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We lay the brick on the strip foundation. What to make a plinth at home: the purpose of the plinth and the requirements for materials, the operating conditions of the plinth

We lay the brick on the strip foundation. What to make a plinth at home: the purpose of the plinth and the requirements for materials, the operating conditions of the plinth

Of the several types of foundations used, the strip foundation is the most popular. The wide spread of its application is facilitated by the property of its design, which, with a relatively small investment of funds, allows you to maximize its advantages. Firstly, it is suitable for most types of soils and, secondly, like no other types of foundations, it is easy to manufacture. Depending on the type of soil and availability ground water materials are used. On dry soils, the best material would be brick or rubble stone. On wet soils, materials with water and frost-resistant properties are used.

The height of the strip foundation should not be less than 600 mm, and the width should start from 250 mm. All other parameters of the foundation are determined by calculations specifically made for this type of structure. The general view of the foundation is clearly visible in the image, which represents its structure in section.

What is a plinth for?

The most important functions performed by the plinth include the protection of the walls of the building from the negative effects of natural and climatic conditions. Increased humidity, precipitation, rain masses, as well as moisture coming from the ground, can ultimately contribute to the process of decay and the appearance of fungal formations on the walls, which leads to a lack of wall resistance to cold and moisture and, to an increase in thermal conductivity.

Such an exorbitant load placed on a brick base on a strip foundation requires measures to ensure its strength and durability. Usually, when building a plinth, only good materials are used that can withstand temperature extremes and climatic fluctuations. The material must, at a minimum, be moisture-repellent and frost-resistant.

Basic plinth types

Variations of the base are conventionally divided into three types. In some buildings, a plinth that protrudes beyond the edge of the wall may be the preferred option. This plinth needs a protective drain, because a plinth of this type is very susceptible to climatic and temperature effects. At the same time, the use of excellent materials for its construction is a necessary condition. Usually, a basement of this type is used in buildings that have a so-called basement floor, which requires additional insulation measures. Also, the protruding plinth is a decoration of the facade from an architectural point of view.

The second type of plinth, used as a cushion between the foundation and the wall, is a plinth that runs flush with the wall. It also requires the use of good materials, and after finishing work, it noticeably ennobles the lower part of the facade.

The third, no less common type of base is sinking. Rain and snow do not fall on the connection of the walls with the foundation and flow directly onto the ground, protecting the waterproofing layer hidden by the wall ledge from the direct influence of precipitation and various mechanical influences. In addition, such a plinth design will significantly save financial resources and, from an aesthetic point of view, is in no way inferior to the two types of plinth listed above.

Falling base

Preliminary work for laying out the base

If the strip foundation is ready, you can proceed to the actual construction of the basement. The types of basement, their purpose and relevance in one case or another are determined by the developer. Before you start laying the basement, you need to set the corners. If this is done incorrectly or, in general, ignore this stage, in the future, your building will be able to remotely resemble the famous tower in Pisa.

The first stage is the placement of bricks around the perimeter of the building, without applying mortar, along the estimated width of the future basement, with the obligatory use of a level. Then, taking a tape measure, it is necessary to measure the length and width of all sides of the building, taking into account the previously laid out corners. To check the correctness of the measurements, you need to take two measurements diagonally. All data obtained from measurements must match.

The second stage, following the setting of the corners, is, in fact, the laying of the basement. The work uses a solution of sand and cement. The width of the basement depends, first of all, on the material from which the walls will be laid. If the wall is made of foam blocks, where the block sizes are standard and are 600 mm long, 300 mm wide and 200 mm high, then the width of the basement will be 300 mm. It is also necessary to take into account the dimensions of the materials that will be used for insulation and wall decoration.

Plinth masonry materials

To determine the height of the basement masonry, various data are used, the basis for which was many years of practical experience. It is believed that the optimal height is not lower than the maximum snow cover inherent in the area. Well, the developer himself is free to choose the maximum height. If the construction of a basement is planned, then the height is usually determined in the range from 80 to 100 cm. In any case, the maximum height of the basement floor is limited by the height of the floor on the 1st floor of the building.

The simplest and most economical plinth device can be its construction as a continuation of the walls of the strip foundation. Most often, the base is built from durable materials similar to those from which the foundation is built. It can be monolithic, as well as block concrete, or brick.

A prerequisite is that the weight of the material from which the masonry is made must correspond to its method. The plinth, erected from monolithic concrete, is a continuation of the foundation structure, obtained by simply increasing the height of the formwork panels. Such a plinth and foundation is interesting in that their surface can be given a textured texture, as the initial stage for finishing work. After removing the formwork, the plinth is cleaned of debris and dust and it is necessary to check for the presence of air pockets and cracks, if found, seal it with a liquid cement mortar.

Optionally, a brick base should serve as a continuation of the foundation, made of the same material. A brick base, very often, is laid out on top of a reinforced concrete strip foundation, on a sandy base, and on rubble stone masonry. The condition that must be strictly observed when laying a brick base is the absence of excessive load on the walls, under which the load on the bearing capacity of the base would not be exceeded.

