Detached Victorian renovation, London.
Discussion
Harry Flashman said:
I found one on eBay for under £50 but was really lucky to get it at that price and had to drive a way to pick it up! Frankly I think people know the value now, so they are hard to get. Stalk eBay and be prepared to travel to get it. I need another one and am on the lookout...
Dressing room colour is on and looks fantastic - calming and warm. Will look better when the floor is sanded and oiled.
Thank you. Sarah Travels a lot of the country with her work, so within reason that's no prob. We'll keep scouring Fleabay and see if we get lucky. Dressing room colour is on and looks fantastic - calming and warm. Will look better when the floor is sanded and oiled.
Aqualisa digital shower will allow you to control the shower without accessing the enclosure or getting wet.
https://www.aqualisa.co.uk/shower/qtc.01.ad.hp/q-w...
Fire places, give these guys a call we use them for reclaimed materials, they may have more than whats listed on the website, can have a deal with them.
http://www.reclamation-yard.co.uk/category/period-...
https://www.aqualisa.co.uk/shower/qtc.01.ad.hp/q-w...
Fire places, give these guys a call we use them for reclaimed materials, they may have more than whats listed on the website, can have a deal with them.
http://www.reclamation-yard.co.uk/category/period-...
Edited by joshcowin on Tuesday 24th October 09:46
Harry Flashman said:
I have put the towel rail in a stupid place though (you can see the rad tails) - towels will get wet there! So a small glass screen is probably necessary, annoyingly - which of course can't work as you then can't get to the shower controls from the shower. Gah!
See my comment above, as the plumber if it will work in your situation, we have fitted a few and they seem to be trouble free once set up correctly. Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 23 October 19:31
Hi Josh – irritatingly I have already put in the thermostatic mixer and tiles everything, so frankly the cost and disruption to re-plumb with a digital shower is not really acceptable. Annoyingly the room already has a digital (Mira Mode) bath filler for the big tub.
I genuinely cannot face taking the floor tiles up, a load of wall tiles down, going into the aquapanel, running an electrical feed, finding a place for the digital box, plumbing it to the shower outlets, and running a cable from controller in shower enclosure to the box. It’s just too much cost and disruption. It would be easier to move the rad tails, or cap them off and put new ones in somewhere…or indeed to move the thermostatic mixer itself into the shower enclosure so I can put a screen between shower and rad.
It’s the only slip-up I have made so far – annoying! But I am sure that there will be others…
I genuinely cannot face taking the floor tiles up, a load of wall tiles down, going into the aquapanel, running an electrical feed, finding a place for the digital box, plumbing it to the shower outlets, and running a cable from controller in shower enclosure to the box. It’s just too much cost and disruption. It would be easier to move the rad tails, or cap them off and put new ones in somewhere…or indeed to move the thermostatic mixer itself into the shower enclosure so I can put a screen between shower and rad.
It’s the only slip-up I have made so far – annoying! But I am sure that there will be others…
I'm thoroughly enjoying the thread Harry and your house is looking amazing. In your upstairs bathroom what is going on the sloping wall/ceiling in the shower enclosure? Is it getting tiles or is it painted with some kind of waterproof paint? If painted could you point me in the direction of the product you are using please?
Some pretty stuff is starting to go in! Top bathroom - when the actual fixtures start going in, a place begins feeling like it could be habitable, one day...although apologies for grainy phone pics....
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on FlickrUntitled by baconrashers, on FlickrUntitled by baconrashers, on FlickrUntitled by baconrashers, on FlickrUntitled by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 25th October 22:58
Harry Flashman said:
We had a towel rail just like that in the old place, a Heritage one.One night, the loop rail on the front simply removed itself in the dead of night, and the heating system (somewhat unsurprisingly) emptied itself all over the floor... The warranty replacement was a subtly different size.
I am in the process of planning my bathroom and will be going for a similarish design, albeit (I expect) with more modest parts.
Where did you get the radiator / towel rail from?
I seem to see that size and design vary in price from £180 (Screwfix 5* trade rated) to more than £500. Is a Radiator not just a radiator?!
£180 https://www.screwfix.com/p/bathroom-radiator-952-x...
