Construction Materials
Peter Kravets
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When building a house, the height of the basement is taken arbitrarily, based on the wishes of the owner, who decided to make a room in the basement for various purposes, for example, a kitchen with vegetable storage. But when calculating, they still use data on the type of soil, type of foundation and materials used.
There are times when, when building a basement, they do not pay due attention to it, sincerely believing that it is enough to just take it beyond the surface of the earth in order to continue building the house. But this assumption is fundamentally wrong.
It is necessary to understand that the base is the part of the house located above the ground. And the greater the height of the basement, the less moisture penetrates inside. Groundwater, floods, precipitation - there are a lot of sources of moisture impact on the foundation, and this process occurs constantly.
Foundation walls must be separated by layers of waterproofing from the main part of a two-story (or more) residential building, since moisture still penetrates through the smallest capillaries into the material and significantly increases the level of humidity in the premises.
If a kitchen is installed in the basement, it is necessary to insulate it from moisture from the inside, since steam from processing products will form condensation.
When constructing a basement, you can use SNIP 2.08.01 for residential buildings and SNIP 2.08.02 for public buildings.
If the walls of the building are placed too low, the bottoms of the structure will constantly get wet, which will lead to their slow destruction and loss of thermal insulation properties.
As a result, the period of use of the building will begin to decrease, and it will not always be clear due to what factors. This explains the importance of the plinth occupying the required height from the ground surface.
Typical parameters for the height of the plinth from the ground according to the rules
To find out what the maximum height of a technical underground can be, it is necessary to clarify the minimum parameters. According to the requirements of building codes, in a residential country house the minimum height of the plinth should be approximately 0.3-0.4 m.
When installing with a wooden beam, this distance should be increased to 0.6-0.8 m. If the presence of a ground floor is provided, then the minimum height of the technical underground will be from 1.5-2 m.
To determine the height in a particular case, the climatic conditions of the construction site, the likelihood of flooding with melt and groundwater, the frequency and abundance of precipitation, indoor and outdoor temperatures (especially in winter) are taken into account.
If possible, to take into account all these factors, it is better to seek help from professionals, although theoretically, these calculations can be carried out independently.
This issue touches on the risks of repair and re-equipment of the structure, as well as significant financial expenses.
In order to understand why the optimal height of the base of a house is calculated, it is necessary to determine several of its functions:
- Preventing the interior of the house from getting wet;
- Compensation for shrinkage phenomena of the soil that occurs when the weight of the house structure puts pressure on it;
- Protection of building facing materials from contamination;
- High-quality ventilation of underground spaces (when arranging kitchens, additional ventilation ducts are installed);
- Increasing the service life of the floor when using a strip or columnar foundation; in addition, the thermal insulation performance of the subfloor depends on the height of the base;
- Improving the appearance of the building, since a house with a basement visually looks very presentable.
It is necessary to pay special attention to the height of the base when building from wooden beams, which are susceptible to rotting at the ends of the logs, which significantly complicates repair and restoration work.
With this type of construction, they try to reduce the likelihood of wood rotting; for this, the height of the base above the ground is increased. Practice shows that some builders make a huge mistake by trying to reduce this height and neglecting the base for the sake of aesthetic considerations.
Among the disadvantages of increasing the height of the base, one can only name the increase in the cost of building a residential building.
Important! In order not to rely on the advice of builders and your own considerations, it is important to know the regulatory documents, which indicate the verified minimum height with an explanation of the origin of these verified values.
For example, SNIPs 31-02-2001 and 2.08.01-89 (height of the basement) establish a height of at least 0.2 m for columnar and pile foundations. Such an indentation is necessary on heaving soils to avoid their impact on the house. The greater the slope of the ground, the higher the ground floor should be.
Types of socles
The construction of a basement may differ in type and sequence of work depending on the type of foundation. Most often, strip or pile foundations are used. In some cases, the base of the house is poured with a monolithic layer.
When choosing a strip foundation, the basement can be monolithic (in the form of a concrete wall) or masonry (in this embodiment, the foundation is made to the level of the ground surface, and then the masonry is erected - it is not enough to protect against various influences, therefore it is necessary to carry out insulation work and decorative finishing).
