Self Build Ireland

Low Energy LED GU10 Downlights

2011-10-04T09:10:00.000+01:00

When the house was built we had some halogen downlights fitted in the kitchen and a couple in the dormer bedrooms - 11 in total. Five of the 50w halogen bulbs have gone since we moved in.

I found you can get much bigger energy and cost savings with LED Gu10 replacements - some run on only 3w or 4w - that's a 90% saving! LED bulbs are getting better and brighter all the time . They are a good bit more expensive than the standard halogen 50 Watt bulbs - but you soon get that back in electricity savings.
After a bit more research and reading reviews I bought ten of these 4watt LED Gu10 bulbs . I have replaced all the halogen lamps in the kitchen with these. Those Gu10 fittings can be a pain to get in - so hopefully they won't need changing again for a few years.
The light from the LED bulbs is whiter than the old halogen bulbs and I am very pleased with them.

Instead of using 500 watts with all 10 switched on - I'll now only be using 40 watts.
I've worked out - that if they are switched on for 6 hours a day - they will use just €13 in electricity in a year- but the old halogen ones would cost €180 a year to run. I will save €167 a year in electricity. The bulbs will pay for themselves in less than 6 months - and after that it's just savings of €167 a year.

Someone with 30 of these in a house could reduce electricity bills by a serious amounts .
You can get some LED Gu10 bulbs for around £9.99 at Amazon with delivery to Ireland.

If they last as long as promised I won't need to change them for at least 15 years! They don't generate any heat either - so much less of a fire risk than the halogen equivalents.

Cost of Building a House in Ireland

2011-04-15T23:05:00.004+01:00

At the height of the property price boom in Ireland there were plenty of people getting sites and building their own houses. It normally worked worked out cheaper per square meter than buying a house. On top of that - you could specify exactly how the house would look (subject to planning permission)
With the drop in house prices since 2007 - the savings to be made by going down the self build route are no longer as attractive.
Building costs have fallen in the last couple of years - but they have not fallen by nearly as much as house prices. Building materials have risen in price - labour costs have generally fallen.
In 2011 -in many parts of Ireland if you can find a good second hand house in a suitable location it may well work out cheaper than building a new one. (Less hassle too)
You might have to compromise on some of the features .

According to figures from the Society of Chartered Surveyors the rebuilding cost of a 4 Bedroomed Bungalow in the Galway area is €1277 per sq metre .
The figures assume a basic quality specification with normal foundations, brick/block walls, concrete tiled roof, concrete ground floor and timber first floor, softwood flush doors and hardwood double glazed windows, painted plaster to walls, plastered ceilings,standard electrics and central heating.

This cost needs to be increased for extras such as a garage (Garage building costs range from €14,296 for a single attached garage to €25,701 for a double attached garage)
Also - add on extra for things such as fitted wardrobes, higher than average kitchen fittings, fire alarms and security alarms, and for any outbuildings, walls, fences, patios, etc.
The price of the site also neeeds to be added on to this figure. Land prices have fallen - so you can get a site in a rural area for €25k. Quality sites on the edge of towns or in tourist areas will cost more.

So - for a 200 Metre sq detached 4 bedroomed bungalow with a garage in the Co Galway area - the figure for rebuilding would be about €275,000 - and that is without any garden walls or fencing or patios.
Add on the cost of a site - with a minimum of €25000 - you are looking at around €300,000 to build the house.(According to SCS). Even if you are being given the site - the cost is going to be in the region of €275,000.

There are plenty of 4 and 5 bedroomed bungalows built in the past 5 years that are selling for less than €275000. ... So if you are prepared to settle for something that might be 80% of exactly what you want - you could save money by buying instead of building. (Not to mention the lower hassle and headaches)

Generating Electricity From Solar Panels

2011-02-27T13:36:00.000Z

Photovoltaic’ means electricity from light. In essence, photovoltaic systems use daylight (not necessarily direct sunlight) to convert solar radiation into electricity. The light which shines on the PV cells creates an electric field causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity.

Photovoltaic systems use semiconductor materials to convert solar energy into electricity. This technology is widely used in consumer products such as solar calculators, watches or garden lights, and is increasingly used as a cost-effective solution in Ireland for stand-alone applications where a grid connection is too expensive (e.g. parking meters, caravans or remote holiday homes).

Solar PV can also be used to provide free solar electricity to houses as well as for commercial and industrial applications. Recent developments in regulation mean that it is now possible to connect solar PV systems to the grid, opening up a new era for solar PV in Ireland.

Photovoltaic domestic systems range in size from 1Kw – 11 Kw.

Each Kw can produce approximately 1,000 units (1 unit = 1Kwh) of electricity per annum. The average Irish household uses 3,000 – 4,000 units per annum

ESB will offer to pay of 19c per unit for the first 3000 units sold back to the grid that the user did not consume. This is worth €570.

Further excess units are rewarded with the ESB Customer Service 9c there after.

Units that are produced by the user and used by the user are a saving of 17c each as of May 2009 for normal rate electricity.

ESB Networks are offering their 10c for the first 3000 units produced per annum to the first 4000 customers to send in their RECI certificate of completion for the micro generation installation.

Since 2005, PV electricity prices have dropped by 40pc and the cost of PV systems are expected fall by a further 40pc by 2015. According to the EPIA, if this is the case, PV systems will be able to compete with electricity prices for households in many countries of the EU within the next five years.

Sky Digital

2005-11-08T14:41:00.000Z

The installer finally came on Saturday to put up a dish for Sky. We had cancelled on the phone because the viewing card hadn't arrived - but it turns out the card was sent to the installer! We have managed without satellite for years and I have always thought that the dozens of channels would just cause arguments and ovedosing on TV for the kids. The plan is to get the free installation by signing up to the cheapest subscription for 12 months - and then just use the dish and digibox to view the free to air channels. I know Sky hope you can't do without the extra channels after a year - but I think even our kids will be sick of Malcolm in the Middle and the Simpsons by then.
With all the mix up with Sky - who originally had us down as living in the UK - we got an extra viewing card - a UK one. It is deactivated but can still be used to get the UK free channels - BBC1 2 3 4 ITV 1 2 3 Cbeebies - which is what we were hoping to try and get anyway. So it all worked out OK in the end. The only problem now is how to stop the kids from arguing about what to watch next.
Th emajority of the channels are just complete rubbish.

Stonemason still working

2005-10-28T12:02:00.000+01:00

The boundary wall at the front of the house is still in progress. Bad weather delayed it a bit - bit it's more than half finished now. It's on;y stone on the front - with a concrete block wall behind the limestone. (Cheaper that way) We are thinking maybe we should have gone for stone on both sides - but hopefuly when the garden gets going any shrubs and trees will hide the blocks a bit.
We need to get the driveway sorted soon - we will need some more "804" - crushed limestone to put down - another lorry load or 2 should be enough.
I planted 6 more trees last week - but there's still 10 more left to put in.

