Any reliable and durable wooden house will eventually need major repairs. If, during the construction of the foundation in a new house, violations of technology were made, then the likelihood of large-scale restoration work increases significantly. An incorrectly created base affects the balance of window and door openings, contributes to cracking of the walls.
When such “bells” occur, urgent action is required. Replacing the foundation is the most rational method, but it is important to pay attention to the following aspects:
- when doing the work yourself, you will need specialized tools, you should take care of this in advance to find a complete set;
- after the old foundation is dismantled, you need to install a more reliable foundation of a different kind (this is a difficult job, so professional help may be required);
- it is worth making sure that the house itself will still serve for a long time.
What determines strength?
The state of the base is significantly affected by changes in the soil, in particular, itsbearing characteristics. They occur mainly due to the excess of the permissible load on the foundation and the subsequent loosening of the earth under it. The total load is increased by outbuildings standing nearby. This leads to skew and subsidence of the main structure, as the soil is pressed under a significant weight.
Replacement of the foundation may be necessary due to erosion of the soil due to rising groundwater or improper water drainage.
Reducing the strength of the base material is another negative factor. This is possible due to incorrect determination of the freezing depth, inappropriate type of foundation, use of poor quality materials.
Choice of base
It is important to understand that the replacement of the foundation of a wooden house should be carried out after the completion of all preparatory work. First you need to choose the design of the new base. The tape type is optimally suited for large heavy buildings. The screw base will perfectly withstand the construction of the type of a country house. Among the advantages it is worth noting the possibility of application in any areas. Also, screw piles are reusable and relatively low cost.
The columnar base is used for medium-sized houses. Despite its apparent simplicity, it has gained popularity due to its reliability. The design consists of several pillars installed at the junctions of the walls - these are areas with maximum load. Poles are made fromstone, concrete or brick. It is worth noting the need for a mandatory step of 1-2 meters. The pile bored basis also refers to the foundation of a columnar type. It got its name because of the asbestos-cement pipes used as load-bearing elements and filled with a specialized mixture. Soil with elevated water levels is the best place for such a foundation.
Differs in demand and the above foundation of the house, the replacement of which involves the use of piles. It requires less investment, while in the end its strength is comparable to a concrete base. Piles are screwed into the ground using levers. Their level should exceed the freezing depth. It requires alignment at a certain height and the use of a belt made of a channel beam. This type of foundation is convenient on sagging and weakened soil types.
Foundation subsidence
Subsidence may be progressive or temporary. In the definition, special beacons made from different materials will be useful. It should be borne in mind that if water gets on paper options, they become unusable. Gypsum plasters are also used as beacons. In their absence, you can apply an even strip of putty on the wall and put a mark, so the places of crack expansion and the determination of the rate of destruction will be identified in time.
Equipment
Although the work is large, you can not resort to renting expensive equipment: it will be enoughseveral powerful jacks (at least 4) with a lifting capacity of around 10 tons. You also need to have auxiliary wedges, scrap and a sledgehammer at your disposal. To create a support, various logs, boards and a lot of bricks are required. Before mounting the jack, a strong platform is knocked down, with sides of at least half a meter each. It will require a steel plate with a thickness of 6 mm or more.
Replacing the foundation under a wooden house means freeing it from heavy objects and furniture. Next, the coating is removed and the floor itself is disassembled.
How the lift works
After completion of the preparatory work, you can install jacks. They are placed along the perimeter of longer walls, with a mandatory indent from the corners. Pre-designed sites must be stable (perhaps a slight depression in the soil).
It is worth paying attention to the fact that lifting the house alone and replacing the foundation with piles is impossible. There should be one person per jack. Careful lifting of the building can only be carried out with this approach. The lifting height at a time should be no more than 2 cm. If gaps occur, prepared supports are used to close them. Requires all actions to be performed simultaneously.
Significant sagging of the lower rims during the lifting process indicates a lack of jacks. But further actions should be as careful and accurate as possible in order to avoid displacement of the structure.
Replacing the foundation: dismantling
After the house is up and tightfixed, the old base is removed. Some elements may be useful for secondary use, so they should be folded separately. After dismantling, a deeper trench is dug in the form of the letter P. Thanks to the use of this form, it is possible to connect sections of the base laid at different times. If you need an extension in the future, it is better to immediately lay the foundation for it, so that in the future it will not be necessary to replace the foundation under the house due to the increased load.
Completion of works
It will take about two weeks to completely solidify the poured base, then it is covered with boards and temporary supports made of brick or wood are placed on top. After replacing the foundation under the wooden house, it is repeated on the other side. Long sections of walls require straight, short trenches to be dug and then joined with rebar.
After completion of all work, the lower crowns are checked for quality, if necessary, they must be replaced. Further, the building gradually descends evenly from all sides, after which the replacement of the foundation can be considered complete.
