Timber in construction was used by our ancestors. Unique residential buildings were erected from it. Some architectural monuments erected from this material exist to this day. Time passed, and construction technology gradually changed. The tree was replaced by brick, foam concrete, cinder block and more. Only now wooden houses have regained their former popularity. They are erected from different types of forests. Only here is not everyone knows what foundation is best for a house of timber or logs.
How to choose a foundation?
The question of which foundation is better for a house made of timber, is of concern to a person who wants to build a dwelling from this material in his suburban area. After all, a solid foundation is the key to a long life of the building. Of great importance is the soil on the site. And he can be:
- homogeneous;
- fine-grained;
- peaty.
An excellent option for any type of foundation is the first type of soil. To build a house on it, you will not need to refine yourself with various technologies. The foundation in this case can be any.
Note. On this basis, the structure will not shrink over the entire period of operation, deform under the influence of moisture and warp.
Fine-grained soils are not so practical. They can be sand or clay. They well withstand any load only in dry weather. But as soon as precipitation or flooding occurs, the soil immediately begins to “float”. This creates an additional load on the foundation, and for this reason it begins to deform: it changes shape, gives cracks.
Note. If it is incorrect to choose the type of foundation for such a soil, then over time this will cause deformation of the entire structure.
The most unsuccessful is peat soil. As a rule, it can be found near forest stands, in marshy areas, near lakes and other other bodies of water.
Important. Experts do not recommend erecting residential buildings on this basis, since they can begin to deform due to moisture on the foundation.
In order to determine the type of soil on the site, special geodetic surveys are carried out. They will allow you to accurately determine which foundation is best for a house made of timber. According to the report, you can find out how much of a particular component is in the soil.
It is also worth considering the level of freezing of the soil on the site in a particular area. After all, the depth of the foundation should be below it. This will protect the entire structure from moisture in the case of melting snow. You can set this level yourself. To do this, at the beginning of spring, when snow melts, the soil surface is removed with a shovel and it is checked how deep there is still frozen soil. Or you can ask your neighbor for advice or contact the geodetic service.
Varieties of foundations for a house made of timber
To determine exactly which foundation is best for a house made of timber, you must initially know all the characteristics of the foundations that are used for the construction of such structures.
So, you can build:
- monolithic base;
- pile;
- tape;
- columnar;
- plate.
All these types of foundations differ not only in manufacturing technology, but also in their technical characteristics. Only based on them, you can determine what foundation is needed for a house from a bar.
Note. First you need to find out from experts all about choosing the foundation for a house of timber, so that the structure is durable and serves faithfully to more than one generation of residents.
Monolithic base under a wooden house
We can say with confidence that such a foundation is the most practical and most popular for the construction of any home. Despite its advantages, it has one, but quite significant drawback - the cost. When calculating such a basis, take into account the amount of necessary material:
- sand;
- cement;
- water;
- other additional components.
The latter include hardeners and other mineral substances that improve the strength of concrete and its resistance to almost all influences.
The advantages of such a foundation
Firstly, the base has extraordinary strength. Depending on its depth, it can withstand multi-story buildings of any material. Secondly, the foundation is durable. It does not have a fixed lifespan. In some cases, even with the demolition of the house, you can use the foundation to build a new one.
Tip. In this case, certain work is underway to reconstruct and strengthen the foundation.
How to build a monolithic base?
Used in order to build this foundation for a house from a bar, instructions. So, the dimensions of the future structure are initially determined and the foundation pit of the required depth is dug out. Next, formwork is made of wooden boards. Then you need to prepare a concrete solution. All ingredients are mixed in a concrete mixer so that the composition has a uniform structure.
As soon as the concrete is ready for pouring, reinforcement is laid to strengthen the strength of the base and the mortar is poured.
Note. Such a foundation should dry and grow stronger. It takes at least 20 days.
Some experts recommend giving reason to stand for several seasons. In this case, it is especially important to hook autumn and spring in the works.
Pile foundation
If it is already determined which foundation is best for a house from a bar, we choose materials for it. For example, if it is a pile foundation, then piles of wood or metal will be needed.
Important! The most durable and reliable are metal piles. The material from which they are made is more resistant to various influences.
This is not to say that wooden piles will be less reliable. Rather, they are less functional since they cannot be used on any soil.
Features of the pile foundation
The main advantage of such a foundation is its versatility. It can be built on any soil, since the emphasis and loads of the structure will affect only the piles.
Note. For this reason, it is worth considering the load of the future structure in order to prevent the piles from deforming.
Such constituent bases deepen into the ground by at least 1.5 meters. It all depends on the number of storeys of the building and its mass. Piles in the construction will be much cheaper than a monolithic foundation. Because of this, they are often chosen for the construction of wooden structures.
Previously, pits of a certain depth are dug around the entire perimeter of the future building at a distance of no more than 1-1.5 m. They make the addition of:
- sand;
- gravel
- crushed stone.
Then, piles are exposed and concreted according to the level in this pit. The solution is prepared similarly to the construction of a monolithic base. During work, you need to waterproof the piles using roofing felt and a plastic film.
A foundation of this type gains strength within 30 days. After this, the upper binding is made of wood or metal pipes. Only then a frame is built on the foundation, on which the walls of a wooden house are mounted.
Strip foundation and its characteristics
What is the best foundation for a timber house? This question cannot be answered unequivocally. It all depends on the type of soil on the site. The strip foundation is something adjacent between a monolithic and pile foundation. It is made from:
- small pillars;
- concrete mortar.
Firstly, marking is done and a foundation pit of small depth is excavated.
Note. If the structure is multi-story, it is better to make the depth of the foundation at 1 m.
Secondly, poles are installed and concreted. On top of them, formwork is built and concrete mortar is poured. Since it is not possible to carry out all such work in one day, pouring is carried out in stages.
Important. Such a foundation gains strength in a few weeks.
Column base
This foundation is a kind of pile. Only now instead of piles use concrete poles. They can also be laid out of bricks. Such a foundation should protrude 30-50 cm above the surface of the soil.
Important. Such a base on soils that are prone to flooding with groundwater is well suited. Due to the fact that the structure will be at a height, moisture will not cause its destruction.
What foundation is needed for a house made of timber? The construction technology of this type of foundation is quite simple. Initially, excavations of 1-1.5 m are excavated. Brick pillars are laid out in them or ready-made ones are installed. Then all this is poured with concrete mortar, in which, in addition to standard ingredients, gravel is added.
Slab foundation
There can be any foundation for a house made of timber. Which one to choose from the famous, many do not even know. The most important thing is to preliminarily evaluate the technical and quality indicators of the soil, the level of occurrence of soil water. The slab base is considered the least popular. This is due to the fact that it can not be used on any soil. It does not have underground supports, and in case of flooding of the site, the plates can deform and move. All this happens even with a good connection.
Build it on the surface of the soil with a small depression. Previously, in the space allotted for him, they add sand and gravel. Insulating materials are also laid that can protect the structure from moisture and adverse climatic influences. Then the plates are laid, the gaps between them are poured with concrete mortar. In some cases, reinforcement is used, which is laid out on top of the plates and poured with concrete.