Cass Bay

Two years ago, Sam was building Chrissy’s new home. It was a lovely and fresh home, overlooking the sunny bay of Lyttelton Harbour. The living, dining and kitchen areas dominated the main floor, which was heated at one end with a modern log burner. Sam, however, felt the exposed concrete floor might get cold.

So, Sam insisted on placing underfloor hydronic piping in the floor slab just in case. Chrissy and her husband and family moved in. Winter had passed its worst, and they got on with living in their new home. Then came the following winter. And while the fire made the air warm, as did the sun at the height of the day, something was still missing.

You see, Sam had been right. The concrete floor, like in most houses, was cold day in and day out. This was rough for Chrissy and her husband, as they worked in the home. Plus, they had two young children who spent most of their lives on the floor. The couple hoped that things could be better. So, Chrissy and her husband decided to call us to connect a heat pump to their underfloor pipes.

And, within two days their home had made a stunning transformation. They were now so much warmer. Their kids were warm playing on the floor. Their fire now played a different role as it warmed their hearts. Their feet and whole bodies reacted to the radiant heat from the floor, which was now like a gentle giant radiator. The family was ecstatic.

It is remarkable that Sam had the foresight to install the pipes with us. Most people planning to build a home overlook the heating possibilities. But, Sam knew something that most didn’t: that pipes can only be installed when the slab is poured. And Sam knew that the total capital and running cost, not to speak of the comfort level, was the best any house could have.

Now, if I was building a house, I’d want to have a ‘Sam’ build it for me.

Sam Fleetwood builds a few houses every year.
 Maybe he can build yours.