Underground in a private house by hand. How to build a basement under your house with your own hands. Safety precautions when performing general construction work

Nowadays it is hardly possible to imagine building a private house without a basement. A basement in a private house can be intended for a variety of purposes: storing food, equipment for a sauna, bathhouse or billiard room. Depending on the purpose for which the basement will be used, its shape and type of decoration of the walls, floor and ceiling are selected.

Small billiard room in the basement of the house

In order to build a basement in a house, it is necessary to establish the groundwater level on the site - it should be quite low. Otherwise, it will be a very common occurrence after heavy rain has passed. To prevent this from happening, the foundation of the overall structure is provided deep, and it is better if it is of a mixed type.

To build a utility basement, a height of 2-2.2 m is sufficient. It is also rational to install a heating boiler for the entire house in the basement. Due to this, all rooms of the cottage, including the basement, will have a constant temperature regime.

Drawing and diagram of the construction of a private house with a utility basement

Advice. If the groundwater level on the site is quite high, then instead of a full-fledged basement or cellar, you can build a basement space. Its depth can be no more than 120-150 cm.

In terms of its technical characteristics, the room is not inferior to a cellar, and has recently become very popular. The basement is being done simultaneously with the general construction. Its walls must be connected to the foundation, and the ceiling must be connected to the ground floor.

To ensure the safety of the basement, the walls of the structure must be thick enough to withstand the load of the soil on them. As a rule, this thickness is at least 30-40 cm. The construction of a basement directly depends on the quality of the soil on the site.

If the soil has a loose structure, then the walls of the basement can be made of brick, rubble stone, reinforced concrete, rubble concrete, concrete.

In order to ensure sufficient structural strength of the walls, which are lined with bricks, it is necessary to lay reinforcing mesh in horizontal seams in the masonry of the building material along the entire height of the wall in increments of 40-50 cm.

If there is high air humidity in the basement, then it is better to build the walls of the room as a monolith. For this purpose, a solution of concrete or reinforced concrete is pre-prepared. The walls must have a certain degree of inclination to allow the soil to expand.

Durable monolithic basement walls

The wall structures of the basement must not only have sufficient strength to withstand the loads of the soil on them, but also be well insulated and insulated. This will help ensure a constant temperature.

Expanded clay or mineral wool are widely used as insulation for floors. You can also use polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam. Similar insulation materials are used for walls.

Advice. It will be more effective to place insulation on the outer walls of the basement - then the walls will not freeze.

The best material for this is considered to be polystyrene foam. It has high thermal conductivity, which is several times less than that of mineral wool. Also, this insulation does not burn and does not emit toxic substances.

External insulation of basement walls with foam plastic

In order to make a floor in the basement of a house, you must first add broken brick or bitumen, gravel or crushed stone to the ground. Layers of material are laid and distributed evenly around the entire perimeter, after which they are compacted.

If the soil in the basement is too wet, a layer of insulating material should be laid before adding layers of brick or gravel. This can be polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam.

Scheme of pouring and correct installation of the floor in the basement of a house

Advice. It is better not to use mineral wool for such work, as it absorbs moisture very easily and can be deformed even under light loads.

A layer of clay or crushed stone is placed on this material, which is impregnated with heated bitumen.

As for the finished floor, it can be concrete or reinforced concrete, it can be made of ceramic tiles or linoleum, as well as wood.

The base for the latest flooring options must be level. It is for this reason that concrete or reinforced concrete floors are often used. Any material can be laid on top of it.
In this video you can see how to make a basement in a house with your own hands and equip it with everything you need

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Cellar or basement

Very often it acts as a basement. It is usually located under the floor of a residential building. It can be placed in the hallway or kitchen. It is very common to have a cellar in the dressing room.

The walls of the cellar may not be connected to the foundation. They are usually built independently from brick, concrete or reinforced concrete. The form of this design comes in different shapes. The round shape has been considered the best option for a cellar for many centuries. It greatly helps to reflect the soil pressure on the walls, and the walls themselves can be made thin. It is also convenient to place food products for storage in a round cellar.

Waterproofing and ventilation of the basement

In order to ensure high-quality use of the basement, it is necessary to waterproof it internally or externally. For a cellar or basement, it is necessary to carry out waterproofing work, since the walls are in contact with the ground. And it, in turn, can be wet or dry, the condition of the external walls of such a structure will depend on this.

Basement waterproofing diagram

If the site has dry soil and groundwater is below the foundation structure, you can double coat the walls with heated bitumen. As for the wet structure of the soil, in this case it will be necessary to cover the walls of the basement with roofing felt.

Advice. Instead of roofing felt, you can use ordinary plastic film for the walls of a basement or cellar.

Quite serious measures will need to be taken during the waterproofing process if the basement is located at a level below groundwater on the site. In this case, make the floor in the room monolithic, and cover the outside walls with several layers of roofing material and lay plastic film on top of it.

