Pour the foundation for the house. How to pour a foundation for a house
The construction of a private house always begins with preparing and pouring the foundation. Arranging the foundation of a house is one of the most important and critical stages of construction; it requires maximum attention and care when carrying out work. In this article we will talk about how to pour a foundation for a house with your own hands, we will show diagrams, photos and video instructions.
Foundation types
When constructing a residential building, the following types of foundation can be used:
- tape,
- monolithic.
For a certain type of building, one or another type of foundation is suitable. For example, a pile foundation is necessary when the soil on the site is weak enough to organize other types of house foundations in it.
For most country houses being built, a strip foundation is chosen.
Preparatory stage
Preparation before pouring the foundation for a house is of great importance. At this stage, it is necessary to mark the area for the foundation of the house according to the previously drawn up drawing. The depth and thickness of the foundation, its location on the site depends not only on the terrain, but also on the composition of the soil. For example, swampy or clayey soil requires a pile foundation, unstable soil requires a monolithic foundation, and a strip foundation is suitable when there is mixed soil.
Marking is carried out using rope and pegs. Having selected the desired type of foundation and made the markings according to the drawings, you can begin to organize the holes for the foundation. For a pile foundation with round piles, you must use a manual or electric drill; for a strip foundation, you must use a shovel and a drill if it is not possible to use special equipment. To obtain a monolithic foundation you will need powerful construction equipment.
After marking the site, you can begin to organize holes for the foundation. For greater strength, their depth should be below the freezing level of the soil. After pouring, the foundation usually settles, and cracking or any other deformation of the foundation of the house can be prevented by building a sand cushion in each hole. To do this, the soil at the bottom of the hole needs to be compacted, about 15–20 cm of sand should be poured on top, spilled with water and compacted also well.
The amount of concrete mortar for a pile foundation can be calculated as follows: the area of support (the bottom of one hole) is multiplied by the height of the pile. The support area of one pillar is understood as a quarter of the diameter of the hole made in the ground in a square, multiplied by 3.14 (1/4πD 2). The height of one pile is the sum of the depth of the hole and the length of the pile that will be above the ground.
Concrete mortar must be prepared from cement grade not lower than M200. However, a truly solid foundation for a house can only be achieved by using M400 grade cement. Attention should also be paid to the quality of the sand - it should be fine-grained, without large pebbles. For a high-quality concrete solution, it is necessary to mix cement, sand, crushed stone and water in a proportion determined by the brand of cement used.
Concrete solution must be prepared in such quantity that it does not remain after completion of construction work. First, the hole is filled to 10-15 cm. Reinforcement is placed in it - a metal pipe or several metal rods at least 1 cm thick. The reinforcement will give the foundation additional strength. After placing the reinforcement in the prepared holes, concrete is gradually poured to the very top.
When installing a strip foundation, trenches are installed in a pre-marked area with a depth below the freezing level. Their width should be no more than 50-60 cm.
Before pouring the foundation, a sand cushion is installed - at least 15-20 cm thick; it should be spilled with water and compacted well. The first portion of concrete mortar is poured onto the bottom of the foundation - no more than 10-20 cm thick. A reinforced mesh is laid on the primary mortar, and concrete mortar is poured from above to the ground surface.
If the strip foundation must protrude above the ground, it is necessary to construct formwork from wooden boards in advance. The concrete solution must be poured into the formwork. Wooden formwork boards can be removed only after the concrete solution has dried.
When pouring concrete into the formwork, it is necessary to attach a waterproof film to the inside of the wooden boards - it will prevent the wooden boards from absorbing water from the solution.
If you live in an old country house, then you probably know that it needs to be renovated from time to time. Poor quality work on the foundation and poor materials can lead to a violation of the integrity of the house. What if your house has no foundation at all? This problem is typical for wooden houses. Be that as it may, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the instructions for pouring a new or replacing an old foundation for a house that has been built a long time ago.
Before you begin any action, stock up on the following tools and materials:
- Sand.
- Shovel.
- Waterproofing material.
- Supports.
- Roulette.
- Water.
- Tamping.
If you need to pour a foundation for the interior walls of the house, you will have to crawl under the structure. But, if the size of the house is not so large and its weight is moderate, then it is enough to fill the foundation around the perimeter of the building. The depth of the foundation pit in this case should be two spade bayonets.
