Wrapping the House in Warmth

The window project left us with more than a few surprises, but one thing it made very clear was that our suspicions were right: this house had little to no insulation in the walls. If there was any, it was barely there, and certainly not doing its job.

So for Christmas, instead of shiny gifts under the tree, Mike and I decided to give each other something far more practical: insulation. Romantic, right? But honestly, in a house like this, it’s the best gift you could ask for.

We tackled the project in mid-December, and thankfully, Northwest Florida weather gave us perfect working conditions.

To do it right, we had to remove the old tongue and groove exterior. That part was absolutely heartbreaking. Those boards had probably been there since the house was built, and it felt wrong to tear them off. But progress sometimes means letting go of the original to make sure the house can stand strong for another hundred years.

With the siding gone, we installed rolls of high-quality insulation between every stud. Finally, the house would be able to keep warmth in during the winter and hold some cool air in the summer. Once the insulation was in, we covered the entire exterior with plywood, creating a solid shell of protection.

The final step was “drying in” the house, just like we had done before in smaller sections, so that it’s ready for the next big project: getting it bricked. That part will have to wait until the budget allows, but knowing the house is now wrapped in insulation feels like a huge win.

It might not look as glamorous as French doors or freshly painted ceilings, but sometimes the most important updates are the ones you can’t see.