Features

An airtight operation

12 Oct , 2020  

Since its inception in 2009, SC Air Tightness and Ventilation is a company which has always prided itself on providing its clients with a quality service. Building Ireland heard more about the Co Meath-based firm from its Managing Director, Sean Coyle.

SC Air Tightness and Ventilation provides its clients with a service specialising in energy consultancy, air tightness and ventilation within the residential and commercial construction sectors.

They are a family-run business with a strong background in building surveying and construction.

Sean Coyle founded the company in 2009 as BER Assessor and air tightness tester. He joined forces with his brother David later that year, and with his experience in Passive House construction, they expanded the business and offered their clients with a turnkey package in energy consultancy, air tightness and mechanical ventilation installations.

Building Ireland heard more from the man himself recently about the company and the state of business at the moment.

“We’re established since 2009 and right now we’ve ten staff working here,” Sean outlined.

“There are two sides to the business between Air Tightness and Ventilation and Energy Consultancy. Generally, the majority of our work is residential but we do have commercial jobs on going at present.”

Private homes and schools have been the company’s forte since its inception a decade ago and, as certified experts on Air Tightness Installation, SC Air Tightness & Ventilation can make your home more energy efficient.

The company boasts a fully trained team that will not only provide installations, but provide expert energy efficient advice on any build from inception, design, construction and completion. On completion of air tightness works we can carry out an air tightness test on the property.

It helps to give the client peace of mind that the work has been carried out correctly and also ensures that the company keeps its work to the high standards they’ve set themselves.

Looking back on the origins of the business, Sean remembers a time not so long ago when ventilation was “a hard sell” to potential clients, having taken the decision to start up his own venture after returning home from the UK.

“I’m a building surveyor by trade and graduated with the qualification in 2005,” he explained.

“After that I started working in the UK and came back home to work for an engineering company. When things got slow, I started off doing energy ratings and air tightness testing. That’s when I got the idea, ‘Why don’t I start fixing these problems?’

“My brother David came on board with me looking after the onsite installations.

“Ventilation was definitely a hard sell back in ’09 but people are far more aware of the benefits of it now.”

2009 was certainly a tough time for any company in the country, not to mention a small start-up just outside of Navan.

Sean recalled getting off the ground as no easy task back then before the good word eventually began to spread about the quality of work SC Air Tightness and Ventilation had to offer clients.

“When we started up we were relatively small with a small client base and when we got into it we moved to cover all over Leinster,” he said.

“We always had the one-off builders that kept us going and we managed to earn a reputation through word of mouth.”

Fast-forward a decade on and business is thriving down at Unit 2 Beechmount along the Dan Shaw Road.

Shannon Homes, Loughglynn Developments and Glenveagh are some of the big name clientele that the company has on its books nowadays and things are looking even more promising for 2020, according to the Managing Director.

“Business has increased by 30 per cent over the last couple of years,” Sean beamed.

“We’re growing all the time and forecasting to keep on the same trajectory for next year (2020). We’ve six vans on the road at the moment and will probably be adding another one to that soon.”

This past November saw the company completing ventilation work on the home of well-known architect Dermot Bannon.

The host of RTE’s Room to Improve, Mr Bannon lives in Drumcondra, Co Dublin and chose SC Air Tightness and Ventilation to carry out the work on his house which is set to feature on the popular show.

“We just recently completed our work on it and the house itself will have a two two-episode spread on RTE from what I understand, so it will be nice exposure,” said Sean.

Having their work featured on nationwide television perhaps underlines as much as anything how far SC Air Tightness and Ventilation has come in the short space 10 years.

So what has been the secret? How has a small start-up between two brothers grown to earn a glowing reputation in their chosen industry?

According to Sean, having a good relationship with its clients through quality work goes a long way in this game.

“I suppose we are just easy to deal with and we’ve a great turnaround in terms of work,” he said.

“We’re efficient, reliable, competitive and passionate in providing a top-quality service for all our clients.”

When Sean says that they “cover everything” he means it, as SC Air Tightness and Ventilation offers the following services to its clients:

Air Tightness Installation | Air Tightness Testing | Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems | Demand Control Ventilation Systems | Servicing, Maintenance and Commissioning | Thermal Imaging | BER Certificates | Part L Compliance Reports | Part F Compliance Reports | nZEB Compliance Reports | Sound Insulation Testing.

Now into a new year, further growth is right at the top of the agenda for SC Air Tightness and Ventilation, going by what its founder has to say.

“We’re adding another two staff very soon and probably could be up to 12 in 2020,” he stated.

“Hopefully it will be more of the same for us in the year ahead and getting new clients and just continuing to grow.”

For more information on SC Air Tightness and Ventilation and the services they offer be sure to check out www.scenergyrating.ie.

SC Air Tightness and Ventilation 
Unit 2 Beechmount,
Dan Shaw Road,
Navan
Co Meath
Tel: 046 907 4344
Email: [email protected]

This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, February/March 2020, Vol 6 No 1