Selfbuild spring 2018 Preview

EXTENSIONS RENOVATIONS NEW HOMES INTERIORS GARDENS

Selfbuild SELFBUILD.IE

SPRING 2018 £3.50 / €3.75

Dream it . Do it . Live it

ND A L E R I ALL ELLING BEST S-BUILD SELF AZINE MAG

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ISSN 2515-5369

DISPLAY UNTIL 24 APRIL

ROOFING | STAIRCASES | STORAGE | REED BEDS | SEEDS & WATER MANAGEMENT

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EDITOR'S LETTER / WELCOME

Welcome...

2018 could be a pivotal year for the self-build sector – that’s if two initiatives see lift off.

In the Republic of Ireland (ROI) we’re hoping to witness the establishment of a Building Control Authority which would presumably result in local authority inspectors overseeing the key stages of construction, on all building sites.

Self-builders would greatly benefit from getting advice, on site, from an official interpreter of the Building Regulations. However the private member’s bill, expected to be published early in 2018, may not necessarily be passed by the Oireachtas as the government continues to support a self-certification Staircase design system.

The right staircase In Northern Ireland (NI), meanwhile, we’d love to for your home see the Right to Build being brought to our shores – it’s a UK government policy that puts the onus on local authorities to ensure there are sufficient plots with planning permission to meet local demand.

Roofing guide to design Plans are afoot to roll it out in NI but due to the Yourand maintenance high number of self-builders already busy building their own homes, significant movement seems unlikely. At a grassroots level, we could still see some form of community model emerge, whereby costs Passive house are shared by self-builders. A recent example is Grá revisited Tog which is seeking crowd funding.

Switching from wood pellet

Grants

Financial help when building or renovating.

boiler to heat pump

With Selfbuild. Dream it. Do it. Live it.

Astrid Madsen - Editor astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie

Follow the Selfbuild community:

selfbuild.ie SPRING 2018 / SELFBUILD / 05

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SELFBUILD: THE ALL-IRELAND

All of our articles equally cover all parts of Ireland, including each and every one of the 32 counties. The regulations, work practices and everything else you can reasonably think of, we’ve got it covered from both sides of the border. When we refer to Northern Ireland the abbreviation we use is NI, when we refer to the Republic of Ireland it’s ROI.

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W H AT ’ S I N S I D E / C O N T E N T S

DO IT...

68 BASICS: GRANTS

Find out what incentives are available when building or renovating in Ireland.

74 ROOF DESIGN

The lowdown on roof design, types and methods

84 BASICS: SELF-BUILD PITFALLS

90 DREAM IT...

22 PROJECT: COMFORT FACTOR

A low energy build entirely project managed by homeowner Peter Williams, who shares his tips and insights.

INSIDE TRACK A premium section showcasing the latest news, thoughts and trends from the companies that can help you turn your self-build and home improvement dreams into reality.

21 INSIDER NEWS: Product and industry news in the world of building and home improving.

66 MEET THE BROADBAND INSTALLERS: Open Reach advises you to cable your home for Ultrafast Fibre Broadband now, even if you’re not currently in a high speed area.

81 MEET THE SYSTEMS ENGINEERS: Beam Vacuum & Ventilation experts share their insights on healthy homes.

94 INSIDE THE BATHLINE SHOWROOMS: Builder’s merchant Haldane Fisher unveil their exciting bathroom range in this exclusive profile.

102 INSIDE THE HONE HOUSE: Find out how the HONE house, an average semi-d, was upgraded from an E to an A2 with cutting edge technology.

96 STAIRCASE DESIGN

The ups and downs of designing and commissioning a staircase.

114 BUILD YOUR OWN WASTEWATER SYSTEM

The DIY alternatives to on site packaged wastewater treatment systems.

34 PROJECT: HOME AWAY FROM HOME

117 SELFBUILD Q&A

45 PROJECT: HIGH YIELD REFURB

LIVE IT...

A contemporary take on the vernacular in Co Westmeath, built to passive house standards.

You don’t always need to extend to give your home a facelift; for Malcom and Siobhan Humphries of Co Antrim all it took was a kitchen revamp.

56 PROJECT: PARADOX

Debbie Lee and Roger Conroy of Co Wicklow are enjoying their garden a lot more now that they reduced it in size.

