At long last, things are happening that feel like real progress in our renovation project. We are getting ready for the first stage of installing our insulation.

The insulation is everything. We are hoping that the insulation we intend to install is going to keep us warm for most of the year, with very little requirement for active heating. So we are trying to do it right.

After a lot of digging, we did find the lead water pipe and a plastic gas pipe.

The first stage is to dig down by the foundations and insulating them with a foam substance called Frothpak. It will provide the bottom edge of our air tight envelope, making a bridge between the sheets of external wall insulation and the polystyrene that is going underneath our concrete floors.

While we are digging, we are also levelling the ground for a path all around the house. This will make access easier, and keep plants away from the rather fragile external wall insulation.

In the meantime, we also have to think about installing waste pipes for the new bathrooms, finding the mains water pipe as it enters the house, and constructing foundations for our balcony.

So there is lots of digging to be done before we even think about playing with the Frothpak. But at last we’re laying the foundations of our project.