Building a house often replaces buying an apartment. In terms of cost, these types of housing are almost the same, but in the case of the construction of a frame cottage, the budget can be significantly saved. All work on the construction of the structure - from the base to the roof - can be done independently, knowing the technology. Building a foundation for a frame house with your own hands will not be difficult even for a person who has not previously de alt with such matters. In this article, we will consider the types, methods of construction and the feasibility of using one or another type of foundation for each case.
What is a frame cottage
The technology of building modern lightweight houses came to us from the countries of America. Their other name is Canadian. In these countries, most suburban buildings are made using this technology, which is quite justified: the dwelling is warm, reliable, serves for many years, is cheap, and is built quickly. In Russia, such objects appeared relatively recently (about 15 years ago), but are actively gaining popularity due to their qualities.
The construction technology of frame and frame-panel houses is as follows:
- Onthe arranged foundation establishes a vertical frame of walls made of wooden beams around the entire perimeter.
- Fill the space between guide sandwich panels or OSB boards and insulation.
- Sheathe the walls with facade and finishing materials.
Thus, the construction of the walls is very light. What is the best foundation for a frame house? Definitely not powerful, there is no need for it. This saves not only construction time, but also money for materials and labor.
Is there a single solution?
There is no exact answer to the question of which foundation is better for a frame house. There are many types of lightweight structures, the use of which is optimal in one case or another. The base can be:
- pile;
- tape;
- columnar;
- shallow;
- slab.
Materials for the foundation are different:
- concrete;
- reinforced concrete;
- tree.
Thus, there can be several options for building a foundation for a house. The choice is influenced by:
- house size;
- floors;
- depth of soil freezing;
- availability of groundwater;
- type of soil: mobile, wet, viscous, hard;
- presence/absence of a basement.
The best foundation for a frame house is the one that takes into account all the nuances of construction and geological conditions. Properly selected base will last long enough and helpsave time and money.
Determine the characteristics of the base
The first step is to determine the type of soil on the site of the proposed construction. The best way to do this is to order engineering and geological surveys. Experts will determine:
- exact soil type and characteristics;
- presence of groundwater and its nature;
- draw up a plan of the site, taking into account elevation changes and terrain features.
True, such pleasure is expensive and takes a lot of time. Another option is to find a neighbor in the area who has already applied for such a service and has the results of an examination of his territory in his hands. As a rule, soil characteristics in the same area have the same properties.
If there was no neighbor with a conclusion, you can try to determine the type of soil yourself. To do this, follow these steps:
- Dig a hole to the freezing depth of the region. You can find it using the map.
- Analyze the cut of the soil along the side wall of the pit.
- Rocky soils are rocky and gravel base. They are strong enough, able to withstand any weight, do not retain water (provided that there is no inclusion of a large amount of clay in the composition).
- Coarse sands and gritty soils also feature low heaving and strong foundations.
- Sandy soils are not the best option for building. They retain water, which solidifies in the upper layers and affectson the foundation by pushing and compressing way. This property is called heaving.
Loam and clay are the most unfavorable type of soil. Their mobility and buoyancy depend on the height of groundwater. But even in their absence, there is often enough moisture from precipitation. On a site with such soils, large puddles form, since the water drains into the ground very slowly
The type and depth of the foundation for a frame light house depends on the geological conditions of the area.
We take into account the freezing depth
This aspect is relevant for soils subject to heaving. Rocky rocks, in which water does not linger, serve as a solid foundation in any season, unlike fine sandy and clay soils. In the presence of the latter, the depth of the foundation must be greater than the freezing value, then it will be able to firmly fix the building in one place and position. This is necessary to prevent uneven settlement of the structure, which can lead to a violation of the integrity of the house, its destruction or large investments in repairs.
It is also important to know about the availability of groundwater. If they are present, you need to look for a way to deal with them or equip the structure in such a way that it is able to withstand a humid environment and conditions of strong heaving. The depth of soil freezing is not included in the calculation of the pile foundation.
Determining the design
Based on the work done to determine the type of soil and the depth of its freezing, it can be decidedwhat design of the frame house foundation is optimal in this place.
- On clay soils and fine sand, a pile foundation is installed. It fixes the structure in strong layers below the groundwater level.
- Shallow slab bases work well on highly heaving loams and silty rocks. They play the role of a "boat", able to stay afloat and keep the house in the same plane over the entire area of the structure.