In order for the foundation under the old house to ultimately be strong enough, supports should be installed in the trench/pit at a certain distance from each other so that on one side they rest against the base of the pit, and on the other, against the base of the house.
Reinforced concrete or wooden columns can be used as such supports. Whatever type of pillars you choose, it is important to waterproof them. This can be done using special materials or chemical solutions. This is done to protect reinforced concrete from destruction, and wood from rotting due to exposure of these materials to high humidity.
The width of the pit depends on the size of the columns/support pillars. After installing the supports, you can begin constructing the bottom of the foundation. Cover it with sand. Compact the sand cushion. In this case, its thickness should be about 10–15 cm. This thickness is sufficient to evenly distribute the load from the foundation to the soil. It is important to comply with this condition, because poor-quality production of the sand cushion can lead to cracking and destruction of the finished foundation, which is under the weight of the house.
For high-quality compaction of sand, it needs to be spilled with water. However, before pouring concrete, you need to wait for the sand to dry. Or compact it manually, but keep in mind that wet sand compacts easier and faster.
If you need to make a foundation under the house's interior walls or partitions, you will also need to dig trenches, install support posts and make a sand bed.
The next step is to install the formwork. This is done from the inside of the external foundation. To do this, you will need edged boards that are approximately 2–3 cm thick. You can replace the boards with a sheet of plywood or chipboard. You will need to make walls for the formwork from one of the proposed materials.
So, to make formwork you need to purchase:
- Edged boards/plywood/chipboard.
- Hammer-sledgehammer.
- Screwdriver and screws.
- Metal stands.
- Saw.
You cannot simply install wooden panels (or chipboard/plywood) formwork into the ground, as these actions will not allow you to create strong restraints. Under the pressure of concrete, such formwork will quickly collapse. The formwork can be secured using metal stands. They will hold the structure. It is important to place them at the corners. Another option for making formwork is to combine several of its parts into one. This can be done with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.
A certain distance or hole should be left in one side of the foundation. With its help, you can pull out the formwork walls after the foundation is poured and the concrete has hardened. But, if you don’t need the formwork in the future, you can leave it in the foundation for good.
The foundation must be poured taking into account the groundwater level. They are known to have a destructive effect on this part of the house. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the groundwater level in your home does not rise so high during the snow melt and rainy season that it can undermine the foundation of the house.
If you left a hole in the foundation, then after completing all construction work you need to decorate it. This can be done in different ways. For example, install a sash that will allow you to crawl under the floor of the house if necessary in the future. Or build a flowerbed in front of the hole that will block this hole in the foundation.
After installing the inside of the formwork, the foundation should be reinforced. This event will help strengthen the foundation of the house, making it more durable and reliable. Some experts argue that it is unnecessary to reinforce the foundation of an old wooden house, because concrete and support pillars will already create a fairly strong foundation. But if you do not want to return to the issue of foundation repair for a long time in the future, then it is better to carry out reinforcement.
To maximize the strength of the foundation, connect the reinforced belt with the previously installed support pillars of the structure.
The reinforcing material can be steel wire, mesh, metal rods, steel grating or wire rod. Alternatively, you can use reinforcement of a suitable length.
After this, you need to build and install the outer side of the formwork. When making formwork from edged boards, there is a high probability that concrete may pour out through small cracks. To avoid this situation, cover the shield with two layers of plastic film. You can attach it to a wooden board using a construction stapler.
Fine crushed stone should be poured into the pit. This must be done in view of the fact that the stone of a large fraction leads to the fact that the solution penetrates into the reinforced belt unevenly, as a result of which the quality of the filling suffers. This will lead to a deterioration in the strength characteristics of the foundation, and the house as a whole. It is very important to complete all work conscientiously.
As the formwork is filled with concrete, it is important to compact it, although this will not be easy, due to the fact that there will not be such a large gap between the surface of the earth and the house. Carrying out this work requires patience. If this quality is poorly developed in you, then perhaps it is worth considering other types of foundation construction for an old house.
