The Woodhouse, our show home has been offering our clients a ‘try-before-you-buy’ experience for over 10 years now. Having been built in 2007, the original oak weatherboard has faded into a lovely silver grey. The finish comprises of a combination of brick and weatherboard which uses oak and stainless steel nails. Nails made from iron or steel tend to leave black marks, whereas stainless, copper or brass will avoid this issue.
Heat pump
The Woodhouse uses a ground source heat pump, with heat from the ground being absorbed at low temperatures into a fluid inside a loop of pipe buried underground, in this case two bore holes approximately 65 metres deep under the drive. The fluid then passes through a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature, which can then heat water for the hot water circuits of the house, used for underfloor heating. Both the compressor and water tank are located in the garage to the rear of the house.
Glazing
At the front of the house, we can point out the two different types of glazing employed by the Woodhouse. The first, an industry standard level of face glazing using our own system, clamps the glass units to the outside of the frame using oak cover boards. One of the great benefits of this approach is that it leaves the entire frame visible from the inside of the house. After all, what’s the sense in paying for a beautiful oak frame only to lose most of it in the glazing build up?
Sub-frame joinery, the second glazing option is then used to window in-between the oak frame.
Both of these systems also have solar controlled double glazed units. Solar control glass is a hi-tech product developed by the glass industry to allow sunlight to pass through a window or façade while radiating and reflecting a large degree of the sun’s heat. Therefore, the indoor space stays cool without compromising on the natural light allowed in.
Building in a conservation area
As the Woodhouse plot sits in a Conservation Area, the roof uses handmade clay tiles; with conservation roof lights especially made so as to replicate a traditional Victorian design. Both tiles and roof lights are unobtrusive and sympathetic to the original external architecture of the building.
Rainwater harvesting
Along the porch, we can see the copper gutter with chain down pipes. This quirky design functions to transport water to our rainwater harvester, which is buried deep underground. The harvesting of rainwater involves, quite simply, the collection of water from surfaces on which rain falls and flows to the underground storage tank for later use is the washing machines and lavatory system.
To learn more about our show home and book a stay click here
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