Before you make a basement for your home, you need to consider several design options that are widely used today in suburban housing construction. The most common types are:

1. Falling - the most popular and effective. This design is not afraid of exposure to precipitation. This is a fairly economical option, because in this case the wall has a small thickness, and there is no need to use any additional building materials. Drainage equipment is also not required, so the design looks nice and neat. In addition, the protrusion can be hidden with a waterproofing layer. The device of the base in this case requires minimal costs. In addition, the plinth can be covered with a small layer of soil, and then green this area.
2. Sometimes there is no way to do it yourself. For example, when a thicker structure is needed, which is dictated by the small thickness of the walls of the house or the climatic features of the area. In this case, the construction of the protruding version is taken as the basis. In this case, building a basement will be a little more difficult, more building materials (concrete, brick, etc.) will be required. This is a relevant solution if the outer walls of the building are of small thickness, and an underground floor is also provided. The protruding plinth is wider than the outer walls, so it will reliably protect the basement from the penetration of cold air. But due to its size, the structure will be more exposed to mechanical and climatic influences, so here it is necessary to make a high-quality waterproofing layer and drain along the entire length of the outer walls with your own hands.
3. A plinth made flush with the wall is rare. It is best not to consider such a solution, because the construction of this type of plinth is fraught with many problems. For example, a section of a waterproofing layer will remain open, being exposed to weather conditions, and it will not work to fill it with soil all the time.

Construction materials

Of course, before building a plinth, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of materials. In addition to the practical side, do not forget that the exterior of the entire building will largely depend on the appearance of the lower part.

Western version of the building.

If you have chosen the construction of a protruding plinth, then the materials for its construction must be durable and do not need additional finishing (artificial or natural stone, concrete or brickwork). In most cases, it is the brick version that will look the most aesthetically pleasing.

If the walls in the house are made of bricks, then for the basement it is best to choose concrete blocks, reinforced concrete, solid bricks, etc.

Do not forget that in most cases it will be necessary to arrange a basement armored belt. The thickness of the reinforcement and its quantity is determined by the design of the future house.

Monolithic concrete structure.

If you do not know what to make a base from, then you need to take into account that the material for construction must meet the following characteristics: practicality, durability, frost resistance. That is why, as mentioned above, monolithic concrete is often used as the material for the basement, or it is laid out of brick, blocks or stone.

• Building a basement with your own hands from monolithic concrete is the best solution for a private house. It is recommended to do it immediately along the entire length of the outer walls without any seams. During the construction, a formwork device will be required, which will later be poured with layers of concrete. In this case, it is best to purchase cement grade M300 or M400. In addition, it is recommended to give the structure additional strength with the help of a reinforcing cage. If the base turned out to be wide enough, then its outer part can be overlaid with stone and covered with a small amount of soil.
• Concrete blocks for the plinth are not used so often. Their installation is carried out with dressing, and the blocks themselves are laid on a solution prepared in advance. There are not many sizes of concrete blocks on the modern market, therefore, before making the basement of a house with your own hands, you need to take into account that there will definitely be multiple blocks, the voids formed because of this in the future will have to be closed with cement mortar.
• If the building stands on a strip foundation, then it is most rational to use natural stones for the construction of the basement. A stone plinth is made from any kind of stones that are laid on a cement mortar. It is worth noting that such work, as a rule, is only possible for professionals who can not only correctly lay artificial or natural stone, but also carry out the procedure for reinforcing the base in particularly difficult working conditions.
• made of solid brick, which has high frost resistance characteristics. Traditional sand-lime brick is not recommended because it is susceptible to moisture. If in winter the temperature on the ground drops below -35, then it is recommended to lay 1.5-2 bricks.

Thermal insulation of the structure

If the basement in your house is not heated, then the heat loss through the basement ceiling will be significant. It is useless to fill in loose heat-insulating material here. This part of the house definitely needs high-quality thermal insulation, which can be done in a private house with your own hands. If we build a plinth without a high-quality heat-insulating layer, then the structure will not be able to serve you for a long time, but will begin to gradually collapse under the influence of external forces.

Thermal insulation material laid on top of the waterproofing layer.

Ideally, extruded polystyrene foam should be used. It is produced in the form of plates that can be mounted on special adhesives. You can do the work yourself. The use of concrete for fixing the slabs is not required.

After the expanded polystyrene plates are fixed on the wall, they must be plastered over the grid.

Much has been said about how to build a basement, but homeowners often forget about waterproofing, which should rise above ground level. The waterproofing layer will not allow groundwater and melt moisture to penetrate into the thickness of the wall and basement materials. As a rule, in this case, roll materials or special bituminous mastics are used (or all at once).

Version of the waterproofing layer.

The choice of waterproofing materials will depend on the capabilities and wishes of the owner, the climatic conditions of the area and the specifics of the construction of the basement of the building. The modern market offers many solutions, so there are plenty to choose from.

