Louis Meneteau

On site, the choice between a monobloc and a split system mainly comes down to your installation, connection and maintenance constraints. Getting these differences clear at the quote stage means fewer back-and-forths, fewer surprises, and a smoother commissioning. With a few simple points, you'll be able to decide based on the building, access, and the level of work the client will accept.

5 min read

On underfloor heating, the flooring likes neither temperature spikes nor sudden swings. The floor probe gives you a reliable, stable limit, to avoid overheating while keeping comfort, even when the weather changes fast. The result: fewer callbacks and finishes that last.

6 min read

Between recurring damp, lingering odours and clients who want comfort without a rising bill, you're looking for a solution that's simple to explain and reliable to install. Hybrid ventilation relies on natural draught when that's enough, and switches to assisted mode when the home really needs it. It secures air quality without over-equipping the job.

5 min read

Between shifting prices and uncertain supply, your projects are no longer just a technical matter. In renovation, every decision on insulation, heating, or ventilation can reduce dependence on imported energy and protect your clients' bills. It's up to you to turn this geopolitical context into concrete work, easy to explain and profitable to carry out.

5 min read

On your job sites, the right entrance door is a real dual lever. You strengthen security without sacrificing comfort, as long as you get the installation, airtightness and thermal bridge treatment right. With a few simple checks, you avoid callbacks and immediately add value to the renovation.

5 min read

A manifold network is not just easier to install: on hot water it is the simplest way to keep dead legs short, and the dead-leg volume is what decides how long your customer waits at the tap. That volume converts straight into a maximum run length for each pipe size. Here are the lengths to work to and the installation habits that go with them.

6 min read

When you're trying to hit a thermal performance target without blowing up the insulated surface area, the geometry of the building already does part of the job. A simple volume, close to a cube, limits the walls in contact with the outside, and so the losses and the thermal bridges to treat, for a job that's easier to read and often more profitable. That helps you frame your choices on insulation, windows and heating faster, without unnecessary overkill.

5 min read

Reaching below 15 kWh/m²/year in a retrofit comes down to the details that make the difference on site. You already have the right instincts — the challenge is getting the envelope, airtightness and ventilation right to avoid the “small leaks” that drag down the result. With a clear method and a few checks at the right moments, you secure both performance and client satisfaction.

5 min read

When you put a circuit back into service, the real risk is often hidden in what you can't see. Sludge, oxides and residues can seize a circulator, foul a heat exchanger, and cause performance to drop within the first few hours. By properly preparing the network, you secure commissioning, avoid callbacks, and your client feels the difference straight away.

5 min read

When you fit a kitchen extraction system in a home equipped with mechanical ventilation (VMC), everything hinges on airflow balance. Properly connected and properly set, it prevents odor backflow, unnecessary depressurization, and clients who call back. A few simple checks on the ductwork secure the installation and save you time on the job site.

5 min read

An air pocket in a heating circuit costs you time on site. The right move is to plan ahead from the initial fill and to secure the venting to avoid noise, cold spots and customer callbacks. By mastering the high points and the simple gestures, you make the installation reliable without spending a whole day on it.

5 min read

When a client wants heat right away, with no lag, you need a solution that's simple to install and easy to explain. These panels deliver a fast rise in temperature and well-distributed comfort, provided you size them correctly and place them carefully. With a few key points, you can secure the job and avoid callbacks along the lines of 'it heats, but not where I need it.'

5 min read

A thermal break connector is not chosen from a brochure, it is chosen against two enforceable figures: the building's overall average linear transmittance ratio and the Ψ9 of the intermediate floor junction, both capped by France's RE2020. Here are those limits, what the design office needs from you to hold them, and what replaces the connector in renovation when it is out of reach.

6 min read

When a control system "hunts" between too hot and too cold, that's often where you lose comfort and kWh. In renovation, properly managing flow rates and mixing lets you stabilise temperature, protect the heat pump or boiler, and avoid the lukewarm returns that drag down efficiency. Here we get straight to the point to help you choose and adjust without a headache.

6 min read

On a job site, heat leaks don't always come from large surfaces, but often from junctions. You save time and gain performance when you spot these risk areas from the first visit, then coordinate insulation, joinery and airtightness in the right order. This is often where the client's comfort is decided, and your margin on callbacks.

