During the construction of any house, a reliable foundation is established, which can be represented by one or another design. The value of this element cannot be overestimated, because it is he who takes on the weight loads and distributes them. The foundation usually protrudes above the soil surface, forming the basement.
After the completion of construction work, the owners face the question of how to finish the base of the house outside. There are a lot of options for solving this problem. Having studied them, you will be able to understand which finish to prefer. Some owners of private real estate are thinking about why even use the basement trim.
These works are carried out in order to make your home as attractive as possible. However, the lining of the base performs not only this role, it also protects the materials at the base of the foundation from destruction. After all, they are affected by external adverse factors. Among them should be highlighted humidity, wind and temperature changes. In addition, the walls at the basement level are subject to pollution to the maximum extent.
If you want to protect the base from the emergence and development of biological life, then you should install a lining on it, then the materials will not be covered with fungal colonies and mold. If possible, you can also provide for the insulation of this part of the house. The basement array is a capacious accumulator of cold, where bridges and entire highways are formed for the penetration of low temperatures inside the premises. Part of the energy spent will be wasted unless thermal insulation is carried out.
The material at the base of the foundation will freeze under the influence of low temperatures, which activates erosion processes and reduces strength. In this case, we can conclude that the base needs decoration during the operation of the building, not only for decorative reasons.
Base finish options: plastering and painting
If you also wondered about how to decorate the basement of the house from the outside, then you can use one of the simplest methods - plaster. This finish is able to create a good protective barrier with high vapor permeability. The main advantage of this method is the cheapness, because the material is one of the ones available on the market.
You can do such work yourself or use the services of a plasterer. But if you want to create on the surface of the base not only an effective barrier, but also make it attractive, then the surface can be painted with a persistent facade paint. It is offered for sale in a wide range, and the consumer has the opportunity to choose the suitable option.
As a finishing layer you can use decorative plaster, which is offered by manufacturers in a wide palette of colors. You can give the base a variety of textures, one of which will surely satisfy the demands of the homeowner. If you show the imagination that the plastered surface can be made very original. For this, the base is given the appearance of natural materials, for example, stone.
Directly on the surface of the base you can form something similar to natural stone. For modeling in this case, you do not need to have special skills. The main thing is to prepare a high-quality dense solution. After hardening, all that remains is to decorate with dyes. The disadvantages of such technologies include the fragility of the coating. The state of the layer will have to be monitored, timely repairing or updating damaged areas that are covered with cracks.
A variety of materials: natural stone
When deciding on how to decorate the basement of the house from the outside, you can get acquainted with natural stone closer. This decision can be called elitist. A building with such a basement design will look advantageous, and natural material will show all its operational characteristics and will be ready to serve for quite a long time.
For cladding, special stone slabs, called slabs, are used. Their thickness usually varies from 20 to 30 mm, they can have the correct shape or uneven edges, which allows for more decorative.
The surface can be selected to your taste, it can be mirrored, polished to a shine, or have rough chips. With all the practicality and beauty of this type of finish, it has many disadvantages, among them:
- impressive weight;
- increased complexity of installation;
- high price.
As for the weight, it will give additional load on the base of the building, this is especially true when the base has a large surface area. If you plan to decorate this part of the building with natural stone, then everything needs to be calculated at the design stage, so that after you do not deal with strengthening the foundation. A large mass of products makes installation more difficult. Even the use of the highest quality glue sometimes does not allow to cope with the situation, so there is a need for additional formation and creation of stops.
If you still do not know how to decorate the basement of the house from the outside, then you should familiarize yourself with several solutions at once. Among others, natural stone should be highlighted. It is environmentally friendly, looks very attractive, but has one significant drawback, which is expressed in high cost. This also applies to the price of installation work, which is important for those homeowners who do not plan to engage in work on their own.
Even the most budget types of natural stone have a fairly high cost, which varies from 1200 to 1500 rubles. per square meter. In this case, we are talking about limestone and shell rock. But among the more expensive, you can distinguish marble and granite, which have a chipped or polished surface. If you want to make your house exclusive, you can use materials such as labradorite and gabbro to decorate its basement, but you should be prepared for the fact that the price for them is truly sky-high.
The use of artificial stone
The basement of a private house can also be made with artificial stone. If you like the look of natural material, but are limited in budget, then this solution is for you. It has many positive features. Among others, one should highlight the affordable cost, as well as a small mass. But in the end, it is possible to achieve an almost complete illusion of natural stone.
This material is based on cement-containing mixtures, to which light fractions, micro-reinforcing substances and polymer plasticizers are added. Among the components of stone for finishing the basement of the house, expanded clay rubble can be distinguished. Plates are made using vibrocasting technology in silicone molds and precisely repeat the bends of the natural texture.
Production may involve the use of the hyperpress method. If you are thinking about the question that you want to finish the basement of a private house with artificial stone, you should understand its varieties. Among others, products that are standardized or piece-wise should be highlighted. Equally popular are sets equipped with a unit area. Such finishes are installed in the usual way, which involves laying products on tile glue.
