Underground houses resemble a hill or a hole so much that they almost merge with the landscape. Recently, an increasing number of people are trying to acquire such housing in the country. This can be considered a way to stand out from the crowd or become closer to nature. Buildings of this type are underground in whole or in part. This is rationally beneficial not only at the time of construction, but also during operation.
Underground houses are not so expensive, almost everyone is able to build them. In this case, it is important to comply with technological standards so that the quality of the environment inside the house is at a high level. The soil has certain temperature features, which is why the described buildings allow saving energy. In addition, up to the most severe colds, heat is stored inside such buildings, which accumulated during the spring and summer warm days. That is why the summer season can be extended.
Why choose an underground house
Soil acts as a rather poor conductor of heat. Due to this, the temperature passes through the soil for a very long time, which is beneficial not only in summer but also in winter. Studies show that heat on a hottest day penetrates to a depth of 2.5 m only after three months. The coldest time of the year for such houses is considered spring.
Choosing a place to build
Underground houses should be built on the terrain, which must first be selected. Better if you can find the top of the hill. This will exclude the emergence of groundwater inside the house. Windows are recommended to be oriented on all four sides, which will provide the premises with a sufficient amount of light.
When building a house, the upper part of the soil must be cut off, and after completion of work, return it to its place. In such houses, rarely seen additional lighting. Natural rays are enough so that, once inside, you do not feel the difference between such a structure and an ordinary brick house.
Underground houses are of two types:
The latter variety involves the location of the building underground and below the upper level. Bunded houses are located above ground level or partially hidden behind the level line. However, their surface is still covered with soil. After completion of work, the soil returns to its place so that it can become part of the site.
Features of the construction of the dugout
Underground construction of houses may involve the creation of a dugout. In this case, the house is located on a relief that has a slight slope. The roof should be covered with soil, it is usually made gable, in rare cases, this design is vaulted or flat.
The entrance must be done from the end, providing it with a canopy. Steps line up to the door. Windows are usually located in the roof or gables. As a feature of the dugout is the presence of only one floor. If you make two, it will be an ordinary building with a basement. The width of the building depends on the span of the ceiling, but this value usually does not exceed 6 m.
For construction, it is necessary to prepare a foundation pit, inside which walls are being erected. It is important to waterproof them, install support pillars on which the roof will then be. After the completion of the construction of walls and ceilings, as well as the installation of waterproofing materials, the roof is covered with soil.
Features of the construction of a bunded house
If you are interested in the underground construction of houses, then you can choose a bunded building that is suitable for a flat plot, slope or hill. The building will not be completely submerged, its upper part remains on the surface. The remaining walls are bunded, which reduces construction costs.
The house can have any layout, and the windows in this case usually look on two sides. The first stage of construction will be the excavation of the pit. If the house is supposed to be built on the surface of the earth, and then protected with soil, then you can immediately proceed to the second stage - the construction of walls and roofs. Waterproofing is required, which must withstand the load of the soil, therefore, calculations should be carried out in accordance with the standards. The house at the last stage is covered with earth, with the exception of those areas where windows and doors go.
Building Rules
If you decide to build an underground house with your own hands, then you should be guided by certain rules. It is important to remember that the building will be exposed to moisture. Therefore, building materials must be appropriate. For example, wood is treated with water-repellent treatment. It is best to use monolithic concrete or ceramics. Aerated concrete is not suitable, because it is able to absorb moisture.
Before choosing a waterproofing, it is important to consider all possible situations. The most common way to build an underground or bunded house is to dig a pit. In this case, the house should be deepened by more than 1 m, compared with the planned size of the building.
On the outside of the house is a shallow foundation, the endurance of which is calculated taking into account the loads. If the wall thickness is not too large, the soil load should be taken into account. The roof structure is usually made on the basis of the rafter system, however, you can use the installation method of a wooden board.
Recommendations of specialists
When a residential underground house is being built, concrete or brick can be used in the construction of walls. In this case, the ceiling is made monolithic and has the shape of a vault. This design will be more durable. The waterproofing of the floor and walls should be in the form of a continuous circuit. If the house is buried more than 1 m, then there is no need to insulate the building. This applies exclusively to walls, while the roof must be additionally insulated.
