Refurbishing a ceiling near Montpellier

The right moment, more than the right product

A ceiling being redone is already stripped out, already cleared, already accessible. Adding the heating function at that point costs only the difference, whereas the same operation two years later means opening everything up again.

What renovation lets you see

A ceiling taken down shows its real insulation, its services and the state of the floor above. It is the only chance to check those points, and often the only chance to correct them without the cost of stripping out again.

The trade-off with the existing radiators

Replacing a heating system that works is not justified by comfort alone. It is justified by the wall area recovered, by the end of air circulation, and by a consumption that falls as soon as control becomes fine.

The Montpellier climate

The heating season is short and often interrupted. A system that responds quickly is easier to justify than a high inertia one, whose interest assumes heating continuously for months on end.

Ceiling insulation, to deal with at the same time

Without insulation above the heated surface, part of the energy goes into the loft or the floor above. Fitting it while the ceiling is open costs a few cents per square metre compared with coming back to it.

What remains to decide afterwards

The facing. Stretched fabric or plasterboard, the function is identical and the choice becomes purely a matter of finish, lead time and budget once the principle is settled. Nothing obliges one answer for the whole home either: a bedroom can take fabric and a living room with mouldings a traditional facing.

The principle is presented on the why and how to install page, and the insulation on the R'BULL Pro 13 page.