70 THE FIRST IRISH SELF-BUILDS

The superstitions and community spirit behind the design and construction of traditional Irish cottages.

72 OPINION: CONSTRUCTION SITES OF THE FUTURE

Will robo brickies and drone deliveries dominate self-builds in the future?

88 ECO FOOTPRINT

Co Down architect Micah Jones shares his thoughts on what makes his home, as featured on Grand Designs, truly sustainable.

90 POETIC POTENTIAL 109 INSIDE THE CEDRAL FIBRE Shane Cotter and Kathryn Wilson’s CEMENT HOUSE: Find out how Cedral Co Wicklow practice Architectural Farm Click and Cedral Lap cladding can add style and individuality to your property.

The top 10 things to remember before embarking on your self-build adventure.

talk about injecting more fun into home building projects.

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

This issue some thoughts on glazing and LED bulbs.

82 ROOF MAINTENANCE

A yearly checklist to help you care for your roof.

104 HEAD SPACE

How to organise the space below your stairs.

106 GROWING PAINS

Experts tips on successfully sowing seeds this spring.

110 PROJECT: PASSIVE HOUSE PIONEER

Find out what changes were made to the first passive-house certified self-build, constructed over 10 years ago in Co Wicklow.

118 10 TIPS TO WATER YOUR GARDEN SUSTAINABLY

A low maintenance garden is one that’s easy to water, our guide shows you how.

124 MO SPACE MO PROBLEMS

How to declutter before embarking on an extension or renovation project.

130 SCRAPBOOK

Bioconstruction materials and a look at the first ‘biological’ house.

SPRING 2018 / SELFBUILD / 07

CONTRIBUTORS / TEAM

Contributors

EXTENSIONS RENOVATIONS NEW HOMES INTERIORS GARDENS

Selfbuild Dream it . Do it . Live it

SELFBUILD.IE

SPRING 2018 £3.50 / €3.75

ELAND ALL IR LLING BEST SE UILD SELF-BAZINE MAG

Marion McGarry

Féidhlim is the director of FH Wetland Systems based in Ennis, Co Clare, as well as the author of Septic Tank Options and Alternatives (2014) and Permaculture Guide to Reed Beds (2017), both published by Permanent Publications. tel. 065 6797355 / wetlandsystems.ie

Christophe is a building engineer and member of CABE, CIAT and the CIOB. He runs his own practice from Dublin 20. tel. 016208135 / ckarchitecture.ie

Dr Marion McGarry is an author, historian, part-time Galway Mayo Insititute of Technology lecturer and freelance illustrator. She is the author of The Irish Cottage – History, Culture and Design (2017) published by Orpen Press. @marion_mcgarry

DISPLAY UNTIL 24 APRIL

ISSN 2515-5369

Christophe Krief

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Féidhlim Harty

ROOFING | STAIRCASES | STORAGE | REED BEDS | SEEDS & WATER MANAGEMENT

Cover Photo Micah T Jones micahtjones.com Editor Astrid Madsen astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie Design Myles McCann myles.mccann@selfbuild.ie Shannon Quinn shannon.quinn@selfbuild.ie

John Morehead

Fiann Ó Nualláin

Paul O’Reilly

John is the managing director of Co Cork practice Wain Morehead Architects. He’s a certified passive house designer, WUFI user and a member of the RIAI. wma.ie / tel. 021 230 7150

Award winning garden designer, author and broadcaster, Fiann has a background in fine art, ethnobotany and complementary medicine. theholisticgardener.com / @HolisticG

Paul is an award-winning energy consultant with over 25 years’ experience. He is a director of ORS consulting engineers and of Watt Footprint. ors.ie / wattfootprint.com

Marketing Calum Lennon calum.lennon@selfbuild.ie Subscriptions Becca.Wilgar becca.wilgar@selfbuild.ie Advertising Sales David Corry david.corry@selfbuild.ie Nicola Delacour-Dunne nicola.delacour@selfbuild.ie Leanne Kernohan leanne.kernohan@selfbuild.ie Lisa Killen lisa.killen@selfbuild.ie

Sarah Reynolds

Andrew Stanway

Tanguy de Toulgoët

Sarah is a professional organiser, author and broadcaster. She runs Organised Chaos, a decluttering and organisation service for residential and corporate clients throughout Ireland, and just released her first book Organised published by Gill Books. organisedchaos.ie

Andrew is a project manager with over 30 years’ experience. He is also a writer and the author of Managing Your Build published by Stobart Davies.