To further protect the basement from the effects of water (snow), it is recommended to install a protective screen along the entire length over the outer walls. In most cases, asbestos-cement sheets or reinforced concrete slabs are used to equip such a screen.

Exterior finish

The use of finishing materials for the basement is not regulated in any way. The basement part should emphasize the appearance of the whole house, so just filling it with soil or bringing it flush with the wall is not the best solution.

Finishing option with decorative plaster.

• Plaster and paint. This approach can be used in the construction of a brick basement. With the help of plaster, it will be possible to eliminate defects, provide protection against moisture penetration and temperature changes. In winter, the paint will be covered with snow, so you will systematically have to tint the surface, as well as apply a new layer of plaster.
• Covering with a layer of concrete. This method is more efficient and reliable than the first one. The use of concrete is relevant for a brick or block plinth. The concrete layer, of course, will be constantly exposed to moisture, snow, etc., so it is necessary to make it thick enough so that you do not have to redo all the work every year.
• Tiles and artificial stone. Materials can be used for brick or reinforced concrete monolithic structures. The use of these materials for the base is quite expensive. Work, if you have the necessary experience, you can do it yourself.
• Siding. With the help of special panels, the plinth can be given any appearance. Additional painting of the siding is not required. The material can be used on a wooden plinth, as well as in all weather conditions. If in winter the siding will be covered with snow, then it must be systematically cleaned so that the material does not experience additional loads.

At the planning stage of a country house, many important questions arise. One of them is whether the . Therefore, before starting the construction of the basement, it is necessary to take into account the costs of its construction and indispensability during operation. The construction of cottages with basement floors is considered the most economical option in the construction of country houses.

A properly built basement should be at least 2.5 meters.

The ground floor is a kind of basement. But its fundamental difference is that the basement can be used as a living space and occupy an entire (below ground level) floor.

Varieties of plinths

Plinths can be used both as basements and as cellars. Under certain conditions during construction, the basement can become a full-fledged living room.

In favor of houses with plinths, the fact that if it is present, the building acquires special respectability, and the thermal protection factors increase significantly.

In addition, when building a house within the city, the basement adds significant (never superfluous) areas. An important feature of the basement floors is the absence of loads that can be delivered by the floors of the house.

The basement from the point of view of construction can be:

• speakers. It is the best option if the walls of the future house are supposed to be built thin. Due to their quality characteristics, the protruding foundations serve perfectly when they are below ground level, while the heat on this floor does not escape. And if the basement will be used only for storing food, then the walls can be built thin. If the walls are pre-coated with waterproofing mixtures, then the moisture resistance index increases;
• on the same level as the foundation. These types are less common, since their ability to protect the walls of the house from moisture is zero;
• in-depth. One of the most common types, because it is the most reliable. When constructing a house with a deepened basement, the foundation, basement floor, floors of the house will be maximally protected from destruction from moisture. Water, falling on the walls of the house, will not stagnate, but will safely flow down the base of the basement.

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Measuring work

Throughout all stages, the construction of the basement should take place in compliance with the following parameters:

1. Height. The height of the basement should not be lower than 2.5 m. However, in order to make the basement a full-fledged living space, some builders are trying to increase this figure. For this purpose, the method of digging the earth to a certain depth is used, based on the parameters required by the consumer.
2. Thickness. If the house is planned to be built in a safe place with solid soil, then the thickness of the basement floors can correspond to the thickness of the rest of the walls of the building. If the house is being built on unreliable soil, then the walls should be made much thicker (at least 20 cm). When building a wooden house, solid concrete blocks should be used as the walls of the basement.
3. Depth. If the site where the house is being built suffers from groundwater surges, then the water level should first be determined. And only after this operation to determine the possible depth of the base. To reduce the risk of water penetration into the house, the construction site is pre-filled with additional soil. Thus, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future building rises considerably in height. It is possible to drain and remove the flow of water from the site with fair ground currents. If it is found that the appearance of groundwater is a seasonal action, then a special protection technology can be built. At the moment of freezing of the soil, a drainage system is laid at a special angle.

In general, the following tools and materials are needed for the construction of the basement:

• excavator;
• shovel;
• concrete;
• boards;
• reinforcing rods, mesh;
• waterproofing materials;
• foundation blocks;
• shields.

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Construction of a foundation pit

The first stage in the construction of basement floors is the organization of the foundation pit. But before that, it is best to build a water station. So, work begins with the arrangement of the area. Next, a pit is dug. With a house size of 15x10, the depth of the pit cannot be less than 2 m. After the work of the excavator, you will have to draw the edges of the pit with your own hands.

Next comes the turn of the concrete pad. To do this, at the bottom of the pit, it is necessary to make markings according to the size of the future house. In the place where the supporting structures will be, it is necessary to dig trenches. Their depth should be at least 30 cm. Then they are reinforced with boards and covered with rubble. Next, the pit is reinforced with metal rods and poured with concrete. You can proceed to the next work only after 20 days (so much time is needed for concrete to harden).

