Book Reviews

- looking for a book about buying or restoring a property in France?

If you are planning to live in France or restore a property, there is a bewildering variety of books to choose from. Pretty much every one will claim to be exactly the book you need, but sadly that will often not be the case. Some books are going to be extremely useful, and some are going to be less so. We have owned and referred to a great many over the years, so we will try to point you in the direction of those which may prove as invaluable to you as they were to us, and some which we found are not worth buying.

The prices shown are cover prices and/or the price at the time of purchase, so you may find variations in the price you encounter.

We purchased our copies in France and England, and several titles are also distributed in the USA and Canada.

Bricolage

Christian Pessey - pub. Flammarion, 2000, Hardback, colour, 320pp, €14.25, language: French

First impressions are that this is of limited use and very old fashioned (most of the photographs look very dated). However there is enough useful information for basic DIY, maintenance and a few improvements. The book is reasonably up to date, with sections on solar energy and heat pumps, although this is little more than an introduction.

An experienced DIY-er will already be familiar with most of the topics covered, and a quick browse will highlight where terms, methods and materials differ from those he or she is familiar with. It is not exhaustive in any subject, so is perhaps best suited to those looking to undertake basic DIY projects.

La Maçonnerie pas à pas

Marcel Guedj - pub. Èdition S.A.E.P. 1997, Softback, colour, 96pp, €5.60, language: French

One of the long list in the '2000 Pratique' collection, this pocket-sized book is a basic guide to French building products, tools and equipment, and techniques. It touches on French 'Norms' (Building Regulations) and perhaps most usefully, where the English DIY-er is likely to be unaccustomed to some French practices, covers building with plaster blocks, lime mortars, terracotta 'briques creuses' and breeze blocks - 'parpaings'. There is a section on building a small (garden) wall using stone, which, because it is so basic, may frustrate anyone planning a larger project in local stone. There are sections on 'dalle' (concrete flooring) and 'chape', as well as beam and block floors. Useful as an introduction.

L'électricité pas à pas

Jean-Philippe Hartmann, Jean-Matthieu Leurent, Roger Zenner - pub. Èdition S.A.E.P. 2003, Softback, colour, 96pp, €5.60, language: French

I really don't like this book. Other than a few photographs there is page after page of schematics, poorly drawn illustrations and electrical theory. An electrician will understand the diagrams, but they will be meaningless and of little or no practical use to most people, and unless you really need to understand how a fluorescent tube works, don't waste your money.

Murs & Planchers

Henri Renaud - pub. Eyrolles, 2007, Softback, spot colour, 56pp, €6.50 (€6.17), language: French

From the 'Maisons Individuelles' collection, this book covers a number of areas concerned with the construction of floors and walls. Aimed at new build using mostly concrete, blocks and pre-stressed beams, there are many useful and detailed diagrams, plans and tables as well as informative text. There is also a brief section on underground (foul water) drainage. Of limited application for traditional building, there is nevertheless some cross-over potential for those engaged in a renovation project or reconstruction.

La Plomberie

Thierry Gallauziaux, David Fedullo & Maurice Jacquelot - pub. Eyrolles, 2004, Softback, spot colour, 212pp, €22, language: French

How to install a septic tank

How to install a bathroom in France

How to understand French plumbing systems

Materials and techniques of French plumbing.

Another in the 'Comme Un Pro' series, this book covers all aspects of plumbing, from the water supply meter to the installation of a fosse septique, kitchen and bathroom fittings, ventilation systems (VMC) and gas. The majority of the diagrams do an excellent job of explanation, although there are a few instances where a photograph might be slightly clearer. Whilst there are likely to be minor differences between various manufacturer's French plumbing products, I have yet to find anything which is not covered.

A competent DIY enthusiast should have no problems understanding and implementing the step-by-step guides, and the novice should be able to learn quickly and to progress to more ambitious plumbing projects. The text contains much useful and occasionally vital information.