Improved Heating in a Period Property

The project

Mr and Mrs Brazier were renovating a five-bedroom period property in Chobham and needed a plumber who could handle the full scope of the work: upgrading the heating system, improving water pressure throughout the house, and refitting the master bathroom to a high standard, all while respecting the character of the building.

That meant more than swapping a boiler. The brief covered new radiators where they were still needed, wet underfloor heating in the main living spaces, smart heating controls, a solution for poor incoming mains pressure, and complete plumbing for a new master ensuite.

Our approach

We started with a home visit to review the existing heating layout, note period features that needed protecting, and measure up for the bathroom. From there we could specify a system that worked with the renovation programme rather than against it.

Underfloor heating and smart controls

Wet underfloor heating was installed in the living room, study, snug and kitchen. It raised comfort levels, reduced draughts, and allowed existing radiators in those rooms to come out, freeing wall space and avoiding the need for specially sourced period-style radiators.

Smart thermostats, a receiver and a hub completed the setup. The homeowners can adjust heating remotely, let the system respond to changing weather, and cut energy use when the house is empty.

Water pressure

Poor flow at the taps traced back to low incoming mains pressure, affecting both hot and cold supplies. We fitted a water accumulator to store cold water during quiet periods and release it when demand spikes, and an unvented hot water cylinder to use the now-boosted mains pressure for a much stronger hot water supply.

Master bathroom

For the ensuite we installed new pipework and a full bathroom suite, coordinating closely with the client''s tiler to deliver a finished room that matched the standard of the rest of the renovation.

The result

The heating, plumbing and bathroom work was completed to a high standard throughout a complex renovation. The clients were kept informed at each stage, snagging was handled promptly, and the finished home performs noticeably better than before.

We contacted Shoosmith Plumbing based on positive reviews elsewhere, in order to undertake a major renovation of the plumbing in our period property. They immediately impressed us with their level of thoughtfulness about the problems we needed to solve. All of their work was to an extremely high standard; their team were very professional and courteous; and they dealt well with any curveballs our project threw out along the way. We particularly appreciated the good communication and felt we were constantly kept up to date with the project. We would certainly recommend Shoosmiths.