As a rule, all houses and other structures are installed on the foundation, it has a lot of varieties. The most popular are pile, tape and slab. These are bases that can withstand significant loads, but they can be used under certain conditions. For example, a tape type of foundation cannot be used with a large elevation difference in the area. But the pile foundation can be used even on unstable soils. Let's look at the features of building a house without a foundation in this article. It may not be very common, but the foundation can be left unfinished during construction.
What does foundation do
Let's first look at what any foundation can provide, no matter what its construction is:
- With the help of the foundation, it is possible to ensure the most uniform pressure of the structure on the ground.
- You can also prevent moisture from getting inside the house.
- Lowerfloors and walls of the structure do not collapse or rot.
- Ground vibrations can be maximally stabilized with the help of a foundation.
Building the foundation is the most expensive step in building a house. Therefore, some homeowners are wondering if it is possible to make a wooden house without a foundation. After all, it would seem that the structure has a small mass, so the impact on the ground will be minimal.
Foundation function
A conventional foundation is able to accurately distribute the load on the ground, it does not allow warping and subsidence of the house. And therefore, if you have a desire to get rid of the foundation, you need to make the construction of the house as correctly as possible. So that the entire load that it will create on the ground is uniform. It is also necessary that the soil can withstand the weight of the house. For example, you can use such houses without a foundation, like change houses or trailers.
Application of frame technology
It is worth noting that it is possible to build buildings without a foundation if they have a sufficiently low mass. A good example is a house assembled using frame technology. According to statistics, around 70% of all residential buildings around the world are built using this technology. The structure is assembled from a frame, inside it is filled with insulating material, for this reason the whole house is very light and does not create a high load on the ground.
It is also worth noting thatrelatively recently, Japanese scientists have developed completely new house designs that differ from frame technology in their simplicity. Houses are built in just a couple of hours, since the main material is foam. Dome structures are erected in two to three hours, then all joints are carefully sealed, external and internal decoration is carried out. Therefore, it seems that the house is built from more durable materials.
But this is true for Japan, where there is a high seismic hazard. After all, such structures are able to withstand strong vibrations of the earth's surface. But in our article we will look at how to build a frame house without a foundation. We will not consider how to fill in tape and pile.
Main features of frame structures
It is worth noting one important feature of buildings that are assembled using frame technologies. It is extremely important when designing to provide for the presence of additional structural reinforcements. It is possible that heaving soil will affect the house, especially with high temperature changes.
But, despite this, strengthening the frame of the house will cost you much less than building even the cheapest foundation. Now let's look at alternatives for foundations that are actively used in the construction of houses and other structures.
Using car tires
In order to build a small frame house, you can use simple car tires. On them it is necessary to lay a beam fordressings. Such material is the most affordable and cheap, it can last quite a long time. In order to equip the base for a frame house, you need to pour sand into the tires about 3/4 of the height. From time to time it will need to be watered and compacted.
After that, fill the tires to the brim with gravel. As a result of the work carried out, you will receive a good alternative to the usual foundation. Here's how to make a house without a foundation - just put a few tires on. The base has the following advantages:
- The foundation has very good cushioning qualities. You can protect the whole house from seasonal swelling of the soil.
- Establishing such a foundation, you will not violate the overall environmental friendliness of the entire building.
- On what basis you get a very stable structure. Judging by the reviews of people who chose just such a foundation for construction, we can conclude that there are no distortions of the walls, door and window openings are also stable.
- The cost of building such a base is very low, tires can be found for free at any tire shop.
- Installation is very simple, as well as the device, so this base has earned popularity among builders.
Such a base shows itself very well in the construction of a sauna or bath, hozblok, arbors, and other buildings.
Building on boulders
When building houses in mountainous areas or in areas dominated by rocky soil, a simple foundationit is very difficult to raise. Therefore, boulders (stones) are used instead. Houses that are installed on such stones have a very high stability. A stone foundation has all the advantages of a conventional foundation. In addition, there are almost no financial investments in the construction of such a foundation.
When erecting, it is necessary to put large stones in the corners of the future building. It is also necessary to install several along the long walls of the structure. Along the perimeter of the building, it is necessary to equip a blockage with openings for ventilation. It is made of wood, after which it must be covered with soil. Houses made using this technology can stand for many years. It is worth noting the fact that the bottom floor practically does not rot, and will not lose its strength even after several decades.
Construction on the ground
In the event that the soil is solid, not loose, the building can be placed directly on the ground. In order to prepare it, you will need to remove the top fertile layer of the earth. Instead, you need to fill in a layer of clay. It will act as a waterproofing material. The frame structure can be installed directly on the clay layer. That's all, there is nothing complicated in construction, you just need to fix the entire structure so that the house does not roll down during rains or bad weather. And, of course, you need to insulate the house without a foundation. Without this stage, nowhere.
