EXTENSIONS RENOVATIONS NEW HOMES INTERIORS GARDENS
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ALL IRELAND BEST SELLING MAGAZINE FOR SELF-BUILDERS AND HOME IMPROVERS
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EDITOR'S LETTER / WELCOME
Welcome... Great news! Selfbuild Live, Ireland’s go-to event for selfbuilders and home improvers, now features free one-day Bootcamps – take part in Dublin from the 14th to 16th September (pg 78) and for an overview of the situation in NI, the Belfast Bootcamp recap is on
page 69. Quality is at the top of the priority list, and the vital first step is to come up with a design solution that’s specific to context and has architectural merit (pg 100). But how about the bricks and mortar? Sadly, in ROI local authorities still do not oversee key construction stages. Cost and staffing issues seem to be the excuse for the lack of building control and yet the government budget for this year alone, to remediate just some of the pyrite cases is €30 million (pg 19). Prevention should be better than cure. On the flip side what’s very encouraging to see is how seriously the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland takes the hidden dangers of renovations with its system of quality control for contractors (pg 15). Rated on a green to red scale, tradesmen can readily be struck off for poor building practices. Ideally though, homeowners should know what ‘shade’ of contractor they hire – too many are currently on ‘orange’ alert.
Solar panels Your PV and thermal options
Bootcamp
Full overview of self-building in NI
Irish design heroes
Modernist interiors
Archi talk
Designs with architectural merit and speed dating
With Selfbuild. Dream it. Do it. Live it. Astrid Madsen - Editor astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie
Follow the Selfbuild community:
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Selfbuild Dream it . Do it . Live it
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48 36 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.
06 / SELFBUILD / SUMMER 2018
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W H AT ’ S I N S I D E / C O N T E N T S
ADVICE
120
78
SELFBUILD LIVE DUBLIN
80
DITCH THE CHIMNEY
92
ENABLING THE RENEWABLE SELF-CONSUMER
Basic information about building or improving your home in any of the 32 counties
94
CHILD FRIENDLY GARDENING
69
98
HOW SELF-BUILDERS CAN MAKE VILLAGES THRIVE
76 24 DIY SELF-BUILD ON A BUDGET
36 THE FINAL BUILD Decades of experience have culminated in Eric and Gladys Black’s home for life in Co Tyrone.
SELFBUILD BOOTCAMP
Your complete guide to building in NI from the experts we gathered at Selfbuild Live Belfast.
Learn from the Irish self-builders who have been through the process of building and home improving
Paul and Rebecca O’Connor of Co Sligo chronicle the self-build evolution of their family home.
88
EXTENSIONS ROADMAP
Clíodhna and Enda Rooney of Co Monaghan on injecting the wow factor within a tight footprint.
60 TINKERING AT THE EDGES
Adding a porch and living room extension made all the difference for Julie and Andrew Rogers of Co Down.
82 MAKING YOUR HOME SUPER One-stop-shop energy renovations.
104 LIKE CLOCKWORK The story of Mark Feely’s fast-track stick build in Co Offaly.
120 THE SKY, AND THE SEA, ARE THE LIMIT Lyons and Nicci O’Keeffe on renting out their self-build in Co Cork.
Moving your children away from screen time and into wildlife.
How the community land trust model could help self-builders build within rural towns.
Your 10 step guide to planning an extension.
100 DO YOU REALLY NEED AN ARCHITECT?
THE LOW DOWN ON SOLAR PANELS
124 ASK THE EXPERT
Everything you need to know about solar thermal, PV and battery storage.
102 SPEED DATING
The vital importance of investing in good architectural design.
Your self-build questions answered.
128 PLANNING REFUSED
Architect Mélina Sharp explains how her parents’ dream of building on the family farm was shattered.
How to choose your designer.
48 SEMI-D MAKEOVER
For a truly low cost self-build, don’t install a chimney or a wet heating system.
Why now is not the time to pay selfbuilders for the electricity they generate in the home.
BASICS PROJECTS
We will be at Citywest Dublin from the 1416 September 2018. Gain some facts and figures for your project or just pick up ideas to make your home brighter and better.
106 THE ART OF GETTING FROM A TO B
Spatial relationships in the home.
INSIDE TRACK
108 IRISH DESIGN HEROES
A showcase of Irish products and services from our sponsors
116 OUTDOOR CARE
23
Modernist masters to inspire your interiors.
Patio and deck maintenance.
Product and industry news in the world of building and home improving.
118 GREEN ROOFS
Intensive versus extensive and much more in between.
126 APPEALING YOUR CASE
Your guide to fighting your case in front of An Bord Pleanála (ROI) or the Planning Appeals Commission (NI).
INSIDER NEWS
93
INSIDE THE LUMI LIFT AND SLIDE
Discover the latest addition to Lumi’s range of sliding doors – the double glazed lift and slide.
