What to build the basement from. How to build the basement of a house. How to build a basement from foam blocks

The basement is a room in a building buried below ground level. It is used for arranging utility rooms, garages and other purposes, for example, a swimming pool, sauna. In some cases, building a basement floor turns out to be a cost-effective solution, especially if the terrain of the site is characterized by the presence of slopes. Due to the plinth, the usable area of the entire building increases, so a basement in a private house is the right and thoughtful solution for any developer.

Ground floor: features and benefits

The underground level can serve as the foundation of the entire structure and living space. Features of construction in compliance with the requirements for strength, load-bearing capacity, dimensional space. Regulations show that the ceiling height cannot be less than 2.5 meters, but sometimes the parameter is limited by the presence of a high ground aquifer, as a result of which the construction of a basement above ground level is allowed. For example, if the level of the aquifer is only 1.5 m from the ground boundary, digging a pit for construction is not recommended; in this case, you should make do with filling the above-ground part of the base with soil and artificially deepening the ground floor.

Advice! With proper construction, the basement can become not just a basement, but a completely residential space with the proper level of comfort.

The basement is used for the following premises:

Storerooms;
Garage;
Premises for utility use (laundry, ironing, drying, furnace);
Wine cellar;
Living room;
Game rooms;
Swimming pools;
Bedrooms;
Gym;
Kitchen;
Cinema.

There are no restrictions for private houses on the use of the ground floor; everything depends only on the preferences of the owner, financial capabilities and practical application.

Types of socles

In terms of design, the basement of the house differs in the following types:

Protruding. It is used in case of too thin wall panels and for arranging rooms below ground level.
Recessed. It is considered the most popular and has practical application: drainage drains from the facade prevent the formation of increased moisture in the house.
Aligned with wall panels. Experts sometimes do not consider it possible to use this option, since the very effect of the presence of the basement floor is lost, however, if the option of thorough waterproofing of the walls is not scary, the basement constructed in this way will fully meet all the requirements of comfort and practicality.

To make a plinth, it is necessary to take into account the thickness and material of the wall panels, as well as the strength characteristics of the soil, which are influenced not only by aquifers, but also by the climatic features of the region.

Construction calculations

When deciding on the construction of the ground floor, it is necessary to perform the following actions:

Complete the design of the plinth, taking into account the determination of the purpose of the room;
Calculate the load on the foundation and walls of the ground floor.

Advice! To be sure of the strength of the supporting base, it is recommended to add another 30% strength plus. In this case, the building will definitely withstand all the loads.

Mark out the construction site taking into account the ground floor.
Draw out the contours of wall panels and load-bearing partitions.

The last stages are difficult for independent work an untrained master, so it is best to seek help from a professional. The specialist will tell you exactly what size and format to arrange the proposed basement floor so that it meets all the developer’s requests.

Types of foundations

Sometimes arranging a cellar is impossible due to the fact that the soil has a low bearing capacity. Therefore, it is worth knowing the types of foundations suitable for the basement:

Pile base. Suitable for all types of soil except heavy ones. Operation of the ground floor is not difficult due to the special structure of the entire building.
Slab foundation possible on soft soils with high water saturation. In this case, it is also possible to build a base, but it will resemble a cube closed on all sides, on which the entire mass of the structure will rest.
Strip foundation Suitable for all types of soil, the construction of a plinth here also does not present any problems.

As for the width of the foundation, it depends on the characteristics of the wall panels of the house. Let's say this frame house with the presence of a basement floor, the dimensions are as follows:

The pile base is 300-500 mm, while the thickness of the wall panels can be equal to the foundation. The construction will not have to be supplemented with ventilation holes, since the technology already includes these features.
The slab base recommends a foundation width equal to the width of the basement walls.
Shallow strip foundation is built in width equal to the walls of the ground floor, but only if the ground level is not supplemented with a concrete screed.

As for waterproofing, it is recommended to use at least 2 layers. In this case, coatings are important: all vertical and horizontal elements of the structure, as well as connection points adjacent to the ground, must be covered. For waterproofing, roofing felt, roofing felt, and mastics on bitumen bases are used.

Stages of plinth construction

Step-by-step instructions will tell you how to make a basement floor, and photo and video materials will give answers to all questions. It’s worth starting with the processes, the implementation of which is mandatory regardless of the foundation and type of structure:

Laying the foundation;
Pouring works;
Waterproofing, insulation;
Facing;
Installation of floors and ceilings.

So, how to build a ground floor or cellar in your own home.

