What is the best basement for the house. How to make a basement at home

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today there are 3 types of basement at home:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Materials that are necessary for arranging a structure of this type

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

  • concrete;
  • reinforced concrete.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Features of the construction of such a structure

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

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

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Existing design features of the basement

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

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

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

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

  • monolithic;
  • team.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The basement is the fully or partially buried floor of a building below ground level. As a rule, utility rooms or a garage for a car are equipped in such a room. However, individual house designs provide for a bath, sauna, gym, swimming pool, etc. in the basement. In some cases, building a basement is an excellent solution, especially if the house is located on a slope. Due to this, it is possible to effectively increase the living area of ​​the entire building. Therefore, if you have not yet started building a house, then it will be useful for you to familiarize yourself with the provided article, from which you will learn how to make a basement and equip it, as well as for what purposes it can be used.

The basement floor can simultaneously serve as the foundation of the entire building and living quarters. The main feature in its arrangement is the fulfillment of requirements for size, strength and internal space. So, the regulated ceiling height should be at least 2.5 m. However, in some cases, deepening is limited by the presence of high groundwater. Therefore, the basement may be higher than ground level. In cases where groundwater is located deep, this room is completely hidden in the ground.

Do not assume that the basement is a basement. In fact, it can be fully considered a full-fledged floor, but only with its proper arrangement.

For example, if groundwater is located at least 1 m from the surface of the earth, then it is not worth digging a foundation pit for the building. In this case, the aboveground part of the basement should be covered with soil. In this case, you can artificially deepen the ground floor. However, such a solution would entail a lot of effort. It is also additionally necessary to organize high-quality drainage around the building.

So, the basement can be used to locate such premises:

  • pantry;
  • garage;
  • wine Vault;
  • game room;
  • living room;
  • bedroom;
  • utility room;
  • living room;
  • Gym;
  • home theater and more.

As you can see, there are practically no restrictions on how to use this usable area. Another of the positive aspects of this room is that the thermal insulation qualities of the whole house increase.

The basement differs in its design and there are 3 types:

  • bulging;
  • buried;
  • flush with the walls.

If the walls are too thin and the basement is below ground level, then the first option is used, since it becomes possible to make it warmer. The recessed base is one of the most common. In appearance, it looks quite nice. The drainage of water that flows from the facade prevents the presence of high humidity. As for the recessed option, many construction experts do not recommend building it. In this case, the effect of the presence of the basement floor is completely lost, and powerful waterproofing will need to be made on the walls.

There are some features for choosing the thickness of the walls. This will mainly depend on several factors, namely:

  • thickness and material of the upstream walls;
  • soil characteristics;
  • climatic conditions in your area.

So, having decided on how the construction will be carried out and what type of basement you want, you can proceed to the preparatory and construction processes.

The stage of work associated with markup implies the following actions:

  • Designing the basement floor, as well as determining the purpose of a particular room.
  • Calculations for the bearing capacity of the foundation and walls of the underground floor. Here it is recommended to lay a foundation with 30% more strength. So, it will be possible to have greater confidence in the strength of the entire structure.
  • Clearing and marking the construction site. This stage of work is quite responsible, so it is often better to turn to qualified specialists.
  • Removal of the contour of partitions and load-bearing walls.

How carefully you approach each preparatory stage will directly affect the strength of the structure.

Not in all cases it is possible to make the foundation that you really want. The reason lies in the peculiarities of the soil of a particular region. In some climatic zones, the arrangement of some types of foundation is generally impossible. Therefore, we will consider several options for the foundation that can be erected for the basement.

  1. Pile foundation. This type of construction is relevant on heaving soil with a high occurrence of groundwater. As for the basement floor, in this case, the operation of the ground floor does not present any problems and fear of any impact on the foundation. The only disadvantage of this method is the special specificity of the structure of the house.
  2. Slab foundation. This type of foundation is suitable for swampy soil with weak soil, as well as water-saturated sand. With this design, the ground floor will look like a box, on top of which the main part of the house will be built. In soft ground conditions, the slab foundation will prevent subsidence, as the weight of the building will be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the slab.
  3. Strip foundation. If the soil on your site is not problematic, then this type of foundation is optimal.

The width of the foundation of the ground floor depends entirely on the nature of the walls of the main building. Let's take the example of a frame house as a basis. In this case, the width of the foundation can be:

  1. With a pile foundation - 300–500 mm. Accordingly, the thickness of the walls can be equal to the foundation. At the same time, it is not necessary to build a base for finishing the facade, ventilation gap and exterior finish.
  2. With a monolithic slab, the width of the foundation must correspond to the width of the walls of the basement of the building.
  3. With a shallow strip foundation, the width is equal to the walls of the ground floor. But this is the case when a concrete screed will not be installed on the basement floor.

Be sure to consider the locations of the holes for arranging ventilation ducts. They must be indicated on the general design of the foundation. According to the standards and regulated norms of SNiP, there should be from 12 to 24.

For the ground floor, it should be done in 2 layers. The choice of waterproofing material is influenced by several factors:

  • wall material;
  • climatic conditions;
  • soil type, etc.

The entire vertical and horizontal surface of the building must be waterproofed. It is also necessary to cover all points of contact with the ground.

You can use roofing felt or ruberoid. Such waterproofing will cost you relatively inexpensively. As an option - bituminous mastic. There are no special rules for applying waterproofing. The main thing is to carefully protect and cover all areas of the foundation from moisture penetration.

