Many owners of old private houses have to deal with such a problem as the destruction of the foundation. Yes, old foundation both wooden and concrete may well be destroyed if it was built in violation of certain rules: insufficient waterproofing, lack of antiseptic treatment, significant loads, and many others.
An example of building a new foundation for an old house
At the same time, the house itself (most often) is preserved quite well, and you can still live in it for many years. What to do in such a situation? Moving to a new place? Demolish the house, pour the foundation and rebuild the home? Fortunately, today this problem can be solved - pouring a foundation for a house will allow you to live in it for many more years.
It is also important that with a little skill, special tools and all the necessary materials, even a person who is not a professional builder can cope with such work. However, there is a certain limitation here.
It is relatively safe to carry out this work yourself only if we are talking about constructing a foundation under a wooden house.
If you want to work on the foundation of a brick house, it is better to turn to specialists. The fact is that brick house Not only is it several times heavier than wood, but it is also more susceptible to destruction under significant impact.
So, when lifted, it can simply become covered with cracks and collapse. Therefore, it would be better to entrust the work to specialists. If such work is possible, they use special equipment to do everything quickly and efficiently. Yes, it won't be cheap. But you won't have to worry about your house turning into a mountain of rubble.
If you decide to pour the foundation for standing house, you will have to arm yourself with the following tools:
In addition to these tools, you will also have to stock up on the appropriate materials. First of all, these are crushed stone, sand, cement grade M400 or higher, as well as metal rods with a thickness of at least 12 millimeters.
When all the necessary tools and materials are prepared, you can begin to replace the old, destroyed foundation with a new one.
Preparing the place for work
Has the old foundation not completely collapsed yet? In this case, do not rush to dismantle it. You must first install wooden or metal beams under the house - they are used to lift the house. If the need arises, partially destroy the old foundation using a jackhammer or sledgehammer. You need to push the beams under the house so that they stick out about half a meter on each side of the house. Thus, you need to install two beams under the house that can withstand the entire load from the house.
Now we install a jack under each edge of the beam and begin to gradually raise the house. To prevent the jack from going into the ground, you need to increase the support area. To do this, we place a brick, a concrete product or a thick sheet of tin (8-10 millimeters) under the base of the jack. Thanks to a more even distribution of the load, the jack will be able to do the job efficiently without going underground.
After this, you can begin to raise the house. This should be done very carefully and evenly. Having raised the house one centimeter with one jack, you should immediately move to another to repeat the procedure. The house should be raised until the house is raised 7-10 centimeters above the old, dilapidated foundation. The first stage of work is completed, and you can proceed to the next stage.
We break and build
It's time to get rid of the old foundation. In some cases, it can be eliminated quite easily, but in others, the old foundation has to be broken down with a sledgehammer. Of course, it is better to use a jackhammer for this - in this case the work will be completed faster, and the risk of injury during work is significantly reduced. But a sledgehammer is a much more accessible material, which is why the lion’s share of our compatriots prefer to use it.
preparing a trench for a new foundation Thoroughly destroy the crumbled foundation. If the concrete has not been reinforced, then this usually does not cause problems. When the foundation is destroyed, remove the pieces of concrete and place them in a place where they will not interfere with you. Later they can be taken to a landfill.
Now you can begin preparing the site for the new foundation. And here you have a choice - you can use both underground and above-ground foundations. In general, the first option is better - it’s quite rare that homeowners want to show off an unattractive concrete foundation.
However, if a damp climate prevails in the construction region, then an above-ground foundation will be the best solution. Such a foundation not only reduces indoor humidity, but can also last longer, since it will have less contact with wet ground.
Device diagram brick foundation for a finished house So, decide for yourself what kind of foundation you need.
If you choose a regular foundation, then you will have to arm yourself with a shovel and dig a fairly deep trench around the entire perimeter of the building, under all the external walls. The width of the trench should be 15-20 centimeters greater than the thickness of the walls, and the depth should be 50-70 centimeters.
If you prefer an above-ground foundation, then the same trench 20-30 centimeters deep will be enough.
Regardless of the choice, you will have to make a sand cushion - it allows you to distribute the load on the ground as evenly as possible. Fill the trench with sand, wet it and level it - it should cover the bottom with a layer of 10-15 centimeters.
In order to build your own house and at the same time spend as little money as possible on building materials, you can build a frame (panel) house. In this article we will analyze in detail the first stage of building a house of this type - building the foundation.
