How to pour a foundation for a house - tips, diagrams and ways to save money. Tips on how to make a foundation for a standing house Pour a foundation for a standing house

If your not-so-new wooden house is slightly warped, it means there are serious problems with its foundation. The same may be indicated by subsidence of the building at one or several points. Therefore, it's time to make foundation repairs, and the sooner you do it, the better it will be. Let's find out how to pour a foundation for an old wooden house with your own hands.

Repairing the foundation of a wooden house is necessary if it subsides at one or more points, and the sooner it is done, the better.

Analysis of the condition of the foundation of the house

Before proceeding directly, you need to carefully study its condition and make the right decision regarding the method of performing this task.

Therefore, the first thing you should do is conduct a detailed analysis of the quality of the existing foundation. How to perform this procedure correctly? Simple enough:

1. It is necessary to dig a ditch along the entire perimeter of the building, the width of which will be 0.7 m with a permissible deviation of 20 cm. This trench should be located very close to the existing foundation of the house.
2. Only after you see with your own eyes all the problems with the foundation and determine the material from which it is made, can you decide whether to make a complete or partial repair. In addition, you can decide which method to choose.

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Main technological features of foundation repair

Based on what you saw, you can choose one or another technology for repairing the foundation of an old house. Let's say that your house has a foundation made of rubble mixture. This means that the method that is considered the simplest will suit you, but its reliability is not at a very high level. What needs to be done, how to add foundation?

1. Reinforcing pieces are driven into the old base (foundation). This procedure must be carried out quite carefully, trying not to cause even more damage to the foundation.
2. Next, you need to start removing problem areas of the existing foundation.
3. The next stage of repair work involves pouring a lean concrete mixture into the prepared trench. This procedure is carried out gradually. During the work, you need to take breaks to thoroughly saturate the soil and the space of the old base with the solution. For these purposes, pouring is carried out simultaneously in a small area. To do this, you need to install partitions in the ditch. And do not forget that for greater strength, the junction of two sections must have reinforcement components. Now you know how to add foundation under an old house.

This is the simplest option to update the foundation of a wooden house.

If, while analyzing the condition of the foundation, you find that it is made entirely of brick or there are only columnar brick supports, then in this case you can use the method of creating an additional belt. But only when there are no significant distortions at home. Find out how to do this below.

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Some features

1. All problem areas of the brickwork are removed.
2. Next, you need to insert anchors inside the brickwork. They must go across the entire width of the masonry. The location of the anchors should be varied, and in no case on the same line. Their end parts, located outside, must be connected to each other using fittings and a welding machine.
3. Now you can move on to arranging the formwork; it is done on the outside of the trench. The bottom of the ditch is covered with a layer of sand and then gravel.
4. Then the concrete mixture is poured. After the first layer is poured, a mesh (metal) must be placed in the concrete solution. This is done along the entire perimeter of the building.

Using the method described above, you will reliably strengthen the old foundation and also increase the supporting area of ​​the building. The connection between the old foundation and the new additional belt is provided by anchors. But please note that this method, as noted above, is only suitable for those houses that do not have visible distortions.

If there are distortions, installing an additional belt around the entire perimeter of the building is indispensable. In this case, a more labor-intensive procedure will be required. The house needs to be raised and reinstalled on its foundation. This is the most difficult existing option for repairing the foundation under an old wooden building.

If you have followed all the recommendations of specialists and dug a trench around the perimeter of the building to conduct a thorough analysis of the foundation, then it will not be difficult for you to find out the reason for the shrinkage of the house. This can happen both due to soil shrinkage and due to destruction of the foundation. Whatever the reason, you will still have to perform home elevation.

1. To cope with this difficult task, you will need a tool such as a construction jack. Each corner of the building will have to be lifted separately. And also, think about what you will do to ensure that the jack does not press into the soil during operation. For example, you can put boards under it, but they must be wide. After all this preparatory work, you can perform the lifting.
2. To avoid unnecessary problems, raising the house is carried out very slowly and in small steps from each corner. During this work, do not forget to monitor the middle of the house walls; if necessary, you need to place metal channels under them.
3. After the building is raised to the required height, each corner of the house must be fixed in this position. For these purposes, you can also use channels or wooden blocks. The main thing is that they meet the requirements of high strength. The supporting ends are located on the edge of the trench opposite the corners of the house. We can assume that the entire building hangs, as it were, on arranged supports above the base of the old foundation.