Below you will find detailed instructions for all actions during the construction of the basement floor with your own hands. It is worth highlighting the processes that need to be performed:

  1. To begin with, the site is marked according to the building project.
  2. A pit is being dug along the perimeter of the building. The depth is also determined by the project, but it should not be deeper than the underground part of the foundation by 500–600 mm.
  3. From crushed stone and gravel, a fraction of 50 mm, filling is made, as well as a layer of sand. Each of these layers must be at least 100 mm.
  4. Each layer is rammed. Sand, in turn, is watered. This will provide a better seal.
  5. After tamping, a 5 cm thick M100 concrete base is poured. This layer is necessary to level the base for laying the ground floor slab. It is also necessary for additional waterproofing.
  6. When the concrete is completely dry, the rolled waterproofing material is laid in 2 layers. It is connected with bituminous mastic.
  7. After making the base, you can proceed to the construction of the external formwork.
  8. But first, the floor slab is poured. It will also serve as the base for the foundation walls.
  9. Formwork can be built from fixed panels or boards. Formwork must be reinforced.
  10. For reinforcement, buy corrugated reinforcement Ø10 cm. It is connected to each other with wire.
  11. In places where walls will be erected, reinforcement is additionally mounted in a vertical position.

  • For pouring, it is recommended to use concrete M250 or M300.
  • The slab is poured with a thickness of 200 mm, and more is possible.
  • The poured solution must be pierced with vibrating slats and a deep vibrator so that air comes out.
  • The surface must be even. The poured concrete must be left for 4 weeks.
  • To speed up the construction process, in parallel, you can start building formwork for the walls.
  • Some experts recommend the use of non-removable polypropylene shields, which will simultaneously serve as insulation.
  • Reinforcement is also performed in the longitudinal direction of the wall.
  • The reinforcement bars are tied up with the previously installed vertical bars.
  • According to the provided project, leave openings for doors. And for laying communications, lay the sleeves from a metal pipe.
  • You can fill the walls in layers or completely. If you decide to fill in layers, then each subsequent one must be filled in without waiting for the previous one to dry completely.

In general, the entire structure gains its strength after 28 days.

Now it's time to waterproof the basement. You can use a coating or gluing material. Inside it is best to use penetrating insulation. It will not disturb steam exchange, and will also increase the strength of the structure.

It is best to sheathe the outer walls with natural stone. This finish is very durable, because this material is strong. As a result, the wall will be protected from decomposition and sudden changes in temperature. Therefore, you can use marble, limestone or granite.

One of the most modern finishing materials is basement siding. Such plastic is able to cope with the harsh climate, and does not fade in the sun. Its installation is carried out on a specially made frame / crate.

As for the interior decoration of the walls, it is first necessary to decide for what purpose this or that room will be used. Therefore, you will first need to carry out heating and other communications, for example, sewerage, plumbing and electricity. From the inside, the walls are also plastered, insulated with polystyrene foam, foam plastic or foam insulation.

For wall cladding, it is better to choose moisture-resistant materials.

To begin with, the floor is insulated:

  1. The first step is to make a pillow of sand.
  2. Next, the roofing material is covered.
  3. When laying roofing material, avoid gaps.
  4. Reinforcement from an iron lattice is mounted on top.
  5. Then the floor is poured with concrete M400 or M300.

Depending on the purpose of the room, floor insulation can be performed in different ways. For example, in a living room or a gym, you can lay the "Heat-insulated floor" system on the floor, it can be electric or water. As for domestic premises, it is enough to lay arbolite slabs or fill the floors with expanded clay up to 100 mm thick.

A finishing concrete screed is poured on top of the insulation.

One of the last stages of construction is the manufacture of the ceiling. There are several technologies here:

  • Monolithic reinforced concrete slab.
  • Prefabricated monolithic slab.
  • Wooden cover.

Consider step by step the installation of a monolithic reinforced concrete slab:

  1. First you need to build a formwork with mandatory reinforcement.
  2. The whole structure is fixed with racks in increments of 1 m.
  3. The plate should go on the walls, by 150–200 mm.
  4. Now you are making a reinforcing belt.
  5. It should go on the walls by 40–60 mm.
  6. Reinforcement is installed with an interval of 150 mm.
  7. The next step will be pouring a monolithic slab up to 200 mm thick.

After pouring, it is necessary to wait about one month for the overlap to dry.

If we talk about a prefabricated monolithic slab, then in this case the installation of the ceiling is carried out using special equipment. It is important to consider that such floors have their own standards, so they may not be suitable for every project. So, for its installation it is necessary to carry out the following work:

  • Masonry is constructed along the entire perimeter of the basement up to the height of the ceiling.
  • After that, waterproofing is put and poured with a small layer of mortar.
  • At the next stage, steel frames are assembled into which the prefabricated monolithic slab will be installed.
  • When installed, there will be space between the plates. It must be filled with concrete. The result is a one-piece structure.

We will also consider the technology for the manufacture of wooden floors, it is mainly used for wooden houses:

  1. Installed wooden beams.
  2. The edges of the beams are wrapped with roofing material, and then they can be placed on the base.
  3. Openings for beams are pre-made in the walls.
  4. Insulation should be placed in these openings.
  5. After installing the beams from the bottom side, small bars are fastened.
  6. Roll-up boards are screwed to them.
  7. Spread roofing material and insulation up to 150 mm thick on the reel.

Concrete block plinth construction

If you are looking for an economical option for arranging the basement, then concrete blocks are the best suited for the task. This material is strong enough, repels moisture well, tolerates temperature extremes, does not lend itself to mold and fungus. If we talk about the shortcomings, then this is the mandatory use of special equipment for their installation. It is impossible to deal with them manually.

Blocks are installed around the entire perimeter of the future building. They are held together with cement. It is imperative to leave recesses between the blocks for communications: plumbing, electricity, sewage, ventilation. As for ventilation, the holes must be at least 150 mm above the ground. To prevent debris from getting into the left holes, it is better to cover them.

If the basement rises above ground level, then take care of the place for windows. In this case, the larger the windows, the better. This will provide the zero room with natural light.