114 INSIDE THE CONCRETE HOME
The Quarry Products Association Northern Ireland on why concrete built is better built. SUMMER 2018 / SELFBUILD / 07
CONTRIBUTORS / TEAM
Contributors
EXTENSIONS RENOVATIONS NEW HOMES INTERIORS GARDENS
Selfbuild SELFBUILD.IE
SPRING 2018 £3.50 / €3.75
Brendan Buck
Caroline Irvine
Marion McGarry
Stuart is a freelance writer for design-led publications; he also holds the full-time position of Senior Development Manager at Taylor Wimpey Central London. stuart_blakley@hotmail.com
Brendan Buck, BA (TCD), MRUP (UCD), Dip. (UD), Dip. (EIA/SEA), MIPI is a Town Planner and head of BPS Planning Consultants based out of Dublin. buckplanning.ie / mobile 0872615871
Caroline in an architect and award winning interior designer who set up her practice Irvine Nash in 2003. She’s based in Co Dublin. irvine-nash.com / mobile 087 2987401
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 published by Orpen Press. @marion_mcgarry
ISSN 2515-5369
Stuart Blakley
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Cover Photo Mark Watts ©UniqueHomeStays Editor Astrid Madsen astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie Design Myles McCann myles.mccann@selfbuild.ie Shannon Quinn shannon.quinn@selfbuild.ie
Denis Naughten Denis Naughten TD is a scientist by profession and currently holds the role of ROI Minister of Communications, Climate Action & Environment. dccae.gov.ie
Fiann Ó Nualláin
Emer O’Siochru
Award winning garden designer, Emer is a Dublin based architect and author and broadcaster, Fiann has a surveyor who specialises in designing background in fine art, ethnobotany and and implementing sustainable systems complementary medicine. and settlements. theholisticgardener.com / eosfuturedesign.com / tel. 01 497 2564 @HolisticG
Mélina Sharp Mélina is an architect working in Clare who has recently completed a post graduate certificate in digital analysis and energy retrofit in DIT in preparation for the new NZEB regulations. melinasharp01@gmail.com
Marketing Calum Lennon calum.lennon@selfbuild.ie Subscriptions Becca.Wilgar becca.wilgar@selfbuild.ie Business Development Manager Niamh Boyle niamh.boyle@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 Maria Varela maria.varela@selfbuild.ie
Gerry Sheridan
Andrew Stanway
Tony Traill
Patrick Waterfield
Gerry distributes Icynene spray foam insulation through his company GMS Insulations Ltd which he founded in 2005. Gerry is also a director of Future TEK Homes Ltd. icynene.ie / ROI tel. 1800 98 98 90
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.
Tony has over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry and has a vast array of experience ranging from award-winning low carbon building design to industrial energy efficiency. elementconsultants.co.uk
Patrick is an engineer and energy consultant based in Belfast. tel. 906 41241 / patrick.waterfield@ntlworld.com
Accounts Karen Kelly karen.kelly@selfbuild.ie Sales Director Mark Duffin mark.duffin@selfbuild.ie Managing Director Brian Corry brian.corry@selfbuild.ie
Come meet more experts at our events in Belfast, Dublin and Cork - turn to page 78 for details NI calling ROI prefix with 00353 and drop the first 0, ROI calling NI prefix with 048
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 08 / SELFBUILD / SUMMER 2018
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
2017 stats are in 2017 WAS AN ACTIVE YEAR FOR SELFBUILDERS in ROI with approved planning permissions up 23.5 per cent on 2016 for oneoff houses, from 4,230 to 5,225 units. New dwellings starts also recorded an increase in 2017, with 4,824 commencement notices filed for new single dwellings, representing a 20 per cent increase on 2016. In NI the level of planning approvals for new single dwellings was steady at the 2,000 mark in 2017. In terms of commencements, the number of new house starts includes speculative development so it doesn’t represent one-off houses only. But as an indication of activity, the increase from calendar years 2016 and 2017 was around four per cent. Overall the NI construction sector continued to recover in 2017 with third quarter statistics showing the volume of work was the highest level reported in the past five years with the total volume of housing output was at its highest point since 2011, up nearly 15 per cent year on year. Most of the increase in the third quarter was due to an 8 per cent increase in repair and maintenance.
Safe as houses? AS ROI CONTINUES TO GRAPPLE WITH HOUSING DEFECTS, from pyrite to mica all the way through to fire safety, it seems we’re still not any closer to making it mandatory for local authority building control inspectors to oversee key stages of construction with site visits, as is currently the case in NI. However the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government did publish a report on Building Standards, Building Controls & Consumer Protection entitled Safe as Houses? Whilst it has no statutory footing, (the report is not binding, and is for all intents and purposes a recommendation to the Department), it outlines measures to introduce a Building Control Authority and making latent defects insurance mandatory for all builders. Meanwhile the Green Party’s Private Member’s Bill that could see the introduction of more consumer protection for homeowners has been delayed. Unfortunately the introduction of mandatory inspections on building sites by local authorities does not seem to be within the scope of the Green Party proposal, its focus instead is on improving remedies. The Bill, once presented, would then have to be passed by the Oireachtas to be turned into law.