Tanguy started gardening at the age of 10 and now runs well attended gardening courses at the Dunmore Country School. dunmorecountryschool.ie / ROI mobile 087 125 8002

Come meet the experts! Our next exhibition is in the TEC Belfast from 16-18 February 2018, see page 122 for more.

NI calling ROI prefix with 00353 and drop the first 0, ROI calling NI prefix with 048 Patrick Waterfield Patrick is an engineer and energy consultant based in Belfast. tel. 906 41241 / patrick.waterfield@ntlworld.com

Published by SelfBuild Ireland Ltd. 119 Cahard Rd, Saintfield, Co Down BT24 7LA. Tel: (NI 028 / ROI 048) 9751 0570 / Fax: (NI 028 / ROI 048) 9751 0576 info@selfbuild.ie / selfbuild.ie

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Maria Varela maria.varela@selfbuild.ie Accounts Karen Kelly karen.kelly@selfbuild.ie Sales Director Mark Duffin mark.duffin@selfbuild.ie Managing Director Brian Corry brian.corry@selfbuild.ie Chairman Clive Corry clive.corry@selfbuild.ie Distribution EM News Distribution Ltd The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions nor for the accuracy of information reproduced. Where opinions may be given, these are personal and based upon the best information to hand. At all times readers are advised to seek the appropriate professional advice. Copyright: all rights reserved.

H I G H L I G H T S / W H AT ' S N E W

Self-building activity on upward trend THE LEVEL OF HOUSE BUILDING for privately funded homes in NI increased in the second quarter of 2017 to reach levels not seen since 2010, according to the latest figures released by the Land & Property Services division of the NI Department of Finance.

More than 2,000 new dwelling starts were recorded between April and June 2017, a figure that includes speculative development such as housing estates.

From July 2016 to June 2017 a total of 7,051 new homes broke ground in NI. Figures in ROI are more up to date; from October 2016 to September 2017 a total of 4,646 commencement notices for one-off houses were filed. However the NI and ROI figures are not directly comparable as data specific to self-builds is not available for NI (the NI figure includes speculative development).

Also, the figures still fall short of the highs of 2004 to 2007 which saw over 14,000 new privately funded homes in NI breaking ground per year at the peak, and 19,000 in ROI.

Changes to stamp duty STAMP DUTY IN ROI was increased for those buying land to build their house, from 2 per cent before October 11 2017, to 6 per cent. Stamp duty is the tax paid on property transactions (for land and/or a house).

A refund scheme is in place but at the time of going to print the details had yet to be made clear.

In NI, meanwhile, up until the end of March first-time buyers purchasing property costing up to £500,000 will no longer have to pay stamp duty on the first £300,000. First time buyers in NI already do not pay stamp duty on homes costing up to £125,000 so the move only benefits those buying a house for the first time priced between £125,001 and £500,000. First-time buyer properties costing above £500,000 will continue to pay the 5 per cent stamp duty rate.

Construction sites in 20 years’ time on pg 72

Homes to be fitted with e-car charging points THE CONNECTED HOME IS ONE STEP CLOSER to becoming a reality, thanks to a push by the UK government to introduce e-charging points on all newly built homes and a grant of €600 now available to ROI homeowners who wish to do so now.

The new ROI grant for installing an e-charging point in the home can go towards paying 100 per cent of the total investment, including the charger and installation costs, however media reports indicated the charging points were worth €900 two years ago.

The grant is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and is open to people who bought both new and second-hand electric vehicles as of the 1st of January 2018. There are over 3,500 electric vehicles currently in ROI. The UK budget stated that it would “make sure all new

homes are built with the right cables for electric car charge points.” In NI grants of up to £5,000 are already available to buy a new electric car. Electric vehicles are also exempt from motor tax and the vehicle registration tax is £55 for all new car registrations.

The move comes as the ROI budget in October only announced e-car supports

for company-owned vehicles.

