DIY repair of the foundation of a private house

Due to the absence of scheduled repairs for a long time or under the influence of increased loads, the foundation begins to collapse. If the walls are strong enough, then the owners of the building decide to repair the base on their own. This allows you to extend its operational life and save a little money. Strengthening the foundation of a private house is carried out in several ways, most of which do not require technical capabilities and specialized knowledge. The involvement of professional builders is necessary only in certain severe cases.

Strengthening the foundation must be carried out by detecting signs of deformation or planning to make changes to the existing structure. For example, if a decision is made to complete the construction of the second floor. Before starting work, it is important to determine the causes of destruction, since the choice of a set of restoration measures will depend on this.

Changes in the support structure can provoke:

• Excavation work carried out on the site in the immediate vicinity of the building. By creating an additional load on a separate section, they lead to the formation of subsidence and cracks.
• Vibration. It is often observed if the house is located near the railway, as well as after earthquakes.
• Strong soil moisture due to an increase in the level of groundwater, past floods.
• Incorrect operation. One example is that the building is not heated during the winter.
• Violation of technology caused by an insufficient volume of binder (cement), the amount of reinforcement installed.
• Errors in calculating the maximum load.
• The location of the base is above the level of freezing of the soil, which causes its movement.
• Redevelopment of a building with an offset of the load-bearing walls.

Without eliminating the cause of the destruction of the supporting structure, the repair work will be less effective.... Therefore, if the deformation is caused by a high level of groundwater, then at the site it is first necessary to make a drainage system and only then to strengthen the base.

The most popular are several options for eliminating damage. The easiest one, when, with a slight subsidence, a crack started along the base. It is slightly expanded, cleaned of dirt and, having well primed, is sealed with sand-cement mortar.

In difficult cases, the method of installing a reinforced concrete cushion, poured under the supports, is chosen. Due to its large area, it reduces the load and, additionally warming the soil, stops frost heaving. But the restoration of the base should be carried out in small areas up to two meters in length.

After waiting for one section to be repaired to gain the required strength (within 25–28 days), the restoration of the other is continued. Therefore, this method is well suited to prevent subsidence of a separate part or one of the corners of the house. But strengthening the foundation round in this way is a long process.

Pouring a reinforcing belt is used if there are numerous cracks, while their number does not increase. The method prevents further changes, but increases the strength of the supporting structure only slightly. The base is replaced when it can completely collapse. It is easier to carry out such work with a wooden house, due to its low weight. Under a brick and stone building, repairs are carried out in small pieces about a meter.

Before pouring the pillow, the problem area of ​​the house is dug in from the inside and outside, trying to create two ditches up to 3/4 of the depth of the foundation and up to 3 meters in length. The presence of trenches will allow you to assess the condition of the support and decide on further actions for its replacement or restoration. Further:

• A hole up to 2 meters long is dug under the pillow, going 40-50 cm below the base.
• Covering the bottom with geotextiles, make a sand bed 3–5 cm thick, and another 10 cm of crushed stone on top.
• Additionally, a layer of sand is sprinkled and, having leveled it, a solid foam 50 mm in size is laid.
• Having assembled the reinforcing structure, the formwork is installed.
• Pouring concrete, the solution is compacted with a vibrator.
• Leave to stand for 25-28 days.

You can move on to the next sections after the solution has completely hardened. If the repair work was not completed before the onset of cold weather, then the ready-made trenches are covered with earth and covered with foam.

It is recommended to replace the base in separate pieces, no more than a meter in length, maintaining 3 m between the repair sections.Taking into account the complexity of the work, you will need: a chain saw for cutting and removing damaged parts, a welding machine for connecting reinforcing elements, a perforator. The order of work is as follows:

• Using a saw, several vertical, then horizontal cuts are made in the wall, trying to divide the selected area into separate fragments.
• After removing the pieces, all surfaces are cleaned.
• Formwork is made, one part of which is installed from the side of the street, and the other inside the building. It should be 5–7 cm wider than its wall. If two indents do not work, then one of the sides is erected flush.
• Having prepared the formwork, a reinforcing structure is installed. For this purpose, having drilled holes in the wall, vertical pins 18–22 mm in diameter are driven into it.
• The workpieces are placed in the horizontal plane, fixing them in the old base.
• The fittings are connected to each other with knitting wire, by welding.
• At the end, they are concreted and allowed to stand up to 25 days.
• The replacement of neighboring sites is not started earlier than the specified time.

The device of a reinforcing belt can be performed on one or all walls at once. With this method, part of the load is removed, due to which it is possible to effectively strengthen the foundation of a brick house. Another positive point is its protection from frost heaving, which is very important if the building is located in an area with a high location of groundwater.

