DIY cheap foundation

Recently, the most relevant are construction projects that do not require large expenditures. Often we are talking about inexpensive materials, as well as designs that save resources.

If you need to build a structure, then the most important thing is the foundation. Many experts note that, despite all the opportunities to save money, the foundation of the house must be strong, reliable and simply durable. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that there is a situation in which small structures perfectly exist on simplified foundations. Accordingly, saving is a completely good option, which definitely will not be any problem.

You need to save wisely, and this is obvious in any situation. This article will focus on the foundations for small frequent houses that you can build with your own hands. However, the savings associated with creating a foundation will be limited to choosing the most advantageous type of foundation. Accordingly, it will only be necessary to select the least costly structure in terms of funds, and apply it for a construction project.

In this material, we will consider the most optimal options related to creating a foundation for small houses. This will be the most correct decision at the very beginning of construction activities.

Features of saving on the foundation

To begin with, it is worthwhile to understand that choosing one or another economical (in terms of money) type of foundation for a building is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Often this is not possible at all, since the design, for example, may not correspond to the existing situation with the soil. In addition, it can be groundwater, which significantly affects the operation of structures. The point is that it is possible to draw any conclusions related to the choice of foundation only after a volumetric analysis.

There are special services that carry out relevant activities and submit a report to the owners of the territory. Of course, you will have to pay some money for this, but you need to understand that it will not work without it. In most cases, if there are already some buildings on the territory, additional measures to analyze the site should not be carried out.

The main savings, as we have already said, should lie in the small volumes of materials used. In addition, do not forget about the overall complexity of the work. In the event that various machines and other mechanisms are required to create the foundation, then this is a lot of money that is better not to waste.

First of all, it should be noted that often experts note the columnar foundation as the most inexpensive option for a small building. This is true when it comes to creating a private house that does not require any monolithic foundation. First of all, we will consider this basis.

Creating a cheap columnar foundation

To begin with, I would like to note the pros and cons of this foundation.

• Cheapness. This is exactly what we need. Obviously, the main component of the structure is the pillars that go deep into the ground and create a fairly reliable foundation for a small house. Of course, it is impossible to name the exact figure associated with material costs, but the situation is such that, against the background of other types, it is much cheaper to build a columnar foundation.
• Practicality. Practice shows that it does not take much time to create such a foundation. First of all, this is due to the use of ready-made building solutions that are simply located in the right places. This is a clear advantage against the background of the same strip foundation, which is filled with concrete, after which there is a long period of hardening of the mixture.
• Use on various soils. As we have already said, there are often soils that differ in some problems. This may be soil subsidence, groundwater and many other aspects that significantly affect building structures. In turn, the column foundation quite easily copes with all the problems that the soil has.

• Lack of basements. Many people who build their own private houses almost always plan to create a basement, or just a cellar. This is really convenient, especially for owners who have a garden. It is really convenient to store crops in the cellar. In the case of a columnar foundation, it will not work to implement something like this, so you need to look for some other options, or not save on the foundation at all.
• Construction scale. As we have already said, although the columnar foundation is durable, it can only be used for small structures. Accordingly, it can be created for small private houses, as well as for various outbuildings. Otherwise, significant savings will not work.
• Deformations. It is known that the columnar foundation often moves horizontally. The situation is such that even minimal deformations of this kind can significantly affect the overall situation associated with the operation of the structure. If we are talking about a small house, then there may not be any special problems at all, but deformations can always increase, and also create larger problems.

If we talk directly about the construction of such a foundation, then it is worth paying attention to building standards that have existed for many years. For example, you should pay attention to SNiP 3.02.01-87 and SP 24.13330.2011. Of course, many owners create foundations for their own reasons, but often the standards contain useful information necessary to obtain a quality result.

Foundation building process

• Preparatory work. Experts are confident that it is the preparation and preliminary assessments associated with the creation of the foundation that are the most important. Thus, it is necessary to mark the area where exactly the pillars and other components of the structure will be located. Often it is required to remove the top layer of soil - up to 30 cm. You will also need to create a plan (if it was not there before), which includes the base structure.
• Creating holes. It all depends on the scale of construction. For example, if the pits are large, and indeed there are a lot of them, then it is definitely worth attracting special equipment. Further, if the depth of the pits is less than 1 meter, then one should not expect a miracle from the construction. The foundation must be strong and reliable. It is important to note that we should already have the dimensions of future pillars, and the recess should be 30 cm deeper than their length. As for the width of the pits, a slightly larger diameter is most often created so that you can easily fill the space with various fillers designed to strengthen the structure.
• Reinforcement. Obviously, at least half of the success depends on reinforcement. Accordingly, if the pillars are created right on the site, by pouring concrete, then you will need to purchase high-quality reinforcement. Experts advise placing reinforcement along the pillars. The diameter of the reinforcement bars should be approximately 12 cm. The number of rods used depends directly on the scale of construction work. You will also need to connect the pillars with the grillage, so that in the end you get a single solid structure.
• Structural pouring. Next, the concrete is mixed, which will be poured into the structure. It is worth paying attention to the fact that pre-released building products can also be used, so reinforcement and pouring are clearly out of place here.
• Separately, I would like to say a few words about the waterproofing of the foundation. This is an extremely important issue, since moisture often creates too negative conditions for the foundation, and after a while the situation will only worsen if you do not intervene in time. Accordingly, experts advise using various mastics, as well as roofing material and numerous pasting materials. It should be borne in mind that today the range of these products is simply colossal, so choosing the most suitable material is not difficult.
• Well, at the very end, the turn of creating a grillage follows. This is a kind of monolithic belt, thanks to which the base of the building will be even more durable and reliable. Here the process is similar to what we have during the creation of a strip foundation. A formwork is created that would cover the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe base, followed by the creation of reinforcement. It is the reinforcement here that needs to be given as much attention as possible so that the end result certainly does not disappoint. Immediately after the concrete mixture is poured, the installation of floor slabs can begin.

