French vs UK building techniques

[RogerS]

What prompted this was watching Build a New Life in the Country. Looking at the internal construction of their house in France, what struck me was the difference in approach.

There - metal frame work. Here - 3 x2 studding
There - plastic corrugated conduit for the wires - Here - holes drilled in the studding.

These are two that struck me most and I just wondered which system was better? I rather like the idea of the conduit. Would make future additions/modifications much easier maybe?

 

[dedee]

Roger,
I don't quite understand why running the cables through a flexible conduit makes for easier modifications? I think it would be very difficult to pass an extra cable, for example through an existing conduit.

Andy

 

[Digit]

When ever I've installed cables in conduit I've always left an extra, unconnected cable inside. Any additional wiring can they pulled through.

Roy.

 

[wobblycogs]

I seem to remember seeing somewhere that French wiring runs just single strands at a time through the conduit rather than our style twin and earth cable e.g. they use the conduit in place of the grey sheath. That makes the cable much more flexible so you can get better usage out of the conduit. Don't forget as well that most power (all maybe) circuits in France will be radial rather than ring.

 

[Smudger]

The tubing (Gaine) is intended to shrink in the case of fire, cutting off oxygen, at least temporarily. Is that intumescent? Sounds dirty.

Our cabling (done by a French-qualified artisan) was multicore, I think the single-core stuff goes back a few years. The last gaine I bought had a cable inside for pulling through.

I'm not sure that using metal framing is all that widespread in France, all of ours is timber. Maybe it differs by region. Certainly in the north, timber is cheaper (we asked when we were having some walls built).

 

[Jake]

Metal studding is used here too.

 

[RogerS]

Metal studding is used here too.

Mainly commercial though or are some domestics using this now?

 

[JMcK]

The tubing (Gaine) is intended to shrink in the case of fire, cutting off oxygen, at least temporarily. Is that intumescent? Sounds dirty.

Our cabling (done by a French-qualified artisan) was multicore, I think the single-core stuff goes back a few years. The last gaine I bought had a cable inside for pulling through.

I'm not sure that using metal framing is all that widespread in France, all of ours is timber. Maybe it differs by region. Certainly in the north, timber is cheaper (we asked when we were having some walls built).

Gaine also protects, to an extent, from rodent attack. French wiring is also single core.

Metal framing is pretty much the "norm" in this part of the SW.

 

[Smudger]

Only protects against rodents to an extent - but better than the tubing in washing machines...

We have lost a washing machines and an oven to mice! The man who fixed the washing machine says he does it all the time.

Yes, mostly single core. Easy to use for an amateur.

 

[Jake]

Roger - sum total of my knowledge of how common they are: available in Wickes (not exactly known for outre products), I lived in a flat a few years back (warehouse conversion) that had metal studded walls, and my train ride takes me past a massive development of new build apartments which were frozen in time for ages by the credit crunch - metal studs exposed waiting for plasterboard.

 

[Smudger]

Metal framing is pretty much the "norm" in this part of the SW.

Is that to guard against insect attack? Or for cost reasons?

 

[RogerS]

Roger - sum total of my knowledge of how common they are: available in Wickes (not exactly known for outre products), I lived in a flat a few years back (warehouse conversion) that had metal studded walls, and my train ride takes me past a massive development of new build apartments which were frozen in time for ages by the credit crunch - metal studs exposed waiting for plasterboard.

Interesting..I wonder how the cost vs time equation works out between the two approaches?

 

[JMcK]

Metal framing is pretty much the "norm" in this part of the SW.

Is that to guard against insect attack? Or for cost reasons?

You know I never actually thought about that. Certainly cost but insect attack could be a factor. Having said that there is plenty of wood used in other aspects of construction.

 

[RogerS]

I wonder how much it is a question of 'we've always done it this way' ?

 

[JMcK]

Roger - sum total of my knowledge of how common they are: available in Wickes (not exactly known for outre products), I lived in a flat a few years back (warehouse conversion) that had metal studded walls, and my train ride takes me past a massive development of new build apartments which were frozen in time for ages by the credit crunch - metal studs exposed waiting for plasterboard.

Interesting..I wonder how the cost vs time equation works out between the two approaches?

Here I would say both aspects favour metal.

 

[TrimTheKing]

My house is converted barn, done around 7 years ago, and from various holes I've drilled for fixings etc it looks like this is metal studding too.