myabruzzohome's activity

Well done for raising this - why is it that whenever anyone attempts to do anything to reduce pollution and improve the environment the measures get labeled 'draconian' or a way to deprive the larger population of it's rights? No one has a God given right to create pollution or drink water from a plastic bottle. If the drinking water fountains are well marked and sign posted then there is no need to buy bottled water.In the restaurants we go to in Abruzzo water usually comes to the table in a glass bottle.I'm not sure I've ever had it in a plastic bottle. I'll certainly be signing the petition    

You may have to put away all your soft furnishings and bedding when you are away - we came back after 3 months to find everything mouldy but that was after we had removed a ton of cement from the stone kitchen walls and let them dry out.And had all the windows double glazed! I am very interested in the us of lime and earth plasters and what I have read points to a natural clay plaster actually taking in moisture.You can buy these plasters online now and they are no more difficult for a good plasterer to use than cement plaster.I know it wont solve your problem as you have already had the trulli plastered but it may be something others could consider?

We have been in this situation and decided in the end to get another builder to fix the bodge. Our solicitor took us through a few options but if it had gone to court we could have lost more money and the time delay would be a disaster ( you would have to stop work at the house while the case was going on) Is there anyone here who has successfully sued a geometra or got them to correct badly done work at their expense? I doubt it. Definetly take his padlock off, he's trying to scare you. www.myabruzzohome.com

Oh dear! Personally I would not allow anyone with a sand blasting machine near the stone. Stone in Abruzzo is usually a honey coloured sandstone, sometimes with little fossils in it.It's very soft and is subject to decay. If it was Cornish granite you could sandblast the life out of it and no harm would occur but you need to be really careful here. Your roof will need insulation and if the builders to want to lightly sand-blast the under-roof tiles then that should  be ok!We did have ours done because to do them by hand is really time-consuming. Cost should be about 10,000 euros or about but if there are problems it may be more!   good luck    

We had to have lighting on ours! You could try fairy lights it would look pretty at night! www.myabruzzohome.com

Capo please can you tell us who thinks prices for oil, gas and eletricity are not going to go up considerably in the next 10 years - apart from yourself that is ? If we cover the planet with wind farms and nuclear power stations we may just keep electricty prices in line with inflation but I know in Abruzzo in particular there is massive opposition to wind farms and I can only imagine the outcry in Tuscany if the million £ views are spoilt by giant wind farms. Another issue is the drilling for oil in Italy which has also created a massive public outcry. If we continue to demand cheap oil, gas and electricity then there is a big environmental price to pay;and who is prepared to pay it ? Do you want your Italian home to overlook an oil well ? And do you trust the companies to safeguard the envirnoment after what's just happened in the Gulf of Mexico. By chosing an unsustainable system (of heating) now you are simply creating debt that your children and grandchildren will have to pay off.

What everyone seems to forget is that prices for electricity, gas, oil etc are going to rocket over the next 10 years - indeed we may even find supplies rationed, so  spending a bit more now on solar/wood burning stoves now is not a luxury choice made by those with more money than sense. As to the 3kw supply I think it's an excellent thing - teaches everyone to be more careful and not leave everything switched on.But I am a grumpy old treehugger!      

Thanks for this - I'm still trying to digest all this info!We'll probably go for a 1,500 litre store which we plan to fit in  by the stairs making a well insulated space with a door!

I've posted a new thread on thermal stores and this seems the way to go if you are using a wood/pellet boiler as you burn it high for a few hours ( more when it's really cold) then collect hot water in the store or tank which is released into the radiators.The bigger the store the better the heat. If you invest in a good sized store and place it in a well insulated room you should be able to keep heat loss down to 1-3%. Therer's lots of info on the greenbuilding forum. www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk www.myabruzzohome.com

You wont go far wrong if you look at the excellent Period Property Forum - its a UK based forum but everyone there is a period house fanatic and very knowledgeable. There's loads online about plasters absorbing moisture if you google lime plasters you'll find out all about it.Painting breathable plaster or stone with 'plastic' emulsion paints prevents this action from taking place.That's why you need lime wash or clay paints both of which you can buy ready made or if you are keen mix yourself for a fraction of the cost! www.periodproperty.co.uk Period Property forums will tell you exactly why dpc in old stone buildings are a complete waste of money! www.myabruzzohome.com