Les Georges de la rénovation 2024 competition: Weber celebrates craftsmanship excellence and remarkable achievements

Drawing on its recognized expertise in the renovation sector, this initiative honors professionals who have carried out exemplary projects using Weber solutions.

The competition, which takes its name from the "Georges Weber coatings" range, dedicated to old buildings, aims to distinguish restoration projects (excluding ITE) according to rigorous criteria where aesthetics (compliance with local town planning standards, harmonious integration, care taken with finishes) and technique (choice of solutions, durability, compliance with the rules of the art) prevail.

In 2024, with 62 applications submitted – twice as many as in 2022 – and 6 regional winners selected, two companies shared the top step of the podium in the national final on November 28: Pedro Bat, located in Graulhet (81), for the restoration of the St-Alain de Prades church, in the Tarn, as well as Sud Projection Loire, in La Chapelle-Heulin, for the renovation of the Marie-Anne du Boccage elementary school in Nantes. Another winner, rewarded for the renovation of the facades of a corner building in Cachan in Val-de-Marne, Michot Bâtiment (91) received a third prize with a “Technical” mention. This recognition was celebrated in Lyon, during the 36th edition of the Qualiclub Weber! 

A tribute to facade renovation, both light and more complex

As a reminder, the application files, submitted between January and July 2024 and illustrated with before/during/after photos of the work, had to present a project carried out in France highlighting the renovation of an old building adapted to the specificities of the local heritage. The technicality of implementation, the use of at least one Weber solution, consideration of the environment, safety conditions on site as well as waste management were the selection requirements. 

6 regional winners[1], designated during 6 “Renovation Days” organized by Weber in October, were then decided by a jury composed of journalists from the professional press, an architect, several Weber collaborators, including Arnaud Tractere, General Manager, as well as Pascal Payen-Appenzeller, founder of the association promoting the building trades Le Geste d'Or.

And so it was during a new edition of the Qualiclub Weber, on November 28, that two companies won the Trophy, ex aequo. 

Pedro Bâtiment was thus rewarded for the restoration and upgrading of the St-Alain church in Prades (81). Technically, the jury was won over by the treatment of the 1.070 m2 of facade: chipping of the cement render, creation of a scraped render, design of frames and a troweled band, restoration of the Genoese windows with hydrogumming, whitewashing and filling, as well as the reproduction of a sundial identical to the original. Likewise, the interior work deserved their full attention, notably the creation of a two-pass sanitation render, fine troweled finish, the creation of a brush whitewash and the restoration of the stone posts. Finally, special mention also goes to the repair of the bell tower, which, once washed and after having benefited from an anticryptogamic treatment, had its spalling repaired and its walls whitewashed with a brush.

For its part, the company Sud Projection Loire distinguished itself with the rehabilitation of the 590 m2 of facade of the Marie-Anne du Boccage elementary school (44), concentrating a wide range of expertise: among other things, purging of existing coatings and application of a visible stone coating on current surfaces; replacement of tuffeau stones with Sireuil at the foot of the jambs on the surroundings of the openings and restoration of the moldings; steam cleaning on brick strips, replacement of bricks and repointing with lime; at the level of the sculptures, replacement of stone blocks, mineralization and protection of the stone, sculpting and finishing; sandblasting and glazing of the roof overhangs...

Finally, Michot Bâtiment won third place with the Technical Award. It was praised for its skill in respecting the architectural form of the building whose facades it was tasked with renovating. Its expertise in reconstructing the basket-handle vault identically, after complete excavation, was praised by the jury. 

Weber, a committed player in heritage restoration

Through this competition, Weber reaffirms the importance of expertise in the restoration of old buildings, which is often complex and demanding, both in terms of appropriate solutions and dexterity in their implementation.

 "Georges Weber Coatings" are thus specially designed to meet the needs of heterogeneous masonry, with low resistance and sensitive to rising damp, made of rubble, cut stone, bricks, earth tiles, etc. A new addition to this iconic range, Corps d'enduit chaux-chvre enaé [2], formulated with aerial lime and fine hemp shiv, is positioned as one of the first ready-to-use bio-sourced coating bodies on the market.

Whether it's coating sound or saltpeter-covered masonry, covering cracked render, or repairing dressed stone, Weber provides specific products for each project. Especially since it exclusively offers products from the Tradical® range, always based on air lime.

Member of the Qualiclub, Jérôme Mutter, manager of the company Defasol (10), shares his experience of using the enaé lime-hemp coating on construction sites:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ8hpBWZ65I

The Qualiclub: a united community to build a sustainable future

Created in 1985, the Qualiclub Weber brings together more than 400 expert companies in France, organized into regional groups, meeting once a year in their respective regions and once every two years collectively on the occasion of a large national gathering (like the one last November). Sharing experiences, presenting innovations, analyzing market trends... these meetings are placed under the seal of conviviality with, as a highlight, the pride of belonging to this historic community, as illustrated by the numerous spontaneous relays on social networks, during the 2024 edition. Welcoming 320 participants in Lyon, it also offered practical workshops on themes such as water management on facades, the treatment of singular points, the arduousness of tiling work and solutions to increase its comfort, the recruitment and training of companions... This format, appreciated for its pragmatism, reflects the collaborative approach of Weber, which remains determined to co-construct with its partners the solutions of tomorrow for a more sustainable building. 
 

[1] Michot Bâtiment (91) / Sud Loire Projection (44) / Camoglu (73) / Eri Façades (30) / Enduest (54) / Pedro Bat (81)

[2] The enaé product range consists exclusively of mortars with a reduced carbon footprint of at least 20%* and/or a reduced content of at least 15%* in non-renewable virgin raw materials. *compared to a product with the same performance or same area of use.