In many cases, to drain surface water, a do-it-yourself blind area is arranged, which is designed to extend the life of the foundation and the structure as a whole. It is usually a waterproof strip adjacent to the base of the building with a slight slope. The design itself largely depends on the layout option and geological conditions. Before starting work, it is necessary to take into account the organization of the drain from the roof and financial possibilities. The simplest foundation blind area for individual construction consists of a fifteen-centimeter layer of crumpled clay and a hard coating in the form of gravel or other similar materials. The bottom layer acts as a waterproofing layer, providing, in turn, the drainage of surface water.
When a do-it-yourself blind area is performed, its width must be correctly selected. Ideally, it should go beyond the cornice overhang by twenty centimeters. Storm grooves are made on all sides to provide drainage. However, instead of them, special gutters are allowed, which are most appropriate when the lawn is located nearby. Tomoreover, the water that gets into them will drain into a storm well. Most often, surface water drainage work is carried out simultaneously with the construction of the foundation, but sometimes it is better to wait a year after the construction of the house.
The most capital do-it-yourself blind area that can be made today is a monolithic concrete slab around the building, having a thickness of 60 to 80 mm. However, this option is not suitable for heaving soils. Most individual developers do not take this feature into account, so they often repair the coating, and monolithic slabs continue to crack. The main reason is that the soil is saturated with water extremely unevenly.
A do-it-yourself monolithic concrete blind area is considered the best option, but it has one more significant disadvantage. Due to the fact that it is rather difficult to achieve the desired density of the mixture, many pores can be seen on the surface. During operation, water penetrates into such microcracks all the time. As it freezes, it expands, causing the concrete to crack. First, the surface peels off, and then it completely peels off. After some period, the top layer collapses completely. This phenomenon is very common in everyday life.
In order not to encounter such problems, the correct blind area is made from separate plates, which you can make yourself. For their production at home, special formwork will be required, and betterconstruct two such structures. The sides should be cut into each other, pressed from the outside with wedges in such a way that after completion of the work, the formwork can be quickly dismantled. Products for the blind area must be reinforced, because even a small frame will increase the strength characteristics, thanks to which it will be possible to save on cement and sand. The option with plates is more suitable where there is an unorganized drain from the roof.