Sky Digital - still waiting

2005-10-14T10:25:00.000+01:00

Supposed to have Sky instaled this week - originaly it was Monday but no one came. I rang and they said it was booked for Tuesday - which was not convenient so I rebooked for Thur - yesterday. No one came and I rang several times but gave up hanging on waiting to talk to someone. Finally got through this morning and was told that they had no trace of my Thursday booking and then was told I would have to reapply for another installation because they had set me up wrong on the system (with a UK postcode!) I feel like not bothering - but the rest of the family reckon they need the extra channels. The plan is to cancel the subscription after 12 months min contract is up - then use the dish and box to get the free to air channels. Hopefully the kids won't get to used to the extra channels during the 12 months. I might give them a ring later today and see how it goes.

www.sky.com

Fitted Wardrobes

2005-09-28T14:53:00.000+01:00

The fitted wardrobes were done yesterday - by the same people who did the kitchen.We only had them in 2 rooms - but might do one more later. Excellent stuff - reasonable price and well fitted by tidy workers. Now we can stop living out of suitcases and tidy up all the clothes.

Planting Trees

2005-09-21T15:48:00.000+01:00

I've been planting a few trees this week - probably doing it too soon because the rst of the garden still needs levelling - but I thought I needed to get something in! Hopefully they will live and won't need digging up again.
We got a landscape plan done last year - before the house was built and before the site was levelled at all. The trees are all native species - Ash, Birch , Beech , Rowan, Alder,Lime (not sure if they are really Native Irish). I probably went a bit over the top and got thirty! There are still at least half of them to plant - but they might have to wait a while till the lawn area is dug and levelled and the kerbs for the driveway put in. The soil is pretty much like gravel - and is very stony and hard to dig - so I hope the tree can cope!
The front wall should be started on Friday - blocks with a natural stone facing (Limestone).

2005-09-20T09:29:00.000+01:00

The kitchen - solid maple with stanley solid fuel range and gas hob and electric oven.

2005-09-20T09:25:00.000+01:00

The painting started - still some more to do.

It's not over yet...

2005-09-15T10:29:00.000+01:00

Still plenty to do in the house - even though we have been living here for 4 weeks now.
The outside painting is almost done - just the black trim to do - but that takes longer than the walls.
The garden is still a bit of a state - I got a price from a landscaper to rotovate and rake it and sow lawn seed - I might go for it because if I don't do something soon it will have to wait till spring.
A garage door is coming today - so that will stop the birds from nesting in the garage! Not sure how to get the ones that are living there out though!
Insulation of the loft space is still waiting to be done - but it will have to be done soon - winter is on the way.
We finally got the gas hob connected - but not by the man that we were waiting and waiting for - we called another "Colgan gas" based near Castlebar - and he did it that evening.

Painting the outside of the house

2005-08-31T21:48:00.000+01:00

I started painting the outside of the house on Monday. All the walls are finished with plaster and I'm painting them white (Dulux Weathershield). The sills and "reveals" around the window will be black. (Keeping it traditional) I like the clean plain look of black and white . I only got the front wall done - 2 coats. There's plenty to be done yet - but the weather as a bit damp for painting the last 2 days.
I did a bit of insulation in the loft space today - the glass wool type. It's a horrible job and I only stuck it for an hour or so. The fibres get into your skin and eyes and nose even with a mask and goggles. Hopefully a bit at a time will get it done in time for the cold weather...
The immersion was finally connected today - but we probably won't be using it much.
Still no gas hob connection - although we did find out that there is no leak in the pipe after all. The plumber checked the pressure and found that the gas fitter must have tested the wrong pipe - good news but still waiting for the gas fitter to come back . In the meantime making use of the solid fuel range for hob - might not need the gas as much?

Change of Address

2005-08-31T21:41:00.000+01:00

There are loads of agencies and companies to inform when you move house.
Child Benefit
Tax
Driving Licence
ESb
Prize Bonds
Pensions
Banks
Vehicle Registration
Electoral register
Library
Schools
Work
Probably more - but that's enough for now - better get writing those notes...

House Insurance

2005-08-31T21:36:00.000+01:00

We had a "building under construction" policy for the last 5 or six months - but e now have taken out full buildings and contents cover. I tried a few online insurance sites but ended up going through a local broker and getting it slightly cheaper and quicker! The policy is with Allianz - and is 405 euro.
The online quotes that I had were slightly higher than that.

Been in a week

2005-08-26T19:27:00.000+01:00

Can't believe it's a week since we started living in the house.
Still a few bits to do inside - insulate the attic space, varnish the stairs and some of the skirting.
The gas still hasn't been connected - turns out the pipe under the floor has a leak - so it's a bit of a bigger job. Sowe have been making more use of the solid fuel range - which is probably a good thing. I cooked a couple of full meals on it - and it is heating the water at the same time. We are using peat briquettes mixed with bits of left over timber from the house building.
It's like the calm after the storm now it's all over. Months of chasing and deciding and shopping and decorating - now I feel like there's something I should be doing - or someone to chase - but the urgency has gone. Maybe we should start another one !!
It was a challenge for someone with no experience of DIY or anything - to take on the project of building a house. But that i swhat I did - project manage the building - controlled the budget and timescale where possible.
Would I recommend it ? Probably not. If I was to advise someone going down the same path - I think I would say to get a reputable local contractor to take on the full job. (Make sure you have detailed specifications before you start of all things like insulation etc. Make sure you have plenty of quotes and see the work of the builder before selecting them. Try - if possible - to build in a penalty clause for late completion.
My main reason for giving this advise would be that a good builder will be able to call on a pool of tradesmen who will probably try to do agood job on time - if they want to work for him again. The sole self builder is not important to these tradesmen - he is just a fill in job for many of them - and they wren't too concerned about getting further jobs from you - so they have no incentive to do the job cheap or on time or to a good quality.
I don't think we fared too badly - but all along I felt that I had no power when trying to get people to turn up on time.
The hassle and chasing would be handled by the contractor - you would be paying for the privelige - but the overall price would be fixed from the start - so there would be no surprises along the way.
So my advice would be to get a good price from a reputable builder and keep an eye on the job. (That's what I'll do for the next one !!!)

Moved In!

2005-08-23T20:19:00.000+01:00

It's been a busy week - we finally moved in last Thursday! We left our rented house (glad to see the back of it) - and 10 months after starting the build - we were in our new house There were still a few minor things to do - like the towel rails and kitchen wall tiles. We still have no fitted wardrobes and are making do with boxes or suitcases for now. The only other thing not done is the immersion heater wiring and the gas hob connection - we are still waiting for those.
It's great not having to flit back and forwards from one house to another. The exterior painting and patio and garden wall are the next major jobs to be done - so it's not over yet but at least we are living in it.
The broadband here is back on the dial up - pay as you go - so I'm not spending too much time online. We hope to have an "anytime" package sorted ina few days.

