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If you plan on building a passive house, here’s who to hire, who they’ll be working with and when to get them on board. In this article we cover: We’re living in a world seeking tangible solutions to complex challenges. Climate change, energy poverty, health crises. In construction, I believe the passive house standard is […] More
Building with timber frame, where should the airtightness membrane go; on the warm side of the insulation? In this article we cover: Q: I’m currently renovating and retrofitting a timber frame house in Co Cavan. I was very interested to read the Timber Frame Guide in the Autumn 2023 edition of the magazine as I’ve […] More
From U-shaped to bifurcated, find out what staircase design options are open to you when building new or renovating in Ireland. In this article we cover: Choosing the right staircase design goes beyond mere convenience; it is an opportunity to add personality and style to your home. Whether you opt for a classic straight staircase […] More
Matt Kinloch of SONAS Bathrooms and Darrel McCauley of Spectrum Bathrooms joined us at Selfbuild Live Belfast to talk about what’s trending in bathroom designs and how to get the style on a budget, including Recorded at Selfbuild Live Belfast in October 2023. Favourite More
Taking on a house building project is no small feat – here are our top tips to manage the day to day so you don’t burn our or get stressed out. In this article we cover: Q: I’ve never done anything like this before and my self-build is seriously stressing me out. Is there anything […] More
We’re all familiar with our carbon footprints, but how about your water footprint, or the amount of water it takes to make construction products? And what can you do at home to minimise the amount of water you use? In this article we cover: Embodied water There’s quite a bit of information out there around […] More
Waterford kitchen company Envision Kitchens Waterford provides tips on how to find your perfect kitchen. What distinguishes an Italian kitchen from a German kitchen? Which kind of kitchen would suit your home and lifestyle? According to Rebecca at Envision Kitchens Waterford, these are the two most common questions their customers have. Italian kitchens are modern, […] More
Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) is a whole-house ventilation system and is considered to be the most energy efficient method of ventilating an airtight home. Here BEAM Vacuum & Ventilation explains the ins and outs of MVHR. New build homes are now being built to be as airtight as possible. Increased insulation and double […] More
How do you know if you’re truly building an eco-house? There are the checklists to help you get there. In this article we cover: How can you prove you’ve built an eco home? Through environmental certification. For construction projects, certification tends to take into account the design and construction stages but occupancy can be evaluated […] More
You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home airtight; here we look at airtightness installation tips and what common mistakes to avoid. In this article we cover: Sealing up your house to make it airtight, and to prevent any air leakages, is the key to building a home that retains heat in […] More
You need a ventilation system to get fresh air into your home, so what are your options and how do they stack up? In this article we cover: I was first introduced to the passive house standard in 2013 and went on to become a certified passive house designer. Since then I’ve been involved with […] More
You guide to creating a build schedule, what information it should contain and when to change it. In this article we cover: The first articles in this series led up to this point of actually producing the programme. Here are the elements included in a construction programme or build schedule. Gantt Chart Unless you actually […] More
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