Challenges are met, solutions are found, progress is made. Congratulations on getting heat for half of the chateau.

Dear Tim and Felicity, it is so funny to see Tim with this "Yakka" T-shirt because you probably don't know that it sounds like the French "Y'a qu'a" (short form of "Il n'y a qu'à…"), which is used as an interjection, meaning "Just do it" 😉

Good to know you guys know that a forest must be managed in order to keep it going and not cause other issues.

I am so impressed with all that you have done....well done and am so excited for you!!

That must feel like such a huge accomplishment for yourSELVES as well! You guys are quite unique in that you always mention what the château needs but rarely talk about your own comfort... which is in direct contrast to most château owned channels. I recognize that it's a giant sacrifice and that you're aware fully of the urgent necessity to fix major issues for the sake of preservation... but just like any caretakers (parents seems like an odd word, but probably similar at this stage 😉) you still need to consider your own needs. I'm so pleased that you're finally able to see more of that taking shape as you turn such a stunning work of art into a home the way it was intended ❤

This was one of my questions as I have watched your restoration. How were you going to heat and afford to heat such a mansion? What an excellent and maybe elegant solution, to chip your own forest and burn it to provide heat. The challenges you face and the courage with which you tackle them is so admirable, and for us, the viewers to be able to join online is a joy! Merci!

It most feel like a high relief to get the heating system up and running. Congratulations 🎊 😍😘

just another day at the Chateau! Like plowing through a 14ft snowdrift with a 6ft tall tractor at 4 am in order to go to work. I feel your pain! It is quite exciting to have the interiors preserved with the heating system. Money well spent.

Your dedication to the preservation of this amazing chateau is a testament.

Congratulations on successfully installing the new bio mass heating system. Such a sustainable choice. It's a shame other Chateau owners are still choosing to install gas fired systems despite having the timber. Crikey Tim moves those huge sections of wood around with such ease. As soon as the markets improve we'll become Patrons!

grand old lady is the most beautiful building I've ever seen majestic standing the test of time

Happy for you getting the heaters on! That has to be a big relief :)))

Hi guys .. this is Rishi from India.. i have been watching the videos posted on your channel and witnessing the progress that you made together.. for this moment i would take to appreciate and congratulate you both for the efforts and patience, and vision you both have.. keep up the good work ❤

Well done on the team adapting the plan due to the weather! You must be very excited and feel a sense of accomplishment by having researched and chosen the best heating system, and know that this coming winter, you will be warm, and the chateau wont suffer any further deterioration. I have said this before, but I’ll say it again, you two are so admirable! 🇦🇺 Kelly xx

Wow guys congratulations to you both on getting the heating on and starting he journey of getting the lady dried out. What you have achieved is no mean feat bravo. I purchased a carriage station in Brittany in 2018, this week after a year on site the men leave after replacing the roof over 3 buildings including new big skylights gutters and down pipes. It's the first time in decades the house will be water tight and dry. I only did 400sqm and know how much it hit the pocket so for you to do the roof and put the heating in, I stand in awe. Congratulations to you both and here's to warm dry winter and many more to come.❤🎉😊

In spite of the challenges, you guys continue to move forward and in doing so, are bringing the chateau to life as well as safeguarding it for future generations. WooHoo.

Love what you said in the beginning, "by advancing in small steps with patience and perseverance we reach our goal" wrote it down and stuck it to my wall this will be my daily motivation. Well done on getting heat for the Château, such an important milestone to reach!

best chateau channel

Hello from Nashville, Tennessee! I am always impressed with your solutions to your problems. I am so elated to see vast improvements in your Chateau! Your hard work is paying off! I wish I could come help but I am too far away! Best of luck with everything! I love getting to see your videos! Thank-you!

i could watch this all day. Fantasic for Purnon and for you all living and working so hard to have heat, warmth. Saving the interior. Saving this entire unbelievable estate is priceless. A dream come true SOMTHING TO LIVE FOR

How great to see the scaffolding now extending across the roof, and the east side is WATERTIGHT! What a huge step! Moving that mountain of charpente was a massive task. And heat before winter YAY!!! at least in part of the château will make your lives so much nicer. Upward ever upward. 🇦🇺 PS Felicity I know you are working madly, but you need a spa day. It will make you feel better able to cope with everything.

