Repairing the foundation of a house is a task that not every non-professional builder can do. The thing is that the foundation is the foundation of the house, its safety and reliability make the entire building reliable.

The reasons why foundation repair may be required may be related to errors in its design, violation of the technology of its construction process, lack of waterproofing, use of low-quality materials, etc.

Ultimately, repairs may be necessary over time when the life of the foundation is long enough and there is a risk of it collapsing and collapsing the entire building. In this case it requires overhaul and sometimes considerable costs.

The appearance of cracks on the walls and in the foundation itself signals the beginning of destruction. Besides this, obvious signs corrosion, a change in the level of one of the sides of the foundation also indicates that it needs urgent repairs.

The best thing to do in any such situation is to strengthen the foundation. It is quite possible to do this on your own.

Strengthening and repairing the foundation in stages

First, you should make sure that it is necessary to take actions to strengthen the foundation. To do this, a lengthy study is carried out, unless, of course, the condition of the foundation allows you to delay repairs.

During the year, the growth of cracks formed in the foundation of the house should be monitored. For this purpose, a gypsum solution is used to fill the cracks, and plain paper.

It should be glued to the plaster and monitored to see whether it breaks or remains in the same condition. In the first case, large-scale repairs will be required. This “old-fashioned” method is quite effective if the gypsum sticker is not exposed to precipitation and mechanical influences.

You can also call specialists to take electronic measurements that will determine the extent of damage to the foundation.

First you need to carry out excavation work: the foundation should be dug to the very foundation. This part of the work will probably be the most labor-intensive. Buildings play a big role here.

Then, the exposed surface of the foundation should be completely freed from heat-insulating material, adhering soil and plaster. Defective elements should also be removed.

• Before proceeding directly to measures to strengthen the foundation, it must be treated with a special deep penetration primer.
• This will allow you to protect the surface of the foundation base from negative impacts as much as possible. environment and extend the life of the repaired foundation.

At the next stage, anchors are attached to the old foundation. The holes for them are prepared at a distance of approximately a meter from each other.

The fittings are attached to them. To strengthen the foundation, it is better to use a base 12-14 mm in diameter. The metal frame is complemented by a mesh with large cells.

The cement mortar is poured into the formwork, which is assembled at a distance of about 20 cm. from the damaged foundation of the house. The process of installing formwork is described in detail here: do-it-yourself formwork.

There is probably no need to talk further about how to prepare cement mortar. It is only important to mention that the quality of the finished mortar directly affects the quality of the repaired foundation. There shouldn't be any mistakes here.

In accordance with the technology, cement mortar is prepared and poured into the formwork. The characteristics of the foundation’s operation will also depend on the quality characteristics of the concrete itself, so in this case it is better not to skimp on building materials.

When the concrete is completely dry, work is carried out to waterproof the reinforced foundation. Drainage (ring) is installed. There are several ways to waterproof a foundation: from traditional ones, like hot bitumen, to modern ones.

After all the measures to strengthen the foundation have been carried out, it is covered with crushed stone and additionally compacted with sand on top.

This sequence of work is described to eliminate very severe damage to the foundation. For less significant defects, most often, simply additional plastering of the foundation surface over a metal mesh will be sufficient.

We will give you a little advice that will definitely help you in your work.

If you decide to strengthen the foundation on your own, this must be done in the warm season, when the soil is quite soft and loose. This is mainly due to the nature of weather conditions in our country, which do not allow this type of work to be carried out in winter.

This is also important for preserving the quality characteristics of the concrete itself.

Article provided by the StroySovety website

The grounds of even the most good quality houses made of wood deteriorate over time, but there is no need to panic, because it is quite possible to repair the foundation yourself with a minimum of effort.

The need for reconstruction, strengthening, and repair of damaged and worn parts of the foundation of a wooden house is indicated by the following factors:

• subsidence of the building - complete or partial;
• the formation of gaps and cracks on the walls of the structure, the slope of its roof, door and window openings;
• shrinking and painting the upper elements of the old foundation wooden house, a change in the clarity of its vertical and horizontal boundaries, destruction and visible deformation of the supporting columns.