In relation to the walls of the facade, the plinth can be designed as recessed (for buildings with thick walls), protruding (the only possible for buildings where the basement floor and thin walls (apartment buildings)), and flush (part of the plinth smoothly passes into the facade, all parts of the house are located in one plane, usually one-story houses or a summer kitchen in the country).
The influence of the type of base on its height from the ground according to standards
The most expensive, but necessary option, is the protruding type. It is only possible for buildings with a used basement. The maximum height is taken for this case, otherwise it is impossible to achieve acceptable thermal insulation characteristics of the building.
For buildings without basements or a basement (most often a summer kitchen on a personal plot), it is worth choosing a sinking option. The facade overhanging wall will be optimal protection against mechanical and atmospheric damage. In this case, the height is taken to a minimum; the lower it is, the better the protection will be.
The base of the house is on one of the low foundations, usually made of blocks or bricks. It should be noted that the use of blocks significantly increases the strength and stability characteristics of the building.
Both types of execution require finishing work and insulation work. If groundwater passes close to the surface, then a drainage system is installed, and if it is deep enough, it is enough to make a blind area.
The foundation on piles can be low (if the grillage is located at ground level) or raised. Columnar, as the most unstable, requires a height of at least 0.2 m.
The gaps between the pillars are filled with bricks or shields. Due to design features, there cannot be an excessively high base. The arrangement on stilts with different height options can be found in the freely available photo.
Features of waterproofing and insulation at different heights
But no matter how thoroughly the strip foundation is built, its effectiveness can be reduced to zero if ventilation openings are not installed along the entire perimeter at a distance of no more than 3 meters from each other. They provide high-quality ventilation, as do internal partitions and walls.
Cover such openings with ventilation grilles to protect against the entry of debris, dirt and small insects into the room. The use of plugs for these purposes is strictly prohibited, since the inherent moisture in basements can lead to mold and fungal manifestations.
If a kitchen is installed in the basement, then you should also take into account the steam from processed products. Examples of this use of underground can be found in many photographs in open sources.
Important! In a public building, technical basements should be divided for fire safety purposes, by partitions into compartments of no more than 500 m2, in non-sectional residential buildings, and in sectional ones - in sections.
The above-ground part of the foundation is not only an architectural detail of the house, called the plinth, but also a constructive solution that allows you to protect the load-bearing elements of the building from the harmful effects of moisture and other adverse influences.
The height of the supporting structure, its depth, the materials used and other parameters are determined at the design stage.
Choosing a foundation design
When considering options for the main load-bearing element that is planned for the house, any future owner tries to choose the most economical option. Many people see the height of the foundation as one of the parameters that can reduce the cost of construction.
If the depth of the supporting structure depends on the depth of soil freezing, the width depends on calculations that determine the bearing capacity, then the height of the foundation above ground level seems to be a characteristic that can be painlessly changed to reduce the overall cost.
Properties of a foundation with a high above-ground part
The height of the foundation of the house affects the appearance of the building, allows you to arrange utility lines in the basement that are easy to maintain, and also makes it possible to protect the structure of the house from adverse climatic influences, moisture and temperature changes.
Properties influencing structural and thermal characteristics
Consider the required height if the above-ground part of the foundation becomes a basement wall Why you need to increase the height of the foundation above ground level can be understood by studying the following points:
- The main supporting structure of the house, raised above ground level by increasing its vertical size, will be the base of the building. In this case, it will represent a homogeneous structure without a dividing seam, which is performed with horizontal waterproofing in the case of a separate base and foundation.
- A house with a high strip frame receives additional guarantees for protection against the harmful effects of water on the structure. To do this, the height of the house foundation must be determined based on the excess of the upper cut of the structure above the level of the highest possible snow level, taking into account the snowiest winters. But regardless of this, its height must be at least 30 cm.
- If the above-ground part of the foundation of the house is a basement wall, then its height is determined taking into account the design solutions included in the design documentation, depending I working to increase it.