The next step is waterproofing. To do this, a wide concrete blind area is being built along the outer perimeter of the house. If the plinth goes deep into the soil, then a special rolled protective material is laid on the outside. This waterproofing material (hydroizol) must first be heated and molten to attach to the base of the structure.

Under the foundation, waterproofing work is also required. First, bituminous mastic is laid, a hydroisol is laid on top of it, then again mastic. It does not hurt to make additional external waterproofing. It consists in digging a solid hole 0.5 - 1 m from the building. Next, the pit is filled with a mixture of clay, gravel, concrete mortar based on sand and gravel.

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Foundation construction

The next step is the construction of the foundation. To begin with, it is worth deciding on the type of foundation (tape, prefabricated). Preliminary calculations should determine the permissible depth of the foundation. If the figure is 2 m, then the foundation needs to be lowered to a depth of 2.15 m. But you should not lay it flush with the soil. You can proceed directly to only after 1.5 weeks (the time required for concrete to harden).

The construction of the foundation for the basement involves the use of large-sized blocks. These blocks must be evenly placed throughout the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house. It is worth laying them as evenly as possible (in the future it will save time when plastering). Between themselves, the blocks are fastened with a cement mortar.

Holes must be left between the foundation blocks. There will be wiring and plumbing. At this stage, you should think about window spans. The width of the window should be sufficient to allow light into the room. For ventilation, it is necessary to make special holes at a distance of 15 cm from the floor, as well as at the base of the soil.

Next, the holes should be covered with a mesh. There should be a distance of 1 m from the soil to the extreme row of blocks. A reinforced concrete belt is constructed over the blocks. For which reinforcement is placed in the plank formwork, which is then poured with concrete. After that, the slabs for the base of the first floor are laid.

• Date: 27-05-2014
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How to build a basement for a house?

How to build a basement of your own private house with your own hands: insulation and manufacturing technology

Today, many people want to have their own beautiful house outside the city. An important element of such a structure, which can give a country house chic, luxury and a great view, is the basement. Some people do not build a basement at home because they do not know how to do it.

The protruding basement needs to be additionally insulated from the outside, but the recessed basement will require insulation only from the inside.

First of all, you should understand what a basement is at home. This design is a continuation of the foundation above the ground. If the base is made relatively high, and the foundation is relatively low, then this room is called the basement. It can have various purposes, for example, it can be used as a personal gym or a children's playroom.

In most cases, this structure is erected 60-70 cm above ground level. The plinth is also intended to protect the house from moisture. This design is able to decorate the house, distinguish it from the rest.

Today there are 3 types of basement at home:

1. Buried.
2. bulging.
3. Level with the foundation.

The most common type of this design is a recessed base. This is due to the fact that such a basement structure is less exposed to moisture and other precipitation. In addition, water from such a plinth will drain faster, which will make it possible to protect the foundation, the walls of the house and the plinth from destruction. The advantage of this structure is that it is more economical, because the structure is thinner than the wall. In this case, there will be lower costs for building materials.

Due to the fact that this structure is buried, it does not require additional insulation of the basement of the house, which will make it possible to save some money.

A protruding structure can only be made if the walls of the house are relatively thin, because in this case it is not possible to build a basement that is even thinner.

The protruding structure can also be made when it is planned to equip the first basement floor, that is, a room that is underground, but should be warm.

If, for example, the basement is planned to be used as a place to store unnecessary things, then it can also be made thin. This floor is perfect for a basement.

It is not recommended to make the third type of structure, because in fact such a structure is the beginning of the walls. At the same time, there will be no protection against mechanical influences, no protection against moisture, no beauty. Such a plinth will need to be insulated with special material, which will make the house not the most beautiful and more costly.

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Materials that are necessary for arranging a structure of this type

The basement can be equipped in the form of monolithic slabs or using prefabricated materials. If the structure is monolithic, it can only be of 2 types:

• concrete;
• reinforced concrete.

The difference between them is that the first design is without reinforcement, and the second one is with reinforcement.

In the manufacture of the basement of your own private house, various materials can be used.

The structure of concrete blocks is laid on a cement mortar, while the blocks are fastened together using the same cement mortar. In this case, cement should be used not lower than grade M400.

The construction of natural stones is also laid with the help of cement mortar. This type of plinth requires a lot of skill, because stones can come in various shapes and sizes.

The red brick building is the most common. In most cases, a strong, well-fired brick is used, after which it must be plastered and the rest of the finishing work done in order to give it a good appearance. In this case, decorative red brick can also be used. It is beautiful and strong, because such a building material has a rectangular strict shape and is the same in all cases. The plinth, which is made of such decorative bricks, will always look very beautiful. In this case, the walls can be laid out not from the same brick, but from logs.

Elements that will be needed for the construction of this type of structure:

• concrete;
• cement mortar;
• brick;
• plaster;
• fundamental blocks;
• formwork;
• fittings;
• welding machine;
• building level;
• putty knife;
• glue;
• expanded polystyrene.

