6 months after the scaffolding went up, it all came down again this weekend to reveal our house from its cocoon. I was more than a bit anxious about this stage, fearing scaffolding poles would damage the façade and windows on the way down. But our patient scaffolder responded to my concerns with a dry …
It’s hard to imagine the need for heating during the current heatwave, but the ‘winter is coming’ as they say. Our underfloor heating piping was installed last month. It will be powered by an air to water heat pump. This was the best option for our site, while using a renewable heat source. I included …
Part 1 – This post will cover the preparation for the rendered facade and Part 2 will deal with the plastering. A high level of workmanship is required for this approach. Our plasterer is Darren Walsh from Kendar Plastering. We had specified a specific cement board and Baumit silicon render system on top. Unfortunately, the …
Plumbing isn’t necessarily pretty, but it’s the thing that keeps us all looking good at the end of the day. Running water is am essential for modern life, without you’re just camping. When you turn on a tap, you take it for granted the journey the pipes make from beginning to end, watching the installation …
It’s race week in Galway and builder’s holidays, so I’ve a chance to catch-up on work and post some activity from last month. Cian had the awkward job of laying the floor insulation, putting down the plastic sheeting and preparing the floor for underfloor heating. The most difficult part of this job was cutting around …
Next step on the journey after the ventilation pipes, was the batten installation in the ceilings and walls to create a service void. We used a double batten in ceilings to allow the 85mm vent pipes to pass through and 35mm on the walls. We will weave our wiring through the battens when we get …
The architecture of our home is unfurling like a brave spring flower in a light-soaked field. As the scaffolding is taken down, the beautiful form of the building is emerging and it’s love at first sight for us. There was lots of local inspiration that helped guide our design. All the trees in this part …
10mm may not seem much when you’re drawing a design at a desk, but on site 10mm it’s a lot, especially with window reveals and precision façade details. I’m sure I have the heads wreaked of our façade team, trying to get all the reveal and recess details spot-on. But in fairness to them, they …
If I could sum up this stage of the build I would say, detail, interface and weathering. This stage of the build requires laser focus to ensure all details of roof, façade and windows are working together. Well-designed roofs don’t just happen during installation. There is advance planning of build-ups, falls on roof, dimensions of …
Our windows arrived on Monday morning at 8am, the artic truck made it to the bottom of the road, but it was too big to turn up. This was our ‘Grand Designs’ moment, where heads were scratched and questions asked on why such a big truck was sent. I left site, having been informed that …
It’s hard to believe the progress we’ve made in the past month since the arrival of our home. It’s been non-stop trying to keep up with the coordination of trades and we’ve had lots of visitors too coming for the first peak. We’re getting to know the spaces, observing the light at various times of …
We’ve had a lot of curious visitors to site this week, with one passer by saying, ‘Wow, it’s like Adult lego!’. Timber frame assembly is a matrix of numbers and unique parts that would be the dream of any puzzle lover. It’s amazing how the systemisation comes together. I was enthusiastic about timber frame before, …
My stomach was sick with excitement on the first morning of the timber frame assembly. If I was a child again, I guess it would have been the ultimate Christmas morning without the reindeers and Santy. Irish Eco Homes brought our presents on trailers and trucks. It felt like one of the best days of …
I really enjoyed the theatre the scaffolding created. It reminded me of an Escher drawing, beautifully layered with lines and light. It is so interesting as a spatial experience to climb up through the levels and walk around the edges. It’s not yet the spaces of our home, but it was such a delight to take in the …