Almost Ready

2005-08-16T22:43:00.000+01:00

It's getting close to the target move in day - and things are going fairly well.
The kitchen is fitted - just expecting the gas fitter to come on Thurday to connect the hob to the gas (cylinder).
The electrical work is almost complete - just the immersion to connect - but that isn't vital.
The plumber just has to give the heating a final test and balance if required - there are a few rads not working.
The stairs are 80% complete - they arrived yesterday after havng to arrange delivery myself! The joiners knocked a bit off the price beacause of that. he carpenter called round soon after the stairs arrived - and finally got the spindles etc fitted by 6pm today. We went for metal spindles from Richard Burbidge - but they are not as easy as they appear! the distance between the hand rail and base rail meant that we had to cut each spindle!! - This neede an angle grinder . The leaflet said a hacksaw would do - but that would have aken ages. Some of the spindles didn't fit into the brackets very well and needed a good bit of banging and 1 or 2 were just wasted. The final result looks great - but if you choose these - don't expect an easy job. The carpenter was fed up by the end of the day.
The TV aerial was fitted today - which is the most important thing as far as the kids are concerned!! We can get BBC and ITV - as well as the Irish channels but the picture isn't too good on the UK channels. We might get Sky Digital - mainly for the free to air channels. f you pay for a years subscription you get the equipment installed free - and after a year you can use the dish to get the free channels. (as long as the kids don't get hooked on the sky stuff)

Furniture tomorrow and blinds being fitted.
Curtain poles are turning out to be a pain to fit and I am hinting to the carpenter to give me a hand ) the blind fitter didn't want to know)
Most of the boxes of all the bits and bobs - books cds etc etc etc have been moved in to the house. The rest of the stuff will be moved tomorrow and Thursday.

So - 10 months since we turned the first sod - we will be living in out new home in Ireland.
I will getr some pictures soon when all the mess is cleared up

Some Irish Wood suppliers - briquettes and pellets

2005-08-14T23:01:00.000+01:00

www.czechdirect.ie
www.greenheat.ie
www.premiercastings.com
www.balcas.com
www.celticflame.ie
www.nps.ie

Wood for Fuel

2005-08-14T22:17:00.000+01:00

Greenheat - home

This web site sells wood pellets and logs online - we might make use of them soon - for someting to burn in the range. If the oil prices keep rising we wil be making more use of the range.

Kitchen Finished

2005-08-11T09:04:00.000+01:00

The kitchen fitters finished yesterday - thay just have a few units in the utility room to do. It's looking very good - I'll get some pictures soon.
The plumber and electrician are due back today to finish off taps , oven , fans, balance the heating system etc. Then its just the stairs - which should be delivered on Friday - and should be fitted Monday or Tuesday if I can get the carpenter back for a day.

Fitting the Kitchen

2005-08-09T11:00:00.000+01:00

The kitchen is being fitted today and should be finished by tomorrow.
The electrician has promised yet again to be here today. (Last excuse was an injury on Sunday playing football.)
The stairs are now expected this Friday - or possibly Monday.
The plumber has to come back to connect the kitchen and utility sinks and sort out a couple of problems like a cracked cistern and another one not filling up so it won't flush.
We then will need to have a good clean up and varnish the skirting and architrave, fit the curtain poles and hang the curtains. Still planning to be in on or before the 18th - but it's all dependent on the stairs now.

Latest Progress

2005-08-06T10:19:00.000+01:00

Well - it's geting close to our target date for moving in - the 18th August.
The plumbers have been back and fitted the bathroom stuff - showers and shower doors. There was one cracked cistern which I had to take back but it was replaced free of charge.
The electrician came back yesterday and finished off the downstairs lights and put in one fan in an en suite. He still has some work to do - mainly power for the waste treatment plant and a couple more fans in bathrooms - which he has promised to do today .
The kitchen fitting is due next Tuesday . The only job that could delay things now is the stairs. They have been on holiday for 2 weeks - and are open again on Monday. They have all the measurements etc. - so I hope our stairs will be one of the first jobs they start when they come back!
The furniture is due for delivery anytime after Aug 15th.
The blinds and curtains are all ordered or bought - just need to be hung.
All the floors and doors and skirting is fitted - but I have a fair bit of varnishing to be doing in the next few evenings.
The fitted wardrobes (only getting 2 ) won't be ready till September - we left it a bit late to order them - so we might be living out of suitcases for a few weeks.

Still looking for patio blocks

2005-08-05T09:58:00.000+01:00

Acheson & Glover :: Construction Products :: Paving Brick Ireland

Will probably be getting "country cobble" from this company - if I can get anyone to sell them to me!
Tried getting them at a garden centre - but they said I had to talk to a specific person who was off that day! He has called back but seems to know less about it than the other staff did.
I might try calling the head office direct and see what they can do.

Paving for the Patio

2005-08-01T22:46:00.000+01:00

Originpaving

This site looks interesting - we will hopefully be getting a patio laid in August so we need to choose some slabs or paving stones. This company have some good ones.

Outdoor play equipment

2005-07-28T15:09:00.000+01:00

I might give tis company a call to see about prices of play equipment if there is enough left in the budget!

An exciting range of skateramps, public playgrounds and street furniture, custom-made to your specification.

Twenty Three Days

2005-07-27T17:34:00.000+01:00

... until we hope to move in.
The tiler has finished today - just the kitchen wall to do after the kitchen units are fitted.
The plumber and kitchen fitter are due next Tuesday (it's a bank holiday weekend here in Ireland).
The carpenter just has some skirting and architrave to fit - and he is due back Tuesday too - so it could get crowded that day?
The electrician has promised to be back the following Thursday - to finish off his bits. SO - if all goes well - by August 8th we should be clearing up and moving some stuff into the house - hanging curtains and putting up lampshades.
The stairs are due to be delivered around Aug 9th - and we can't really get any furniture for upstairs till they are fitted.
The fireplace needs ordering this weekend - it might not be fitted in time for us moving in - but that won't be a major problem.

I'm just waiting for something to go wrong!!

Countdown to Moving in

2005-07-22T20:56:00.000+01:00

Hopefully just 4 weeks to go now before we move in. It could be sooner - but it's the date we are aiming for now - Aug 18th. Tiling is progressing - the kitchen and dining area and utility room floors are all done and the downstairs bathroom and en-suite are almost finished.
The upstairs doors floors and skirting are all fitted as are the doors downstairs. The floors (laminate) are laid downstairs - just the semi solid to be done inthe living room.
The appliances were delivered today - Bosch fridge freezer, washing machine and dishwasher and tumble drier . But as I am writing this I am thiking that I didn't notice the tumble drier today!!! Maybe I missed it - but he didn't hang around for me to sign anything!! I'll have to nip over and check again.
The kitchen fitter is due Aug 2nd and the stairs Aug 8th (ish!) .