- When installing a columnar foundation and grillage using piles, in addition to the elevation of the upper part above the ground surface, the lower edge, resting on piles or on foundation pillars, should also be 20-30 cm above the ground level. This will protect the foundation beams and pile grillages from possible movements of the heaving soil during periods of alternating freezing and thawing.
- The height of the structure above ground level, calculated with a certain margin, during design will compensate for possible shrinkage of the base.
If the height of the foundation of the house above the surface is at least 30 cm, then the floor of the building is higher than the ground, which makes it possible to reduce the heat loss of it and the entire house without the use of additional measures for its insulation and without increasing the cost.
Properties affecting performance
A high foundation will make it possible to use the space under the floor If the house is made of structures that are especially susceptible to the negative influence of moisture and other environmental influences, for example, wood, then the high structure of the frame will create additional conditions for protecting the material from contact with water and for ventilation, which will ensure the creation of favorable conditions for the proper operation of the building.
The presence of a foundation above ground level in a basement-free room makes it possible to use the additional space below the floor created by this for the location of water supply, sewerage, gas pipelines and other engineering systems.
When the height of this space is below the floor, allowing a person to be there and fully perform certain operations, the operation and repair of these networks and systems becomes accessible, convenient and reliable.
Having examined and analyzed the positive details when constructing a high foundation for a house, we can conclude that its use is economically feasible.
Options for high foundations
In strip foundations, the above-ground part is 4 times larger than the width In the practice of constructing strip foundations, it is customary to make the above-ground part four times as high as the width. These ratios were determined by calculations for an average house with a shallow load-bearing foundation and filling the space between the strips with soil and sand.
The depth of the foundation is usually greater than its above-ground part. If there is space under the floor in the house, it is necessary to install ventilation holes in the strips, which are necessary for constant ventilation of the underground space.
When the question arises of what the tape supporting frame should be, the following design options with a high above-ground part are considered:
- strip elements with a depth below the freezing depth;
- strip elements with a depth higher than the freezing depth;
- beams with columnar supporting parts and grillages on piles.
The depth of the foundation is below the freezing depth
The base of a strip foundation with a depth below the freezing depth is located at a distance of 1.5-2 m from the surface of the earth, and a solid wall rises from it to the top of the entire element. Crushed stone and concrete preparation is usually arranged for load-bearing elements. About what the height of the foundation should be above the ground is the opinion of a specialist in this video:
The total height of the product, taking into account the buried and above-ground parts, is 2-2.5 m.
Depth above freezing depth
Strip foundations with a laying depth higher than the freezing depth are used for lightweight structures resting on them. These are houses made of timber, rounded logs, aerated concrete and structures built using frame technology.
The foundation for such elements is made by replacing heaving soil with sandy soil. In addition, polystyrene foam is placed under the sole, thanks to the thermal insulation properties of which the base does not freeze and does not exert harmful pressure on the load-bearing element. The height of such foundations is 1-1.5 meters. To learn how to determine the foundation depth, watch this video:
Application of columnar or pile structures
Foundation beams or beams rest on columnar foundations, which in turn rest on a foundation located below the frost depth. Non-heaving soils are poured under the beams and a thermal insulation layer of expanded polystyrene is installed. The average height of the beams is 0.5 meters.
Heavy walls of concrete and brick can be erected on foundation beams supported on glasses and on grillages on piles.
Dependence of technical parameters on the type of foundation
The table below shows the dimensions of the foundations and the height of their above-ground part, depending on the type of structure.
When installing a concrete base according to options 3 and 4, it is possible to increase the height above ground level not only of the top, but also of the bottom edge of the supporting structure.
The height of the base of a country house above the ground can be very different. It is influenced by several factors, ranging from the type of foundation to the depth of groundwater. Many homeowners who are engaged in construction on their own do not pay due attention to the issue of the height of the basement of the building, because they are sure that it is enough to make the basement slightly raised above the ground in order to continue construction work.
However, this is not enough. You need to understand that the basement is the above-ground part of the foundation of the house. The higher it is from the surface, the more difficult it is for moisture from the ground to penetrate into living spaces. The walls of the basement must be separated from the walls of the first floor by a waterproofing layer. This is done so that moisture that could penetrate into the base material does not penetrate through the capillaries into the wall material. The level of humidity in different parts of the house can vary significantly, and this must be taken into account during construction.
