DIY wooden house foundation repair

Repairing the foundation is a costly and complex undertaking, in order to perform it correctly, you need to know the principle of the device, the causes and signs of the destruction of the foundation. A wooden private house is very common in our area, which is not surprising, because wood is an affordable material, construction costs are relatively low, and the built house will be environmentally friendly and warm. These are the undoubted advantages of a wooden structure. There are also disadvantages, but they do not appear immediately, but after some time of operation.

Repair of the foundation of a wooden house

Most often, the owners of wooden houses are faced with the fact that the house is "bursting at the seams." Windows and doors are warped, walls sag, cracks appear. All these visual defects are caused by one reason - the destruction of the foundation. To extend the life of the house, it is necessary to eliminate this destruction in a timely manner. This will require strengthening or reconstruction of the foundation (restoration), complete (overhaul) or partial (elimination of cracks).

It should be noted that repairing the foundation of an old wooden house is not an easy undertaking, so it is advisable to entrust it to professionals. But, you can do the work yourself. The main thing here is the time factor. The problem should be fixed as soon as it is found.

Before proceeding with a detailed study of how to repair the foundation of a wooden house, you need to figure out what caused its deformation. This can be facilitated by two factors:

change in the bearing capacity of the soil. This is due to an increase in the load on the foundation, and therefore on the ground below it. This can be caused by improper drainage of rain / melt water or an increase in the water table, which leads to soil erosion. Erecting other structures next to the house also increases the load on the soil. As a result, the soil, as it were, is squeezed out from under the foundation of the house, which ultimately can lead to subsidence of the house or its distortion.

loss of strength of the material from which the foundation is made. Among the main reasons are the following: the wrong choice of the type of foundation, the effect of water, the wrong grade of concrete, which was used during construction, the wrong calculation of the depth of soil freezing, violation of the technology of the device.

Identifying the cause of foundation failure provides a starting point for research.

The second point that needs to be taken into account is the identification of the degree of damage to the foundation. According to the criterion of maintainability, they can be conditionally divided into 4 types.

These include the partially exfoliated finishing of the foundation of a wooden house. Such defects do not significantly affect the bearing capacity of the foundation. In addition, they are visible to the naked eye and can be removed without too much trouble.

These include the appearance of cracks in the foundation of the house due to subsidence or destruction of the foundation. In this case, you should be more careful, because crack crack strife. First of all, its direction is determined. As a rule, horizontal cracks in the foundation are the least dangerous, but vertical or zigzag cracks should alert you. It will also be found out whether the subsidence of the foundation is temporary or it is progressive.

The nature of the destruction can be determined with the help of beacons installed on the crack (see photo).

Plain paper can be used as beacons, but it is worth remembering that when moisture gets in, the paper gets soaked and will no longer give a complete picture of the behavior of the crack. Plaster plasters are suitable for use. But the easiest way is to put some putty on the wall and draw a straight line on it with a spatula and make a mark. Such a beacon is good because it breaks at the slightest movement of the surface. The installation of a beacon will allow not only to notice the increase in the crack, but to determine the rate of destruction.

With the temporary subsidence of the foundation, the lighthouses will remain motionless. That is, there is a high probability that the soil under the foundation has moved a little, took its place and does not intend to move any more. Therefore, it is only necessary to carry out routine repair of cracks in the foundation.

• expand the crack;
• clean it from falling parts and dust;
• treat with a primer;
• seal the seam with a special mixture or cement mortar.

The destruction of the lighthouses indicates that the fault in the foundation or wall is increasing. This means that sealing cracks will not help, it is time to take urgent measures - this type of deformation can be classified as catastrophic.

These are foundation defects that can lead to the destruction of the house. Of course, it is advisable to repair the foundation under a wooden house on time, but there are times when the moment is missed.

Then the technology for carrying out repair work will be determined by the type of foundation. The most popular of which are columnar and tape. In each individual case, each owner decides for himself whether he needs to strengthen the foundation or replace it completely.