Preparing the construction site and trench for foundation construction
First of all, it is necessary to level the place intended for building a house. After this work is completed, construction of the foundation can begin.
Before you begin building a foundation, you need to dig a trench of a certain size. For example, for a house 10 meters wide and 15 meters long (10×15 m), it is necessary to make a trench according to the size of the house. The depth of the trench will be 0.75 m - there is no need to dig further, because frame house much lighter than other types of houses (log, brick, panel, etc.). The depth also depends on climatic conditions (freezing coefficient of the top layer of soil), so if the construction of the foundation takes place in the north, deepen the foundation to 1.5 m. The width of the future foundation is determined by what building material the house will be built from: for a panel house It is quite enough to have a foundation 50 cm wide.
After the trench is ready and its walls are leveled, we continue building the foundation and installing the formwork. The formwork is made from edged boards according to the dimensions of the trench width, but the height of the formwork must be at least 40 cm above the top edge of the trench.
To make formwork you will need:
- edged board (grade II or III), arbitrary length (3.4 or 6 m), thickness 20-25 mm
- block with a cross section of 50×50 mm
- nails (70 mm, 80 mm)
When everything is ready, you can throw broken bricks, stones, broken slate, etc. at the bottom of the trench. The thickness of the rubble layer should be no more than 1/3 of the trench depth. After that, cover the surface of the rubble with a layer of sand (20 cm) and generously water all the materials with water.
We wait for the water to recede, add sand again and pour water again. These actions are performed no more than three to five times, it all depends on how the sand “disappears”: when the sand level practically does not change, it means that all the spaces between the bricks, stones, etc. are filled. And, therefore, you can continue building the foundation and begin manufacturing the stiffening frame for the future foundation.
To make the frame, use pipes, fittings, angles, channels, etc. The frame can be welded, although the construction of the foundation allows for the fastening of reinforcement or other materials for the frame using wire, clamps, etc.
We are completing the construction of the foundation
To prepare the foundation solution you will need the following components:
- cement M-500
- fine gravel
- sand
In order to prepare the concrete solution you will need a concrete mixer. If her mixer is designed to produce a large volume of ready-made solution, then the ideal proportions of components for preparing a concrete mixture will look like this:
- cement 25 kg (half a bag)
- sand 75 kg
- gravel 125 kg
- water 12-13 l (calculation is approximate, it all depends on the moisture content of cement and sand)
If the mixer is of smaller volumes, then it is easy to recalculate using the above figures as a basis.
Having prepared the concrete mixture, pour it into the trench and lightly compact it.
Important! The amount of ready-made concrete mixture should be designed so that the entire composition will be used on the day of construction of the foundation. If this condition is not met and some part of the solution is not used, then this can mean one thing - “money down the drain.” After lying all night, the finished mixture will harden and will be unsuitable for further construction of the foundation.
Next stage of construction frame house - .
Sooner or later, almost every owner of an old country house faces a problem when it is necessary to pour a new foundation for a standing house. Such a question may arise due to poor quality work carried out earlier using low-quality materials or due to a violation of the integrity of the base.
There are cases when there is no foundation at all under a standing house; this often happens under wooden houses. And then the work needs to be done practically from scratch. To make it easier for you to deal with this problem, we will tell you how to pour a new foundation or repair an old one.
Preparation for the start of work
If you plan to pour a foundation for a standing house, you need to prepare the following tools:
- 4 jacks;
- Wooden beams or metal fastenings. Their length must exceed the length of the house by at least 1 meter;
- Metal or wooden supports on which the house will rest.
In addition, you also need to prepare a concrete mixer, 12 mm thick reinforcing bars, sand, crushed stone, and Portland cement grades M400 or M500.
Stages of work
The foundation for a standing house must be of high quality and reliable. And in order to carry out this work, you need to prepare a work plan that includes the following items:
- Digging a trench;
- Installation of supports under the house using jacks;
- Construction of the formwork system;
- Foundation reinforcement;
- The final stage.
Laying the foundation for a house
The work begins with digging a trench for the foundation. If you want to pour a foundation for the interior walls, then you will have to dig up a significant amount of earth to get under the house. The width of the trench being dug corresponds to the width of the installed supports.