When arranging floors, it is important to lay waterproofing, insulation and screed. At the final stage, a decorative coating is mounted. Modern underground houses should have a drainage system, which is located near the walls around the perimeter. In this case, the water will drain and be directed into the drainage pipe, which should be below the level of the house. The output must be sent to the gutter.
Underground garage houses
A house with an underground garage today is also quite common. This solution is relevant if you have a site that is limited in free space. Before starting work, it is necessary to decide whether the parking will be fully or partially deepened.
The second option is more economical and amenable to simple implementation. Too deep garages have some disadvantages in terms of type of excessive dampness and ground pressure. It is important to prepare a slab for overlapping, which should be reinforced and sufficiently thick. It is necessary to start work with calculating the volume of materials. It is important to provide for waterproofing.
At the next stage, a pit is prepared, it is important to take into account the slope of the inlet path. Plates are placed at the bottom of the pit, while lifting equipment should be used. Houses with underground parking can be built according to technology, which involves the construction of the garage at the stage of filling the bottom of the pit with concrete. The foundation of the walls is formed using reinforced concrete slabs. They will be load-bearing, which means that a high load will be placed on them. An overlap should be installed on the side slabs, which will serve as the first floor. Residential building with underground parking must have waterproofing on the top of the walls. This will prevent moisture from entering the premises.
Construction technique
The walls and ceiling must also be waterproofed. A reinforcing mesh is installed on the surface, and then covered with plaster. Previously, the base plane is treated with antifungal compounds. This must be done before the surface is coated with a primer.
At the next stage, you can begin the installation of the gate and the design of the entry route. The design of the underground house, as well as the underground garage, should include the availability of communications. It is important to lay the cable, it will only be necessary to determine its cross-section. The voltage should be sufficient. Experts advise choosing a cable with an increase in tolerance. Otherwise, you will encounter the fact that communications will not last as long as we would like. After completion of construction, you can begin to install a heating system.
Entrance to the underground garage
Underground houses, photos of which are presented in the article, quite often have underground parking. In this case, it is important to check in correctly. Too steep and short can cause inconvenience. In good weather, the difficulties will seem inconspicuous, but during rains you may not be able to cope with the task of entry. Plus, a large amount of water will flow down.
The angle of inclination in this case is usually done in the range from 140 to 150 °. If this value is less, then you may encounter problems in the cold season. With increasing depth of the garage, the length of the driveway should be made longer. The trajectory of the race should be divided into separate zones. The first of them is the starting one, its length is usually 3 m. The slope in this section should be equal to 120 ° . The second zone takes half the length, the angle varies up to 150 °. The third zone is called red and is located directly in front of the gate itself. Its length is usually 1.2 m.
It is important to ensure that there are not too sharp differences between the areas mentioned.
Guidelines for arranging entry
When arranging the entrance, materials that will have an anti-slip effect should be used. Some craftsmen make inhibitory serifs that will help during ice and rain. A pedestrian path with a handrail is laid near the wall. This will allow you to safely go inside and rise back.
With gates, a storm sewer is installed , equipped with a grate. It is better to supplement it with a heating element, which will eliminate the hardening of water. Retaining walls are installed on the sides of the entrance , this will eliminate the collapse of the soil.
Underground garage entrance road construction
The formation of the road should involve falling asleep, which will protect against failures. The road is covered with rubble, which is well compacted. The thickness of this layer can vary from 10 to 15 cm. The bearing layer, which will be the main one, is made of a 15 cm concrete layer.
It is important to ensure that while the solution dries, sunlight does not fall on it. If the weather is too hot, then the surface is watered. Once the concrete has dried, you can install the coating. Asphalt sometimes acts asphalt, paving slabs or other materials.
Ventilation installation
Ventilation for the underground garage and home is necessary. The first installation method involves the installation of a monoblock. This system will extract the exhaust air and provide an influx of new air. Monoblock provides ventilation, and its advantages are ease of installation.
But if you are afraid of its high cost, then you should use the second method, which involves the installation of a modular system. The design has two separate blocks, one of which is responsible for the inflow, while the other is for the outflow of air. The system has special sensors and provides automatic adjustment of work.
Conclusion
One of the important tasks in the construction of underground houses and garages is waterproofing. It is performed using a drainage system and forming a filter pad.
Do not assume that this issue can be solved by the use of liquid waterproofing, which is used only indoors. In fact, this approach is not effective. Liquid waterproofing can be used as an aid.