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Features of the construction of such a structure

You should know the main points when building a structure of this type:

1. If the existing house has an underground, then the basement in such a structure can play the role of a protective wall, which must necessarily be protected from moisture from the outside, that is, waterproofed. In addition, you will need to insulate it from the inside.
2. The minimum height of the basement is 50 cm. If it is planned to make a basement floor, then the height should be approximately 1.5-2 m.
3. It is imperative to make holes for ventilation of the basement space. Such holes are often called vents. They should measure approximately 30 cm in length and 15 cm in width.
4. Products should be made at the same level, but not lower than 15 cm from the edge of the ground. The ducts must be covered with a mesh to exclude the possibility of various debris getting into them. In winter, they will need to be hammered with a dense cloth or any other material that prevents the space under the floor from freezing.
5. The basement does not have to be equipped in the case of a columnar foundation (between its columns). This design can be placed on top of the columns. In this case, the building can also serve as a grillage.

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Existing design features of the basement

The design of the foundation with a plinth is not much different from the design of an ordinary foundation.

In most cases, a strip prefabricated or monolithic foundation is selected. First of all, you need to calculate the foundation. Most of all, when arranging the basement in the parameters of the foundation, the depth of the foundation is important.

For example, if according to the calculations it turned out that the foundation should have a height of 2 m, then this means that the laying depth should be 2 m 15 cm or 1 m 75 cm. In no case should the depth be level with the ground. In most cases, the foundation should be located below ground level.

When the foundation gains about 80% of its strength (it will take approximately 10-12 days), the construction of the base can begin. This design can be of 2 types:

• monolithic;
• team.

The prefabricated structure can be laid from reinforced concrete slabs or other piece material. Red brick might work too. In most cases, the plinth is built from prefabricated blocks, the thickness of which is 40-60 cm. It will be necessary to observe a step of 10 cm. The length of such a block can range from 100 to 240 cm. In the manufacture of blocks, concrete grade M200, M150 or M100 is used.

It is worth noting that if the soil has a low bearing capacity (small resistance coefficient), then under the fundamental blocks under the plinth, you will need to lay a reinforced concrete pillow, which is laid on a 15 cm layer of sand.

You should choose a suitable brick for the construction of the basement. This is due to the fact that it is this element that will give a special look to the structure, will serve as its support and protection.

If the basement for the first floor in the house is planned to be equipped from the same reinforced concrete blocks, then there are no masonry features. The blocks must be laid and secured to each other and to the foundation. In some cases, pieces of reinforcement should be left on the sides of the blocks so that it is more convenient to fix the blocks together. Such pieces are also on top of the foundation.

If you plan to make a monolithic base, then you should know that in this case you can make some mistakes. This is due to the fact that the technological process of building a monolithic structure of this type is somewhat more complicated than the process of manufacturing a prefabricated structure.

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Technology of insulation and construction of the basement of a private house

You need to start with the arrangement of the formwork for the basement. It is worth noting that all work on the construction of this structure must begin when the foundation gains the desired level of strength.

The formwork can be made from planed boards, or you can order a finished one. This design in most cases is made independently. Boards must be hewn from the side that is adjacent to the concrete.

The next step is to pour the cement mortar into the formwork. In order for the base to be durable, it will need to be reinforced. This process can be carried out using steel fittings. To do this, you need to create a grid. When reinforcing, reinforcement 1.2 cm thick should be used. The rods are fixed to each other perpendicular to each other by welding. The size of the cells in the grid should be approximately 15-20 cm.

If the base is planned to be made high, then several grids will be needed. They should be located at several levels, in increments of approximately 30-40 cm.

When laying the grids, you can fasten them together using vertical jumpers, which are made from the same reinforcement. If this is not done, then the grids should fit in the following order:

1. First of all, the solution is poured with a layer of approximately 15-20 cm.
2. The reinforcing mesh is placed after the solution dries a little and thickens.
3. A layer of cement mortar is poured onto the grid. Its thickness should be approximately 40-50 cm. Next, a mesh is placed and the solution is poured again.

After the concrete plinth has gained approximately 80% of its strength, the formwork can be removed.

A monolithic base can be equipped in another way. It can be poured simultaneously with the foundation.

You should know that the basement insulation technology is quite simple. It is best to insulate this structure with polystyrene foam from the inside so that the basement insulation layer reaches the ceiling and closes it from the outside. This will make it possible to provide good heat savings for the exterior walls and floor of the house. In order for the material that is used to insulate the basement to better bond with brick or concrete, it is necessary to coat it with glue. In order for thermal insulation to be performed, other materials can be used.

The basement floor is the floor of a building partially or completely buried below the ground level. In the basement, utility rooms or a garage are usually equipped, but some projects provide for a bath, sauna or even a gym with a swimming pool in the basement. For houses built on small plots or on a slope, the basement floor is simply indispensable - it allows you to significantly increase the useful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe building without expanding the building area.