When the trench is ready, 15 cm of sand is laid on the bottom, watered and thoroughly compacted. When the sand has dried, you can begin installing removable formwork from unedged boards. We install the boards along the edges of the dug trench and fasten them together with self-tapping screws. To ensure that the structure holds well, we secure the joints with metal posts.
To increase the strength of the foundation, we carry out reinforcement. For this work, we take a steel grate, metal rods or thick wire. We fasten all the elements together by binding or welding, which is more reliable.
The foundation for a standing house is a responsible job and you can’t do it without helpers. Now it's time to begin finishing work on the foundation. We fill the trench with fine crushed stone, and then concrete mortar prepared from:
- 1 part Portland cement;
- 3 parts sand;
- 2 parts crushed stone.
The components are thoroughly mixed in a concrete mixer and then poured into the formwork. In this case, it is necessary to additionally lay several reinforcing bars at the bottom and top of the formwork. Next, we wait until the concrete solution sets well and hardens, we take out the formwork and fill the vacant space with earth.
We cover the finished foundation with two layers of roofing felt for better waterproofing. After this, we gradually lower the house raised on jacks to its original place, while pulling out the support beams one by one very carefully. Your home should sit firmly on the new foundation.
Before laying a foundation for a standing house, be sure to check the bearing capacity of the soil, as it plays an important role in the strength of the entire structure. Remember that at least a month must pass from the moment the concrete is poured until it is loaded. Filling is carried out at a temperature not lower than +5 degrees.
And lastly, never save on building materials for the foundation, since you will have to deal with low-quality material or incorrect work in the near future. And it will be a shame for wasted money and time.
Frame houses are very popular due to their lightness, cheapness and speed of construction. With proper thermal insulation and installation of a heating system, you can live in such a home permanently. Any foundation for a frame house is suitable, including tubular, columnar and even screw. The choice of base here depends on the characteristics of the soil.
Strip foundation
This type of foundation is the most reliable, but also the most expensive. It is erected in 2 cases: on moving soil, prone to shrinkage or swelling, and under heavy stone structure. There are 2 types of strip foundations: monolithic and block, which differ in the method of construction. You can make a foundation for a frame house this way yourself.
A monolithic foundation can be constructed from concrete rubble or reinforced concrete. It is necessary to dig trenches around the perimeter and in places of partitions; they should be 0.2 m wider than the proposed walls. The depth depends on the level of soil freezing (usually 0.5 -1.4 m), you need to go deeper from this level by another 0.4 m. A cushion of sand and crushed stone is laid at the bottom.
In the first case, installation is carried out as follows: the rubble is placed in trenches and filled with concrete. This work needs to be done in stages: first, lay the stones to a third of the depth and carefully cement them, let them harden, then fill them another third, and so on until the soil surface level. To ensure a strong foundation, work is carried out within 2-3 days, only then they begin to work on the basement part, leveling it. The stones must be selected very precisely so that the holes between them are minimal, this is labor-intensive, but the result is 2 in 1: reliability and decorative finishing. After installation is completed, the structure is left for a month so that it settles and gains the strength characteristic of a monolithic base. 
In the second case, a reinforcement grid is used - a box of rods with a cross-section of 1.2-1.4 mm, which are connected to each other by welding (this is faster, and besides, it is still used for cutting reinforcement) or with special wire, which is considered more reliable, but requires time and experience. The structure is installed to the very edge of the formwork, after which it is completely filled with mortar, which is carefully compacted with a vibrator or a beam with a cross member. Such a foundation lasts 28 days, then the formwork can be dismantled and further construction can begin. The block foundation differs from the previous one in the speed of construction, but requires the use of lifting equipment. The initial stages are similar: digging trenches, leveling the bottom with sand, only formwork is not needed, the finished blocks are laid closely using a crane, forming a base.
This type is easy to install and inexpensive, perfect for light wooden structures. A frame house on a columnar foundation is erected on stable soil, rocky terrain with differences in height. Various materials are used for supports: plastic or iron pipes, logs, concrete columns, bricks, piles. 
To make a columnar foundation with your own hands for a frame house, no special knowledge or skills are required. The foundation design is calculated based on the quality of the soil and the weight of the building. The supports must be placed in the corners of the house and in the center of the load-bearing walls, then distributed over all areas at a distance of 1.5 - 2.5 m (depending on the material and diameter of the pipe). It is more convenient to work from drawings; if the calculations are difficult, you can simply order the project.