Dilapidated old foundation

If such signs are detected, you should immediately begin restoring the foundation of a wooden house - country house or used for permanent residence. Otherwise, after some time the building will simply collapse.

To the reasons causing problems with the foundation include:

• mistakes that were made at the stage of creating and implementing the house project;
• the influence of nature and the time factor - initial physical characteristics any material during operation is inevitably lost;
• use of low-quality construction products and materials;
• significant weighting of the structure of the building - adding a second floor or attic;
• subsidence or displacement of soil.

The amount of existing damage to the base of a wooden house determines the type of repair. It can be capital or partial. In some cases, it is enough to perform high-quality strengthening of the old foundation in order to continue to enjoy an environmentally friendly and comfortable home made of wood.

Major repairs are done when there is significant cracking or destruction of the base.

The type of foundation should be taken into account. Restoration of columnar and pile foundations is carried out using one technology, strip foundations - using completely different ones. More on this later.

First, you need to assess the extent of the existing damage. To do this, you have to expose the old foundation - dig a half-meter ditch around the perimeter of the wooden house. Its depth should be such that you can see with your own eyes the condition of the foundation.

Repair of strip foundation

If there is uniform subsidence of the base of a wooden house without any significant distortions, it can be repaired without serious labor and financial costs. Proceed as follows:

1. Remove destroyed and crumbling pieces of old brick or rubble masonry.
2. Drill small holes in the foundation, drive anchors or pieces of reinforcing bars into them (do the work as carefully as possible), and connect them into one structure by welding.
3. Fill the dug trench with concrete mixture. It is advisable to carry out this part of the operation gradually. Feed concrete into the ditch in sections of 120–150 cm, after each portion of the mixture, install partitions and connect them with reinforcement elements to the old base and to each other. Here it is important to achieve high-quality impregnation of the existing concrete solution strip foundation. This cannot be done quickly; get ready for a fairly lengthy process.

After filling the ditch with concrete solution and completely setting old house will receive additional support on the ground. In most cases, this is enough to stop the subsidence of the old strip foundation.

When subsidence of old masonry occurs evenly, but appearance causes concern, experts recommend playing it safe and strengthening the existing base with a 25–30 cm reinforcing belt. Such reconstruction of the foundation of a house can be done with your own hands without any problems.

You need to arrange a cushion of gravel (about 0.2 m thick) at the bottom of the dug trench, mount it along the height of the base, and perform standard reinforcement of the old base. After this, pour concrete into the formwork. First pour one layer, lay a continuous steel mesh on it, then pour the second concrete layer.

As a result of all the described measures, the foundation of a country house or residential building made of wood will become wider and much more massive. Due to this, the erosion of the old strip base will stop. Pay attention! It is imperative to install ebb sills on the weighted plinth.

If a house settles unevenly, it will be more difficult to repair its foundation. You will have to lift a wooden house off the ground to level or replace the old foundation. This operation is performed using hydraulic jacks. The algorithm for performing the work is as follows:

1. Empty your home of all items that can be removed (household utensils, furniture, etc.). It is also advisable to remove the floor covering (if possible) and dismantle the doors and windows.
2. Install hydraulic jacks at the corners of the house (optimally if at all four). You begin to lift the building. The process is slow. Raise the house 3–5 cm at a time, no more. Then neither the roof structure of a residential building, nor the ceiling, nor the wall surfaces will be subject to destruction or distortion.
3. Having reached the required lifting height, install temporary supports under the house. As such, I-beams, channels or thick wooden blocks are usually used. Products should be chosen that are durable, since the building will rest on them until the very end of the house renovation.
4. You are making a formwork structure. In this case, take into account the height of the base that you want to achieve. Install the formwork strictly according to the hydraulic level.
5. You are reinforcing the old base. Do not forget that it will need to be connected to the new masonry (the procedure is described above).
6. Pour the concrete and wait for it to harden.

Pros advise to then lay 2-3 rows of brick plinths on the repaired base. And only after that, lower the home onto the updated foundation. However, it is quite possible to install the house directly on a fresh reinforced concrete foundation.