4 min read

A network's pressure loss is the sum of the linear losses per section and the fitting losses, set against the head available at the circulator. The calculation belongs to the sizing stage, not to the day the network starts whistling. This article gives the section-by-section method, the flow-versus-diameter table and the orders of magnitude worth carrying on site.

5 min read

When your customers spend more time at home, heating, hot water and electrical usage climb quickly. As a tradesperson, you can turn this new routine into concrete jobs, adjustments, insulation, ventilation, controls, that improve daytime comfort without sending the bill through the roof. The payoff: simple, quantified recommendations that are easy to explain and sell.

5 min read

On a job site, a few millimetres of error when installing a window are enough to create a heat leak that undermines the final result. By choosing the right position within the wall and taking care with the connections (reveals, sill, sealing), you limit thermal bridges without complicating the installation. The result: a higher-performing renovation, and a client who feels it from the first cool nights.

6 min read

A tree that grows, a poorly placed chimney, and a whole installation can end up disappointing at the meter. As a tradesperson, you have the ability, right from the site visit, to spot shaded areas, anticipate how they will evolve and avoid unpleasant production surprises. A few simple checks are often enough to secure both performance and the customer.

5 min read

On site, you see it right away. A well-fitted window isn't enough if the shutter lets in air or cold. By addressing this often overlooked point, you improve comfort, limit draughts, and secure the insulation's performance, without complicating the job.

5 min read

On a renovation job, the right decision often hinges on a single assumption. To save time and secure your margins, compare several options for work, budget, and schedule, and see right away what holds up. When the client hesitates, you stay in control with a clear view of the impacts. You move forward with more confidence, and turn uncertainty into concrete choices.

5 min read

A barn becomes a dwelling the day it meets three thresholds, not the day it is insulated: 9 m² and 2.20 m of headroom for the main room under the French decency decree, 1.80 m of height before floor area counts as habitable at all, and 1.5 kN/m² of imposed load on a floor nobody ever designed for it. Everything else on the job follows from those three figures.

5 min read

When a home still has old windows, every draught turns into discomfort, and your clients notice it right away. Adding a second pane of glass on the inside often improves insulation without replacing the whole window frame, handy in an occupied retrofit or on a tight job. You keep control of the budget, the schedule and a visible result from the first few days.

5 min read

A discrepancy of just a few m³ can quickly skew a sizing calculation and cost you time on site or at the office. With Argile, you get a clear method for defining the part of a dwelling that is actually heated, room by room, and for justifying your choices without getting lost in the details. That's how you make your quotes more reliable and get to the essentials faster.

6 min read

Between a room that stays cool and another that heats up fast, the floor covering often makes all the difference. In a retrofit, you can influence the sense of comfort and temperature stability without necessarily touching the whole building envelope. By choosing the right materials and the right installation, you get better results, and your clients feel it from the first few days.

5 min read

When you size a window, a few millimetres of frame can change the real performance of the job. As the tradesperson, it's in your interest to get the frame right from the measurement stage, because it affects the usable glazed area, the thermal bridges around the perimeter, and therefore the calculation result. With a simple approach, you secure your choices and avoid unpleasant surprises at inspection or at the end of the job.

5 min read

The hot water demand used by the French EPC calculation method is not derived from the number of occupants but from the floor area, at 56 litres at 40 °C per equivalent adult per day. Regulation (EU) No 814/2013 separately sets minimum mixed water volumes by load profile. Here are both tables, the gap between conventional demand and real peak, and what oversizing costs in losses.

6 min read

On a job site, an insulated network is rarely visible, but its effect on losses and final comfort is felt immediately. Between an insulated circuit and one left bare, overall efficiency can shift quickly, especially as runs get longer or the spaces they pass through are unheated. The right efficiency table helps you cost it cleanly and settle the question without unnecessary debate.

6 min read

Choosing a communal DHW system is two separate decisions: the distribution architecture, which sets the losses, and the generator, which sets the cost per kWh. Secondary return losses commonly run at 60 to 150% of the DHW demand itself, which weighs more than the efficiency gap between two generators.

5 min read

Between the site visit, photos, measurements and the quote, every back-and-forth costs you time and sometimes oversights. A simple digital process, followed by your teams on site and in the office alike, helps you capture information from the very first visit and turn out quotes faster, without losing quality. The result: fewer follow-ups, more signed jobs.

5 min read