Property Renovation

Wherever in France you have bought a property you will need some type of heating. You might not believe me if you have visited your dream property during the summer. Even Provence and Corsica have their cooler moments. There are several ways for adding heating at the time of renovation. The method chosen depends partly on whether you plan to live in the property full time, or just as a holiday home.

General Advice

Almost all types of heating need to be inspected and serviced at least once a year. This includes having flues and chimneys cleaned, for example.

Open Fires and Wood Burning Stoves

Open fires look nice. That is their main advantage, and it is their only advantage. The net effect on the temperature of a house with an open fire is, apparently, zero. A large part of the heat from the fire goes out of the chimney. Worse than that, it sucks the warm air out of the house with it, which is then replaced by cold air entering the property through all the nooks and crannies around doors and windows, from the attic, and so on. All the new air is coming in from outside. The net result is that as much heat leaves the property as enters from the fire. Still, to be fair, there is an area immediately in front of a roaring fire which feels warm, even if you pay the price with a freezing cold bedroom.
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