Thorough foundation repair

Sometimes the bottom crown of a wood house also requires replacement. It is this part of the structure that rots first. The operation is simple. You need to carefully sand the new log for the crown, treat it with an antiseptic compound, and then install it in place of the destroyed element.

Important! Tar-based mastic should be applied to the area between the new crown and the base, and two sheets of roofing material should be laid on it (it is also possible to use another waterproofing material).

Briefly about options for self-repair of columnar and pile foundations

Foundation for country house wood is often made from piles. Also, buildings can be installed on brick supports. Options for repairing such foundations are given below:

1. Straightening lopsided piles. In this case, you need to return the supports to their original vertical position. You dig from the side opposite to the warp. Then carefully straighten the support element and fill the vacated space in the ground with a mixture of gravel (2 parts) and cement (1 part), mixed with water. The proportions of liquid and cement are 1 to 2.
2. Restoration of brick pillars. If supporting brick products are affected by erosion or crack as a result of long-term use, they can be restored by constructing a reinforcing concrete belt. This operation is similar to the one we performed when repairing the strip base. If the brick supports are in critical condition, you will have to raise the house and re-lay the stone pillars.
3. Complete replacement of piles. This operation is performed in the event of destruction or serious deformation of the supporting elements. Raise the house with jacks. Dig a hole and a trench with a slope for the installation site of the new pile. Install a new support. It is best to use 20-centimeter asbestos-cement pipe products for this. Place a cushion of gravel and sand in the pit (thickness - 0.2 m). Place the pipe vertically and feed liquid cement mixture into it (in small portions).

Then the country house is lowered onto a new pile foundation. It is advisable to further strengthen the fresh supports from the outside - just pour the concrete mixture into the well with an installed asbestos-cement pipe.

We hope that our advice will help you qualitatively repair the foundation of your wooden home.

Having carried out high-quality foundation repairs, you can no longer doubt the reliability and strength of the entire structure. To determine whether it is possible to repair the foundation yourself, you need to understand the design and complexity of construction different types foundation.

Depending on how the foundation structure rests on the ground, strip, pile (columnar) and slab foundations are distinguished. When constructing heavy, bulky buildings, it is advisable to install a strip foundation, which provides the same cross-section of the structure along the perimeter of the walls of the entire building, including the internal load-bearing walls. Pile foundation often used for buildings with light walls. The main element of such a foundation are piles (pillars). The choice of pillars depends on the weight and size of the building; they can be made of wood, brick, stone brick, concrete or reinforced concrete.

Slab foundations are erected on subsidence and heaving soils. The basis of the structure is a solid slab laid under the entire plane of the building. Such a foundation evens out horizontal and vertical movements of the soil (floats). Solid slab foundations are quite expensive and are used in the construction of small-sized buildings. One of the most important functions of any foundation is its ability to hold the house in one position for a long period of time. But time passes, and the foundation begins to collapse. The reasons for such destruction are due to: improper installation of the foundation; incorrect calculations, as a result of which the foundation cannot support the weight of the structure; additional extensions or construction of another floor; characteristics of the soil and the proximity of groundwater and many other factors. Repairing a slab foundation is quite complex and requires the knowledge and skills of highly qualified specialists, so it is almost impossible to repair it yourself.

As an example, we consider the repair of belt and columnar foundations. The most common problem is subsidence of the foundation, which is accompanied by the appearance of cracks on the blind area. To repair the foundation yourself, you need to determine the nature of the subsidence. To do this, attach a paper tape to the cracks that appear and indicate the date on it. If after some time the tape breaks, this is clear evidence that the drawdown is permanent. Near the crack, dig a hole at an angle of 30 degrees to the base, into which asbestos or metal pipe(15-20 mm in diameter). The pipe is filled with solution until the concrete stops being absorbed into the soil. After a couple of days, re-filling is done. After this, new paper tape is applied to the crack. If the subsidence of the foundation has slowed down, a ditch (20x30 cm) is dug around the pillar, formwork is installed, reinforcement is made and concrete with crushed stone or gravel is poured. If a wide crack appears on the base and the house is deformed (misaligned), you need to consult with a specialist to identify the cause of the damage, and then choose the most appropriate method of repairing and strengthening the foundation.