You already know what a pile foundation is. Of course, the process of installing piles for a finished house is slightly different from making such a foundation for a house that has not yet been built. In our case, screw piles should be installed around the perimeter of the house, directly under its base. Installation of piles is carried out as follows: piles are gradually screwed into the soil. This is done before installing the piles in a dense layer of soil. The support pillars need to be concreted. They are installed at the base of the house. Then the building is lifted using jacks and installed on stilts.
This type of foundation is easier to make than the previous version, and the work process itself takes much less time. However, the choice in favor of a pile foundation can only be made if we are talking about its manufacture for a small-sized house structure.
A strong foundation of the house will be the key to its durability, and, therefore, reliability. Of course, writing about how to pour a foundation is easier than completing this task. But, it is worth noting that although this is a labor-intensive process, it is quite doable.
Video
Scheme
Photo
One of the cheapest methods for constructing a foundation is a strip structure. It can be made as a prefabricated structure (from individual reinforced concrete blocks), or a strip foundation for the house can be poured, done independently with the possible use of ready-made concrete mixtures.
Basic information about strip foundations
Strip foundations can be used in the construction of houses with or without basements. Either way, you get significant savings when choosing this type of foundation.
When constructing a basement, it is advisable to build a foundation in a ready-made pit using double-sided formwork; in this case, the foundation will play the role of basement walls.
A simpler method is to pour the structure into specially prepared trenches. In this case, you can save on the cost of formwork, because it is enough to install only its outer part, which, when using modern materials (formwork using extruded foam), will also become a reliable element of insulation and waterproofing.
The calculation of foundation parameters must be carried out by a civil engineer who will be able to calculate all design parameters depending on the condition of the soil, the presence of groundwater and other factors.
The entire technology of pouring a strip foundation can be divided into several stages:
- Preparing the base, installing formwork
- Manufacturing of reinforcing frame
- Pouring concrete mixture
Let's look at all these stages in more detail.
Preparatory and excavation work
The main issue of preparation is the calculation and purchase of necessary materials. If you decide to prepare the concrete mixture yourself, which will help somewhat reduce the cost of pouring a strip foundation, but will significantly increase the time of its construction, you need to bring the required amount of crushed stone, sand, and cement to the construction site.
In addition, before starting work, it is necessary to purchase formwork material and reinforcement; all this can be imported during the excavation process. In addition, to prepare concrete, you need to make sure you have a concrete mixer, which, in extreme cases, can be rented. But we would still recommend using ready-made concrete mixtures, which will greatly simplify the work.
As already mentioned, concrete can be laid either in trenches or in a foundation pit. In addition to the fact that constructing a pit will simplify the work on arranging the basement, in this case it is possible to arrange additional waterproofing of the building by installing a clay castle over the entire area, which will significantly reduce the access of groundwater to the building.
When performing excavation work, it is necessary to constantly monitor elevations; this will be the basis for the stability of the entire building.
The rules for pouring the foundation do not allow large differences in the base of the structure; of course, a small part can be corrected with the help of bedding, but for large volumes this will not give the desired effect.
In addition, trenches must be monitored along the axes of the building. To do this, they resort to the so-called cast-off, it is performed as follows. 2 m are retreated from the lines of the future walls, supports are mounted to which the boards are attached. Thus, we obtain a structure that follows the entire contour of the building, which facilitates excavation work.
Preparation of the base, installation of formwork
To reduce the impact of seasonal soil heaving, a sand cushion is installed along the entire perimeter of the foundation, which will serve as a shock absorber. It is performed to a height of 10-30 cm, followed by moistening and compaction; at this stage, the elevation marks of the base are finally adjusted.
The next stage is the construction of formwork; it can be made of various materials, in addition, the following types are distinguished:
- Fixed
- Removable
It is recommended to use expanded polystyrene formwork as a permanent formwork, which will act as insulation. Removable formwork is used mainly in large-scale construction and can be installed on a number of objects, although boards removed from the formwork can also be used in a private house.
Basic rules for installing formwork:
- Formwork panels must be installed vertically, this is checked with a plumb line or level.
- All structural elements must be carefully secured, otherwise, under the pressure of the mass of concrete, the formwork may lose its straightness or even collapse, which will lead to loss of concrete.
- When installing, do not forget to insert sleeves under future communications(electricity, water, sewerage).