For laying the basement, only full-bodied ceramic bricks are used. Its height must be at least 4 rows of masonry. In strip foundations, ventilation vents are made on the plane of each wall of the basement, which are located at a height starting from 15 cm of the ground surface, providing systematic air circulation in the basement.

To prevent the negative impact of climatic and temperature conditions on the walls, basement waterproofing is used. The simplest and most affordable material that is used for these purposes is roofing material. It must be folded in half and laid on top of the plinth. It should be remembered: the waterproofing layer must be placed in two levels - just below the level of the floor surface or above. There is a large, in addition to roofing material, choice of waterproofing materials. Everything from the choice of materials for laying the basement, methods of laying it, waterproofing and other things is the prerogative of the developer.

Video - brick base on a strip foundation

Basement at home: why is it needed and what functions does it perform?
What to make a plinth on a strip foundation?
What types of plinth are there?
Which plinth to choose when building on a columnar foundation?
Recommendations for waterproofing the basement of a house

The basement in construction is the lower part of a residential building, lined with tiles or stone. However, the plinth is not just a decoration, but also the upper part of the concrete base of the house, which usually protrudes above the ground level and on which the construction of load-bearing walls is directly carried out. The plinth in construction performs not only a load-bearing, but also a leveling function. It is at this stage that the foundation of the future building is leveled and “driven into the horizon”. It is very important to understand not only what is best to build a basement from, but also why such a structure is needed.

Basement at home: why is it needed and what functions does it perform?

Before you say what is best to build a base, you need to figure out why it is needed. Representing the upper part of the base of the house, the basement is that component of the structure, which is exposed to a significant proportion of the impact of various kinds of precipitation. Thus, the basement protects the foundation of the house from destruction. This part of the structure is subject to a significant part of the temperature differences between air and soil. Usually, the basement of a house is exposed to groundwater and flood waters. So it is important to understand not only what is best to build a basement from and why it is needed, but also in matters of waterproofing this part of the house. The device of high-quality insulation will ensure optimal humidity and temperature directly in the house, as well as increase the life of the building.

To create a vertical structure, you can use small boards about a meter long, left over from the construction of the house. So this technology is more profitable and economical. However, it has one significant drawback: in case of decay of the lower ends of the boards, they will have to be completely replaced. In the case of a horizontal pickup, only the bottom boards can be replaced.

When designing buildings, beginners often have questions - why do we need a brick base and how to properly equip it. And although one article will not be enough to fully cover all aspects of this topic, we will still try to consider the most relevant points for practice.

Below is information about the requirements for brick plinths, as well as the algorithm for their construction.

Brickwork on the foundation

The need for a plinth

A brick plinth is a part that connects the foundation to the supporting structures of the house itself. And if recently in some projects this detail may be absent (the foundation itself rises above the ground level), then earlier there was practically no alternative to brickwork in capital construction.

The main functions of the basement are:

Firstly, it provides uniform distribution and transfer of loads from the above-ground part to the foundation.. The plinth, designed taking into account all the features of the building, contributes to a significant increase in its service life.
Secondly, it is from destructive atmospheric influences. Its effective waterproofing allows you to protect the capital base, both from soil moisture and from precipitation.
Also, do not forget about the thermal insulation function.. Brick for the basement in most cases has more high rates resistance to heat transfer, which means that the building will lose less energy in the lower part, and about 15% can be saved on heating.

Put forward requirements

So, why this element is needed, we figured it out. Now you need to understand what it should be.

The following requirements are put forward for a plinth made of building blocks:

The minimum width for a brick house is 510 mm, for a house made of timber - 250-270 mm.
The width of the brick base should be selected in such a way that the overhang of the extreme blocks beyond the foundation is at least 25 mm. This protrusion will protect the waterproofing of the base from precipitation.
It is also possible to create a sinking structure, in which the brick overhang over the base is about 40-50 mm. In the future, this gap will be hidden due to the cladding.

For the solution, it is necessary to use cement grade not lower than M200. The optimal consistency is 1 part cement, 6.7 parts sand, 6.7 parts lime.
The minimum height is 250-300 mm from the top edge of the base. As a rule, in most cases, a basement is laid from 50 cm, and when arranging the basement - from 1.5 m.
is laid in two places: between the foundation and the first row of masonry, and between the last row of masonry and walls. This dual-circuit arrangement provides the maximum level of protection against vertical movement of moisture.

Material selection

One of the most important parameters is the choice of the optimal material.

The brand of brick for the basement should be selected in accordance with the construction conditions and the planned load on the supporting structures:

Silicate blocks for the construction of the basement of the building are of little use. The thing is that the silicate mass is characterized by high (by the standards of building materials, of course) hygroscopicity. When moisture gets in, the block begins to swell, and its strength gradually decreases.

Note!
A socle made of silicate brick is allowed only in very dry climates with the obligatory laying of multi-layer waterproofing.

From a technological point of view, red brick, in the production of which there is a sintering stage, is much more suitable for this task. However, its hygroscopicity is still somewhat higher than necessary in this case, therefore, waterproofing is indispensable.