If the walls of a building are located too low, the structure and main building materials will constantly get wet, their thermal insulation properties will deteriorate, and internal destructive processes will begin to occur. Gradually, these processes lead to the complete destruction of the building material from the inside. As a result, the service life of the structure is significantly reduced, and the owners sometimes cannot determine why this is happening. And the answer is simple - insufficient height of the base above the ground.
Standard height
In an ordinary country house, the base should rise above the ground by about 30-40 cm. If the building is built of wood, then it is better to take a higher height (about 60-80 cm). If a country house has an underground floor, then the height indicators can reach 1.5-2 meters.
When determining the height of the base, it is necessary to take into account the weather conditions of the area: indoor and outdoor temperatures in winter, snow level, abundance of precipitation, probability of flooding, groundwater level. It is quite difficult for a non-professional to take into account all these factors. Therefore, even if you are building a house yourself, it is best to turn to specialists for the correct calculations. One-time minor costs at this stage will help to avoid serious financial losses in the future for repairs and re-equipment of the structure.
Typical dimensions and design of a monolithic strip base.
To clearly understand the meaning of a certain plinth height, it is necessary to consider several main functions performed by this part of the building:
- The base prevents the internal structures of the house from getting wet.
- With the help of a plinth, the finishing materials of the building (for example, plastic panels) are protected from contamination.
- Compensation occurs for soil shrinkage observed due to the impact of the weight of the house structure.
- If a strip or column foundation was used to build the house, then the distance from the ground to the floor will affect the lifespan of the floor, which is often made of wood. In addition, the thermal insulation characteristics of the subfloor will depend on this indicator.
- The plinth helps to properly ventilate the subfloor.
- Among other things, the plinth is an architectural solution that influences the overall visual impression of the building.
Experts recommend paying special attention to the height of the base in wooden buildings, because when the lower crowns rot, it becomes very difficult to carry out any repair work. That is why developers are striving to reduce the likelihood of wood rotting by increasing the height of the base. But during self-construction, owners often, on the contrary, reduce the height of the basement, trying to make the exterior of the house more aesthetically pleasing. Thus they are making a serious mistake.
The main disadvantage of a high base is that as it increases, the cost of construction work will increase.
Types of socles
Methods for constructing a plinth will vary depending on the type of foundation of the building. In our country, either a strip or pile foundation is most often used. Monolithic foundations are also very popular.
The base is made of brickwork.
If a strip foundation was erected, then the base can be made in two solutions:
- Monolithic. In this case, the foundation is made in the form of a concrete wall. Such a base must be built together with the pouring of the foundation.
- Masonry. When making a masonry plinth, the foundation is made up to the ground level, then brick (or other building material) masonry is made. Such a design cannot boast a high level of protection from various influences (when compared with a monolithic alternative), so additional cladding and finishing are necessary.
Using a pile foundation above ground comes with some challenges. The height and thickness of the base in this case are determined depending on the ground part of the piles. The base for a pile foundation can be suspended or made on a strip foundation.
Finishing the house with siding.
The finishing principles in this case are as follows:
- Finishing work should begin with surface preparation. It is not necessary, but it is highly advisable to remove all defects of the rough wall. If the walls have significant unevenness, then it is recommended to make high-quality sheathing rather than waste extra time on leveling.
- After this, a starting rail is installed, which is mounted in a horizontal position (approximately at a height of 40-45 mm above the lowest point).
- Next, the siding sheet is mounted into the guide rail and secured using self-tapping screws or special fixing elements.
- Then you need to insert a second sheet of siding, sliding it towards the previous one. It is recommended to leave a minimum gap at the joints so that the material can expand without problems when heated. The minimum temperature, by the way, will slightly reduce the thickness of the finishing elements.
- Subsequently, it is necessary in the same way.
Naturally, the basement of the building can be finished with any other modern or traditional facing materials. The main thing in this case is to ensure the protection of construction materials from moisture and cold air. In addition, attention must be paid to the construction of the blind area and drainage system on the site. With their help, it will be possible to prevent flooding of the underground premises of the house, as well as the effect of moisture on structures.
