Marianne Suhr: Gathering Momentum

The project: Turnpike House, a Grade II listed, 17th-century, three-storey timber-framed house.
This month's challenge:To install the services for the new kitchen extension and lay the new stone floor.

Ihave been visiting the extension at Turnpike House for several months now, and watching Kerry’s tiny dark kitchen gradually transform into a gorgeous, light-filled space.

Whenever people embark on works, I always warn them to prepare for the worst – things rarely go to plan and invariably they will uncover a problem that will take extra time and money to solve. But of all the projects I have known, this one has been the most straightforward.

Organised chaos
I visited Kerry one afternoon and she showed me around her temporary kitchen that her builder had knocked up within a room destined to be her study. Even Kerry’s makeshift kitchen displayed a level of organisation that most of us can only aspire to. If this is anything to go by, then no wonder it has gone so smoothly.

I think that much of the success of the project was due to the employment of skilled specialists. Each had been booked for months in advance and there was no slippage to the programme.

The services (gas, water, electricity) were carefully planned. ‘First fix’ was carried out prior to the plastering, with socket positions located to work with the new kitchen layout. ‘Second fix’ was completed virtually at the end of the project, after all the plastering and fitting had finished.

Flooring considerations
Kerry was keen to have a stone floor, but disliked the coldness underfoot. The obvious answer was to install underfloor heating in the form of electric mats. This had to be laid within the thickness of the concrete slab, incorporating a thick layer of insulation beneath to prevent any heat being lost into the ground.

This was easy in the new part of the kitchen, as the concrete slab was designed to incorporate the various layers. In the old part of the kitchen, however, it would have involved breaking up the existing concrete slab with kango hammers. This would have created massive vibration and possible damage to the ancient and fragile timber frame. Kerry decided to compromise by having underfloor heating in the new area, but not in the old. She supplemented the heating with a single radiator to give her flexibility on days when it simply needed an extra boost.

Finally she laid Lincolnshire limestone tiles with ‘tumbled’ edges. My son Max and I duly inspected them at close quarters and both agreed that they are the crowning glory of the room. Who needs chairs when you have a lovely warm floor to sit on?

Reno Advice: Underfloor Heating
A ‘wet’ underfloor heating system is the most efficient to run, but more expensive to install. It is ideal for large projects where you are laying a new floor slab. You will need to check that you have a suitable boiler. The main concrete slab is cast, then covered with insulation. A continuous plastic pipe is laid, then covered with a concrete screed. The ends of the water pipe are connected to the boiler via a ‘manifold’, which allows the timer to be set independently from other central heating systems.

An electric system, like Kerry’s, is much cheaper and easier to install, but more expensive to run, so is used in small areas. It comes as a mat that is unrolled and connected to an electricity supply.

Stone flags or ceramic tiles are particularly compatible with underfloor heating. Modern systems, however, can work with any floor covering, but do check with the manufacturer.

If you want to lay a solid floor but are worried about pushing the damp up the walls, consider Limecrete. This is a breathable slab constructed without using cement or damp-proof membrane.

Marianne's Checklist: Organising kitchen electrics

• Remember that the first fix electrical goes in at an early stage, so you will need to be clear where everything is going.
• Don’t skimp on sockets in a kitchen – you’ll always need more than you think.
• Make sure you have plenty of light, both general illumination and task lighting – set them on different circuits so you can switch one on without the other.
• Set sockets for dishwashers and washing machines below the worktop, but fit isolating switches above.
• Consider automatic light switches for larders that come on and off when you open and close the door.
• Don’t forget to provide power for your cooker hood or extractor fan.
• Don’t be limited by white plastic – there’s a whole range of socket and switch covers available in different styles.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE SUHR
Featured in the March 2010 issue of Period Living