Without a foundation, you will not be able to build a single house. In any case, a reliable building just will not work. If we talk about maximum reliability, then in this case the monolithic foundation will be the best option . Do it yourself is not so difficult.
What it is?
Simply put, this is a special stove, which is the basis of the whole house. Such a powerful and durable foundation leaves far behind all other types of foundations, which are most often used by builders in our country.
There are ribbed and flat plates. The advantage of the former is that they protect the building much more reliably from the negative impact of unstable soils. Since the process of pouring them is very laborious, ribs are first made.
What is the difference between a ribbed plate?
Structurally, such a molding resembles a ready-made strip foundation with many jumpers. Such a monolithic strip foundation, made by one’s own hands, is good because it has increased stability (when compared with a conventional plate). The ribbed type is recommended to be installed in those cases when the geodesy showed insufficient soil density.
The space between the jumpers is filled with ASG, and the stove itself is placed on top. Such a monolithic foundation, designed with your own hands, will ensure the stability of your home for decades to come.
Getting started
It all starts with a thorough preparation of the foundation. The site must be leveled as carefully as possible. All hemp, large boulders and other garbage are removed, after which we begin to make markings.
A pit is excavated, the depth of which should be at least 0.3 m. Geotextiles are placed in it, and the density of the material should be at least 200 g / m2. We remind you that it is needed not so much to hold the cushions of gravel and sand, but rather to remove excess moisture.
Drainage system
If you are pouring a monolithic foundation with your own hands in excessively swampy or rainy terrain, you must take care to dig out at least two main trenches. Like the main foundation pit, they are covered with geotextiles. After it, drainage pipes are laid in trenches and covered with rubble. It is best to use plastic drainage, as it has increased durability. The foundation made with its help is a monolithic slab. With your own hands you create something that will stand for more than a dozen years.
Which concrete to use?
Experts say that it is preferable to use concrete brand "M450". However, situations in the domestic construction industry are not uncommon when materials of lower quality are brought to the site. Nevertheless, the M350 will serve for pouring no worse.
After that, pour the first 20 cm of concrete. As soon as it dries slightly, fittings are laid on it and tie it. Next, they begin to gently fill the formwork with concrete. Each layer is rammed using automatic or manual rammers for this purpose. The process is stopped when “milk” appears on the concrete surface.
Before making a monolithic foundation with your own hands, it is better to take care of buying an automatic device, since it is quite difficult to do it manually. After pouring concrete to the lower level of the basement, reinforcement is laid again. It is also reliably tied with wire, poured with another layer of concrete. It will freeze for about a month. If the weather is hot, concrete needs to be moistened with water from time to time.
This is how a monolithic foundation is made with your own hands.