Feed-in tariffs put on the long finger THE ROI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT’S PILOT GRANT SCHEME for generating electricity in the home will not consider allowing homeowners to sell the excess back to the grid, Minister for the Environment Denis Naughten told Selfbuild in March. The options, he said, will not include feed-in tariffs but will be looking at providing a grant for homeowners to install the microgeneration unit, e.g. photovoltaic panels, and battery storage as well as possible tie-ins with electric vehicle charge points, for which a €600 grant is currently available. No decision has been made as to the exact makeup of the scheme but it is still scheduled to be rolled out this summer. A major reason for the lack of an export tariff is that at present, grid connection for small or micro generators is too complex to do (read more about this on page 92). The good news is that the electricity network operator is engaged in a project called StoreNet which should help the ESB cope with microgenerators feeding electricity into the grid with the help of battery storage. The Flexigrid project is modelling the physical rollout of StoreNet and how to scale up the results. Partners include Tesla and Solo Energy. In NI, meanwhile, export tariffs are still available based on import/ export meter readings. The NIRO scheme, which was a feed-in tariff for microgenerators (additional payment for the exports) is closed Infograpic from ESB Networks to new applicants.
SUMMER 2018 / SELFBUILD / 09
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ROI grants to refurbish homes In brief in rural towns to be rolled out The pilot grant scheme to encourage people to move to a rural town will be launched this summer, the Department of Rural Affairs told Selfbuild. THE TOWN AND VILLAGE RENEWAL SCHEME scheme was granted €15 million under Budget 2018 and it is expected to be launched “in the first half of the year”. The scheme was originally due to be rolled out in the third quarter of 2017. However the pilot scheme to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages is still at the early stage of development as Minister for Rural Affairs Michael Ring has just now established a Steering Group to “accelerate and oversee the design and delivery of the pilot scheme”, with the first meeting of the Steering Group to “take place shortly”, the Department told Selfbuild. The Steering Group is chaired by the Department of Rural And Community Development and involves a number of other key departments and agencies
including the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. In January 2017, the Minister for Rural Affairs at the time, Minister Humphreys had indicated
the subsidy to refurbish disused buildings in rural towns could amount to €20,000, a figure the Department of Rural Affairs has since not been able to confirm.
ROI switches to flat water connection fees IRISH WATER PLANS TO CHARGE ROI SELF-BUILDERS a flat fee of €5,636 to connect to water and wastewater services, as compared to the current average new connection fee of approximately €10,000 on one-off houses. Irish Water is proposing a standard connection charge of €1,935 for water and €3,701 for a wastewater connection. The changes are expected to take effect in the second quarter of 2018. The combined charge will result in lower total connection costs in 53 of the 57 current charging regimes, with an increase applying in four regimes, Irish Water told Selfbuild. One of the biggest changes under the proposed policy is that Irish Water will complete all of the connection works to the boundary of the property, providing a standard national connection service. This is not the case today where customers are often required to complete, and separately pay for, elements of these works themselves. There are currently 57 different charging regimes with over 900 different connection charges across the 31 local authorities. All charging regimes have different methods for calculating connection charges, including different structures and customer classifications. In addition, there are different levels of connection works performed across the charging regimes (i.e. differences in the physical and material works included and how these charges are applied).
If you’re thinking about an energy upgrade, know that Codema’s Energy Saving Kits are now available in Co Roscommon, Co Leitrim, Cork City and Gorey libraries. Originally rolled out in Dublin City libraries, the kit contains six practical tools to help you save energy at home, available to borrow free of charge. codema.ie A group of farmers have come together to form the Irish Hemp Growers and Processors Association, with plans also underway to establish a fully recognised hemp co-operative, reports fora.ie. At the moment most hemp products are imported, so this move could help boost the hempcrete, and other eco building materials industry in Ireland. Tesla says its solar roof slate production has started, reports Reuters, which represents a big step towards bringing building integrated photovoltaics into the mainstream. Manufacturing of the premium solar roof tiles is in collaboration with its battery partner Panasonic; the company has also started surveying the homes of customers who made a deposit of $1,000 to reserve the product last year. More than a dozen Tesla employees, including Elon Musk, had the solar roofs installed on their homes last year as part of an initial pilot program.
SUMMER 2018 / SELFBUILD / 11
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New home loan open to self-builders First time self-builders in ROI are eligible to apply for a low interest Governmentbacked mortgage from their local authority THE REBUILDING IRELAND HOME LOAN is only open to those on an annual gross income of €50,000 or less as a single applicant, or €75,000 for joint applicants. There’s also a cap on the value of the home you can buy or build. In the Greater Dublin Area, Cork and Galway, the maximum market value is €320,000. In the rest of the country, it is €250,000. The scheme is replacing both the Home Purchase Loan and Home Choice Loan initiatives whose loan to value ratios were higher, at 92 to 97 per cent as compared to 90 per cent for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The 10 per cent deposit must consist of at least 3 per cent savings (only 7 per cent can be gifted).
