Restoration & decoration
Lime/PROMPT flooring - La Grange Dimière
Overview
Restoration of the Grange Dimière
The Grange Dimière is a former dependency of the Carthusian Monastery dating back to the 17th century. It was used to store the tithes collected (an ancient tax under the Ancien Régime) in favor of the Catholic Church. The tithes could represent up to a tenth of a harvest, so the Church needed a vast space to store everything and distribute it to various beneficiaries.
Today, the building is listed as a Historical Monument and is dedicated to contemporary ceramic sculpture.
Being very old structures, Granges Dimières are difficult to maintain. Furthermore, many of them are located in small communities that might not always have the necessary funds to invest in restoration work.
PROJECT
The old reinforced concrete slab caused disorders by trapping moisture beneath it, leading to capillary rise around the perimeter, at the base of the wall. This water rising by capillarity, gradually deteriorated the stone masonry and its joints. Thus, restoration work was necessary.
Restoration
Repair steps
Application
The lower part of the museum measures 180 m² and has been completely renovated. To address rising damp that could harm the masonry, the architect opted for a permeable lime/PROMPT concrete flooring, left in a raw state with a brushed finish.
Before laying the flooring, preparatory work had to be carried out. To ensure good adhesion, a geotextile was placed over the entire surface to limit the dehydration of the concrete. Expansion joints were then installed every 25 m², aligned with the spaces between the columns supporting the upper floor. Finally, a cork expansion strip was installed to ensure permeability of the walls.
The pouring and brushed finish were completed on the same day.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
The use of PROMPT natural cement, combined with lime, met the needs of this restoration project.
The choice of PROMPT natural cement was natural for:
- Its permeability
- Its resistance to wear
- Its aesthetically pleasing natural ochre color
- Its ability to set in cold weather
Finalized project
A completely renovated flooring
Key Information
The project lasted for 6 months and was completed on April 29, 2018
Participants
Owner
Pays Voironnais
Architect
Multiple Architectes
Company
Glénat
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Derived from a unique deposit located in the Chartreuse massif, PROMPT natural cement is an exclusive product of the Vicat Group.