- It is advisable to cover the surface of the formwork with inexpensive insulating material.
Pouring a strip foundation with your own hands will be more economical with high-quality formwork that prevents leakage of the concrete mixture.
The basis of a strip foundation, which increases its load-bearing capacity, is a frame made of reinforcement. Its diameter and location pitch must correspond to the project; it is not recommended to select such parameters independently.
The distance from the reinforcement to any external surfaces of the foundation must be at least 20 mm, thus forming a protective layer.
Reinforcement elements must be tied with special wire; welding is not permitted, since it deteriorates the structure of the reinforcement. You can tie the frame on the surface and, after installing it in the trench, connect its elements. This method allows you to perform work even in narrow trenches.
That, in principle, is all about the preparatory stages of pouring a strip foundation; you can proceed directly to the process.
The foundation is the foundation on which the weight of the entire house will rest. The service life of the building located on it will depend on the foundation.
The process of building a foundation in stages.
How to properly pour a foundation for a house: stages of work
The first step is to mark the foundation for the house. To do this, it is necessary to use metal reinforcement. Using a tape measure you need to measure the length and width of the foundation. Reinforcement is driven in at the corners.
After this, you will need to stretch polypropylene twine onto the reinforcement and make an indent from the corners of the reinforcement. The width of the indentation is equal to the width of the foundation wall.
At the next stage, a trench is dug into which you need to pour the foundation for the house with your own hands. If a two-story house is being built, then the depth of the trench should be 75-80 cm. The trench can be leveled using a water level. Every 2.5 m in the ground you need to make holes 2 m deep and 30 cm in diameter.
The trench is filled with a mixture of sand and gravel and then compacted. Next, the trench will need to be filled with water.
At the next stage, formwork is installed from wooden boards 25 cm wide.
Next, a skeleton is created from reinforcement. If a small structure is being built, then you can use reinforcement with a cross section of 10 mm. If you need to build a large house, it is recommended to use rods with a cross-section of 20 mm. The reinforcement should not come into contact with the formwork walls. To do this, you need to make a 5 cm indent from the wall. The skeleton is fixed to the reinforcement using a knitting wire, and the reinforcement must be driven into the ground. Rods need to be inserted into the holes that were made every 2.5 m. Pipes with a diameter of 10 cm are placed on the sides of the walls for ventilation.
Elements that will be needed to pour the foundation:
- Reinforcement bars.
- Water.
- Sand.
- Gravel.
- Concrete.
- Water level.
- Building level.
- Wooden boards.
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So, how to pour the foundation for a house with your own hands?
During the process of pouring a monolithic base, a concrete mixture can be laid in two existing ways:
- Lay the concrete mixture in one go, without taking breaks in concreting until the previous layer begins to set.
- Lay the mixture in parts, taking breaks after the layer of mortar that was laid earlier has set. In this case, you will get a working seam. Before continuing with concreting, you will need to clean the seam from the cement film that has formed. Concrete must be durable for this.
It is preferable to fill the base without taking breaks. This way you can get a good quality monolithic base.
In some cases, provided for by SNiP, it is impossible to fill the base without interruption. You will need to use working seams.
During the design process of the base, working seams must be provided for by the design.
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How is the concrete mixture laid?
The foundation is concreted in horizontal layers, without technological interruptions.
- The concrete mixture must be placed into the formwork in horizontal layers, and technological breaks are not allowed. The direction of laying the mortar should be the same in all layers.
- If there is a large cross-sectional area of the structure being manufactured, the mortar can be poured and compacted in inclined layers, making a horizontal section that is 1.5-2 m long in each layer. The angle of inclination to the horizontal part of the surface of the concrete mortar layer being laid before compaction should be less than 30°.
- After the concrete mixture has been poured and distributed over the entire area of the laid layer, compaction will need to begin from the leading section.
- Before compacting each of the laid layers, the concrete mixture will need to be evenly distributed over the cross-sectional area of the structure that is being concreted. The height of some protrusions above the level of the base of the mixture before compaction should be no more than 10 cm. It is not allowed to use vibrators to redistribute or level the layer of concrete mortar being laid, which is fed into the formwork. The concrete mixture can only be compacted after leveling the surface to be concreted has been completed.