Residents of private houses are very often faced with the problem of carrying out constant preventative and repair work, which allows the existing building or several buildings on the site to serve for a long time and conscientiously. Almost no season can go by without patching up the roof, painting the fence, or strengthening the foundation. Of course, an initially well-built foundation will last for several decades before requiring repairs.

Laying scheme

However, not everyone makes a home from scratch. And not everyone’s construction of private property begins with laying the foundation. The fact is that a significant part of summer residents and residents of suburban settlements often buy a plot with an old house on it, which is restored over time. And this matter is extremely complex. The very first question is how to make a foundation for an old house. After all, without a foundation, even a veranda cannot function, not to mention a living space.

A new foundation is poured not only in cases of its absence, but also to strengthen the existing or dismantled foundation, to improve the appearance of the building, to insulate the space directly under the house (basement, subfloor, ground floor) and in many other cases.

Diagram of a strip foundation for a house.

A very successful option for organizing an old house is when the distance from the ground to the base of the house allows a person to easily fit while lying on his stomach or back (this is necessary for repair work). In this case, you need to dig a trench from the outside of the house being finished, the depth of which should not exceed the bayonet of a shovel. After some distance, we install small supports under the base of the house. They can be wooden posts or reinforced concrete columns. The width of the trench must be equal to the width of the supports used. After the trench around the entire perimeter of the house is ready, a sand cushion approximately 10-15 cm thick needs to be poured onto its bottom. This will be enough so that the created foundation evenly loads the soil and does not crack under the weight of the house standing on it.

Formwork installation

Then you can install the formwork on the inside of the foundation - under the house. Here, as a building material, it is worth using edged boards, the thickness of which is no more than 2.5 cm. Sheets of plywood or chipboard are well suited for this work. To avoid the collapse of wooden formwork when pouring concrete mortar into the foundation under the house, it must be additionally strengthened with several racks and stops. In this case, the high underground distance is very convenient, because you need to hammer in the racks thoroughly, using a sledgehammer or hammer.

Drilling reinforcement scheme.

To connect the parts of the formwork together, you can use structures made of wooden lumber that are quite lightweight and easy for self-assembly: self-tapping screws and a screwdriver. At the same time, do not forget to leave a small hole on one side. It will allow, upon completion of the work, to climb inside the foundation and pull out the walls of the inner part of the formwork, which, after the solution has completely dried, will no longer be useful in this work.

Some homeowners may choose to leave the formwork permanently. This applies to those whose foundation and, accordingly, house are located on dry soils, that is, groundwater does not rise during periods of rain and heavy snowmelt. The same owners who had to make a hole will have to take care of decorating it. In place of the hole, a door or flap is usually installed, which will allow you to crawl under the floor of the house if necessary.

Structural reinforcement

After installing the formwork for the interior, you can proceed to the stage of reinforcing the future foundation. This will help significantly increase the functional strength of the foundation. Although some thematic manuals and articles allow you to omit this stage, indicating that the concrete solution for pouring the foundation is already quite strong.

Experts prefer to reinforce a concrete foundation, and they advise tying the reinforcement to columns or pillars used as supports.

Scheme of strip foundation reinforcement.

The role of reinforcement in this matter can be played by: ordinary steel wire, metal rods, wire rod, meshes and gratings, or even cuttings of any reinforcement elements that are suitable in shape and scale to the excavated foundation.

After you have managed to bind the entire foundation with metal, you can install the outer sides of the formwork, and you should try to position its upper edge as high as possible. This will allow, if necessary, to pour mortar into the left gap, and after removing the formwork, it will be possible to seal the niche with minimal problems using a trowel. If it is not possible to make the formwork walls as airtight as possible, you need to make sure that concrete solution does not spill through them. In this case, experts recommend using a simple and very effective method: stretch plastic film in “difficult” places, which can be tied to boards or plywood using an ordinary stationery stapler. Since the consistency of the mixed concrete should be creamy, it is unlikely that it will be able to spill through the cracks closed with polyethylene.