Currently in ROI homeowners can however avail of a grant worth up to €5,000 to buy an electric car.

VRT is paid whenever a car is registered for the first time in ROI; relief for electric vehicles is in place until the end of 2021. Motor Tax for an electric vehicle is €120 per year.

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N E W S / W H AT ' S N E W

First self-build to get environmental certification A project designed in Co Cork is the first self-build or one-off house in Ireland to be certified by the Home Performance Index (HPI), achieving a Gold label for environmental performance.

THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME is run by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) and it rates buildings for not only energy efficiency and low running costs but for access to amenities, indoor air quality, the ecological impact of the development, options for transportation, and the impact of the construction materials used.

There have been other attempts to put together similar certification schemes in Ireland, often referred to as Building Environmental Assessment Methods, but this is the first house to be fully certified by such an Irish-grown programme.

The HPI allows several levels of achievement based on good, better and best practice. The award of the certificate is based on the overall attainment across all categories. There are three levels of certification: certified, silver and gold.

The Co Cork house which was awarded HPI gold certification also has an A1 Building Energy Rating and is Passive House certified. It was designed to have exemplary levels of water efficiency and should use up to 85 per cent less than a typical home based on standardised usage.

The IGBC is also in the process of developing a lifecycle assessment certification system to provide transparent information on how environmentally damaging the construction products you choose for your project actually are. The methodology produces an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) outlining the manufacturing process, lifetime behaviour and end-of-life impacts. Lifecycle assessments form part of most Building Environmental Assessment Methods.

‘The Co Cork house which was awarded HPI gold certification also has an A1 Building Energy Rating and is Passive House certified.’

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N E W S / W H AT ' S N E W

Building regulations ROI The ROI building regulations are currently under review to make nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) mandatory for all new builds by 2020.

THE CHANGES, SELFBUILD UNDERSTANDS, are expected to make whole house mechanical ventilation a requirement for selfbuilds.

The details of the new energy efficiency (Part L) and ventilation (Part F) Technical Guidance Documents are expected to be published in draft form in the first quarter of 2018 as part of the public consultation process.

The public consultation period is expected to last two months and the department hopes to finalise the legislation within six months.

The current version of Part L, in place since 2011, on average achieves a Building Energy Rating (BER) of A3. Between 2015 and 2017, 94 per cent of all new builds achieved an A on the building energy scale.

This next round of Part L is expected to aim for a BER of A2.

The most significant changes to Part L will therefore have to do with increasing the airtightness requirements for new builds.

Selfbuild understands they will be tightened up from the current 7m3/hr.sqm at 50 Pa to a more commonly achieved figure, on site, of 3 to 4m3/hr.sqm. Another important aspect is setting a requirement to calculate thermal bridging; default values are acceptable in current regulations.

The renewables component may be tightened up too. At the moment a Part L compliant house can include fossil fuel sources but must have at least one renewable source of energy, e.g. solar thermal panels. The new regulations may for instance require more contribution from renewables. Examples of renewable technology include heat pumps, biomass and microgeneration (on-site electricity production).

The ROI feed-in-tariff regime however does not apply to selfbuilds which means you can’t get

TENDERING

New ROI contract forms The standard form of construction contract in ROI, the RIAI’s Building Contract Yellow and Blue Forms, have been updated to reflect changes in law and practice since the publication of the 2012 edition. Changes relate to technological advances, including BIM and safe use of data, and regulatory control requirements among others.

The contracts are sold in pairs for €59.04, bking@riai.ie

The public consultation period is expected to last two months and the department hopes to finalise the legislation within six months.

paid for the electricity you might want to feed into the grid. In NI the incentive that was in place (renewable obligation certificates) was phased out last year but feed-in-tariffs still exist (you can still get paid for the electricity you export).

Ventilation

The knock-on effects of increasing the airtightness requirement will be tackled in the public consultation for Part F to deal with indoor air quality and ventilation. Poor indoor air quality can lead to health problems,

especially respiratory conditions.

Part F currently makes provisions for natural ventilation, which in practice consists of introducing a set number of holes-in-the-wall or vents in windows.