So that after the installation of the blocks you do not have to allocate a lot of money and material for plastering the walls, it is important to install them as evenly as possible. Although the blocks are durable materials, you still need to make an armored belt from above. It is necessary in order to align the entire tier horizontally, since it will not work to set it perfectly in level anyway.

The principle of all preparatory work for the installation of foam blocks is similar to working with concrete blocks. The foundation is poured with a small thin layer of mortar for laying the first row. In order for the material to grab better, it is recommended to moisten the cement with water. To begin with, laying corners. After the walls are aligned in height and horizontally. A fishing line is stretched between the corners and the main walls of the basement are pulled out.

After the first row, it is necessary to apply waterproofing in a liquid state. Waterproofing is applied in several layers. Each subsequent layer is applied after the previous one has dried. After that, the laying of foam blocks continues with a special glue.

Do not forget, each row and even more so the corner should be checked for evenness. After the masonry is completed, a trench up to 50 mm deep breaks out along the entire perimeter. Reinforcement is laid in it, which is welded together at the corners. Finally, the trench is filled with concrete. This will happen by strengthening the entire structure of the basement.

Oddly enough it sounds, but the slope only simplifies the manufacture of the basement. The ideal slope is considered to be up to 9°. So, there is no need to dig a big pit. It is enough to cut out part of the array from the slope. In such cases, the garage in the basement looks original.

If we talk about technology, then the first step is to make a pillow and waterproofing. The next stage of construction is described above.

So, from this article it was possible to learn how to properly carry out the work on the construction of the basement. If you have personal experience in construction, then leave comments at the end of this article. If you still have questions, you can contact an expert for help.

Video

You can learn how to make your own basement from the video:

The decoration of the basement, on the one hand, is simpler than the facade: there are no special aesthetic and architectural subtleties here. The plinth can be in harmony or contrast with the overall design of the building in terms of tone, texture, and type of material used, see fig. Corrosive pedants should simply point to the Erechtheion, the Roman baths or any of the Gothic cathedrals - and let them say what they want.

For small individual construction, the false plinth option is also of particular interest (photo below on the right in the figure): the tape protruding foundation is finished without any pretensions, if only for a long time, and the wall belt above it imitates a high plinth. This allows you to fully concentrate technically on the correct arrangement of a very critical place of the entire structure of the house - the junction of the wall with the plinth (foundation protrusion); in particular on the ebb device, see below, without compromising the appearance of the house.

On the other hand, the lining of the plinth is exposed to intense chemical (atmospheric moisture, dirt, organic matter from the soil), physical (temperature and humidity changes) and mechanical abrasive agents (wind-blown grains of sand). The concentration of dust, dirt and splashes of solutions of soil components in the air depend on the height above the ground according to a power law and within 50 cm from the ground fall relative to the zero height of the building by 10 or more times. Therefore, both the materials for finishing the basement and the methods of working with them require a more careful approach than for finishing the facade.

On the third, finishing the basement with stone or other durable, resistant and heavy material almost always does not cause any technical difficulties, because. the height of the plinth, as a rule, does not exceed 80 cm; in extreme cases - up to 2 m, for a house with a basement, and the base itself is made of durable materials, otherwise it simply will not carry weight, climatic and operational loads. So the material for lining the plinth can be chosen, limited only by financial considerations.

Work order

The basement of a residential building is lined in the order of the work of the final stage of construction - exterior decoration. In general, the finishing of the basement of the house is carried out in stages in the following order:

  • A trench is digging under the blind area with a depth of approx. 30 cm (on the bayonet of a shovel) or 15-20 cm deeper under the blind area with insulation;
  • A sand and gravel cushion is laid in the trench, optionally also a heater;
  • A rough finish of the basement is carried out in order to level its surface;
  • A blind area is being arranged;
  • Decorative finishing of the plinth is made;
  • Only after that, all other work on the exterior of the building begins, incl. facade cladding.

It is not recommended to break this sequence, especially for inexperienced amateur builders, but in some cases, discussed below, this is possible, for example. if the plinth of an existing building is revetted or repaired. In this case, the design of the plinth plays a decisive role for the complexity of the work and the possibility of using one or another finishing material.

Plinth and tide

Finishing the basement of a private house in relation to the choice of material and the method of its installation largely depends on the design of the basement itself and its ebb. The interface between the load-bearing wall and the plinth is the most likely place for moisture to penetrate into the gap between them, causing the walls to become damp. From below, waterproofing does not let it in, that's why they put it. But the water flowing into the walls is also capable of leaking under the wall along the same waterproofing, this is the so-called. capillary closure. To prevent it, a low tide is arranged above the base.

Design options for a plinth with a low tide

Possible options for the design of the plinth with a low tide are shown in fig. If the base is sinking (pos. 1) - you are in luck. A simple single tide is laid between the layers of insulation; if a teardrop groove (dropper) is also knocked out from below on the wall extension, pos. 1a, then capillary blocking of the walls is excluded. But then either the wall should be from 2.5 bricks, or the basement ceiling should be slab, pos. 1b. Budget developers avoid the last option - it's a little expensive - but in vain: then, during the operation of the house, the slab floor justifies itself with interest. Moreover, on, in fact, the second base of the house, you can build a box easier and cheaper. Also in this case, you can build from foam / gas blocks, then facing the house with bricks, which looks solid and inexpensive.

More often, however, there are houses on a protruding plinth, pos. 2. The technology for preventing capillary blockage in this case is known, this is a double ebb, pos. 2a. Its outer tray (addition) is placed at the end of the decorative finish of the basement and facade, so that it can be changed as it wears out. For reliability, silicone is applied to the surface of the rim (upper limb, fold) of the tray adjacent to the wall before installation.