Before construction begins, the fertile layer of soil along with the plants is removed from the site so that they do not subsequently damage the structure with their root system; if necessary, the exposed soil should be compacted.
Next, according to the plan, markings are carried out for the pillars using iron rods. It is recommended to visually mark the perimeter using sand to avoid deviations from the drawing. After this, wells are drilled or dug to a depth below freezing of the soil. The bottom is carefully compacted and leveled with a sand cushion. Waterproofing is placed on it. When the preparatory excavation work is completed, a column is installed in the well, which is leveled, compacted with rubble or concreted and, after the solution has set, covered with earth.
The most reliable is considered to be a columnar foundation made of 20x20x40 blocks. The difficulty of installing it here lies in leveling the reinforced concrete slabs, while the pipes can simply be cut, or a lining can be installed on them.
One interesting option is a base on screw piles. It is distinguished by its simplicity and speed of installation - to facilitate the process, special equipment is used, with which the piles are screwed directly into the soil to a depth of 1.5 m, then cut to level. To prevent metal corrosion, cement is poured inside. After it hardens, a grillage is installed to distribute the load on the load-bearing walls.
How expensive a supporting structure is can be calculated based on the design for a square structure, using an 8x8 and 6x6 base as an example. Calculation procedure:
- First, the perimeter is calculated, in in this case 8×4 = 32 m or 6×4 = 24 m;
- the width of the wall is taken, it is at least 0.4 m;
- the elevation above the ground is considered to be up to 0.5 m and the depth of the base is up to 1.5 m, for a total of up to 2 m;
- the obtained data is multiplied: 32 × 0.4 × 2 = 25.6 m3 (for 8 × 8) or 24 × 0.4 × 2 = 19.2 m3.
This is how the required volume of solution is calculated. Next, the ratio of the parts of sand, cement, water, additives (if necessary) is determined. The costs of related materials (formwork, reinforcement) are added to the cost. Typically, the price of finished reinforced concrete is 3,500 rubles/m3. In total, the foundation for an 8x8 house will cost approximately 89,600 rubles, respectively, 6x6 – 67,200 rubles.
The price of a columnar foundation for a frame house will depend on the number of columns, their diameter, and equipment for drilling wells. Since the permissible distance between supports is 1.5 m, an 8x8 house will need approximately 30 supports. Their overall volume will be about 3.62 m3. The total cost of casting the supports will be 12,670 rubles. You will also need 3 rolls of roofing felt - that’s 900 rubles. Total – 13,570 rubles.
As a result, a columnar foundation for a frame house costs about 5-6 times less than a strip foundation.
Features of construction in a swamp
Modern technologies make it possible to erect buildings even on the most demanding soil, including a swamp. Now it's easy engineering problem, and not a reason to refuse construction. The foundation on a swamp for a frame house can be of 3 types:
- non-recessed tiled;
- shallow reinforced concrete;
- columnar and pile.
The main thing is to carry out the drainage correctly, it is better to attract good specialists. You will need to make drainage systems, install drainage pipes, dig wells, lay geotextiles, pour the required amount of sand and crushed stone under the site, etc. Only after this can construction begin.
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Most often, a shallow-depth structure is used for a frame house. strip foundation, so let's talk about it first. However, this is not the only option - the base can also be slab, columnar or on screw piles.
Shallow strip foundation for a frame house
For private construction, a shallow strip foundation is usually used. Its construction is not too expensive, and the structure is quite durable. Also, calculating the foundation for a frame house in this case does not require much effort.
Therefore, such a foundation is used for the construction of a wide variety of houses. Frame, brick, cinder block and other materials. It will be interesting to know how a shallow strip foundation is built.
First, a place to build a house is selected. The site is leveled and marked. Marking is necessary to ensure that the foundation is level. In private construction, they are marked using a rope with pegs. It is according to the markings that trenches are dug into which concrete will be poured. They should be located under each wall of the future house.
This type of foundation is called a strip foundation because it is a concrete strip running under the walls of the house. The width of the trench should be such that the foundation strip is slightly wider than the wall of the house. Usually 60-70 cm. It must be taken into account that formwork will be installed in the trenches. The depth of the trench is from half a meter to a meter. It is recommended to line its walls with polyethylene or other waterproofing material.
