A NEW ROOF AND MORE

Last week was a busy week. The contractors arrived Monday bright and early at 8 AM. I had to set the alarm because who gets up early when retired? Not me! I used to be a morning person, but I’ve taken a different attitude in retirement. I like being able to sleep when I want and get the day going in a leisurely way. But last week I had to alter my ways….

I had received notice they were coming the week before to finally replace the leaking roof which I discovered in January when the ceiling above the fireplace came crashing down. Further inspection revealed leaks around the chimney that apparently had been there for some time and repaired with duct tape! So I opted to replace the entire roof, have the external chimney torn down, seal off the internal chimney, and remove the nonfunctioning fireplace to replace it with more storage. It’s a work in progress.

Monsieur Serge Belmas and his team of four men worked diligently right through the week until Friday noon – just in time for lunch.. But what a mess! It took me two full days to clean inside and out including the street, the deck and inside the house. Dust and rubble were everywhere! I made the mistake of leaving the windows open on the first day. Hence a lot of dust moved inside as they removed the old roof. When they knocked down the fireplace inside Friday morning, that added big time to the mess. In the scheme of things, it was a small price to pay for a new terra cotta roof cemented in place, new zinc flashing and gutters, a new Velux skylight in the attic, and even an upgrade with an attic ventilator. Monsieur Belmas knows what he is doing.

Monsieur Belmas was supposed to have done the roof in March, but when France went into its lockdown March 11 known as “le confinement“, everything stopped. Like with many planned projects in France, there are often delays. You just bide your time and wait it out. One doesn’t press contractors to come. They come when they are ready. As discussed in my last posting, finding good contractors is difficult. So you treat them well and they call all the shots. I was essentially at his mercy to get this job done. But the work has been impeccably done and it was worth the wait. Monsieur Belmas has the reputation of being the best in the village. I am grateful to have been able to engage him.

To show me the finished product, Monsieur Belmas took me up in the hydraulic lift. It afforded some pretty nice street views as well as a good look at his work. I was impressed and very pleased.

We celebrated the completion of the project with lunch for Monsieur Belmas and his team at our village’s nicest restaurant, L’Auberge du Dominicain. I had my friend Chantal join us to aid in translation as Monsieur Belmas’s Occitan accent throws me. And Hélène, la propriétaire, took great care of us. It was a nice time.

Next comes drywall around the fireplace. Storage units have been ordered (six drawers) and the bibliotheque – bookshelves – will be enhanced by this innovation. I will finally have a space for linens as storage in these old houses is usually minimal. Cupboards aren’t usually built in. Rather, armoires and sometimes trunks are randomly placed and used to store clothing, linens, china, etc.

The next project includes replacement of the heating/water boiler system as it has been determined to be a fire risk due to an improper installation. And then there is the deck with its leak to the studio below. I’m negotiating all that with the insurance company at the moment but I hope it will be done yet this year.

Onwards and upwards.