The plinth is the lower part of the building. Finishing the basement is an important moment in construction, but before proceeding with this work, you need to understand some of the features that directly relate to the purpose of this building element.
The plinth is only to some extent considered as an element of decor, which is the upper part of the foundation, it is subject to the maximum share of environmental influences. Precipitation of various kinds (rain, snow) affects the basement, not only ground water, but also flood water, and even the temperature difference between soil and air is also important for it. So I repeat once again: the decoration of the basement is only to some extent an element of decor, its main task is to protect the basement from environmental influences. Humidity and temperature in your home, and its service life, is directly dependent on the general condition of the basement.
Often, the protective work of the basement is carried out at the final stage of the construction of the building, such actions can be called wrong. Finishing the basement should be done immediately after the construction of the foundation. Immediatelythe basement must be waterproofed, plastered and, of course, finished.
The next stage of preparatory work for finishing the basement is its plastering. As a rule, a mixture of cement and lime is used for this type of work. To improve the strength of the entire structure, you can sew the foundation with the plinth using a reinforcing mesh. In order to provide additional waterproofing, you can use a plasticizer, such as river sand, in the plaster mortar used to finish the plinth.
All of the above recommendations must be observed, as neglecting them often leads to undesirable consequences. For example, due to improper waterproofing or the use of poor quality materials for this, a significant deterioration in the properties of the foundation and basement is possible. Plaster may peel and waterproofing may leak.
When choosing a material for finishing, it is better to focus on natural materials that have good waterproofing and have high strength. A good option would be to finish the basement with stone, it can be both sea and river natural stones. Today's building materials market offers a large selectionmaterials for this type of work. But for the sake of justice, I want to say that it makes no sense to use expensive materials for this. The plinth finish will also be of high quality if relatively inexpensive materials are used, such as tiles or siding. By the way, basement siding differs from the usual one in its thickness and weight, it is more weighty and much thicker.