As for the brand of the product, on which its strength directly depends, here experts disagree. Some argue that M100 will be enough, while others insist that bricks can be used no worse than M150 (and for large volumes, the difference in cost is very significant).
It’s not worth the risk in this case, since the M150 nominally withstands 50 moisture cycles - and this is exactly the minimum you need to focus on.
If you are building a house on a site with high humidity, or your climate zone is characterized by heavy rainfall, then you need to choose M250 blocks. Yes, their price "bites", but the foundation will be with a sufficient margin of safety.
Clinker and ceramic bricks have not only good bearing capacity, but also reliable protection against moisture. If from a financial point of view you can afford to use this material - feel free to purchase. The plinth will be much more durable than the one made of ordinary red brick.

Also, when choosing a material, one should dwell on such a question as the features of the blocks themselves. Hollow brick plinth is considered by many “old school” masters as something awkward - only full-bodied and no options!

In fact modern technologies allow the production of hollow blocks, which are in no way inferior to solid bricks in terms of strength. Naturally, it is necessary to choose high-quality products, which, by definition, cannot be cheap.

Masonry technology

Laying a brick

The do-it-yourself masonry technique itself has several features:

To prevent moisture seepage from below, we lay waterproofing on the capital foundation. Construction standards provide for the installation of two layers of roofing material with mandatory gluing with mastic.
We lay a thin cement-sand screed on top of the waterproofing. Its task is to level the surface under the brick.

Next, in all four corners without mortar, we lay the building blocks. We check their position with the help of a level, and also carefully compare the lengths of the diagonals. They must be equal, otherwise it is necessary to make adjustments to the position of the corners.

Next, we proceed to the ordinal masonry. It is desirable to lay the first row in a tying way, and the next - according to the established scheme (one and a half or two blocks).
Every four rows, it is necessary to reinforce the brick base. To do this, we lay a metal mesh of wire 2-4 mm thick in the seam. The grid cell should be from 50x50 to 100x100 mm.

Advice!
Provide ventilation openings at a distance of about 150 mm from the ground.

After the structure has been raised to the planned height, it is necessary to lay the second layer of waterproofing. Its structure is similar to the first layer.
Coating waterproofing would also be desirable, in which the erected brickwork is covered from the outside and from the inside with moisture-proof mastic.

In some cases (for example, when laying a basement under a multi-storey building made of hollow material), a monolithic reinforced belt is laid over the waterproofing. The main task of this belt is to evenly distribute the loads from walls and ceilings on the basement structure.

Warming and finishing

After the completion of the operations described in the previous section, all related construction work is carried out. We return to the plinth only when it becomes necessary to finish it.

The instruction in this case looks like this:

With the help of the level we control the plane of all vertical surfaces.
We cut off protrusions and influxes larger than 5 mm with a chisel, fill large depressions with cement mortar.
We glue the base over the entire area with polystyrene plates, for additional fixation using dowel umbrellas.
On top of the insulation for mesh or metal rails for mounting decorative trim.

When the insulation is completed, you can proceed to the final stage of work:

If dry cladding technology is used, then a cladding frame is installed on the lower part of the wall. In this case, the frame fasteners are fixed on the bearing surface through a layer of heat insulator.

Advice!
If you are planning to cover the frame, then it is more convenient to install the brackets before the start of insulation work.

A metal profile or wooden bars are attached to the brackets.
Ceramic or fiber cement panels with integrated steel fasteners are fixed on the frame. Alternatively, special basement siding can be used.

Frameless cladding is also possible:

On a plaster or metal mesh fixed on top of the insulation, we apply a layer of glue for the basement tiles.
Tiles (clinker, natural or artificial stone) are glued to the insulated surface and carefully leveled.

In any case, we mount a steel or ceramic drainage system along the upper edge of the basement, which will protect the brickwork from rain and melt water.

Conclusion

Having chosen a suitable brick for the basement, having carried out masonry, insulation and cladding in accordance with all standards, we will receive a high-quality and durable support for the walls of our house. The complexity of the task before us, of course, is impressive - but the construction itself requires a considerable amount of effort. The process described in more detail is shown in the video in this article, so we recommend that you carefully study it before starting work.

The basement of the house is the supporting part of the wall, on the correct implementation of which the durability of the entire building will largely depend.

How to make a plinth around the house with your own hands so that in a couple of years you don’t have to repair it is a difficult question that depends on many components.

What to make a plinth from? The lower part of the wall is most susceptible to the negative influence of weather factors, and therefore it can only be built from materials with low hygroscopicity and high frost resistance.

According to the current building codes, the masonry of this section can be laid out of bricks of ceramic full-bodied plastic molding with strength grade M 100, frost resistance Mrz 50, heavy concrete of monolithic laying, concrete blocks or natural stone, followed by insulation.

The execution of the plinth from porous and water-absorbing materials - cellular concrete blocks, silicate and hollow bricks is prohibited.

Relative to the plane of the wall, the plinth can be recessed, protruding, or coincide with it.

Brickwork of the supporting section is carried out on a cement-sand mortar of grade not lower than M50.

The part of the masonry protruding from the plane of the wall must be protected from precipitation, protection can be a profiled concrete block, a cement-sand mortar with an iron surface or a drip of galvanized roofing steel.