Landscaping the garden

2005-07-21T11:33:00.000+01:00

Heyne's Garden Centre - Landscaping your garden

It would be nice to have an instant garden instead of the soil and stones that are there now. This Australian site has useful info about starting a new garden. Looks like we have a fair bit to do - it probably won't look like a garden for a year or more!
Getting the inside finished is top priority now - the tiler is doing the kitchen and dining area and the chippie is doing the ground floor laminate. The doors are all hung - just a few handles and door stops to be done.
We are still aiming for Aug 18th to move in.
The kitchen is due to be fitted on Aug 2nd and the stairs around Aug 8th. There's not much room for delays and it will be tight - but we need to have a date to aim for or else it could drag on for weeks.

Things to avoid when designing your garden

2005-07-20T20:58:00.000+01:00

Things to avoid when designing your garden
Article from the Farmers Journal - pdf format

Irish Online Electrical Shop

2005-07-20T12:29:00.000+01:00

Home

Found this site by accident today - a bit late for us we have got most of our appliances. TV prices look OK though and they deliver all over Ireland for about 12 euro.

growing wildflowers in the garden

2005-07-18T19:00:00.000+01:00

wildflowers home

Lookng at Trees for the Garden

2005-07-17T16:18:00.000+01:00

Treecare > Broadleaf > Carpinus betulus 'Frans Fontaine'

We had a landscape plan done for us back in April 2004 - and this tree was supposed to go inthe front garden close to the entrance. I wonder how much a semi mature one will cost.
This compant Tree World isn't far from us. Might be worth a visit soon?

Glass for Doors

2005-07-16T17:41:00.000+01:00

Tara Studios, Stained Glass,

This stained glass studio is too far from us - it's in Limerick - but there are some good ideas that we might base our designs on. We are looking for glass for a kitchen cabinet and for 2 internal doors.

Will need to do some varnishing soon

2005-07-14T13:22:00.000+01:00

Ronseal Ireland - Welcome to Ronseal Ireland for all your woodcare needs

Ronseal semms to be the "leader" in the varnish world. Their website has useful info on varnishing. I'm getting pre finished doors - I couldn't face doing 14 doors! But the skirting and architrave will need doing - about 800 feet by 5 inches - according to the website I only need 4 litres to do 2 coats !! We'll see!

Lawn - Turf or seed?

2005-07-13T16:53:00.000+01:00

Martyn Grass Lawns Laying Process

Thinking about getting at least some of the lawn supplied "ready grown" - just to get the garden looking better quicker. I rang for a price and it's about €3.50 a metre sq...... !

Curtains

2005-07-13T15:33:00.000+01:00

We were in Galway getting curtains on Monday - we got all the curtains we needed in Harry Corry and Hickeys. All readymade - also the poles which were only 25 euro each (reduced from 50). Just some blinds to get now for the kitchen and bathroom and maybe the upstairs bedrooms - the dormer windows might get venetian blinds for there.

Buy velux and Fakro blinds online

2005-07-13T15:29:00.000+01:00

B4i Blinds

Just found this Irish site selling blinds online - prices include delivery.
We need 4 blinds for the Fakro roof windows - so I might give these a try.

Busy Busy Busy

2005-07-13T15:26:00.000+01:00

The house is a hive of activity today - the tiler (2) and the carpenter are all there - plus the builder and 2 men finishing off the paths around the house and the downpipes. The tiler was a day and a half late - not too bad I suppose. I have been in and out of town (about a 5 mile drive) getting things that they needed or that didn't arrive on time etc.. The day soon goes quickly when you are driving all day .

Painting nearly finished

2005-07-10T15:01:00.000+01:00

After what feels like weeks of painting at weekends and evenings - the inside of the house is nearly finished. Another 2 hours should do it.
I had conflicting advice from people about using PVA diluted or a special plaster sealer - but I just used watered down emulsion (about 10:1) for the first coat. I used mainly Crown paints - mixed in the shop. Some walls were very patchy after 1 or 2 coats - but a bit of touching up and a third coat did the trick. I'll let you know if it all starts peeling off in a few weeks.
I got through a few roller refills - I was treating them as disposables because geting them clean enough for a new colour was a long job. (Lazy or what?)
The majority of the house is a neutral colour called "snowdrop" by Crown.
The kitchen and dining room is a pale green (botanic by crown). The hall is a pale yellow .

The tiler is due tomorrow and the carpenter Tuesday - so it is going to be busy here next week!

Curtains , lampshades, bed clothes, towel rails, doors and door handles - all still to be finalised and ordered.

2005-07-10T14:57:00.001+01:00

Our House - July 2005 nearly ready now...

2005-07-10T14:56:00.000+01:00

Latest picture of the house - July 2005

Thinking about the garden...

2005-07-08T18:10:00.000+01:00

::: www.gaelicgardens.com | ::::::

The garden is bare soil right now - and it's going to be a job to get it looking nice. A fair bit of it will be grass - and this website has some good advice about seeding lawns and lots of other things on gardens.

Bath and Range fitted

2005-07-07T08:55:00.001+01:00

The bath and solid fuel range (Stanley Donard) were fitted on Tuesday by the plumbers.
The hole for the flue was in the wrong place in the wall - so they had knock out a new one - so theres a bit of a mess to tidy up now. It will be tiled around there - so it doesnt need to be 100% smooth.
The tiles were all delivered yesterday - and the tiler is expected on Monday.
The carpenter is due next Tuesday to start doing the floors and doors upstairs. He said he would also d the doors downstairs too - he doesn't think the moisture will affect them.
The laminate flooring came too - and the underlay. I ordered soundproof underlay for upstairs -
Painting is nearly done - the hall has had one coat and there are 2 bedrooms that need a final coat and the landing needs one more too.

Dehumidifier

2005-07-05T08:10:00.000+01:00

I bought a dehumidifier yesterday - it will probably work out cheaper than hiring oneif I sell it later. I got it to help finish out the drying out of the plaster and floor screed before we fit any doors in the house. The heating is back on again - I kept it off over the weekend because the boiler was giving off lots of thick black smoke. Turns out it was only an oil pressure adjustment that was needed - the service engineer called round yesterday (no charge).
The tiles are due to be delivered today and the plumber is due to fit the range and the bath today too. The tiler is expected next Monday and so is the carpenter. He will start laying the laminate flooring upstairs and then do the skirting , architrave and doors upstairs. With a bit of luck and if everyone arrives when they promised - we could be moving in during August!
Painting is going well - the hall and landing are still to be done and there is another coat to go on two of the bedrooms - so I should be finished that by the weekend.

