In RTÉ's My Bungalow Bliss, sponsored by Electric Ireland Superhomes, Hugh Wallace follows the story of four humble bungalows as they are reimagined into beautiful bespoke homes, fit for the way we want to live today.
In this week’s episode, we meet Sarah Collins from County Mayo. Sarah is the new proud owner of the bungalow in which she spent her childhood.
This makes Sarah the third generation to live in the home in Ballina, County Mayo which was built by her grandparents in the 1970s on the main road. Sarah’s parents moved in when they married, and they lived here until Sarah was 12.
Sarah is now living here alongside her parents again, and although this house had great sentimental value to the family it had become uncomfortable in recent times.
It had a BER (Building Energy Rating) rating of 'F', which meant the house was cold and endured dampness, draughts and mould. This proved to be both difficult and expensive to heat. Sarah dreamed of transforming the house into an open, sustainable, tranquil home.
Electric Ireland Superhomes supported the homeowner's architect and construction team by providing a retrofit consultancy service, and also managed the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) One Stop Shop grant funding.
Following the retrofit recommendations, architect firm Craftstudio and contractor Peter O'Neill achieved the highest energy grade possible for Sarah’s home.
The bungalow's retrofit design included multiple measures, which led to a more energy-efficient home with reduced carbon emissions. The 'fabric first’ approach consisted of attic, wall, and floor insulation. This ensures the home holds in the heat generated within the home.
An air source heat pump is a core component of a Superhome, therefore the old boiler and heating system were removed and an air source heat pump with full controls was installed along with an upgraded heating system. This maintains a comfortable, even temperature of 18 to 21 degrees throughout the entire house along with instant hot water all day long.
The existing windows were replaced with high-performance triple-glazed windows which benefited the airtightness by removing unwanted draughts. The new triple-glazed windows have also reduced the level of noise from the main road.
During the process, Sarah was guided through the One Stop Shop grant process which included quality assurance inspections to ensure the finished home met all the criteria to receive SEAI grant funding.
This house has been transformed from a cold damp bungalow with a BER rating of F to a modern, open, energy-efficient A2 rated home.
This project is a fitting example of the benefits of retrofitting an existing house which includes a warmer, more comfortable, and healthier home with lower energy bills and reduced carbon emissions.
If your home needs an energy retrofit, start your journey to a Superhome today at electricirelandsuperhomes.ie
To see all episodes of My Bungalow Bliss,visit the RTÉ Player here.
