Any reliable and durable wooden house will eventually need major repairs. If during the foundation in the new house there were violations of technology, then the likelihood of large-scale restoration work increases significantly. An incorrectly created base affects the balance of window and door openings, contributes to cracking of walls.
If such βcallsβ occur, urgent action is required. Replacing the foundation is the most rational method, but it is important to pay attention to the following aspects:
- when doing the work yourself, specialized tools will be required, you should take care of this in advance to find the complete set;
- after the old foundation is dismantled, it is necessary to establish a more reliable foundation of a different kind (this is a difficult job, so the help of professionals may be required);
- it is worth making sure that the house itself will still serve for a long time.
What does strength depend on?
A change in the soil, in particular, its bearing characteristics, has a significant effect on the condition of the substrate. They occur mainly due to exceeding the permissible load on the foundation and the subsequent loosening of the earth under it. The total load is increased by farm buildings located nearby. This leads to a skew and subsidence of the main structure, since under considerable weight the soil is pressed through.
Replacing the foundation may be necessary due to erosion of the soil due to rising groundwater or improper drainage.
The decrease in the strength of the material for the base is another negative factor. This is possible due to incorrect determination of the depth of freezing, inappropriate type of foundation, the use of low quality materials.
Base selection
It is important to understand that the replacement of the foundation of a wooden house should be made after completion of all preparatory work. First you need to choose the design of the new base. The tape type is ideal for large, heavy buildings. The screw base will perfectly withstand the construction of a country house type. Among the advantages, it is worth noting the possibility of application in any areas. Also, screw piles are distinguished by the possibility of repeated use and relatively low cost.
The column base is used for medium-sized houses. Despite its apparent simplicity, it has gained popularity due to its reliability. The design consists of several poles installed at the joints of the walls - these are zones with maximum load. Pillars are made of stone, concrete or brick. It is worth noting the need for a mandatory step of 1-2 meters. Pile bored base also refers to the columnar foundation. It acquired its name due to asbestos - cement pipes used as load-bearing elements and filled with a specialized mixture. Soil with a high water level is the best place for such a foundation.
The foundation of the house indicated above is also in demand, the replacement of which involves the use of piles. It requires less investment, while in the end its strength is comparable to the concrete base. Piles are screwed into the ground using levers. Their level should exceed the depth of freezing. Alignment to a certain height and the use of a belt made of a channel beam are required. This type of base is suitable for sagging and weakened soil types.
Subsidence base
Settlement may be progressive or temporary. In the definition, special beacons made of different materials will be useful. It should be borne in mind that when water gets on paper options, they become unusable. Plaster plasters are also used as beacons. If they are absent, it is possible to put an even strip of putty on the wall and put a mark, so the places for the expansion of cracks and the determination of the rate of failure will be revealed in time.
Equipment
Although the work is large-scale, you can not resort to renting expensive equipment: several powerful jacks (at least 4) with a lifting capacity in the region of 10 tons will be enough. Auxiliary wedges, a crowbar and a sledgehammer should also be available. To create a support, various logs, boards and a lot of bricks are required. Before mounting the jack, a sturdy platform is knocked down, with sides of at least half a meter each. It will require a steel plate with a thickness of 6 mm or more.
Replacing a foundation with a wooden house means releasing it from heavy objects and furniture. Next, the coating is removed and the floor itself is disassembled.
How is the lift
After completion of the preparatory work, you can install the jacks. They are placed along the perimeter of longer walls, with a mandatory indent from the corners. Preformed areas should be stable (perhaps a small depression in the soil).
It is worth paying attention to the fact that alone lifting the house and replacing the foundation on piles impossible. Each jack must have one person. Gently lifting a building can only be done with this approach. The lifting height at a time should be no more than 2 cm. When gaps occur, prepared supports are used to close them. Simultaneous execution of all actions is required.
Significant sagging of the lower crowns during the lifting indicates a lack of jacks. But further actions should be as careful and accurate as possible in order to avoid displacement of the structure.
Foundation replacement: dismantling
After the house is raised and tightly fixed, the old base is removed. Some elements may come in handy for recycling, so they should be folded separately. After dismantling, a deeper trench is excavated in the form of the letter P. Due to the use of this form, it is possible to connect sections of the base laid at different times. If you need an extension in the future, it is better to immediately lay the foundation for it, so that in the future there is no need to replace the foundation under the house due to the increased load.
Completion of work
It will take about two weeks to completely solidify the flooded foundation, then it is covered with boards and temporary supports made of brick or wood are placed on top. After the replacement of the foundation under the wooden house is repeated on the other side. Long sections of walls require the excavation of straight short trenches, followed by combining with reinforcement.
After completion of all work, the lower crowns are checked for quality, if necessary, they must be replaced. Further, the structure gradually drops uniformly from all sides, after which the replacement of the foundation can be considered completed.