DIY SOS came to Ireland for the first time this year and has been a hit series for RTE. With presenter Baz Ashmaway, volunteer tradesmen renovated the homes of the Mulcahy, Barry and Guihen families over the last year. The builds have helped to transform the lives of the families for the better and touch the hearts of all who played a part in the builds.
Donating fixings, PPE, signage and general building supplies to the three builds of the first series of DIY SOS Ireland: The Big Build. Since September 2019, Etag were one of the first suppliers to get on board and help out when the DIY SOS Ireland team put out the call. As a series, DIY SOS is famous for bringing out the very best in people & the best community spirit – in each & every episode an army of volunteer builders, labourers, trades, suppliers, friends & neighbours come together giving their time, labour and materials for free to help a local family whose lives have been impacted by a significant loss or misfortune. Whatever their situation, the house they live in is not suitable for the circumstances they or their family members face. But with the DIY SOS team & local volunteers, that house can become a home again.
The series was heralded as a having the feel-good factor after the challenging months of 2020. ‘Being one of the series suppliers was a huge honour for us’, states Shaun Bonner, Sales Director. ‘Members of our team attended each reveal day and it was a humbling experience to meet the families and hear their story. Our whole team then watched the series on RTE and, like everyone else, were blown away when we saw the work and effort made by the volunteers.’
Etag have been supplying to the Irish construction industry for over 15 years. Their broad product range from fixings, insulation, mechanical & electrical containment, interiors and general building supplies is what sets them apart, making Etag a one- stop shop for construction. Etag’s warehouse in Clonee, Co. Dublin is the main distribution centre for its comprehensive range for all aspects of the construction, engineering and industrial sector, supplying nationwide and to Europe. They now provide modular and offsite prefabrication from their base in Finglas. MEP elements are manufactured to a customer’s precise specifications and made ready for them to be installed on site.
‘The last build for DIY SOS was in September 2020 so COVID compliance played a huge part in the build,’ says Dave O’Reilly, National Sales Manager. ‘We worked closely with the production company and build team to ensure they had the right products and PPE to keep all the volunteers safe.’ The build for the Guihen family in Leixlip was extended from the usual 9 days to 11 days to ensure that safety was paramount on site. Etag supplied all COVID signage and PPE for the volunteers. Barriers were also supplied to create a safe passage for the volunteers to sign in and be tested each day. Sanitation stations were provided in different areas for volunteers around the build.
Etag have extended their PPE line over recent months to offer a comprehensive and innovative range of safety products to keep construction workers safe during the pandemic. From the basics of face coverings and hand sanitizer to innovative products such as the Fogger, that can sanitise a room quickly and without disrupting the workspace.
Etag also provided fixings and general building supplies to all of the builds for DIY SOS. In 2004, Etag began as distributor of fixings and are now one of the leading distributors of top brands such as Evolution Fasteners, Fischer and Sympafix. Their fixings range goes across all technical disciplines and provide pull out tests for the construction industry The tests are performed to establish the load capacity strength of fixings that have been fitted in walls, soffits and slabs. The test ensures the correct installation of the fixings. They are also an Approved Distributor with the Construction Fixings Association in both Ireland and the UK, and are official suppliers of DeWalt, Rawlplug and Spit Fixings.
‘We wish all the families from the builds the very best of luck in their new homes.’ says Shaun. ‘We thank DIY SOS for the opportunity to be involved in the brilliant project and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for the series.’