Solid Fuel Range delivered

2005-07-03T18:50:00.000+01:00

The Waterford Stanley Range came yesterday - it too an hour for the delivery nmen to get it in the house! It's our way of not been over reliant on oil.

Painting Progressing

2005-07-01T13:32:00.000+01:00

With a bit of paid help - the painting is getting done. All the ceilings have had 2 coats now and the kitchen and dining room walls have also had 2 coats. One of the boys bedrooms upstairs is about two thirds done. As I write this - the downstairs bedroom andliving room walls should be getting a first coat from a friend's son (home from college for the summer). I'll have to nip over and see how he's doing soon.
The kitchen walls are "botanic" - a pale green from Crown.We have to start thinking about curtains very soon - something we haven't done yet! Eight big rooms and the ensuites and bathroom to sort out. We need blinds for the roof windows. The window makers FAKRO - do their own - but they seem fairly expensive.

Another Irish building Blog

2005-06-28T13:48:00.000+01:00

http://timber-frame-build-in-ireland.blogspot.com

Not started yet - still waiting for permission.

Painting Panic

2005-06-28T13:39:00.000+01:00

While I'm writing this and keeping an eye on the kids and doing a few loads of washing - a painter is up at the house. He is just finishing off the ceilings and doing the walls in the kitchen and dining room - just enough to hopefuly give me a chance of getting most of the rest of it done before the tiler comes. He's fast - maybe too fast?? But it looks OK - at least as good as me - and probably better.
I'll know more this evening when I see the walls done.
Must go and pay a few bill snow and order some steel for the front wall foundation.

2005-06-28T12:35:00.000+01:00

Percolation pipes for the waste treatment plant -

2005-06-28T12:32:00.000+01:00

The percolation area for the waste treatment plant.

2005-06-28T12:31:00.000+01:00

One of my helpers!

2005-06-28T12:27:00.000+01:00

The house at mid June 2005

2005-06-28T12:26:00.000+01:00

Back in October 2004 this is how the site looked.

Cost of the Build

2005-06-28T12:22:00.005+01:00

Here is a fairly accurate breakdown of the costs of the build

Five bedroomed dormer bungalow 2200 square feet floor area, Detached Garage. 3 Ensuites

Initial house build cost - excluding garage, finished floors , tiling, kitchen, landscaping = €126k

Garage - about €11k -
Site prep plus rough landscaping and water and electricity connection fees , legal fees and engineers fees - brings the cost to about €148k.
Outdoors: tarmac drive, kerbing, lawns, trees, front wall and block paved patio cost another 23k €

The fitted kitchen , fitted wardrobes , flooring , tiling, painting, sanitary ware and the solid fuel range bought the total finished price to approx €215k

We had a rough budget for everything - and most were exceeded a bit - but the biggest areas of "overspend" or under budgeting were the tiling and the site clearance and landscaping.

Some other rough cost breakdowns:
Blocks - €4.5k
Foundation materials - house and garage €9k
Plastering - inside and out incl materials - €14k
Concrete floor screed €1200
Labour for laying floor screed (ground floor only) €1k
Windows and external doors - €6600
Sanitary ware and showers and shower pump - €4200 ( 1 bathroom + 3 ensuites and 1 cloakroom)
Waste treatment plant €3200
Electrics - €5k
Plumbing €9k includes oil boiler and rads and all heating etc - excludes showers and sanitary ware.
Labour for foundation + walls + roof = €32k (garage included)
Tarmac Drive €8000 (it's big)

Total for other materials not mentioned above - i.e all 1st fix timber , slates, stairs , guttering, insulation drains - approx €26k

Hello Tom Ruane

2005-06-25T20:40:00.000+01:00

Tom is one of my regular readers - though he hates to admit it - he's always popping in to see what I've written. He thinks I'm sad - and maybe he's right. Maybe I need to get out more!
Tom was one of my major influences for going down the route of employing direct labour to build the house. He had a house built over a year ago and it was him who I went to to give me some idea of what things would cost us. His figures turned out to be pretty close.
Anyway - Tom - if you see this you must be as sad as me to be reading it.
Hello to Pat Ruane too - his brother - who will be getting a house built in the next few months.

Painting Ceilings

2005-06-25T08:21:00.000+01:00

I started paintingthe downstairs ceiings yesterday evening - after getting a couple of prices from painters. The first one was for 2500 to paint downstairs inside and to varnish the doors skirting architrave in the house (15 doors). I thought that was high enough - then another one came in with 5000 !!!. I wasn't too happy with the first one - he has only been doing it 3 months and he didn't seem to sure about what he would use in terms of paint. I looked at a house he had done and I wouldn't be happy paying 2500 for his work. So - I having a go myself and am off to do some now.

Another self build in Ireland Blogger

2005-06-22T23:20:00.000+01:00

http://selfbuildireland.blogspot.com/

This blogger is just finishing the foundations - and I wish him all the best.
He's doing all the things I thought about like timber frame and geothermal heating - but wasn't brave enough to go for because of the lack of local experience. Maybe next time !!

Eight months since we began

2005-06-18T12:15:00.000+01:00

It is 8 months now since the digger arrived and started clearing the site. SOme people say we have made good progress - it could have been faster - but it could also have been a lot slower.
We applied for planing permission in March 2004 and it was granted it the end of Aug 2004. We had to wait for the electricity cables overhead to be moved - which delayed the start till Oct 2005 - which might have been a blessing in disguise - because if we had been ready to start earlier we may well have not got the builder that we did - and I don't think we would have been as happy with the house as we are now.
The waste treatment plant and the percolation area and the drains are all nearly done now and the paths and preparation for the driveway are underway too.
The inside of the house is ready for painting - which I was thinking of doing myself - but now realise that that could go on for weeks - which would delay everything. We are on the final leg now and hope to be moved in by September.
I must go now and track down another painter who has been recommended to me but isn't in the phone book.

We have Heat

2005-06-18T12:09:00.000+01:00

I forgot to mention that the electrician and plumber finally got everything working on Thursday evening - so we have had the central heating working since then. It is on a timer - coming on 3 times a day to help dry out the floors and walls.
It's not fully finished - there is still some wiring to do for the controls - so we can have heat and/or hot water together or one at a time. Also the soild fuel range isn't here yet - that will be "plumbed" in to help with the hot water. It is due - hopefully next week along with all the toilets and sinks. They won't be fitted yet - but the bath will.

Painting - fresh plaster

2005-06-18T09:30:00.000+01:00

Surface Preparation

This site has some useful tips that I might need to follow when I start painting the house.
I am contacting some painters and decorators for quotes today. One I rang yesterday is booked till September !! I could try and do it myself - but it will probably take me too long and that will hold up the tiling and kitchen etc. - so it is probably best to let someone else do it. It's probably the only job that i think i could do myself - but it could end up costing more in extra rent if it delays us moving in.