Now on sale there are "eternal" ebbs made of propylene or stainless steel, their durability exceeds the estimated service life of residential buildings of conventional design. With an “eternal” ebb, the task of keeping the wall dry is simplified: the basement is completely finished, and the ebb is placed on the wall before facing it with a moisture-proof material, for example. waterproof plaster, clinker or thermal panels on glue. The rim of the ebb turns out to be walled up in the facade cladding, pos. 2b, and water will no longer flow under the wall.

Note: the same methods of installing a low tide are applicable for houses on a plinth flush with the wall, although in general a “smooth” plinth is bad in every way.

Sometimes, for decorative purposes, the ebb as such is abandoned, replacing it with a brick cornice. So it is possible, but the front brick on the eaves must be taken so-called. hyper-pressed (hyper-formed), grout the seams of the cornice-outflow flush, and use a waterproof and moisture-proof masonry mortar and grout with polymer additives. In amateur conditions, they can be prepared with your own hands by adding to the cement-sand mortar from M200 and grout for outdoor work, 1-3 cups per bucket of PVA or bustilate-type polymer tile adhesive. You can also use glue for porcelain stoneware or clinker (terracotta) tiles.

Hyperpressed brick is often falsified. You can recognize the real one by its homogeneous structure, the absence of visible inclusions and the even dark color of a matte or semi-matte surface, the so-called. bricks - "chocolates", pos. 3. On ordinary (quite suitable for their purpose) face bricks that form an ebb, after a winter or two, the core will appear and efflorescence will go, pos. 3a, which means - break the lining of the basement and redo the ebb, while the wall is locked.

Finally, wooden houses are built almost exclusively on protruding plinths: the minimum allowable width of the foundation tape here turns out to be greater than the thickness of the wall, and for a number of reasons it is impossible to put a log house or frame on a concrete slab. In this case, the ebb can only be double; its options for a log or timber and frame house are shown in pos. 4 and 5. In a log / log house, the fastening of the rim of the outer tray is sealed with silicone; this is not required in a frame house, because. wall cladding also serves as a teardrop.

Note: in all cases of using a double tide, the distance between the cornices of the inner and outer trays must be at least 10-12 mm anywhere.

Preparation for cladding

The most difficult and time-consuming part of the work on finishing the basement is leveling its surface for cladding; the plinth can be made of rubble stone, concrete blocks (possibly old, crumbled along the edges) or the above-ground part of the concrete foundation. In this case, the easiest way to prepare it for cladding with your own hands is to plaster with cement-sand or cement-lime starting (rough) plaster for outdoor work. Self-kneading can be made hydrophobic as described above (PVA, bustilat, etc.).

Alignment of the surface of the plinth for facing with starting plaster along the reinforcing mesh.

For leveling with plaster, the plinth is treated with a deep-penetrating primer on the appropriate material (stone, brick, concrete), large protrusions are roughly knocked down, if necessary, patching is done with a cement-sand mortar and a steel reinforcing mesh with a thickness of approx. 4 mm, see fig. I use a plaster mortar thick, not flowing; the layer is given in 1.5-2 mesh thicknesses. They rub it to evenness with a semi-terre immediately, without waiting for setting. After setting, they check the evenness with a rail (the norm is 3 mm / m), grind and smear as necessary. It is advisable to first make a separate section of 1-1.5 square meters. m, after that, and the "teapot" with hands from where it is necessary, at least the start will be put quite evenly under the lining.

Materials and technologies

The materials for lining the plinth, as mentioned above, must be resistant to thermal, chemical, mechanical stress and abrasion. Modern materials for finishing the base, according to the price and complexity of the work, are generally divided into the following classes:

  • Painted waterproof plaster is the easiest and cheapest option. Best suited for a low, up to 40 cm, plinth, the finish of which is still not really visible. Maintainability is limited, tk. it is difficult to match the paint for the patch exactly to the tone of the existing one.
  • Artificial stone - in terms of complexity and cost, the lining of the base is comparable to plaster. Appearance at 3+ or 4–, but the stroke of the corners is greatly simplified, see below. Maintainability is complete.
  • Natural (wild) stone and facing brick - lining the basement with them can be inexpensive and does not require much work, but if the basement and blind area are insulated, the complexity of the work increases many times, also see below. Maintainability is very limited: it is very difficult to remove the damaged fragment(s) without breaking the cladding over a sufficiently large area.
  • Flexible stone - in terms of the combination of price / quality / appearance / technical capabilities, it has no equal. Finishing the plinth with a flexible stone is also possible in a budget version. Maintainability is complete.
  • Basement siding - depending on the region, it can be cheaper than plaster, and in appearance it can surpass artificial stone (not natural!). Proper installation is not difficult, but requires certain knowledge and skills. Maintainability is complete, but the repair is quite laborious.
  • Socle cladding panels (not facade!) - somewhat more expensive than basement siding with the same decorative qualities, but devoid of its weaknesses (see below). Maintainability is limited for the same reasons as wild stone and brick.
  • Clinker (terracotta) and porcelain stoneware facing tiles are the most expensive and time-consuming, but the most resistant and durable option. If you need a plinth surface for a noble polished stone, then porcelain stoneware is practically the only option at a not terrifying price.

Plaster

It makes no sense to trim the basement with a beautiful, but not very resistant finishing decorative plaster in this place. It is best to simply paint the rough base for finishing with alkyd enamels for outdoor use. They will cost a little more, but yacht enamels will last much longer. The option is a little more expensive, but even more resistant and absolutely waterproof - the so-called. latex-acrylic paints or acrylic emulsions; upon drying, they give a layer similar to dense rubber, only colored.