Laying the base, filling

Mark the area, dig a pit at least 500-600 mm deeper than the underground part of the supporting foundation;
Make a backfill of gravel, sand 100 mm thick or more;
Compact the bedding, pour water on it, and then the base is filled with concrete mixture (grade M100). The thickness of the fill is at least 5 cm;
After the mixture has dried, waterproofing is laid (in 2 layers), a concrete floor slab is poured;
External formwork is constructed, for which boards or boards are used;
Be sure to make a reinforcing frame inserted inside the formwork;
In places where wall panels are erected, reinforcing bars are installed;
Pouring is done with concrete grade M250, M300 and higher;
Plate thickness from 200 mm;
Tamping is carried out along the entire perimeter of the fill;
The drying process lasts 4-5 weeks;
In parallel, you can begin the construction of formwork for the wall panels and reinforce the walls longitudinally using reinforcement bars, which are tied with the previously exposed vertical bars;
Be sure to provide openings for doors;
The communications are then installed in pre-installed metal pipes;
Filling of walls is carried out both layer by layer and simultaneously. When pouring layer by layer, each layer is compacted, while the next layer can be poured immediately, without waiting for the previous one to dry.

Important! The entire structure gains strength only after 28-30 days!

Waterproofing, insulation work

To see how to make your home's basement warm and secure, watch the video. For waterproofing, adhesive-type compounds are used, but waterproofing should be done with penetrating materials that do not disrupt vapor exchange processes and increase the strength of the structure.

In this case, the foundation frame should also be insulated, for example, with polystyrene foam boards, the fastening of which is carried out with a conventional adhesive solution. All that remains is to fill the soil around the entire perimeter of the building and you will get a warm ground floor. Backfilling is carried out either with soil or sand if the soil masses are large and hard.

Wall cladding, floor and ceiling installation

Regarding facing works, then they are made with materials chosen by the developer. Shows himself well natural stone, slabs based on polystyrene foam, or you can choose siding. Interior decoration is also simple, depending on the purpose of the premises. Do not forget about communications, heating and additional thermal insulation of wall panels. Material for interior decoration preferably with good moisture-resistant qualities.

To begin with, the floors should be insulated with a sand cushion, then covered with roofing felt, reinforced grating on it, then poured with concrete mixture (grade M400). Insulation with a “warm floor” system is allowed, on top of which a concrete screed is already installed.

Overlappings are made depending on the chosen technology:

Monolithic concrete slab;
Prefabricated monolithic slab;
Flooring made of lumber.

For heavy slab elements, it is necessary to build formwork, then secure the structural posts in increments of 100 cm, make a reinforcing belt and install it, then pour a 200 mm thick concrete slab. Be sure to wait for the ceiling to dry before proceeding to the next stages of work.

Construction of a basement from blocks

The construction of houses with a ground floor can be made from any material, so different technologies for arranging the basement should be taken into account. For example, a concrete block is suitable. Possessing strength and resistance to rotting, the material copes well with loads and at the same time the cost of the project is significantly reduced in price.

The blocks are placed around the entire perimeter of the building, the connection is made using a cement mixture. You just need to remember that for wiring communications you will need gaps that are previously left between the blocks. But as for ventilation, the openings should be located at least 150 mm from the ground level and it is better to cover them to prevent debris from getting in.

Important! If a basement floor is being built above ground level using FBS blocks, then openings for windows are required.

A foam concrete block is also suitable, and the principle of operation is exactly the same as with FBS and concrete blocks. A thin layer of mortar is laid on the foundation, then the first row is installed, the cubes are wetted and the next row is laid. Be sure to align all rows vertically and horizontally. It’s a good idea to waterproof each row, and in several layers.

Construction of a basement in a finished house

Even if you have a house that has been in use for a long time without a basement, no one has canceled the opportunity to build a basement. To do this, you will have to perform many processes, but you will get an excellent home cellar. The work is quite simple:

The site for digging is marked, taking into account the boundaries of the foundation;
The soil is removed to the required depth;
Getting settled wall panels future basement made of blocks;
A reinforced concrete floor is poured;
Work on laying ventilation, waterproofing, and insulation is being carried out.

The last stage is finishing the basement floor. However, when digging a pit for a basement or basement, you need to consider:

The height of the ground aquifer;
Soil bearing capacity;
Service life and strength of the foundation;
Weight load on the foundation of the house.

As a rule, work is carried out only after numerous checks and requires experience, so entrust the arrangement of the plinth to already finished house better for professionals.

When laying out a project for a house with a ground floor, you need to select materials for the construction of the basement. Of course, if this is a house made of foam blocks, the basement floor will be easier to handle; the same elements will do. For brick house, where a strong and reliable foundation is required, concrete pouring is better suited, which will strengthen the frame of the entire structure.

