A solo UFH installation in a 600m2 Victorian house? That’s no problem with a good design and an unfazed attitude.
Builder and developer Chris Reavley is currently working on his own project, The Hermitage in Herefordshire. He approached Continal to design and supply an underfloor heating system for three floors, using both a traditional screed system and Continal’s unique structural joist system, OneBoard®, and with multiple zones for adaptable heating.
"While it’s a very large house, there is just more of it, so I'm not fazed by the size."
The background
The Hermitage was built around 1850 as the summer residence for the Bishop of Hereford. Businessman William Brocklehurst bought it in 1917, and his refurbishment included installing impressive wooden panels from Hereford Cathedral (thrown in by the vendor?).
When Chris started work, the house was heated by an oil-fired radiator system which he was keen to upgrade. He wanted to future-proof the house with a heating system that could work with any heat source, including air or ground source.
Why underfloor heating?
Chris likes the spread of heat that underfloor heating gives and it’s ideal with those Victorian high ceilings. To help the UFH work to its full potential and to bring the old house up to modern standards, Chris fitted internal wall insulation, underfloor insulation and double-glazed sash windows.
Chris may be flying solo with the underfloor installation at the Hermitage, but he’s an experienced fitter. His first UFH install was a few years ago, when high installation quotes made him decide to fit it himself. He’d also experienced what he describes as “sites where plumbers wander around with a roll of underfloor heating pipe without any real design input”.
"What we like is a clear, calculated design, made for the project we’re working on, with technical back-up if we have queries."
The installation
Chris wanted to fit the system himself so he can make sure it’s installed exactly as per Continal’s design. There have been a few challenges to overcome, mainly to do with running the pipes to and from the manifold. Level changes can be a challenge, as can 450mm thick, solid stone walls. Working with Continal helped him find solutions to technical challenges.
He chose to drop the ground floor kitchen ceiling slightly so he could clip the pipe to the underside of the joists and avoid some steelwork within the floor. The flow and return pipes were fitted below the joists as well, dropping it further again – but with those 3-metre-high ceilings, he can afford a drop of 100mm.
Chris feels that people shouldn’t be put off from installing underfloor heating in an older property. As he told us, routing pipework through walls and joists in a building like The Hermitage can be tricky, but running pipes to radiators would be just as challenging!
Chris’ top tips:
Work to the plans
“Spend time looking at the drawings that Continal provide and plan routes - it saves a lot of time and rework - ask me how I know….”
Think about stats
“As this house is large, we will be looking forward to the level of control that the individual thermostats give us as well as the performance from a well-designed system."
Many thanks to Chris for the interview and photographs.
Continal has been a leading UK design and supply specialist for energy-efficient warm-water UFH for more than 25 years. The company’s full range of UFH systems for solid floors, overfloor applications and joisted floors, as well as a full portfolio of controls and accessories, can be found at www.continal.co.uk.
