Case study · Sandymount, Dublin 4
Home Retrofit, Sandymount, Dublin 4
A 1925 mid-terrace, insulated inside and out and taken from an F to a B1.
Completed May 2026
The story
An older Dublin terrace, warm for the first time
This is a mid-terrace house in Sandymount, Dublin 4, dating back to 1925. Houses of that age were built with solid walls and no cavity, so there is nowhere to pump insulation and no easy win. Left as they are, they stay cold, cost a fortune to heat and sit near the bottom of the BER scale. This one was an F.
EnergyHaus took the whole upgrade on as one project, with Retrofit Director Chris Bermingham coordinating the trades and the order of works. The walls were insulated externally and finished with a lime render internally, the attic and the flat-roof ceiling were insulated, passive ventilation was fitted so the house could still breathe, and an air source heat pump replaced the old heating system.
The house came out of it at a B1, six grades up, and the homeowners felt the difference in comfort straight away.
- Property
- Mid-terrace house, built 1925
- Location
- Sandymount, Dublin 4
- Walls
- Solid, no cavity
- BER
- F before, B1 after
- Measures
- Six, delivered as one project
- Grants
- SEAI grants applied for and taken off the bill
- Completed
- May 2026
What we did
Six measures, one project
Each measure was chosen for a solid-walled 1920s house, and they were sequenced so one didn't undo another.
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External wall insulation
An insulated layer fixed to the outside of the solid walls and finished with a fresh render. With no cavity to fill, this is what gets an older terrace up to a workable U-value.
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Internal lime render
A breathable lime finish to the walls inside. Old solid walls need to let moisture move rather than trap it, so lime is the right partner for the insulation outside.
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Air source heat pump
Heating and hot water now run off electricity, typically at about a third of the energy of an oil or gas boiler. The outdoor unit sits outside, the cylinder goes indoors.
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Attic insulation
The attic was insulated to current depth. It is the cheapest heat you will ever save, and there is no point heating a house that loses it straight through the roof.
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Ceiling insulation to the flat roof
The flat-roof section has no attic to work in, so it was insulated at ceiling level from inside. That closed off the last cold surface over the living space.
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Passive ventilation
Once a house is sealed and insulated it still needs a way to breathe. Passive vents keep fresh air moving through the rooms without a fan or any running cost.
In their words
The homeowner's letter
Sent to Chris after the works were signed off. The homeowner asked us to use their initials only.
"I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to you and the entire team at EnergyHaus for the recent retrofit works carried out on our mid-terrace home in Dublin 4."
"The project involved the installation of external wall insulation and a new heat pump system, both of which have already made a noticeable difference to the comfort and energy efficiency of our home."
"As with many retrofit projects involving older properties, particularly a terrace house dating back to 1925, a number of challenges arose during the course of the works. However, I was impressed by the professionalism, expertise, and commitment shown by your team throughout the project. Any issues that were encountered were addressed promptly and effectively, with practical solutions found to ensure the work was completed to a high standard."
"From the initial planning stages through to completion, your staff were courteous, knowledgeable, and responsive, keeping us informed at every stage of the process. Their attention to detail and determination to overcome the complexities associated with upgrading an older property gave us great confidence throughout."
"We are delighted with the final result and would have no hesitation in recommending EnergyHaus to other homeowners considering a home energy upgrade or retrofit project."
Project partners
Delivered with our partners
EnergyHaus is the home-retrofit arm of the Lennon Group. We deliver the one stop shop grant route in partnership with REIL, an SEAI-registered provider, so homeowners can upgrade the whole house under one grant route rather than claiming measure by measure. See the SEAI grants we apply for.
EnergyHaus carries out home retrofits and SEAI grant-supported energy upgrades across Dublin and the North East, covering Dublin, Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Cavan.