This method has been criticised by design professionals because it tends to lead to draughts (and to subsequent blocking up of vents by occupants) and does not always ventilate to the level required at all times, especially in bedrooms which need more ventilation at night.

Renovations

As previously covered by Selfbuild, the new building regulations will also require that renovation projects comply to nearly zero energy requirements.

There will be two ways for renovators who upgrade 25 per cent or more of their building fabric to prove compliance with the new Part L. The method will be in line with how commercial buildings can prove compliance, by either opting for a menu of options or achieving a set standard such as achieving a value on the Building Energy Rating scale.

The level of energy efficiency required for buildings undergoing significant renovation will depend on a cost benefit analysis that has yet to be published.

The department’s latest costbenefit analysis dates back to 2013 and at the time it indicated that achieving a B3 was cost effective but it is possible that the new study will recommend a better performing figure as low energy products have now become mainstream.

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W H AT ' S N E W / N E W S

Grants for turf cutters and private wells As previously covered by Selfbuild, the government is looking at amending the Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme with a view to reducing the need for it.

IN THIS CONTEXT, a new energy efficiency grant is being introduced on a pilot basis offering 50 per cent financial support to families who want to invest in energy efficiency improvements that would bring their home up to a Building Energy Rating of A3.

In practical terms, this will mean investing in measures such as external wall insulation, windows, doors and renewable

energy heating systems, such as heat pumps.

This new pilot scheme announced by Minister Naughten involves his Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht as well as Bord na Móna.

Six bogs have been identified where all families with rights to this bog will receive an offer

of a tailored package of energy efficiency improvements with significant state supports.

The Department of Energy added that Irish Rural Link is liaising with families in the areas in question and public workshops on the scheme started in January 2018.

Grants for private wells are also on the way, the Department said, with details to be published in the first quarter of 2018.

Shops to be converted into homes without planning permission ROI MINISTER FOR HOUSING EOGHAN MURPHY announced plans to exempt commercial premises from seeking planning permission to convert shops, and ‘over the shop’ spaces, from commercial to residential use, although further deliberations are necessary before the draft regulations are approved.

Currently you must secure planning permission to convert premises from commercial to residential.

Similar moves are afoot in NI with the UK budget announcing that there will be no need to secure planning permission (under a permitted development right) to demolish commercial buildings and replace them with homes.

Policy changes will also be introduced in NI to support the conversion of empty space above high street shops and to make it easier to convert retail and employment land into housing.

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In brief Water companies in the UK have admitted they are still using divining rods to detect leaks despite the lack of scientific evidence for its effectiveness, reports The Guardian. Only one, Wessex Water, said it did not use the technique, and one, Northern Ireland Water had not replied.

The other nine confirmed the practice was still used in some form in their areas.

According to Eurostat almost a quarter of ROI households’ spending (23.3 per cent) goes towards housing and energy, up from 19.5 per cent in 2006. ROI also has the fourth highest electricity prices in the EU. ROI house price rises will cool this year, especially in Dublin, as banks hit the limit on money they can lend outside of the current mortgage lending rules, stockbroking firm Davy told the Irish Times. Lending rules allow only 20 per cent of new mortgage loans to exceed the current loan-to-income regulatory threshold, which limits people to borrowing 3.5 times their income. Central Bank data shows that 18 per cent of new mortgage loans exceeded this threshold in the first half of 2017, up from 13 per cent in 2016.

16 per cent of all deaths worldwide are due to pollution, according to Richard Fuller, co-chair of the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health speaking at the Clean Air Forum in Paris this past November.

N E W S / W H AT ' S N E W

Heat pump renovation grants available from April HOMEOWNERS IN ROI WILL, as of April 2018, qualify for a €3,500 grant to install a heat pump but will no longer be eligible for a grant to replace their fossil fuel boiler.

Grants for heating control upgrades and external wall insulation are also being increased with changes taking effect in January 2018. The measures introduced by ROI Minister Naughten aim to ensure energy efficiency subsidies move away from fossil fuels.The grants are part of the Better Energy Homes scheme and only apply to homes built pre-2006.

