Burgundy Half-Timbered Houses
Burgundy is a true paradise for lovers of half-timbered pan de bois properties. It’s a dive in ancient times in the town centres throughout this French region, so you may be able to find a colombage house that fits your needs.
Burgundy’s typical half-timbered properties are distinctly beautiful. The use of wood forms the key element of these traditional properties. Wood is used both inside and outside the house, for both decoration or protection.
Burgundy’s half-timbering house type and the materials used can be categorized in the wide German «
pan de bois» (Colombage) architectural family.
The popularity of half-timbering in Burgundy means that wood is a primary product used in the structure of a traditional house. The local material is abundant, with a thriving natural environment all around. The Swiss / German influence is also particularly strong in this region of France.
The walls are filled using cob, only then are the floor and the roof structure built. The wooden framework is naturally strong and rigid once erected, the strength of the structure can be supplemented using wood plugs.
The rural heartland of Burgundy offers plenty of these half timbered houses, especially the town of Beaune, a must-see. Burgundy half-timbered houses are above all urban homes.
This half-timbered style is a legacy of the Middle Ages. Some exquisite examples of half timbering can be found in Beaune, having superbly resisted the rigours of 2nd WW.
The dominant construction material used in the Burgundy region of France is stone, but in the construction of half-timbered properties, wood is crucial. Like in Alsace, the half-timbered structure is built over a stone structure, protecting the first floor from potential fires and the humidity.
Walls are made up of a cob and stone mix. Some Burgundy half timbered houses have a corbelling structure, giving more space to the upper floors’ rooms.
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Corbel is in this case a piece of wood jutting out of a wall to carry the superincumbent weight of the floor above. This is a technique used since Neolithic times – late Stone Age (around 3,500 BC), and actually a traditional construction method in the region.
Many half-timbered properties are referred to as Burgundy Timberframe Farmhouses. Find a Burgundy farmhouse for sale now.