Living Room Renovation

The parts of a living room renovation, in plain English

• Media wall: a stud wall built out from the existing wall with a recess for the TV and an opening for the fire. Built from fire rated board around the fire, with the cables and gas hidden inside.
• Gas fire and flue: a balanced flue gas fire vents straight through the outside wall behind it, so it suits a media wall. The gas run and the flue hole go in before the wall is boarded.
• Electric fire: only where an old gas fire is being replaced. Wired to a fused spur hidden in the wall.
• Radiators: old panels replaced with vertical or designer radiators, moved to suit the new layout, or removed in favour of underfloor heating.
• Underfloor heating: warm water pipes under the floor, run from your boiler, fitted before the new flooring. The whole floor becomes the radiator and the walls stay clear.
• Electrics and lighting: sockets behind the TV, downlights or wall lights, dimmers, a dedicated supply for the fire and the TV. Signed off by an NICEIC registered installer.
• Plastering: the media wall skimmed, old fireplace openings closed, walls made flat.
• Decorating: mist coat, two top coats, woodwork glossed.
• Flooring: engineered wood, laminate or carpet, laid after everything else.
• Chimney: if the old fire goes and no new one goes in, the chimney is capped and vented so it stays dry.

What's involved, in order

• Days one and two: strip out, old fire and radiators off, chimney dealt with, first fix gas and electrics run to the new positions.
• Days three and four: media wall framed and boarded, underfloor heating pipework laid and pressure tested if it's going in.
• Days five and six: plastering, then the fire fitted, flued, connected and spillage tested.
• Days seven and eight: radiators fitted and balanced, second fix electrics, lighting and sockets.
• Days nine and ten: decorating, flooring, TV mounted, snagging and handover. A media wall on its own is three to four days; the full room is one to two weeks.

Honest advice: what's overkill

• A one metre wide fire: the fashionable extra wide fires push the TV up the wall so you watch it with your neck bent. A 750mm fire looks the same and keeps the TV at eye level.
• A fire on an internal wall: it can be done, but the flue has to be routed to an outside wall or a chimney and it costs more. Put the media wall on an outside wall if the room gives you the choice.
• Electric fire because gas seems hard: a balanced flue gas fire goes into a media wall on any outside wall. If you want a real flame, have one. We only fit electric where a gas fire is coming out.
• Underfloor heating in a room you're not reflooring: it's a great fit for a full refit with new flooring. If the floor is staying, vertical radiators do the job for far less.
• Worth paying for: the first fix visit before the joinery starts, and a proper heat loss check for the room. One means the fire and cables are exactly where you want them; the other means the new radiators or floor actually heat the room.

When to book a design visit

Before anything is built, and ideally before you've bought the fire or the TV. Send a photo of the room and the wall you have in mind and we'll book the free design visit. Book a free design visit