In this case, the state of the foundation is so deplorable that there is nothing to repair. It is usually easier and cheaper to destroy an old house and build a new cottage in its place that meets all the requirements of a modern person.

Repair of the strip foundation of a wooden house is somewhat more complicated, so we will dwell on it in more detail.

The method of strengthening is chosen when the deformations of the foundation are eliminated, and the soil under its cushion is stable. Or if there is a need for an add-on to the house, and the existing foundation cannot cope with the increasing load.

• dig a trench around the perimeter of the foundation. Its width should be sufficient for comfortable work and take into account the fact that the thickness of the foundation will increase;

• clean the surface of the foundation from soil;

• drill holes. Its diameter should exceed the diameter of the reinforcement by 1 mm. This is necessary for a more dense installation of metal rods;

• hammer the fittings into the holes. Thus, the new foundation will be reliably linked to the existing one;

• make a reinforced belt. For this, reinforcement is welded to the installed pieces;

• formwork is installed;

• concrete is poured. After the concrete hardens, the formwork is removed, and the reinforced foundation stands for several more days;

• waterproofing of the new foundation is being carried out;

• a blind area is made, which will allow water to be diverted from the foundation.

Strengthening the foundation of a wooden house allows you to redistribute the load of the building over a large area. As a result of this, the foundation will stop subsiding or collapsing.

Often the foundation sags so much that water can flow into the room without hindrance. In this case, you need to figure out how to raise the foundation of a wooden house? Or the old foundation can no longer cope with the load falling on it and then the foundation is reconstructed.

• maximum reduction of constant and variable load on the foundation. For this, everything that can be taken out of the house is taken out, it is even desirable to dismantle the floor and disassemble the stoves. The exception is furnaces on a separately poured foundation. Naturally, tenants are also evicted during the renovation;

• load calculation (house weight).The weight is easy to determine, having at your disposal data on the density of the wood from which the house is built and the total cubic capacity of the wood used. Cubic capacity is calculated based on the dimensions of the house and the thickness of the walls;

• the choice of a jack for raising the house. Depends on the weight of the structure, the lifting capacity of the jack and their number;

• digging pits (trenches). It breaks out around the entire perimeter of the house or only in those places where the house needs to be raised. Its presence simplifies access to the foundation. In addition, the appearance of water in the pit will make it possible to understand the level of occurrence of groundwater;

• establishment of a jack. To raise the house smoothly, the jack must be properly installed. It is installed only in safe places, without destruction or damage;

• lifting the house. You need to lift the house carefully, slowly, and most importantly evenly;

Important: to lay the foundation for a wooden house, you need to raise the entire structure. Considering that the house is wooden, the maximum load will fall on the lower rims. To prevent them from sagging, you need to pull off the lower crown with a steel hoop or fill the boards.

• dismantling of the old foundation. If the budget is very limited, and the condition of some parts of the foundation is satisfactory, then a partial disassembly can be performed, i.e. remove only the destroyed foundation. However, the cost of work will not decrease significantly from this, but the quality of work may suffer;

• installation of a sand-cement cushion for the future foundation. Despite the fact that the foundation is being laid for the finished house, the pillow is an important component of it;

• installation of concrete or brick supports in the corners of the house. Installation of piles is also possible. They will reduce the load on the foundation in the future. The height of the support is equal to the height of the new foundation;

• reinforcement. After the columns are installed, the fittings are installed. The reinforcement belt will give the foundation strength. We remind you that his device of an armored belt for the foundation is carried out using wire, not welding;

• installation of formwork;

• pouring concrete. The foundation must stand for several days to gain strength. After that, the formwork is removed, and the foundation is left open for another 1-2 days;

• waterproofing. To protect the wood of the house from decay, a layer of waterproofing should be laid on the foundation. Roofing material is excellent for these purposes;

• lowering the house. The house is sinking as slowly as it was rising;

• Finishing work. This includes complete waterproofing, cladding, drainage and blind areas.