Foundation waterproofing scheme.

Before pouring the solution, you need to pour in fine crushed stone, since large particles can lead to uneven penetration of the solution into the depths (then voids will form, which adversely affect the strength and durability of the foundation and the house itself). Be prepared for the fact that tracing the process of filling the pit and compacting concrete through the gap under the house will be very inconvenient and difficult. This fact pushes some homeowners to abandon concrete pouring.

Select an option

Instead of pouring a regular foundation for a house, some owners of this living space prefer to build brickwork, which is much easier to fit to the base of an old house. Here you no longer need to construct formwork, reinforce and fill trenches, which you won’t even need to dig. And you will need less material, because you can lay it in two bricks. Moreover, the brick can be used when it is not fresh, and the visible part of the masonry can simply be plastered or decorated with decorative stone. And some builders cover the basement along with all the walls of the house with siding or some other decorative material.

However, a house with a reinforced concrete foundation will look more reliable.

Foundation diagram with reinforcement.

According to the advice of experts, it is worthwhile to provide for the presence of holes in each side of the foundation being installed, through which constant ventilation will be organized under the house. This will avoid the formation of mold and excessive moisture in the underground space and inside the house. It is recommended to make them depending on the length of the walls. To do this, you need to leave approximately two holes on all four sides (and if your foundation is of irregular shape, then on all existing ones), the area of ​​which is 10 cm 2. It will be most convenient to install steel, ceramic, plastic or asbestos-cement pipes, the length of which is equal to the width of the trench, while pouring the foundation.

If a brick base is placed under the wall, then in the masonry you need to make a gap of two bricks, leaving a hole in the form of a rectangle. This is how we get the well-known underground windows, which in winter are usually covered with tow or rags to protect the house from drafts. Those who wish to decorate the resulting openings can cover them in the summer with metal or plastic ventilation grilles, which will also prevent rodents from entering the room. By the way, they can be found in any hardware store at a relatively low price.

Construction on screw piles

The technology of installing an old house on screw piles is considered especially popular in renovation work of low-rise construction. The main positive feature of this type of foundation is the ability to make it in the shortest possible time. Moreover, in this way it will be possible not only to build a new foundation for an old house, but also to replace almost any old foundation: strip, columnar, or slab.

The installation of screw piles involves their installation directly under the base of the house with gradual screwing into the soil until dense areas of the soil are reached. To do this, the house must be raised with a jack, the piles filled with concrete, allowed to dry and the building lowered onto the resulting finished foundation. In the process of laying a foundation for an old house, piles can only be installed under the external walls of the house, so it is necessary to objectively evaluate the load-bearing capacity of the piles in the part located inside the perimeter.

The period of work for the construction of an old house can be either one or two days, or several weeks. This usually depends on the volume and complexity of construction work. The cost depends on what building materials you use and how the work is performed. Since hiring a team of workers involves large expenses. But at the same time, turning to specialists will help get rid of problematic calculations associated with construction, the work itself will be done in a time or two (in the shortest possible time). In addition, if difficulties and troubles arise with the foundation or house, there will be someone to ask. When working with contractors, it is necessary to make an agreement in two copies. It can have one, two, or ten items.

You can cope with this type of work on your own. You will need to resort to outside help only when studying the type of soil in order to determine what type of foundation is best suited for a given area.

Not everyone's home construction begins with laying the foundation. A large number of owners of private buildings bought a plot with an existing house, which was then renovated. But the first thing you need to do is figure out how to make a foundation for an old building, because the functioning of a house is impossible without a solid foundation. You can fill the old foundation to strengthen or restore it, as well as to insulate the house. This article will discuss how to lay a foundation for a standing house and what materials will be needed for this.

Creating a foundation under an old house

The procedure for installing a base under an old building consists of the following steps:

• digging a trench near a building;
• installation of formwork;
• foundation reinforcement;
• pouring concrete.

Such work is not very complex, so they can be handled without the involvement of specialists.