What does altitude affect?
From everything that was said above, we can conclude that the security of the interior of a country house and the building materials used for its construction will depend on the height of the base. At the same time, the height must be determined wisely and with calculation, because with every centimeter of the above-ground part the cost of construction work will increase. In addition, special attention should be paid to protecting the basement of the building from the cold by placing a high-quality thermal insulation layer in the space between the wall and the finishing materials.
The higher the base, the better, if the material for building a house is exposed to biological influences and moisture. We are, of course, talking about wood. When building wooden houses, it is best to make the most reliable base with effective waterproofing and thermal insulation layers.
If you are having difficulty calculating the height of the basement of your country house, then you should seek help from specialists. Of course, this type of help is not free, however, it is better to incur costs at this stage of construction than to spend money on home repairs in the future.
The construction of concrete foundations in Moscow, the region and throughout the country begins with a detailed and technically correct calculation of all the nuances and features. To establish the main characteristics of the foundation of the cottage, the design of the cottage, the features of the relief and soil conditions must be taken into account, and the meteorological situation in each specific region is also taken into account. All these subtleties are needed to calculate the height of the foundation in its above-ground part - that structural element on which many try to save money.
InnovaStroy specialists, based on the requirements of GOST and SNiP, create such structural elements that, on the one hand, will save the developer money, and on the other, will ensure the safety of the building, its load-bearing structures and finishing, no matter what materials they are made of.
The height of the foundation above the ground - what is it?
As you know, the foundation of any cottage is buried into the ground to a certain distance, depending on the design features of the building, design loads, characteristics of the soil base and the location of groundwater. Naturally, the underground part of the foundation can be of very different depths, up to 1.2 meters with no space involved. With the creation of a basement or equipped basement, this depth can reach 3 meters. The question naturally arises about that part of the base that protrudes above ground level - that is, above the zero height mark. Many believe that this part can be neglected and save significant funds on more than one cubic meter of monolith or brick.
In fact, those few tens of centimeters separating the surface of the earth from the beginning of the load-bearing walls are designed to provide increased protection of the entire structure from adverse external influences. The height of the foundation above the zero level is determined at the design stage by our architects and designers. This part of the building’s foundation is treated in the same way as all other elements - waterproofing, insulation, decorative external cladding. But in addition to aesthetic beauty, the basement distance also carries a functional load, which we do not recommend discounting if you want your country mansion to last for a very long time and not require repairs.
The height of the foundation of the house: why is it needed?
The distance from the ground to the lower edge of load-bearing walls and external decoration is designed to provide several protective functions at once, for which it is actually created by architects and designers. Below we will describe the main functions of the basement, without taking into account the option with a full basement, since in this case, according to GOST, more than 1 meter of distance from the ground to the first floor is required. So, the main functions of the above-ground part of the foundation:
- Leveling the terrain of the site without making changes to the topography of the territory, with the absence of large volumes of earthworks. For very large differences in site elevation, it is best to order a pile foundation in InnovaStroy to minimize any excavation operations;
- Resistance to heaving of the soil layer during the freezing process - thus, the soil acts only in the horizontal direction on the base walls, and does not apply force to the load-bearing structures of the walls of the cottage;
- Protection against waterlogging during critical amounts of precipitation. Since the above-ground part of the foundation is slightly recessed in relation to the plane of the wall, it is easier to drain rainwater and condensate from the walls, which helps prevent the appearance of dampness and mold;
- A certain height of the foundation above the ground allows you to minimize the impact of capillary moisture and evaporation. During the process of atmospheric exposure, microscopic pockets of moisture appear in the surrounding space and territory - dew, for example - they evaporate and can have a detrimental effect on the house, settling on surfaces. The distance from the zero construction mark allows this type of moisture to be removed into the drainage system even before it settles on the walls themselves;
- The height of the house's foundation ensures that there are vents in the base to improve ventilation of the subfloor space. Another functional load is working as an additional waterproofing barrier, together with the blind area;
- Let's not forget about the aesthetic beauty of the building, which has a small distance between the ground and the walls, usually finished in contrasting materials in relation to the external façade of the walls.