It can be seen from the description that replacing the foundation under a wooden house is a rather risky and time-consuming undertaking, for the implementation of which it is advisable to invite specialists.

How to raise a house and move it to a new foundation in practice can be seen in the video

Using the methods described above, you can repair the strip foundation of a wooden house. But what about those who have a columnar foundation?

• the house rises to the calculated height. The height should be sufficient for carrying out work and at the same time did not contribute to a strong sagging of the lower rim.

• the bent pillars are dismantled. It is worth noting that the dilapidated pillar-support must be removed, and the tilted one is simply leveled.

• soil is selected at the place of installation of new pillars. We remind you that the pillars are installed at the corners of the building and at the junction / intersection of the walls.

• a sand-cement pillow is arranged under the post.

• the column is reinforced.

• concrete is poured.

• installation of steel or wooden beams is carried out, which take on all the load from the weight of the house and transfer it to the poles.

• the structure is lowered.

If you need to replace one or two posts, you can do it as follows. In the place where the post is installed, which must be replaced, a tunnel is made. The tilt angle is 35 °. A pipe is inserted into it and filled with a solution. After hardening, the old post is removed, and the new one is leveled.The process is shown more clearly in the photo.

It is worth noting that the repair or complete replacement of the pile foundation is much easier and faster than the strip foundation and takes only a few days, after which you can operate the house as usual.

In times of total scarcity, i.e. during the construction of the main part of the houses, the foundations were built of bricks (both tape and columnar). Due to its fragility, repairing the brick foundation of a wooden house usually involves replacing the brickwork with a more durable material - concrete. This reinforcement technology is applicable for a foundation made of rubble stone. The method was described on the forum "House and Dacha" and judging by the reviews, the technique has shown itself well in practice.

To carry out repair work, you will need

1. Concrete mortar.
2. Armature.
3. Corner for the manufacture of supports.
4. Jacks for lifting a house with a lifting capacity of 20 tons.

Dismantling the old rubble (or brick) foundation masonry Dismantle the old rubble foundation masonry (or brick) in small sections of half a meter.

The freed fragments at the base of the house are needed to install the jack and further transfer the weight of the house to the metal supports.

Thus, the foundation under the wooden house is replaced.

After reading this article, you got an idea of ​​how to repair a damaged foundation, how to strengthen the foundation of a wooden house, and in which cases it must be completely replaced. Using this information, you will gain sufficient knowledge to do the work yourself.

Everyone, even the highest quality foundation, needs restoration over time. The need to perform this method of restoring a house is evidenced by its uneven shrinkage, destruction or cracking. We will consider how to restore the foundation of a wooden house further.

The need to repair the foundation in a wooden house is most often visible visually. Already at first glance at the house, one can see its distortion, deformation or sagging in a certain area. In this case, the foundation of the building cannot cope with the load imposed on it and needs additional strengthening.

In addition, during operation, many factors affect the foundation, such as high humidity, temperature drops, precipitation, soil swelling. Under their influence, the properties and structure of the foundation itself change, and there is a risk of reducing the duration of the building itself.

Also, another reason for restoring the foundation of a wooden house is a technologically incorrectly made foundation, not adhering to certain rules when arranging the foundation. The use of low-quality cement mortar, non-observance of the moisture or temperature regime of pouring, incorrect calculations - these facts are the main reasons for the destruction of the foundation after the first winter of its operation.

In addition, the foundation of a wooden house needs restoration because of its old age, in the event that a certain period of its operation comes to an end.

In any case, before starting work, you should visually inspect the house for any defects. If the main part of the house gradually sags into the ground, then it is enough to carry out a partial restoration. Those sections of the foundation that have been subject to decay or destruction should be replaced with new ones or reinforced with additional reinforcing elements. Please note that it is unrealistic for one person to cope with such work. Since it may be necessary to have special equipment to raise the building body. Concrete blocks or bricks will help build up an additional section of the foundation.