Building a house with a basement is a rather troublesome process that requires large financial investments and labor costs. However, this design simultaneously allows for additional benefits. Firstly, the basement will protect the main structure from cold and damp air coming from the ground. Secondly, the usable area of the house increases significantly.

Types of base and construction features

In relation to the main wall, the plinth can be of the following types:

Speaker. In this case, the walls of the basement are several times thicker than the main walls of the house. This design is practical, economical and can be erected in a short time.
Located in line with load-bearing walls. This design involves the construction of a basement and main walls of approximately the same thickness. In this situation, special attention should be paid to waterproofing the basement floor in order to protect its surface from the negative effects of various natural phenomena and extend its service life.
Sunken. The design is distinguished by its non-standard appearance, attractive from an architectural point of view. Such a base is reliable and practical, in addition, less moisture gets on it, which drains off quickly enough. As a result, the base itself and the foundation of the building are protected from the destructive effects of water.

When choosing the type of base, you should adhere to several rules:

For thin-walled buildings it is better to build a protruding base. It is recommended to use this same option if the ground floor will be equipped as a residential premises. Despite the partial placement underground, this part of the house will also be warm.
If the room is used as a storage room, then the sinking plinth will be beneficial from the economic side.
If possible, avoid building the plinth flush with the base. In this case, the outer surface of the base and the main wall will be located in the same plane, which reduces the degree of protection from the destructive effects of moisture. In addition, insulation and waterproofing require additional costs, and appearance at the same time it loses its attractiveness.

Features of building a foundation with a basement floor

The basement floor can be considered a basement, since one part of it is underground. At the same time, it can be the first floor of the building, because the other part of the basement rises above the ground. In this regard, the construction of the foundation for the basement has some features.

Preparatory stage

It is necessary to begin construction of the foundation for the basement floor only after a thorough study of the soil on the site. We previously described in detail. Only after this can you begin to construct the pit. The level of groundwater at the construction site is of great importance. If they are located closer than 1.5 meters, then the bottom of the pit cannot be deeper than 1 meter.

It is best to dig a pit for the construction of a strip foundation for the basement floor using an excavator. Although the services of these construction equipment are expensive, the work will be completed in a short period of time.

After this, it is necessary to carefully level the bottom of the pit and compact it.

In places where external and internal load-bearing walls will be located, trenches are dug. Their depth should be at least 0.3 meters, and their width should approximately correspond to the thickness of the walls. Sand and crushed stone are poured into the bottom of the trenches in layers, and each layer is well compacted.

Formwork

Pouring concrete

Laying blocks

In most cases, a foundation with a basement is built from foundation blocks. This method allows you to quickly build the walls of the base and plinth, despite the expensive services of special equipment. There is additional information on the website.

Laying is carried out with mandatory bandaging of the seams; the blocks are fastened together with cement-sand mortar. While working, do not forget about windows and ventilation openings so that the basement room receives the maximum amount of natural light and fresh air.

The foundation of the basement floor must necessarily rise above ground level. The recommended height of the above-ground part is about 1 meter. On top of the blocks it is necessary to make a leveling belt of brick or reinforced concrete. The use of the second method involves creating formwork on top of the foundation blocks, laying a reinforcing frame and pouring concrete into the entire structure.

Stages of constructing a monolithic basement floor

It is more difficult to make a monolithic base, so you need to approach this process very responsibly. Direct construction involves the following actions:

Installation of formwork. Before starting work, you must make sure that the foundation has gained full strength and is ready for further use. To make formwork, you can use planed boards from which panels are assembled, or you can use ready-made structures. At self-assembly Shields should pay attention to the inside, it should be completely smooth. For this purpose, it is recommended to trim the boards. The formwork elements must be fixed carefully so that the structure does not deform under the influence of the heavy concrete mass. Read about it.
Base reinforcement. To make the structure stronger, a reinforcement process is necessary. To do this, you must first make reinforcing mesh with a cell size of 15*15 cm, 20*20 cm or 25*25 cm, using steel rods with a diameter of 12 mm. The rods are fastened by welding. The size of the meshes should be slightly smaller than the width of the formwork; the optimal distance from the outermost bars of the mesh to the walls of the formwork is 5-10 cm. The number of meshes depends on the parameters of the base; they are located on different levels after 30-50 cm in height.
Pouring concrete mass. You can fill the formwork structure with concrete using the following scheme: first, pour the solution to a height of up to 15 cm, wait for it to thicken a little, lay the reinforcing mesh, and pour it again cement mortar and put the net back on. The base, filled according to this scheme, will be durable and reliable.