How high should the foundation be above ground level?
This issue is very relevant, since most protective processes are not visible during operation, and all the benefits appear only in the long term. Based on this, many developers are trying to save on this design and exclude it from construction and estimate documentation.
However, many generations of builders and architects have repeatedly tested different options for constructing a country cottage, which has led, as a result, to the widespread use of above-ground basement distances in the construction of all houses. For each type of building material from which the cottage will be built, there are certain requirements about how high the foundation should be above ground level, which is necessarily taken into account by the designers.
The most common parameter is in the range from 30 to 50 centimeters - which optimally provides protection for a house built in central Russia. If the maximum level of snowfall reaches 20 centimeters, then the distance can be increased.
It is also worth considering the fact that about 10 centimeters of this height will be occupied by a blind area with surface finishing material - so you will have to increase the distance to the ground. Naturally, there are cases when 20 centimeters of height of the above-ground part of the foundation is enough - this is in those areas where the soils are not heaving and the maximum snowfall does not exceed 5 centimeters - in the south of our country.
We cannot ignore the fact that when constructing a country house, the height between the ground and the base of the walls is used to give the building originality and a unique style - for example, terraces are built below floor level with wide steps, or the platform can be built on stilts, which will give the house has charm and slight sophistication. The entrance block also has several steps with railings and a veranda, which also affects the image of your country residence. Perhaps the height of the above-ground part of the foundation is that rare case in architecture when purely functional details of a house could be turned into its highlight and an unusual decorative element. There are even cases when the base part is made protruding, in the form of an ancient “heap” - there are no restrictions on design and engineering ideas, as long as this part of the foundation regularly performs its main functions of protecting the house.
What is the optimal height of the foundation above the ground for the types of structures?
Based on the base material from which the supporting structure of the building will be created, the parameters of the distance from the zero mark are also selected. For example, the height of a shallow strip foundation is almost always equal to its underground part - that is, about 50-60 centimeters. However, there is no particular difference where strip foundation in the Moscow region will fit, since the approximate profile of the soil layer is the same for the entire central region and most surrounding areas of the country. By type of construction, you can provide approximate indicators for the distance from the edge of the wall to the zero ground level:
- 30-40 centimeters – for brick and monolithic structures;
- 40-50 centimeters – when using gas-foam blocks, large-sized ceramic materials;
- Over 50 centimeters - when constructing a frame, prefabricated or wooden house, since the material is most susceptible to external influences.
How high should a monolithic foundation be made?
This question arises most often, since the strip foundation has a fairly small surface area of the foundation, which can be increased using various building materials. In the pile and screw version of the foundation, the technology itself provides for a minimum of 20 centimeters from the extreme point of the ground to the bottom of the grillage frame. Since a monolithic foundation slab, the price of which is already quite high, requires uniform pouring to a certain height, it is best to consult with the specialists of our company on how to simplify the design of the base and reduce the financial costs of creating a slab foundation. It is quite possible that the building design will allow you to create contour building of the base part using bricks, and filling the interior space with a more accessible floor screed. In any case, professional help will never hurt when creating a reliable and durable foundation.
Only a trained InnovaStroy specialist can determine exactly what foundation height will be sufficient for your specific cottage. More than 7 years of practice and our own experience in the field of suburban construction make it possible to provide each customer with objective and substantiated data on all the nuances of building a foundation for a cottage not only in Moscow, but throughout Russia. Use the services of professionals to prevent premature and unexpected costs for repairs and restoration of load-bearing parts of the cottage.
The foundation is the basis of any wooden structure. It takes on the main load during operation and protects the house from the negative effects of groundwater.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE SIZE OF THE FOUNDATION
The foundation consists of a basement and an underground part, the dimensions of which depend on several factors:
1. Type of soil and its changes in the autumn-spring period. Foundations laid on capricious sandy or marshy soils have special requirements.
2. Level of soil freezing and availability of groundwater. The base must lie below these points and requires high-quality waterproofing and insulation.
