Blyton Mill in Lincoln has had a chequered career. Built in 1825, the five storey windmill was powered by four sails driving three pairs of stones until 1910. Then, with the addition of a crown and pinion gear system and an exterior drive wheel, it was converted for steam power, and that was superseded by an electrical drive system that ran until the 1960s. The Mill and its outbuildings were first converted to a dwelling in 1970 with an observatory-type cap installed shortly afterwards and further conversion work took place in the late 70s and1990s. Although the removal of the sails altered the building’s character, the Grade 2 Listed Blyton Mill retains a great deal of charm and some of the early features remain including the curb and one original bedstone plus the crown and pinion gearing.

The present owner, Gareth Hewitson-May, has turned the mill into a delightful family home. The ground floor, circular with a diameter of seven metres, has become a living room full of character and the six metre diameter first floor an airy studio. One obvious problem with the refurbishment was how to install an effective heating system. Clearly the lack of any flat wall space made installation of conventional radiators impractical and possibly expensive and these would in any case have detracted from the authentic feel to the rooms. Equally the owner originally feared that installing an underfloor system would be a long process causing a great deal of disruption and delay. In consultation with contractor Pennine Underfloor Heating of Huddersfield however, Gareth found a simple, quick and practical solution in the Polyplumb Overlay UFCH System.

Overlay has a depth of only 18mm, can be swiftly laid on any flat surface, easily adapts to difficult shapes [and a round room certainly comes into that category] and can be run in parallel with existing heating systems. Installation is simple. After laying a basic damp-proof membrane, preformed high load-bearing panels are placed on top and 12mm polybutylene pipe is quickly ‘walked’ into the grooves from an 80 metres roll. The floor panels can be simply sawn to size and the flexibility of the pipe makes for easy laying even round sharp bends.

At Blyton Mill the installation on the ground floor was laid over a concrete base and plumbed into the existing oil-fired system and that in the Studio was over a timber floor and fired by a small electric boiler. The heating system has proved extremely effective, disruption during installation was minimal and Gareth is now a very Jolly Miller.

For further information please contact:
Martin Dootson
Polypipe Building Products,
Broomhouse Lane,
Edlington,
Doncaster,
DN12 IES.

Tel: 01709 770000
Fax: 01709 770001
Email: info@ppbp.co.uk
Web: www.overlayheating.co.uk

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