If you approach the problem responsibly, study and analyze the problem that has arisen, even extensive foundation repairs with your own hands can be carried out without the participation of a construction team. To strengthen the foundation around the entire perimeter of the house, it is necessary to dig a trench. The old foundation should be thoroughly cleaned of plaster and dirt and a reinforced mesh should be secured to it. In order to “build up” the foundation, formwork is installed and poured with concrete. After the concrete has hardened, the trench is filled in and the soil is compacted. There are many different ways How to strengthen and repair the foundation yourself. All of them are tested and reliable, but in order to solve the problem in a particular case, it is necessary to carefully examine the nature and extent of the damage, choose a method that can eliminate the problem in order to ensure maximum reliability and strength of the entire house.

Dear readers, comment on the article, ask questions, subscribe to new publications - we are interested in your opinion :)

Strengthening and strengthening the foundation of the house is necessary when cracks appear in the walls or foundation, as well as if an increase in load is planned: an attic will be built or it is planned to pour screed to replace wooden floors.

There are many amplification methods, but not all of them can be implemented with your own hands. There are some situations in which you simply cannot do without professionals. Sometimes the damage is so extensive that it is cheaper to build a new house than to repair the foundation. So both the method and the method of action depend on the degree of destruction and the reasons that caused it.

Most often, problems arise with shallow strip foundations (this is if the foundation ends above the depth of soil freezing). They do not always create problems, but when conditions change (level changes groundwater, ground shifts, etc.) can be squeezed out by heaving or eroded.

The fewest problems occur with a slab foundation. Strengthening it is a rare problem. If any measures are required, it is usually water drainage or, in extreme cases, cementing the underlying loose soils.

The easiest way to repair the foundation of a wooden house. Due to its fibrous structure, wood (log or timber, it doesn’t matter) can easily withstand all work, and compensates for distortions due to its flexibility. With brick, concrete, block houses the situation is different - here the slightest mistake can lead to the destruction of the wall. Therefore, it is necessary to make the intervention zones (strengthening work) very small - this way there is less chance of causing serious harm.

The choice of foundation strengthening method depends on the reason that led to the appearance of cracks. Therefore, the first step is to carry out a diagnosis. To do this, we perform two activities:

• install beacons on cracks in the walls;
• We will inspect the foundation in places of destruction.

The activities are not very complex, but you can glean quite a lot of information from them that will help in choosing a course of action.

Installing beacons

We need to know the following things:

• whether the destruction process continues or has already stopped,
• if it continues, in what direction does shrinkage occur and at what speed;
• which caused the cracks to appear.

To do this, markers are placed on the cracks at the top and bottom, closer to the edges - these are small patches made of gypsum, a mixture of cement and plaster, plaster, etc. The main condition when choosing a composition is the fragility of the material, so that if it moves, it will burst.

They make beacons across the crack. The depth and width of the patch is 3-5 cm, length 10-12 cm. First, clean the place where the markers will be installed (for better adhesion), then apply the finished solution with a spatula. Afterwards, a long narrow horizontal line is left on the front surface: a ruler or trowel is pressed approximately 3-4 mm with the edge. The beacon is ready. They need to be made at least two pieces on each crack.

Then the condition of the markers is periodically checked. IN industrial conditions keep a journal. It also wouldn’t hurt for a private owner to take notes - then it will be possible to determine what caused the activation or, conversely, stopped the expansion of the crack.

If no changes have occurred with the beacons over the course of several weeks, then the shrinkage of the building is complete. In principle, you can simply seal the cracks and do nothing else: the wrong method can aggravate the situation rather than improve it.

If the cracks continue to expand, it is necessary to decide which part of the building will “sit down.” It is from this side that work needs to be done.

This is all the information this measure can provide. Now we will determine what led to the destruction.

Digging pits

If there is water at the bottom of the pit, it is necessary to carry out drainage work - create a drainage system

In those places where the cracks are expanding, we tear off the foundation, but only to the depth of its occurrence, not lower. Moreover, the length of the pit should be short, and the width should be so that it can be used with a shovel. It can then be expanded if necessary.