If the house shows significant traces of its destruction or cracking of the walls, then it will be necessary to perform work aimed at the complete restoration of the foundation of the house. It is preferable to entrust this process to specialists, although it is possible to carry it out independently. The main rule of successful foundation restoration is determining the cause of its destruction and applying the correct restoration technology.

And in order to determine the way to restore the foundation, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the types of foundations made for the construction of wooden houses.

This foundation option is the most popular, especially when it comes to shallow foundation. The strip foundation is distinguished, first of all, by high strength characteristics and excellent rigidity. For its arrangement under the building under its load-bearing walls and partitions, a continuous trench is dug, its width along the entire length is the same, but the depth is determined by many factors, among which we note:

• the type of soil on which the house is being built;
• the amount of groundwater and the level of their occurrence;
• building weight, number of floors;
• type of roofing, walls, flooring, etc.

In relation to the depth of soil freezing, the strip foundation is deep and shallow. The first option is based on the fact that the depth of the foundation necessarily exceeds the level at which the soil freezes. The construction of a buried foundation will cost much more than a shallow foundation.

For the construction of a wooden house, the second option is most often used - a shallow strip foundation. It has the appearance of a solid, however, T-shaped structure that can withstand moderate loads over a long service life. Thus, the foundation is located at a shallow depth, which means that the force of the heaving of the soil affects it to a small extent. The depth of arrangement of a shallow foundation is 30-80 cm. At the same time, the cost of the amount of reinforcement and concrete solution for filling the trench is significantly reduced.

This foundation is relevant for moisture-saturated and heaving soil. To reduce the depth of soil freezing, part of the soil near the foundation is additionally insulated. A shallow-type strip foundation is an ideal option for a wooden house, as it is able to ensure its high-quality operation for more than a hundred years.

The second most popular option is the foundation of the pile-grillage type. This option is relevant if the walls of the house are very light, and the topsoil does not withstand a significant load. For example, if the groundwater is laid at a rather high level, there are influxes on the soil, or sudden changes in temperature in winter.

In this case, it is recommended to install piles to a depth of more than 200 cm. Thus, it is possible to reduce the risk of damage to the foundation in the winter season. The installation of piles is carried out on the corner parts of the building and at the intersections of its load-bearing walls. It is also recommended to install additional piles under sections of heavy or load-bearing walls. The optimal value of the interval between the piles is 150-200 cm. There are several options for making such a foundation - the use of monolithic piles, asbestos or concrete piles with additional reinforcement. The most suitable option for a wooden house is a pile foundation with permanent formwork. In addition, such a foundation contains beams called grillages. They create a rigid structure that is 100-150mm above the ground. Compared to the strip foundation, the pile option requires significantly less time and material investments for its construction.

Another type of pile foundation is screw piles.They are installed if the site has a certain slope. In order not to waste time on leveling it, a special technique is used with which screw piles are installed.

3. The monolithic option is the most reliable, but the most expensive.

This type of foundation is distinguished by a rigid structure in the form of a reinforced concrete slab, which is located under the entire house along its perimeter. Such a foundation is built only if it is impossible to arrange the two previous options. If the soil on the site has poor bearing capacity not only in the upper, but also in the lower layers, then it is necessary to fill in a monolithic foundation.

With the help of such a foundation, it is possible to significantly level the surface both horizontally and vertically. Please note that without fail, the foundation slab must be reinforced. Otherwise, the duration of operation of such a foundation will be halved.

To begin with, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the guide for repairing the strip foundation of a wooden house. In order to take any measures, you must first bare the foundation. Dig a trench around the perimeter of the entire building, up to half a meter wide and deep enough to expose the lower part of the foundation.