Digging a trench and installing a support

Experts believe that the optimal distance from the ground to the base of the building is one at which a person can easily fit lying on his back or stomach. To begin the procedure for preparing the site for the base, you will need the following tools:

• shovel;
• roulette;
• supports;
• waterproofing agent;
• sand;
• tamping;
• water.

It is necessary to climb under the building only if it has been decided to pour the foundation also under the internal walls of the house. If the building is small, then digging a hole for the base can only be done from the outside of the building and only along the perimeter. The depth of the trench should be approximately equal to two bayonets of a shovel.

In the resulting pit, it is necessary to install small supports at a given interval so that their lower part rests on the bottom of the pit, and the upper part rests on the base of the erected building. Wood pillars or reinforced concrete columns can be used as supports. With any choice, you will need to use waterproofing materials or special chemical mixtures that will help avoid rotting wood or damage to reinforced concrete structures. The width of the pit should be calculated based on the size of the supporting materials used.

After installing the supporting structures, you can proceed to constructing the bottom of the base. To do this, create a cushion of sand with a thickness of up to 15 cm. This depth is optimal and will allow the base to evenly distribute pressure on the soil and at the same time avoid its cracking.

A good method for compacting sand is to wet it, but then you will need to wait for it to dry.

If the work needs to be done in a short time, you can use a manual tamper.

Creating formwork

• metal fasteners;
• hammer;
• saw for cutting material;
• self-tapping screws;
• screwdriver

Simply installing wooden material into the soil around the perimeter of the base will not produce high-quality limiters, since pouring the foundation will simply destroy them. In this regard, the formwork will need to be strengthened by installing additional stops or metal holders, which will ensure maximum efficiency when installed in the corners. You can hammer them in with a hammer or sledgehammer.

Also an important step is connecting the formwork sections. This procedure can be carried out using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws. In addition, a hole must be left in one of the sides of the base. It will be used in the future to pull out the installed formwork walls from the inside, since after strengthening the foundation it will no longer be needed there, but it may be useful for another similar procedure.

The formwork can be left in place altogether, but you need to be sure that the depth of groundwater will not rise and harm the structure. Otherwise, wooden materials will begin to rot and transfer moisture to the concrete base, and from there to the walls of the building. Moisture can also greatly damage the foundation of a building.

If the hole was created outside the foundation, it will need to be sealed decoratively. To do this, you can install a sash or plant a flower bed that will hide the hole.

Base reinforcement

After the installation of the formwork has been completed, you can begin to reinforce the base. This procedure will help strengthen the base and increase its strength. In some cases, when a foundation is being made for a finished house, this stage is skipped. But in order to increase the service life of the building, it is still recommended to perform reinforcement.

To increase the strength of the concrete base, you can use simple steel wire, various metal rods, and gratings. Some experts even use remnants of reinforcement that fit the shape of the dug hole.

After the reinforcement has been completed, installation of the outer sides of the formwork can begin. If there is any doubt that the formwork walls are completely sealed, you will need to stretch several layers of plastic film. This will help avoid pouring out the concrete mixture.

Pouring the base

Many people wonder how to add a foundation to an old wooden house. Fine crushed stone is poured into the existing pit. It will help the concrete solution to distribute evenly and fill all the cracks. Otherwise, voids may form, which will adversely affect the strength and service life of the foundation and the building itself. You need to carefully carry out the procedure for filling the base of an old house; you will need to monitor how the hole is filled and compact the solution as necessary.

Carrying out such a procedure is quite difficult, especially considering that there will be only a small hole between the house and the surface of the earth. Therefore, if you don’t have confidence in your abilities, there are other options on how to lay the foundation for an old wooden house.

In the following video you can see in practice how to lay the foundation for an old house.

Other foundation options for a wooden house

If it was decided to use another method to lay the foundation for an old house, you will need to use other materials. You need to prepare:

• bricks;
• concrete mixture;
• siding;
• tiles

Tools will be used similar to those used in conventional foundation construction under a building. The usual method of laying a foundation under a building can take quite a long time, and the process itself is very labor-intensive. Instead, many professionals recommend creating simple brickwork, which is much easier to create and can be fitted tightly to the base of the house. With this choice, there will be no need to install formwork, reinforcement, or add concrete.

In addition, this method of installing a base will require much less material, which is a good opportunity to save money. You can use bricks that have already been in use. Unattractive or damaged brick can be decorated with various building materials. For this purpose, you can use siding, tiles or artificial stone.

It would also be a good idea to put a dilapidated house on a pile foundation. It involves installing piles along the entire perimeter of the building directly under the base. Installation is carried out by methodically screwing the piles into the ground until they reach dense soil. Such columns are concreted near the base, after which you need to raise the house using jacks and lower it onto a new foundation. This type of basis is a good solution, and the work to create it can be done fairly quickly.

As can be seen from the article, a house without a foundation does not have the necessary strength, so its installation is still inevitable. Sometimes it also becomes necessary to add base, in which case it is necessary to raise the building. The procedure for laying the foundation for a built house can be performed in different ways, but all of them are not individual.

The technology of pouring monolithic concrete foundations is in demand in private construction; the main advantage is the ability to obtain a reliable structure even when doing the work yourself. The requirements for the mortar, reinforced frame and other materials used are high; up to 30% of the budget is spent on laying this part of the building. The only way to save money is to fill the foundation yourself, without or with minimal involvement of specialists. In most cases, the tape type is chosen.

The main nuance of the technology is the continuity of the process; the structure is poured into a single monolith. This and the need for the most homogeneous solution leads to the need to use special equipment. Manual mixing is not allowed; it is almost impossible to prepare high-quality concrete in a volume of 4-6 m3 yourself. The most popular device is a concrete mixer with a bowl capacity of at least 60 liters; on average, mixing one portion takes 5 minutes (provided the components are properly prepared).

When working with ready-made ready-mix mixtures, two types of machines are used: a mixer or a concrete pump. The first is used when pouring a large foundation; a prerequisite is the organization of access to the formwork and the preparation of chutes for supply. The more supply points, the easier it is to distribute the solution inside. The services of a concrete pump are required in the absence of an appropriate entrance; this special equipment is considered the most convenient due to its long hose (up to 50 m). The disadvantages include increasing costs; its one-time rental costs 15,000-20,000 rubles.

Next comes equipment for uniform distribution of concrete in the formwork, for example, deep vibrators. Their main purpose is to expel excess air from the solution and compact it. Renting is inexpensive (500-750 rubles per day), the use is considered justified (the characteristics of concrete correspond to its strength class, the reliability and durability of the structure increases). If this is not possible, air must be expelled manually - with a shovel or a special stick.

You will also need: a hook or a construction gun for tying the frame, formwork (the best surface is obtained by using panels made of moisture-resistant plywood or plastic), spacers, plastic pipes for filling holes for future communications, a wheelbarrow for transporting mortar, a trowel for leveling the top layer of the foundation. Soil analysis and calculation of the amount of building materials and reinforcement are carried out in advance. When planning the timing, it is taken into account that most of the labor costs are spent on excavation work; special equipment can also be used to dig deep trenches and remove soil.

Step-by-step instructions for concreting the base

The standard guide includes the following steps:

1. Preparatory: clearing the area of ​​debris, applying markings. Particular attention is paid to angles, diagonal deviations are checked and eliminated.

2. Excavation work. The depth of the trench depends on the soil parameters, usually it varies from 0.5 to 1 m, the width is chosen 20 cm larger than the size of the tape. At the end of digging, the bottom is checked for evenness; level deviations are unacceptable.

3. Formation of the pillow: at least 15 cm of sand and 10 cm of crushed stone are poured in layers and compacted. The main purpose of these layers is to reduce the load from soil movements on the lower base of the foundation; in problem areas, their thickness is increased. In some cases, a layer of rolled waterproofing is laid on top of carefully compacted crushed stone; an alternative option is to impregnate the screenings with bitumen. If there is a high risk of displacement, it is recommended to fill the top layer of the cushion with thin concrete (up to 10 cm).

4. Preparation and installation of formwork panels. At this stage, in addition to laying holes for communications, it is important to check and mark the level of the future structure inside. To avoid backfilling with earth, the shields are made above the zero mark by at least 30 cm, and to simplify the procedure for removing them, they are lubricated with oil. All elements are securely fixed, the angles are checked again.