- Rocky, coarse sandy, gristly soils themselves serve as a solid foundation, therefore they do not require a solid foundation - strip, shallow and columnar will be enough.
In the presence of groundwater, special types of waterproof concrete are chosen and additional waterproofing of the foundation walls is used. If the GWL is high, the basement should be abandoned. In addition, it is advisable to arrange a drainage system throughout the site or directly at the house: a trench is dug around the perimeter, and excess liquid flows along it in a given direction.
We figured out the main stages. Next, we will consider in detail the principles of construction of different foundation designs and how to install them.
Pile-grillage foundation
This is a widespread type, universal in application. Since Russia is not rich in hard rocks, heaving soils of varying degrees of freezing predominate over a larger area, and pile foundations are used for the construction of buildings for various purposes and number of storeys. The posts penetrate deep into the soil and are fixed with their lower ends in dense layers. DueThis structure, based on them, is securely fixed relative to the ground.
To arrange a pile foundation for a frame house with your own hands, first of all, you should calculate the number of pillars for the structure. For this you need:
- Look into the project, if there is one. If not, see below.
- Draw the perimeter of the future home on paper to scale. Mark with points the places of installation of piles (in all corners, in places where walls meet, along the perimeter in increments of 1.5-2 meters). Since the frame house is lightweight, structural reinforcement is most likely not required, so a simple arrangement will suffice.
- Count the number of marked points.
The next step is to decide which piles to use: precast concrete or screw products from the factory or poured into finished wells at your own site.
- Ready-made pillars are buried using a special installation. They are hammered to the desired mark in the designated places, then the remaining ends are cut off by level. For a lightweight building, it is enough to buy piles with a minimum section.
- Screw metal supports are twisted with a special device.
- If a decision is made on the independent installation of piles, then first they drill wells, the bases of which must be made wider for stability. The depth depends on the geological conditions of the area. You need to get to a solid foundation. Then a waterproofing material is installed in the cavity,for example, a hollow pipe or twisted roofing material. After that, the frame is laid and concrete is poured. It is optimal to use a solution of the brand M300-M400. It is good if it contains special additives that give the stone waterproof properties.
The piles are installed, now you need to arrange the grillage. In the future, the wall frame will rely on it.
The grillage can be prefabricated or monolithic. The difference lies in the mounting method:
- Prefabricated is mounted on reinforced concrete piles topped with caps.
- Monolithic is arranged at the construction site: formwork is installed, if necessary, a pillow of ASG is laid on the bottom of the grillage, waterproofed with roofing material and a finished frame is installed, which is connected to the reinforcement of pile columns. After that, the concrete mixture is poured.
The foundation is ready. It is worth noting that this design does not imply the presence of a basement.
Pillar Foundation
Optimal for flat terrain in relatively stable ground. Similar to pile, but less buried.
You can build a do-it-yourself column foundation for a frame house using this technology:
- Make markings on the plan. Supports are located in the corners, intersections of walls, along the perimeter in increments of 2-3 meters. Further, these points are transferred to the site.
- Dig holes for poles. If the foundation is made of asbestos pipes or monolithic pillars, the recesses are made with a rented motor auger for a day. Under the stone pillars, pits are dug with a shovel. The recess size is 60x80cm, and the depth should be 20-30 cm below the freezing level of the soil.
- Waterproofing for a monolithic element is performed immediately - roofing material is laid in the pit. For stone, brick or rubble pillars, it is arranged according to the finished product.
- For the concrete version, a reinforcing cage is installed.
- Mount the formwork above ground level to the required height (minimum 40 cm).
- Pour the solution.
The grillage is arranged on the finished pillars. This is done according to the same principle as in the pile foundation. It may not be, then a wooden beam is laid on the tops of the racks, which will serve as a support for the frame.
The final stage is the installation of a wall fence that fills the space between the pillars. Between them, they dig a trench 20-30 cm deep, pour the base with concrete, after it hardens, lay out the wall. If this is not done, then the lower floor will require additional insulation so that the floor in the house is not cold.
Do-it-yourself columnar foundation for a frame house is not at all difficult to make. It is important to remember that building a basement with such a design is a very problematic task, so this idea should be abandoned. On the other hand, the foundation is built quickly and is much cheaper than pile or tape.
Wooden foundation
A kind of hybrid of pile and column. A wooden foundation is suitable for a device under a small frame house, but due to the relative fragility underresidential cottages rarely use it. It is optimal for suburban buildings: the impact of minimal loads on the base, low cost of installation and material, high speed of the device. In addition, the tree has a natural elasticity, which allows it to return to its original shape after minor deformations from soil heaving.