Waterproofing works

Waterproofing the basement floor is a mandatory stage of construction. Lack of protection from the negative effects of ground and melt water, as well as soil moisture, can cause rapid destruction of both the foundation and the main structure. This applies to the ground floor, regardless of the purpose of the interior.

Waterproofing can be of two types: coating and pasting.

In the first case, they are used, which are melted immediately before application.

Protection is applied to all horizontal and vertical surfaces that come into contact with the ground. For complete guaranteed protection, it is recommended to carry out waterproofing with several layers. The area between the foundation and the walls of the basement is subject to mandatory waterproofing.

As additional protection, a blind area of concrete or other materials is made around the perimeter of the house in accordance with the general appearance of the building.

The basement floor provides many advantages to the homeowner, among which the main importance is the protection of the foundation and structure from the negative effects of moisture and rapid destruction. In addition, additional usable space appears without compromising personal plot. However, in order for the structure to be durable and the operation of the basement floor to be impeccable, it is necessary to know and follow the rules for constructing the foundation of the basement floor.

To every person who decided to build country house, dreams of raising several floors, building a garage and other useful areas. And this problem can be solved by building a basement level in the house. Its cost will not be cheap, but it will still be less than raising ground floors. The height of the zero tier can be chosen at the request of the developer.

What is the ground floor

The room below the ground level is called the basement. Why not a basement, you say. There is a slight difference here that differentiates a floor from a basement. If the height of the walls is 180 cm, this is the ground floor. All sizes below this value are considered basement.

What is it for?

Building a house with a basement level will cost much less than a floor above the ground - that's it. Secondly, the room in the house will look perfect, since all the bulky objects and the heated boiler will be an eyesore. Thirdly, you can place a swimming pool, sauna, gym, garage, billiard room here. Fourthly, your preserves can be stored here for the winter.

Construction of the basement

They are mainly used for the construction of the zero tier. Monolithic ones are used for it concrete slabs or prefabricated blocks (). The latter have several varieties, so when choosing FBS, you should rely on the size of the wall material.

Let's say you decide to build a house of brick, then the width of the blocks should be 0.6 m, wooden - 0.3 meters. Basically, the entire width of these blocks is never used in the construction of a cottage, but it can withstand a load of 10 floors.

Stages

Digging a pit.
Processing the bottom of the pit.
Base slab reinforcement.
Pouring concrete.
Waterproofing.
Formwork for walls.
Reinforcement of the tape base.
External waterproofing of walls.

Technology

Before starting to dig a pit, we clear the area for construction from debris. We determine the type of soil, the soil freezing threshold, and the groundwater level. And only when the data is known to us, do we move on to digging a pit.

If, based on the results of the analysis, it is known that the soil is clayey, we do the work in the following order:

We prepare the trenches and lay a three-layer cushion, where the first layer is sand, then a layer of crushed stone and the third layer is sand again. We select the thickness of the layers from 0.1 to 0.25 m. We compact all this carefully. We lay FB pillows on top to provide reliable support for the future base. Now we are installing regular blocks.

If there is sandy soil:

Digging a trench for a base without a cushion. The characteristics of the soil allow this to be done. Here we ram the prepared bottom directly with a vibrating plate. Next, we install the formwork where we will pour the concrete. The thickness of the concrete layer will be enough to take 0.1 m. We wait for complete drying and lay the blocks.
We begin laying FBS slabs from the corner. When laying the first row, we use a cement mixture, the thickness of which is 10-15 mm. Don't forget to bandage all corners of the building. We insulate horizontal seams with waterproofing material. How many rows there are, so many waterproofing seams.

Construction price

To determine the total cost of building a zero tier, you need to take into account some factors. For example, the region where you live. After all, in different places, prices may be different. Using an example, we will talk about a house in which the ground floor has already been built. Size 10.5 x 8.1 meters. Wall material – . PC covered with slabs monolithic belt. Waterproofing pasted, (5 cm). Change house 2.5 x 5 m.

If we consider them in percentage terms, we can obtain the following data:

Materials – 63.81%.
Tools – 3%.
Works – 14, 26%.
Equipment rental – 6.6%.
Material delivery – 6.55%.
Change house 5.28%.

Everything took about 1,000,000 rubles.

Material costs

Here, as an example, the size of the basement floor is 10x10 m:

The use of corrugated reinforcement, which has a cross-section of 0.14 cm, cost 5,700 meters for 36 rubles. Total 205,200 rub.
Concrete – RUB 266,500.
Formwork 10 cubic meters - 62,000.
Waterproofing () – 60,000.
Nails, sand - 42,000.