5. Frame assembly. The reinforcement scheme is selected based on the size of the foundation, the cross-section of the rods depends on the purpose of the building - for residential buildings the minimum for longitudinal rows is 12 mm, for baths - 10. The requirements for vertical and transverse ones are weaker; the use of rods with a diameter of 6 to 10 mm is allowed. It is not recommended to use welding to connect joints; for these purposes you will need plastic clamps or binding wire. The minimum number of longitudinal rows in a standard shallow foundation is 2; if the height of the structure is exceeded, they are increased (vertical placement interval is 70-80 cm). To prevent contact of the lower part with the pillow, pieces of brick or special plastic molds are placed under the rods.

6. Mixing in a concrete mixer. The ratio of binder to sand cannot be more than 1:3; the exact proportions are selected according to the required grade of concrete and type of building (from M200 and above). All components are prepared in advance; the permissible break between mixing new portions is 2 hours. The foundation must be poured in one day; if this condition cannot be met, a ready-made composition is ordered.

7. Distribution of the mixture in the formwork: in layers of 20 cm, with air forced out with a hoe, stick or using vibration equipment or piercing with reinforcement. The top layer is leveled with a trowel.

8. Curing of concrete in formwork with mandatory moisture maintenance and covering with film. The shields are removed after 1-2 weeks, and it is allowed to proceed to the next stage no earlier than after a month.

The given guide can be used for pouring a slab-type foundation, in this case the soil is removed along the entire perimeter of the building, the cushion, reinforced frame and concrete layer are placed over its entire area.

When mixing it yourself, it is impossible to pour the solution in one layer; it is distributed into squares. Materials and work are more expensive; this option is used when laying the slab shallowly or building a house with a basement is permissible.

What factors are taken into account when laying the foundation?

The process becomes more complicated when planning a basement, constructing an extension to an existing building, conducting construction on difficult soils, or the need to replace or restore a structure. The foundation is laid to a depth of 2-2.2 m in the case of a cellar; for buildings with basement areas, the total height of the tape is at least half a floor. A foundation with a basement for a house is more difficult to reinforce and fill; the cost of building materials and the effort to dig trenches or a foundation pit increase significantly; when designing, it is worth thinking about the feasibility of such a solution. An alternative is to lay the walls of the cellar from blocks, but this design is not suitable for all types of soil.

If it is necessary to lay a new foundation under an already operating building (old, or without tape under the internal walls), the following procedure is followed: excavating walls → clearing surfaces and corners, removing old concrete → reinforcing the reinforced frame using anchoring or tying to old rods → installing formwork → concreting. Replacement is carried out in separate segments up to 2 m wide, dismantling is carried out in one section, leaving a gap for waterproofing the top layer. When laying under an old wooden house, the walls are slightly raised with jacks, starting from the most sagging corner.

When pouring tape for an extension or in the absence of it, a trench is dug under the internal load-bearing walls with a depth no less than that of the monolith already in use. A properly executed connection is impossible without anchoring. For this purpose, a hole for reinforcement with a depth of at least 25 cm is drilled in the foundation wall, and it is deepened to the same distance into the new foundation. The brand of concrete used and the width of the tape are not lower than the old one.

How to properly pour a foundation: tips and tricks

To speed up the process, all proportions should be transferred to buckets. The recommended ratio of components is 1:3:5. In recalculation for the M250 brand, one 50 kg bag of M400 Portland cement requires 5 buckets of sand, 12 crushed stone and 3.5 liters of water. These proportions are indicated for a measuring container of 10 liters; checking the weight of the filler on site is mandatory.

Technology violations and actions that complicate the process include:

• Digging trenches in advance; when left for a long time, the edges crumble, the markings get lost, and moisture accumulates at the bottom.
• Moisten the sand for the cushion before pouring it into the pit, otherwise the bottom will wash out.
• Construction of a foundation for an extension to a house without a rigid connection or laying an expansion joint.
• Exceeding the W/C ratio, using stale binder, lack of a concrete mixer.
• Welding reinforcement in the frame (the seams are susceptible to corrosion and are inferior in reliability to wire), ignoring the requirements for the arrangement of rods.