The plastered plinth can be immediately trimmed to look like a stone using silicone stamps. A set of stamps costs about 500 rubles, but you can make them yourself. In general, the plastering of the basement under the stone is carried out as follows:

  • Select samples (models) of natural stone of any breed of suitable size and more or less matching in contour, without overlap, up to 12-15 mm thick.
  • For each model, a plywood or plank box is made - a flask - with sides 2-3 cm higher than the stone.
  • Models are abundantly impregnated with mineral oil (you can use engine oil) and dried for 2-3 days.
  • Next, the models are lubricated with petroleum jelly (lanolin), each is placed in its own flask and filled with silicone. The flasks from the inside before this also need to be smeared with petroleum jelly.
  • After the silicone has solidified, the flasks are disassembled, the models are pulled out of the die blanks (do not be afraid to pull, the silicone is stretchable and strong) and the stamps are cut with a knife along the contour with an allowance for the width of the seam.
  • On the base prepared as described above, a layer of thick mortar up to 16 mm thick is applied and stamped immediately, until setting.
  • After the coating has completely hardened, it is painted.

Fake diamond

Finishing the basement of the house with artificial stone.

Facing the basement of a house with artificial stone, for all its mediocre merits, is good for budget developers in that you can make the forms for the corner elements (see Fig.) yourself. The corners are the weakest points of the cladding, it is here that the masonry joints begin to crack and the moisture under the cladding creeps exactly where it is not needed. They mount an artificial stone on a plinth or similarly to a natural one without insulation, or on tile glue like a tile (see both below),

Do-it-yourself methods for making artificial stone are described in other materials; any of its types suitable for paving paths will go to the basement. You can also make a home-made artificial stone for lining the basement from the same plaster mortar. The workflow differs from the manufacture of stone stamps in that it is not necessary to select models so strictly in terms of thickness and that the casting mass is tinted in advance, which makes the color more stable; see video below. The technology for making artificial stone from plaster with your own hands is not strict, there are different options here.

Wild stone and brick

Natural stone for lining the plinth should be chosen heavy, with low moisture absorption, i.e. not subject to frost. Shales, sandstones, limestone, dolomite, travertine and tuffs are definitely not suitable. Best of all, granite, diorite, diabase, basalt, gabbro and other rocks that can withstand at least 1000 full freeze / thaw cycles. With the current climate change, this is not so much, in Central Russia in the off-season there can be either a day or a full cycle.

The technology of facing the basement with natural stone significantly depends on whether it is insulated or not. Without insulation, the matter is simpler, you only need to fulfill the following conditions (see the figure on the right):


Note: do not be afraid of moss and lichen on a stone plinth. They will not spoil the stone at all, they will only add glamor to the house. Mold and efflorescence (spots of salt on damp, and then dried out places) - that's what's bad. But on the stones of the above rocks, both do not happen.

Finishing the basement with facing bricks differs from facing with wild stone, firstly, in that the masonry joints make it normal for brickwork with a thickness of 10-13 mm. Secondly, the masonry mortar must be waterproof with a plasticizer (see above), because. moisture is very fond of lingering in the seams of brickwork and dirt accumulates. Thirdly, it is very, very desirable to use a hyper-pressed brick, as for a brick ebb, see above.

Facing the basement with natural stone and brick is seriously complicated if the walls, foundation and basement are insulated. Then not only the heavy cladding has nothing to hold on to, but there is also a danger of capillary moisture penetrating into the insulation. What complex of works is required to avoid both can be imagined by looking at the scheme of facing the insulated basement with stone in Fig.:

Scheme of facing stone plinth with insulation

And the matter will become even more complicated if the basement of an existing house is faced, because. retaining wall will shrink. In this case, it is better to line the plinth under the stone with siding, panels, and if you want the high cost to immediately catch your eye - with tiles. But first, let's finish with stone materials.

flexible stone

Flexible stone in some sources is served as a kind of "flexible tile on polymer resins." Apparently, those authors remember the old Soviet flexible facing tiles, which, as they say, have been looking for for a long time. There she is dear: the polymer tile shrank, tightened, cracked, and quickly wore out in heated rooms.

Flexible stone in finishing and cladding

The binder of the flexible stone is, indeed, synthetic resins, but not the mythical "polymer", but polyester and urea, but the essence of this material is in the textile base, sprinkled with stone chips. The advantages of flexible stone as an outdoor cladding material are truly magnificent (see fig.):

  • Safe, environmentally friendly, chemically and mechanically resistant, chemically neutral.
  • The estimated service life is over 150 years.
  • Easily processed, can be cut with scissors.
  • It shines through, you can hide illuminators behind the cladding or even make a street lamp out of flexible stone, which during the day, turned off, will be a sculpture to match the decoration of the house.
  • Available in an innumerable variety of unique textures and colors that are completely natural, both solid and torn, with gaps for imitation of masonry joints.
  • Curved surfaces and corners are easily circled with a flexible stone.
  • There is no facade and basement, external and internal flexible stone, it is suitable for all types of finishing work. The same material can be used to finish the plinth, window and door trim, balcony, cornice, etc.
  • Finishing the basement of a house with a flexible stone on a complex terrain (uneven slope, etc.) costs 7-20 times cheaper than any other material comparable in terms of decorative qualities and durability of the lining.
  • Careful preparation of a surface under a flexible stone is not required. If the irregularities do not exceed 10-12 mm, the flexible stone is laid simply on tile adhesive (the minimum layer above the base projections is 2 mm). Otherwise, the potholes are roughly covered with a cement-sand mortar. Which in any case will not hurt for the sake of saving expensive glue.

There are only two shortcomings of a flexible stone: it is rough; glossy and semi-gloss (polished) does not happen. Then, the base for the flexible stone needs to be strong, so it is impossible to glue it directly onto the insulation or SMP (see below), first you need to prepare the plaster base, as described above.

