Finding/Owning French Property

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   11/05/2008, 21:25
Anton Redman is not online. Last active: 22/06/2008 13:00:59 Anton Redman

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Gironde
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Re: Uneven floor
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There are two possible reasons :

Poor workmanship in the first pace. We saw a number of show  homes form clef a la main builders in France where I thought the tiling was shoddy. The living room of our current house is 32 square metres and is the only room with joints you trip on.We bought the house despite the floor.

The ground / foundations have moved. Would not touch it with a barge pole unless the damage was clearly very old and I could retile from scrath 


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   11/05/2008, 22:45
Dick Smith is not online. Last active: 14/06/2008 12:33:49 Dick Smith



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Surrey and Manche (Pays Mortainais)
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Re: Uneven floor
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In the OP should 'joists' be 'joints'?

If so, what is the height differential? We find quite small differences in height can be a pain. It depends where they are.

Regards

Dick Smith

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Among those afraid of losing their ground
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   12/05/2008, 7:14
alpina is not online. Last active: 14/05/2008 06:30:21 alpina

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Re: Uneven floor
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Perhaps I didn't describe it clearly enough.

The tiling is quite slick, smooth and well finished but there are (from memory - going back later in the week) a couple of small hills. Enough so that you would notice if you were playing marbles - ok you probably wouldn't want to play marbles on tile because of the joints but you would have to push them uphill and then downhill over a couple of joists.

My guess is that there has been some movement but the refurbishment is not new and there are no obvious signs of cracks, windows and doors all seem to open and close freely and I think we've seen enough of the market to say that its priced fairly.

The height differential is too small to measure but will try to take something straight when we revisit.


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   12/05/2008, 7:29
alpina is not online. Last active: 14/05/2008 06:30:21 alpina

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Re: Uneven floor
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Perhaps I didn't describe it clearly enough.

The tiling is quite slick, smooth and well finished but there are (from memory - going back later in the week) a couple of small hills. Enough so that you would notice if you were playing marbles - ok you probably wouldn't want to play marbles on tile because of the joints but you would have to push them uphill and then downhill over a couple of joists.

My guess is that there has been some movement but the refurbishment is not new and there are no obvious signs of cracks, windows and doors all seem to open and close freely and I think we've been following the market long enough to be see that its realistically priced - with room for negotiations of course.

The height differential is too small to measure but will try to take something straight when we revisit.


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   13/05/2008, 13:04
J.R's gone native is not online. Last active: 27/06/2008 20:54:42 J.R's gone native

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Picardie, Sussex
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Re: Uneven floor
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If it is a fermette and the floor you describe is over a cellar then it is a suspended slab, either concrete or perhaps shallow brick arches bridging the gaps between steels like mini railway lines spanning across the cellar walls.

In either case the tiles (which may have several other layers under) will probably be resting/floating on a bed of sand, in this instance what you describe is quite normal, in fact in areas of heavy traffic the floor can dip and rise up on either side of the "traffic lane" rather like the effect of running a plate compactor over block paving. this only becomes a problem when the undulations are such that the joints begin to open but is easily remedied by relaying in the original manner.

In your shoes I would prefer for it to be the original floor (wars and all) that has workd fine for over 100 years and would be more worried if it looked as flat as a billiard table indicating recent repair/renovation work.

If you have structural concerns you should be in the cellar looking under the floor slab for any indications.

Good luck

 


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