Waterproofing prevents:
- Dewatering of concrete
- Siltation of the sand cushion
Formwork is installed in the dug trench. It can be made from any suitable material. Boards, plywood, etc. A cushion of medium-grained or coarse-grained sand is poured onto the bottom of the trench. The thickness of the pillow is 20-40 cm. It must be compacted using a special tamper. Its role is played by a wooden block with a transverse handle. You can put a layer of crushed stone under the pillow.
Reinforcement of the foundation gives it additional strength. It must be complied with. After installing the formwork. To do this, take a metal rod with a diameter of 10-12 mm. The rod is tied together. Like a mesh with a mesh size of 20-30 cm. The reinforcement is connected using knitting wire. Welding is not recommended. This negatively affects strength.
Preparation and pouring of concrete mixture
The concrete solution is prepared from the following components:
- Cement grade not lower than M250
- Medium to coarse washed sand
- Medium crushed stone
These three components are mixed in a ratio of 1/3/5 and, poured with water, a concrete mixture is prepared. The entire foundation must be poured at once. Because the seams significantly reduce its strength. Considering the fact that the foundation must be made in one go, it is rational to use a small concrete mixer. After curing the concrete, you need to use a vibrator so that the mixture is evenly dispersed between the reinforcement bars. If there is no vibrator, use a regular bayonet shovel, walking with it along the foundation strip.
Drying the foundation
Its strength depends on how properly the foundation is dried, so this stage should not be neglected. The foundation must dry evenly and for a long time. Up to one and a half months. If it is possible to wait a longer time to build the walls, you need to do it.
If it rains while the foundation tape is drying, you need to cover it with plastic wrap. If the weather is too hot, it is recommended to cover the concrete with rags soaked in water.
If a shallow strip foundation is made according to all the rules, it will serve as a reliable foundation for the house. Will not require any restoration or additional work.
Columnar foundation for a frame house
Frame houses are light in weight, so they can be erected on simple foundations that do not require significant financial costs.
One of the types of grounds for frame houses are columnar foundations.
They are used in construction one-story houses, are recessed and shallow.
Columnar foundations are used for light buildings at a low level groundwater. They represent a series of pillars located:
- At the corners of the building
- At the junction of external walls with internal
- Under walls at a distance of 1-3 meters from each other
In some cases, to increase the bearing capacity and reduce pressure on the ground, the base of the pillars is made wider than the main part.
To increase stability, the pillars in the upper part are connected by a beam (grillage).
Recessed and shallow foundations
Recessed foundations are used on clay soils.
The height of the underground part of the pillars must exceed the freezing depth of the soil. This ensures the structure remains immobile when the soil thaws/freezes.
Shallow foundations are used:
- On rocky and sandy soils
- On soils subject to frost heaving forces
- With a soil freezing depth of two meters or more
They are performed to a depth of 40-80 cm.
Due to the small area of contact with the ground, shallow foundations are subject to less frost heaving forces.
The system of pillars moves with the soil, that is, the structure turns out to be floating.
Materials for columnar foundations
The beam is made from wooden beam, reinforced concrete, metal I-beam or channel and is attached to the posts with studs.
Pillars can be made of the following materials: 
- Tree
- Rubble stone
- Red brick
- Monolithic reinforced concrete
- Betonite
- Asbestos cement pipes
- Metal pipes
Wooden posts must be treated with anti-rot compounds, metal posts must be painted with anti-corrosion coatings.
To increase the bearing capacity of the pipes, they are filled with concrete.
The diameter of round posts is chosen in the range of 200 - 400 mm, the cross-section of square ones - 400x400 - 500x500 mm.
Construction of a columnar foundation for a frame house
The construction of the foundation is carried out in the following order:
- They dig under square pillars, drill holes under pipes
- The bottom is covered with layers of sand and crushed stone, compacted
- Pipes and wooden poles are covered with a layer of bitumen waterproofing, lowered into trenches and backfilled
- Formwork is made under reinforced concrete pillars and rubble stone
- Rubble stone is laid and filled with mortar
- When installing reinforced concrete foundation reinforcement is tied, concrete is poured in layers, the next layer is laid after compacting the previous one
- Pillars made of brick and bentonite are laid out on cement-sand mortar
- After hardening, the pillars are covered with a layer of waterproofing and backfilled
When concreting/laying pillars, pins are inserted into them to secure the beam.