The Rebuilding Ireland loan can be used both for new and secondhand properties, or to build your own home. You must however prove that you have had two insufficient offers or refusals for a mortgage from two lending institutions. For self-builds the loan allows for stage payments. As with all house purchases under the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, the 10 per cent deposit must be equivalent to 10 per cent of the market value of the property and the value of the site cannot be used towards this
deposit. The loan is eligible for selfbuild projects up to a maximum of 175 sqm gross internal floor area. Under the loan, applicants can choose a fixed rate of 2 to 2.25 per cent interest for 25 to 30 years, for absolute certainty of the amount of repayments over the lifetime of the loan. What this means essentially is that a person or couple can purchase a home, while ensuring that they can still keep their monthly repayments to one third of their net disposable income – with no risk of their mortgage rate rising and so no threat to their ability to afford repayments. So, for example, a person earning €40,000 a year and living in Mayo could afford to buy a house worth €224,920, provided they had the deposit of €22,400. They could then borrow €198,000 from their local authority and their monthly
repayments would be in the region of €858 a month, or 33 per cent of their Net Disposable Income. Up to the end of October of last year, Minister Murphy stated that that two-thirds (or over 5,300 homes) of the overall number of houses purchased by first-time buyers in the Greater Dublin Area, Cork and Galway were purchased for less than €320,000. Across the rest of the country, over 90 per cent (or 3,380 homes) of the overall number of houses purchased by first-time buyers were purchased for less than €250,000. Other eligibility criteria apply, for instance, you must meet prudential lending analysis, i.e. must demonstrate that you are able to afford the loan repayments. A Home Loan Calculator is available on rebuildingirelandhomeloan.ie so you can get an idea of how much you could borrow and what the repayment rates might be.
Heat pump grant details published AVAILABLE FROM THE 16TH OF APRIL to homeowners who live in a home built and occupied before 2011, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) heat pump grant is only eligible to those who have a well insulated, or ‘heat pump ready’ home. You must also complete the works and submit the paperwork within six months from the date of the grant offer. The grant is part of the Better Energy Homes scheme and the same application process applies, with full details on seai.ie. The SEAI points out that uninsulated homes built more than 30 years ago may require substantial and costly upgrades to qualify for a heat pump system grant. Before applying you will need to appoint an SEAI-registered Technical Advisor. The list of Technical Advisors is available on seai.ie and a €200 grant is available to go towards this cost. SUMMER 2018 / SELFBUILD / 13
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Orange warning for 50 per cent of grant aided contractors In 2017 the ROI Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) introduced a colour scale to rate the contractors taking part in Better Energy Homes, the grant scheme that subsidises energy upgrades for all homes built before 2006. SELFBUILD FILED A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION request to get a breakdown of how contractors performed in 2017, with the results showing half of the registered contractors were in the high-risk orange zone, and just a third in the low-risk green zone. A total of 213 contractors were deregistered in 2017. In total 1,542 contractors were registered in 2017, 637 of which (41 percent) did not perform works during the period and were therefore not assessed on the colour scale. The SEAI told Selfbuild that of the 47,000 calls their Better Energy Homes call centre received in the past year, less than 100 were complaints of which roughly two thirds related to homeowners complaining about contractors, either for unfinished works (‘making good’ e.g. skirting boards) or because they believed the standard of works to have been poor.
Colour Code
Vetted tradesmen on the list are registered on the basis of continued National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) certification of the products and associated methodologies the tradesman uses. Quality Assurance and Disciplinary Procedures for contractors registered on the Better Energy Homes list include having the SEAI conduct quality of works inspections (rated on a green to red colour scale) to check for compliance to technical standards and overall performance. Once contractors are identified to be in a zone other than green, they must take demonstrable action to improve performance including eliminating repeat issues. If in the orange zone, they must have moved to the green zone within the next three evaluations, i.e. within 18
Warmer Homes scheme extended THOSE IN ENERGY POVERTY in ROI can now claim grants for windows as well as external wall insulation and heat pumps. The Warmer Homes scheme finances the entire cost of energy upgrades for households in energy poverty. The scheme is now available to homes that could not previously receive works because they already had been insulated. See seai.ie for more on the scheme and how to apply.
