When Matthew and Liz Carlton purchased Stone Farm Cottage in Devon’s Teign Valley, it was still spring. However, when winter arrived, the cold - especially in the kitchen - came as a considerable shock.
The Cottage is comprised of an 18th century longhouse, a Victorian-era stone-built extension that was joined to a stone-built linhay that had another floor added in the ‘90s. While large and rambling, the period property also seemed impossible to heat.
The single radiator installed in the kitchen completely failed to heat the thick stone walls of the cottage, while upstairs, the walls were very thin. and heat dissipated faster than the radiators could keep up with.
When Liz Carlton returned from work in Exeter. she would need to light the stove and then wait for up to two hours to even vaguely warm up the cottage.
A solution arrived when they hired local architect Annie Martin, who devised a plan to remodel the home, removing walls to maximise available space while simultaneously installing an underfloor heating system. The result was a more workable and user-friendly living space that wasn’t a lot bigger, but much better to live in, thanks to the radiant warmth of underfloor heating powered by an air source heat pump.
Underfloor heating is a popular choice when people are renovating period properties. With no modern equipment in view, a timeless aesthetic can be created that suits buildings from any era.
Before undertaking a restoration project, reach out to our knowledgeable team at FastWarm for expert recommendations and underfloor heating equipment from top brands.
