Heating system for stone floored property

[ryoc]

We are in the process of buying a very small Grade II listed 2 bed Georgian cottage with a quarry tiled ground floor and lime stone floors upstairs. The cottage has never had a boiler or heating system installed (or a bathroom!). Rather than damage the existing stone floors running pipework etc. would a stand alone electric storage heater system be best? Not sure how best to heat the place. Thanks

 

[beenthere]

How are you going to get electric to it.

 

[JohnKay]

Very good point, beenthere.
I do wonder why listed properties are so attractive, the cost of maintenance must be horrendous.

 

[ryoc]

How are you going to get electric to it.

Hi and thanks for the reply. The house has all services supplied. At the moment, on the 1st floor, the power cables run down the walls (not pretty) from the loft space. Ground floor has power points here and there. A lady has lived in the house for the last 60 years.

 

[ryoc]

Very good point, beenthere.
I do wonder why listed properties are so attractive, the cost of maintenance must be horrendous.

Thank you for your reply. The attraction was not the fact that it is listed. The attraction was the price, location and that it is in generally very good condition structurally.

 

[JohnKay]

Thanks for getting back. As long as you realize the costs of a listed property, then I wish you all the best with it. Let's know how you get on.

 

[Casper]

I imaging the walls are solid and quite thick too? That's all good. Plenty of thermal mass. Time to stop thinking modern heating for highly insulated low energy houses. I bet you have a lovely fireplace nook central in the house? Thats where the heat needs to be, it will warm up the whole house which with that stone will absorb and retain the heat, not for hours but weeks.
First thing, insulate the windows and roof with as much as you can afford. If possible consider putting some kind of insulating perimeter between the ground wall and the floor. As it turns out its only the outer metre of floor that looses heat to the bottom foot of wall. That means the floor if it absorbs heat will retain it, except at the outside edges. A warm floor will keep the wall dry if you have damp there, but damp draws so much heat from the floor you have to sort that... but stone should be impervious so any damp is in the mortar only, soak that in silicone or use trickle electric charges to repel moisture..
Now with a proper source of heat in the fireplace you have floors upstairs and down which, if heated, can be a massive heat retaining store. How to warm them up?

We have an Aga on a stone floor, the heat gradually warms the whole floor. That heat goes nowhere, it radiated back into the room.
I am not just suggesting an aga in the kitchen, it costs several hundred monthly to run, but it is so comfortable if you actually live there during the day. What I would recommend is a super efficient wood burning stove. Forget multi-fuel, coal costs as much as an Aga. Wood can be almost free if you will cut with a chainsaw and stack against the lee wall of the house to dry.

Best fireplace (unless you want expensive looks from a Danish stove) is from Navitron.org.uk or burley.co.uk. It is so efficient warming large spaces (if the wood is properly dry) that you will want to keep the door open and heat the whole house, keep it burning 24/7 on a cord of good logs per year.

Also have a look on greymetal.co.uk for genuine german and danish stoves at wholesale prices

 

[ryoc]

I imaging the walls are solid and quite thick too? That's all good. Plenty of thermal mass. Time to stop thinking modern heating for highly insulated low energy houses. I bet you have a lovely fireplace nook central in the house? Thats where the heat needs to be, it will warm up the whole house which with that stone will absorb and retain the heat, not for hours but weeks.
First thing, insulate the windows and roof with as much as you can afford. If possible consider putting some kind of insulating perimeter between the ground wall and the floor. As it turns out its only the outer metre of floor that looses heat to the bottom foot of wall. That means the floor if it absorbs heat will retain it, except at the outside edges. A warm floor will keep the wall dry if you have damp there, but damp draws so much heat from the floor you have to sort that... but stone should be impervious so any damp is in the mortar only, soak that in silicone or use trickle electric charges to repel moisture..
Now with a proper source of heat in the fireplace you have floors upstairs and down which, if heated, can be a massive heat retaining store. How to warm them up?

We have an Aga on a stone floor, the heat gradually warms the whole floor. That heat goes nowhere, it radiated back into the room.
I am not just suggesting an aga in the kitchen, it costs several hundred monthly to run, but it is so comfortable if you actually live there during the day. What I would recommend is a super efficient wood burning stove. Forget multi-fuel, coal costs as much as an Aga. Wood can be almost free if you will cut with a chainsaw and stack against the lee wall of the house to dry.

Best fireplace (unless you want expensive looks from a Danish stove) is from Navitron.org.uk or burley.co.uk. It is so efficient warming large spaces (if the wood is properly dry) that you will want to keep the door open and heat the whole house, keep it burning 24/7 on a cord of good logs per year.

Also have a look on greymetal.co.uk for genuine german and danish stoves at wholesale prices

Thank you Casper for your very comprehensive and informed reply. Excellent!
The walls are solid and thick. We will deffo have a good look at the stove options you have suggested. Thanks again. We are looking forward to making a start on this project!