Since repair and restoration work is a risky activity, precautions will not be superfluous - install supports that will support the hay at the excavation site. Proceed carefully.

We determine the causes and methods of strengthening

Using data obtained from monitoring beacons and digging pits, we find the reasons that led to the appearance of cracks in the foundation and walls. Depending on the reasons, a method for eliminating cracks is selected.

Cement spillage

As you dig out the foundation, you can assess its condition. Often, unfortunately, the cause of cracks is a violation of technology and the use of incorrectly composed concrete. Concrete may crumble due to the fact that the water has changed its acidity, become more alkaline or acidic, and corroded the material. In this case, it is necessary to drain the water and remove all crumbling parts in a small area. Next, you need to strengthen the crumbling solution.

This is done using a special apparatus that delivers binders or cement mortar deep into the foundation. This method is called cementation.

First you need to make holes in the foundation. They are made at an angle, at 0.4-0.6 depth of the base. To avoid causing harm, they are placed in a checkerboard pattern, at a distance of at least 1 m from each other. The prepared holes are first cleaned of debris (blown under pressure), then a deep penetration primer is poured in, which will bind the crumbling particles. After which a strengthening compound is introduced into the holes. After the impregnation hardens, the condition of the foundation improves.

Soil washing out

If voids are found when digging a pit, this means that the soil has been washed out from under your building. In this case, water will appear at the bottom of the ditch after some time. If this is the case, you will need to carry out drainage work to remove water from the foundation or install a drainage system. The choice of a set of measures depends on the type of soil and the amount of water.

After drainage, you need to do waterproofing, or (better) insulation of the foundation and basement. Carefully fill the voids with soil and compact them. A necessary measure upon completion of this work is the installation of a blind area. And, again, it’s better to have an insulated one.

This complex - drainage, waterproofing and blind area - is necessary even if water simply appears in the pit. This level of groundwater is too high - you dug a pit to the depth of the foundation. And if water appears in it, it means that it is exerting its negative impact to your home. Even if it does not wash away the soil, it is better to divert it. And it’s better to do this with drainage system and blind areas.

Subsidence of unreliable soils

If the subsidence is significant, the soils are sandy or sandy loam, it is necessary to strengthen the soils themselves. In this case, wells are drilled that end under the base - its base. Strengthening compounds or cement mortar are then pumped into them.

If there are obvious faults and shifts in the foundation, the foundation needs to be topped up or reinforced with piles. Such damage occurs either due to ground movements, or due to changes in the load of the house: when pouring a bulk cement screed, installing an attic, etc.

First, we determine which part sags. How? By beacons. We put marks on markers. When the right side of the house subsides, the risk on the right moves down; when the left side subsides, the left one floats down. If in different parts There are opposite risks going down the building, which means that the middle of the building is sagging.

We determine which part of the building is shrinking

Having decided which part is settling, we know the scope of work: on the right or left - when one of the parts subsides, and around the entire building, when the middle subsides. The next step is to decide on a method. In this case, there are two of them: strengthening the foundation with piles and a cement jacket.

The pile method involves deep drilling and installation of drilled, drilled or bored piles. They connect to the existing base. Due to deep penetration, they can help with large thicknesses of unreliable loose soils, when injections will not achieve anything. They can be installed on one side or along the perimeter.

Creation of a cement jacket

This is one of the few methods of strengthening foundations that you can implement yourself. But you need to act carefully and not violate the technology.

The idea is to widen the base of the subsiding, more loaded part, thereby stopping it. This method is used for shallow strip foundations (above the soil freezing level).

Creating a cement jacket (clip) is an effective but complex method of strengthening an old foundation

To do this, the part of the foundation on which the work will be carried out is divided into three parts. But the length of one part is no more than 2 m. If you get more, make more fragments. Work begins with the one located in the middle. This section of the foundation is opened to the depth of the foundation.