They act according to the following algorithm:

• Work begins with the creation of ditches around the foundation (from the inner and outer sides of the walls), going deep to the sandy, crushed stone cushion. The width is kept within 80–100 cm, the smaller size will make it difficult to attach the belt to the base.
• After completing the preparation of the trenches, the soil, and then the 10-15 cm layer of crushed stone poured on top, is compacted with a manual rammer.
• To hide irregularities, an additional layer of sand is laid, and 50 mm thick foam sheets are placed on it. To protect it from welding, it is covered with a tarpaulin.
• After 60–90 cm, holes Ø 18–25 mm are drilled in the foundation. They drive in prepared scraps of rolled steel. Meshes are welded to the reinforcement, which must be additionally tied together with pieces of wire, placing them at a distance of 5-7 cm from the base.
• In the lower part, in order to evenly distribute the load on the ground, another mesh is installed.
• After the reinforcing structure has been created, the tarpaulin is removed and the formwork is fixed.
• Start pouring concrete.

All work is carried out in stages, at first they prepare the pillow itself, and after 2-3 days a strengthening belt... It is believed that in order to enhance the characteristics of the foundation, it must be allowed to stand for a month, but this is not always possible.Therefore, after the final pouring of concrete, after waiting 3-5 days, the formwork is removed and the trench is covered with soil.

Work is performed taking into account the degree of destruction, or when the structure has sunk into the ground. In the first case, the methods listed above are used, in the latter, the building is raised. This solution facilitates access to the foundation and reduces the load on it. All furniture is removed from the house, as far as possible, and the stove. When the dimensions and weight of the building are small, then they try to raise it with the help of a lag. For this, a beam of 80x80 mm is used. Substituting it under one of the corners and making an emphasis from the log, pressing on it like a lever, squeeze the wall.

The heavier old house is raised using several jacks. Having installed them in certain places, the building is moved to the desired height and the base is built up using bricks, concrete mortar. In serious cases, when the strengthening of one of the sides is not enough, the entire perimeter is strengthened.

Sometimes repairing an old wooden house is limited to concreting the corner sections.

• Before starting work, problem areas are exposed, digging a hole about a meter in diameter from each of them, placing it below the depth of the base.
• To get to the reinforcement, the old foundation is cleaned in some places.
• The reinforcing mesh is attached by welding.
• Having installed it, layer-by-layer concrete is poured, after which it is left to solidify.

The degree of reliability can be increased by simultaneously strengthening the corners and the most problematic places around the perimeter of the dwelling.

To do this, having prepared ditches up to 0.5 meters wide, reinforcement is carried out with a reinforcing grid with a mesh size of 20 × 20 cm. The depth of the ditches is limited by the location of the old support. Having connected the base and reinforcement together, the formwork is prepared and concreted.

One of the effective ways to increase the strength of the foundation of an old wooden house is the pile method, which is divided into several types:

• Bored. On the sides of the base with an interval of every one and a half meters, two-meter depth wells are prepared. After waterproofing, reinforced structures are laid and concrete is poured.
• Using screw piles. The method is less laborious, but it is necessary to simultaneously withstand the direction of the rods and engage in their deepening, therefore, several people are needed for its correct implementation.

It is difficult to list the available options for strengthening the foundation of a private house. All of them were developed taking into account the existing defects and based on the possibilities of their solution. But in each case, the complex of works to increase the bearing capacity of the base is easy to perform independently.

The foundation of every private house sooner or later begins to collapse. There are several ways to solve this problem. But it is worth remembering that some types of work cannot be carried out independently. This is due to the fact that they require technical means and cannot be carried out without the participation of professional builders.

Repair of the foundation of a private house is necessary in the following cases:

1. If serious mistakes were made during the design of the building. An example is the saving of building material when the foundation is created too narrow. Saving on materials also leads to the fact that the base becomes less strong and durable. If such a foundation is installed on weak soil, after a few months it will begin to deform.
2. With long-term use at home. Over time, materials begin to age. Over time, the state of concrete reaches a level where it is no longer able to withstand the load acting on it.
3. Optionally create a second floor. If the base of the house was designed for a one-story structure, it is imperative to strengthen the foundation before completing the house. If this is not done, the base will begin to collapse quickly.

It is worth remembering that even the simplest reinforcement methods require a lot of attention to detail. That is why, before you strengthen the foundation of your home, you need to learn as much as possible about this process.

Before you strengthen the foundation of a private house, you should learn about the common factors due to which the foundation begins to collapse. The foundation of a country house usually begins to fall apart due to several reasons:

1. Excavation work in the immediate vicinity of the building. An example is laying on a communications site. In this case, the load on a certain area of ​​the base increases greatly, as a result of which cracks appear.
2. Vibration - Often the foundations of houses that are located next to the railway are destroyed. An earthquake may also be the cause.
3. Strong soil moisture in the area where the house is located. For example, flooding can be the cause.
4. Strong increase in the level of groundwater.
5. Violation of work technology. For example - during the creation of the foundation, an insufficient number of metal rods were installed in the trench.
6. Freezing of clay soil.
7. Making mistakes when calculating the load that the foundation must withstand.
8. Redevelopment of the structure and displacement of load-bearing walls.