The basement floor is performed after the construction of the foundation or simultaneously with it. The main requirements for the dimensions of the basement are its width, which provides sufficient strength for the construction of the walls of the house on top of it, as well as the height of the internal space. According to the norms, the ceiling height of the basement floor should be at least 2.5 meters. The depth of the basement is limited by the level of groundwater: with a high occurrence of perched water and in wet areas, its underground part is usually small. In areas with deep groundwater, the base is buried almost completely, which reduces the cost of heating it.

Ground floor device

The basement is a continuation of the foundation, so it can be made of the same material as the foundation itself, or using wall material. Usually, monolithic concrete, ready-made blocks or bricks are used to build the basement. The thickness of the basement walls is determined by calculation.

The role of the floor of the basement floor is played by a concrete slab, it is performed by pouring or laying ready-made reinforced concrete slabs. Basement ceilings can be either concrete, slabs or wood. With a significant above-ground height of the base, doors and windows can be made in it, while they should be located on the south, east or west side. The location of windows on the north wall of the basement can lead to excessive accumulation of snow and squeezing of window frames.

Basement walls require mandatory waterproofing. The recessed part of the basement is recommended to be treated with waterproofing materials both from the outside and from the inside to increase reliability. The above-ground part is allowed to be waterproofed only from the outside.

Technology for the implementation of a monolithic basement floor

The basement floor made of monolithic concrete has a number of advantages: high strength, good protection against moisture, high construction speed. In the basement, made using monolithic technology, you can place any premises, from a garage to a pool. The ratio of the underground and aboveground parts of the basement can be any. With high-quality waterproofing, such a plinth can be installed even on wet soils, while the floor slab of the basement must have a rigid adhesion to the foundation walls.

Construction technology:

1. The site intended for construction is marked out and a pit is dug over the entire building area. The depth of the pit is determined by the project, it should be 0.5-0.6 meters deeper than the underground part of the foundation. This is necessary to make a sand and gravel cushion, the purpose of which is to drain groundwater and prevent soil heaving. When excavating soil with an excavator, it is necessary to avoid uneven deepening of the pit, so the last half a meter of soil is usually removed manually. Backfilling of excessively buried areas is prohibited, it can lead to deformation of the floor slab.

   

2. With a close groundwater level, the pit can fill with water. In this case, it is necessary to arrange drainage at a distance of several meters from the pit and exclude the presence of quicksand in the soil. In the presence of a quicksand, the requirements for a drainage device increase - it must have a mandatory drain and prevent stagnant water. Backfilling is carried out sequentially from a layer of crushed stone or gravel with a fraction size of 50 mm and a layer of sand. The thickness of the layers is from 10 cm. Each layer must be compacted, and the sand is also spilled several times with water for maximum compaction.
3. A base of lightweight concrete grade M50-M100 is poured over the leveled pillow. The thickness of the concrete layer is 5 cm, its purpose is to make a waterproofing layer and level the base under the floor slab. A layer of rolled waterproofing is laid on the hardened concrete. Bedding roofing material or its modern analogues for horizontal work can serve as a material. The waterproofing material is laid in at least two layers, gluing them on bituminous mastic or by surfacing.

   

4. After preparing the base for pouring the slab, the external formwork is erected. First, the floor slab is poured, which will also serve as a support for the foundation walls. The formwork is made of fixed boards or boards, connecting them with a bar and self-tapping screws. A prerequisite for the implementation of a high-quality and durable foundation is its reinforcement. The reinforcement for the foundation slab must be corrugated both in the longitudinal and in the transverse direction. The diameter of the reinforcing bar is from 10 cm, it is more accurately determined by calculation. The reinforcement is laid on special guides and knitted with a wire. Vertical reinforcement bars are installed at the locations of the walls to ensure a rigid connection with the slab.

   

5. After preparing the formwork and reinforcement, the foundation slab is poured with M250-M300 concrete, the thickness of the slab is usually at least 20 cm. The concrete is poured as soon as possible. Pouring in separate batches is possible, but the strength of the slab is reduced, and seams with increased tensile stress may appear. In this case, it is better to place concrete joints along a long wall. After pouring, the concrete is punched using a deep vibrator and a vibrating screed, its surface is leveled and left to mature for at least 28 days. To speed up the speed of construction, a few days after pouring, you can start building formwork for the foundation walls and basement.

   

6. The formwork of the walls of the basement floor is erected in a similar way. When making formwork, you can use non-removable polypropylene panels, they will simultaneously serve as a basement wall insulation, which is important when arranging living quarters in it. Reinforcement is performed in the longitudinal direction of the walls, connecting the reinforcement bars with the already installed vertical rods. In a foundation 2.5-3 meters high, there should be at least two strapping belts located in its lower and upper parts. When building on heavily heaving soils with the possibility of horizontal soil shear, the reinforcement can be reinforced with additional belts.