Siding

Plinth siding panel

The basement of the house is lined with special basement siding, which is more wear-resistant and durable than the facade siding. Basement siding is available in PVC and propylene. The first is cheaper, brighter and can be glossy; the second is more resistant. Outwardly, basement siding differs from facade siding in that it is made not with boards, but with slabs with tongue-and-groove joints on latches, see fig. Therefore, filing the basement siding in size is possible only at the corners, and the seam must be covered with a regular additional element. Basement siding is mounted on a horizontal crate made of wood or steel profile on hardware (self-tapping screws).

Facing with siding is the least time-consuming way to finish a stone plinth at an acceptable cost; It doesn't matter if it's an old house or a new building. But the “law of free cheese” is also adamant here: the serious problems of facing the basement with siding are, firstly, damage to the crate, secondly, the accumulation of moisture in the cavities under the sheathing, and thirdly, the settlement of insects and rodents there. As a result, the skin is not so cheap and simple due to the difficulties with the blind area.

The general scheme for mounting basement siding is given in fig. below; drainage is highly desirable and in places fairly dry. Installation of basement siding is carried out after the complete arrangement of the blind area. At the bottom and top, deformation gaps of 10-15 mm are left, which are foamed, sealed with plastic glue recommended by the manufacturer (eg CM14) and covered with additional elements (plinth, cornice).

Basement siding installation scheme

However, each plinth siding manufacturer struggles with the problems of their product in their own way, which, by the way, indicates that there is no optimal solution yet. Therefore, if you opt for siding for the basement, then:

  • Ask the supplier or look on the manufacturer's website for the material specification and make sure that it is suitable for your conditions (temperature range, annual rainfall, soil properties, plinth design and material, building structure).
  • Use extensions, lathing material, fasteners and sealant of the recommended types.
  • Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions exactly.
  • In no case do not save on starting and finishing strips: moisture, dirt, mice and spiders with relatives are just waiting for this.

Panels and plates

Finishing the plinth with panels is somewhat more complicated and more expensive than siding, but it is devoid of its shortcomings, because. there is no crate with its pockets, the panels are put on glue. True, metal composite panels are mounted on a crate, but they are rarely used for finishing private houses because of their utilitarian appearance. Most often, the plinth is finished with facade thermal panels with clinker stone linings and polyurethane insulation, they are quite suitable for this purpose. The paneled plinth looks no worse than under the siding. Thermal panels are mounted on the base in the same way as on the facade; surface leveling is required to an unevenness of 3 mm / m. Warming is obtained automatically.

You can still find recommendations to finish the base with glass-magnesite slabs (SMP), but this option is far from the best: SMP is fragile, has little resistance to abrasion and soil chemistry. Outside, in resorts, the facades of houses for rent are sometimes finished in half-timbered style with high-quality SMPs (on the right in the figure), but such a cladding lasts 10-15 years, and during this time you have to do 2-3 of its cosmetic repairs.

Glass-magnesite panels (SMP)

In private construction, SMPs are sometimes used as a fixed formwork for an elevated strip foundation, which, in general, is good in every respect, except for the price. In this case, the SMP above the ground can be prepared for finishing, as described above, only the mesh fasteners must be taken longer so that the screws sit in the base. And then natural stone and brick as a plinth finish disappear: under the weight, the lining will peel off along with the plaster and mesh.

Tile

Facing the basement with tiles is a decision of the poor, left over from Soviet times. The porous material collects moisture, the glaze loses its appearance due to the appearance of microcracks and exposure to sand grains. The plinth is tiled with either clinker (terracotta) or porcelain tiles. Facing the basement of an existing house with tiles does not differ technologically from that in the process of construction, which is an undoubted advantage. Then the base is primed with a deep penetration primer. The tile is put on glue (layer - 2-3 mm) in sections under 1-1.5 m long. Immediately, while the glue has not set, the tiles are fixed with crosses or other separators (see the figure), otherwise the lining will slip. Separators are also placed below, a gap of 10-12 mm is needed there, which is subsequently sealed with the same glue. The next section is faced after the glue has hardened on the previous one.

Plinth tiling

Note: it is impossible to prepare the surface for tiles in the manner described above (mesh + plaster), the lining will peel off.

If you still want to finish your plinth with tiles (it looks rich, you won’t say anything), then it’s better to veneer it with porcelain stoneware. Firstly, the hardness of porcelain stoneware is comparable to the hardness of sapphire and corundum, it does not care about sand. Secondly, strong inorganic acids, except for hydrofluoric and fluorine-antimony acids, do not affect porcelain stoneware. Thirdly, porcelain stoneware is produced in slabs up to 30x60 cm, so the work will not be so boring. Fourthly, it is possible to split porcelain stoneware on a solid base and with a sufficiently elastic layer under the tile only with a shot from a rifled weapon; buckshot fired from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun from a distance of 15 m flattens and rebounds. Fifthly, porcelain stoneware slabs are also available with a glossy surface, almost indistinguishable from polished stone. Sixth, due to the low thermal expansion coefficient (thermal expansion coefficient), porcelain stoneware on the plinth can be laid “without a seam”, i.e. with a seam 1-2 mm thick, which enhances the decorative effect.

More about stone

Let's see again what types of stone are suitable for lining the basement. Yes, this is ... a heavy boot! Fractionated broken stone is not cheap, but if you order a dump truck of solid rubble and sort it out yourself, then there will be enough pieces to build a stone plinth, and, smaller, to fill in the recesses between large fragments later. So, and building, as they say, tightly on a budget, consider also the option of a stone plinth. Facing/finishing as such disappears, and any house will look solid on 100% natural stone.

The basement in any building is the most critical and vulnerable part of the structure. It is subjected to significant loads and constant exposure to various negative atmospheric phenomena: frost, rain, snow and significant temperature fluctuations. Therefore, before making a basement at home, you should carefully select materials for construction and decoration, pay great attention to the structural units and the correct implementation of the work technology.