2017 grants

New grants €3,500

Heat pump (air to water, ground – source, water source, exhaust air) Heat pump (air to air) – Heating controls €600 Boiler upgrade with heating controls €700 External wall insulation Detached €4,500 Semi-detached or end of terrace €3,400 Mid terrace or apartment €2,250

€600 €700 – €6,000 €4,500 €2,750

Septic tanks fail inspections More septic tanks failed government inspections in 2016 than in 2015, according to the ROI Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) review of the National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems.

THE REPORT SHOWS that 49 per cent of septic tanks failed inspection in 2016, up from 45 per cent in 2015.

Most of the failures were due to a lack of proper operation and maintenance with a quarter of septic tanks failing due to owners not removing sludge build-up from their tanks.

Homeowners are responsible for ensuring all parts of their onsite wastewater treatment system are performing as they should.

Also concerning was the fact that half the sites with a septic tank and a private drinking water well onsite failed inspection, even though inadequately maintained septic tanks are likely to pollute waterways and private drinking

water wells.

Commenting on the results Mr. Darragh Page, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said: “Homeowners may be putting themselves, their families and their neighbours at risk of ill health if they do not maintain their septic tank system adequately.

There are simple steps that homeowners can take to ensure their system is managed properly and will pass an inspection. These include: having the sludge emptied from the tank on a regular basis, using a permitted

contractor and retaining the receipt and, if the homeowner has a package treatment system, having it regularly serviced and keeping a record of servicing.”

In brief One-stop-shop home renovations: the EU Commission has endorsed the Super Homes Ireland model of home renovations, whereby a not-for-profit energy agency (in this case the Tipperary Energy Agency) coordinates the work and grant payments for the householder to carry out deep retrofit renovations.

Satisfaction guaranteed?

Among UK residents who bought a home in the past five years, twice as many (36 per cent) said they were ‘very satisfied’ with the quality of their new build home if purchased from a small or medium house builder, compared with those whose home was built by one of the top 20 large builders (17 per cent satisfaction rating). The survey was conducted by the Federation of Master Builders among 2,000 homeowners. Of these, 292 had bought a new home in the past five years.

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O N L I N E / W H AT ' S N E W

Top searches It’s now well known the most googled how-to in ROI is for making slime; perhaps less surprising were the results of the 2017 list for home improvements. Painting how-tos topped the charts (walls, kitchen cabinets, ceilings) and for maintenance, how to clean a mattress. Self-builders, meanwhile, were mostly concerned with house building costs (seven out of the top 10 queries), while others were concerned with how many blocks it took to build a house. google.com/trends

Book of cottage extension plans

LOVE YOUR HOME DUBLIN

Inspiration for home lovers

FOR THE FIRST TIME THE LOVE YOUR HOME SHOW is coming to Dublin, on 12-13 May 2018 at the Citywest Convention Centre.

Created for home lovers, the show has been running in Belfast for the past eight years.

Get advice in the HomeStyle Talks, discover unique products in the Artists & Makers Village,

enjoy the hugely popular local food Artisans with live cooking demos from celebrity chef Adrian and come discuss your house plans with exhibitors.

Now’s the time to pre-book your tickets for the must-attend home event of the year! show.loveyourhome.ie

IF YOU OWN A COTTAGE and are looking for inspiration for your extension project, this PDF of plans is sure to get your creative juices flowing.

Interiors of Murder She Wrote

1.

Book of Irish Cottage Extension Plans, €14.99 excl. VAT with 10 per cent discount and a bonus 11th plan included with the promo code: COTTAGE18, downloadable on markstephensarchitects.com

2017 top homes

EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T LOVE the 1980s hit series featuring JB Fletcher, this Instagram page is sure to make you go running for glass blocks and marble tops (not to mention your shoulder pads). instagram.com/ interiorsofmurdershewrote

HERE ARE OUR READERS’ Top 5 picks of 2017, courtesy of our Facebook impressions: 1. DIY self-build in Co Carlow 2. Direct labour self-build in Co L’derry 3. Well insulated self-build in Co Cork 4. Veranda living in Co Leitrim 5. Small modern 2. family home in Co Down facebook.com/ selfbuild

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I N S I D E R N E W S / W H AT ' S N E W

Why Grant?

Ask Which?