Ich sag es mal so. Wenn es so einfach wäre ein Schloß zu restaurieren und zu "bewirtschaften", könnte es jeder tun. Aber nein, ihr seid außergewöhnlich und habt die Herausforderung angenommen. Ihr werdet alles tun, um sie zu meistern, davon bin ich überzeugt. Ohne "Dachschaden" wird dann auch einges klarer und kontinuierlich sicherer von der Hand.

Magnificent and magical. I got very emotional when i saw the stuuning Craftsmanship of roof and chimneys. Thank you another incredible video. A viewer frpm Vancouver British Columbia Canada. Very beautiful Mansion .

Nice heating system, Heat will save the chateau in many ways, Blessings,

Every video is fascinating. This one especially. Immediately I thought about the cost of heating 2000sqm. Apart from the fact you’ve been able to achieve it. OMG.

The Chateau de Purnon is so impressive & very much worth preserving, thanks to a couple of dedicated Auzzy's like you two, I will continue to watch your progress with much interest 👍

I cannot wait to see the finished product when y’all are done the place is actually stunning

So nice to hear that you are getting so many projects completed. That will be fabulous to have heat. Thank you so much for sharing.

Amazing what extreme heat and extreme cold can do to a building. Your chateau already looks loved. Keep going. ❤

congratulations ❣️ your care for the château is outstanding❣️

It’s great to see local businesses working on your project.

You should invest in a auger to run the chip from the truck to the the storage.

Kudos to you both for the challenges of body and mind that you face every day. It must be daunting at times. 14:58

Fantastic!

Wonderful to have heating. A great start. You are well on your way to your intended goal of preserving this beautiful monument. Best wishes from Coffs Harbour.

The new roof looks amazing. I'm sure you will be glad when it's all finished.

I love that the entire theme of this show could be titled as "Winter is coming"

I got to tell, you guys are impressive. Such a devotion. I was born in France but I leave far from there now. I come when I can and I would love to help you with the chateau next time i am in the hexagon. I could bring my daughters so they would help too and feel what’s like to preserve and give a second chance to a wonderful place like le chateau de Purnon

You two are remarkable!! Congratulations on your commitment & hard work to save the chateau!

I love watching your progress

Oh heck, I hope working while soaked to the bone didn’t give you a cold days before journées patrimoine, and despite the frantic rush and the hard work on the day you were able to relax a bit and revel in achievements since the last one. Wonderful video as always.

Wow, you are taking on a very big dream. I hope you have good funding and I wish you success!

After reading many articles on “biomass” heating systems it seems to me that this fancy name is hiding a wood fired boiler. The chips are fed to a furnace by electric screw feeders so it needs electricity to work. The chips are burned which heats water in a boiler. The water is circulated to the equivalent of radiators. If this is what you are installing then the system is an update of a traditional fire/boiler/radiator set up that has been used for centuries. Please tell me if this is a correct description of what you are installing. Thank you.

I love your videos! Tour of the Chateau please, please, please give us an updated tour of the Chateau!

Hugh accomplishment for the future of the chateau….. well done

I am immensely enjoying following you all on the chateau. It is one of the largest ones out of others that I am following also. But I have to say everything is just so wonderful with the stories. The history and it just doesn't stop. But with this chateau I would also like to say like the Phoenix she shall arise with her beauty and her splendor and all of the future generations to continue to look after her and keep her shining for many centuries to come. God bless you all and continue to success❤

With so much land I would have thought that a ground source heat pump would have been a lower maintenance and more sustainable choice

If you already have water running radiators, I would recommend considering a geoheat pump, you have so much land that you can dig the Geo heating field horizontally (into one meter depth), nice pumps (s-series) for example give an efficiency (scop) of 5, so for one kilowatt of electricity you get 5 of heat from the ground all year around =)

With all your acreage, you should install a geothermal Heat pump for heating and cooling plus solar

Wow such an enormous task.

Good on u for keeping this gorgeous Chateau alive . Ps u should up date that track to the shed so the truck can get in over winter .

only started following, sheesh that looks like one expensive restoration, will you be doing a video on costs, obviously no probs if you feel you need to keep it a private matter. Looks amazing!

