course, snowdrops. I’ve corrected the post. I’ve also added a title. Our discouragement was not very inspiring last night! There are some orchids among them but the others are in the soggy ground just behind the house. When should I expect them to bloom?
Have you tried opening diverse doors and windows? We once had a fireplace that would only stop smoking when we opened the bathroom window – three rooms away and with all doors closed. Our current fireplace only has a good “tirage” when the living-room door is ajar. Not when it’s closed and not when it’s wide open…
Rosemary Kneipp
March 1st, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Thanks, Pat, for your input. In the past,fireplaces were not designed properly so nearly always smoked because of lack of ventilation so people just left doors and windows open as you have to. Today, however, windows are usually airtight. Jean Michel has been very careful to provide correct ventilation by making a large hole in the wall at the back and having the air go through ventilation channels in the hearth. Those grilles you can see at the front of the hearth are designed for that purpose.
When he cleaned the chimney, he discovered that 1/3 of the top of the fireplace has been blocked up. He was hoping that by having a small fire, it wouldn’t matter. He also used wet, green wood the first time. He’s finishing off the ventilation grilles at the moment and will then test with dry wood to see what happens. And the roofer’s coming to give his verdict tomorrow!
[…] first thing we did after we got to Closerie Falaiseau late Wednesday afternoon was to turn up the heating. Then we went to buy an espresso machine to replace the cheap-O one that gave up the ghost last […]
[…] year when we decided not to herald in the New Year until the renovation was finished. We finally lit our first fire on February 28 only to the discover it smoked. The problem was eventually solved in March when the […]
[…] different flowers in our garden in Blois. When I’ve finished, I imagine myself in front of our Renaissance fireplace with Jean Michel, drinking vouvray and eating foie […]
[…] (especially on a rainy day like today), one in the upstairs living room where the Renaissance fireplace is, and the other in our office downstairs. It’s wonderful having a 400-year old house but […]
[…] Despite its 200 square metres, it only has two bedrooms. The upstairs living room is where our Renaissance fireplace is and it is probably the most pleasant room in the house. It has large proportions, lots of light […]
[…] of our time in Blois seems to be spent frantically gardening, restoring fireplaces and making laundries, but this time, I’ve checked the weather report and Thursday looks as though […]
That fireback is absolutely stunning! Makes you appreciate the effort to keep it and restore the whole fireplace. I’m so looking forward to seeing it when I visit – in a year when it is operational – and myself and cousin and sister intend to celebrate here in Australia when it is all done. Keep up the good work J-M and call on friends and neighbours to help.
Thank you, Butcherbird. I’m hoping it will be operational next year. The roofer’s coming tomorrow to have a look and give us a quote. Gulp. The four chimneys all need chimney pots as well.
Oh! So disappointing and frustrating about the chimney! The fireback looks fabulous — in fact the whole thing looks fabulous. Chin up — you’ll get it sorted eventually (what did I tell you about allowing 10 times as much time and 4 times the money on any first estimate for doing up an old house? 🙂
BTW, crocuses or snowdrops? I see lots of little white flowers that look like snowdrops, but nothing in the pic that looks like crocuses? Is this where your orchids are too?
We’re certainly getting close to 10 times as much time and if we have to pay a roofer, we’ll be way over the 4 times the money …
They are, of course, snowdrops. I’ve corrected the post. I’ve also added a title. Our discouragement was not very inspiring last night! There are some orchids among them but the others are in the soggy ground just behind the house. When should I expect them to bloom?
When the orchids flower will depend a bit on which species they turn out to be, but it will most likely be May.
First fire and the chimney smokes! http://www.aussieinfrance.com/2013/02/6132/
Have you tried opening diverse doors and windows? We once had a fireplace that would only stop smoking when we opened the bathroom window – three rooms away and with all doors closed. Our current fireplace only has a good “tirage” when the living-room door is ajar. Not when it’s closed and not when it’s wide open…
Thanks, Pat, for your input. In the past,fireplaces were not designed properly so nearly always smoked because of lack of ventilation so people just left doors and windows open as you have to. Today, however, windows are usually airtight. Jean Michel has been very careful to provide correct ventilation by making a large hole in the wall at the back and having the air go through ventilation channels in the hearth. Those grilles you can see at the front of the hearth are designed for that purpose.
When he cleaned the chimney, he discovered that 1/3 of the top of the fireplace has been blocked up. He was hoping that by having a small fire, it wouldn’t matter. He also used wet, green wood the first time. He’s finishing off the ventilation grilles at the moment and will then test with dry wood to see what happens. And the roofer’s coming to give his verdict tomorrow!
We’ve lit the first fire in the Renaissance fireplace we renovated at Closerie Falaiseau in the Loire Valley and it smokes! http://www.aussieinfrance.com/2013/02/6132/
[…] first thing we did after we got to Closerie Falaiseau late Wednesday afternoon was to turn up the heating. Then we went to buy an espresso machine to replace the cheap-O one that gave up the ghost last […]
[…] year when we decided not to herald in the New Year until the renovation was finished. We finally lit our first fire on February 28 only to the discover it smoked. The problem was eventually solved in March when the […]
[…] different flowers in our garden in Blois. When I’ve finished, I imagine myself in front of our Renaissance fireplace with Jean Michel, drinking vouvray and eating foie […]
[…] (especially on a rainy day like today), one in the upstairs living room where the Renaissance fireplace is, and the other in our office downstairs. It’s wonderful having a 400-year old house but […]
[…] Despite its 200 square metres, it only has two bedrooms. The upstairs living room is where our Renaissance fireplace is and it is probably the most pleasant room in the house. It has large proportions, lots of light […]
[…] of our time in Blois seems to be spent frantically gardening, restoring fireplaces and making laundries, but this time, I’ve checked the weather report and Thursday looks as though […]