Sheep Wool Underlay for Laminate flooring

2005-06-16T14:05:00.000+01:00

Sheep Wool Insulation .:Product Details:.

We arehaving laminate flooring upstairs - and are looking for more than the basic thin foam underlay you get with most laminates. This sheeps wool acoustic underlay looks intersting and cheaper than rubber equivalents. (Local supplier quoting 50 euro for about 12m2 of rubber based stuff). Just need to compare the noise reduction figures if there are any...

Digging Drains

2005-06-15T14:29:00.000+01:00

The digger and driver are on site today along with the builder - and the sewage pipes and stormwater drains are going in.
The heating still isn't on . An oil delivery should be there as I write this but the electrician and the plumber still ahve work to do to get the heating working. They both seem to want to delay coming till the other one has been - so it ends up that neither of them have been. The elctrician is due this evening - but I won't hold my breath - going by previous experience with him!

Some Furniture Ordered

2005-06-14T22:01:00.000+01:00

We ordered some furniture yesterday - beds , 3 piece suite, wardrobe, bedside cabinets , coffee table. All pine - fairly basic stuff but well made and strong. We got them from Carowkeel Furniture - and they will be delivered and put together for free.

Digger Delayed

2005-06-14T21:56:00.000+01:00

A digger was supposed to be on site today - but when he hadn't turned up by 9am I rang him. He was held up on another job and wouldn't be here til tomorrow! Nice of him to let me know! I had a couple of other men lined up waiting on him - so they have been put off for another day.
At the time of writing this (evening) - the digger has turned up and is ready for action in the morning. It is forecast to rain tomorrow - so that might put a stop to things anyway!
I hope to get started on the drains and sewage connections tomorrow (not me - the workers!) - and then get the waste treatment plant installed the day after.

Painting

2005-06-12T14:58:00.000+01:00

I did a bit of painting yesterday - the upstairs ceilings. As it's a dormer bungalow - there is quite a lot of sloping ceiling - so the walls are probably only about one third of the surface area upstairs. I only did one coat of watered down emulsion - and it took about 5 hours. At this rate I reckon the whole house will take 10 full days of work - which I won't be able to fit in with a 2 year old and 3 other kids on school holidays. I will get a couple of quotes ffom painters this week - at least for the downstairs. It needs to be done idealy before the finished floors go down - so that is in about 4 weeks. Not much hope of ne finding 10 full days in the next 4 weeks with my wife out working 5 or 6 days a week.

Waste Treatment Plant

2005-06-12T14:29:00.000+01:00

The Envirocare waste treatment plant was delivered last Tuesday (at 8.00 am!) . A digger and driver are booked for Tuesday and Wednesday this week to install it and the associated pipework. The builder is coming back too to help and to organise things - also he'll lay footpaths around the house and do a foundation for the front boundary wall .
The plumber is coming back on Monday / Tuesday to sort out the heating so I can get it going to dry out the floors and walls fully before we lay tiles etc. I noticed a small leak in one of the radiators upstairs yesterday - so I'll have to let him know about that too.
Better order some oil too - or the boiler won't have any fuel!

Electricity Connected

2005-06-12T14:16:00.000+01:00

The electricity was connected on Friday. We haven't actually got power yet though - because the electrician has to come back and connect the mains cable to the house wiring. I was ringing the ESB all morning on Friday to see when they were coming - I even sent an email to customer services because I couldn't get a reply. Turns out they were at the house all the time!
I realised this morning that I forgot to leave a cable above the floor scred in the kitchen!! It could just mean that we won't have sockets on the Island in the kitchen - but it might mean that the Range cooker won't have power for the thermostat that will control how it feeds into the hot water system. I am trying to contact the electrician all morning - but his mobile isn't working.
We can manage without the supply to the Island - but if the range is affected then it might mean some hacking into the new floor or into the walls!

Geothermal Heating

2005-06-12T13:59:00.000+01:00

We did consider geothermal heating in the early stages - but mainly because of the large up front costs and a few worries about the lack of local experttise we decided not to go for it. Here are a few links that mght be useful for anyone looking at geothermal heating.

Heat Pump Centre
What is a Heat Pump
Cost savings with Geothermal

Geothermal suppliers Ireland
UK and Northern ireland Heat Pump Makers

More Information on Geothermal Heating
Another Geothermal Heating Supplier in Ireland

Floor Screed Finally Down

2005-06-09T18:42:00.000+01:00

The floor screed was laid today. We had been waiting for the previous man to do it for a couple of weeks - but finally asked another man to do it. He stuck to his times and dates and kept me informed and ordered the cement too. I asked for the Range and the toilets and bath that we ordered a couple of months ago to be delivered in two weeks time.
The next thing now is to get the Waste Treatment plant in the ground (that came on Tuesday) - a digger is expected (with driver) in the middle of next week - but that could mean Thursday!
I have someone lined up to do all the connections of the sewage and the drains and also to do the paths around the house at the same time.
Sorry about the lack of pictures - but form the outside not much has changed in a few weeks now and the inside just looks strange with my small camera.

2005-06-04T21:37:00.000+01:00

Our kitchen Units will be very similar to this one - same handles and very similar worktop too. I don't think we'l be having the red walls - but I do like them too!

Oil fired boiler

2005-06-04T21:24:00.000+01:00

Gerkros Heating Technology

This is the website (recently updated) of the manufacturer of our oil boiler.

Looking for glass for doors

2005-06-04T21:09:00.000+01:00

Winged Heart UK New Hill House Blue

We need some glass for the doors from the hall into the kitchen and living room. We plan to have the same design on the kitchen unit.
This site has some nice ideas.

Things to do List

2005-06-04T20:57:00.000+01:00

Finish laying floor Insulation
Start painting Ceilings upstairs
Confirm floor screed to be done next Thursday
Get delivery of Waste treatment plant from Envirocare
Book digger for a few days to dig for waste treatment and drains.
Order percolation pipe (60m) and sewage pipes .
Order cement for floors
Order cement for paths around house.
Think about patio
Finalise tiles and confirm tiler.
Chase Electricity supply board for connection.
Get Solid fuel Range delivered and Bath (these get fitted soon after floor screed is put in)
Organise fencing between us and neighbouring fields before cattle are put in them.
See about getting broadband in the new house.
Check out prices for getting satellite TV (for Freeview channels)

Any more and it will just put my blood pressure up.

We are hoping that we might be in before the end of Sept (this year!) That's if there are no delays with anything else.

Floor Insulation

2005-06-04T20:49:00.000+01:00

I spent some of yesterday and a bit of today laying floor insulation in the house. It is rigid foam sheets 5cm thick and about 8 foot by 4 foot. It is foil backed on both sides. The time consumng bit is cutting it to fit around the water and heating pipes that are laid on the floor. I've done what Kingspan recommend - and used 20mm thick stuff around the edge of the outside walls (on the inside of course) This is cut 4 inches high. Most people - including the builders merchant and the floor screed man tell me that no-one hardly bothers doing this - but it's the only chance I'll get to do it right so I might as well.
I've still got about 2 fifts of the house to do - most of the fiddly bits are done apart form the utility room which is full of pipes so there isn't much floor space left to insulate!