The method consists of drilling holes in the foundation and inserting reinforcement into them, which will be several tens of centimeters longer. The diameter of the fittings is 14-16 mm. It is hammered tightly: it will bear most of the load. Place the pins in increments of 50 cm.

The installed pins are tied with transverse reinforcement rods using knitting wire. Then the formwork is installed and the solution is poured into it. After it sets (at least two weeks), they move on to the next section. So, alternately, they go around all the necessary plots.

Strengthening the foundation by bulls

This method is similar in methodology to the previous one, only the order of work changes. It is more acceptable if the corners “sag”. In some cases, it is used when the load increases (building a floor or pouring screed over a large area).

Reinforcement is done in the corners. They also drive in the pins, tie them up, and install the formwork into which the concrete mixture is poured. If the length is large or the load increases significantly, intermediate bull posts are also made. After setting, they are tied with tape buried at the same distance as the previously made base.

Strengthening the rubble foundation

Repair and reconstruction of rubble foundations has some peculiarities. Most often, problems arise with the foundations of old masonry. In them, the backfilling behind the front row is not always done carefully; there are voids.

Previously, stones of different strengths were often used during masonry, and some of them crumbled over time; mortars that were not strong enough crumbled, washed out, or spilled out. All these shortcomings get worse over time. Problems appear when construction intensifies in the area or when the groundwater level changes (often caused by the same construction).

The method of strengthening a rubble foundation depends on what problem caused the destruction. If it is groundwater, carry out drainage work and remove water from the foundation. Then you make a blind area around the house.

If the voids have sagged, the mortar has crumbled, cementation of the tub is necessary. To do this, the foundation is dug out (the areas, if the house is brick or block, are small - no more than 2 m). The entire surface is cleared of soil. This must be done “dry”, without using water - wet masonry quickly collapses. After which the area is dried and left open for a while. If voids are found during the work, tubes are inserted into them through which cement mortar is injected.

Strengthening one of the sides can be done using the cement jacket described above. Only the pins are driven into the seams; there is no need to drill stones. If there are crumbled stones, they are removed, the voids are filled with mortar, inserting pieces of reinforcement into it. For better adhesion to the old foundation, the old mortar is removed from the seams to a certain depth in some places. It will be replaced with a new one when filled. That's all the features.

Strengthening a rubble foundation with a cement jacket

When soil is eroded, the solution is similar to those given above - drainage of water, and then cementing the voids through pipes driven into the ground.

Results

Repairing and restoring a foundation is no easy task. Often only professionals can handle it. But it often happens that the cost of restoration is very high. Then you can strengthen the foundation yourself.

Wooden houses have always been considered inexpensive private construction. After all, wood in Russia is the cheapest building material. But even under such light structures, the foundation sometimes collapses. There are several reasons for this, where even simple human carelessness occurs, which primarily leads to large financial costs. The foundation can be repaired if the defects are not serious. Therefore, let’s look at how you can repair the foundation of a wooden house.

Causes of destruction

Which usually causes deformation of the foundation structure. It is necessary to highlight two main factors.

1. The bearing capacity of the soil has become less.
2. The material from which the base was assembled has lost its strength.

In the first case, there are several positions, which are often ignored by the developer when constructing a wooden building.

1. The type of soil and its bearing capacity were not taken into account. For example, the soil on the site is weak and soft, but the building turned out to be large and heavy. It puts pressure on the foundation, which in turn puts pressure on the soil, which is pressed under the total weight of the structure.
2. Stormwater and drainage sewerage were not organized. Precipitation washes away the base and it begins to sag. Groundwater has risen, and the soil and foundation structure are also weakening.
3. If another heavy structure is being erected next to the house, which puts pressure on the soil layer in its own way. He, in turn, begins to move, rising under lighter buildings.

In general, the situation with the loss of strength of the foundation material is not easy. Therefore, when there is a conversation about its construction, you need to contact a specialist. And the reasons for the appearance of defects in this regard are as follows:

• The type of foundation structure is incorrectly selected;
• The concrete solution was mixed incorrectly in violation of technological rules;
• The wrong grade of concrete was chosen;
• The level of soil freezing was incorrectly determined;
• Violations were made during the process of pouring concrete into the formwork of the foundation structure.