Plinths: 1 - wall construction; 2 - brick base; 3 - waterproofing layer; 4-2nd layer of waterproofing on the foundation or in the body of the masonry; 5 - facing tiles; 6 - blind area; 7 - facing frieze stone; 8 - mesh 150 x 150 x 4 cm, tied to the outlets of the reinforcement; 9 - natural stone cladding; 10 - hard cement mortar; I - releases of reinforcement embedded in the masonry; 12 - a pillow made of concrete; 13 - foundation blocks; 14 - foundation (from prefabricated reinforced concrete blocks, rubble masonry, buta, etc.); 15 - front brick; 16- plaster; 17 - reinforcing mesh; 18 - air gap; 19 - insulation

Prior to masonry, waterproofing is performed along the upper face of the foundation, for example, from two layers of bitumen-polymer roofing material on mastic.

ATTENTION: Obsolete materials, such as roofing material, roofing felt, glassine, as well as polyethylene film, are not suitable for waterproofing, due to the short service life - no more than 5 years, subsequent replacement is impossible, and waterproofing repair is a costly undertaking.

If the top of the foundation mark corresponds to the planning mark of the soil, and the floors of the first floor are much higher, two layers of waterproofing are performed: one on top of the foundation, the second on the mark of the finished floor.

Individual developers often perform the supporting part of the walls of monolithic concrete as a continuation of the strip foundation. This solution can be recommended for the construction of one-story houses without a basement, since the load from brickwork of 2-3 floors requires reinforced reinforcement, and deepening the foundations of the basement of the house increases the amount of formwork.

The execution of a basement made of natural stone is only possible for high-class professionals, not every bricklayer will be able to correctly lay the stones and reinforce the masonry, so this design is best not considered for independent implementation.

basement insulation

Doing the basement at home with your own hands, do not forget about the need to insulate the structure. As a rule, when calculating the thickness of the insulation, the values for the wall and the base are different, since the thermal characteristics of the wall material (blocks or hollow brick) are better than those of solid brick or concrete.

The constructive solution for basement insulation usually repeats wall insulation - a ventilated facade or a “wet” plaster system.

ATTENTION: It is not recommended to perform the lower part of the walls with well or three-layer masonry, as this method leads to a decrease in the bearing capacity. If, nevertheless, the base is made in this way, you need serial reinforcement with a mesh of wire Ø4 - 6 mm with a cell of 100x100 mm.

For insulation, it is better to choose a heat insulator with low hygroscopicity, for example, extruded polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam.

If the insulation is made with plates of mineral insulation - stone or basalt wool on the plaster system, it is necessary to protect the area to a height of 450–500 mm with a waterproofing composition from dry building mixtures.

Waterproofing

To protect the basement from capillary suction of moisture, especially if the basement is made of monolithic concrete as a continuation of the foundation, it is necessary to waterproof the surface with rolled or coating materials.

The easiest way is to coat with bitumen-polymer mastic 2-3 times after preliminary priming with a primer. There is also a large selection of special waterproofing compounds in the form of dry mortars.

As a pasting waterproofing, special bitumen-polymer materials based on fiberglass or polyester canvas are used, for example, waterproofing, mostoplast, but roofing roll materials are also suitable.

Facade finishing

Finishing the basement of the house is usually solved in conjunction with the facades, it can be decorative plaster, painting or cladding with various materials.

Paint and plaster must have the following qualities:

Resistance to adverse weather conditions - frost resistance, moisture resistance.
Light fastness.
Durability.
Durability.

When choosing a color, give preference to soft pastel shades - they fade less in the sun.

When facing the plinth, a metal frame or wooden bars are used, pre-treated with a flame retardant and fungicide, or complex impregnation.

Execution of works

It is not difficult to make the basement of a brick house, it requires desire and free time. To work, you will need tools:

Shovel.
Bucket or other container for cement.
Concrete mixer.
Trowel.
Building level.
Measuring tape.
Brush or roller.

Masonry materials:

Brick corpulent plastic molding M100/Mrz50.
Reinforcing mesh with a cell up to 200 mm.
Cement.
Sand.
Water.
Waterproofing material, in this case, chose Isoplast EPP 2.5.
Bitumen-polymer mastic MBP 50.
Primer.

Consider how to make a plinth around the house, this method is relevant for strip, slab and grillage foundations as a base. Work algorithm:

Treat the upper face of the completely dried foundation with a primer using a brush or roller. After the primer, apply a layer of mastic MBP 50, lay a layer waterproofing material, roll in for a better fit. Run the second layer of waterproofing.
Lay out the first row of laying the corners of the house dry, using a measuring tape, check compliance with the design dimensions: length, width and diagonals must match to within 3 cm.
Mix cement-sand mortar for masonry with a composition of 1:3 ... 1:5.
Lay corner masonry on the mortar, picking up the mortar with a trowel and tapping each brick with a handle on the surface and side face.
Run the first row of masonry along the perimeter (not forgetting the doorways), lay the reinforcing mesh in the mortar layer.
Run the 2nd row of masonry with dressing of seams.
Carry out subsequent rows of masonry with the laying of reinforcing mesh and dressing the seams.

Usually the height of the plinth is 450-600 mm, or 6-8 rows of brickwork 65 mm high with a joint height of 10 mm.