In order to facilitate the installation process, you can purchase ready-made panels. At the production stage, mounting brackets are installed in the concrete structure, which have an exact geometric arrangement. These parts allow you to install panels on the surface using mechanical fasteners, not mortar. In this case, there is an undeniable advantage, which is expressed in the simplicity of the work.
The technology involves the use of guides. If desired, such panels can also be installed on the solution, the brackets are bent inward, which makes the coating more reliable. On sale you can also find tiles made of artificial stone, which are installed on polyurethane adhesive. The base must be rigid.
Additionally, you can use a layer of insulation. Fiber cement, glass magnesite or OSB acts as the latter. In this case, the base will gain additional thermal insulation qualities.
The joints between the panels will be completely hidden, which is thought out by the manufacturer who performs the products with the lock part. As a result, it is possible to achieve the effect of natural masonry. The external surface may have a certain texture, which is selected by the consumer, among other solutions, it is necessary to distinguish chipped stone, rock, slate and tuff. Mosaic solutions are also quite popular today, which include the inclusion of artificial mini-slabs with different shades and textures.
Using brick finishes
If you are faced with the question of how to decorate the base of the house outside, photos of the available options will become the best helpers. Some, by the way, are presented in the article. Among other modern solutions, brickwork should be highlighted. It gives the building respectability, and as a result, the facade is in harmony with any kind of decoration of the rest of the wall area.
Choosing materials for finishing the basement of the house, you can use the cladding in the form of a natural brick. This approach has an important advantage, which allows you to create a ventilated gap between the cladding and the base. You can fill the space with thermal insulation. Brick itself will serve as an additional barrier to the cold. But the masonry will need a strip foundation, so this issue must be foreseen at the planning stage of construction.
Some experts recommend doing otherwise - to create your own support for masonry, which will be combined with a concrete blind area around the base. The basement of a private house, the photo of which is presented in the article, can also be done with hyper-pressed brick, which has low water absorption. Such products are just suitable for the base, they can have a variety of sizes, but the Russian manufacturer offers for sale standard parameters, they are 250 x 120 x 60 mm.
For reference
The most economical option is silicate brick. But he is not particularly popular for these types of finishing work. The hollow internal structure of ceramic bricks, including clinker, allows to reduce the weight of the cladding and gives a heat-insulating effect. But to carry out real brickwork is not always possible. If you still want to make a base in the form of an imitation of brickwork, then you can use clinker tiles.
Finishing the basement of the house, the photo of which is presented in the article, will have high performance characteristics that are not inferior to brick. If the tiles are laid according to the technology, then it will allow to achieve reliable visibility of the brickwork.
Using panels
Panels for finishing the basement of the house are also quite common. They are elongated flat products with locking joints and mounting holes for mounting on the base. Such cladding is distinguished by its large thickness, increased strength and small width. As for the thickness, in basement panels it reaches 3 mm. Such products are usually wider and shorter, which is convenient with a small height of the trimmed area. In this scenario, one row may suffice.
The coating mass is small and is approximately 4 kg per square meter, so there is practically no additional load on the foundation. Such a basement decoration in a private house outside can be installed by you yourself, it is also good because it can have a shade that is similar to the rest of the facade cladding. As a result, it is possible to obtain a durable barrier that does not need to be treated with protective compounds, which distinguishes it from wood and natural stone.
Panel Features
This finish is cheap, it is resistant to temperatures and water, as well as ultraviolet rays. The material does not rot, fungal formations and corrosion. It is characterized by ductility and mechanical strength. After impact deformation, the panel restores its original shape, which distinguishes it from metal panels.
Using siding
This architectural and design solution allows you to decorate and protect the base with minimal cost. Siding is performed in imitation of various natural materials, among them:
However, this list is not complete. Panels can have a variety of textures and shades. If you are thinking about how to finish the basement of a house from the outside inexpensively, then you can familiarize yourself with the siding, which is made of polypropylene, in more detail. Its composition includes special additives that make the material durable and elastic.
More About Siding
Finishing is installed on the crate using self-tapping screws or galvanized nails. The convenience of using such a cladding is that there is no need for preliminary surface leveling. Easy docking of panels is ensured by the presence of a groove system. If you are faced with the question of how to trim the base of the house outside under a stone, then you can use the siding, which gives the building a respectable and solid appearance. With this solution, you can make the finish contrast using artificial and natural materials. Sometimes panels are used that have a smooth or glossy surface.
Finally
The most vulnerable part of any building is the basement, because it is located closest to the soil, which affects the materials negatively. It contains moisture, contact with which can cause devastating effects. For this reason, many owners of private houses are thinking about how to finish the basement of a house from the outside inexpensively (photos of such decisions are presented in the article, as well as a description of these materials). Of the most suitable options in this regard, it is worth highlighting siding, natural and artificial stone, as well as clinker tiles and natural brick.