Total: 635,700 rubles.

Tooling costs

The following tools will be required:

trowel;
pick;
shovel;
roulette;
plumb line;
hammer;
simple pencil.

And all this will cost a total of 30,000 rubles.

Cost of work

The cost of the work will depend on the decision to build it yourself or hire workers.

If we take workers, then for a 10x10 base, the workers will pay approximately 142,800 rubles.

Cost of additional work (waterproofing, insulation)

Waterproofing can be done various materials, the price will depend on it. If waterproofing is done with bitumen, it will cost 60,000 rubles, with an area of 120 square meters. m. You can also make it with roofing felt and the price will be different.

After the waterproofing layer, insulation should be done. If we take prices in Moscow, then the cost of insulation here is approximately 1250 rubles per cubic meter. Delivery of goods 400 rub. (within the Moscow Ring Road). Self-removal will only cost you the purchase of goods. For example, polystyrene foam - 1250 rubles. per cubic meter, polystyrene foam 1500 rubles, basalt wool 500.

An example of calculating the cost of building a basement floor

Let's calculate the ground floor with an area of 10 x 10 m:

We choose a strip foundation with a width of 0.3 m, a depth of 2.4 m, and a height above ground level of 0.6 m.

A sample of one cubic meter of land costs 100 rubles. Consequently, 360 cubic meters cost 360,000 rubles.

To prepare the bottom of the pit, level it and form a bedding is estimated at 50,000 rubles.

Make two-layer reinforcement of the base - 55000.

Pouring slabs with concrete, 21 cubic meters - 21,000.

Base waterproofing layer with bitumen – 120 sq. m. – 12,000 rub.

Formwork for a strip floor - 144,000 rubles.

Reinforcement of the base - 90,000 and filling it with 74 cubic meters - 7,400 rubles.

Laying the outer waterproofing layer (used roll materials) – 66,000 rub.

In this example, the total amount for the zero floor was 715,400 rubles.

Conclusion

In this article we looked at various options costs for the construction of the ground floor.

And we can say that on average you need to have one million rubles.

Because during the construction process, unaccounted costs may arise, and it is also important whether you build it yourself or hire labor. Any deviation is reflected in the budget.

Advantages and disadvantages of building a basement

Pros:

Increasing the space of the house.
Reduces heat loss from the building.
Takes on part of the loads of the building.
Room temperature stability.

Cons:

Additional costs for excess space.
With an unheated option, there is a possibility of dampness.
Not used as living space.
High construction costs (RUB 1,000,000).
Possibility of flooding if technology is broken.

The fundamental blocks are best option for the construction of a basement floor. They need to be secured with cement mortar.
Large windows are considered the best option, then the ground floor will be well lit.
Ventilation holes should be made flush with the ground and covered with mesh. In cold weather, you can use thick fabric.
The height of the last row should be done at a distance of one meter from the ground.
To connect the blocks, you need to use an additional concrete belt.
When the house is built, thoughts involuntarily creep in about whether it was possible to save money. And here are some opinions of developers who have already built a house. That when recruiting workers, you also need to choose professional drivers. Because the same work is done in different ways. One does two days, and the other a month. For example, my sand truck was unloaded with shovels all day due to the unprofessionalism of the driver. It’s better to look for workers by recommendation.
Don’t rush to buy consumables and tools based on the motto “it might come in handy.” Think rationally about every purchase.
Savings can be significant if you correctly calculate the thickness of reinforcement, ceilings, and walls.
Do not be led in front of builders, defend your point of view if you think that you are right.
Should you buy expensive or cheap goods? Sometimes a cheap product is much better than an expensive one. Read reviews, it helps.

When planning the construction of a residential building, a lot of thoughts and doubts arise about whether it makes sense to include the construction of a basement in the plan. To make the right decision, you need to immediately figure out whether you will need a basement floor in the future. According to experts, the construction of residential buildings with a basement will be as economical and rational as possible. But how does one build a basement floor with one’s own hands without violating any requirements or standards that apply in the construction industry?

Purpose of the ground floor

The construction of houses with a basement is classified as economical construction. First, it’s worth understanding what the basement floor is. There are various explanations on this matter. Architects say that ground floors are nothing more than basements that tend to occupy the space of the first floor. Builders have a different point of view: they decipher the ground floor as a floor that is located below ground level.