The lightest structures are seasonal frame-panel houses. The foundation under them can be the most straightforward. It is in such cases that wooden poles are used. Although in Venice, high-rise buildings stand on such foundations for more than one hundred years, therefore, durability in this case can be argued.
Certain types of wood are suitable for piles: beech, larch, oak, pine. Wood sections with a diameter of at least 20 cm are suitable for blanks. The product can remain round or acquire a rectangular section with a side of 20 cm or more. Piles are treated with special solutions that extend the life of wood in adverse conditions. Before their direct deepening, the column should be wrapped with 1-2 layers of roofing material or other polymeric material, then the soil will not stick to the product. This will allow the pile to slide relative to the base in a vertical direction when the soil is heaving, and will also keep it for a longer period.
How to mount a wooden foundation for a frame house with your own hands:
- They make markings according to the already known pattern: corners - intersections - perimeter in increments of 1.5-2 meters.
- Transfer the location of the pillars to the site.
- In the grounddig holes with a diameter 1.5 times larger than the pile. The depth should exceed the level of soil freezing and reach dense layers. If they are not available, you should start a pole below the level by 0.5 m.
- Arrange a pillow of stones or a wooden cross.
- Pour 15-20 cm of concrete mixture and immerse the pillars in it. When the mortar sets, it will fix the pile.
- Backfill and compact the soil.
Lightweight strip foundation
Widespread among developers due to its low cost and high installation speed. A lightweight strip foundation for a frame house is used on solid foundations where there is no need for large depths and massive support.
The main difference between this design and the usual one is the reduced depth of the sole and the dimensions of the tape itself. This is acceptable for light structures, in particular for residential frame houses.
Installation technology:
- Dig up a trench or foundation pit (affects the presence of a basement). In any case, the width of the excavation should be 0.5 meters greater than the specified perimeter for the convenience of work. The depth depends on the GWL, on average - 0.8-1.5 meters (including the pillow device).
- Mark the perimeter of the foundation wall. It is important to correctly measure all the corners and check the parallelism of the sides.
- The formwork is being installed. Its height is determined by the presence and size of the base, but not less than 40 cm above ground level. The width of the future tape is calculated as the wall thickness + 100 mm. For a frame light house, 200-300 mm can be made.
- Fall asleepABC pillow (10-20 cm).
- Install the frame.
- Pour concrete mortar M300-M400.
The light foundation for a frame house is convenient because it does not require special preparation and installation of additional structures for the construction of walls.
Stove
Soils do not always favor standard construction solutions. In Russia, there are many territories with clayey and strongly heaving soils. But this is no reason for them to be empty. Even for such cases, there are solutions.
If you happened to purchase a plot with floating soils, it is advisable to arrange a slab monolithic foundation for a frame house for construction. It is quite possible to do it with your own hands. The technology is similar to creating a lightweight tape:
- In the soil, a recess is made to the depth of the fertile soil layer and the upper opened layer is compacted.
- Next, arrange a gravel-sand cushion about 20 cm thick.
- Roll out 2-3 layers of polymer waterproofing.
- Pour a preparatory layer of concrete up to 5 cm.
- Mount the frame. It must be solid, since the plate perceives significant loads from the ground. For meshes, they take thick reinforcement with a diameter of 12-16 mm, lay it in increments of no more than 40 cm in both directions. The rods are tied with wire. 2 planes are made and connected to each other at a distance equal to the height of the slab (10-15 cm), minus the protective layer of concrete (up to 5 cm).
- Pour the solution. It will take a lot, it shouldn'tchoose low quality concrete in order to save money. The optimal brand is M300-M400.
A monolithic slab is located at ground level, while it involves the construction of a basement and a basement (it serves as a floor). A more massive and recessed one is not needed for a small house, this is used for large buildings.
Insulation and waterproofing
The foundations of a timber frame house require a special finish. Waterproofing is desirable for all structures below ground level for any material. So the elements are better preserved. This is especially true when groundwater levels are high.
Insulation of the foundation and basement walls will ensure the minimum cost of insulating the floor of the first floor. In those houses where there is no basement, the space between the ceiling and the ground can be covered with expanded clay, sand. These materials prevent heat from being drawn out of the lower room. So that they do not get wet, you can lay them with a roofing sheet on both sides.
The walls of the strip foundation and grillage are laid on the outside with polystyrene plates.