- The next layer of concrete mixture must be laid before the mortar in the previous layer begins to set. If the break in concreting exceeds the time when the mortar begins to set in the layer being laid, then a construction joint must be made. Concrete must be cured until it becomes strong. The permissible strength is indicated in SNiP 3.03.01-87. Everything will depend on the method of cleaning the cement film.
- If there is no corresponding indication in the project, the thickness of the concrete layer that is laid after the construction joint must be at least 25 cm.
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How to clean work seams?
- Before concreting, all inclined and horizontal surfaces of concrete working joints will need to be cleaned of debris, oil, dirt, ice, cement film, and so on. Before laying the concrete mixture, the cleaned substrates must be washed with water and dried with a stream of air.
- In the process of laying the mortar on a construction joint that has a film of cement, not a monolithic, but a multilayer structure will appear, which consists of concrete in the upper and lower parts, as well as a cement screed. If there is a threshold voltage, the structure will collapse along the resulting interface. This is why it is important to clean construction joints.
- There are the following methods for cleaning the cement film: mechanical treatment using a metal brush, mechanical milling, hydro-sandblasting, water washing and air drying. The method must be chosen based on the strength of the concrete surface. The first method is used if the concrete strength is 1.5 MPa or more. The second and third methods can be used if the concrete strength is 5 MPa. The latter method is suitable for concrete with a strength of at least 0.3 MPa.
- The easiest way to remove the cement film is with a water or air jet. The advantage of this method is that it can be used when the concrete has a strength of 0.3 MPa. Concrete can achieve this strength in 4-10 hours.
Even novice builders can build their own foundation. The key to success is strict compliance with all basic requirements, from the creation of the project to the arrangement of the blind area.
The foundation for a structure is one of the most important structural elements, the quality of which will ensure a fairly long service life of the structure. You can often hear that you shouldn’t save on pouring the foundation. Today we’ll talk about how to properly build a foundation for a house and at the same time reduce costs, of course, within reasonable limits.
Main stages
There are different types of foundations, but each of them has certain stages of arrangement.
We note that the installation of foundations can be performed according to the following algorithm:
- Preliminary preparation of the site and marking it.
- Arrangement of trenches or recesses for supports.
- Providing a cushion for the foundation of the house.
- Carrying out the reinforcement process.
- Pouring with concrete mixture.
Each type of foundation is good in its own way in certain conditions. When deciding which foundation to choose for your home, we pay attention to the geological conditions and expected load.
Today we will focus on the most common type - strip concrete foundations.
They are suitable for almost any type of soil and can withstand considerable loads.
Technology for arranging the foundation for a house
It is easier to pour a shallow foundation than a shallow foundation
Strip foundations can be deep and shallow. The first is laid at a depth below the soil freezing level. The technology for pouring a shallow foundation is a little simpler, but the algorithm for performing the work is similar.
Preparatory work
- clearing the site of all kinds of debris and excess vegetation;
- leveling the construction site by removing part of the fertile soil;
- applying markings in accordance with the project.
To make accurate markings, we will stock up on such devices as a measuring tape, stakes and rope.
Drive the first stakes into the corners of the house We start by marking the outer wall. First of all, we hammer the stakes into the outer corners of the future house. The result is a shape - a rectangle.
To make sure that the process is performed correctly, we check the lengths of its opposite sides and diagonals. They must be equal in pairs. Otherwise, by moving the stakes we achieve the desired result.
It must be remembered that the more accurately the markings for the foundation are made, the fewer difficulties will arise when performing further work.
Construction of the trench
Digging a trench by hand is cheaper and easier There are two ways to prepare a trench for a strip foundation: using equipment and manually. Of course, using an excavator, the trench can be prepared faster and cheaper. But some nuances should be taken into account: the boundaries of the trench will be uneven, and much more concrete will be needed during pouring. It is clear that there is no need to talk about savings.
Arranging the trench manually with your own hands or with the help of hired workers will ensure its clear boundaries and the required width. In the future, the amount of concrete mixture will be consumed according to the project. This will help to accurately determine the volume of ready-made concrete when purchasing it.
