Morning Surprise: Frozen Water Pipe
The third day of foundation work started with an unpleasant surprise. When Mr. Right arrived on site at 7 a.m., he found that our water pipe had frozen and burst overnight. The forecast hadn’t mentioned frost, but the temporary ball valve we had set up for construction hadn’t survived the cold. (If you’ve followed our water saga, you know this isn’t the first time we’ve had issues—read more about that adventure here.)
So, before anyone could get to the day’s real tasks, the morning began with replacing the valve and getting the water running again.
Preparing the Foundation for Concrete
The main goal today was preparing everything for the big step: pouring the concrete. At first, the plan was to pour tomorrow, but it turned out the earliest concrete delivery could arrive was late in the afternoon. That wouldn’t leave enough daylight for smoothing and leveling. So, the pour was pushed back to Friday morning—better to have a full day to work with the concrete calmly, instead of rushing against the clock.
Even without the concrete, the team got almost everything ready. Yesterday we had placed sewer pipes. Today, we added water pipes and electrical conduits. The cold-water pipes were laid under the penoplast insulation, while the hot-water pipes were tucked inside the insulation itself.
Because we plan to add a heated garage in the future, we went ahead and ran extra stubs for water, sewage, and heating. The garage itself isn’t in the budget right now, but adding the pipes at this stage saves us from having to tear things open later.
Laying the Groundwork Right
This stage of building is all about precision. Every pipe, conduit, and cable had to be measured and laid out exactly where it belongs. A few millimeters off now could cause big problems later.
After the pipes were set, the ground was leveled with fine gravel and then covered with 200 mm of penoplast. On top of that went a protective plastic sheet, followed by the armature mesh.
Tomorrow, small “mushrooms” (plastic spacers) will lift the mesh slightly so that once concrete is poured, the reinforcement sits perfectly inside the slab.
The last step today was laying down the underfloor heating pipes. Along the exterior walls, they’re spaced every 15 cm; in the middle, every 30 cm. Altogether, about half a kilometer of pipes went into the foundation.
Driveway Prep
Meanwhile, Mr. Right also worked on the driveway. The fill under the house comes from our towns demolished department store, and the driveway is built with crushed material from a club building! Who knew a department store and a nightclub could team up to make our driveway?
Once the material was in place, it was compacted tightly, then shaped with slopes and topped with fine gravel. Looking at the photo, you can see how low our plot sits compared to the surroundings.
Because of that, the driveway needed endless cycles of filling, compacting, and filling again—until it was strong enough to handle heavy rains and the weight of cars.
End of the Day
Work didn’t wrap up until nearly 10:40 p.m., when it was already pitch-dark outside. By then, all the pipes were in place and the driveway had its first proper form.
Tomorrow will be lighter—a smaller crew of just two men handling final prep. Then Friday morning, the big moment comes: concrete pouring.
What We Learned Today
- Protect temporary utilities. Even if frost isn’t in the forecast, exposed pipes can still freeze. A bit of insulation could have saved us time.
- Think ahead. Running extra pipes for future plans (like a garage) is worth the effort now.
- Patience with prep pays off. Driveway filling and compacting may feel endless, but it’s the only way to ensure it lasts.
- Every detail matters. Pipes, insulation, mesh, and heating tubes must all be precise—mistakes here can haunt you later.
We ended the day tired, but excited. Watching the foundation slowly come together makes the dream feel more real. Tomorrow, concrete pouring begins—our little house is finally taking shape!
For a recap of the first two days of foundation work, including setting the base and L-shaped modules, check out Foundation Day 1 and foundation Day 2. To know what happens next, click here.
