What order to do renovation work in/who to coordinate?

movingtothe70s

Hi there,

1st time poster long time lurker here!

In the process of buying a 1970s house in Dublin. As per survey it is structurally sound but it needs upgrading including:

installation of gas central heating (storage heating currently) + plumbing for gas cooker,
dry lining,
addition of extra sockets,
replace gutters, fascia & soffit, and a small roof repair.

We are looking at essentials first before even considering more cosmetic things.

What I'm concerned about is the order in which these jobs should take place and what profession would be best to coordinate/advise on such a job?

Would a builder be the way to go or do I need to get an architect/engineer involved to be sure that I won't cause problems with mould and such like when dry lining for instance. I'm afraid that if I go to individual insulation, heating companies etc that they will just push their product as the best and I won't get a balanced view of what would really be most suitable for the property.

Also, we are going to be working to a tight enough budget, but don't want to waste money on sub-standard materials etc that would cost us in the long run in needing to be replaced again in a few years. With this in mind we would like to make sure we take advantage of any HRI/SEAI grants available to us.

Sorry if these are stupid questions, but I have no experience with construction and don't have anyone in the know in my family either.

Thanks for reading, I'd really appreciate any advice!

Strolling Bones

Fix the roof first. If it leaks it may undo any improvements that you otherwise chose to do beforehand.

The plumbing and elecs. That will cause damages to walls floor and ceilings. So again - if you drylined first you would then cause damages afterwards with follow on works.

The key to dryling is do not over do it. A modest amount of insulation (50 warmboard) will slash the U Value and minimise the risk of hidden condensation.

Tip - get an air permeability test done ( €400 - 500 ) find all leaks and seal them ( €150-200). Smart spend that. Do it after roof , heating and elecs but before dry lining.

Strolling Bones

movingtothe70s wrote: »

With this in mind we would like to make sure we take advantage of any HRI/SEAI grants available to us.!

Avoid. They will push you towards insulation thickness that places you atn risk from mould growths due to hidden condensation. You must use only contractors listed by SEAI but SEAI will not stand over anything done by those listed.

movingtothe70s

Thanks for the advice Strolling Bones, will get researching the air permeability testing. So the SEAI will encourage you to overdo the insulation then? Would the person doing the air testing be able to advise on what insulation to use then?

Strolling Bones

Some will be able to yes.

MicktheMan

movingtothe70s wrote: »

Would the person doing the air testing be able to advise on what insulation to use then?

The better ones will be able to advise on what insulation is appropriate and also advise on your new heating system (sizing / control / distribution layout etc) plus ventilation options.

movingtothe70s

MicktheMan wrote: »

The better ones will be able to advise on what insulation is appropriate and also advise on your new heating system (sizing / control / distribution layout etc) plus ventilation options.

Thanks Mick! Sounds like the way to go.