Sea Girt, New Jersey

Set in the idyllic community of Sea Girt, New Jersey, our customers chose an exquisite lakeside spot to build their dream home.

Sea Girt boasts one of the safest and cleanest stretches of coastline along the Jersey Shore. During the summer months, visitors flock to the white sandy beaches, taking in the oceanfront views from beautifully landscaped boardwalks.

Off season, Sea Girt is a quiet rural community. The town’s motto, ‘Where the cedars meet the sea’, celebrates the maritime forest that once bordered this part of the shore. This property adjoins Edgemere Park, an area of woodland that is still protected as a nature reserve.

Lakeside views, custom heating

When our customers bought the 17,000 sq. ft. (1,580m²) vacant plot in 2020, they chose to work with Melillo Architecture, located in Brielle, New Jersey. With many beachfront builds in their portfolio, the firm are well practised in designing properties that make the most of surrounding vistas. With decks, balconies and picture windows, this house revels in its lakeside location.

Designing the heating system for the five-bedroom newbuild was a collaborative effort between Melillo Architecture, All Star Plumbing and Heating, and the Castrads team. Working from the architect’s drawings, we carried out heat loss calculations and advised on sizing the radiators.

Although working on a newbuild is fairly rare for us, we habitually work with architects on gut renovations, supplying BIM models for use with architectural software such as Revit.

Zoned to perfection

Matt Flemming, from All Star, planned and installed the new plumbing system. Speaking to Castrads he said: “When starting a new construction build, it’s always a little tricky to design a plumbing system that not only functions well but is also aesthetically pleasing. You want it to work perfectly while blending in with the design of the house. We try to spend a good amount of time on layout to ensure the final product and boiler room reflects the effort we put into the system.”

The house has a new hydronic heating system running on two separate boilers and all zoned by floor. Matt explained: “We organise zoning based on what will work best for the family. There are also a lot of other factors that go into zoning like exterior walls, windows, furniture layout, ceiling heights and many other forms of heat loss that could cause uneven heating if not zoned properly. All these factors must be considered when laying out your zones.”

The customer opted for Rococo radiators across the ground floor with Grace column radiators upstairs. This echoes the traditional set up we see in period properties where ornate radiators feature in entrance halls, parlour floors and reception rooms, while the upper storeys tend to have less decorative styles. 

The use of both ranges offers incredible versatility. Wherever possible, deeper radiators have been placed below windows. Where needed, some taller, narrower styles have been used to maximise floor space without reducing output.

Made to order, built to last

After ordering an array of cast iron colour samples, our customers chose Grey Bronze from our Signature Collection, with Windsor TRV valves in Black Nickel. Using self-regulating thermostatic valves in combination with the zoned heating system offers maximum control and efficiency.

Matt used our technical resources and heat loss calculator to plan and build his custom heating system. As members of MARC, the Manufacturers’ Association of Radiators and Convectors, we are committed to working with installers to create systems that prioritise built-in longevity, for controlled, comfortable and sustainable heating long into the future.

Our products really shine when part of a well designed and efficient system, installed by an expert like Matt. He said: “This was our first time working with Castrads and we were very impressed with the product. The design and finish of the product was really beautiful and complimented the style of the house. Traditional cast iron radiators are still a terrific heat emitter and the look is timeless.”