Even durable metal and concrete are destroyed over time. The restoration of the integrity of the foundation can be performed independently, the main thing is to correctly determine the cause of destruction and eliminate it.
The main reasons for the destruction of foundations
In order to successfully repair and insulate the old, and sometimes new foundation, you need to find out what processes affect its destruction:
If in the calculations of the maximum load -bearing load, even at the design stage, an error was made, then the foundation will begin to collapse instantly. Therefore, when arranging foundations for residential buildings, it is better to order a calculation from a professional who is responsible (legal) for design documentation.
Errors in the choice of wall material and improper installation also cause rapid destruction of the base. For example, you can not build walls in two bricks on a fine -pounded tape foundation.
The foundation can be destroyed by closely located groundwater, as well as with increased acidity or alkaline balance of soil.
If several cracks appear on the foundation, this is not a reason for panic. It is important not to miss the moment when it is necessary to begin the repair and strengthening of the foundation on an emergency:
Soil subsidence at one of the corners of the building or around the perimeter of the foundation. On weak soils, an uneven shrinkage occurs, under the influence of loads the soil is compacted unevenly and a skew of the entire structure is possible.
Destruction of the basement and bearing masonry.
When arranging wells and wells near the house, a violation of the soil structure and foundation deformation is also possible.
When superstructing the attic or arranging an underground garage, the load on the foundation increases and its strengthening is required.
The incorrectly calculated soil freezing depth in the winter can also cause a skew of the house. Putting the soil will constantly act on the base of the house.
Repair and strengthening must be carried out with a distort or shift of the foundation. Carefully observe cracks. If the crack increases by one centimeter per day, then urgently, the base must be strengthened.
Basic methods for strengthening and repairing foundations
Depending on the degree of deformation, the characteristics of the soil, the geology of the site and the load on the base, the method of strengthening and repairing the old foundation is selected.
Strengthening the old foundation
When you can independently carry out work to strengthen the base of the house and strengthen the soil:
In old houses with the natural destruction of the material of the foundation from old age or with serious soil deformation on the site. First of all, it is necessary to strengthen the soil around the perimeter of the building and only after that start the repair.
On weak foundations, it is risky to finish the second floor or make additional extensions that carry loads on the old sole.
First you need to examine the foundation and find out where the problem area is located. This can be done by drilling pits on the problematic side of the base (depth 3 – 5 meters).
Experts in the repair of old houses prefer the drilling method. Such wells help to determine not only the composition of the soil under the foundation, but also to find out the presence of wooden elements, grillages and make an idea of the design of the base.
The collection of all load -bearing loads (weight of the building itself, soil pressure, the weight of additional extensions) will help correctly.
Strengthening the foundation consists in increasing the area of the bearing plate or base tape. This can be done with two methods:
Wells are drilled around the perimeter, to a depth below than the level of freezing of the soil. Through these wells, concrete is poured under the foundation (under pressure). The spectacle is determined by the specialist’s drilling step, calculating all the load -bearing loads on the sole of the base.
You can dig a stove of the foundation around the perimeter and strengthen it with concrete slabs or stone. It turns out a form in the form of a trapezoid. In parallel, it will be possible to replace all rotten wooden elements and a damaged frame.
You can install a monolithic plate under the foundation, but such work is too expensive.
An additional belt of brickwork or concrete tape around the perimeter will help to align the shift of the base. But such a technique is suitable for small one -story houses.
Strengthening with the help of special bundling drilled in the body of the foundation requires professional calculations, as you need to choose the right step of such piles. Further, the wells are filled with concrete according to the frame of reinforcement.
To strengthen the old village house, the strengthening boils down to the construction of an additional average buried foundation around the entire perimeter of the house, at least 50 centimeters wide.
