Monthly Archives: November 2019

Make a house cellar

Draw Plan

I will tell you a little story.

My neighbors had long wanted to have a cellar to store their collection of fine wines. When they decided to build their house, they asked the architect to design a cellar with the plan of the house. And then their house was completed, they moved in, and they stored their bottles of wine in the cellar. And then one day they went on vacation for a week. And it rained a lot in the area where their house is. Back from vacation, they found their cellar completely filled with water. And the bottles had all lost their label.

All this to tell you that we do not build a cellar without some precautions:

  • First of all, do you want a buried cellar or cellar with access to the outside?
  • Is there water in the soil?
  • What is the nature of the soil (clay that prevents water from flowing, or sandstone, sand, limestone)?
  • Should we drain all around the cellar to eliminate water?
  • Can drainage be connected to the water flow system in the city?
  • Is there a stream like a stream or a river to drain the drainage water?
  • Is the ground of the house sloping to let the water drain?
  • Is the land in a bowl?
  • Is your land in a flood zone (normally, no, but in practice it is possible)?

There are several types of materials to build the walls and the floor of your cellar. But if you need to insulate your cellar against rising water, do not forget that it is much more efficient to insulate your cellar from the outside. Do it when the house is being built. Once the house is built, it will be impossible to do or very expensive.

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Beautify your home

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You are at home, sitting comfortably in your chair, and you say that life is beautiful. However, you say to yourself: my house is very beautiful but it lacks a little personality. What can I do to make it more attractive?

We will give you some ideas for beautification.

First of all, you have to do all the little renovations, such as electricity, plumbing, small holes in the walls, water leaks.

Then, here are some suggestions:

  • An original door
  • Joinery with colors
  • A garage door in color
  • Blue shutters pastel type
  • All frames of the same color different from the walls
  • A colored chimney
  • Add stones, or slates, or wood on the walls
  • Put slates on the roof instead of brick tiles (be careful, depending on where you live, there may be obligations)
  • Wooden fences to demarcate vote ground
  • Wooden fences for your vegetable garden
  • Small light terminals
  • Cut trees type “Bonsai”
  • Small jets of water

It’s up to you to test all these suggestions. If you have other proposals, or achievements, do not hesitate to send us your comments / photos.

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How to fight against mosquitoes

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Mosquitoes are distributed in 3500 species and are found around the world.

They do not all sting but when they bite, it is the female who does it.

The mosquito egg gives birth to an aquatic larva, then to a nymph, and finally to a winged adult.
The mosquito is often considered as a nuisance, but it should not be forgotten that this insect pollinates the flowers by foraging them and thus contributes to the propagation of flowering plants such as bees.

But it must be said that mosquitoes carry many diseases and are considered in some countries as a real scourge.

For example, the tiger mosquito appeared in France only a few years ago and has invaded all of southern France. If you plan to go on holiday in France, take your precautions.

What can you do to protect yourself from mosquitoes without using chemicals?
Here are some ways you can exploit:

  • Limit nesting sites, especially stagnant water (beware, tiger mosquito larvae can develop simply in a wet area such as mud or compost)
  • Protect yourself with covering clothes, mosquito nets, especially in the morning and evening (be careful, the tiger mosquito can sting all day)
  • Put cobwebs everywhere (I do not know if you prefer mosquitoes or spiders …)
  • Sleeping under a mosquito net (be careful, the mesh should be very thin and the mosquito net should go under the mattress)
  • Use a fan (the mosquito’s flight is quite unstable and can not stand wind)

In conclusion, no ideal solution. Keep this rule to eliminate all kinds of stagnant water and avoid dark places. I know people who decided to cut the hedges around their homes: the effect was spectacular.

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Unsaleable house, what to do?

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A house can become unsaleable for a lot of reasons:

  • Half of the houses in the village are empty
  • There are no economic activities
  • No access road
  • No shops
  • Terraced house with a ruin
  • Termite problem
  • Lead problem

Of course, we can find many other reasons.

First of all, it is primarily a price problem. Indeed, if the price is low enough, we always find someone who is interested.

And then we can do a home staging job to make the house attractive:

  • Empty all furniture and decorations
  • Repaint all in white
  • Beautify the garden
  • Do minor repairs: electricity, plumbing, window cleaning

Finally, prepare a speech to attract potential buyers. The important thing is to make people understand the interest they can have in living in this house. Do not stay too factual, play on feelings.

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