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292 129 17 GREEN ZONE
YELLOW ZONE
ORANGE ZONE
RED ZONE
Performance of SEAI contractors under the Better Energy Homes scheme, 2017 GREEN: good performance / low risk, YELLOW: medium performance / moderate risk, ORANGE: poor performance / high risk, RED: very poor performance / very high risk Source: SEAI via FOI request
months. If in the yellow zone, they must have moved to the green zone within the next two evaluations, i.e. within the next 12 months. If there is no demonstrable improvement, contractors receive a letter of deregistration and have 14 days to appeal the decision of deregistration. Any contractor identified in
the red zone immediately receives a deregistration letter pending appeal within 14 days. The contractor cannot be selected for new works but may complete ongoing works. For more on the procedures refer to Better Energy Homes Quality Assurance and Disciplinary Procedures for Contractors, seai.ie
In brief An IKEA advertisement gave expectant Swedish mothers 50 per cent off their crib purchase if they peed on it. There are no signs the campaign will make it to Irish shores. Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud has become the Society for the Protection of Ancient Building’s first official ambassador. In an interview in the Society’s spring magazine, he said: “The one thing I’d like people to understand about SPAB is that it is progressive, and pragmatic. It takes the wisdom of its learning and of practice in the field to constantly evolve and reinterpret its approach.”
SUMMER 2018 / SELFBUILD / 15
W H AT ' S N E W / N E W S
Major push for decreasing energy use
Changes to ROI building regulations underway AS SELFBUILD WENT TO PRINT IN APRIL, the ROI Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government published a public consultation to review the energy efficiency and ventilation requirements of the building regulations for dwellings.
One-stop-shop for renovations is becoming preferred model for renovations IF YOU’RE LIVING IN AN OLD DRAUGHTY HOUSE, in order to benefit of energy bills as low as €300 to €400 a year you’d need to invest on average €30,000 to €40,000. That’s according to the submission made by the Tipperary Energy Agency’s Paul Kenny to the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment in January. This results in a simple payback of 10 to 20 years at current fuel prices, which explains the lack of appetite on the part of homeowners today.
Health benefits
However a major benefit of investing in the upgrades is the impact these changes have on the homeowners’ health. “Several of the homeowners have contacted us they have detailed that the deep retrofit is life changing in terms of eliminating their need for frequent trips to A&E and excessive courses of medical treatment,” said Kenny. Kenny argued that the 2050 climate and energy targets could only be achieved with the help of deep retrofitting buildings with renewable heat. A mixture of grants and low cost finance, as well as a robust carbon tax, could all contribute to a move to ‘deep retrofit’, he said. A deep retrofit or aiming to bring a home to nearly zero energy buildings standards often requires the introduction of a dedicated ventilation system (e.g. demand control ventilation), upgrading the fossil fuel boiler to a renewable system (e.g. air source heat pump), adding insulation to 16 / SELFBUILD / SUMMER 2018
The highlights include: l Introducing minimum U-values of 0.18 W/sqmK for all building elements (walls, roof, floor) as opposed to the previous value of 0.21 W/sqmK. l Minimum U-values for windows and doors set at a strict 1.4 W/sqmK (there will no longer be permitted variations)
the roof and walls, and oftentimes some form of window upgrade. The Superhomes model, administered by the Tipperary Energy Agency, provides homeowners with a one-stop-shop solution whereby administrative and project management tasks are all taken care of by the not-forprofit energy agency. Contractors are chosen from a pre-approved list, a model recently endorsed by the EU and which is gaining
traction throughout Europe. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has renewed calls for homes built before 2006 to get an energy upgrade, claiming savings of up to €600 a year on an average heating bill of €1,850. Over 370,000 homes in Ireland have availed of home energy grants. For more about Superhomes see our project profiles starting page 82
‘...2050 climate and energy targets could only be achieved with the help of deep retrofitting buildings with renewable heat.’
l Airtightness to change from 7 m3 per hour per sqm to 5 m3 per hour per sqm at 50 Pa. l Natural ventilation will no longer be allowed as a means to provide whole house ventilation, in line with the above increased airtightness requirements. The public consultation documents are available on housing.gov.ie. Submissions and comments on the review should be submitted on the Templates for Submissions only and sent by email to buildingstandards@housing. gov.ie The closing date for the receipt of submissions and comments is no later than 5:30 p.m. on Friday 8th June 2018.
N E W S / W H AT ' S N E W
Government supportive of one-off housing in countryside The National Planning Framework (NPF), the ROI roadmap to 2040 with associated €115 billion capital investment plan, will not represent “some sort of clampdown on rural housing”, minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy told Senators in February. IN THE SEANAD, MURPHY SAID: “Nothing in [the NPF] suggests any sort of a policy shift from what local authorities are supposed to be doing at the moment in terms of implementing the rural housing guidelines, which is broadly to apply a general siting and designbased policy across the country for the purposes of determining rural housing planning applications and in some limited areas around the main cities and towns that are under genuine pressure from significant uncoordinated and ribbon type development, to ensure that in such areas, housing need should be determined by social, economic or occupational linkages to the rural area in
question.” “Moreover, while the framework endorses a more rigorous approach to assessment of housing needs in general, the reference to a housing demand need assessment, HDNA, is very simply a local authority-led comprehensive assessment of the housing needs of its area, in other words assessing the housing expected to be built within the area, including in rural areas. In a nutshell, what the NPF is really calling for is a properly planned approach to identifying, meeting and managing the real housing needs arising in rural areas. There is nothing to fear in it.”