It is worth remembering that if the cause of the destruction of the base of the house is not eliminated, repair work will not save the structure. For example, if the reason was an increase in the level of groundwater, it is necessary to make a drainage system on the site. If the reason is unknown, it is worth contacting professional builders, after which it will be possible to strengthen the foundation of a private house with your own hands.

Before you strengthen the old foundation, there are several recommendations to take into account. During the work, it must be remembered that if the foundation is partially strengthened, a section is selected whose length should not exceed 3 meters. Only after the complete repair of this section can you proceed to the next one.

If the structure begins to settle unevenly, it is necessary to start repairs from the side that is located below. Before starting work, you need to find out about the reasons for the destruction of the base, since the choice of a certain method depends on this.

Not in all cases reinforcement of the entire foundation is required, since sometimes point reinforcement is sufficient. Therefore, you first need to carefully diagnose the state of the structure. The best way to do this is to hire professional builders. By neglecting such actions, many home owners make a mistake, as a result of which the foundation continues to collapse even after strengthening. Taking into account the described recommendations, you can competently make home repairs with your own hands.

This method should be used if the foundation is strong enough and cracks have not yet appeared on it. Also, such reinforcement is made if necessary to strengthen one or two corners of the base. In most cases, this option is optimal, since the amount of work is minimal.

Strengthening the foundation of a private wooden house using this method involves laying concrete blocks at the corners. This contributes to an increase in the support area and overall strengthening of the structure. Reinforcement is performed as follows:

1. First, a trench is dug outside the building, the depth of which should be 50-70 cm greater than the depth of the foundation.
2. After that, all the soil is excavated at an angle. It should be borne in mind that the thickness of the concrete pad must be at least 50 cm.
3. Then the formwork is created at the bottom of the trench.
4. At the next stage, the reinforcement cage is laid. It is worth remembering that this structure, after pouring with concrete, should not come into contact with the old foundation. This is due to the fact that the created block will settle for several months.
5. After that, the trench is poured with concrete. After the block hardens, the wooden formwork is removed, and the trench is covered with soil.

Another way to strengthen the foundation is to create a monolithic frame around it. In this case, strengthening occurs not from below, but from the side of the base. This method is simpler, since the reinforcement can be done with your own hands, without worrying about destroying the old base.

To strengthen the foundation, you must perform the following steps:

If desired, you can combine both of the described methods of strengthening the foundation. To do this, you first need to create concrete blocks at the corners, and after they have solidified, make a concrete bandage around the entire base of the house. In this case, the gain will be more reliable.

During the strengthening of the foundation, additional measures can be taken to help strengthen the structure. An example is the following:

1. Removing the load by reducing the heaving of the soil. This can be done by creating a sand cushion underneath.
2. Drainage creation. This will reduce the mobility of the soil and increase its stability.
3. Insulation of the foundation.
4. Creation of a high-quality blind area that prevents moisture from entering the concrete.
5. Installation of rainwater gutters.

In some cases, it is possible to completely raise the house and replace the base. But this option is only suitable for wooden houses. Such structures are lifted with a powerful jack. You can do this yourself without using expensive equipment. Thanks to the work described, you can live in a private house without worrying that it will begin to collapse.

Do-it-yourself repair and cracks in the foundation of an old wooden country or private house: step-by-step instructions + Video

It is not uncommon for the owners of private houses and cottages to encounter the problem of cracks in the foundation. Cracks can appear for several reasons. Let's take a closer look at them and how to repair the foundation of a private house.

They can be conditionally divided into two: deterioration in the bearing capacity of the soil and deterioration in the bearing capacity of the foundation itself.

In the first case, this can happen due to flooding. When saturated with water, some soils lose their bearing capacity. Also, during flooding, soil erosion can occur. This happens in areas where the soil consists of sandy and sandy loam layers.

Also, subsidence of soil consisting of limestones and marls is possible, if for some reason the groundwater has acquired acidic properties, which destroys calcites.

Soil subsidence as a result of mine workings, pumping out of artesian waters, oil and gas production have become very frequent occurrences.

The second reason is the deterioration of the bearing capacity of the foundation itself as a result of factors affecting it, leading to its destruction.

Ground water is one of the factors; ordinary water can cause corrosion of the metal and destruction of the base. Nowadays, acidic and alkaline groundwater is not uncommon, which can destroy the foundation of a house in a few years.