A Yorkshire couple who have nearly finished transforming a small bungalow into a large two-storey family home love their first experience of using the Actis Hybris product to insulate much of the house
Jo and Dan Watson wanted to create a forever home for them and their two boys, one of whom has complex health needs.
While they renovated their previous house, this is the first such project they have carried out on this scale. Dan’s experience as a professional floor fitter, combined with their shared enthusiasm for embracing major DIY and construction tasks, is enabling them to create an energy-efficient home on a large plot while living in a ‘glorified shed’ in the garden.
Jo is a full-time carer for their son, whose condition means he is tube-fed 15 hours a day. She said: “This house is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s the future backdrop for our family life.
“This isn’t just a standard renovation. We’re doing this while also being parents to two amazing children. My son Jude and I have both had major surgery since the renovation started, which has also been another hurdle to climb.
“This journey is about resilience, finding pockets of time, and building a comfortable, functional home that truly meets all of our family’s needs.”
About the renovation project
The renovation adventure began when Jo spotted a for sale board outside the bungalow in a village near Barnsley.
“We saw the potential in the bungalow when we came to view it, especially with the quarter-acre plot. We knew we would have to live in it as it was for a while at least ‘til we sold our other house and saved some contingency. However, the current layout wasn’t feasible for how we wanted the bungalow to be.
“It is basically a complete rebuild. When the demolition had finished, we only had three walls left!”
Jo and Dan enlarged the ground floor footprint to create an open-plan kitchen/living/diner, WC, snug, and games room, and added a completely new level upstairs. What was once a loft will have three bedrooms and a master bathroom.
The pair have more than doubled the size of the bungalow, expanding it from 1,065sq ft to 2,364sq ft.
The benefits of Actis Hybris
This is Jo and Dan’s first experience of using the Actis Hybris product – and now they are hooked, saying they would definitely choose them again on any future projects, and are recommending the range to fellow DIY enthusiasts and building professionals.
They were introduced to Actis by their builder, Dan Holliday, from Holcon Group, who worked with Jo on the project management side of the build up to the pre-plaster stage.
“We love how easy Actis is to cut and install, and also how there is no wastage. There is also no mess or residue, and no smell as opposed to other insulation. No PPE is required when installing Actis either,” said Jo.
They are using 150sq m of Hybris and an insulating vapour control layer, H Control Hybrid, in the roof to achieve the required U-value of 0.16.
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