Meaning

The basement is a strong and reliable transition wall, a functional continuation of the foundation to the main structure of the house, which rises above the ground to a certain height. The main purpose of the basement of the building is to create an effective barrier against the penetration of cold air and moisture into the structure of the house. In addition, the task of this element is to maintain the architectural style of the building, its decoration and addition. With a beautiful, fundamental plinth, any building looks complete, becomes spectacular and majestic.

Important points of arrangement

If the floors of the house are mounted almost on the ground, then the main role of the basement is a retaining structure that takes on the bearing loads of the walls and powerful pressure from the backfill. If the building is arranged with an underground, then the basement part plays a protective and protective function.

During construction, the need for ventilation of the basement or subfloor must be taken into account, for which special vents are left. For them, technological holes are arranged in the basement somewhere 0.20 m from the ground surface. They protect these vents in the warm season with a mesh, and in the winter they are tightly closed.

By design, plinths are:

  • Speakers. Usually used in the construction of buildings with thin walls.
  • Falling. Such a constructive solution does not allow moisture to get inside the structure.
  • Solid, optimally coinciding with the walls and foundation of the house.

Knowing how to make a basement at home, it should be remembered that in extensions on columnar supports, such as terraces, porch or veranda, you can not build basement walls in order to leave constant ventilation under these buildings, which normalizes the temperature and humidity in the underground.

Various technologies

The construction of the base on the strip foundation can be carried out from the following materials:

  • monolithic walls. A cast-in-situ concrete plinth is erected using a removable or fixed formwork, in which a reinforced frame of their steel rods and wire is pre-knitted, which must be built into the base of the foundation. After the formwork is removed, the concrete walls are thoroughly cleaned, filling the cracks and voids that have arisen, and additionally covered with a cement composition.

  • Concrete blocks (stones). Before making a basement at home, they acquire blocks that are optimally suited to the height of the future structure. The outer surface of the masonry is faced with natural stone, porcelain stoneware, ceramic or clinker tiles.

  • Brick. For basement brickwork, a high-quality solid brick with good resistance to moisture and temperature changes is chosen. A basement is erected with a height of at least four rows or more. Finished masonry is finished with tiles, natural stone or special basement siding.

A plinth made of stone or brick begins to be erected from the corner of the foundation. When performing work, be sure to monitor the verticality and horizontality of the seams, the correct level and quality of the solution, in which special plasticizers and frost-resistant additives can be added today.

If the masonry is planned to be more than 0.5 m, then to increase the rigidity, experts recommend using a special masonry mesh or metal rods with a diameter of at least 6 mm, which are built directly into the masonry joints.

Materials for the walls of the basement structure are selected of excellent quality, taking into account the climatic conditions of the region, the planned loads from the building and the conditions for its further operation. You should not save on basic and consumable materials, because the service life of the whole house, its reliability and strength depend on the reliability of this structural element.

Waterproofing

After the construction of the basement of the building is completed, to protect it from adverse external influences, the structure is waterproofed to a height of at least 0.3 m. Usually, a special protective compound or several layers of roofing material are used to equip the waterproofing layer.

Video

This video is devoted to the arrangement and waterproofing of the basement.

You can decorate the basement of the house with various materials that can reliably protect the upper part of the foundation from getting wet, solar ultraviolet radiation, and mechanical damage. Brick, clinker, masonry or siding is usually used - polymer or composite panels that imitate masonry with high quality.

In the construction markets there is a cladding of any kind. Before determining which material is best suited for the architectural style of the cottage, the following factors must be considered:

  • the protruding base will have to be additionally protected by ebbs;
  • flexible tiles have a minimum layer thickness, which can be pasted over a concrete surface;
  • maximizes the design of the basement brickwork;
  • inside the frames on which panels, siding or corrugated board are attached, you can lay a heater to eliminate heat loss through the ceilings, floors of the lower floor;
  • frame systems by default are more maintainable, can be updated at any time during operation.

Advice! It is better to decorate the protruding plinth before facing the facades, so that, if necessary, hide the upper mounting shelf of the ebb under the wall finishing material.

Brickwork

To overlay the basement with bricks, it is necessary to make a separate base for masonry. On heaving soils, for this it is necessary to replace 40 cm of soil with crushed stone and / or sand, compacted in layers.

Unlike a concrete foundation, this facing material has half the resource in contact with the ground. On top of the underlying layer, rolled waterproofing in 2 - 3 layers is required. To completely eliminate the subsidence of brickwork, a rigid bond with the plinth is used:

  • after laying 2 - 3 rows in the supporting structure, blind holes are drilled to a depth of 4 - 6 cm;
  • 6 - 10 mm reinforcement is inserted into them, connecting the main wall with the cladding;

It is recommended to use ceramic bricks, slotted, hollow stone or hyper-pressed modifications. Masonry is carried out exclusively in rows of spoons in half a brick. To eliminate the cold bridge, which is essentially the construction of the basement, basalt wool or extruded polystyrene foam can be laid between the facing brick and the supporting structure.

Important! The insulation must be joined to the thermal insulation of the facade or brought along the upper part of the basement inside under the layer of wall cladding in the absence of thermal insulation.

Clinker

You can finish the ground part of the foundation of the house with clinker tiles. The budget will be approximately equal to brick cladding. However, this material has some advantages:

  • the maximum possible operational resource of all known claddings;
  • the presence of ready-made corner (external / internal) elements;
  • fastening to the walls, no need for your own foundation;
  • insignificant loading of the load-bearing frame due to the low weight of the clinker;
  • high artistic value of the decorative coating.

There are different types of clinker tiles that imitate masonry, torn, rocky, polished stone. Therefore, you can choose the design option for the basement in full accordance with the architectural style of a private cottage.

Clinker tiles are fixed with an adhesive solution, panels made of this material are attached to the frame. The first option does not allow you to insulate the ground part of the foundation, the second allows you to install polystyrene foam inside the crate.

