SCOPE
Invisible, and the most expensive part
Water, drainage, heating and ventilation go inside the wall. That makes this the group with the most expensive reversal in the project: a drain left in the wrong place or a missing ventilation duct means a finished bathroom gets stripped out again.
Once the wall is closed there is no going back. That is why we take the decisions first.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
What we do under this heading
All of the following sit inside the same contract. You can take an item out if you want to — but taking it out is your decision, not a limit on what we can do.
Water and drainage
- Renewing the fresh-water and waste pipework
- Water filtration and pressure system
- Water tank and booster pump
Heating and cooling
- Combi boiler
- Underfloor heating
- Radiators
- Towel radiator
- Heat pump
- Air conditioning and ducted systems
Ventilation
- Kitchen ventilation
- Bathroom ventilation
- Extractor flue
WORTH NOTING
Where the work gets difficult on this item
We say these things at the quotation stage, not afterwards. We don’t like surprises.
- The age of the pipework is the real age of the house. It is the first thing we look at on the survey. A renovation built on top of old galvanised pipe comes back within two years as a leak through the ceiling.
- Underfloor heating ties down the flooring choice. Not every parquet and not every natural stone suits underfloor heating. The heating decision has to be made before the flooring decision.
- Pressure and flow are calculated, not guessed. How many bathrooms, how many showers, how many built-in appliances — the pipe diameter follows from that. An incomplete calculation shows itself the moment two taps are opened at once.
- Ventilation can’t be added later. The bathroom and kitchen ventilation ducts go in before the suspended ceiling is closed. A solution retro-fitted afterwards neither works nor looks right.
THE DECISION CALENDAR
Which decision you make, and when
Every line becomes an annex to the contract. If a date slips, the work behind it slips too.
- Design stageChoosing the heating systemThe choice between underfloor heating, radiators or a heat pump affects the flooring and cabinetry plan.
- End of designChoosing built-in appliances and sanitarywareThe drain and water outlet positions are set out according to this selection.
- Shell workPipework installation and pressure testIt is tested before the wall is closed, and the record goes into the handover file.
Systems like a heat pump or ducted air conditioning need a location for the outdoor unit, noise consideration and the building management’s approval. We obtain those permissions before the site opens.
Let’s talk about the Plumbing and Heating item.
The survey commits you to nothing. We come to the property, take measurements, and talk about what can be done under this heading.