The basement is one of the most vulnerable parts of the house. That is why, questions often arise, how best to protect the base from moisture and cold, how to choose the design, the material from which it will be created, the finishing material. All this will be discussed in this article.

The concept of "basement" in the construction of a house

The word "plinth" comes from the Italian "zoccolo", which means the foot of the building, which is on the foundation. In other words, the foundation has a continuation that rises 50-70 cm above the ground level, and thus, a transitional wall is obtained from the foundation to the outer walls of the house. Here it is called the plinth.

The main purpose of the plinth is to create a barrier against the penetration of moisture into the structure of the house. However, the basement not only protects from moisture and cold, its appearance largely determines the architectural design of the building and affects the overall impression of your home. The building looks much more beautiful if it has a high plinth, with a low plinth or, even more so, if it is absent, the building looks squat.

General moments of the plinth device

If the house has an underground, then the basement plays the role of a wall that encloses and protects it. If the floors are arranged on the ground, then the base, as retaining wall, perceives the pressure of the backfill and the load from the walls.

Plinth pressure loads from walls and backfill pressure

The minimum height of the basement should be no less than 50 cm; in houses with a basement floor, the height of the basement can reach 1.5-2 m.

When constructing a basement, the so-called vents for ventilation of the underground or basement are necessarily arranged. To do this, holes are made in the basement protected by a mesh (size: approximately 15x25 cm) not lower than 15 cm from the ground level (1 hole per 3 linear meters of the foundation). In case of frost, the openings must be closed.

Plinth air parameters

It is not necessary to arrange a plinth between the columnar supports of light structures: on verandas, porches, in sheds, on terraces. In the absence of a plinth, constant ventilation will occur in these places, and this will reduce the humidity of the air in the underground.

Lack of plinth in part of the porch

Consider how the basement is arranged with different types of foundation.

Plinth device with strip foundation

On strip foundations, the plinth can be made:

From concrete blocks;
From a monolith;
From brick.

Concrete block plinth

Scheme of the plinth of concrete blocks

Their dimensions should not be less than the height of the base. And it is undesirable that horizontal seams occur. The outer surface of the basement blocks can be made different: smooth, embossed, lined with stone, ceramic tiles, crushed stone.

There are norms for the weight of blocks depending on the method of installation: for manual laying, the weight of the blocks should not exceed 100 kg; when using levers made of logs or steel pipes and the presence of mounting loops, the weight of the blocks can be up to 500 kg.

Monolithic plinth device

Plinth made of monolithic reinforced concrete

A monolithic concrete plinth is made using formwork, where liquid cement is poured, and after pouring concrete, we get both the foundation and the plinth. It is possible to give a different texture to the outer surface of a monolithic concrete base if rubber mats, corrugated fiberglass, etc. are laid in the formwork. After stripping, the concrete surface is cleaned, all voids and cracks are sealed, and covered with liquid cement mortar. For reinforcing the walls, meshes with cells of 150-250 mm made of wire with a diameter of 5-6 mm are used, for longitudinal reinforcement, rods with a diameter of 12 mm with clamps with a diameter of 5 mm are used.

Brick plinth device

Brick basement at home

For laying the basement, solid brick M-50 is used. The height of the plinth is from four rows of bricks and above. Finishing a brick basement can be done with natural stone, tiles, siding (see below for a description of the basement finish).

Plinth arrangement on slab foundations

The top of the slab foundation can be used as a base.

For example:

The top of a ribbed foundation slab as the plinth of a house

Plinth from a part of the foundation slab

The device of the base with a columnar foundation

It is believed that the construction of the basement of a building on columnar (pile) foundations is a particularly time-consuming and responsible process. The role of the base for columnar and pile foundations is performed by the grillage * and and zabirka*, which are beams or slabs, between pillars or piles.

Plinth from a grillage with a columnar foundation

* pick-up - walls arranged between pillars; *grillage - walls arranged above the pillars.

The base can be made in the form of a pickup.

Zabirka is the simplest type of plinth, which is arranged between the pillars of the foundation. It serves to protect the underground space from dust, moisture, snow drifts. Most often, the pickup is used in wooden houses, with a columnar foundation. Usually the fence is made from the same material as the posts.

Wooden plinth with a columnar foundation in a wooden house

Most often, the pick-up is deepened into the ground by 30-50 cm, then plastered with cement mortar. At clay soils a sand cushion 15-20 cm deep is arranged under the pick-up. The minimum thickness of the take-off depends on the material:

rubble masonry - 20-30 cm;
brickwork - ½ - 1 brick;
reinforced concrete - 10-12 cm.

For ventilation of the basement, holes (air vents) with a size of 140x140 mm (1 hole per 3 linear meters of the foundation) are left in the intake, 150 mm above ground level. Vents can be inserted into these holes, which are closed during cold weather.

On the heaving soils and with external walls made of bricks or small blocks, the plinth should be made in the form of a reinforced concrete lintel.