Scheme of waterproofing the basement of a house located below the groundwater level

To ensure the strength of the floor and ensure the reliability of the entire structure, the base of the basement needs to be made of a monolith of reinforced concrete mortar.

Most of the work that is carried out to strengthen and waterproof a basement located below the groundwater level can take place in a flooded pit. It would be more rational to abandon the idea of ​​​​building a room, since only a professional in this field can cope with such work.

In addition to waterproofing, you need to think about effective waterproofing. The quality of product storage will depend on how fresh air gets there; ventilation is also important to keep the air humidity in the basement normal. As a rule, when constructing walls, ventilation pipes are inserted into them. Their exit can be on the street or in the house itself.

Drawing and the simplest diagram of a ventilation system for a cellar or basement in a private house

Advice. It would be better to place the outlets of the ventilation ducts on the street, so fresh air gets into them, and the circulation of air masses will become much better.

The top of the pipes is covered with special unique roofs. They are cone-shaped and attached to the pipe using small diameter metal pipes. The minimum pipe size to ensure high-quality ventilation is considered to be 140x140 mm. This method of ventilation is called natural.

Natural ventilation of the basement of a private house

In the basement you can also make artificial ventilation using special equipment. But this method of ensuring air circulation will not be rational to use, since it is considered expensive. Ventilation ducts that lead from the basement to the roof must also be sufficiently protected from rainwater or snow entering them.

Sauna in the basement

Very often the basement under the house is used as a sauna. This is an option for saving space in a suburban area.

Building a sauna is considered not only fashionable, but also healthy.

To ensure comfort in the sauna, its size should be at least 12-15 square meters. m. This is necessary even if the sauna is located in the basement. Natural ventilation can be ensured by the correct arrangement of rooms. They must be adjacent to the walls of the main building.

In saunas located in basements, it is not possible to build a swimming pool, since groundwater can penetrate into the building. The average depth of the pool is 1.5 m, and you also need to take into account the deepening of the basement itself, in general, it will be 3.5 m. That is why you should not risk the integrity of the structure.

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Construction of a basement floor in a house

Advice. To ensure quality relaxation in the basement sauna, you can use small showers instead of a swimming pool. They don't take up much space.

The removal of wastewater from a room of this type will need to be thought out in advance. As a rule, the sewer pipe goes at an angle into a drainage pit or any other septic tank. That is, it should be deepened into the ground by 2-2.5 m. Everything will depend on the height of the basement.

A sauna in the basement of a house, as well as a separate building of this type, should have two main rooms: a relaxation room and a steam room. Showers and toilets will be auxiliary. You can also build a small dressing room at the entrance where you can change clothes.

Common layout of a sauna located in the basement of a house

The steam room in the sauna must be safe, since the reliability of the entire residential building fully depends on this. Very often, an electric or gas stove is used for a steam room. An economical option is a gas stove, which is equipped specifically for use in a steam room. In order to supply gas to the sauna to ensure the operation of such a stove, you need to obtain the appropriate permission from certain authorities. Gas workers must independently connect this equipment to the gas supply. Connecting gas yourself is very dangerous to life.

The temperature in the steam room should be about 100 degrees. In this case, do not forget about the stones. They will be the main source of steam production, as they can withstand a variety of high temperatures. Stones for a steam room must be selected for strength and resistance to temperature changes.

Due attention should be paid to the decoration of the walls of such a room. As a rule, the finishing material for sauna walls is wooden lining. This material is considered environmentally friendly and can last for a very long period of time. Its surface is varnished, but this is not important.

Advice. Wooden lining for walls must be thoroughly dried and treated with antiseptic and structure-strengthening substances.

The ceiling of the room is usually covered with plastic; this finishing material is practical and durable. Even if moisture collects on its surface, it will not absorb it. The plastic is very easy to clean and simple to install.

Such a ceiling cannot be installed in a steam room, since plastic tends to deform under the influence of high temperatures. That is why it is best to make the ceiling from wooden beams, which will look harmonious with wooden walls. As a floor covering, you can choose any material that is intended for these purposes.

It would be better to make the floor in the sauna with ceramic tiles. It is durable, can withstand high temperatures without deforming.

In the recreation room, linoleum can be used as flooring.

To begin with, it is worth distinguishing between the concepts of basement, cellar and ground floor. The first room is part of the foundation; it is completely below ground level and is often adapted for the placement of communications. The ground floor is also called the “semi-basement”. This is a special room that rests on a foundation and is only partially buried in the soil. It is often equipped for garages and storage rooms. A cellar (underfloor) can be either a separately constructed building or the basement itself. It is usually used to store household equipment, preparations and vegetables for the winter. Basements have no windows, no natural light enters them, and thanks to the thermal insulation properties of the soil, the same temperature is maintained at any time of the year. After construction, they are rarely finished; they are left in rough form, since unnecessary work is associated with additional expenses. In many private houses, basements occupy an impressive area, which sooner or later the owners think about converting. As you know, nothing is impossible, so let’s find out in detail what work needs to be done to “domesticate” this room.