The height of this floor, according to standards, must be at least 2.5 meters. The basement floors can be used as a basement, cellar or utility room. It can also be used to make a living room or other living room. In addition, a building built with a basement floor looks more respectable, and the thermal insulation performance of the house increases.

If you are building a house in the city, then extra square meters. Using these surpluses at your own discretion, in the future you will be able to quickly recoup all the costs that were incurred during the construction of the basement. The basement floor allows you to forget about the loads exerted by the walls of the house, which is important for a certain type of soil.

Types of base

In construction, there are 3 types of plinth: protruding, recessed and plinth flush with the foundation. The most common type of foundation is called buried, but not for the reason that it looks the most beautiful. The fact is that it is this type of basement that is least exposed to moisture, because water drains from it faster and this protects the foundation, basement and walls of the house from destruction.

If the walls of your residential building are thin, then in this case a protruding plinth will suit you best. This type of basement is the most justified if you want to arrange a basement room, which is located almost underground and, of course, should be warm. But if you plan to use the basement floor after construction for storing unnecessary things, then it is quite possible to make the basement thin.

It is highly not recommended to make the base flush with the foundation, as it will serve as the beginning of the walls and will not provide you with the necessary protection from moisture. Such a base also needs to be covered with waterproofing material, which will be uneconomical, and it will not add beauty to your home.

Construction of the basement

We have already noted that the height of the basement floor should reach 2.5 meters, which is regulated by relevant documents. But many developers are trying to increase it even more in order to turn the ground floor into a full first floor. To increase the height, the technology most often used is to dig the earth to a certain depth, determined by your personal needs.

Wall thickness

So, you started building your house by building the basement. And the first point that you need to decide is the thickness of the walls. If your house is located on solid ground, you can make the thickness of the basement walls similar to the thickness of the building walls.

If you plan to build a house on unfavorable soils, then make the walls of the basement a little thicker - 20 centimeters will be enough. When constructing a wooden building, you can construct the basement using solid concrete blocks.

Base depth

If the site contains groundwater in the soil almost all year at a distance of one meter from the surface level, then it is recommended to deepen the ground floor no more than one meter. In the place where the house is located, it is possible to lift the soil by pouring soil around the house. As a result, a raised platform is formed, but this technology for constructing a basement floor will cost you a little more.

If there is too much groundwater under the house, you can resort to procedures such as draining the area and draining water from the foundation of the house. If under a residential building groundwater is formed exclusively seasonally, then you can use a method to protect the foundation from the effects of lateral forces if the soil freezes and lay a drainage line at a special angle.

Pit preparation

At this stage, it is highly recommended to install a standpipe, since during the construction process an extremely large amount of water will be consumed. Immediately prepare the terrain and dig a pit with an excavator. For example, a house that measures 14 by 11 meters requires a pit almost two meters deep. Remember, when you dig a hole with an excavator, you need at least two machines that will transport the soil to the side.

If you have to dig a pit in early spring, you may see accumulated water at the bottom, so in this case you should wait until the water goes away on its own. You can also try to pump out the water. The excavator does not dig the hole very smoothly, so you will need to level the bottom and corners of the pit.

Pillow

After this, it is necessary to build a concrete pad. Make a mark at the bottom of the pit and indicate the dimensions of the house. Where the load-bearing walls pass, trenches must be dug. If you plan to build a basement floor with your own hands, then you need to do this work yourself, as shown in the video about the construction of a basement floor.

Be sure to monitor the depth of the trench so that it is at least 30 centimeters. It wouldn’t hurt to strengthen it with boards. Fill it with crushed stone, reinforce it with metal rods and fill it with concrete. After this you need to wait 3 weeks.

Waterproofing

Next, you need to move on to work related to waterproofing, because the construction of the basement floor is connected with the foundation, and in this case it is important to do everything correctly. Otherwise, moisture will enter the basement, and this may ultimately even cause the collapse of part of the house or the building as a whole.

From the outside of the house along the entire perimeter, to protect the foundation, it is necessary to make a sufficiently wide blind area of concrete mixture. To avoid destruction of the foundation and basement masonry buried in the soil, they must be protected from the outside using a special rolled waterproofing material, preheated and fused to the building structure material.

In this process, waterproofing is now widely used - a practical and easy-to-use material that can be bought everywhere. In addition, the cost of building a basement using it will pleasantly surprise you. Perform waterproofing under the foundation as follows: first lay a layer of bitumen mastic, then place the waterproofing and after that place another layer of mastic.

For reliable protection It is not enough to just waterproof a residential building against moisture. Qualified experts advise not to neglect external waterproofing. About half a meter from the wall of the basement, dig a deep hole and fill it with pre-prepared materials: a layer of clay, then a layer of crushed stone, then a layer of concrete mortar with the addition of crushed stone and sand.

