Excess cost of HESS works? Advice?

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Guzzyhf

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Of the areas covered by HESS grants - Roof, Walls, Heating Controls, & BER -

Can anyone who has had any of these works completed recently (especially in the Dublin region, in a typical c1000sq m 3 bed semi (built 1999)) tell me how much I can expect to pay in excess of the grant for each or any HESS grant category?

Re. insulation - I know that different methods of insulation are used & am thinking of blown rockwool..but if any other methods have been used I'm keen to know the kind of excess that I'd need to be thinking of paying, as I'm at the beginning stage of planning all of this.

Many thanks
 
I haven't had the work done yet, it's scheduled for 2nd June. My estimate for a boiler replacement, creation of 2 zones (heating & hot water), and time and temperature controls is 1750 + labour (I'm getting other work done so can't quantify the labour for these jobs alone).

I expect to get 700 euro as a grant for the work.
 
Thanks Gipiman, that's very useful to know.
Anyone else got other estimates or ballpark figures?
 
Like gipiman I'm getting a new gas condensing boiler, 3 zone wireless controller (splitting radiators upstairs, downstairs and hot water) new time and temperature clock, cylinder thermostat for €2,500 +vat, then the return on the grant.

Net cost €1800+vat. Basically the grant is covering the labour charge.
 
Thanks Sconhome, that's good to know - had been thinking of doing what you're doing, great to have the figures to budget-plan.

Anyone got rough figures for insulation (attic, external, internal walls etc)?
 
Attic should cost in region of 400-500 for insulation. If used for storage you will need to put in a false floor to avoid compressing the insulation, ie extra floor joists above the existing ceiling joists. If you compress insullation it is ineffective and can pop your ceiling below.
External insulation ranges from €120-140 per m2. There are cheaper systems at €80 but it is the quality of the render that makes a difference on the finish.
Internal walls are cheaper about €15-20 per m2 of thermaboard. You need to allow for removal and refitting of skirtings, windowboards, curtains, sockets etc on the external walls, fitted wardrobes can be effected also. Also refinishing of plasterwork, paint etc. Disruption to household too.
 
Re Sconhome's comments, which I'm not denying in context, I'd like to point out something else regarding attics.

Installing these new joists to prevent compressing the insulation seems odd, because by then you've done a lot of the work to fully convert the attic.

To avoid replacing these joists in a full conversion later, the joists should be sized to take the floor loadings, not merely to avoid compressing the insulation.

If you refer to the building regs you may find a requirement to install new joists in converted attic spaces to take the additional floor loading.

It seems that the normal 5/6 inch [125/150mm] ceiling joists are not deep enough [=strong enough] to take dead and live loads associated with either heavy storage or living requirements.

I think you also need to raise the bottom face of the new joists above the bottom face of the existing joists to avoid any deflection damaging the existing ceiling.

You may also need to fireproof the existing ceiling/ underside of the new floor if this is required.

If you intent to fully convert the attic at a later stage you should also consider insulating, not between the ceiling joists [the horizontal "floor" of the attic], but between the roof rafters [the sloping part of the attic roof].

This should be done by an experienced contractor and to an approved detail regarding vapour check, insulation and cavity ventilation, adding in additional roof vents if required to ventilate above this

Part F requires a 50mm air gap to be left to make a continuous ventilated cavity on the cold face of the insulation. Some new roofing felts/membranes/papers claim to be able to get around this by being "breathable".

Insulating between/just in front of the rafters will keep the attic space within the warm envelope of the rest of the house.

You have to watch out for cold bridges at the eaves, chimney and pipe penetrations, as well as pockets of dead air above and below rooflights.

There are also other aspects to attic conversion covered in the building regs [means of escape/fireproofing stairs/ upspeccing the fire detection and alarm system, installing fire doors, etc.] not mentioned here.

This is just a brief note so you don't think that by upsizing joists to prevent compressing the insulation you've complied with them by default.

The long and the short of it is that insulating the outer roof envelope may actually be a more cost effective solution in the long run than insulating above the ceiling joists if at some point you intend to fully convert the attic.

If you don't and aren't using it for storage [and so not flooring out or putting things on the insulation to compress it] then you can ignore this.
 
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