   

7. When arranging the formwork, it is necessary to lay windows and doorways in the places established by the projects, as well as sleeves made of metal pipes for laying communications.
8. Pouring with concrete is carried out as soon as possible immediately, or in layers. The pouring of each subsequent layer should be carried out either before the beginning of the setting of the previous batch, or after holding for at least 3 days, this will help to avoid the destruction of concrete that has not gained sufficient strength under the weight of the following batches of mortar. The set of design hardness continues for 28 days, after which it is possible proceed with further construction and laying of floors.

   

9. The waterproofing of the basement floor from the outside is performed by coating or pasting. From the inside, it is more convenient to use penetrating waterproofing, which does not disturb vapor exchange and increases the strength of concrete. Insulation of the basement from the outside is usually performed using polystyrene foam boards fixed to a special glue. In the above-ground part of the plate, they are additionally fixed with foam dowels.

   

10. Backfilling of the underground part can be done with the soil selected during the digging of the pit, however, if the soil has solid inclusions that can damage the hydro- and heat-insulating layer, it is recommended to use coarse sand for backfilling.
11. The finishing of the basement floor can repeat the finishing of the main walls of the building or be made using other materials. The basement floor can be beautifully beaten, giving the house a unique decor and charm.

Technology for making a plinth from blocks or bricks

When making a plinth from these materials, its underground part, which plays the role of a foundation, can be made using pouring technology or also from blocks. At the same time, the floor of the basement usually does not have a rigid connection with the walls and is poured separately, after the foundation has been erected. Since its waterproofing properties are somewhat lower, such a base is usually erected in areas with a groundwater depth of more than one and a half meters.

The foundation is poured to the ground level using conventional technology, they wait for the design hardness of concrete to set, after which the above-ground part of the basement is laid out of blocks or bricks. The laying is carried out on a cement mortar with dressing, while every two to four layers are additionally reinforced with a reinforcing mesh. The technology of waterproofing and insulation of the basement does not differ from the one above.

The basement of the blocks can also be made using pile technology: concrete piles are driven into the bottom of the pit, which will serve as a support for the floor slabs, and the space between them is laid with concrete blocks. Such a foundation has an increased resistance to loads, but requires the use of a large amount of heavy equipment, so it is rarely used in private construction.

Modern drainage membranes made of high-density polyethylene have sufficient strength and resistance to aggressive chemical influences, damage by mold fungi and bacteria, as well as damage to plant roots. Photo: TechnoNIKOL

According to building codes, a ground floor is considered to be a floor buried in the ground by no more than ½ of its height, but often this term is applied to any floor that has both an underground and an above-ground part. Providing comfort here is much easier than in the basement, where the main lighting is artificial and forced ventilation is indispensable. And yet it is problematic to equip cozy living rooms in the "basement" - this is hindered by the lack of sunlight and (usually no more than 2.4 m). But here you can compactly place all the utility rooms, thereby saving space on the site and avoiding the cost of erecting additional buildings and outbuildings. The economic part, most likely, will not occupy the entire area of ​​the level - it is advisable to supplement it with a recreational area, consisting, for example, of a gym and a sauna with a shower. However, the layout of the "basement" and the arrangement of the premises located there is a topic for a separate big conversation, and in this article we will discuss aspects related to the construction of building envelopes.

In swampy areas, instead of the basement and basement, the first non-residential (utility) floor is sometimes erected with concrete floors at the level of the blind area and paths. At the same time, it is not required to carry out time-consuming work on excavation, waterproofing of walls and installation of a drainage system.

The construction of a basement almost always justifies itself in dry, elevated areas, especially when there is an acute shortage of building space and / or if a building is designed with heavy walls that require a buried slab (slab-strip) foundation. Photo: ShutterStock/Fotodom.ru

External insulation of the basement with XPS sheets will help reduce heating costs. Photo: Penoplex

The base for the ground floor can be a pile grillage, insulated slab or floating tape, and its walls should be built from materials that can withstand more than 100 freeze / thaw cycles (for example, concrete or polystyrene concrete blocks), or protected with moisture resistant lining. The disadvantage of such an architectural and planning solution is less convenient access to residential levels and the “separation” of the representative zone of the house from the backyard area.

Sealing the "cold joint" at the base of the foundation

1 - underground part of the basement wall (monolithic reinforced concrete tape); 2 - floor of the basement floor (reinforced screed over gravel bedding); 3 - sealing tape Delta Footing Barrier (combination of foamed polyethylene and non-woven polyester fabric); 4 - foundation sole. Photo: Dorken

On what soil is it better to build a base

If modern technologies are used, then a house with a basement floor can be built in any area and on almost any soil, but this solution is not always cost-effective. It is possible to start calculations and make a decision only after geo-exploration has been carried out.

To seal the joints between slabs and blocks, a modified mortar or a special non-expanding polyurethane adhesive can be used. Photo: Ytong

A “contraindication” to the construction of a basement floor is a high (less than 2 m from the surface) groundwater level. Under such conditions, it is extremely difficult to carry out high-quality waterproofing work on the underground part of the building, besides, the constant exposure to water and the lateral pressure of freezing wet soil drastically shorten the life of the waterproofing, and moisture begins to penetrate through the floor and walls.