In order to preserve parts of the chateau you are not using, or you are using only during the warm seasons, you can use dehumidifiers instead of a heating system. It uses much less energy and it is just as good for preservation. The only points are that you might need some added pipework to collect the water from the dehumidifiers and that, the room that will be dehumidified instead of heated will stay cold...

Having worked for a builder for 20 years as a Realtor I have seen heavy waterproof tarps layered over roofs that need to be water tight until the shingles could be installed. They werer nailed to the rafters. As for the dampness damaging the wood work and other special items ii the Chateau, If you did some single room heating with space heaters on a rotating bases it would have a good effect upon the worod and papers. Also fams can be used to move heat from the heating system to other parts of the Chateau. Doing things right is the only way to preserve this treasure. Best to you, JKC

Exactly the biggest problem i could see on a project like this😮

Without being a pro I did some research on heating and I'd like to share my modest findings In summary : - maximum insulation (means massive and deep renovations in a castle that are sometimes not possible because parts can be "classés" ) - as much different source of calories as possible - a way to distribute those calories - centralized and modular - orchestrate all that Some wood burner can have modules that burn logs, chips and palets - chips and palets are better for automation, auto loading logs also exists - wood logs don't need energy (and money) to be created - chips can come from small trees/branches so you don't need to bring down big trees - palets price you depends on the market but you can make them from saw dust or leaves so in a perfect work your wood burner can handle all 3 types and you use every calories you can grab from the wood A centralized system plus a distributed one - from a touristic point of view having a burner in a room is quite charming for the "chateau experience" but it wastes a lot of calories. A wood burner + water boiler ("poele a bois bouilleur") seems to raise the efficiency up to 90%, It's basically capturing calories with water and distribute is somewhere else - in stead of having a blasting hot point and the rest of the room / floor cold, you can distribute in radiators or floor heating - the calories from one room can "help" the main system or if the main system is broken you have a backup - cons : you need pipes and a system smart enough to be able to treat each boiler as a source of calories to be globally redistributed Thermo solar is also interesting (if you have the roof space) : system is quite simple and cheap but you get a maximum of calories in summer when you need it the least, it's good for shower water, swiming pool..etc... Home automation ( domotique) is mandatory to handle all that (on top of lights, watering systems, doors...etc...). The main problem with "big brands" is that they want to lock you in their system. Most of them don't understand that it goes against the nature of home automation itself : you have to integrate a lot of different devices, sensors, brands, protocols to be able orchestrate them all together. The best solution that I know is home assistant but it's a quite deep rabbit hole that sometimes require some IT skills.

Hard Yakka is the appropriate shirt for that job!!

I'm curious how the wood chips don't rot or spontaneously combust. Many years ago my city chipped tree branches after an ice storm. I looked out my window and saw huge flames--spontaneous combustion from the decaying organic material.

If you would post a weekly video here on KZfaq, your channel subscription would grow exponentially! Food for thought definitely!

It's so heartening to see how well you progress. It may not be obvious to many viewers who haven't see a lot of 18th century architecture and interior design but the French were actually very restrained in how they handled Rocaille ornaments like the overdoors in the grand salon. The details tended always to stay within the bounds. The English tended to do the same thing. For really riotous ornament that seems to defy the envelope of the space it occupies, you have to go to Germany and sometimes Italy and even Russia. Maybe no one enjoyed it more than the Germans? The baroque churches and palaces in Bavaria just defy any bounds as much as they can. There is a difference in the materials too. The Germans and Italians tended to use a lot of plaster and stucco. And that could be modeled on the walls with molds but also with their own hands. If you search stucco and plaster ornamentation here it might bring up a video by a German craftsmen who explains how the barehand work was done. I'm sure it's a technique that could still be used in modern hands in original compositions that may not be historically based. I'd love to at least try something but I don't have the space. BTW - I think I signed up for a copy of your book. I'm not at all sure it went through. When will it be available?

Warmth! You guys will be in Heaven!

Wish there was a bit more detail about the system.

So glad to see another update! Well done. I'm amazed at the amount of manual labor you are both doing, that explains why so few updates through the summer. I would have guessed that you were spending more time on fundraising and hiring out most of the work, but I guess you have to invest some labor yourselves. I have a question....what about the windows? I've seen broken/open/barely there windows. Where does making the place more air tight fit into the master plan? The heat won't do much good with leaky windows.

