reTrofiTTing In the third part of our look at Shane Kenneally’s home retrofit project, works are progressing towards completion.

Home Retrofit - Part Three

Works progressing towards completion

In the May/June and July/Aug issues we introduced you to Shane Kenneally and his new family home in Clonakilty as he prepared to get started on a major renovation project. In this issue we move into the new year (2021) with works progressing well towards completion. Shane is happy with all the help he and his carpenter uncle Ben have had to date: “My uncle and I are doing most of the work and we are lucky enough that family are helping out where they can as well.” All details below are supplied by Shane.

January – Mar 2021

roof – extension works:

• After their well-earned Christmas break Shane and Ben checked the weather and saw a dry cold spell coming. They decided to drive on and get the roof ready. • The warm deck roof consisted of a layer of 18mm OSB3 (bottom deck), then a vapour membrane, 150mm insulation and another layer of OSB3 (top deck) to which the fibreglass would be applied. • They also opted to have a parapet wall around the outside to finish it off. With the roof ready they covered it in preparation for the fibreglass. • The extension is a passive design. The walls are built from 6 x 2 stud work. Then 18mm OSB3 outside of that with a weatherproof membrane outside of that again. “A big thanks is owing to Dad and Ben for all their work getting the extension done and sealed so quickly”, praises Shane. • Shane and his team decided to opt for a passive sill as they felt they would help prevent cold bridging through the windowsill. • While the scaffold was up Shane and his dad power washed the slates and painted them with Tegral blue/black paint to finish it all off.

Front windows.

Windows:

• Next up they had to get the house ready for the windows to be fitted as this had to be done before the external insulation could be fitted. Also the passive sills had to be in place for the windows. • Once the window openings were ready and the sills fitted the windows went in. They taped the windows and doors internally and externally with airtight tape.

Insulation

• Next instead of traditional block there is 100mm external insulation and plastered outside of that with coloured render. • Internally the studs are insulated with 150mm insulation and a 29mm insulated slab inside, now plastered and painted.

Electrical works.

electrical Works:

• With the house sealed Shane bought a chaser off the internet and chased all the walls himself so the electrician could run all his wires. • Once complete the first fix was done and they fitted plasterboard to all walls downstairs, again insulated slabs on all external walls. • All first fix plumbing is also complete and things are progressing nicely • Outside Shane rented a mini-digger from a neighbour and ran all the wires and pipes out to an outside shed that would be their boiler house. • He also ran an ESB duct from the pole down the field so the

ESB could put the supply underground instead of overhead.

April

• “Things were starting to get busy as my timeline for moving in June was fast approaching.”, says Shane. • They were stuck in limbo for a few weeks, since all work to be done required power and heat so they had to wait for the power to be connected - April was a long month!

May Downstairs:

• With all downstairs plastered and tiled the electrician was busy with second fix. • Shane decided to build his own fireplace: “I found it hard to get a limestone slab big enough so once restrictions lifted,

I drove to Dublin one morning to collect one, once home I marked it out and cut it up, I then built a block hearth for the fireplace and faced it with reclaimed brick slips.”

Bathrooms:

• Shane’s plan was to get the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms painted so they could fit the bathroom ware. • Shane’s Dad painted the upstairs bathroom. Shane made up his own wall panelling and fitted it. • Shane’s Dad finished the painting, and then they were ready for second fix plumbing.

Bathroom.

upstairs:

• Ben started second fix carpentry inside and wasted no time in knocking out all the upstairs doors, floors, and skirting. • By this time Shane’s Dad had also started painting with a lot of it now finished upstairs.

Upstairs landing.

Outdoors:

• While second fix was ongoing, they moved outside for two weeks and laid all the pipes for the toilets and kitchen waste etc.

In the next issue we will look at the final stages and the completion of Shane’s dream family home, and Shane will reflect on his experience.

House exterior.