Also, a layer of porous subsidence rock under the foundation will become a serious obstacle. In this case, an additional one will be required, and this will greatly increase the cost of construction.

Finally, it is extremely difficult to build a basement on rocky ground: the destruction of the rock, even with the use of modern technology, is too time-consuming.

In other cases, the basement can be quite cost-effective, although, of course, you cannot trust companies that promise to build it for the price of a strip foundation. As, however, and statements that the underground floor will cost twice as much as the above-ground one. Such calculations, especially when operating costs are taken into account, require a professional approach and must be carried out individually for each project.

Pasting and penetrating waterproofing is necessary not only to protect the premises from leaks, but also to protect the reinforcing cage of a concrete structure from corrosion. Photo: Penetron

Ground floor construction

The basement floor is placed inside a slab-strip foundation, the construction of which requires not only thorough geo-exploration, but also large-scale earthwork and concrete work.

Scheme of the arrangement of the underground part of the basement

1- foundation; 2 - waterproofing membrane glued with a layer of butum-polymer mastic; 3 - thermal insulation (EPS sheets); 4 - waterstop (elastic protection against leakage of a cold joint); 5 - gravel bedding; 6 - concrete preparation ("footing"); 7 - plantar drainage; 8 - wall drainage (profiled membrane); 9 - filter layer (geotextile); 10 - backfill. Photo: TechnoNIKOL

Pit development

At this stage, you can not do without an excavator, but the last 20–30 cm are dug out manually. This is necessary so that the foundation is guaranteed to rest on dense soil, otherwise it will shrink significantly, as a result of which the external heat and waterproofing of the foundation tape (that is, the underground part of the walls of the basement floor) may suffer.

The basement floor, as a rule, is appropriate on slopes, where the volume of excavation is less, and the bulk of melt and rainwater is discharged using surface drainage.

Preparing the base for the foundation slab

At the bottom of the pit, a pillow of large crushed stone with a thickness of at least 20 cm is poured, which acts as a leveling layer and reservoir drainage. Inside the pillow, with a step of about 1.5 m, perforated pipes-drains wrapped in geotextiles are laid, which are then connected to the pipes of the near-wall plantar drainage. (The basement floor is always threatened by flooding with heavy rains and floods, therefore, even with a low level of groundwater, it is impossible to neglect the installation of a deep drainage system.)

The pillow is carefully rammed, and then a “footing” is made (a screed of low-grade concrete is poured) about 5 cm thick, on top of which two layers of rolled waterproofing or a profiled high-density polyethylene membrane (for example, TEFOND Plus or Planter Standart) are laid with mandatory sizing or welding joints.

Foundation slab casting

The thickness of the foundation slab, depending on the calculated loads, is from 250 to 500 mm. It is reinforced with a metal frame knitted from a reinforcing bar with a diameter of 12 mm or more; in this case, the lower level of the reinforcement should be placed on plastic remote supports, for example, Planter Base.

It is impossible to qualitatively pour a monolithic slab-strip foundation without the use of prefabricated concrete delivered to the facility by automixers and supplied by a pump.

Construction of the basement walls

This stage is started after the plate has gained at least 70% strength, that is, after 7–30 days (depending on air temperature). Thus, there is always a so-called cold seam between the wall and the slab. It is sealed in various ways, but one of the most effective is the laying of a rubber cord or a special elastic membrane and thorough external waterproofing.

The installation of the main elements is carried out using lifting equipment, but many operations are performed manually using lever devices. Photo: Ytong

The walls of the basement floor are best erected from high-quality monolithic reinforced concrete, linking their reinforcing cage with the slab frame (for this, the latter is made with outlets at least 0.7 m long). The optimal thickness of the fencing tape is 250–300 mm.

Sometimes the walls are laid out from foundation blocks, but this design is more prone to leaks and requires extremely thorough waterproofing. Non-load-bearing partitions are erected later - from bricks, blocks or by.

Even if only technical rooms are located at the ground level, it must be heated. Photo: ShutterStock/Fotodom.ru

Typical mistakes in the construction of the basement

1. Making a decision on the construction of the basement floor after the construction of the strip foundation (without a slab foundation). It is extremely difficult to reliably seal the joint of the floor with the wall with this method of construction.
2. Rejection of reservoir and wall drainage in areas with high rainfall and heavy floods. Prolonged exposure to water and ice will damage the waterproofing layer.
3. Construction of the walls of the basement from foundation blocks on moving soils and slopes. There is a high probability of blocks shifting under soil pressure and violation of the tightness of the walls.
4. Poor quality of concrete work - errors in the binding of reinforcement, numerous long pauses during concreting, concrete laying without vibrotamping.

