BUILDING A SOLAR HOUSE IN FRANCE - Plastering with new machine - masons back on site. »  Viewing imgp0538     [Image 17 of 23]  :: Jump To  
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The new machine cuts the bag of plaster on the top hopper, automatically mixes it with the right amount of water, feeds it to a helical pump that pushes the mixture down a long hose that delivers high pressure plaster via a nozzle, greatly reducing the time taken to cover the wall.

But the down side of the machine is that it has to be dismantled and totally cleaned every hour to avoid clogging by the fast setting plaster.

The first day of operation was punctuated by much swearing and rereading of the operating manual, but finally it was mastered.

To complicate matters on Monday, Francis Guinot phoned at 8:30 to say that he would be on site on half an hour. We had been waiting for him or someone from Faye's since December to come to carry on with the external work and garage foundations and walls. In the meantime Francis had been elected Mayor of St Front la Rivière in the recent local elections. So I despaired of ever seeing him personally on our project again, knowing how much work being Mayor of a commune involves. But he arrived with his JCB to dig the holes for the septic tank and sand filter, closely followed by another gang from Faye to build the stone wall facing.

The new machine was finally made operational and plastering started after all the windows had been taped and covered.
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imgp0538.jpg - Apr 14, 2008 - 02:10 PM

Albert about to give the machine its first cleanup.

Francis began to dig the hole for the septic tank (in this case a fosse toutes eaux which takes all soil and waste water).

The other gang from Faye began to build the foundation wall for the stone facing wall.

The cavity is filled with extruded polystyrene insulation (find me a waterproof ecological alternative)
Comment: Mr Maziere demonstrating to Benoit how to do it. He then took over while Laurent did the skilled job of smoothing.
Album last updated on Apr 26, 2008 - 09:59 PM
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