Locals-only rules
In brief
IN THE SENEAD, MINISTER MURPHY ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE UPCOMING CHANGES to ‘locals only’ rules, which will introduce new guidelines preventing local authorities from turning down one-off housing applicants because they are not from the local area. The Department of Housing told Selfbuild that while there may be mention of the locals-only issue in the NPF, the process of changing the 2005 planning guidelines on sustainable rural housing is “different and separate”. The negotiations with Europe on the workings of the local-only rules are still “ongoing”, the Department told Selfbuild. However the consultation period with local authorities was concluded late last year. That consultation was attended by six representatives nominated by the Local Government Managers Association (the umbrella for local authority senior management) as well as three senior officials from the Planning Division of the Department of Housing.
Some of the most energy-guzzling and polluting heating and ventilation products will no longer be allowed to enter the EU market, on the back of the EU Ecodesign rules that took effect in January. With the new Ecodesign rules, local space heaters will have to reach a minimum space heating efficiency range (31 to 74 per cent), depending on the type of heaters, to enter the EU market. Limits on emissions of nitrogen oxide are also foreseen. The rules will notably affect electric radiators, gas stoves, fan heaters and small kerosene heaters. However EU legislators failed to add long-needed energy labels to electric radiators and outdoor heaters, said Coolproducts, a campaign led by the European Environmental Bureau and ECOS. coolproducts.eu. As Selfbuild went to print the ROI Department of Housing published a study that showed that Irish residential construction costs are generally comparable with those in Germany, France and the United Kingdom but above those in the Netherlands. A conclusion that tempers statistics that point to inflation on some construction materials. Another report, published in the Central Bank’s Quarterly Bulletin, showed that there was a high rate of outward migration among unemployed construction workers during the 2008-2012 period, with implications for the recovery in the construction sector, as “inward migration” is again “likely to play an important role in meeting the demand for labour in the sector as housing output picks up”.
SUMMER 2018 / SELFBUILD / 17
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Ask an architect THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A SELF-BUILD (new build or renovation) is getting the design and specification right before you go near the construction stage. So if you’re finding yourself struggling or are starting off with your project, why not book a no-strings-attached one-to-one consultation with an architect? There are two initiatives happening in parallel, both for a good cause, on both sides of the Irish border from the 14th to the 20th of May. In ROI the RIAI Simon Open Door consultation costs €90 while bookings for NI’s RSUA Ask an Architect are £40. All funds go to a good cause, to the Simon Communities and the Friends of the Cancer Centre through its partnership with the Jill Todd Trust, respectively. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors who are covering administration costs, every penny donated go to support the cause. Book your consultation simonopendoor.ie and askanarchitect-ni.com
LtoR at the launch of the Simon Open Door initiative, Niamh Randall, National Spokesperson for the Simon Communities, celebrity architect Dermot Bannon, and Kathryn Meghen, RIAI CEO
1,000 homes repaired under Pyrite Remediation Scheme
Men and women equally enjoy DIY
SINCE ITS INCEPTION THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, the Pyrite Resolution Board has repaired over a thousand homes, according to Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government figures. The budgetary provision for 2018 is €30 million to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme in 2018 on some 430 additional dwellings. By the end of March this year over 2,000 applications had been received with 1,600 dwellings considered eligible. The average all-in cost of remediation in 2016 was in the region of €70,000 per dwelling, with one-off houses, generally having larger ground floor areas, being the most expensive. Pyrite (iron sulfide) is a naturally occurring mineral in sedimentary rocks. When exposed to moisture and oxygen a series of chemical reactions can occur which can have the effect of prising open cracks and causing further expansion. When this expansion occurs in hardcore that is well compacted (e.g. in a dwelling) it may result in the cracking of floors, internal partitions and external walls; outward
ACCORDING TO THE HARDWARE ASSOCIATION IRELAND, as many women as men enjoy working on DIY projects but old stereotypes die hard when it comes to the hardware retail trade with 40 per cent of women respondents saying they weren’t taken seriously by sales people when shopping for hardware or tools (only 20 per cent of men felt the same way). The study, carried out by Empathy Research, found that a significantly larger proportion of women than men (53 vs 44 per cent) think that DIY projects are a good way to spend time with family and friends. The Hardware Association has also recently published its first economic impact study of the sector. hardwareassociation.ie
movement of external walls; and/or the heaving of ground floors and bulging of internal partition finishes. The scheme is a last resort for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope, i.e. pyritic heave must be established among other requirements. pyriteboard.ie
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Online reads
LOVE YOUR HOME DUBLIN
Inspiration from influencers