How to make your basement comfortable

A basement will only become comfortable if all work on its construction and finishing is carried out in accordance with generally accepted standards. Then you won’t have to go out every year in a “death battle” with mold, remove frost from jars of pickles in winter and sort frozen vegetables. To make the premises suitable for habitation, several stages of work must be completed:

• Carrying out heating, ventilation systems and electrical wiring. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to stay indoors for a long time without batteries, even in the summer; if there are no outlets, the use of equipment is impossible, and neither guests nor owners will want to breathe stagnant air;
• Finishing. In this case, we are talking about the use of especially durable heat and waterproofing materials that will help reduce the percentage of humidity and stabilize the temperature;
• Selection of furnishings and room design.

If no mistakes were made during construction and finishing, then the room will be no different from an ordinary living room in a house.

We plan at the design stage

Those who are building a house face many questions: from the number of floors of the house to the need to arrange a basement in it. The latter will significantly increase the cost of the work, but additional space will never be superfluous either at the dacha or in the cottage. In addition, basements strengthen the foundation, which is especially important in those regions where outbreaks of increased seismic activity are observed. Any construction must begin with a soil survey. Its composition on the site and the depth of groundwater will matter. Depending on these two indicators, the type of foundation is selected, and, accordingly, the features of the basement:

• Monolithic (tiled);
• Tape.

The second type is suitable for deep-lying waters and soil that ensures the stability of the building. Monolithic is a solid slab. It is used for more monumental structures in places where the groundwater level rises above the critical level - 2 m, and the soil is loose and consists mainly of sand. Construction traditionally begins from the basement. The first is to dig a pit, lay the foundation, and arrange a blind area. There are two main technologies for building a basement:

• With the preparation of the pit;
• With preliminary pouring of strip walls (reinforced concrete).

Availability of basements

The entrance to the basement should also be present on the building design. There are only three options for its location:

• From the street;
• From home;
• Combined option.

In the first case, the basement will be considered as a completely independent room. Often closets are equipped with such an entrance, because gardening equipment is inconvenient to constantly carry through living rooms, staining the floors with earth. The entrance from the house is equipped for constant access to food supplies or to the living space. Doors can be wooden or metal. If the exit leads to the street, then it is better to choose a more durable and strong material. Metal will cope with this task better than wood. The second is chosen for interior doors, which are installed at the exit to the house. By type of execution they are classified into:

• Deaf;
• Panel;
• Paneled;
• Stained glass.

The latter must be purchased from heavy-duty glass. If the basement has not been renovated for living, then to avoid dampness or cold from the “dungeon”, choose double doors or combined with cladding. In some basements there are two exits at once: one to the residential part of the house, and the second directly to the street. In the first case, an interior door is used, and in the second, an entrance door.

How to finish

Before you start decorating, you will have to go through a difficult stage of rough work. It is not so pleasant, but without proper finishing the room will not have ventilation, communications and heating. The base of the future flooring, or screed, as builders call it, is created first. In a monolithic foundation, concrete is impregnated with special solutions, which, upon contact with moisture, crystallize and tightly “seal” the floor. If a tape-type base has been laid, then a real “layer cake” made from materials is laid on it:

• Sand cushion;
• Roofing felt layer;
• Reinforcing mesh.

And only the screed is laid on top. After the rough stage of working with the floor is completed, it can be safely covered with laminate, linoleum, parquet or ceramic tiles. The choice of material depends on the room design project. If the basement will be used for living, then a heating system will be provided between the flooring and the screed, which will ensure regular heating.

The walls are primed several times before final finishing. Two or three layers of antiseptic composition will not only improve the “adhesion” between the surface and the material, but will also reduce the risk of the formation of fungi and mold. In the future cellar or pantry, the walls are simply plastered or lined with wood panels and moisture-resistant plasterboard. The latter can be painted in the desired color if necessary. It is better to use mineral-cement plaster, as it is more resistant to moisture than its lime and gypsum counterparts. The wood will have to be treated with special solutions that will stop the processes of decay and the spread of fungus. In residential premises, insulation is carried out with mineral wool, and on top of the plaster the walls are finished with PVC panels, wallpaper, wood, plasterboard, or simply painted.

The ceiling in the basement plays an important role, especially if the room is being restored, and was previously used to carry out numerous communications. The hanging option will help you cleverly “hide” all this splendor from pipes and wires, but at the same time leave constant access to them if necessary. Unfortunately, this method is not suitable for basements with low ceilings, because its frame will “eat up” too many precious centimeters. In this case, it is better to resort to moisture-resistant drywall. In high basements, you can make a multi-level ceiling from this material, which will become the highlight of the interior. In simpler versions, the surface is primed and plastered.

The corners and all joints of surfaces in the basement must be coated with the waterproofing solution, which is used to impregnate the base to create the screed. This way you can protect the room from dampness and mold.