Floors Delayed again

2005-06-02T14:12:00.000+01:00

The floor screeding was held up last week - but we were promised it would be done this week - but another promise broken.
The "floor man" promised to do it next Wednesday or Thursday - a bit too vague for my liking - so I have gone and asked someone else to do it. The same price - and he can't do it till next Thursday either - but this one seems a bit more organised and he rings me instead of me having to ring him all the time. So - a bit more time to possibly lay the floor insulation or paint the upstairs - or update this blog or .....

Floor Screed delayed.

2005-05-25T16:03:00.000+01:00

The floor screed was due to be layed tomorrow - but the local suppliers are not open tomorrow because one of their drivers died yesterday. There were other suppliers - but they were too busy. It put things into context - at least we're still alive and the floor can wait another week if it has to. It's nice that a firm here will close out of respect when an employee dies.
We're in England for a few days from Friday - so I need to get in touch with the "screeder" when we get back and arrange for it to be done another day. It's a bit frustrating that he can't give me a definite date now - but like I said it's not a big problem compared to the death of a partner or parent.

Certified - at last!

2005-05-24T19:10:00.000+01:00

We got the certificate of completion from the electrician yesterday - so we can now apply to the ESB (Elec Supply Board) to connect us up to the grid. The electrics aren't actually fully complete - just in a good enough state to connect. There are lights etc to fit still - but it means we can get the boiler powered up soon and get the house dried out fully before laying floors or painting.
Eircom also sent a couple of men today to put up a pole on the site - the first stage towards getting the phone line connected. As far as I know we won't be able to get broadband in the new house - too far out - so that is one thing I'll miss.
The floor screed is due to be laid on Thursday - day after tomorrow - so things are progressing OK now after a bit of a slow down in the past 2 weeks.
The tiler who we have been recommended has cancelled twice this week - but is due tomorrow to check it out. The staircase is ordered, the second fix joiner (doors - skirting ) is booked (date to be confirmed).
It all seems to be coming together now - after lots of chasing of people and messages left. Everyone here seems to be busy - working 6 or 7 days a week.

Design A Room

2005-05-22T22:33:00.000+01:00

Design A Room

This web site lets you design the colour scheme of a room - it is provided by a supplier of kitchen cabinets and flooring - so is biased towards those two features.
It's slow - but good.

Where's the Electrician?!

2005-05-17T13:48:00.000+01:00

The plumbers have been and gone - only aday later than they promised. The wet patches they assure me were only caused by small leaks from radiator valves.
Th electrician had promised to be ready to give me a certificate for the ESB last Monday - 8 days ago. He has not been back here for days now - the excuse is he's waiting for materials. It's no excuse really - he should have ordered them in time. He is supposed to be here today - at 2pm - so I'll wait and see what happens.
The floor screed man can't do the floor this week - but he has said he will do his best to get to me next week. It's only a days work - but he seems to be booked up.

Tried to get hold of the stair makers - but the phone is engaged all the time. I managed to get through yesterday and they promised to get back to me today - no sign of that so far today.
Ah well - it's a lovely day here and the grass and trees are green. There are lambs and calves and foals in the fields. A few extra days or weeks before we move in shouldn't be a problem.

Wet Wet Wet

2005-05-14T16:55:00.000+01:00

There was a bit of a panic yesterday - the plumber was in finishing off the radiators and the heating pipes. When I went round after hey had gone home - there were damp patches on the ceilings in three of the rooms and the floor in one of the upstairs bedrooms was very wet. I rang the owner of the plumbing firm who came right round - it was about 8pm. He knew there had been a few leaks from radiators when they were pressure testing the system - but he hadn't seen all these damp patches. He agreed to check it all out in the morning. The final verdict was that it was just the water from the rads that had got in under the floor - he is sure no pipes are leaking.
The plumber has done his bit now - and the floor screed can be laid. The screeder is calling round on Monday to check things out again and see how much screed we need to order etc.
The electrician still hasn't finished - but has promised yet again to get it enough done by Monday evening so that I can apply for an electricity supply. He made that promise a week ago too - so I'll wait and see what happens on Monday.
The floor insulation has arrived - more money for Kingspan.

Irish Mirrors and Clocks

2005-05-14T16:51:00.000+01:00

This company isn't too far from us - they make Mirrors with frames made from Slate - and also clocks made of slate. Looks nice - but it will be a few weeks before we are hanging mirrors though.

Reasons to be Cheerful

2005-05-11T22:09:00.000+01:00

1. A lovely day here in the West of Ireland today
2. The plumber has almost finished - as he promised - ready for the floors to be screeded .
3. The electricain turned up yesterday and today for a few hours and made some progress. He's not as quick as I hoped - but is looking like he will be ready before the end of the week.
4. I finally made contact with the man who will be doing the floor screed - it took a few days to get hold of him. He won't be able to do it till at least the end of next week. He is calling round on Monday to finalise what is needed .
5. Have agreed with the man who did the main build of the house to come back and do the sewage and rainwater drainage and footpaths and the connection of the waste treatment plant. He will be ready in about 4 weeks to do that .
6 Spoke to a tiler who will be available in about 4 weeks - which should fit in with our plans. He has been recommended by a couple of people . He is calling round next week.
7. A local carpenter has also been recommended for the doors and skirting - his prices seem OK even though I haven't had any others yet. Need to book him soon.

Plumbing Progress

2005-05-05T22:28:00.000+01:00

The plumber has been in today and yesterday - laying all the pipes for the heating and water. The radiators are all in place now and the boiler will be put in tomorrow (it's going outside). The oil pipe from the tank to the boiler has to be buried - a digger is coming tomorrow morning to do that. I will need to be on hand to do a bit f digging by hand near the walls. The electrician has promised to have the house ready for connecting by Monday next. Then we will have to wait for the ESB to do their bit - which could take weeks! .

Inside Plastering Finished

2005-05-01T13:01:00.000+01:00

The plasterer finished the inside of the house last Friday - so now the electrician and plumber can come back to do the next stages. The electrician had two lads in the house on Saturday - fitting all the final bits of the sockets and the phone points and TV points and switches. The plumber has promised to be here on Tuesday (Monday is a bank Holiday) - to fit the radiators and oil boiler and the water pipes. As soon as he has done that - we will be getting the floor screed laid (concrete) . We will then have to wait a couple of weeks before any floor tiles can be laid. We could begin painting upstairs and then tiling and flooring upstairs too while we are waiting for the downstairs floor to set.
The drains/sewage pipes outside will also need sorting out in the next couple of weeks.
Before the plumber comes back on Tuesday we have a bit of clearing up to to - to sweep the floors and get rid of any rubble etc - so that will be a few more blisters on these hands that have hardly being used!