Advice! There is a clinker tile for steps, which allows, when finishing the plinth with the same material, to achieve maximum aesthetics of the perception of facades.

Polymer sand tiles

An inexpensive option for finishing the basement of a house is a polymer-sand composite, from which tiles of various formats are made. This material is very light, practically does not load the foundation structure, is attached either to the frame crate or to tile adhesive.

The texture usually imitates natural stone or brickwork. The material is moisture resistant, with a minimum coefficient of expansion, resistant to solar ultraviolet radiation, aggressive media and mechanical damage. The tile is cut with a hand saw in any direction, you can choose any format to reduce cutting waste.

Important! Additional elements for this cladding do not exist, therefore, an exact fit in corners and mates is required.

A natural stone

If there is cheap natural stone in the region, you can finish the basement of the house with this material. This option is more suitable for seasonal buildings in which external insulation of the underground and above-ground parts of the foundation is not required. Heavy material is planted on a mortar or tile adhesive, significantly loads the load-bearing frame of the cottage, and does not hold on to the insulation.

Granite, gravel, dolomite stone has high strength and moisture resistance. However, when facing, many mortar joints are obtained, which do not initially have the indicated characteristics. Therefore, finishing costs increase for the purchase of grouts, which provide waterproofing of the joints.

Important! The stone cannot be fixed on the frames, so the maintainability of the cladding is zero.

Fake diamond

Of all the modifications of artificial stone, concrete slabs with a decorative outer layer are usually used to finish the basement of a house. To improve the characteristics, the material is modified with moisture-resistant additives, colored by weight to increase the wear resistance of the front surface.

The fastening of artificial stone is standard - the adhesive layer after the foundation has been treated with a primer. This cladding can be used with any facade coatings. Integration into the exterior and architectural style is high by default.

Tiles, porcelain tiles

To finish the basement of the house with tiles or porcelain stoneware, you will first have to level the surfaces. The thickness of the adhesive layer should not exceed 1 cm, modifications can only be used for outdoor work.

Porcelain stoneware is much stronger, tiles have a wider assortment, a richer choice of textures, colors and formats. Therefore, when using tiles, you can reduce the consumption of cutting. The material slightly loads the foundation, the seams are rubbed with special moisture-resistant compounds.

Important! The tile is not a full-fledged waterproofing material. Therefore, the surface of the plinth before facing can and should be treated with a primer, coated with bituminous mastic. The tile does not adhere to glass hydroisol.

Plaster

The budget option for finishing the basement of a house is traditionally the leveling of surfaces with plaster, putty solutions. However, these materials require protection from moisture, additional decoration. Therefore, they are painted with water-based, dispersed, acrylic, acrylate and oil compositions.

The same materials are used in wet facades, as they adhere quite firmly to expanded polystyrene or basalt wool when using reinforcing meshes. Therefore, the basement of a building for seasonal use can simply be plastered and painted, while the basement of a permanent residence is best insulated and plastered and covered with decorative plaster.

basement siding

If you're on a tight budget, vinyl plinth siding is a better choice for your building. Despite the name, facades are often finished entirely on the outside with this material. For example, a budget "framework" can be completely sheathed with basement siding, giving the dwelling the architecture of a brick cottage.

Photo of a vinyl plinth siding panel imitating brick.

Unlike standard linear panels, plinth siding is produced in the form of modules with dimensions of about 1.2 x 0.5 m 18 - 30 mm thick. The texture usually imitates stone or masonry; panels have locks to connect them together. Inside the crate of the frame, you can lay a heater, reducing the heat loss of the building.

Important! Basement siding has the widest range of extensions. In addition to ebbs and corners, manufacturers produce starting, finishing strips and clamps for covert fastening of panels.

profiled sheet

Facing the ground part of the foundation with corrugated board is a budget option. At the same time, the facades are of low artistic value, so it is better to use this cladding for outbuildings. Installation is carried out on a frame made of timber or a galvanized profile, fixed to the plinth from the outside.

Sheets can be fixed on the runs with rivets or self-tapping screws. For the profiled sheet, there are additional elements that allow you to qualitatively decorate the outer and inner corners, install ebbs above the plinth.

Important! When choosing corrugated board, there is practically no cutting waste, since you can order sheets of the required height, mounted without fitting.

Flexible roof tiles

This method of facing the ground part of the foundation, in principle, is not the intended use of roofing. Flexible tiles are very thin, they cannot hide even minor flatness defects, therefore, they require a perfectly even base.

This decoration technology is more suitable for picking up columnar or pile-grillage foundations. A crate is stuffed along the supporting vertical elements or girders are attached, asbestos-cement sheets are hung on them, their surface can be pasted over with flexible bituminous tiles, additionally secured with self-tapping screws. Usually choose the types of tiles as similar as possible to the stone.

The use of composite materials made of fiber cement for finishing the basement of a house makes it possible to provide a 20-30 year resource. The panel is created from a mixture of cement and wood fibers by hot pressing, the outer surface is laminated or covered with a protective layer. They are made to imitate various materials - wood, brick, stone.

In addition to weather resistance and self-sufficient face design, fiber cement panels have self-cleaning properties. Dust and dirt are washed away by rain or water from a hose. Panel locks are supplemented with sealing elements that ensure high tightness of the facing layer.

Photo of a plinth made of fiber cement panels

Thus, the plinth can be decorated in many ways, depending on the available construction budget, the architectural style of the building, and the preferences of the owner. It is necessary to focus on the resource of coatings, the weight of linings, the thickness and price of materials.

Advice! If you need contractors, there is a very convenient service for their selection. Just send in the form below a detailed description of the work to be done and you will receive offers with prices from construction teams and firms by mail. You can see reviews of each of them and photos with examples of work. It's FREE and there's no obligation.