WHAT THE ARCHITECT SAYS
Darragh Lynch is founder of Darragh Lynch Architects and the Chair of the RIAI’s Sustainability Task Force
ON A BUDGET OF €10,000
Insulate the attic and draft proof your windows COST: €800 to €1000 (SEAI grants available)
WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: This is like putting a hat on your head on a cold day. Heat rises and insulating the attic is the low hanging fruit in terms of keeping the heat in your house. Mineral wool is good, but sheep’s wool or wood fibre is better from an environmental point of view (and you don’t get itchy after coming down with the Christmas decorations). However, it is a bit more expensive. The insulation performance is proportional to the thickness of the insulation so make sure it doesn’t get crushed. Put boards down where you will walk and where you have things stored. You also may need to put plastic pots over recessed light fittings to prevent them from over heating. Change all the bulbs in your house to LED bulbs and improve your heating controls COST: €500 to €1,000 (SEAI grants available) WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: LED bulbs burn about 10 times less energy and they last about 10 times longer. Better heating controls will give you more scope to control time and temperature and also the different zones that you are heating. All of this means you save energy.
Upgrade the boiler in your house if it is more than 10 years old or if you have a hot water cylinder, install a factory insulated hot water cylinder that can be converted in the future into a solar buffer tank. COST: €4,000 to €6,000 (SEAI grants available)
WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: New boilers are far more efficient. If you install a Combi boiler you will have no hot water sitting around in a tank getting cold (Combi boilers just heat the water as you use it). This will improve the output of your heating system, make your house more comfortable and save you money. If you have a new boiler and an old cylinder, replace the cylinder or at least make sure you have a decent lagging jacket on it. If you have a cavity wall, pump your cavity with beaded insulation. COST: €1,000 to €2,000 (SEAI grants available) WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: When you insulate your wall correctly your house will stay at a steady temperature and will be much more comfortable using a lot less energy.
ON A BUDGET OF €50,000
Replace your windows if they are more than 15 years old or if they are in bad condition. I recommend triple glazed alu-clad timber windows with a U-Value of about 0.8. Make sure the windows are sealed to the wall from the outside and inside. COST: €15,000 to €20,000
WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: Windows are the most expensive part of the walls and they let most of the energy out. Getting good windows is a great long-term investment in your comfort; no drafts or condensation.
Improve the insulation in the walls of your house. You can insulate inside if you have a nice brick finish outside or you can insulate outside and avoid redecorating inside. The external insulation is better if you can afford it. Plastic-based insulation is good (anything with ‘poly’, ‘ane’ or ‘ene’ in the
name). Wood-fibre insulation is better because it is a sustainable product, however, it is a bit more expensive.
COST: €10,000 to €15,000
WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: Warmer walls make a more comfortable house. It will heat up more quickly and stay warm longer and it will save energy. The objective is to have your house at a stable comfortable temperature all the time. Get good advice on the levels of insulation to avoid too little and too much, because you can overheat the house as well. Upgrade your boiler as above and install a solar hot water system. COST: €10,000 (SEAI grants available) WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: Typically, the solar panel would provide all your hot water during the summer and you would be saving energy and saving the planet at the same time
Install a whole house ventilation system. COST: €2,500
WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: If you have good insulation and no drafts, you need a system that will provide fresh air and avoid smells, stuffiness and mould. Get good advice on the design.
ON A BUDGET OF €100,000
After completing all the work set out above, I would build a modest extension of about 20sqm. COST: €50,000
WHY IT WOULD ADD VALUE: This extension will only add value if it connects the rooms you spend most time in to improve the flow between the rooms (kitchen, living and dining spaces). This extension should improve the access to the outside and capture the south and west light as much as possible. If it is designed well, you will have a bright and beautiful space to live in that stays at a comfortable temperature the whole year around and will be healthy and efficient.