Many owners of old private houses have to deal with such a problem as the destruction of the foundation. Yes, the old foundation, both wooden and concrete, may well be destroyed if it was built in violation of certain rules: insufficient waterproofing, lack of treatment with antiseptics, significant loads, and many others.

An example of building a new foundation for an old house

At the same time, the house itself (most often) is preserved quite well, and you can still live in it for many years. What to do in such a situation? Moving to a new place? Demolish the house, pour the foundation and rebuild the home? Fortunately, today this problem can be solved - pouring a foundation for a house will allow you to live in it for many more years.

It is also important that with a little skill, special tools and all the necessary materials, even a person who is not a professional builder can cope with such work. However, there is a certain limitation here.

It is relatively safe to carry out this work yourself only if we are talking about constructing a foundation under a wooden house.

If you want to work on the foundation of a brick house, it is better to turn to specialists. The fact is that a brick house is not only several times heavier than a wooden one, but is also more susceptible to destruction under significant impact.

So, when lifted, it can simply become covered with cracks and collapse. Therefore, it would be better to entrust the work to specialists. If such work is possible, they use special equipment to do everything quickly and efficiently. Yes, it won't be cheap. But you won't have to worry about your house turning into a mountain of rubble.

If you decide to lay a foundation for a standing house, you will have to arm yourself with the following tools:

In addition to these tools, you will also have to stock up on the appropriate materials. First of all, these are crushed stone, sand, cement grade M400 or higher, as well as metal rods with a thickness of at least 12 millimeters.

When all the necessary tools and materials are prepared, you can begin to replace the old, destroyed foundation with a new one.

Preparing the place for work

Has the old foundation not completely collapsed yet? In this case, do not rush to dismantle it. You must first install wooden or metal beams under the house - they are used to lift the house. If the need arises, partially destroy the old foundation using a jackhammer or sledgehammer. You need to push the beams under the house so that they stick out about half a meter on each side of the house. Thus, you need to install two beams under the house that can withstand the entire load from the house.

Now we install a jack under each edge of the beam and begin to gradually raise the house. To prevent the jack from going into the ground, you need to increase the support area. To do this, we place a brick, a concrete product or a thick sheet of tin (8-10 millimeters) under the base of the jack. Thanks to a more even distribution of the load, the jack will be able to do the job efficiently without going underground.

After this, you can begin to raise the house. This should be done very carefully and evenly. Having raised the house one centimeter with one jack, you should immediately move to another to repeat the procedure. The house should be raised until the house is raised 7-10 centimeters above the old, dilapidated foundation. The first stage of work is completed, and you can proceed to the next stage.

We break and build

It's time to get rid of the old foundation. In some cases, it can be eliminated quite easily, but in others, the old foundation has to be broken down with a sledgehammer. Of course, it is better to use a jackhammer for this - in this case the work will be completed faster, and the risk of injury during work is significantly reduced. But a sledgehammer is a much more accessible material, which is why the lion’s share of our compatriots prefer to use it.

Thoroughly destroy the crumbled foundation. If the concrete has not been reinforced, then this usually does not cause problems. When the foundation is destroyed, remove the pieces of concrete and place them in a place where they will not interfere with you. Later they can be taken to a landfill.

Now you can begin preparing the site for the new foundation. And here you have a choice - you can use both underground and above-ground foundations. In general, the first option is better - it’s quite rare that homeowners want to show off an unattractive concrete foundation.

However, if a damp climate prevails in the construction region, then an above-ground foundation will be the best solution. Such a foundation not only reduces indoor humidity, but can also last longer, since it will have less contact with wet ground.

So, decide for yourself what kind of foundation you need.

If you choose a regular foundation, then you will have to arm yourself with a shovel and dig a fairly deep trench around the entire perimeter of the building, under all the external walls. The width of the trench should be 15-20 centimeters greater than the thickness of the walls, and the depth should be 50-70 centimeters.

If you prefer an above-ground foundation, then the same trench 20-30 centimeters deep will be enough.

Regardless of the choice, you will have to make a sand cushion - it allows you to distribute the load on the ground as evenly as possible. Fill the trench with sand, wet it and level it - it should cover the bottom with a layer of 10-15 centimeters.