McCarthy Quality Homes

This projects was completed in eight weeks during Oct/Nov 2011. The focus was on creating a space which was bright and welcoming, but was also warm and comfortable all year round.

This project was completed before Christmas 2011, total project duration was 14 weeks. The alu clad timber windows were supplied by the 'Window & Door Store, Little Island,Cork. The tall elegant sections give a feeling of light and space internally, while their preformance ensures that the temperature inside remains comfortable. We were working inside in our t-shirts right up to christmas!

Single storey extension, Maryborough, Douglas, Cork. This single storey extension approx 35m2 in total, was started in early Febuaury 2012. The focus is on creating a bright, welcoming, warm space.

This was a traditional farmhouse, which was extended to provide a new kitchen/utility on the ground floor with two en suite bedrooms up stairs. We were conscious of maintaining the traditional character of the original house, so particular attention was paid to the proportions of the openings and to detailing of the roof to give a seamless appearance.

The entire house was re slated and as part of this we fitted 16m2 of solar panels a to provide hot water and to make a contribution towards the space heating demand.

On a traditional house like this where the design is simple and the finishes uncomplicated and relatively plain, the dimensions and quality of the windows have a huge role to play in giving the house its desired appearance. We used timber sash windows throughout along with a heavy sill to give the house its distinctive character.

Where possible we used natural and re claimed materials. Sheep's wool insulation was used extensively, and all flooring and internal doors where sourced from a local salvage yard. This ensured, that internally the old and new felt as one.

There was an existing sun room which due to its orientation and proximity to the boundary wasn't effective. The new structure  is almost entirely steel and glass, with the exception of the north wall where a wood burning stove is fitted.

To begin with, the roof was removed from the old structure, insulated floor laid, steelwork erected, windows fitted and then the entire structure was re roofed.

To improve the performance of the steel structure, all of the box section was pre insulated prior to fabrication on site. To prevent condensation and remove cold bridging the steel was clad internally with strips of 18mm ply before being covered with PVC to give a seamless appearance.

Total project time was 12 weeks.