Renovating a forgotten room in a French farmhouse during a heatwave, fixing rotten floors, lime plaster walls and insulation on a tight budget.
Renovating a Forgotten Room in a French Heatwave
Renovating an old house in rural France is rarely comfortable, but tackling a long-avoided room during a heatwave takes things to another level. This hobby room sat untouched for nearly two years, and not because we lacked motivation. We avoided it because the floor was unsafe, the walls were crumbling, and the fireplace pulled icy air through the house in winter.
Temperatures climbed past 35°C, but we decided to stop delaying the inevitable. So we picked up our tools, accepted the sweat, and started renovating one of the most problematic rooms in our French farmhouse on a very small budget.
This project shows the real challenges of rural France renovation, especially when working with uneven floors, lime plaster, stone walls, and zero straight lines. If you’re considering buying an old property in France, or already living the renovation dream (or nightmare), this room will feel very familiar.
Plasterboarding a Ceiling in Extreme Heat
Finishing the ceiling was the first visible milestone, and it felt like a victory because plasterboarding overhead in extreme heat is not glamorous work. Boards fought back, sweat dripped everywhere, and sanding became a personal test of patience.
Tape and jointing always sounds simple, but old beams and uneven surfaces change the rules completely. Nothing lines up, and every joint needs adjusting, but we kept going because finishing the ceiling meant real progress.
Meanwhile, one of us focused on destruction, which felt therapeutic, and the other chased a smooth finish that old houses rarely allow. Renovating in a heatwave forces you to slow down, but it also makes you choose your battles carefully.
Repairing Stone Walls and Lime Rendering
Once the walls were exposed, the problems became obvious. Gaps let daylight through, stones shifted under pressure, and parts of the wall looked ready to collapse. Lime mortar became essential because it suits old stone houses in France, and it allows the building to breathe.
We used lime rendering not because we are experts, but because it makes sense for rural farmhouse renovation. Different techniques met in the middle of the wall, but that didn’t matter because insulation and plasterboard would cover most of it.
Old houses rarely reward perfection, but they do reward persistence, so we stabilized what mattered and accepted the rest.
Blocking Up an Old Fireplace for Insulation
This fireplace looked charming, but it worked like a cold-air funnel in winter. Blocking it up improved insulation and allowed us to use the wall properly. The lintel barely existed, and the stonework showed years of rushed repairs, but rebuilding it correctly mattered more than preserving a feature we would never use.
Blocking fireplaces is common in old French houses, especially when budgets are tight and heating efficiency matters. Once sealed, the room immediately felt more solid, warmer, and far more usable.
Removing Rotten Floorboards Safely
The floorboards told a worrying story. Pitch pine boards had lost most of their weight, and some crumbled by hand. Tin plates hid woodworm damage, which explained why the floor bounced underfoot.
Removing the floor became a voyage of discovery, but the beams underneath survived remarkably well. Cleaning out debris, sealing rodent access, and preparing for insulation took time, but skipping these steps causes bigger problems later.
Laying New Floors in a Crooked Old House
Nothing in this room ran straight. Joists twisted, walls bulged, and measurements changed from one end to the other. Laser lines helped, but judgment mattered more because old houses ignore modern rules.
By marking reference points early, we avoided finishing with wedge-shaped boards. Progress felt slow, but careful planning saved future frustration, and the finished floor proved that patience pays off.
Insulating Walls on a Tight Budget
Insulation transformed this room from a wildlife shelter into a liveable space. Battens created airflow, boards covered rough stone, and every gap got sealed because drafts steal warmth quickly in stone houses.
Old French properties demand compromise, but thoughtful insulation improves comfort without massive cost. The room finally became solid, safe, and ready for decorating.
Renovation Reality in Rural France
This room shows the reality of renovating an old farmhouse in France. Progress comes slowly, budgets stay tight, and surprises never stop appearing. But each finished space builds confidence and makes the house feel more like home.
If you’re buying a rural property, or already renovating one, this project proves that perseverance matters more than perfection. The room isn’t finished, but it’s secure, insulated, and ready for the next stage — and that feels like a win.
👉 Watch the full video: ▶️Renovating the Room We’ve Avoided for 2 Years (in a Heatwave)
🧱 Ceiling Chaos & Lime Plaster Battles
00:00 Exposed oak beam ceiling finally plasterboarded
00:24 Tape and jointing duty… Mark draws the short straw
00:59 Dismantling a very questionable farmhouse fireplace
01:33 Ceiling done… but is it good enough?
02:21 Lime mortaring begins in our French farmhouse
🔥 Fireplace Decisions & Heatwave Madness
03:16 Hearth removal sparks talk of blocking the fireplace
04:06 Mixing lime mortar in brutal summer heat
04:21 Surprise quiz about our French veg garden
06:09 Two lime styles clash… plasterboard saves us
06:57 Lime mortaring isn’t a race… apparently
07:30 Teamwork wins, but Mandy clearly wins more
07:47 Decision made: the drafty fireplace must go
08:18 Mandy’s stone wall skills steal the show
⚡ Hidden Dangers in an Old Stone House
09:41 Outside walls reveal urgent farmhouse problems
10:52 Dangerous cable in stone wall… is it live?
12:41 Lime rendering our first display stone wall
15:08 Sealing gaps to banish cluster flies forever
🪵 Rotten Floors & Farmhouse Surprises
16:03 Floorboards ripped up before they collapse
16:36 Woodworm feast uncovered under the floor
17:06 Mandy goes full demolition mode on floorboards
17:42 What’s stopping the hearth falling downstairs?
18:35 Why is the floor repaired with tin cans?!
19:41 Floor gone, smell remains… cleaning begins
📐 New Floors in a Crooked Old House
20:20 Old houses aren’t square… not even close
21:13 Laying new floorboards in a wonky farmhouse
22:01 Are the floorboards straight? Mostly…
23:52 Sock-sliding test on the new floor
🔌 Safety Fixes & A Fresh Start
24:44 Insulated stud wall hides messy stone walls
25:56 Dodgy electrical socket found — safety first
27:44 Hiding a time capsule for future renovators
28:16 Ready for paint, furniture, and real life