We provide a sand cushion
For the sand cushion, use sifted clean sand. The sand cushion helps to more evenly distribute the load of the structure on the ground, so experts do not recommend excluding this process from the general sequence of actions.
It is best if the pillow is made of pure sand, which does not contain excessive clay impurities. Sand does not have the property of heaving, which makes it possible to reduce soil pressure on the base of the base. Also, water does not stagnate in it, but is evenly distributed over its entire surface. All this will ensure a more uniform shrinkage of the foundation.
When arranging a sand cushion, a layer of sand is poured into a 20 cm thick trench and compaction is carried out simultaneously with pouring.
Reinforcement process
The diameter of the rod depends on the planned loads We make a solid foundation for the house. This property can be ensured by the process of reinforcing the tape with reinforcing rods. To reinforce the strip base, steel reinforcing bars of various diametrical sections are used.
The cross-sectional dimensions of the rods depend on the expected load. Typically, reinforcement is purchased by weight. This table will help you understand the required quantity of rods to purchase depending on their cross-section.
Typically, rods that are installed vertically are used with a smaller cross-section than those that are laid horizontally. So, for example, if vertical rods have a diametrical cross-section of 8–10 mm, then horizontal rods have a diametrical cross-section of 12–14 mm. For more information about reinforcement, watch this video:
This feature is explained by the fact that more load falls on the horizontal part of the reinforcement frame.
It is better to knit the reinforcement cage on the surface, and not in the trench itself. This will make the process much easier and prevent the trench from collapsing.
Experts recommend knitting rods using a special soft wire. The use of welding is not encouraged, as the joints are not strong due to the burning of the crystal lattices, and during the subsidence of the soil, their damage is possible.
To give the strip foundation the correct shape and ensure its elevation at a certain height above the ground, it is necessary to install formwork.
Most often, it is assembled from wooden boards, the width of which is up to 20 cm, and the thickness from 2.5 cm to 4 cm, depending on the height to which the concrete foundation will be built.
The greater the height of the base, the greater the concrete pressure on the formwork walls.
When installing formwork, we pay attention to the following nuances:
- The boards should fit together as tightly as possible.
- The opposite walls of the formwork are connected to each other by special crossbars.
- On the outer sides, the walls are supported by supports, which ensure the rigidity of the structure.
It should be remembered that the most problematic places in the formwork are the corners, so we pay special attention to the corner fastenings of the base.
Pouring concrete
Pouring the foundation for a house with concrete is a very important moment. It is best to purchase ready-made concrete for this purpose. It has a uniform consistency and requires less time, which prevents the formation of concrete seams. Only in this case will the installation of a monolithic foundation be carried out at a high level. But for this it is necessary to ensure free access of transport to the construction site. See this video for all the details of the process:
If you decide to prepare concrete yourself, then we will try to tell you in detail how to pour the foundation for a house correctly. We start by determining the grade of concrete. A concrete mixture M-200 - M-400 is suitable for this.
It is necessary to start pouring the concrete foundation from the corners and only then fill the remaining voids formed.
In order for the work to progress and the strip foundation for the future house to be poured in the shortest possible time, it is necessary to ensure the free movement of the concrete mixer to any point on the construction site.
When pouring, concrete is distributed in parallel using a shovel, and then using an internal vibrator we compact the concrete mixture.
How to pour the foundation for a house in private construction without a vibrator? Its functions can be performed using a bayonet shovel. It is necessary to constantly bayonet and gently tap on the reinforcing frame. These simple steps will also help to distribute the concrete evenly. To learn how concrete is poured into a trench without formwork, watch this useful video:
As you can see, pouring a concrete foundation is not difficult, but you should still pay special attention to the method of distributing concrete along the foundation trench for a house. Concreting the base is completed by carefully leveling the surface.
Concrete should be poured into the trench continuously After this, we let the foundation settle. This will take at least a month. Don't forget to water it constantly. This will prevent cracking of its surface.
So, how to make a foundation for a house is clear from the recommendations presented in this article. It is only necessary to correctly assess the situation, decide on the project and strictly adhere to the order of the stages.
How to pour a foundation for a house with your own hands?