£540 https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/burlington-ful...
When installing and bleeding check all the plugs properly and continue to do so as the system initiates. This is a pain, but worth doing to avoid the kind of nightmare that TooMany2CVs describes above. Again, I had no issues with the Revive kit, nor with a cheap ebay column rad I installed in my flat, for that matter.
These are all mild steel rads, and the stuff by Burlington is just overpriced – it is not stainless steel. Cheap type 22 and similar rads work perfectly well for ever. You can get unlucky, but there are millions of rads installed all over the UK. Incidents like the one described above are vanishingly rare. Just (and do not skimp on this) make sure your system is properly flushed, and use the correct amount of inhibitor in your system. You do not want corrosion and the many issues it causes.
Bear in mind that the Burlington you linked comes with an electric heating kit too, to be used when the rest of the CH is off. Affects the price...
In terms of the screws to hold radiators and basins on, I have asked the builders to use stainless Torx head screws (did this in our last place, replacing the cheap screws used by the builders myself). They look a lot better, won’t rust, and it costs beans to do.
These are all mild steel rads, and the stuff by Burlington is just overpriced – it is not stainless steel. Cheap type 22 and similar rads work perfectly well for ever. You can get unlucky, but there are millions of rads installed all over the UK. Incidents like the one described above are vanishingly rare. Just (and do not skimp on this) make sure your system is properly flushed, and use the correct amount of inhibitor in your system. You do not want corrosion and the many issues it causes.
Bear in mind that the Burlington you linked comes with an electric heating kit too, to be used when the rest of the CH is off. Affects the price...
In terms of the screws to hold radiators and basins on, I have asked the builders to use stainless Torx head screws (did this in our last place, replacing the cheap screws used by the builders myself). They look a lot better, won’t rust, and it costs beans to do.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 25th October 12:27
Harry Flashman said:
When installing and bleeding check all the plugs properly and continue to do so as the system initiates. This is a pain, but worth doing to avoid the kind of nightmare that TooMany2CVs describes above.
I should have said that it'd been fitted for about seven years when it pulled that trick... Think it was a ten year warranty.NickCW said:
Love this thread, top work and bookmarked!
Can I ask what monitored alarm you went with by the way? Looking to get a system myself and can't decide what companies to start with..
Thanks,
Nick
I’d rather not talk about the specifics of security on here, given the issues we have had. I’m a bit paranoid now, if truth be told. Can I ask what monitored alarm you went with by the way? Looking to get a system myself and can't decide what companies to start with..
Thanks,
Nick
Suffice to say it was installed by a security company, not us, and we pay for monitoring. It and the integrated CCTV are also all hardwired to prevent signal issues or tampering, and it all cost a bloody fortune!
Harry Flashman said:
I’d rather not talk about the specifics of security on here, given the issues we have had. I’m a bit paranoid now, if truth be told.
Suffice to say it was installed by a security company, not us, and we pay for monitoring. It and the integrated CCTV are also all hardwired to prevent signal issues or tampering, and it all cost a bloody fortune!
Thats fair enough Harry, I can appreciate that!Suffice to say it was installed by a security company, not us, and we pay for monitoring. It and the integrated CCTV are also all hardwired to prevent signal issues or tampering, and it all cost a bloody fortune!
Was more looking for a recommendation of company than any specifics as its a bit of a mine field, feel free to PM if you don't want it public (and feel free not to if you would rather not say anything!).
On a side note I knew I recognised your name from somewhere, your review of the Morgan Aero vs the Aston was one of the many things that persuaded me towards purchasing an S1 (which I still own). Fabulous thing, and I must say your review was spot on!
Anywho back on track, look forward to seeing the updates.
PM sent.
I still miss my Morgan Aeros - and if truth be told my S1 was my favourite over the S2, even though the former remains comfortably the most unreliable and expensive to repair/maintain car I have ever owned (followed by the S2, frankly). I love them, but am over them now that I cannot deal with constant trips out to the dealer to get stuff sorted. R8 V10 is next on the cards if this renovation doesn't bankrupt me, as at this stage in life (40's, not 30's) I like cars that don't break unexpectedly!
