Before we even talk about blueprints, lime, or insulation, there’s one belief that has guided our project from the very beginning: these old stones have stood the test of time for centuries, and they deserve the time and care needed to understand them before we transform them.
It was with this mindset that I took part in the second part of the training course organized in collaboration with the Tiez Breiz association. Following an initial module focused on interpreting historic architecture, this new session was dedicated to a topic that both fascinates and challenges me: how can you insulate an old house without altering its character?
A Tiez Breiz training course to understand insulation in older buildings
For two days at the Maison du Canal, eight of us trainees gathered around Julien Anjevin, a mason and Tiez Breiz instructor. The goal wasn’t to find a magic formula, but to understand how an old house really works.
Because in older buildings, nothing can be considered in isolation. The floor, the walls, the roof, the framing, air and moisture flow… everything is interconnected.
Effective insulation is therefore not simply a matter of choosing “the best insulation material.” On the contrary, it is necessary to consider the building as a whole and the interactions between all its components.
That’s probably what made the biggest impression on me during those two days: realizing that an old house is a living system and that every decision can have consequences years down the road.
Renovating an Old House: There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Solution
This training also touched on some questions regarding our own homes.
Like many owners of older homes, we inherited renovations that had been done before we moved in. Ten years later, some problems have started to show up, raising many questions.
Do we have to start all over again?
Is it possible to fix certain flaws without breaking everything?
Is there an ideal solution?
The reality is more nuanced. Sometimes the answers are complex, and we have to accept that there isn't always a perfect solution.
These reflections reinforced my belief that it’s better to take your time and understand a building before making any changes, rather than rushing and risking creating problems that won’t surface until several years later.
Our vacation rental project in Brittany: preserving historic buildings
The main reason I signed up for this training course was because of our future bed-and-breakfast project at the Manoir de Kerozet.
If you've visited us before, you're probably familiar with the ruins in the garden. They're an integral part of the landscape and are often the focus of conversations with our guests.
Behind these walls lies a project that has been a part of our lives for several years: giving them a new lease on life while honoring their history.
The goal is not to transform these old buildings into modern structures, but to strike a balance between:
- heritage preservation;
- the comfort of future travelers;
- technical constraints;
- the requirements for the energy performance certificate (EPC);
- and the durability of the work performed.
A real headache… but also an exciting adventure.
Insulating a Stone House: The Challenge of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
One of the challenges we face relates to energy efficiency.
Some very promising solutions for older buildings are not always fully taken into account in energy performance certificate (EPC) calculations. However, in the context of a vacation rental, it is essential to achieve a level of energy performance that complies with current regulations.
We must therefore find solutions that are both:
- respectful of the old walls;
- sustainable;
- suitable for historic buildings;
- that meet current energy requirements.
And we're doing all this without seeking financial assistance at any cost, since we're carrying out a large part of the project ourselves.
Start Thinking About Summer Comfort Today
For a long time, in Brittany, people mainly talked about comfort in the winter.
Today, summer comfort is just as important.
In recent years, we have experienced increasingly frequent heat waves. Temperatures of 35 °C are no longer unusual, and in some years, temperatures have even approached 40 °C.
However, a slate roof can easily reach 70 °C in direct sunlight.
With the addition of skylights to bring light into the future vacation rentals, the choice of materials becomes essential.
Thermal lag—that is, a material’s ability to slow the penetration of heat—is now a key factor in our considerations.
The idea is simple: to offer our future guests a home that’s comfortable to live in, whether during a Breton storm in February or a heat wave in August.
A training program that, above all, taught me a method
I didn't come back with a ready-made answer.
I came back with something much more valuable: a way of thinking.
This training helped me better understand the different construction systems, clarify certain directions, and, above all, explain my choices more clearly to Henri.
At home, I'm usually the one who comes up with the plans and thinks through the overall design. Henri, on the other hand, brings a more technical perspective and helps me refine my vision based on the practical constraints of the project.
We are neither architects nor craftsmen.
We learn, we develop our skills, we exchange ideas with professionals, and we move forward step by step.
Because, deep down, our ambition isn't simply to build more vacation rentals in Brittany.
Our goal is to pass on a living heritage, to preserve the spirit of these ancient stones, and to ensure that they continue to stand the test of time.
And ultimately, perhaps that is what restoring historic buildings is all about: accepting that there isn’t always a perfect answer, but humbly seeking the most appropriate solution.
More information about the training: HERE