Smoke detectors for French homes

As from 1st January 2016 (not March 8th 2015), all properties in France must have a smoke detector installed. If you are a landlord, you have to install a smoke detector in each flat / house you own. If you are the tenant, you are responsible for the maintenance of it (ie you must replace the batteries when need be).

Smoke detectors don't have to be wired in, they can just be batterie ones.
This applies also for furnished and unfurnished properties in France. 

Make sure you buy a smoke detector which has the NF sign on. You will easily find some in DIY shops in France.

Our fire alarms were fitted the day we bought our French house 12 years ago, so I won't be rushing to the DIY shop! We are already complying to the French regulations.

How to render a cob wall

This is what happens when a wall has been badly rendered! The render cracks, the rain penetrates and the house gets damp!

How to re render the wall: remove the old render (enduit). For this wall, it came off in a few pieces!

To make the render ‘enduit à la chaux’ mix some lime, sand and water in a concrete mixer. Apply 3 layers on the wall waiting 1 to 3 weeks between each layer depending on the weather conditions.

This lime render can be used on stone walls (pierre) or cob walls (terre).

You can also buy some ready mix (bags of lime and sand) from local DIY shops in France, all you need is to add water and mix.

Bricomarché in Dinan

This DIY shop offers a comprehensive range of gardening and DIY materials and tools.

They also sell pet food and accessories.

I find the staff there always available and friendly.

They can also organise deliveries if materials don’t fit in your car. It is always a problem when you buy plasterboard especially if you drive a Twingo like me!

You can also hire a van from them.

What I like about it, if you have a big order and you hire a van from Bricomarché, they will load it for you before you come and collect it.

We ordered 27 joists and 30 bags of cement as well as other stuff. This is 1 Ton to shift so I was glad to hear they were loading it for us!

To drive home and back to the shop was a quick round (just under 1 hour) and it only costs us 12 euros.

Bricomarché is our favorite DIY shop in Dinan. It is in Taden, North of Dinan on the Dinard road.

You can find Bricomarché all over France. Visit this site here

and enter your post code. You will then find out where the nearest shop to yours is

Comptoir Electrique Français – a great place for electrical and electronic products

Comptoir Electrique Français sells any electrical and electronic products:

Cables, sockets, plugs, extension leads, circuit protection and consumer units, TV, satellite and communication, thermostats, etc.

Anything you need to rewire your French house!

I was looking for this place yesterday and got really annoyed because it is sign-posted for CDL. It is also called Comptoir des Lumières...

This place is in Taden, near Dinan in the Zone Artisanale des Alleux.

It is open to anyone, not just to professionals.

It shares the same building as Brossette – a place that sells plumbing products. If you get lost, ask for Brossette. Everyone know this shop in France unless you ask a tourist!

If you don’t find the electrical products that you are looking for in ‘normal’ DIY shops, you will certainly find them there.

This company has branches all over France.

Brico Dépot opening soon near Dinan

I had heard rumors that Brico Dépot was going to open near Dinan but now I can definitely say, it is true!

I passed the old Super U in Plouër Sur Rance yesterday and noticed the name on the sign on the planning permit : Brico Dépot.

I heard the opening is planned for March 2012. Our nearest Brico Dépot was in Rennes or St Brieuc. This one is only 20 min drive.

Brico Dépot is a DIY shop famous for being cheaper than other DIY shops in France. Although it is not true. We have recently bought some electric cables from their branch in Rennes and found out the same day the 2 other big DIY shops in Rennes were cheaper by over 10%!

Like most DIY shops in France, BricoDépot also do van hire if you can’t fit it all in your car!

See Bricodepot web site here.