Therefore, the reconstruction of the foundation of a wooden house begins with identifying the exact causes of damage.

What are the types of foundation destruction?

You can’t just say that the foundation is destroyed or damaged. In construction, there are certain standards that are regulated by the degree of damage to the old foundation. Based on them, the restoration technology is selected. Therefore, before redoing the foundation, you need to determine the type of damage.

Minimal destruction

These are damages that do not change the load-bearing capacity of the foundation of the house. This includes peeling trim, cracks, gaps and crevices. small sizes: not deep and not wide. Moreover, such defects are clearly visible to the naked eye, which means that you can calmly approach the repair of the foundation of an old wooden house with your own hands, because fixing all this is not a problem.

Moderate injuries

These include cracks, but you need to understand that there are different types of cracks. The most important thing is the direction of formation of the defect. If it is horizontal, then it does not affect the bearing capacity of the old foundation. If it does, it is insignificant. But if the crack is vertical or zigzag, then the problem is big.

Therefore, you need to immediately decide whether the defect is growing, that is, progressing, or whether it is a temporary disorder. This can be defined as follows:

• apply putty solution to the crack;
• mark the crack line on it with a marker;
• as soon as the layer of putty cracks, the crack is progressing

In this case, you can immediately determine how quickly a concrete defect is growing.

Attention! The thickness of the putty layer should not exceed 5 mm, and the layer should only be applied to a dry and clean surface.

If the putty layer is not damaged, it means that the soil simply shifted and stopped. There will be no further destruction. All that remains is to seal the cracks themselves with a repair solution. This is done simply:

• defects are embroidered - increase in size in width;
• cleaned of dust and weak areas;
• primed;
• filled with cement mortar.

Repairing the foundation of a wooden house with your own hands with such defects is a small investment in money and time.

Catastrophic damage

Unfortunately, when the moment comes that determines this type of damage, then we can only talk about repair as reconstruction. That is, this process is costly and requires large capital investments. The foundation of an old wooden house with such defects is restored, taking into account the type of foundation structure. The tape type and columnar type can be repaired. Unfortunately, if catastrophic damage has affected the slab base, then the moment can be considered lost.

Unremovable deformations

Neither restoration, nor major repairs, nor other attempts to repair the foundation of a private house with your own hands will help here. It is easier to demolish the building itself, destroy the foundation and in its place build a modern house or cottage that will meet the requirements of the construction technology. Therefore, you should not even try to do or change something. A waste of time and money.

How to repair the foundation of a wooden house

Since the strip structure is most often installed under wooden houses, we will use its example to look at how to restore a foundation of this type. There are many technologies available, from amplification to complete replacement. And, as mentioned above, much will depend on the extent of the damage.

Here is the sequence of operations:

1. To do this, you will have to dig a trench along the length of the foundation with a depth equal to the depth of the foundation strip and width so that work can be carried out inside.
2. Now reinforcing pins with a length equal to the width of the reinforcing layer are driven into the old structure. This parameter can be from 5 to 20 cm. The location of the pins is cells with a side of 0.5-1 m.
3. A reinforcing grid is made on the ground from reinforcement with a diameter of 6-12 mm with cells of 20 x 20 or 30 x 30 cm. The rods are tied together with wire. The size of the grid should be equal to the size of the foundation strip under the house.
4. The grating is installed in a prepared trench, where it is welded to pins driven into the old foundation.
5. The formwork is being assembled.
6. A concrete solution is prepared and poured into the formwork.
7. The formwork is removed after 7 days.
8. Waterproofing measures for the new layer are being carried out.
9. Backfilling with soil.

Carrying out such foundation repairs country house do it yourself - does not require special skills, knowledge and experience. The entire process is simple.

Complete replacement

Renewing a complete foundation is not so easy. But it will have to be carried out if the structure has sagged greatly and cracks are tearing it into small pieces. This is an emergency situation. How is this process carried out?