Open a tool library! Knowing that the average drill is used for just 13 minutes in its lifetime, it makes sense to consolidate tools from households into one centralised ‘library’, giving access to the local neighbourhood on a subscription basis. More information on How Tool Sharing Could Become a Public Utility from the ellenmacarthurfoundation.org How architects design “Creating a home is the most personal act that architects can be part of. But the challenge is that despite our training and skill we’re not the experts. Those who live in what we design know more than us about the manifestation of their hopes and dreams. We just have to listen well enough to lead.” – Architect Duo Dickinson on “Why Designing a Person’s Home is the Most Challenging, Thrilling Task an Architect Can Face”, April 2018 via ArchDaily, ISSN 0719-8884 archdaily.com Duct tales Nowadays we all know about the importance of making our homes airtight, but did you know it’s equally important to pay attention to how airtight your ducting is too? In Europe only France and Belgium consider ductwork airtightness in their energy performance regulations, but even then there is no minimum requirement and default values are acceptable. Awareness of the topic is low and there are few studies around, but it seems the energy used by the ventilation systems can be reduced by 30 to 50 per cent when airtight, among other benefits. Full webinar about Ductwork Airtightness available on tightvent.eu Dumb house “With the exception of smart thermostats in crappy houses, none of [the smart home technology] saves energy. It just wastes it, in the name of convenience. Asking Siri to turn off the lights is fun, but we would be better off in terms of energy and exercise if we got up and flicked a light switch. Rather than saving energy, the Smart home is going to be a great big energy suck.” – Llyod Atler on treehugger.com
You’ve already heard the news that the Love Your Home show is coming to Dublin, on 1213 May 2018 at the Citywest Convention Centre. Created for home lovers, the show has been running in Belfast for the past eight years. The excitement is building online with influencers like Suzanne Jackson of So Sue Me, Facesbygrace, Chef Adrian and charity partner Focus Ireland getting the word out.
Check out the video the good folks at Love Your Home put together for their facebook page and grab yourself some free tickets while you’re there! You won’t regret the visit to what’s fast becoming Dublin’s premier home event with HomeStyle Talks, an Artists&Makers village and loads of advice and inspiration for those looking to carry out home improvements. show.loveyourhome.ie
In the pipeline
Irish self-build bloggers WHERE IRISH SELF-BUILDERS share their experience, from concept to completion The adventure just started for Caroline, Calvin and children Lydia and Abigail in NI – they left their home of 10 years in December for the confines of a mobile home. The dream: build themselves their family home. Follow their journey on buildinginthecountry.wordpress.com This NI couple only has the finishing touches left to do on their family home: check out their Instagram page for plenty of inspiration instagram.com/newbuildhomeproject For a completed project and plenty of advice and inspiration, check out this self-build in Co Clare, which even has a 3D model of the house to play around with. jackdawridge.com
Green mortgages New proposals for a European Energy Efficiency Mortgage are gaining momentum, with Irish banks taking part in the discussion and a pilot phase to start in June of this year. Green mortgages would provide preferential rates to people upgrading the energy efficiency of their home, or capital in return for purchasing more energy efficient homes. Keep up to speed on igbc.ie and on energyefficientmortgages.eu
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Good Practice in the Design of Homes
Make the home you love DMVF Architects, Photographer: Paul Tierney
“IN RECENT YEARS IT HAS BEEN RECOGNISED that the quality of modern housing often has not been as high as it should be, and that performance gaps prevail. It can be made more complicated by the complex nature of modern building engineering services, including whole-house ventilation, advanced heating controls and the integration of renewable energy sources. In many ways, homes are becoming more dependent on advanced technologies working well.” That’s how Technical Manual 60 from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) introduces its first significant source of guidance on the design of homes. Even though this reference document is aimed at engineers and has its fair share of technical information, for hands-on selfbuilders it will provide useful information about full project life cycle, from site analysis through to construction, handover and operation, with insights into the impacts of system selection and design decisions on the performance of the home. Good Practice in the Design of Homes TM 60 by CIBSE, cibse.org, 98 pages, e-book, colour throughout, ISBN 9781912034277, £15
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O’BRIEN PRESS IS WELL KNOWN to publish Irish centric books and it’s great to see that with this practical how-to guide, the publisher lives up to its reputation by covering the intricacies of building a home on both sides of the border. So whether you’re in NI or ROI you’ll get the information you need to take that leap of faith. As a beginner’s hands-on manual, it’ll give you an invaluable look into the reality of embarking on a self-build or home improvement project by providing a breakdown of your cost plan, a flow chart of the planning process and other need-to knows. It’s also full of images and architect’s tips to inspire and elevate your very own design. As the three supporting authors are architects, it’s perhaps no surprise there isn’t that much DIY advice or reference to employing a chartered
architectural technologist for your project. That said, Make the Home you Love remains a very important addition to the library of anyone who’s building their own home in Ireland, and is already proving to be a go-to self-build reference for its in-depth and refreshingly practical overview of the entire process. Make the Home you Love: The Complete Guide to Home Design, Renovation and Extensions in Ireland by Fiona McPhilips with Colm Doyle, Lisa McVeigh and John Flood, 192 pages, colour throughout, softback, ISBN 9781847179579, The O’Brien Press Ltd obrien.ie, makethehomeyoulove.com