Lighting

The wiring in the basement must be well insulated, as high humidity can play a cruel joke on the owners. If we are talking about a pantry or cellar, then even ordinary light bulbs will not fit here. It is necessary to choose special ones with a high level of moisture protection. This also applies to sockets: their design includes special caps that prevent liquid from getting inside. In residential basements, the lack of windows will have to be compensated for by numerous lighting fixtures, which are located at different levels. If your ceiling has several “steps,” then the point light sources built into them will become an interior element of the room, emphasizing its style. A chandelier or several equidistant from each other must be hung at the top if there are two (or more) combined platforms in the room. Sconces are attached to the walls, lamps are placed on tables, and floor lamps are placed on the floor.

A fireplace will bring a special flavor to the basement room. Its installation will be expensive, since due to the nature of the room you will have to hire a professional. The average person will not be able to cope with the task with his own hands. It is difficult to consider a fireplace as a source of light, but it is definitely a “source” of warmth and comfort in the atmosphere of the room.

Ventilation

Regardless of what needs the basement will be used for, air exchange must be established during construction. Even if the finishing of the room was done correctly, with the walls impregnated with special solutions, if air circulation is disrupted, moisture will stagnate. Unfortunately, this is fraught with the appearance of fungus and mold. Spores of the latter can enter the lungs along with the inhaled air, multiply there and provoke a number of chronic diseases, some of which are fatal. Ventilation systems in the basement are classified into two types:

• Artificial;
• Natural.

The latter are suitable only for “cold” basements, which no one plans to equip for living quarters. Natural ventilation is a simple pipe system that connects a room with the street. The air circulates freely in them. Artificial or forced ventilation systems pump fresh air into the room from the street, and pull stale air out of it. Modern split systems are able to regulate the level of humidity and temperature within the regime set on the control panel. Such “smart” ventilation will eliminate many problems and become a universal “climate control” in the basement of a private house.

How to keep warm

To get a high-quality insulated basement, act in two directions:

• Conducting a heating system;
• Insulation of the “box” of the room: walls, ceiling and floor.

Heating systems will artificially increase the temperature and pump in heat. The task of insulation materials is to hold it for as long as possible. The quality of finishing and heating system directly affects the microclimate in the basement.

Basement options

The basement is adapted to a variety of needs depending on the needs of the owners. In most homes, this room has impressive dimensions, which makes dreams of spacious areas for play, entertainment or work come true. Most often they create from the basement:

• Gym;

• Wine cellar with tasting area;

• A miniature bar for gatherings with friends;

• Swimming pool or sauna;

• Workshop for work;

• Laundry room for washing and ironing things. Relevant if the family is large;

• Billiard room combined with a darts and table tennis area;

• Games room;

• A greenhouse for growing vegetables or mushrooms. A kind of small household that doesn’t care about winter;

• A music studio with good sound insulation;

• Additional room for guests;

• Library and miniature reading room.

Place to rest

A place to relax in a spacious basement usually includes several functional areas:

• Reading corner;
• Bar counter for those who want to have a glass or two of wine;
• A platform for active games, and if dimensions allow, then even a miniature dance floor;
• Movie viewing area.

In small rooms you will have to limit yourself to one or two most important areas. The decoration of the basement room can be complemented by a cozy fireplace and firewood. They look especially colorful in rooms decorated in the now popular chalet style. The furnishings of the room have references to a holiday home, which is lost in the Alps, far from the bustling world. The chalet loves the abundance of wood, animal skins (imitation), brown-honey color scheme. Of course, the Alpine style is difficult to implement without the presence of panoramic windows with views of the mountains, but they are compensated for by false panels and an abundance of lamps of simple shapes. The fireplace is an integral part of the chalet. It is decorated with stonework or brick, and the fire doors are decorated with intricate ligature or ornaments, which are reflected in wall decoration and textiles. Please note that there should not be too many patterns; monotony prevails in the chalet.

In cottage houses, the basement is often equipped with a full-fledged mini-cinema. Films are viewed both on a modern large-format “plasma” of impressive dimensions, and on a white wall using a projector. The last option fits organically into the retro style. Seating can be arranged in several ways:

• Single chairs arranged in rows;
• Full-sized chairs with common armrests, like in real cinemas;
• Several sofas placed one after another.

The latter option allows, if necessary, to use the room for other recreation, therefore it is considered universal. A simple but sophisticated loft is suitable for a stylish cinema.

A small basement can be converted into an individual room “for books”. The racks are installed solid: from the ceiling to the floor. A cozy place for reading or working is created in the corner. A soft sofa with a couple of pillows, a table and a couple of poufs for guests is enough. If you decide to place all your book treasures in the basement, then pay special attention to the fight against humidity. Over time, the paper may “bloom” in the bad sense of the word, and you risk losing your entire library.

Playroom for children

A residential basement is a gift for owners of a home “kindergarten”. If you arrange it tastefully, it will be difficult to pull the kids out of there. One area is allocated for creative activities: there are tables with chairs and a rack with kits for drawing, modeling, wood carving, modeling or creating crafts. Another area is designed for active games: table hockey, tennis, twister, trampoline, ball pool, rock climbing, children's darts. The third zone will be equipped as a resting place for children and an observation post for parents. On another site they usually embody a fairy tale for girls: with miniature castles, artificial trees and other attributes of the “kingdom of dreams.” Boys are given the opportunity to entertain themselves with construction kits and car racing on special tracks.

