House Renovation in Cork- External insulation/central heating/double glazing/wiring

dory

Hello everyone!

Just moved into a 1950's style 3 bed bungalow in Cork. Looks a bit like this one. I love my house but it's very cold. I stayed here last Christmas as well and had to sleep in front of the fire in the living room to fend off the hypothermia.

So now I am looking to get me some insulation. I'm reading as much as I can on these forums, and I've rang some people looking for quotes. I would love if someone could give me half an iota what kind of figures we're looking at here and if I could get a grant for it (I'm aware of the anti-grant sentiment on some threads over in Heating and Plumbing).

What I figure I need done is:

• External insulation (or internal - I'll need advice on that one)
• Central heating - right now I have storage heaters that do not store heat. I don't know whether to go for gas or oil. I'm told there is gas on my road that I could tap in to. I have bad asthma so can't light fires, so I think a gas fire would be the answer (or can oil do the fake fire thing too?).
• Double glazing, maybe even triple. Also have traffic outside so I'd like to block that out.
• Front and back doors need some insulation, I'm thinking a porch of some sort out the front.
• Electrical power sockets. I'd want the whole house checked out for safety, and one room has no power points.
• Fireplaces - something needs to be done with the four of these - you can block chimneys can't you?
• Extension - I'm thinking of extending two of the bedrooms, I'd be looking for something less that 40sq metres anyway for planning permission purposes(I'll measure properly later).
• I also may convert the garage or at least insulate it somewhat so my stored goods won't get mouldy.

If anyone could help at all I would be very grateful. You're also welcome to PM me quotes or offers to do a quote!

BryanF

dory wrote: »

Hello everyone!

Just moved into a 1950's style 3 bed bungalow in Cork. Looks a bit like this one. I love my house but it's very cold. I stayed here last Christmas as well and had to sleep in front of the fire in the living room to fend off the hypothermia.

So now I am looking to get me some insulation. I'm reading as much as I can on these forums, and I've rang some people looking for quotes. I would love if someone could give me half an iota what kind of figures we're looking at here and if I could get a grant for it (I'm aware of the anti-grant sentiment on some threads over in Heating and Plumbing).

What I figure I need done is:

• External insulation (or internal - I'll need advice on that one)
• Central heating - right now I have storage heaters that do not store heat. I don't know whether to go for gas or oil. I'm told there is gas on my road that I could tap in to. I have bad asthma so can't light fires, so I think a gas fire would be the answer (or can oil do the fake fire thing too?).
• Double glazing, maybe even triple. Also have traffic outside so I'd like to block that out.
• Front and back doors need some insulation, I'm thinking a porch of some sort out the front.
• Electrical power sockets. I'd want the whole house checked out for safety, and one room has no power points.
• Fireplaces - something needs to be done with the four of these - you can block chimneys can't you?
• Extension - I'm thinking of extending two of the bedrooms, I'd be looking for something less that 40sq metres anyway for planning permission purposes(I'll measure properly later).
• I also may convert the garage or at least insulate it somewhat so my stored goods won't get mouldy.

If anyone could help at all I would be very grateful. You're also welcome to PM me quotes or offers to do a quote!

Dory,
I think you should hold-off on getting quotes until getting some advice and making some decisions on what you want to achieve with your renovation/retro-fit. From what you've outlined above, it may be best if you got someone to do a specification for the retro-fitting works and detailed drawings for the extension before you get tenders (from a couple of reputable contractors). IMHO going and getting individuals to price for what you have said you need to do, would involve a lot of hassle on your part, with the interfaces between the different trades being a pain to manage. Regarding the grants see: http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Better_energy_homes/homeowner/What_Grants_Are_Available/ these grant amounts have changed recently but for instance the EWI is still a substantial amount.

• I would recommend external wall insulation (EWI), and some carefully detailing overlapping the insulation with your new window frames for maximum benefit.

• The type of windows and your noise requirements will in my experience come down to budget, there's always a balance to be found, between price and quality. You have the opportunity to really get things air-tight as you are upgrading both the wall and windows together.
• A closed gas fire/heater may be the most straight forward solution for you, but a more detailed survey of your heating load (following the installation of the windows, EWI, roof insulation and ventilation strategy) would be important before selecting the appropriate system. I'm mentioning ventilation as its one one of the 'big 3' (insulation, air-tightness and ventilation) to be considered when doing work like you are proposing.
• if your doing this renovation and extension, it would be a good time to add a porch. up to 2msq may be exempt from planning permission, but if your door is recessed then it may be very straight forward (low cost)
• for a house of this vintage, I would recommend an electrician (as part of a main contract) do a complete review of the wiring. much of it may be visible in the attic areas and as you'll be insulating the attic, its best to get such things right first.
• extension: don't rule out seeking planning permission straight away. you may find that its not necessary given the 40msq rule but this is a process that should be carefully considered. Its about you getting the best rooms/space, maximising daylight, retaining your garden views and connections to your existing house.
• garage: reasonably straight forward to upgrade, but if there's a problem with mould it may require further investigation.

PM sent

AMG86

Make haste slowly. This is a big job and needs to be planned carefully. You will want the house to be comfortable, easy on the pocket for heating etc. when completed. As Bryan F indicated look closely at how you will (i) insulate it – more sometimes is not always efficient (ii) make it airtight i.e. have no draughts and (iii) ventilate it. These 3 go hand in hand. Good workmanship and attention to detail are required. You will not get values down to what you would get if you were building a new house, particularly the air tightness figure but you will come near.
As regards noise double glazing or triple glazing will reduce the noise considerably when compared with single glazing. If you install a heat recovery system you will not have to open the windows. This will also improve the security aspect of the house. A comment has been made that a HRV system relieves asthma symptoms. It certainly improves air quality 24/7 in that the moisture content is reduced and pollutants are removed.
As regards the fireplaces it is hard to see how you will need four. Close all of them if possible. Generally they are inefficient and heat just escapes up the chimney.

Check SEAI website re grants etc. They will help to reduce costs. No reference should be made to them when requesting prices etc.

dory

AMG86 wrote: »

Check SEAI website re grants etc. They will help to reduce costs. No reference should be made to them when requesting prices etc.

Oh, now this I never would have known. I even asked one or two people on the phone if they'd explain the finer points of applying for one of these puppies when they visit. But sure, I can leave it out if it's better, I've read up on the process now so I know how to go about applying.

I absolutely do not want four fireplaces. They're just there and I don't know what to do with them. One has sentimental value, but unfortunately it's in the dining area of my kitchen! I can feel them sucking out my heat.

One piece of info I can't find on the grants website - can they be applied for for a residence that is not the primary residence? I'm renting from my parents so technically they have their own warm home, so can the grants be used for house No. 2?