The Vibrant House SETTING THE MOOD TO HOUSE BUILDING and what the home really means is The Vibrant House, a collection of essays about domestic space in Ireland. The book is treasure trove of original works, from poetry to short stories, and delves into how Irish authors portrayed the home with essays on Edna O’Brien, Maeve Brennan and Seamus Heaney among others. An inspiring read. The Vibrant House: Irish Writing and Domestic Space, edited by Rhona Richman Kenneally and Lucy McDiarmid, ISBN 9781846826481, 256 pages, centre fold colour illustrations
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In Agrément
SELF-BUILDERS ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOK-OUT for innovative products to help them comply with the building regulations and fulfil their broader environmental and aesthetic goals. For these non-standard products, Agrément certification assists your building professional in guaranteeing compliance and performance. Spray foam insulation manufacturer Icynene has in fact just finished going through a rigorous testing process to secure Kiwa BDA Agrément certification for its H2O Foamlite (LD-C-50) for both ROI and NI building regulations compliance. Among the other certs under Icynene’s belt is one from the Fraunhofer Institute which tested the product to common Irish roof build-ups and climatic conditions, including felt on roof, contemporary new build with breathable membrane and black bitumen felt. All of the certifications and testing held by Icynene covers and verifies direct application of LD-C-50 to both breathable and nonbreathable roof membranes and felts. GMS Insulations Ltd, ROI tel. 1800 98 98 90 / NI tel. 00353 49 433 5057, icynene.ie
Tradition. Reinvented DUE TO INCREASED DEMAND for innovative bricks with a heritage feel across the housebuilding, conservation and restoration sectors, AG (Acheson + Glover) is running a new campaign highlighting the benefits of its patented Heritage fine cast brick collection. Whilst the bricks are produced to the highest standards within a strict quality controlled factory environment, they retain a hand-crafted appearance. All of the fine cast bricks comply with BS EN 7713: 2011 and employ 100 per cent renewable energy – leading to a much sought after BRE Green Guide ‘A’ rating. The fine cast brick collection is frost resistant and free from soluble salts which means that the chance of efflorescence occurring is very low compared to clay brick. Available in a large range of rich colour-blends and full range of complementary specials, with stock items and short lead times for made to order items, the fine cast brick collection offers infinitely unlimited potential for your new build or renovation project. ag.uk.com
A brief history of time ICONIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY IRISH CEMENT is celebrating its 80-year anniversary! The manufacturer, which currently operates two modern energy-efficient cement factories in Platin and Limerick, has been at the centre of developing Ireland’s indigenous cement industry since 1938. It was in 1933 that the Cement Act was established; in 1934 the State approved the first cement licence and in May 1936, Cement Limited was registered as a Limited Liability Company with two cement factories opening in Limerick and Drogheda in 1938. Cement Limited and Roadstone Limited merged in 1970 to form CRH plc. In December 1978, the name ‘Cement Limited’ was changed to ‘Irish Cement Limited’ to reflect the long history of indigenous cement manufacture at the two factories and to more appropriately brand the company and its products as being 100 per cent Irish. The company continues to modernise and adapt both factories to reflect best practice and technology to meet customer demand for high quality products and ensure the long-term sustainability of the operations. Irish Cement Ltd, irishcement.ie
Autolab in Platin
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CO SLIGO / PROJECT
MAJOR RENOVATION
DIY self-build on a budget It wasn’t by design that Paul and Rebecca O’Connor became largely self-sufficient, it was a by-product of their self-build. Words: Astrid Madsen Photography: Steve Rogers
I
was looking for a place to renovate – which I was convinced would have to be by the sea – and came across this house in a woodland in the year 2000. Not building in an exposed location presented its benefits and I quite liked the Hansel and Gretel feel to the place,” recounts Paul. “It’s not what I expected to buy but my budget was very limited; I was 27 at the time and working in Dublin. For me the most important thing was not getting into debt.” Nestled within a 24-acre woodland, trees surrounded the house perimeter. “I bought the middle acre and arranged for some trees to be felled to make room for a garden and provide access.”
the renovation and that provided the momentum, with a mix of enthusiasm and naivety guiding me.” With advances in technology, building a new home quickly and cost-effectively is now possible but if you plan to renovate, self-building on a budget still usually means taking your time. “I’m a graphic designer so the 3D aspect of building, symmetry and structure, felt intuitive. There were still some embarrassing moments at the builder’s merchant, asking for things not by name but by describing them the best I could.”
Even though there is a daunting element to taking on the challenge of a self-build, it’s also quite a natural process, argues Paul. “It’s not rocket science once you know the sizes and shapes and how they all fit together.” “I can see how it would be much more stressful if we would have had to get things done within a certain timeframe. In our case there was no mortgage or stage payments to worry about.” Paul physically did all the building work himself, learning as he went. “I’d search for information wherever I could and would
Self-build spirit
“The plans evolved with time. I originally got a loan of €17,000 to invest in
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