1. Everything must be removed from the house, even the stove, if it is installed on the floor and not on a separate foundation. The floors are being dismantled and the doors are being removed. That is, it is necessary to make the structure of the building as light as possible.
2. Now, separately under each corner of the building, a beam of at least 100 x 100 mm in size must be inserted horizontally. Stands are installed under it. They must be strong and reliable, because subsequently it is on them that the entire weight of the wooden house will be transferred. Typically, timber or logs are used as stands, sawn to the required length and installed vertically.
3. Next, the lower crown of the house is attached to the upper ones with metal profiles or boards 50 mm thick. This is so that the crown does not sag when the house rises.
4. Wooden wedges are being prepared. They will need to be driven under the walls of the house when lifting. This is an additional support to reduce the load on the jacks.
5. Four jacks are selected based on the weight of the building. This can be easily determined if you know the specific gravity of the materials from which the house is built. For example, one cubic meter of pine logs is equal to 750 kg.
6. It is better to install lifting mechanisms at the corners of the building. It must be lifted at the same time; wedges are immediately driven under each wall every 20 - 30 cm.

Attention! When lifting a wooden house, distortion may occur. It is acceptable, but no more than 8 cm on one side.

When the house is raised to a sufficient height, you can proceed to dismantling the foundation itself. This must be done quickly and carefully. If under wooden structure If a recessed version was laid, then you will first have to dig a trench at least 1 m wide around the perimeter.

And one more thing. Before carrying out all the operations described above, it is recommended to make one hole on each side of the walls of the house to determine at what depth the groundwater lies. It may turn out that they were the reason for the destruction of the foundation.

So, everything is ready to build a new foundation.

1. A sand and gravel cushion is made.
2. The formwork is being constructed.
3. A reinforcing frame is installed in it. This is usually done like this: install the inner wall of the formwork, lay the reinforcing belt, and mount the outer wall.
4. Concrete is prepared and poured into the formwork.
5. After 7 - 10 days, the formwork is dismantled.
6. Carry out waterproofing measures.
7. After 28 days, the house is slowly lowered onto the new structure.
8. The base is filled with soil and finished.

How to add a foundation to an old wooden house

Sometimes there are situations when wooden house It seems to be building with the lower crown on the ground. So, 50 - 100 years ago, they were built on hills where water did not accumulate in the ground. That is, they did without a foundation. Such buildings could not stand for a long time, because the lower crown of the wooden house gradually rotted.

You need to approach the renovation of an old house from the perspective of pouring a new foundation. And this will have to be done almost exactly the same as in the case of dismantling the foundation structure. That is, it will be necessary to raise the building and pour a strip foundation under an old wooden house with the installation of formwork and a reinforcing frame. Of course, we need to make sure that maybe there is some kind of foundation under the structure after all.

To do this, you need to dig holes in several places near the walls of the house. The easiest way to do this is with a garden drill. If the foundation is found, then it is necessary to examine it for integrity and identification of defects. This means you will have to dig a trench along its entire perimeter.

If no major damage is found, then concrete mortar can be poured along the upper plane of the structure with the installation of shortened formwork and a reinforcing grid or mesh. Such repairs to the strip foundation of a wooden house must be approached from the position of raising the entire structure so that the lower crown does not touch the ground. And this is within 30 - 40 cm.

If the foundation of a wooden house is significantly damaged, that is, it requires a complete replacement, then you will have to not only raise the house, but also dismantle the old foundation structure and pour a new one in its place.

There is another option for repairing such a foundation. To do this, holes are made along the entire perimeter of the house, close to the old foundation, every 1 - 1.5 m. In fact, these are columnar structures that will support the strip structure. In them, as in the construction of conventional pillars, sand and gravel bedding is made, steel reinforcement is inserted in the form of a frame and concrete mortar is poured.

After that, a beam or metal profiles (channel or I-beam) are mounted on every two oppositely installed supports. The wooden structure will mainly rest on them.

Conclusion

To lay a foundation for an old house built of wood, you must first determine how damaged the structure is. It may be necessary not only to carry out repairs, but to completely reconstruct the foundation.

Repairing the foundation of a wooden house with your own hands

To repair the foundation of a wooden house, you must first determine the cause of the destruction, and then choose a method of elimination.