3. Weight and number of storeys of a wooden house.
4. Tasks of the basement and plinth.
VALUE OF BASE
The above-ground part of the foundation performs several functions:
· Prevents internal floors from getting wet;
· Compensates for soil shrinkage;
· Protects the cladding of the house from contamination;
· Promotes high-quality ventilation of the underground;
· Increases the thermal insulation characteristics of the building;
· Considered an architectural decoration.
The height of the base plays a huge role, especially for wooden houses, since rotting of the lower rows complicates repair work and reduces the service life of the building.
The standard height is approximately 30-40 cm. But experts advise equipping the ground part of the foundation of a wooden house to a height of 60-80 cm. On clay soils this value can reach 80-90 cm, and on sandy soils 50 cm is enough.
TAPE BASE
A common foundation option for a wooden house. The monolithic structure allows you to equip the usable area of the plinth at a moderate construction cost.
In areas with severe winters and soil freezing to an impressive depth, the underground part of the strip foundation can reach 1.5 meters. The height of the base depends on several conditions (for example, the presence of a boiler room or basement). The furnace room requires special responsibility, so the height of the above-ground part is characterized by safe use and correct placement of equipment.
Regardless of the quality of the soil and terrain conditions, it is recommended to build plinths of sufficient height for wooden buildings. Wood is a very capricious material, therefore, the higher the house is raised above the ground, the longer it will last.
The optimal size of a strip foundation is about two meters, which means that the ground part is 50 cm.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE PINTER FOR STRIP FOUNDATION
The above-ground part is divided into two types:
1. Monolithic. The base is made in the form of a continuous (indivisible) concrete sheet.
2. Masonry. First, the lower part of the foundation is poured (to the soil level), and then the base is laid out (made of brick or other material). A less reliable option that requires additional cladding.
PLATE BASE
According to building codes, a monolithic slab must rise above the ground surface by at least 20 cm. But for regions with unregulated snow cover, this parameter should be increased to 40 cm.
A monolithic slab is considered the most reliable type of foundation. Its underground part should be buried below the soil freezing level. The strength of the slab does not depend on potential ground movements, but in case of probable seismic shifts, its height must be increased. The total thickness of the foundation depends on the weight of the wooden house, its number of storeys, area and type of soil.
PILE FOUNDATION
Arranging a plinth on a pile foundation is accompanied by certain difficulties. Its dimensions depend on the height of the ground section of the piles. The base can be hinged or made on a tape.
The design of the hinged version consists of a wooden or iron sheathing fixed around the entire perimeter. After arrangement, it must be sheathed with any facing material.
The second option is more complex and expensive. The laying is done on a strip foundation. Its main advantage is the fairly high quality of thermal insulation.
BASE CONSTRUCTION
The ground section of the foundation can be made in several options:
· Sunken. An economical option for a plinth, typical for walls with a small thickness. Allows you to hide the protrusion using waterproofing material or a small layer of soil.
· Speaker. Requires more building materials. Provides reliable protection for a wooden house from cold air, but requires high-quality waterproofing and drainage.
· The base is flush with the wall. The most unfortunate and rarely used solution, requiring constant monitoring of the cut of the waterproofing layer.
MATERIALS
To build the above-ground part of the foundation, it is necessary to use durable materials - concrete, brick, various types of stone. In most cases, the base of a wooden house requires the installation of an armored belt. The number and thickness of reinforcing bars depend on the design of the building.
· For wooden houses, a base made of monolithic concrete is best suited. Its arrangement requires the installation of formwork and reinforcement cage.
· For a structure made of solid (not gas silicate!) brick, it is necessary to take material with high frost resistance.
· Using concrete blocks requires special skill. Between them there will certainly remain various voids, which must later be filled with cement mixture.
HEAT AND WATER INSULATION
High-quality heat and waterproofing are mandatory steps for arranging the basement of a wooden house. Insulation must be done with porous materials with minimal water absorption. For waterproofing, bitumen mastics or roll materials are suitable.
The height of the base and the features of its arrangement depend on many parameters. But under any conditions, the minimum level of the ground part should not be less than 20 cm. This will help protect the house from flooding and increase the “life” of the lower wooden crowns.