Gym

Spacious home basements are ideal for organizing a personal gym. For residents of cramped apartments, this dream remains unfulfilled, but owners of country houses are given a unique opportunity to realize it in their homes. The room is sparsely decorated, without skimping on mirrors. Just like in a real gym, there should be a lot of them, so that a person can see not only the result of working on the body, but also problem areas that still have to be worked on. When installing exercise equipment, maintain the recommended distance between them to avoid injury hazards.

To store root crops and potatoes in a country house or country house, a cellar under the house is often used. Arranging a cellar in the basement has a number of advantages: you don’t need to go anywhere to buy vegetables, they are always at hand, in addition, there is no need to install insulated walls and ceilings, since the temperature in the basement of a heated house is almost always above zero. Among the disadvantages, it should be noted the increase in humidity in the basement, however, this disadvantage can be easily combated by arranging exhaust and supply ventilation.

It is possible to build a cellar under a house with your own hands both at the stage of laying the foundation and after building the house. In the first case, the task is greatly facilitated by the fact that full access to the basement is provided for excavation work. In the case of building a cellar in a finished house with ceilings and laid floors, the task is complicated by the fact that you will have to dig a pit by hand and remove the soil from the room.

Determination of groundwater level and cellar depth

One of the requirements for arranging a cellar in the basement of a house is to deepen it by 1.5-1.8 meters, otherwise the temperature in the cellar will rise above +8°C, and vegetables will not be stored well. In order to deepen the cellar, it is necessary to find out the groundwater level in the area. If the construction of the cellar is carried out simultaneously with the construction of the foundation of the house, this task is simplified - before the start of construction, a geodetic study of the site is usually carried out. If you decide to make a cellar in a house that was built a long time ago, you need to determine the maximum groundwater level yourself.

There are several ways to find out:

• Drill a well to a depth of at least 2.5 meters and, leaving it for several days, observe whether water appears in it;
• Find out the water level in the nearest wells.

It is necessary to check the groundwater level during active snow melting and flooding, or during prolonged autumn rains. It is then that it will be maximum, and when determining it, it is possible to reliably determine whether the water rises to the required height.

If the groundwater level is closer than 1 meter to the floor surface of the house, you will have to abandon the installation of a cellar in the house and build a remote cellar in another place. If it fluctuates at a level of 1-1.5 meters, you can try to reduce it by installing a drainage system around the perimeter of the house deeper than the expected level of the cellar floor. In this case, the walls of the cellar will need to be properly waterproofed, and a clay hydraulic lock will also need to be installed around them.

Ideally, the depth of the cellar should be 1.9-2.2 meters; it is at this depth that it will be comfortable to be in, and the temperature will be set at +5°C, which is optimal for storing vegetables.

Cellar technology and construction work

You need to start by determining the required dimensions of the cellar - they must satisfy all the needs for storing vegetables and cans of preserves. Typically, the size of the cellar is at least 5 m2 - with such dimensions there is enough space for both containers with root vegetables and shelves with jars. The size of the pit should exceed the size of the pit by at least 0.6 meters on each side, of which 25-30 cm will be occupied by walls made of monolithic concrete, and the rest of the space is necessary for waterproofing and a clay castle.

1. The pit is dug using special equipment when building a house, or manually if the cellar is equipped after its construction. If the soil crumbles, it is necessary to build retaining walls as the pit deepens.

   

2. The bottom of the pit must be deepened below the expected level by 20-30 cm, leveled and covered with crushed stone. The crushed stone is compacted, after which the bottom of the pit is filled with concrete according to the reinforcement preparation. The reinforcement can be either from a rod or from a reinforcing mesh; it must protrude beyond the internal area of ​​the cellar floor in order to form a strong connection between the floor and walls when constructing the walls. The concrete is dried for 2-3 days, after which you can begin building the walls of the cellar.
3. It is better to make walls from monolithic moisture-resistant concrete - concrete becomes moisture-resistant by adding special compounds for it. To fill the walls, formwork is made from boards, fastening them with nails using bars, ties and struts. It is better to take planed boards - this will make it easier to remove the formwork. The width of the formwork is 30 cm, so the installation of the reinforcement cage must be carried out as it is being erected. Reinforcing rods with a diameter of 8-12 mm are laid along the walls of the cellar, 2 rods at a time, connecting them in the corners with the reinforcement of the adjacent wall. The rod at the intersection points is tied with soft wire, the lower tier is also connected to reinforcement protruding from the cellar floor. For 1.5-2 meters of wall height, 3-4 tiers of reinforcement are required. Vertical connections are provided by ties to rods inserted into the corners of the formwork. The height of the formwork should reach the level of the subfloor. In this case, it is necessary to provide penetrations for exhaust and supply ventilation pipes near the opposite walls of the cellar.

