Colony House Renovation

[Zurg]

Hi

 

I've recently purchased a 1bed "colony" house in Edinburgh. For those unfamiliar with colony houses, these were homes built throughout Victorian Edinburgh and were designed as homes for the skilled working class, more details about them here if you are interested.

 

Mine is a 1 bed ground floor, 45sqm altogether, with a small front and back garden.

 

It's currently fitted with electric storage heating that I am hoping to remove and replace with a small air source heat pump and install underfloor heating throughout. I found this forum through my ASHP researching and have found it really useful so far. 

 

I also want to change the internal layout, so the largest rooms are for the kitchen and living room. I wish to move the bathroom to the opposite side of the house and turn the current kitchen (small, narrow) to a very small double bedroom! This requires a couple of walls knocking down and rebuilt. 

 

I won't have the keys to the property until late November so works can't start yet but I'm trying to do as much research before then. 

 

Thanks all, looking forward to asking lots of questions as I have them...!

 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Zurg
Adding hyperlink

[newhome]

Welcome! There are quite a few members living in Scotland on here. Some pics or plans would be good, then people can get a feel for your project and make suggestions in a more informed way. 

 

[Zurg]

Hi @newhome

 

Thanks for your reply. Sure, I don't think I have any questions yet but any suggestions very welcome. I've not moved in yet so a number of things I'm not sure of until I can get in and measure and get a better look at the structure. I attach the original floorplan, and can update with some redrawings as we make them. 

 

Thanks!

 

 

[scottishjohn]

are there any cellars below you 

 ceiling height ? and does it period doors skirtings etc

picces of insdie as well will help

 do you have mains gas 

Edited October 26, 2019 by scottishjohn

[ProDave]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

Crucial to fitting under floor heating will be insulation, lots of it, under the floor. So the first question is what is the ground floor construction?

[Zurg]

No mains gas. 

I don't think it has a cellar. We're still not in the property yet so not 100% sure, as some of the properties in the same "development" do. 

 

The floor is a suspended timber floor. No period doors or skirtings. 

 

The ceiling height is higher than 2.6m but how much more I'm not sure. I will get back once I've been in and taken proper measurements! I'll also share some pictures of the inside then, too.

 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Zurg

[scottishjohn]

45 minutes ago, Zurg said:

No mains gas. 

I don't think it has a cellar. We're still not in the property yet so not 100% sure, as some of the properties in the same "development" do. 

 

The floor is a suspended timber floor. No period doors or skirtings. 

 

The ceiling height is higher than 2.6m but how much more I'm not sure. I will get back once I've been in and taken proper measurements! I'll also share some pictures of the inside then, too.

 

 

 

at 2.6  you can fit UFH on top of  floors no problem  and get good insulation  in as well--no need to rip up whats there if its good ,just fit covering of your choice to UFH--for best heat flow

insulate under suspended floor if you can -but not imperative if you use pir boards and fit UFH in them 

then hard type  -tiles or something

carpet does work --i used to have it but not as good 

 i f you got space then fitting insulated plasterboard to ceiling --stops you heating up the flat above  

Edited November 4, 2019 by scottishjohn