Laura and Ronan Campbell built themselves a house on Ronan’s parents’ laneway. Here they chat about: Read more about their project on https://selfbuildextendrenovate.co.uk/project/dublin-laneway-house/ Favourite More
Insulating Concrete Formwork (ICF) has a lot to offer as a construction method – here are the benefits. In this article we cover: Airtightness Unlike a porous concrete block, ICF gives you a monolithic concrete core wrapped with a continuously insulated blanket, giving you an airtight house that allows the internal temperature to be controlled […] More
Before you choose ICF as a building method in Ireland, consider the basics: how it complies with regulations and how it impacts on your design and build costs. In this article we cover: Formwork In construction, formwork refers to a temporary shutter/mould into which concrete is poured and formed. You can also mould lime or […] More
Insulating concrete formwork (ICF) is now a popular way to build Irish homes; here are the pros and cons. In this article we cover: In the ever changing world of modern methods of construction, Insulating Concrete Formwork is up there with the best of them, says Daithí McGourty. Over the years working on large commercial […] More
64 per cent of people in Ireland believe more timber frame houses should be built, according to Red C research commissioned by Coillte. There is strong support in Ireland for expanding Irish forests and forestry products, according to the new research published in October 2022. More than four in five agree Ireland should continue to […] More
Porch and garage design can make or break the look of your house; here are the pitfalls to avoid and good design practices to take on board. In this article we cover: Porch design Designing a porch is easy if you know exactly what you want it to do. On the other hand, if sized […] More
The ROI levy on concrete will now be introduced in September 2023, as the Mica Action Group and CIF say it does nothing to deal with quality control issues. We cover: Concrete levy Concrete blocks and pouring concrete will incur the 5 per cent concrete levy, while precast products like hollowcore slabs will not. Budget […] More
Modular homes are built offsite in the factory, transported to site in modules where they are assembled to form your new home. We chat to Stephen Wright from BuildWright about this modern method of construction and find out: Using a modular concrete building system, how long will it take to build a home? What’s the […] More
Matthew and Hannah Sterrett of @ourweecountryhome share their story of building what they call the tin house: how it started and the obstacles they came up against. In this article they talk about: Contents Part 1 – Avoiding the rent trap – Skip to Part 1 Part 2 – The tin roof – Skip to […] More
Resident construction expert John Corless chats about flash points to consider when building your home, including: • Managing heat loss, U-values and airtightness• Ventilation• Insulation• Space and water heating including thoughts on PV• Intermediate floors• Roofs• Contracts• List of other considerations: security, waste, health and safety, equipment hire, etc. Michael Doherty of the Mica Action […] More
In this windows step by step guide, find out when and how to order your windows and what to expect at the end. In this article, we cover the stages of choosing and installing your windows including: Step 1: Design and shop around for your windows The planning stage is the best time to get […] More
Brian Corry of Selfbuild+ introduces self-builders to modern ways of building in Ireland today. In Part 2 he chats about: – Insulating Concrete Formwork (ICF) with Ballantine Building Solutions– Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) with FutureTek– Hemp block construction with Hempbuild Favourite More