The choice of a waterproofing system for the buried parts of the house must begin at the design stage of the structure, taking into account many factors - from the hydrogeological conditions on the site to environmental protection measures and from the chemical composition of groundwater to the qualifications of the worker. In general, the system consists of the following elements: waterproof concrete (primary protection), waterproofing coating (secondary protection), drainage system, insulation and protection elements of the waterproofing coating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. It is very difficult to assess and foresee all possible impacts on waterproofing. Therefore, as practice shows, it is effective to create a two-three-level waterproofing system.

Andrey Zubtsov

Leading technical specialist "TECHNONICOL"

Final work during the construction of the basement

Waterproofing and wall insulation

As a rule, to protect against moisture, one or two layers of fiberglass-reinforced roll material on a bitumen (bitumen-polymer) basis, such as Technoelast TERRA or Technoelast ALFA (TechnoNIKOL), are glued or welded onto the walls. Another option is the application of a penetrating (capillary) cement-polymer composition, say "Penetron" or "Hydrotex-V", however, it is unsuitable for structures made of foundation blocks (microcracks in the seams lead to a violation of the tightness of the walls). Coating waterproofing is also quite functional, provided it is protected from damage by a rolled material or a layer of thermal insulation.

The basement is thermally insulated with sheets of extruded polystyrene foam (EPS). This material has very low water absorption and even in the ground will retain its properties for at least 30 years. On the underground part of the foundation, XPS sheets are fixed with polymer-bitumen mastic, and on the above-ground part - with mastic and plastic dish-shaped dowels.

Photo: Vladimir Grigoriev/Burda Media

Drainage device

The trench along the walls, as a rule, is covered with coarse-grained sand or sand gravel, but the installation of the drainage system is completed first - drains are laid around the perimeter and drives are installed in the corners, from which water will be discharged into the drainage well. However, many experts believe that on clay soils it is better to perform an annular surface drainage along the blind area instead of wall-mounted, by arranging a clay water seal near the walls; the need to drain water from the base of the foundation remains.

The profiled drainage membrane ensures the flow of water along the foundation wall to the bottom drains, thereby reducing the hydrostatic pressure on the underground structures of the building. Photo: Tegola

Floor installation

The most common option is a prefabricated reinforced concrete slab from factory-made elements. Recently, classic hollow core slabs are often replaced with lightweight reinforced concrete products that have sufficient strength with better thermal insulation properties. Overlapping on wooden beams is much less durable and may turn out to be "unsteady".

With precast-monolithic technology, it is easy to build a ceiling with an opening of any size and shape. Photo: Marco

Scheme of the device of prefabricated-monolithic overlap

1- frame of the concrete belt; 2 - steel profile floor beam; 3 - block liner made of structural cellular concrete; 4 - reinforcing mesh; 5 - cement-sand screed with a thickness of about 50 mm; 6 - an element of insulation (protection against freezing of a thin part of the wall). Photo: Marco

Plinth finish

A plinth insulated with XPS sheets can be plastered over a grid and lined with clinker or with a mass of not more than 50 kg / m2. Or attach a frame of aluminum profiles to the concrete wall through the insulation and sheathe the base with polypropylene or fiber cement base panels. The latter, although they are inferior to tiles in decorativeness, are less demanding on the quality of workmanship and will cost one and a half to two times cheaper.

Underground parking

A warm garage on the basement floor is the dream of many future homeowners. However, it is necessary to know in advance the difficulties associated with its operation. The main one is rain and melt water flowing down the ramp, as well as snow and ice, which interfere with the ascent and descent. A system of interconnected drainage channels will help to solve the first problem, one of which must be placed across the entrance in front of the gate, and the rest - in the center of the room or near the walls, depending on the slope of the floor. The system includes a storage tank, in which an automatic drainage pump is installed, pumping water into a storm sewer, a roadside ditch, or onto a falling terrain.

To maintain normal air humidity in the basement garage, a forced exhaust or a duct supply and exhaust system is required. Exhaust openings are best located close to the floor, as this is where damp and cold air accumulates. For 1 m 2 of garage area, about 5 cm2 of exhaust duct area is needed. And do not neglect the flexible hose connected to the exhaust pipe while the engine is warming up.

An electric heating system based on armored heating cables embedded in concrete or laid under the cover will help to fight snow and ice on the ramp. But in severe frosts and heavy snowfalls, the ramp will have to be cleaned and sprinkled with an anti-icing agent. Photo: ShutterStock/Fotodom.ru

It is necessary to insulate the basement floor, since the heat transfer resistance of its concrete walls does not exceed 0.6 m² ° C / W. Insulation with EPPS boards 100 mm thick will increase this value to 3.4 m² ° C / W, which even slightly exceeds the requirements of building codes for external walls in central Russia. The insulation should be mounted from the outside, over the waterproofing, so that the latter is protected from mechanical damage during backfilling of the soil, its shrinkage and frost heaving. When insulating from the inside of the premises, the waterproofing should be additionally covered with waterproof sheet materials (for example, asbestos-cement boards) or profiled high-density polyethylene membranes. By the way, the latter option increases the efficiency of wall drainage.

Ilya Kormukhin

Design Engineer at DSK Leto-Stroy