With an uneven subsidence of the house, it is enough to strengthen only those places in which the house subsided. If the above measures did not help, then you will have to restore the foundation completely.

Partial restoration of the strip foundation consists in the removal of previously crumbled parts of it. Further, a hole is drilled into the foundation, and reinforcement or anchor connections are installed in it. If you preferred the second option, then after installing the anchors, connect them to the reinforcement using welding. Next, the trench is filled with a liquid concrete composition. It is preferable to carry out the work in sections of 150-200 cm. Install small jumpers between them. Do not rush to fill the entire trench, as the concrete will gradually soak into the damaged areas of the foundation. Each of the poured sections is connected to the previous one using reinforcing rods. Thus, filling the soil with concrete for a while prevents soil subsidence.

Repair of the foundation of a wooden house photo:

If the building subsides evenly, then it is preferable to build a solid belt around the perimeter of the entire foundation, about 25 cm deep, which is reinforced with reinforcement and poured with high-quality concrete mortar.

In this case, a drainage system in the form of a sand and crushed stone cushion is set up at the bottom of the pit. Further, the old masonry is subjected to general reinforcement using a solid steel mesh. After the final filling of the trench is completed, the size of the foundation increases and it acquires additional strength. It is imperative to install drips on the basement part.

Repairing the foundations of an old wooden house with an uneven skew in one of the parts is more difficult to perform. To do this, you will need to attract a special technique that will raise the house in the right place. Most often, hydraulic jacks are used to raise the house, under which beams or steel profiles are placed that perform a supporting function.

It is recommended to remove all kinds of utensils and heavy objects from the house before lifting it. In some cases, windows and doors are even removed in the house. In order not to damage the roof of the building, wall decoration or the floor, the process is carried out very slowly, while the four corners of the house rise at once, approximately 4-5 cm. Then insurance is placed under the house and the process continues.

The formwork is installed in relation to the hydraulic level. The old foundation masonry is subject to mandatory reinforcement.At the same time, the reinforcement is connected to the foundation with a new coating. After the completion of the foundation, in some cases, a brick base is laid, although it is possible to return the house directly to reinforced concrete. Please note that the installation of waterproofing between the basement and the house itself is mandatory.

The repair of a pile-type foundation is carried out in the same cases as the restoration of a strip foundation. The cost of repairing the foundation of a wooden house depends on its individual characteristics, the degree of destruction and many other factors.

If piles are used as a foundation for a wooden house, then in case of cracking, care should be taken to strengthen the pillars. For this, they are processed with a concrete reinforced belt.

In the event that it is impossible to repair them in this way, you will have to raise the structure and lay out new pillars.

If the piles have characteristic signs of distortion, then try to perform work aimed at fully straightening them. At the same time, dig the pile in the opposite skewed position, try to straighten the pile and fill the hole with concrete, which will help fix the foundation.

If the inner part of the pile has undergone deformation or destruction, it is recommended to completely replace it. An excellent alternative to piles will be asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of about 20 cm.

To establish a pile under the house, you should dig a small groove with a slope in the right direction, run a pipe through it, set it in the right direction and fill it with concrete mortar. Note that the mortar should not only saturate the inside of the pile, but also the sand and gravel pad underneath.

Also, the sand and gravel cushion should be reinforced with external concrete grouting. Thus, the lower part of the well will resemble a T-shape. After that, the foundation will acquire additional strength and stability.

Please note that in order for the foundation to serve you as long as possible, you should definitely carry out a number of works aimed at waterproofing and insulating it. Indeed, moisture that gets through microcracks into the inside of the foundation leads to its gradual destruction. The most common way to provide waterproofing is by coating. It is performed using bitumen mastic, liquid glass or special penetrating compounds. After the waterproofing is applied to the surface, thermal insulation works are carried out. The best option is insulation boards based on expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam. The thickness of the material depends on the climatic conditions of the region and on the required thermal insulation effect.

Repair of the foundation of a wooden house video: