KMC HOMES BLOG
Our old home has a G BER even after it was upgraded
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes provides advice on how suspect ‘DIY’ wall insulation may conceal a whole host of problems. Q. We have bought an older-era home in the country...
Sourcing labour for your home build or renovation
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes provides advice on Sourcing labour for your home build or renovation. Q.Direct labour or contractor? I am carrying out a full restoration on a...
Do I have to have a flat roof on my rear extension?
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes provides advice for the most-suitable extension to go with when adding to the ground floor? Q. We want to add a ground-floor extension, open...
Builders, architects, QS and project managers. Who manages what when building a home?
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes provides clarity on Builders, architects, QS and project managers. Who manages what when building a home Q. Myself and my husband have a...
The quickest and cheapest home improvements to cut your energy bills
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes provides advice on the quickest and cheapest home improvements to cut your energy bills Q.we’ve just got our second massive electricity bill...
Fixing cracks in the foundation
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes provides advice for fixing cracks in the foundation. Q. We’re looking to buy a home in a settled area near national schools in Cork City’s...
Building a home on an elevated site
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes provides advice when building a home on an elevated site. Q. I want to build a new home on a greenfield site overlooking Cork Harbour. It has...
Property Clinic: Options for Completing Your Build Project with Rising Costs
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses the options for getting your build project completed with inflation and the rising costs of materials. Q. We have planning...
How to reduce heat loss from your home and save money
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses how to reduce heat loss from your home and save money Q. What measures can a half-handy home-owner do themselves, i.e. some...
Should I use blocks or timber to build my new home?
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses the pros and cons to choosing either material for the frame of a new build. Q. Should I plan to build my new house in traditional...
Ventilation: How to handle dampness in your home
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses ventilation and how to handle dampness in your home. Q. We replaced our windows and got the outside insulated. I open the windows...
What to consider before installing air-to-water heating
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses what to consider when installing air to water heating. The biggest difference between an Air to Water system and your current Oil...
Building Advice: Extending a terrace home- Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses building advice on extending a terrace home. In this latest article, Kieran will let you know what you need to consider when...
Planning Permission FAQ
One of the more popular questions we get asked by clients is "Do we need planning permission for an extension". In this post we answer this question as well as listing other questions you may have...
Treating Your Waste Water- Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses how to treat your waste water. In this article, we show the importance of why you need to give this issue careful consideration and...
Energy Efficient Measures For a New Home- Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses energy-efficient measures for a new home. In this article, we show the importance of giving early consideration to energy-saving...
Should you remodel your new home or knock it- Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses the question of whether to rebuild or renovate? I get asked this quite a lot and is a tricky one to answer. I once heard from a...
Changing your fireplace for a more energy-efficient option – Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses about changing your fireplace for a more energy-efficient option. The whole discussion of stoves is a very interesting one. Believe...
What is subsidence and what to do about it – Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses what is subsidence and what to do about it. Subsidence occurs in most ageing houses and will need some level of treatment, but don't...
Planning what windows to buy – Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses the best type of windows you should buy for your home build or extension. When it comes to windows there is certainly a wide...
What type of garage should I opt for? – Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses the best type of garage you could build. In the past (I grew up in the 80’s) cars were very different to what they are now for two...
Government seeks to speed up ban of gas boilers in new homes | Sunday Business Post
The government is looking at speeding up the ban on the installation of gas boilers in new homes contained in the new climate action plan. The installation of oil boilers is due to be banned in new homes in 2022 and new gas boilers banned in new homes in 2025, under the current climate action plan.
Covid puts the focus on air quality in our homes – Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses the best ventilation systems to employ in your home. Given that we are still (unfortunately) in the middle of a pandemic one thing...
Want to convert your attic? – Irish Examiner
This week in the Examiner, I answered a reader's question looking for things to consider when adding space upstairs with an attic conversion. We are all largely confined to our homes these days,...
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