Socle of reinforced concrete lintels with a columnar foundation on heaving soil

A lintel is a structure that takes the load from a wall section located above the opening. To increase the stability of columnar foundations and to arrange the supporting part of the basement, a grillage is made between the pillars. Reinforced concrete grillage, laid on top of the pillars, can serve as the supporting part of the base with stone and brick walls. The grillage is also made in the form of an ordinary jumper, reinforced with 4-6 reinforcing bars with a diameter of 10-12 mm, laid on a concrete layer 70 mm thick. The height of an ordinary jumper should be 1/4 of the span, but not less than 4 rows of masonry. The grillage can be made in the form of a monolithic or prefabricated reinforced concrete rand beam. A variant of a columnar foundation with a grillage of typical elements is shown in the figure above. With wooden buildings, the function of a grillage can be performed by a wooden strapping made of logs and timber. At the same time, the space between the blind area and the strapping, with the grillage, is filled with a pick-up.

If you are arranging a monolithic base, then it is advisable to consider that it should not rest directly on heaving soil. Experts usually advise leaving a free space (10-15 cm) between the ground and the base, which is subsequently covered with asbestos-cement sheets, bricks, trim or non-porous soil.

High socle-grillage with a columnar foundation on heaving soil

Plinth waterproofing device

For additional protection of the basement from atmospheric moisture (snow, rain), a protective screen made of reinforced concrete slabs or asbestos-cement sheets is installed around the entire perimeter of the basement (see Fig. 12).

Types of basement structures

In relation to the outer wall, the plinth can be recessed, protruding, and be in the same plane with the wall.

Types of plinths

Not all existing designs are considered equally rational.

Falling base the most common and more protected from mechanical damage, from rain, slanting rains, provides a quick runoff of water from the walls, since it is deeper than the wall. It is more economical: it has a smaller thickness (see figure), that is, less is needed building materials. This type of plinth does not require draining and looks aesthetically pleasing, as the ledge hides the waterproofing layer.

But in some cases, a sunken plinth cannot be arranged, for example, if it is required to make it thicker due to weather conditions, or the walls of the house are thin, etc. Device protruding plinth justified if the house has thin outer walls, and also if there is a warm underground: underground floor, basement. Such a plinth is wider than the thickness of the outer walls. The protruding plinth will protect the underground from the cold. The protruding base is more than the sinking one, it is subjected to both mechanical and atmospheric influences, as it protrudes forward. At the protruding basement, it is necessary to make waterproofing protection and drains around the perimeter of the building.

plinth,built into the wall, that is, on the same level with it, builders usually do not recommend doing it, since the waterproofing coating remains open and unprotected from external influences. With this design, the waterproofing material is visible from the outside and looks unaesthetic.

Base material

Types of materials for the base

The plinth is involved in shaping the appearance of the house, so what the plinth is made of is affected by the material and texture of the walls. For a protruding plinth, you need to choose materials that do not need finishing and are very durable: red brick, natural stone, concrete.

If the walls of the building are smooth, then against their background the brick base looks very aesthetically pleasing. You can also veneer it with stones or concrete slabs. Under the brick walls of the house, they usually use such a base: concrete foundation blocks lined with natural stone tiles; reinforced concrete plinth; plinth lined with solid brick grade 50 MRZ.

The plinth is exposed to ground moisture, precipitation, cycles of freezing and thawing. The base material must be durable, practical, frost-resistant. Therefore, the plinth is laid out from durable materials: stone, concrete, brick.

The most durable is cast-in-situ concrete plinth. It is better to erect it immediately around the entire perimeter of the house without vertical and horizontal seams. The plinth of monolithic concrete is made in the formwork. For the construction of such a base, special high-strength cements of grade 300-400 are used. It is possible to strengthen and strengthen the base with a reinforcing cage made of pipes, corners or wire. Then the concrete surface is cleaned, voids and cracks are sealed and covered with a liquid cement mortar. It can be painted, but the paint on the plinth does not last long. With a sufficient thickness of the plinth, masonry made of artificial or natural stone can be used as formwork.
Concrete block plinth. Rows of concrete blocks are laid with dressing, mounting the blocks on the cement mortar. The variety of standard sizes of concrete blocks is small, during the construction of the basement, multiple blocks may appear, the places not covered by the blocks are filled with monolithic concrete.
Plinth made of natural stonesused for strip foundations.

Type of basement made of natural stone

Stone plinths are made from natural stone on cement mortar. The technology of erecting a stone plinth requires professional skills. On the foundation, first lay out the base in width equal to the width of the base. The laying of a stone base begins with the construction of corners: the largest stones are laid here.

When laying, the stones are brought as close as possible to each other (for this they try to use bed-shaped stones - that is, having a large percentage of a flat surface), the space between them is filled with cement mortar. The entire array of masonry must be divided by vertical seams. The wall is leveled along the "pier" cord stretched between the corner stones. To increase the strength of the masonry, the seams between the stones are bandaged. The upper plane of the base is leveled with a layer of mortar or a belt of monolithic concrete. The height of the rows of masonry is calculated from the height of the stones and the thickness of the horizontal joints, which is allowed within 10-15 mm. The thickness of vertical seams can be from 8 to 15 mm.

The plinth is brick.Usually used red solid brick brand 50 Mrz (frost resistance). Silicate brick is not stable in a humid environment and collapses under the influence of moisture. In areas with winter temperatures of -30 C, the thickness of the brick base should be one and a half to two bricks.

