Insulation below dpc going on

First boards going on...

Mesh and first 2 coats of render now on, so ready for final coat.

Preparations for insulation below dpc

Putting external insulation below the damp proof course is rather like giving the house some very warm snow shoes. That and the  insulation below the floor slab and against the walls on the inside should keep heat loss down through the walls to a minimum.

But first, preparation - using insulating foam to seal up around any holes or pipes going through the walls.
And secondly, minimising cold bridging below the front and back door by removing some bricks and putting in a layer of super-insulating marmox thermoblocks.

And finally, the sticky stuff that sticks the insulation to the walls....

We have a roof!

The house is starting to look more like a house than a ruin now that it has a roof. The benefits of the insulation on the roof and dormer walls won't be fully appreciated until a few more windows have gone in!

Refurbishments based on passive house principles don't usually have roof lights, but we wanted a bit of extra light in the loft room. However, as roof lights go, the quadruple glazed Fakro rooflight with insulated flashing is probably as well insulated as it is possible to get. The challenge will be to make it completely air tight around the opening, and we plan to add extra insulation around the edge on the inside to minimise cold bridging.

The dormer is the first part of the external insulation work to be completed, and it's looking very smart. It took a bit of coordination and thought to get the vertical insulation to meet the roof insulation all round (battens etc. can potentially get in the way), but we think we've got it well and truly covered!