Advice from the trade
Practical guides on insulation, plastering, dry lining and waterproofing - written for Irish homes and Irish weather.
Guide7 September 2026
Pointing brick or stone: mortar and quantities
Pointing mortar is not tile grout and the two get mixed up more often than you would think. Here is how to pick between a grey and a white mortar and work out roughly how much to order.
Read article →
Guide31 August 2026
Sanding plaster: getting the grit progression right
Sanding a skim coat with the wrong grit either leaves scratch marks that show through paint or does nothing at all. Here is how to pick the right abrasive for each stage and cut down on the dust while you are at it.
Read article →
Guide24 August 2026
Basecoat and mesh: the step between boards and render
Fixing the EPS boards is only half the job - the basecoat and mesh layer is what actually holds the system together and stops it cracking. Here is the correct order of work.
Read article →
Guide23 August 2026
Self-Levelling Compound or Floor Screed: What to Use
Self-levelling compound and floor screed look similar in the bag but do different jobs on site. Here is how to tell which one your floor actually needs before flooring or tiles go down.
Read article →
Guide17 August 2026
Taping and Filling Plasterboard Joints Without Cracking
Cracked joints are almost always down to skipping the tape or using the wrong filler for the job. Here is the order of work that keeps plasterboard joints flat and crack-free for the life of the wall.
Read article →
Guide10 August 2026
Choosing the Right Tile Grout for the Job
Grout is not a single product, and picking the wrong one is why joints crack around a bath or discolour in a shower within a year. Here is how to match the grout to the job, and when to use silicone instead.
Read article →
Guide3 August 2026
Condensation and Mould in Irish Homes: Why Insulation Is the Real Fix
Black mould in the corner of a bedroom is not a cleaning problem. Here is what is actually happening in the wall, and the order in which to tackle it.
Read article →
Guide27 July 2026
Self-Levelling Compound: Getting a Floor Flat Before Tiling
A quick-set levelling compound turns a bumpy screed into a floor you can tile in a day. How to prime, mix and pour it, and the depth limits that matter.
Read article →
Guide20 July 2026
Tile Adhesive Guide: Walls, Floors and Underfloor Heating
Why a flexible adhesive is not a luxury on a heated floor, when to use white instead of grey, and how much a 25kg bag actually covers.
Read article →
Guide13 July 2026
Bathroom Tanking & Waterproofing: What You Actually Need
Before a single tile goes on, wet areas need tanking. Here is how to waterproof a bathroom or wet room properly with SOPRO tanking systems, sealing tape and the right tile adhesive.
Read article →
Guide6 July 2026
Suspended Ceilings: Setting Out a CD and UD Grid That Stays Flat
Centres, hangers and the order of work for a metal ceiling grid, plus why the cheapest way to a wavy ceiling is putting your profiles at the wrong spacing.
Read article →Guide29 June 2026
Dry Lining Walls: A Step-by-Step Guide for Self-Builders
Dot and dab or metal frame? Learn how to dry line external walls with insulated plasterboard, what profiles and fixings you need, and the mistakes to avoid.
Read article →
Guide22 June 2026
Which Primer Before Plastering? Getting Plaster to Stick
Most plaster failures are priming failures. A short guide to which primer suits which surface, why a dusty wall drinks your skim coat, and where a gritty bonding primer is the only answer.
Read article →
Guide15 June 2026
Choosing the Right Finish Plaster (Skim Coat) for Irish Homes
Gypsum plaster, ready-mixed finish or dustless? A practical guide to skim coats - which product to use on plasterboard, old walls and repairs, and how much you need per room.
Read article →
Guide8 June 2026
Silicone or Acrylic Render? Choosing a Finish for Irish Weather
Render is the only part of an insulation system anyone ever sees, and the part that has to survive four seasons of Atlantic weather. What separates silicone from acrylic, and why grain size matters.
Read article →
Guide1 June 2026
SEAI Grants for Home Insulation: What Irish Homeowners Can Claim
Grant support can take a sizeable bite out of an insulation job, but only if the work is done the way SEAI expects. What is covered, what the conditions are, and where people trip up.
Read article →
Guide25 May 2026
How Much Material Do I Need for External Wall Insulation?
Work out boards, adhesive, mesh, beads and fixings from one number: your wall area. A worked example for a typical three-bed semi, plus the calculators that do the sums for you.
Read article →
Guide18 May 2026
How to Fix EPS Insulation Boards: Adhesive, Foam or Fixings
Cement adhesive, express foam or mechanical fixings? How boards are actually held on the wall, how many plugs you need per square metre, and where each method makes sense.
Read article →
Guide11 May 2026
External Wall Insulation in Ireland: EPS vs Mineral Wool
Thinking about insulating your home from the outside? We compare graphite EPS and mineral wool systems - costs, U-values, breathability and which one suits Irish weather best.
Read article →