Power Showers - Monsoon Pump

2005-04-29T12:29:00.000+01:00

Monsoon 4 Bar Twin

The plumber advised us to get this shower boster pump by Monsoon - he didn't include it in his price - and know I know why. It cost €800 euro !!.
I just hope we get our money's worth out of it. There will be 3 showers running off it - using hot water from the tank. The hot water will have 3 possible ways of being heated - Oil Boiler , Solid Fuel Range or Immersion.

2005-04-25T20:53:00.000+01:00

Midwest Fireplaces - this is the place we went to today. They supply and fit fireplaces and granite hearths. We were thinking of having a gas fire - but have now decided to go for the good old (dirty) solid fuel fire (turf and wood)

2005-04-25T20:48:00.000+01:00

Went looking at lights and fireplaces today. This company sell through various outlets all over Ireland and the fireplaces seem quite good. Kilkennyliving.ie

2005-04-25T20:44:00.000+01:00

Once again - the view from the back of the house. Hopefully in a couple of months or 3 we will have moved in and be be looking out onto this every day.

2005-04-25T20:40:00.000+01:00

A side view of the house taken around April 19th 2005 - six months after the photo below.

2005-04-25T20:38:00.000+01:00

This is how the house looked on 30th October 2004

Getting my hands dirty

2005-04-23T17:09:00.000+01:00

Today was one of those rare days that I actually did some work on the house. Not a lot - but I have a few blisters on my hands to show for it. We had to put in a plastic pipe underground which will carry the electricity supply from the pole to the house. A JCB did most of the work - I was just helping with the fiddly bits. While we were at it it seemed a good idea to do the same for the telephone cable - even though there is no pole yet. That meant a last minute dash to the builders supplier to get 15m of piping and some rope. While the JCB driver was waiting he had plenty of work to keep him busy - shifting soil (rocks mostly) from the boundary with the neighboring field - in preparation for a fence.
We finally got it all sorted by about 3pm (9am start) . Now I've got to get onto Eircom about connecting a phone.

Electricity - phase one

2005-04-20T11:12:00.000+01:00

The ESB (Electricity Supply Board) came yesterday and put up a pole on the site that will provide the mains supply .
I now have to organise the digging of a trench to the house from this pole - and lay some plastic pipe in it with a length of rope in it that will be used to pull the mains cable through to the meter box.
Had a bit of fun this morning trying to get 15m of thin rope into the pipe - which is fairly rigid. I eventually managed it by tying some lead on to the end of the rope (left over from the roofing) - and then shaking it through the pipe.
The plasterer and his labourer are there again today and making steady progress.
A lovely sunny day here in the West of Ireland.
Sorry about the lack of pictures - I will remedy that soon.

Still Getting Plastered!

2005-04-18T13:39:00.000+01:00

Plastering inside the house continues on a daily basis. Progress is steady and sure. There are only 2 workers - but the work is very good. They expect to be finished inside 2 weeks today. Then we can get the plumber back to install the heating pipes that will go under the floor - and to fix the radiators to the walls. We also need to get the electrician back to finish off so we can get some power and get the heating on to dry out the plaster.
We had a quote for the supply of all the tiles ,grout , adhesive and it was a bit more than I expected - mainly because I didn't realise how expensive adhesive and grout are. Also the extras like border tiles soon add up to a lot. We have been to several tile suppliers - but will probably go with the local one - they have the best tiles in our price range and will be nearer if we need a few extra at short notice.

Lighting for the House

2005-04-15T17:57:00.000+01:00

Bright Ideas - Home

This shop is a good distance from us - but there aren't that many lighting shops near here.
We might have a look one day soon - but we need to make sure we see any other shops on the same day - tiles , paint , flooring etc.

Stone Mason needed

2005-04-10T09:38:00.000+01:00

We need a natural stone wall (limestone) building at the front boundary of the site. I was just browsing the web and found this site - he's not exactly local - about 40 miles away but is work looks really good.

http://www.authenticmasonry.com/index.html

Things to Do Soon

2005-04-07T13:47:00.000+01:00

I always have a list of things to do - which never seems to get smaller. The current list -

Organise digger for clearing some more of the site
Organise fencing materials and labour
Arrange for digging of drains and sewage
Order pipes etc for drains andany stone/gravel too
Choose and buy some downlights for kitchen.
But wall lights for living room
Decide on tiles for the house
Finalise choices and buy furniture for whole house
Try and decide on garden layout - maybe some decking?
Get quotes for doing driveway - (not tarmac)
Get quotes for building of natural stone wall at front of house (between us and the road)
Get quotes from tilers
Get quotes/choose carpenter to fit doors and skirting and other odd bits.
Choose staircase maker and type of spindles/ wood
Insulate loft
Buy shower cubicles
Buy 1 electric shower
Buy pump for the other 3 showers.
Choose someone to do the floor screed on ground floor
Lay floor insulation before floor screed.

I think that's enough for now!!

Things to Do Today

2005-04-07T09:03:00.000+01:00

1. Contact ESB (Electricity Supply Board) about digging for the cable to the house.
2. Measure the distance from the meter box to the electricity pole
3. Buy some ducting and rope for the cable
4. See a local supplier of tiles at the house to get the rooms measured for tiles and wooden flooring quote.
5. Take 2 year old to Toddlers group - along with 11 year old who is off school because it's an "in service" day ( teacher training).
6. Do some grocery shopping
7. Cook dinner for myself and family of 5
8. Update this blog

Today is Tuesday

2005-04-05T21:25:00.000+01:00

Another day over - and the electrician finally came to finish off his "first fix" . He had the garage to wire up and the main power cable to get into the space between ground and first floor. He arrived late in the day and I left him working - so hopefully he will have finished.
The plasterer is preparing downstairs now - ready to start plastering tomorrow hopefully.
We need to sort out fencing very soon. The site is open on 2 sides - and the neigbouring farmer may well be putting cattle back on the field soon. So that's one job for tomorrow.

A self build in the UK

2005-04-05T21:07:00.000+01:00

These self builders at the Eddystone Self Build are a bit more "hands on" than we are. I don't expect to do much more than a bit of clearing up, painting and maybe some laminate floor laying. For me "self builder" is a bit of a contradiction - it just means that I am organising the building of our own house . Some self builders do a lot of the work themselves - blocklaying, digging, carpentry etc.

Stairway to Heaven?

2005-04-05T20:22:00.000+01:00

This website from Kilgallon Stairs has some good pictures of stairs they have made. We will probably be having a staircae that isn't closed in underneath - if you know what I mean? It will be possible to walk underneath the stairs. We haven't chosen a stair maker yet - might give these a call tomorrow but they might be a bit too far away.