The torchis chimney (cheminee en torchis)

I was told over and over by a series of artisans that the wooden/earth chimney in the house would have to go as it was not 'au normes' - dangerous .... so after chipping off the earth around the wooden framework, we set to dismanting the wooden structure after which a wood burning stove with an insulated flue pipe was fitted by an artisan as part of the grant I received for the house.

 

Some images of the process:

 

The wooden framework of the

upper part of the chimney once

the earth had been chipped off

 

 

Fabrice helps to carefully take

down the wooden chimney

 

 

Xavier and John adding planks to the hole in the floor

 

I cleaned the stones up as best I could with wire

brushes and a range of different products after

which I rendered over the top with NHL

3,5 lime and 0:2 sand and brushed this off

several days later to give the 'pierre vue' effect

(seen below)

 

 



Charlie and kevin heroically move the hearth  stones

forward to accommodate the wood stove

 

Kevin sands the beam above the fireplace

 

The woodburning stove arrives