Between the pillars and the grillage, 2 layers of roofing felt waterproofing are laid. The height of the above-ground part of the pillars is chosen within the range of 50-80 cm.
Frame house on screw piles
If the soil is weak, if the place is marshy, or the groundwater is high, you can build a foundation on piles. The best ones are screw ones. They do not need to be driven in, since such piles are screwed into the ground, like a screw into wood. This is very a good option. After all, such a foundation will serve as a reliable support on any soil.
Such construction was proposed back in the middle of the 19th century, and has been actively used since then.
The big advantage of screw piles is that they can be installed into the ground either using mechanisms or manually. This makes them a very convenient material for individual construction.
Such a pile is a metal pipe made of durable metal. The end that will be screwed into the ground is pointed and equipped with welded blades. Different piles have different blade designs. The pile is coated with a special primer that protects it from corrosion. Typically, this is a zinc-based primer. To install the piles, there is no need to level the area. A house on such a foundation can also stand on a slope. The distance between the supports can be different and is calculated based on the diameter of the pipes and the weight of the structure. For greater strength, after installation the pile is filled with concrete mortar.
When all the piles are screwed in, they are cut to the required length and connected with a grillage. It can be metal or reinforced concrete. When screwing in the support, you need to ensure that the lower end of the pile is in solid soil.
The use of foundations on screw piles provides the following advantages: 
- A house can be built on any soil
- No need to level the area for the foundation
- Eliminates excavation work
- It is not necessary to use special equipment to install supports
Properly installed pile foundation lasts long enough. It is an excellent alternative to any other foundation for building a frame house. Or any other house that does not have a lot of mass.
An alternative when building a house on unstable ground is slab foundation. It is a monolithic concrete slab. Built, for example, on heaving soil, such a foundation seems to “float” on the ground, maintaining the integrity of the building.
How is such a structure constructed?
Excavation work during the construction of such a foundation does not require much volume and is not difficult.
Simply dig a pit 20-30 cm deep. Sand is poured into it. Sand is a sand cushion under a monolithic concrete slab. It is watered with water and thoroughly compacted to such a state that no footprints remain. To prevent damage to the cushion during further work, a 100 mm thick cement screed is placed on it.
Now waterproofing is necessary to prevent the concrete slab from absorbing moisture from the soil. To do this, overlap sheets of roofing felt over the screed. The seams are sealed with a blowtorch. Roofing felt must be laid in such a way that it can be bent from the sides of the slab.
Then the formwork is made into which the concrete will be poured. Typically, it is made of boards 25 mm thick. As for the thickness of the concrete slab, it can be 200-250 mm. Increasing the thickness is irrational. Roofing felt is bent along the edges and insulation is installed. Polystyrene foam or other suitable material.
It is necessary to use reinforcement for the future concrete slab. It is performed using metal reinforcement 10-12 mm thick. Two meshes with a mesh size of 30-40 cm are knitted. They are located inside the formwork parallel to each other.
To prepare the concrete mixture, take:
- Cement grade not lower than M250 – 1 part
- Sand, coarse-grained or medium-grained, washed - 3 parts
- Medium-sized crushed stone – 5 parts
All this is filled with water and a concrete mixture is prepared in an amount sufficient to fill the entire slab. It is impossible to fill in pieces, this will significantly reduce the strength of the foundation. The poured foundation needs to stand for at least a month and a half. During this time, the concrete will gain the necessary strength. If possible, the time can be increased
After the foundation hardens, you need to put a layer of waterproofing on top. It can be roofing felt, or some kind of sprayed material.
When building a house, insulation from below must be provided. This is done during installation of the floors.
All three types of foundations considered are well suited for the construction of frame houses and serve as a reliable support that will support the structure throughout the entire life of the house.
DIY frame house foundation
Frame houses are convenient because they can be built on almost any terrain. However, this fact does not reduce the level of requirements for the foundation of the house. The foundation for a frame building must still be built with certain parameters. And if it is not difficult for a professional developer to choose the type of foundation and pour it, then when constructing a building yourself, you need to learn to pay attention to the rules for constructing the foundation of a house.
Calculation when laying the foundation
Just going and building a foundation will not work. Even during the construction process, locals may make themselves known climatic conditions, if they were not taken into account. Therefore, laying the foundation should begin with preliminary preparation. This includes a study of the terrain and, in particular, the construction site itself.
