Homewood Grove Underfloor Heating in Chertsey

The Goal

Homewood Grove underfloor heating formed part of a new luxury retirement village in Chertsey, Surrey. The development includes 116 apartments across a 4.7-acre brownfield site. Rangeford Villages developed the project with Willmott Dixon as the lead contractor.

The £43 million development also includes extensive communal facilities. Residents have access to a wellbeing centre, gym, dance studio, bistro and café bar. Therefore, the heating design had to serve both private apartments and shared spaces.

Sustainability was central to the project from the beginning. Each apartment used an all-electric solution for heating and hot water. This approach aimed to reduce carbon emissions while providing stable and efficient comfort.

Underfloor heating was an important part of this strategy. The system needed to maintain comfortable room temperatures with low running costs. However, the site’s total electrical load also had to remain within defined limits.

The large number of apartments created additional installation and logistics requirements. The project therefore needed a solution that installers could manage efficiently across the entire development.

Our Solution

Heatcom worked with the project engineers, specifiers and installers for more than a year. Together, they developed a heating system that met the client’s technical and operational requirements.

The final design used bespoke in-screed heating cables throughout the apartments. Heatcom optimised the system for an ultra-low output. This supported stable room temperatures while keeping the site’s overall electrical demand within its limits.

Each apartment received a complete heating package in a single delivery box. This simplified the distribution of components across the construction site. It also helped installers keep the correct equipment together for each apartment.

Heatcom selected user-friendly controllers for the apartments. The controls gave residents a simple and intuitive way to manage their heating. This was particularly important within a retirement living development.

The installation method also required significant redesign. A conventional approach would have required several screed pours within each apartment. Instead, Heatcom adapted the system to allow one screed pour before the stud walls were installed.

This bespoke fixing method simplified the construction sequence. As a result, the contractor reduced installation costs and accelerated the build programme. The revised approach also made scheduling easier across the 116 apartments.

Heatcom supplied underfloor heating cables for the in-screed apartment systems. Heating mats were also supplied for the swimming pool area. Templegate Electrical Supplies Limited supplied the equipment for the project.

The Result

The Homewood Grove underfloor heating system was installed during 2023. Heatcom’s custom-designed cables and bespoke fixing method enabled installers to work quickly across the development.

Using a single screed pour created significant savings in both time and cost. Therefore, the heating installation could fit more efficiently into the wider construction programme.

The systems were successfully commissioned after installation. They have since operated faultlessly across the apartments, communal areas and swimming pool.

Residents receive stable heating through simple, accessible controllers. Meanwhile, the ultra-low-output design supports the development’s all-electric heating strategy. The system also keeps the site’s overall electrical load within the required limits.

The completed project demonstrates how a tailored installation method can support a large residential development. It combined sustainability goals, construction efficiency and resident comfort without compromising system performance.

Homewood-Grove-Chertsey-Retirement-Village-Heating.pdf