Farmhouse restoration in Umbria: timber floor and pianelle

Now the restoration of this umbrian farmhouse is well under way, with the help of a surprisingly dry and sunny autumn. After the consolidation of the wall’s foundations, we are now rebuilding the first floor ceiling, partly in timber (main beams and planks in chestnut) and partly using the traditional ‘pianelle’ (terracotta thin brick) in between wooden rafters. I personally like them without any mortar in between, the small gap gives them a sort of rustic look and it is also more traditional, given that even saving a little on mortar was important in the past. Seismic measures are also important these days, and this is why you see (see last pic) those metal bars tied in the perimeter walls with special resin (and then a thin concrete screed) to create a box-like structure, where vertical structures (walls) and horizontal ones (floors) are tied together for a stronger response to the seismic forces.