Luxury for all
When Charlie and Julia Hutchings decided to build self-catering accommodation in the grounds of their East Devon B&B, they wanted to create a luxury space that could be enjoyed by all guests, including those with limited mobility.Charlie and Julia had noticed an increase in the number of enquiries from guests with limited mobility.
They decided to build a ground-floor, self-catering lodge with high quality finishes so that all guests could enjoy a luxury holiday experience, regardless of their mobility. From the very start, they knew that they wanted their well-appointed, single-storey lodge, known as The Granary, to be something special: “We wanted to make it really luxurious,” explains Charlie, “somewhere really nice that someone in a wheelchair or with limited mobility could enjoy with their friends and family.
Somewhere accessible, but somewhere that looked and felt luxurious, rather than specially adapted. “Luxury to Charlie and Julia meant the freedom to layout the interior design without the restrictions of radiators – it meant underfloor heating.
Why UFH?
As Green Tourism Award winners, Charlie and Julia wanted the additional accommodation to be as eco-friendly as possible, and chose to team efficient underfloor heating with a biomass boiler.
“It made sense to us to incorporate underfloor heating in our new build, from a practical and visual point of view. Not only would this remove the potential hazards of hot radiators with sharp corners, but we have found that guests increasingly like to walk around in bare feet. Choosing underfloor heating and responsive floor coverings (engineered oak in the living areas and a special non-slip lino in the wet room) means that our guests would never have to attempt this on a cold floor.”
Charlie and Julia’s commitment to high-quality products and luxury finishes was recognised by the Visit Devon Awards – with The Granary winning Gold in the Self Catering Property of the Year category 2016.
Why Nu-Heat?
It wasn’t long before Charlie and Julia contacted Nu-Heat for advice on the best underfloor heating system for The Granary.
We had confidence in Nu-Heat over other underfloor heating suppliers after hearing positive feedback from some of our other contractors that had worked with the company previously. The fact that Nu-Heat was local to us was also a bonus.
After taking into consideration the heat source, building size, floor coverings, construction and insulation, as well as producing room-by-room heat loss calculations, Nu-Heat produced a bespoke layout and installation plan for a zoned liquid screed UFH system.
Installation and use
“We have no complaints – the design service was simple and useful, it took less than a day to lay the pipework, and the paperwork really helps you to understand how to use the system and get the best out of it. The installation was really straightforward thanks to the step-by installation manual, and the heating controls are very easy and logical to use.
“We love the flexibility of being able to control the temperature of each room separately, and crucially for wheelchair users, there is no height difference between the different floor coverings. The wet room dries out really fast – having a wet room with underfloor heating works really well.
We would certainly recommend Nu-Heat underfloor heating to anyone looking to install an efficient and hassle-free heating system.
UFH systems and floor coverings
Screed UFH systems such as that used in The Granary are an ideal, cost-effective, heating solution for new build projects, offering quick installation times that minimise impact on the overall build schedule. The engineered timber and vinyl floor coverings that Charlie and Julia chose are particularly compatible with UFH, efficiently transferring warmth from the UFH tube to the surface of the floor.