I wouldn’t mind to help out for a week or so in exchange for a place to sleep and food (like Woofing) it would be amazing to be part of the restoration I admire the work you do

Since i suppose you do not have radiators everywhere, where you do not have radiators , you should install an air/air multisplit heat pump system...

👏🏻

Did you include geothermal "preheating" of the water in your heating system?

🏆🌟🌟🤩

how is the waste heat used from the burning system. Knowing a similar system which heats a castle , quite huge, produces a lot of waste heat. How do you use it?

Fantastic news, a major achievement getting hear in the place will not only save the building, but will lift your spirits in the winters...... ide also get s few modern wood burners in your private apartments.... that way you can have heat as and when you need it without the cost of putting on the heating on and warming the whole chateau...... keep up the good work!!! 🎉

I would worry about the storage of the wood chips, spontaneous combustion is a real possibility. Are their things that can be done to make it safe?

Love what you are doing at Purnon. You were very brave to take on the challenge. Please can I ask a favour ? I have a disabilty where I have difficulty seperating the music & speech. They blend into one so makes the video difficuult to understand. PLEASE turn the music way down. IMHO it does not add much to the video as most people want to see the DIY and the surroundings or the sounds surrounding the Chateaux. I cannot see the subtitles very well either so they are no help. Catch 22 concentrate on the the subs or watch the video with muffled audio. Many thanks. ATB & regards from the UK

So cool. How long will the wood chips last?

How amazing! I hope you can revel in your winter warmth and the continued preservation of the chateau. Where is the area you are storing the timber and the large area with the wood chips? So neat and tidy...love it! I am curious about the decision to use timber and wood chips, form an environmental perspective. No doubt you would have done the research and possibly French legislation is different. Thinking from an Australian perspective about leaving old logs for habitat and maintaining forests this is surprising. Understandably maybe the forest isnt an original ecosystem and as you said it is being used with its original purpose I am wanting to understand how you came to this decision. This is not a criticism just a wish to understand knowing that you cant fit and explain everything in a short video:) You are doing an amazing job, its delightful to see.

The heat plant is located in an outbuilding some 120 meters away. Why that design? Could it have been located in the basement rooms? Is the plan to use wood on the property? Will it have to be pulverized into chips?

Did you consider ground source heat pumps?

Fascinating and really well presented, but is the background music really necessary?

I'm always interested, as im sure many are, in a rough estimate of what things cost. That biomass boiler, feed bin, auger and underground insulated supply to the chateau looks about, idk, €$40K? And, about the same again for labor? The, absolutely gorgeous, slate roof thats been done so far? Materials? Labor?

Bonjour, why you don t put plastic under the tiles?❤

Hey, are you guys going to put inductive heating along your walkways and the château driveway? So that you don’t have to get a tractor out to shovel the snow.

💙🇦🇺

Mind blowing. Has the topic of the return on investment been discussed on this channel ? Despite the humongous costs to restore the chateau, can it pay off in the end (as room rentals, wedding venue, etc.)?

🇦🇺👍🌹

What about cooling? Is that ever a concern in the summer?

Why not go solar? I guess it would be obtrusive depending on where the large array of panels were situated on the grounds. But with the battery backup systems now available, you could run the whole chateau climate control year round with low cost electric power.

Where do you come from with your accent? Are you Australian or English?

While I’m all for preservation, I think the best thing to do for these chateaus is to completely gut the interiors salvaging all the materials that are still good and then rebuilding the entire structure within the chateau walls, making sure that everything is up to modern day codes so that any new work will last hundreds of years. As for all the finish work and things like wallpaper, There’s still artisans in France that can recreate the wallpaper using old school methods. Same with all the milk work, there’s plenty of young men that can recreate what was once there. Also, it would be nice if all the chateaus were turned into five star hotels or bed and breakfast.

Hi guys, I am trying to become a Patron. I filled out the link from your email address. I am not having any luck with becoming your patron. I will keep trying but if you have any advice, please feel free to help if you can! Thank you!

Umm.... The Radiator's black water is full of Iron, which makes a better job of conducting heat. Clear / clean water ia not as efficient to conduct heat. It'll take aeveral years for your clear water to go dark and act as a good heat conductor.

Do you need a Chef ?