Foundation

The construction of the basement foundation involves the use of large-sized foundation blocks. It is impossible to manually place such blocks in their places; this process requires the use of special equipment for the work. At self-construction For the basement floor, a strip or prefabricated foundation is most often chosen.

When calculating its parameters, the depth of its placement is of great importance. If you have calculated that the foundation should have a height of at least 2 meters, then this means that you need to make the depth of the foundation 2 meters 15 centimeters. But not level with the soil. When the foundation has become 80 percent strong, that is, ten days after pouring, you can begin to build the base.

Foundation blocks

The best way to build a basement floor for the price is to use foundation blocks. Blocks are usually placed around the entire perimeter of the house. The foundation blocks should lie as level as possible, this allows the plastering process to be carried out faster in the future.

Attach the blocks to each other using cement. In the spaces between the foundation blocks, you need to arrange special holes for water and wiring. Make sure that the windows in the ground floor are quite large, otherwise there will not be enough light in the basement.

Don't forget about the holes that are required to ventilate the space. They must be done at a distance of at least 15 centimeters and at the same level with the ground. Cover the holes themselves with mesh to prevent debris from collecting in them, and close them in winter thick fabric. The final row of blocks should eventually rise about one meter above the ground.

Next, it is necessary to lay the ceiling of the first floor on these blocks, but it is recommended to make a belt on top of the blocks. It performs two functions: aligning the entire tier horizontally and connecting the blocks to each other. Bricks are often placed between slabs and blocks, but it is best to build a reinforced concrete belt - lay reinforcement in board formwork and pour concrete.

Bricklaying

The lower basement rows will act as the basis of future walls, take on the entire load from the house and the objects in it and transfer it to the foundation blocks that are located below; the highest demands are placed on them. Therefore, bricklaying patterns should satisfy these requirements as much as possible.

The number of rows of bricks that are necessary to achieve a certain height of the ceiling of the basement should be determined in advance. When building a basement yourself, you need to know and adhere to some simple rules. The basis of all further work is the construction of the first row.

Before installing bricks on cement mortar, it is recommended to lay the first row “dry”, without using a binder. The procedure for laying the first row of bricks is carried out on a layer of waterproofing, which is previously laid on the upper surface of a monolithic or block foundation.

Do not forget to comply with the necessary geometric parameters of the future structure. When laying out corner bricks, you need to periodically measure the diagonals and achieve the ideal rectangularity of the walls. You cannot carry out work without checking the straightness and flatness of the rows, as well as without checking the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the row.

The above described is especially relevant if there are various complex elements in the walls of the house, for example, multifaceted bay windows, the use of which in the design gives the entire product an attractive, interesting view, but it significantly complicates the process of building a base with your own hands.

Overlap

The construction process of the ground floor ends with the installation of reinforced concrete slab floors to its top ranks. Instead, you can use wooden beams, making rough and finishing floor coverings and always laying roll or slab insulation.

The formwork itself can be purchased ready-made or erected yourself. For formwork under the ceiling, take boards and boards. Plane the required planed boards on the side that you will attach to the concrete. After this, make shields from them, which will need to be secured properly.

Maintain millimeter gaps between boards and millimeter differences in height between two boards. Remember that the formwork should not be made vertical for the foundation, but horizontal.

And finally, I would like to add that the ground floor can also be built from natural stone, but this process requires high skill from the developer, because stones come in different sizes and shapes. Therefore, we advise you to give preference to the construction of a red brick plinth, which can be plastered to give an aesthetic appearance.

If you plan to make the basement with your own hands, then get ready to spend several days doing difficult, exciting and rewarding work. In this work, you won’t be able to do everything yourself, so it’s best to invite 1-2 partners who can help you.

Pros and cons of the basement

So that everything immediately falls into place, let’s highlight the main advantages of building a private house:

Various technical rooms can be located in the underground part of the house: gas boiler room, storeroom, workshop, gym, bathhouse, warehouse, cellar, etc. In other words, in order not to build additional outbuildings on the site, you can make a basement floor in a private house, which will house everything you need.
Also, the advantages of the basement floor are that this part of the house can be insulated and insulated, which will significantly improve the microclimate (especially in winter time) on the first floor. At the same time, there is no urgent need to provide additional heating in the basement, because a temperature of 15-19 degrees is quite sufficient there.

You can also highlight some advantages of the basement floor, but they will largely depend on the specifics of the structure and the climatic features of the area.