ON THIS YEAR’S WHICH? Best Buy list is leading Irish heating technology manufacturer Grant Engineering, the one and only oil boiler brand to be commended in 2017. In fact, Grant bagged the accolade for its entire range of Grant Vortex Condensing oilfired boilers – that’s an impressive 63 Which?

Best Buys.

This latest recognition, combined with the Energy and Utilities Alliance statistics showing Grant oil boilers were the number one selling models in 2016 in the UK, further reinforces the brand’s position as a market leader.

For further information visit grant.eu

VIP invitation THE KITCHEN IS AT THE HEART OF THE HOME, and in many ways it’s the key to crafting the dream house. To help you get it right Mobalpa at Ashgrove is hosting Open Days on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th of March 2018, 10am to 6pm both days.

A professional chef will be there to showcase the revolutionary BORA hob extraction system while kitchen designers will be on hand to demonstrate everything from innovative storage solutions, including the Blum Space Tower, to appliances.

You’ll also get to experience the unique customisable and modular kitchen designs made by Mobalpa, a company that’s world renowned for combining style with function.

Proof of Mobalpa’s dedication to innovation are their new units which come with 20 per cent more storage space – a feat the company says has yet to be rivalled by its competitors.

Mobalpa at Ashgrove, 46 Doury Rd, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT43 6JB, tel. 2565 1144 (calling from ROI prefix with 048), mobalpa@ashgroveltd.com

Grant Engineering, Crinkle, Birr, Co Offaly, R42 D788, tel. 057 9120 089 Grant NI, Unit 117, 21 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1JJ, freephone 0800 2794 796

phA-bulous MANUFACTURER PRO CLIMA is no stranger to proving how good its products are, with BBA, NSAI and DIBt approvals under its belt.

The latest in the string of accolades is having gained Passive House certification for its INTELLO intelligent airtightness system, achieving best-in-class phA certification. In fact, the membrane recorded the best results on the Passivhaus Institute airtightness products database with an air permeability of 0.01 m3/(sqm.hr) and standard deviation of 0.002 m3/(sqm.hr).

And, in contrast to membranes which feature a directiondependent diffusion resistance INTELLO cannot be accidentally installed the wrong way around. It employs Hydrosafe technology maximising protection against condensation and mould. The selfadhesive tapes, Tescon Vana and Contega Solido SL, are tested to a 100-year service life.

The full results are available on database.passivehouse.com; for more information about the INTELLO system contact Ecological Building Systems ecologicalbuildingsystems.com

Leading the way in clay ALREADY WELL ESTABLISHED AS LEADERS in the natural roofing market, Lagan Building Solutions (LBS) are improving their offering of clay roofing products with the addition of a new smooth large format clay slate ‘The Shetland’.

They are also making significant improvements to their already well established Snowdon Slate, with a deeper interlock, more defined edges and an enhanced riven finish that the company says now makes it the most realistic ‘slate-effect’ product on the market.

Both the Snowdon and Shetland clay slates will be available in Black, Slate Grey and Heather Blue, and in a double size format known as the XL. Lagan Building Solutions, Co Antrim and Co Dublin, LBSproducts.com SPRING 2018 / SELFBUILD / 21

PROJECT / CO DOWN

NEW BUILD

Comfort factor Peter Williams’ spacious home only costs £40 a month to run, but that’s excluding the telecoms bill…

Words: Astrid Madsen Photography: Paul Lindsay

B

uilt in 2012, Peter’s house has only been costing him £500 in energy a year. It’s not just because of how well insulated it is – although that’s the core reason – the house in fact boasts a panoply of devices that each contribute to the savings.

The heat recovery ventilation system, the hot water solar panels, the electricity solar panels (PV), LED lighting as well as a wood pellet stove, cohort to make this possible.

“We got an energy consultant to do the

22 / SELFBUILD / SPRING 2018

calculations for us, to know how to specify the thermal envelope. We have it built so that there is a heating requirement of just 5kW with -4degC outside,” explains Peter. “We made sure to get the external structure built by a timber frame company, offsite, to guarantee build quality.”

The main additional cost, as compared to a home built to today’s energy standards, was investing in the PV panels which set him and wife Anne back £6,000.

The breakdown of the energy inputs are wood pellets for the stove, which cost £300 a year, and electricity at a net cost of £200 a year for general use, for the electric 

DREAM IT

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