This base, according to experts, is almost ideal for bath buildings. We are talking about a fairly successful design associated with the specifics of the operation of the bath. However, this requires taking into account the numerous features of the concrete structure in order to get the most out of the existing conditions.

Cheap concrete block foundation

Surely, many have heard that recently concrete blocks have been increasingly used, from which you can create a fairly reliable and durable foundation. Practice shows that there really is a sense in using such a basis, but this is not always financially beneficial.

First of all, it should be understood that this foundation is a structure, the creation of which takes a minimum of time and effort. Accordingly, there is no need to pour the structure here, there is no need to create formwork, or to carry out other activities that require a huge amount of time. It is enough to purchase the required number of blocks and correctly place them on the site.

As for the price issue, since in this article we are talking about saving on creating a foundation, it should be borne in mind that the cost of a block foundation can be very diverse. Fortunately, there are options that will allow you to provide some savings. These are the most common concrete blocks that have fixed dimensions and a certain list of characteristics. It should be recognized that today there are really expensive blocks for the foundation. These are products that are created with pre-optimal characteristics for certain conditions.

Characteristics of concrete blocks

• Frost resistance. This is an important aspect that applies to concrete blocks. In conditions of severe cold, the frost resistance of the material must be high, otherwise the blocks will quickly become unusable. Obviously, you will have to pay extra for this, so that the base pleases with its resistance to not the most optimal conditions.
• Dimensions. It all depends on what exactly will be built. If this is a small country house, then it is definitely worth taking a closer look at small concrete blocks. For large houses, it is advisable to choose large blocks, on the basis of which the construction process will take place as quickly and without problems as possible. It is important to pay attention to the fact that large blocks for a small structure may not fit in size, and cutting massive concrete products will not work.
• Granite rubble. This resource must be present in concrete blocks, which significantly increases the resistance of the foundation to acidic soil. Often this advantage is relevant.
• Load. If we are talking about the boundary load, then this is an extremely important aspect, which indicates the ability of the base to withstand the colossal mass of the house. To begin with, it is worth noting that a plan must be created before construction, as well as various calculations to determine whether a particular material is suitable for the structure. The blocks must correspond to the very boundary load that the structure creates.

The process of creating a block foundation

• It all starts with marking the territory. Here, as in the case of the previous base, it is necessary to draw the boundaries of the base and draw some conclusions. As we have already mentioned, despite the presence of the plan, as well as some other data necessary for the construction work, the site may have some problems. For example, it may be some object, due to which it will be extremely difficult to carry out construction work. It is necessary to put the territory in order before the start of the main work. Also, for a successful marking of the territory, metal pegs should be placed at the corners of the site and a rope pulled between them.
• You will also need to remove the top layer of soil, or simply create a deep enough hole. It depends on what the foundation will be, and under what structure it will all be created. For each territory, this value can be different, so you should be a little oriented in this matter and carry out the work most successfully.
• Well, now the foundation begins directly. The entire process of building the base consists of laying blocks. It can be noted that this process is similar to brickwork, however, in the case of blocks, there may be some deviations from the horizontal and vertical, as well as certain gaps. Despite this, the process should use the cement mortar as efficiently as possible, sealing even the smallest voids and gaps that exist between the blocks.
• It is also important to provide high-quality waterproofing, which will get rid of the negative effects of moisture and groundwater.

Separately, it is worth noting that on the basis of concrete blocks, you can create both a strip foundation and a columnar base. Practice shows that this choice depends only on the existing conditions, as well as on the preferences of the owners who want to create an inexpensive and reliable building structure. At the same time, it should be understood that sometimes it is better to overpay a little and create bases using the structures familiar to all.

It is also worth mentioning the disadvantages of block foundations:

• Price issue. Practice shows that it is not always possible to make some savings by creating a foundation based on concrete blocks. Moreover, sometimes the costs are high if this is a large-scale construction. Accordingly, it makes sense to use blocks only within the framework of small projects where a minimum amount of building products is required.
• seams between blocks. This is a serious issue, which often has a tremendous impact on the building structure. The thing is that it is extremely rare to create perfect seams, especially on a large scale, when there are at least several hundred such seams. Accordingly, if there are any flaws associated with voids or cracks, moisture will gradually begin its “dirty” business, and later rot will also catch up. Thus, do not forget about waterproofing, which is best used at the very beginning of the process and hide all the flaws.

If you take into account all the design flaws, as well as pay attention to the strengths of this building solution, you can get a really high-quality result, in which the foundation will last for many years.