An example of arranging a room in the basement of a house.

The main disadvantages of building a basement boil down to additional construction costs. Therefore, building a basement with your own hands is the right decision. Of course, unless you have planned multi-storey building with terraces and balconies. In this case, it is best to entrust part of the work to professionals.

Marking the underground floor of the house

The marking of the basement floor must be done. Work in this case involves performing the following actions:

Drawing up a plan of the basement premises, which will indicate the specifications of all rooms on the floor. It is especially important at this stage to arrange the boiler room and fulfill all the prescribed requirements for its placement inside the house (the pros and cons of this are discussed in the corresponding article).
In addition, calculations are required that will demonstrate the bearing capacity of the foundation and walls of the underground floor. It is these structures that will bear the main load from the ceilings and walls located above. Experts often recommend that at this stage the design should include an additional 30% of the required strength in order to gain complete confidence in the reliability of the structure.
Then markings are made on the ground (in the building area or on the constructed foundation). Only professionals can do this job correctly, so don’t hesitate to contact them. In total, before making a basement, it is recommended to consult with several specialists.
Finally, the contours of load-bearing walls and partitions are drawn. After this, you can consider this stage of work completed. Correctly made calculations will be the key to successful construction.

Marking the site for building a house.

When discussing the pros and cons of the basement floor, professional builders recommend developing several project options in accordance with which it can be completed. In addition, unlike construction work that can be done with your own hands, the design must be completely carried out by specialists.

Type of foundation for plinth

It will not always be possible to create the kind of foundation that you really want. This is due to different terrain conditions, which may vary depending on the region. In some cases, the construction of foundations of a certain type in some areas is not at all possible.

If on your site heaving soil with high groundwater, then it is best to prefer a pile foundation. When using this type of foundation, it will be possible to easily operate the basement during the winter months, without having to worry about the likely movement of the soil under the foundation of the house. The lower part of the foundation piles is below the soil freezing zone, so there will be no impact on the foundation or basement. If the installation of piles is done correctly, they can easily withstand lateral heaving of the soil. If we look for any disadvantages of such a foundation, then only in the specifics of the construction of the building.
If your site has marshy soil, weak soil, or water-saturated sand, then it is best to prefer building a basement on a slab foundation. If you choose a slab foundation, the basement part will look like a box, above which the main floor of the house will look great. A monolithic slab will not allow the base and the entire building to gradually sag in weak soil conditions, because the weight of the house will be successfully distributed over the entire area of the slab.
When there are no problems with the soil on the site, then optimal solution I see the choice of a shallow foundation of a strip type. It is this tape that will act as the base for the walls of the building and the basement of the house. The disadvantages of this solution in these conditions are not visible.

Strip foundation with ventilation holes.

Foundation width for plinth

The width of the foundation for the construction of the basement should be exactly as provided for by the technology for constructing the walls of the building. For example, if we take a frame house as a basis, then the most suitable width of the foundation for the basement of the building should be:

In the case of pile foundation: 30–50 cm. This allows the thickness of the building walls to be 20–30 cm. The remaining width will be allocated for interior decoration. In addition, the ventilation gap, facade and exterior decoration may well be left without any foundation.
If the foundation is a monolithic slab, then its width under the base should be equal to the width of the walls of the base part of the building.
If you have a shallow strip foundation, and on the ground floor there is a floor in the form concrete screed, then the most suitable width for the plinth seems to be equal to the width of the wall of the plinth. The disadvantages in this case are that such a reserve may not be enough for a normal device exterior finishing, but this is not vital.

We must not forget that ventilation holes are required in the basement, which allows the air inside the basement to not stagnate. Therefore, before building a basement floor, it is necessary to provide for the presence of these holes in the plan.

Holes in the basement of the building must be made in accordance with the regulated SNiP standards. For example, in the house standard sizes There can be from 12 to 24 such ventilation ducts.

Basement waterproofing

Roll waterproofing material for the base.

By and large, there is no need to clarify once again how much waterproofing for a basement costs. The point here is that it is necessary to very efficiently and effectively insulate all surfaces of the house from moisture penetration. Savings at this stage of construction will work against the final result, in other words, it is simply unacceptable.

Should I build it myself or hire a construction company?

Building a basement floor with your own hands does not pose any serious difficulties if you have some experience in carrying out such work. In addition, the process is greatly facilitated if you use lightweight building materials(blocks, frame, etc.), and also did not plan the construction of a multi-story building.

If the number of floors in your house exceeds 2 floors, then for the construction of the basement and the rest components building, it is best to invite professionals, because the risks in this case increase significantly.