Ground block base
Blocks made from soil have been used for building for a very long time. At the present timemany builders also often use a similar method. In order to make a block of soil, you must first make a mold. A certain amount of soil is laid in it, which is maximally compacted. Many people wonder whether it is necessary to insulate the foundation of a house without a basement? Of course, it is necessary, since the cold will begin to enter the house through the weakest places.
After that, you need to remove the form, let the block dry completely. For the manufacture of the base will require the presence of several blocks. They need to be laid around the entire perimeter of the future structure. And on top of these soil blocks you need to install a frame structure.
Using brickwork as a foundation
In case you ventured to build a small house without a foundation, you should carefully examine the soil. Many builders believe that there is no need to fill the foundation if the ground consists mostly of clay. There is also a second condition, which states that groundwater must be as far from the surface as possible.
If these conditions are met, then you can make brickwork from quality material. But keep in mind that at the base, the masonry should have a thickness of about 1.4 m. At the level of the first floor, the thickness of the masonry can be reduced by about half.
Using the pit
This is a rather unique way of building a house without using the classic type of foundation. It is necessary to dig a pit with a depth of about 1 m. After that, you fill it with rubble and stones of the largest possible fraction. You can also add river sand diluted in water. Upexcavation, it is necessary to lay out bricks or stones to a height of 20 cm from the top of the soil.
After that, fill everything with cement mortar. On top of the masonry, you can install a frame house. Houses that are installed on a base from a foundation pit do not crack, do not shrink, even if several decades have passed after construction.
Building a house with your own hands
Small frame house is a prefabricated and lightweight structure. Therefore, everyone will be able to independently build it without using a foundation. But let's look at detailed instructions that will allow you to build a house with your own hands:
- First you need to decide what the foundation of the building will be. It is recommended to place the house on a hill. And it is imperative to develop a drainage system that will allow precipitation to be removed from the house.
- All structural elements - floors, walls, can be made of the same material. For the construction of walls, edged boards 150x25 mm can be used. In the event that you plan to make thin walls, keep in mind that they will not be able to keep the heat in the room. Therefore, it is necessary to provide for the presence of insulation.
- The main part of the prefabricated structure is a lightweight wooden frame. It must be made of vertical and horizontal strapping, all voids must be filled with a heater having a low degree of thermal conductivity.
- The base platform of a frame structure is its floor. First you need to use an unedged board, sinceit is very cheap. With its help, you make the so-called draft floor.
- The next step is the laying of the transverse logs. The space between them also needs to be filled with insulation. After carrying out all the work on these logs, laying of floorboards will be carried out. This is how the foundation of the house is built without a basement.
- Below, under the timber, it is necessary to lay roofing material, treat all wood with impregnations that prevent moisture absorption.
- Mark the exact position of the walls in relation to the floor.
- Fix the beams with anchor bolts 2 meters apart. Set the geometry of the entire structure correctly using a level. It is not allowed to skew the corners diagonally by more than 10 mm.
- Now assemble the frame of the future wall. Assembly must be carried out on a level and dry surface to avoid tilting. First you need to prepare the boards, they must have the same size. It is the size of these boards that will affect the height of the ceilings. As a rule, for private houses, the height is about 2.75 m. Please note that you do not need to make ceilings less than 2.4 m. In this case, it will put pressure on you, as a result of which you will feel discomfort.
- If you decide to equip the second floor or attic, you need to make sloping ceilings. In addition, you will have to install windows in the roof. They will be able to give the room a sufficient amount of light, as well as increase the visual space.
- You can start assembling the frame with the manufacture of vertical partitions. There must be a distance between the beams40-60 cm. The width between the boards should be selected based on what material will be used for sheathing. If siding is used, then it is necessary to maintain a distance between the boards of 20-30 cm. When using chipboard or pseudo-beam, the distance should be 35-60 cm. It is worth noting that the siding used for building sheathing is durable and practical. During operation, there is no need to treat it with impregnations or varnishes, as is the case with wood.
To give the building an individual appearance, you can clad it with various finishing materials that can be found on the market. When assembling walls, be sure to provide windows. Please note that they should occupy more than 18% of the wall area. Only in this case you can ensure maximum comfort in the house. It is recommended to use double-glazed windows as windows.
It is desirable to cover all walls from the inside with plasterboard. This is a versatile material that allows you to make the walls even. any coating can be applied to it. But it is necessary to lay all communications inside the walls. Therefore, first you carry out work on laying communications, and then you can veneer the inner surface. And the last stage is the laying of roofing material. To lighten the roof, it can be made from tiles or ondulin.