   

4. Concrete is poured. It is better to order ready-made concrete for this purpose, as you will need quite a lot of it. After pouring, the concrete must be vibrated with a deep vibrator or simply pierced with a metal rod, a piece of pipe or a wooden pole - this will help remove air from the thickness of the concrete. Drying of concrete takes about a week, and another three weeks are needed for it to reach full industrial strength.
5. After the concrete has completely dried, you can remove the formwork and begin external waterproofing. Waterproofing is carried out using bitumen mastic. Apply it to the outside of the cellar walls with a roller in three or four layers. After applying the last layer, the outer walls of the cellar are covered with roofing felt and mastic, dried and backfilled with soil or a clay castle. The need to make a clay castle depends on the groundwater level; if flooding is possible, it should definitely be done. To do this, clay is mixed with coarse sand and water until a plastic mass is formed, similar in consistency to plasticine. The clay solution is placed in layers in the pit and compacted tightly.

   

6. Internal waterproofing of the cellar must be carried out for both the floor and the walls. For the floor, the most reliable option is to fill it with hot bitumen and then cover it with roofing felt. In this case, the roofing material must be bent to the height of the floor screed. The walls can be waterproofed with polymer-based mastic or using penetrating waterproofing solutions - they are vapor permeable, so the moisture released by the root crops will be diverted into the outer thickness of the concrete. The floor is made of concrete with a slope of 1-2 degrees towards the technical pit - this will ensure the cellar is dry even in the wet season.
7. The interior decoration of the cellar includes a staircase, a hatch cover, as well as exhaust and supply insulation devices. The staircase is made of wood impregnated with antiseptic, and they try to make the angle of inclination such that it is convenient to go down it. The width of the steps is about 20 cm. The hatch cover is the entrance to the cellar; it must recline completely to avoid injury when it lowers spontaneously. Ventilation pipes are inserted into pre-prepared penetrations and sealed with foam or sealant. In this case, the exhaust ventilation should be located near the ceiling in the wettest place of the cellar, where the pit is made, and it is better to lower the supply ventilation pipe almost to the floor near the opposite wall. The pipes lead to the street. Read about it on our website.

   

If the cellar cannot be made in the house, you can arrange it in the garage, or move it to a separate building located on an embankment. This way you can solve the problem of installing a cellar in an area with a high groundwater level.

A cellar for storing vegetables, food supplies, and canning is a traditional, indispensable element of country life. A well-built cellar maintains almost the same temperature, no matter what time of year it is. Thus, you can be sure that vegetables, fruits, pickles, and jams will be reliably preserved. No one will say that making a cellar with your own hands is easy. Of course not. But information about “what and how” will not hurt.

It is worth considering that the cellar and basement are different rooms, but they have the same purpose - you can store food and gifts from the seasonal harvest. Proper basement ventilation is the main factor to pay attention to during construction.

Equipped storage under the house (in other words, a cellar in a cellar) is convenient, since everything is nearby: in winter you don’t need to get dressed to go outside, as if it were located separately. Also, you will not need to insulate walls and ceilings, because such a room always maintains a positive temperature.

The cellar is a purposeful building; it can have any area and can be equipped with all kinds of shelves, stands, and racks. A properly adjusted ventilation system, waterproofing, and thermal insulation will create an optimal temperature level for storing food. Unlike a basement, a cellar can be built in any desired location in the local area.

A separately located cellar can become part of the design concept and harmoniously complement the style direction of the garden plot.

Cellar design or why the basement is the coldest place in the house

This factor is explained by the laws of physics - despite the connection between the basement space and the outside air, in the summer the basement will be the coldest place in the house. In winter, the basement will be warmer, even if the rooms above are not heated.

This phenomenon is due to the fact that warm air currents are much lighter than cold ones, and therefore rush upward. And the cold air tends downwards and concentrates in the basement.

In the summer, the house receives heat from the sun-heated roof and heated walls, but, of course, the sun's rays do not reach the basement. But even if you don’t live in a country house in winter, and the house is not heated in any way, the basement will maintain a temperature slightly above zero. The lower the basement is, the warmer it will be in winter.

How to build a cellar

It is better to start planning the stages of building a cellar with your own hands when the weather gets warmer, but it is better to determine the groundwater level in spring or autumn.

There are three main types of cellars: above ground, in-ground, and semi-in-ground. Soil with a high level of water passage can become the main obstacle to the construction of a classic cellar. It is in such cases that it is recommended to choose a semi-buried or above-ground type of storage.

Stages of construction work:

Cellar ventilation

Ventilation of the cellar and basement is an important factor in maintaining acceptable temperature conditions for storing food supplies. Excessive dampness is an eternal companion of all underground premises. If you do not intend to engage exclusively in growing mushrooms, then you should take care to control air humidity.

If the cellar is located in the basement of the house, then the vents in the base of the house foundation (which are laid during construction) will specifically perform a ventilation function. For a small basement, about 5 square meters, such an air exchange system is quite suitable. To prevent rodents from entering, it is better to cover the vents with metal mesh and seal them tightly during frosts.