Types of red brick plinth

The brickwork of the basement should be additionally protected. Ironing is sometimes used for this: cement is applied in its pure form on top of a standard plaster solution and rubbed with a trowel. It is possible to cover a brick plinth with water-repellent compounds: they protect the plinth from moisture at the molecular level. Sometimes, after plastering a brick base, it is painted. In this case, you can use silane-siloxane-based paints, which have properties similar to water repellents: they let moisture vapor through, but do not let water through. There is another option - special highly resistant paints for the base. The brick plinth looks beautiful after painting with chloroxide paint with pigment, in which the seams are cut with chloroxide paint without pigment, i.e. white color. To protect the masonry, you can use water-repellent compounds. They reliably protect the base from moisture at the molecular level, and, by the way, do not change the color and texture of the material.

basement insulation

Significant heat losses occur through basement ceilings located above unheated basements and undergrounds. In this case, not only the cost of heating the house, but also the possibility of creating a comfortable living environment depend on the quality of thermal insulation. Therefore, the basement needs to be insulated.

Insulation of the basement of the house

To insulate the basement, materials are used that have water absorption close to zero and are able to maintain heat-shielding properties in a humid environment. These requirements are met by materials with closed pores - most often extruded polystyrene foam is used. For the installation of polystyrene foam boards, adhesives and mastics are used that do not contain components such as acetone, solvent, etc., since they dissolve polystyrene, and instead of hot bituminous mastics, cold ones are used. When insulating the basement, the heat-insulating material is placed on the outside. After the hard insulation is glued to the base with adhesive mastic, it is then plastered over the grid.

An example of an insulated plinth for a wooden house

Basement insulation in a wooden house

The design of this plinth consists of: blind area, roofing iron coating, felt, plaster, plinth, roofing material, warm concrete * at half the height of the crown, cement screed, slag, compacted soil and tar. Warm concrete at 1/2 the height of the crown consists of 1 part of cement, 1 part of lime, 9 parts of fine slag.

In private construction, an inexpensive and relatively uncomplicated plinth device, which is called a "fill" is common.

Socle- "filling"

Finishing materials for the plinth

You can hide the plinth by lining it with the same material as the walls. But since the plinth emphasizes the architecture of the building, it is customary to emphasize it with decoration.

Plastering with coloring. Used for brick plinth different types. The plaster will hide defects, it allows air to pass through, protects its base from water and temperature extremes. Before plastering, a metal (or fiberglass) mesh is attached to the base with dowels, its function is to level the surface and reinforce the coating. When plastering, you can create a relief surface. From above, the plinth is painted with facade paints. When creating such a finish, it is necessary to plaster and tint it, especially in places near the blind area, since the cycles of freezing and thawing, the accumulation of moisture cause cracking and shedding of the plaster.
Concreting of the outer surface. A more reliable finishing method than plaster. Used for brick plinth and block plinth. For concreting, a metal mesh is attached to the base, and then a formwork is installed, where concrete is poured. Builders recommend finishing with concrete around the perimeter of the house at the same time so that the coating is monolithic.
The formwork is removed after the concrete has cured. The concreted surface is painted with facade paints.
Finishing with tiles and artificial stone. It is used for monolithic plinths, plinths made of concrete slabs and bricks. Tiles are made from various mixtures: polystyrene foam asbestos-cement, cement-stone mixtures. They are attached to the facade with adhesive solutions or dowels. Artificial stone is created from concrete based on ground natural stone and cement. It can be a complete imitation of natural stone. It is better to entrust its installation to an experienced master. For fastening to the wall with the help of forged nails, guides made of reinforcing steel with a diameter of 6-8 mm are hung, between which a wire mesh with a diameter of 1.1-1.2 mm is stretched with cells no larger than 40 mm.
Natural stone finish. This type of decoration is very beautiful. Suitable for monolithic plinth, made of concrete slabs (see description below) Chopped cobblestone, lime slate, marble and other stones are used as the material, depending on the style of the building. In order for the finish to look perfect, you need to have professional skills. The installation process takes several days. The plinth can also be finished with facing bricks.
Siding trim. Siding - these are facing panels that are given the most diverse look. Siding panels have a surface that does not require additional painting, they are made in various textures and colors. Siding can be used in a wide range of temperatures (-50 +60 °). It is durable, does not corrode and does not fade (see below for a description of siding work).

There are certain rules for finishing the basement. When choosing combinations of color shades when creating the architecture of the house, it is worth taking into account that the basement should have darker tones than the walls and be combined with the color of the roof. When finishing the basement, you should be guided by the principle of combining colors that are close to each other or contrasting shades. But these rules are only suitable if you do not plan to create an extravagant structure. If there are walls of log houses above the basement, made of timber or smooth, plastered, then it is better to make the basement cladding from natural or artificial stone, which visually weights the building.

Consider several options for finishing the sinking base.

Option to finish the plinth of concrete blocks with natural cobblestone

Concrete block plinth decorated with natural cobblestone

Consider the option when the wall of the house is brick. They pick up stones with a flat surface and up to 10 cm thick, the cobblestone can also be chopped with a sledgehammer. The first row of brickwork of the wall should protrude above the concrete block of the basement by half the length of the brick (by 12 cm), so it is important that the facing stone does not protrude beyond the wall.