The stability and long service life of a private house or country house are associated with the construction of its reliable foundation. This is a serious and one of the main stages of construction, requiring a responsible approach and requiring preliminary preparation. Forming a concrete base is associated with significant costs. Pouring the foundation for a house yourself allows you to reduce costs.
For the construction of private buildings, various types of foundations are used, the features of which must be studied in order to choose the optimal foundation for the house. With your own hands you can fill in a reliable base that will protect the building from cracks and deformations. You should carefully prepare for construction activities, especially if you have to carry out the work yourself, without the use of hired workers. You should carefully understand the sequence of work in order to correctly pour the foundation under the house with your own hands.
A reliable and strong house must have a good foundation
Let us dwell in detail on the nuances of the technology, consider the common types of foundations used as foundations for the construction of buildings. Let's figure out how to prepare a solid foundation for a house with your own hands.
Where to start laying the foundation for a house
If the question of how to pour a foundation for a house is being discussed, it means that a large set of issues have been resolved regarding registering the site, issuing a cadastral passport, and obtaining a building permit. The internal structure of the premises and the location of the building on the site have already been determined, and the homeowner can now begin building a reliable foundation for a country house. Considering that the level of costs for constructing the foundation reaches 30% of the estimated cost of work and the cost of an error is quite high, it is necessary to analyze the following factors:
- soil type at the construction site;
- degree of soil freezing;
- level location of aquifers;
- the mass of the building being constructed;
- design features of the building (presence of a basement);
- the nature of the terrain;
- the ability of the base to absorb loads and compensate for soil reaction;
- the amount of upcoming expenses.
It is a reliable foundation for both a house made of foam blocks and timber
Carrying out construction on problematic soils that are prone to swelling under the influence of temperature changes can cause cracking of the foundation and damage to the integrity of the walls. Deepening the foundation does not guarantee the stability of the structure during frost heaving of the soil. Having fully assessed the nature of the soil, analyzed the structural features, and the specifics of the relief, you can correctly decide on the type of foundation and the degree of its penetration into the soil.
Geological surveys will help to correctly determine the bearing capacity of various soil layers. Only after analyzing all the points and performing the necessary calculations by specialists should the structural design of the foundation for the house be determined.
Types of foundations
To correctly select the foundation required for the construction of a building, you should understand what types exist and what their differences are. Based on the degree of immersion in the ground, three types of foundations are distinguished:
- non-buried, characterized by the location of the sole at the same level or above the ground surface;
- shallow, with the base located above the frost line;
- recessed, in which the lower level coincides with or is below the freezing point.
Under heavy concrete buildings, a recessed foundation is made, which is fixed 20-30 cm below the freezing mark of the earth layer
During the construction of buildings, various types of foundations are used:
- monolithic. It is a solid concrete slab reinforced with steel rods. Has proven itself as a reliable base on quicksand or sandy soils;
- pile Used for the construction of buildings on soft soils prone to frost heaving. The construction of the base of the building on stilts is carried out using special equipment;
- tape The most common and reliable option, ensuring the stability of buildings on various types of soil. A concrete strip buried in the soil, reinforced with a spatial reinforcement frame, guarantees the stability of various types of buildings on any type of soil.
In most cases, when constructing private buildings, preference is given to a strip foundation, which guarantees the stability of the objects being built at reasonable construction costs. Various materials are used to construct the strip base:
- stone placed in a trench and filled with mortar;
- ready-made foundation slabs or blocks, the use of which speeds up the construction of the foundation;
- brick that needs waterproofing and is used to a limited extent;
- reinforced concrete for maximum strength.
Let us dwell on the reinforced concrete strip base in more detail.
This type of base is one of the simplest and most common
How to pour a foundation with your own hands for a house
According to a certain algorithm, the foundation for the house is poured with your own hands. It provides for the following stages of work:
- Preparation of the construction site with the removal of vegetation, debris, as well as marking the contours of the future foundation.
- Excavation activities, during which soil is excavated and foundation is added.
- Construction of panel formwork ensuring the tightness and rigidity of the wooden structure.
- Installation of the reinforcement cage inside the formwork with the connection of individual rods with knitting wire.
- Filling the formwork with concrete and then compacting the concrete mass to release air bubbles.
To finally understand how to build a foundation for a house with your own hands, we will consider in detail each of the stages of work.