If you need a large basement, then supply and exhaust ventilation based on natural air exchange will be the best solution. For a separately constructed cellar, as well as a basement, it is necessary to provide two air ducts in advance. The thickness of the pipes (preferably PVC) depends on the size of the room. The most commonly used diameter is 20-60 cm.

The principle of operation of such a system works on the difference in temperatures inside and outside the cellar. The hood (exhaust pipe) is located under the ceiling of the cellar, passing through the ceiling, leaving one end on the roof. The supply pipe also leads to the roof, but its other end, which is located indoors, must be no higher than 100 cm from the basement floor. Grids and dampers at the outer ends of the pipes will protect the air ducts from precipitation and help regulate the level of heat in the room, if necessary.

Ventilation diagram in the cellar:

Waterproofing the basement from the inside

The cellar and basement should be dry - this is an axiom. In addition to standard waterproofing mastics (Aqua, Technonikol, BITUMAST), plasters (Monolit, Polimin, Scanmix), it is advisable to use penetrating waterproofing (for example, Penetron or Millennium).

The most effective methods:

1. Penetrating waterproofing is effective, easy to use: applied with a brush to slightly damp walls, floors, and is environmentally friendly. Before use, it must be diluted with water until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
2. Liquid rubber is best applied to pre-primed walls and floors. It is desirable that the surface is smooth - this will facilitate the ideal application of the bitumen-polymer layer and ensure optimal adhesion. After applying and drying the first layer of liquid rubber to strategic places (seams, joints, utility lines), you can reapply the second layer.
3. Basement waterproofing with liquid glass works in the same way as penetrating insulation types. This is an extremely effective method with a long-lasting effect and has good breathability and water-repellent properties.

Insulation of the cellar

It is advisable to take care of the insulation of the cellar during the construction stages. After applying waterproofing layers, foam plastic (density 25) or polystyrene foam boards are most often used - they are used to line the walls of the cellar both outside and inside. These materials are good because they are not affected by fungus and mold, are easy to install, and have a low cost.

Stages of floor insulation:

1. The rough surface of the floor is leveled and covered with waterproofing material.
2. The insulation is being installed (approximately 4-8 cm).
3. Polyphenol (multi-layer reflective insulation) is installed.
4. A reinforced screed is placed on top of all layers.

As for the walls, the layering effect also works here:

1. Waterproofing layer.
2. Installation of foam plastic boards (or other suitable material), for securing which you can use an appropriate adhesive composition.
3. Cement screed (small thickness), reinforced with reinforcement for greater reliability. The M-100 cement grade is optimally suited for these purposes.
4. Since the cellar is a room with high humidity, to enhance the effect, you can additionally treat the walls with a waterproofing compound on top of the screed.
5. The finished surface can be covered with any finishing coating you like (tiles, wild stone, etc.).

It is better to carefully fill all existing joints with polyurethane foam.

Stairs in the basement

The staircase is an important structural element of the cellar or basement. Your safety depends on them, so ladders must be properly manufactured and installed. The most common materials used for construction are hardwood, metal or concrete.

The staircase can be straight, rotary, spiral or attached - it all depends on the individual design of the cellar or basement, as well as on your preferences. The staircase must be strong, reliable, and preferably have railings. The thickness of the steps directly depends on the width of the tread.

It doesn’t matter what material the stairs are made of, but building codes must be strictly observed. The correct width, clearance, slope - these are the main parameters of construction.

A plastic cellar is an innovative alternative to standard cellars or basements. In fact, this storage is a ready-made plastic cube (box), with strong walls, shelves, a ladder, and a hermetically sealed lid. Such storage can be installed quite quickly and is subsequently not afraid of humidity - and this is an important factor for storing food supplies. To make such a container, plastic is used, which contains fiberglass or polypropylene. The ready-made factory version comes with a ventilation system.

A plastic cellar can be installed in any desired location in the local area or under a garage, house, or any building. The only important nuance is the correct installation of the box.

Advantages:

• no temperature changes;
• humidity control;
• protection from rodents;
• does not absorb odors;
• easy cleaning and disinfection;
• not subject to corrosion;
• operational life is more than 50 years.

The installation process in general, step by step:

1. A pit of the appropriate size is dug.
2. The bottom of the pit is concreted (or a ready-made concrete slab is installed).
3. The box is installed on a concrete bottom and secured with slings (or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations).
4. The pit with the box is filled with a mixture of sand and concrete, only the entrance cover remains visible from the outside.

It is also worth mentioning the addition that the owners of such cellars sometimes make - we are talking about insulating the walls with foam plastic. Here opinions are divided, since the design itself is self-sufficient and, in theory, does not need improvement. This issue is decided only by the owner, but additional thermal insulation will definitely not harm the box.