Around the plinth, to a width of 50-70 cm and to a depth of 10 cm, the soil is removed with a shovel. Crushed stone or gravel is poured into the trench, then watered abundantly with water and after an hour or two they are rammed, creating a “pillow” under the slopes around the house (“pillow” should be arranged at ground level). Lay out the bottom row first. The stone and base are moistened with water. With a trowel, cement mortar is thrown onto the base over an area corresponding to the size of the stone. The stone is turned with its flat surface outward and driven into the solution by tapping with a hammer.

The stone with its lower edge should rest on a “pillow” of rubble. The flat surface of the stone should be parallel to the plane of the base. Then the second stone is also fastened, and in this way the entire first row is laid along the base. They wait about a day for the solution to harden (if the weather is dry), then proceed to the second row. These stones rest on the first row.

The resulting voids are filled with the solution, trying not to get on the surface of the stone (if the solution does get on the stone, you need to let it harden a little, and then clean it off with a dry, stiff brush). After fixing the next row, “joint stitching” is performed, which means applying metal jointing to smooth the mortar between the stones. To make the lining look voluminous, the seams should “sink” relative to the surface of the stone a centimeter deep. If some stones will have a thickness less than average, then a thicker layer of cement is needed under them in order to keep all the stones in the same plane. So all rows fit. In dry weather, those rows that were laid earlier are watered. It is possible to veneer the base with others natural stones, for example, dolomite stone.

After the end of the last row, they begin to create a slope for the outflow of water from the house at an angle of 5-10 degrees from the base to the ground. When constructing a slope, stones are driven into the cement mortar, fitting them to each other in such a way that an even slide is formed. All spaces between stones must be filled with cement mortar.

The option of finishing the socle from liquid concrete with natural cobblestone

Concrete plinth decorated with natural cobblestone

Formwork needs to be prepared. The selected stones are exposed inside the formwork with a flat surface to the formwork wall, and fixed with cement. After installing the first row, it is poured with concrete. After two or three hours, a row of stones is again exposed close to the wall of the formwork, and again they are poured with concrete. During the day, up to half a meter of stones line up. Thus, you get a basement immediately lined with stone. The formwork is removed after a few days. Surface facing stone cleanse. A cement mortar with a certain color is prepared and the space between the stones is filled with it, after a few hours the seams are embroidered with a trowel, then the outer surface is cleaned.

The facade of the basement must match the architectural appearance of the building, so you can decorate the basement. For example, when preparing a concrete mixture, colored cement or crushed red bricks are added. There is another option for designing the facade of the basement: after removing the formwork panels, it is then reassembled, only made wider. A gap is formed between the plinth and the formwork, expanded clay mixed with a water-cement mortar (water-cement mortar - 0.7 - 0.8, expanded clay - 5 parts) is poured there and poured with cement water. Instead of expanded clay, you can take crushed granite, marble chips, etc. When processing the base, profiles and rust are used, as a result of which it acquires a decorative cladding.

Option to finish the plinth with siding

To finish the plinth from different materials, many manufacturers offer plinth siding - these are facade panels that very accurately imitate natural material. Such siding is made from polymers. Its purpose is to protect the base from the effects of the external environment. Basement siding has a panel thickness of more than 2 mm, it is convenient to use it for facing the basement of existing buildings. The low weight of the plinth siding and its attractive appearance make it possible to use it for lining the plinth, pipes, transitions, etc. The plinth siding can be easily installed on any surface thanks to a simple fastening system using spikes and clips (Fig. 20):

Connecting siding panels

If the basement surface is even, some types of siding can be installed without a crate. If the surface is uneven, then the installation of the siding is carried out on a crate of metal profiles (the same as when installing drywall).

Fastening siding panels to metal profiles

During operation, the panels shrink and expand, so when installing the basement siding, you need to leave the opportunity for the panels to move slightly, this is also necessary to drain condensate. Nails are hammered exactly in the center of the hole, while it should not reach the surface by 3-5 mm. The crate is hung on the prepared wall: clean, without breakage. If you are nailing horizontal elements, you need to do it from the middle to the edge, while vertical elements are nailed from top to bottom.

Corners are decorated with siding, bent at the desired angle. To do this, it is heated from the unpainted side (up to a temperature of + 120 ° C). It should be noted that the fold of the basement siding should recede 1-2 cm further than the corner line of the building.

Siding panel fold line

Installation of plinth panels is simple, so they can finish the plinth of any design. The price of basement siding is on average $12/m2.

To protect the basement, a blind area is arranged around the entire perimeter of the house, which can be read about in articles and. The width of the blind area is at least 600 mm, the slope is 2-3% in the direction from the wall of the structure. The material for the blind area is concrete, asphalt, paving made of natural or artificial stone is less commonly used.

By arranging a basement, you will protect underground spaces, as well as the walls of your house from adverse external influences, cold and moisture. And besides, the plinth plays an important role in creating the overall look of your home.

Attention: Prices are valid for 2009.