My Aston needs some bits doing too, but it's all consumables. The Morgans were gorgeous, but quite extraordinarily fragile. Best thing with them is to buy a mid miler that has been utterly sorted...
Anyway, back on topic: latest request to builder has to be to insulate well under the sunken bath in the lift shaft bathroom. It;s a big bugger, and keeping the water in it warmer for longer is no bad thing. Cheap to do at this stage!
I still miss my Morgan Aeros - and if truth be told my S1 was my favourite over the S2, even though the former remains comfortably the most unreliable and expensive to repair/maintain car I have ever owned (followed by the S2, frankly). I love them, but am over them now that I cannot deal with constant trips out to the dealer to get stuff sorted. R8 V10 is next on the cards if this renovation doesn't bankrupt me, as at this stage in life (40's, not 30's) I like cars that don't break unexpectedly!
My Aston needs some bits doing too, but it's all consumables. The Morgans were gorgeous, but quite extraordinarily fragile. Best thing with them is to buy a mid miler that has been utterly sorted...
Anyway, back on topic: latest request to builder has to be to insulate well under the sunken bath in the lift shaft bathroom. It;s a big bugger, and keeping the water in it warmer for longer is no bad thing. Cheap to do at this stage!
I put in a double sized bath last year and have always thought it strange that cast iron baths never seem to be insulated.
The floor below mine already had rockwool, I was tempted to buy a can of spray foam and coat the underside of the bath but didn't really know if it was OK to do that or not in terms of moisture retention and potential rust, while I was pondering doing it or not it was all boxed in so I didn't need to decide anything. In practice it holds so much water it seems to take an age to cool down anyway, it also off gasses masses of steam due to the large water surface area.
The floor below mine already had rockwool, I was tempted to buy a can of spray foam and coat the underside of the bath but didn't really know if it was OK to do that or not in terms of moisture retention and potential rust, while I was pondering doing it or not it was all boxed in so I didn't need to decide anything. In practice it holds so much water it seems to take an age to cool down anyway, it also off gasses masses of steam due to the large water surface area.
Good idea Paralla - again, not sure with the condensation/rust issue of steel. Our bath looks the same size as yours - about 1m wide, right? Ours also has a whgirlpool system, and agitating the water makes it lose heat faster.
How practical is your bath when only one person in it? Ours was sort of designed as a spa-like experience (hence the plate glass window in front of it for a view!), for both of us, or a place where we could bathe kid(s) whilst also in the tub. Is it actually useable for just one person without using all of the hot water in the tanks (we have 2 x 150litre unvented tanks). Ours is a 290 litre bath, so when you include the cold water joining the hot, I think it should be fine - but even with our big heating system, no one else will be taking a bath at the same time, maybe not even having a shower! Not that anyone else lives in the house yet, apart from the two of us, so unlikely to be a problem for some time.
Our baths are actually all acrylic (although pretty nice quality layered and insulated acrylic with reinforced construction). So we have less to worry about there - but I'm literally going to chuck a load of rockwool into this void (pic below) before sitting the bath in it. The room has two outside walls, one of which is effectively double glazed glass, and is above a room that will not generally be heated when the bath is being used). Every little helps!
DSC_1059 by baconrashers, on Flickr
How practical is your bath when only one person in it? Ours was sort of designed as a spa-like experience (hence the plate glass window in front of it for a view!), for both of us, or a place where we could bathe kid(s) whilst also in the tub. Is it actually useable for just one person without using all of the hot water in the tanks (we have 2 x 150litre unvented tanks). Ours is a 290 litre bath, so when you include the cold water joining the hot, I think it should be fine - but even with our big heating system, no one else will be taking a bath at the same time, maybe not even having a shower! Not that anyone else lives in the house yet, apart from the two of us, so unlikely to be a problem for some time.
Our baths are actually all acrylic (although pretty nice quality layered and insulated acrylic with reinforced construction). So we have less to worry about there - but I'm literally going to chuck a load of rockwool into this void (pic below) before sitting the bath in it. The room has two outside walls, one of which is effectively double glazed glass, and is above a room that will not generally be heated when the bath is being used). Every little helps!
DSC_1059 by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 25th October 12:40
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