Whatever type of storage room you choose, you need to take into account the characteristics of the soil on the site and pay close attention to all construction parameters. A plastic cellar, a separate building, or a basement in a private house, equipped with your own hands to store the gifts of summer, requires accurate preliminary calculations. If you adhere to all construction rules, a self-built cellar will delight you and your loved ones with high-quality preserved products for many years.

The underground of a house, in most cases, is the place where various communications, water supply, cable ducts, and sewer pipes are laid. It is the subfloor that protects the lower parts of the walls and the ceiling of the basement from the effects of wet soil and cold. For this reason, the subfloor must always be dry.

If condensation begins to form in the underground, then the materials of the walls and ceilings gradually lose their performance characteristics, which causes many problems to arise during the operation of the building. On the contrary, if the underground is always dry, then it can even be used as a small cellar where canned food will be stored.

Requirements for underground construction

Creating normal operating conditions for the underground is an important event that must be carried out without fail. This is especially true if you bought a new house, but didn’t think to look into the underground. In general, it is important to monitor the condition of the underground throughout the year.

The subfloor must always remain dry.

1. There should be no soil saturated with moisture in the underground. If the soil in the area is wet or there is constant high water, then before starting to build a house, the ground level must be raised using imported fill. The second option is to install a high-quality drainage system and organize water disposal.
2. If the foundation is strip, then you need to insulate all the strips yourself. Moreover, insulation should be carried out not only along the base, but throughout the entire underground part. This will protect the soil under the house from freezing. Modern polystyrene boards of small thickness can be used as a thermal insulation material.
3. Builders can, even at the stage of building the foundation, so that problems with this do not arise at all during the operation of the building.
   At the dacha, where people usually live seasonally, it is also necessary to carry out all the work on the correct construction of the underground. Otherwise, the house can be used normally for only a few seasons, after which it will literally begin to fall apart before our eyes.

Moisture protection

Each built house, as a rule, has a special hatch through which you can go underground. When there is no such move, you need to make it yourself. All underground structures in a wooden house must be systematically inspected for their condition.

In old houses, there are hatches in the floor not only for people, but also for cats.

Every year you should inspect the foundation of the house, floors, and lower crowns in a wooden house. Wooden structures must be free of traces of fungus and insect nests.

The underground should have regular dry soil. When constructing modern foundations, builders must remove vegetation cover. This was not done in old houses, so if the house was built a long time ago, you should fill it with sand yourself. It will allow you to quickly and effectively remove.

If the area is low-lying and the soil is wet, then underground the surface of the earth should be covered with some kind of waterproofing material. It is recommended to leave the middle part open to ensure ventilation. When the surface of the earth is covered with waterproofing, the underground will not become waterlogged during rains, so condensation will not appear on structures in a wooden house or cottage. It is necessary to waterproof the soil only if the soil in the dacha near the house is really damp.

Temperature control

If you are buying a country house or cottage, then after inspecting all the external structures of the building, be sure to look into the underground, which should not have noticeable defects or signs of freezing of the elements of the house. After purchasing a home, it is best to monitor the temperature in the basement throughout the winter season.

You need to monitor the temperature in summer too. Special electronic devices are excellent for this, which are capable of remembering and displaying limiting positive and negative values. The temperature in the underground should be approximately the same as in the cellar (in the summer, it is usually slightly higher, but there is nothing to worry about).

If water begins to freeze in pipes located underground, this is a clear sign that additional heating of the room is needed. In this case, a special convector can be installed in the underground floor, which will maintain a constant optimal temperature. In summer, appropriate thermal insulation work can be carried out.

If you do everything correctly, the subfloor will have excellent performance characteristics, which will allow you to properly operate all the main structures of the house.

Proper ventilation

With proper ventilation, moisture from under the house will be removed in a timely manner. In this case, the subfloor will be dry and will not be subject to destruction.

An vent for ventilation of the space under the house.

The basement of the house must have vents to ensure normal ventilation of the underground space. Several vents need to be made during the construction stage of the house.

In winter, some of the vents are closed with plugs, which ensures thermal insulation of the underground and also retains heat inside the house. All vents should not be closed; this is contrary to building codes.

The subfloor must be constantly ventilated, even if the house is on dry ground. During rains, moisture will inevitably penetrate into the foundation of the building, after which it will begin to settle in the form of condensation on the main structures. And this, in turn, leads to damage to the main communication systems of the house, as well as conservation and supplies that you could put away in the underground.

With high humidity and lack of ventilation, wooden structures will quickly become covered with fungus and begin to collapse.

In this case, you can make the ventilation system yourself. To do this, it is enough to make small holes in the underground, the diameter of which should not be large (10-15 centimeters is quite enough). It is important that at sub-zero temperatures the owner can close these holes, and at positive temperatures they can open them.

To organize a ventilation system in the underground, you can use modern solutions, but not everyone can afford them. A solution such as creating small holes is the right move in any case.

The main thing is that the subfloor must be systematically subjected to preventive inspection for any deviations from the norm. Condensation, mold and mildew, destruction of structures, the presence of insects - all these are signs of improper operation that must be immediately eliminated by any means.