The choice of foundation type depends on the following conditions:
- Depth of soil freezing in the area
- Groundwater level
- Structure and bearing capacity of the soil at the building site
The type of foundation, the depth of its laying, and even the choice of location for the future building depend on these parameters. When studying this data, it is important to take into account that the load-bearing capacity allows it to withstand the load of the entire building frame, and that the freezing level is above the groundwater level. Otherwise, the process of laying the foundation will be more labor-intensive and costly.
Which foundation to choose
The very first question when laying the foundation of a house is what type of foundation is most suitable for this site.
If you do not pay attention to the advice of numerous friends and relatives, it will not be difficult to choose the appropriate option from the common types of grounds:
- Strip foundation
- Columnar base with grillage
- Columnar foundation type
- Pile foundation
These are the main common types of bases. Besides them there are also mixed species, for example, a strip-column foundation.
To make the right choice, you can briefly familiarize yourself with the main features and characteristics of each group of foundations.
Strip foundation base
The strip type of foundation for a frame house is usually used when laying a building with a complex configuration. This is one of the most common types of bases used in almost any climate zone. However, it is not recommended to lay a strip foundation on soils that are too swelling and in areas with a large layer of soil freezing.
Most often, this type of foundation is designed for massive structures. And when constructing lightweight frame buildings, it can be used if the construction is planned ground floor, basement or underground garage.
The manufacturing technology is quite simple - formwork made of boards is installed in the prepared trench. Its opposite sides are fastened together so that the concrete takes on a given shape when it sets. After which concrete is poured. Upon completion of the concrete hardening stage, the formwork is removed.
Columnar foundation of a frame building
This type of base is also quite popular, given the fact that in comparison with a tape base it is one and a half to two times cheaper. Moreover for frame buildings it is ideal for light walls, while the strip type is more suitable for massive structures.
A columnar foundation is used when laying houses made of timber and frame-panel structures. The pillars for such a base can be made of wood, stone, concrete. Pillars are erected in all places of maximum loads, namely at the points of intersection of walls, necessarily at all corners, as well as under piers and supports with heavy loads. To ensure that the load on the foundation is distributed in uniform proportions, strapping beams are installed at the upper ends of the pillars. The distance between free-standing pillars is from 1.5 m to 3.0 m.
The use of such foundations is advisable in any climatic zone of the country. They can be installed even on heaving soils.
Under each pillar it is necessary to prepare a well, at the bottom of which a sand cushion is placed. Next, the finished pole is installed and compacted. When pouring, it is necessary to install a pipe of the required diameter into the cavity of which concrete is poured. As it sets, the pipe rises up, and the area around the formed column is compacted.
Slab foundation type
Such bases are used less frequently than others and are used mainly on highly mobile soils and highly compressible soils. They are called “floating foundations” because they are able to move along with ground vibrations.
This type of foundation is considered one of the most durable and reliable. At the same time, it is also the most expensive. For its production, ready-made concrete slabs are used, or concrete is poured independently along the entire perimeter of the future building.
Pile-screw type of foundation
Another common type of base that uses screw piles. This type of base is convenient due to its simple design and availability for budget reasons. In addition, this foundation does not take much time to construct.
Insulation of the foundation of a frame house
After the foundation is built, it is necessary to take measures to insulate it and ensure waterproofing.
Strip-type foundations are insulated inside and out using slab materials - polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene, which are attached to the foundation structure. Rolled insulation materials are also widely used - mineral wool and others, which are also attached to the base wall. The inside of the foundation walls can be sprinkled with sand or expanded clay.
Pile and columnar foundations are insulated by filling the empty space with the same sand or expanded clay.
When constructing a frame building, its foundation must be provided with vertical and horizontal waterproofing. For this purpose, one of the insulating materials is used, most often it is roofing felt.
What else should you consider when laying the foundation?
Frame structures usually have a small mass, and therefore it makes no sense to lay expensive massive foundations, except in cases where geodetic conditions on the site require it.
For houses with one floor, any type of foundation is suitable, but in order to reduce costs, such a foundation must be made shallow. Typically, a third of all costs are spent on foundation construction. budget expenditures. And given the simplicity and ease of construction of frame houses, the cost of the foundation will also be small.
When constructing two-story frame buildings, it is recommended to use a strip foundation with a greater burial depth. A bored foundation and a foundation on screw piles are excellent for these purposes.
