How to make a strip foundation with your own hands: step-by-step instructions, diagram of a strip foundation for a private house. Foundation for a house with your own hands We build the foundation for a house ourselves

The article talks about how to make a high-quality foundation without making mistakes during its design, construction and operation.

How to make a foundation correctly

Types of foundations

The construction of any structure begins with a foundation, the strength of which determines both the reliability and durability of the structure.

Main types of foundations:

  • Tape
  • Columnar
  • Slab
  • Pile

Now a relatively inexpensive method is quickly gaining popularity - building a house on metal screw piles. At the same time, the most popular is monolithic or slab reinforced concrete. But still, the material for the construction of the foundation must be determined by technical calculations, taking into account specific circumstances.

Column and strip foundation

Columnar foundations are used for wooden, frame or prefabricated lightweight structures; it is advisable to erect heavier structures on a reinforced concrete strip, which is laid under all load-bearing structures.

If construction work is planned in a short time, then the option with a strip foundation is more time-efficient. If you are not in a hurry and have time to wait for the concrete to cure and acquire the necessary strength, give preference to a monolith: it is rigid and, with proper reinforcement, copes better with loads.

Slab foundation

The slab foundation distributes the load evenly over the entire area. The reinforced concrete slab tolerates vertical and horizontal deformations well. This helps in poor areas with weak soils and high groundwater. Coarse sand is placed under the slab as a cushion.

A slab foundation is used for shallow laying with insulation of the entire base under the slab and at a distance of at least a meter around its perimeter. They are insulated with polystyrene with waterproofing in all planes. The slab is reinforced over the entire area with reinforcement under load-bearing walls, columns, etc.

Pile foundation

There are three types of pile foundations:

  • Driven (not recommended for private buildings due to high cost);
  • Bored (suitable for building a brick or concrete house);
  • Screw (ideal for wooden buildings and when building on marshy soil).

Pile foundations are mainly used in areas with high groundwater levels under the future building. With this method of constructing a foundation, you can save on the structure and increase the service life of the structure. A pile foundation is very similar to a columnar foundation, the only difference is that the pillars are driven or screwed into the ground, rather than installed.

Foundation calculation

The type of foundation must be selected taking into account the terrain, soil characteristics and groundwater level. Know specifically what the load-bearing layer is, what is its homogeneity, strength, density, depth, freezing depth, etc. But it would be better, and safer, not to experiment, but to order a project for geological research and foundation calculations from a state design organization. You can, of course, turn to private design organizations, they will do it quickly, but expensively. Yes, and there is not much trust in them, today they are there, tomorrow they are not, who to ask then.

Budget for the foundation

If you have planned the construction of a large cottage, and your budget does not include survey work, and there is simply no extra money for this, it is better to delay construction a little and find the necessary funds for this work. In no case should you save money here; it can turn out to be expensive.

If there is a conversation about a country house based on a log house, then you can do without professional research. But here you will have to do a little digging:

  • Find out the groundwater level in a given area (you can ask the population in the neighborhood, asking them about the depth of wells or boreholes);
  • Dig holes to examine what the load-bearing layer is, its structure and the condition of the soil;
  • If the load-bearing layer is more uniform and without undercutting, you can try to calculate the area of ​​the foundation base along which the load from the building is transmitted.

Foundation base area

The area of ​​the foundation base is the ratio of the weight of the structure, including all structures together with the foundation, to the bearing capacity of the soil, multiplied by a safety factor of 1.2.

Soil bearing capacity table

On a note

The load-bearing capacity of a clay base is 3 kg per sq. cm, a sand base is 2 kg per sq. cm. cm, loam and sandy loam is determined by interpolation of the indicated values.

If everything described above is a dark forest for you, there is only one way out, and it’s the right one, you need to go to specialists and shell out part of your budget for design.

Low temperatures

During design, you must always take into account that clay and loam tend to increase in volume when freezing (up to 10%), so-called “Frost heaving” occurs. It will be more reliable if you lay the foundation just below the freezing depth. You can also take measures against soil freezing by insulating the base of the foundation and the area adjacent to it.

Heaving forces when the soil freezes act on the side surfaces of the foundation. High-quality waterproofing and insulation, as well as backfilling the cavity with non-loamy soil, significantly reduces the risk of freezing and the impact of “Frost heaving” forces on the foundation.

Marking for the foundation

To mark the future structure, we will need wooden pegs or a piece of thick reinforcement and thick threads (twine).

To place markup you need to do the following:

  • Pegs are driven in around the perimeter of the proposed structure and a thread is pulled between them. The stakes need to be driven in with a small margin, which should exceed the length of the building by 50 cm.
  • The places where the corners of the building will be located are marked on the thread and lines perpendicular to the lines of the facade are drawn through them. Their length should also be greater than the planned width of the building. Then they measure a distance that is equal to the length of the side walls and place a peg.
  • A thread is pulled between the marks, parallel to the line of the house facade.
  • After taking measurements, the internal lines of the foundation are set, for which you need to retreat 40 cm inside the perimeter.
  • The finished markup should be double-checked several times! Errors are fraught with bad consequences.

On a note!

To quickly check the accuracy of the angles, you need to measure the diagonals of the resulting rectangle. If the diagonals are equal, then the marking is done correctly.

To quickly check the perpendicularity of the corners, you need to measure 3 m from the corner on one thread, and 4 m on the other. If the distance between the measured points is 5 m, then the angles are right.

Excavation

The depth of the trench directly depends on the type of foundation you choose

  • The depth of the shallow tape trench is 60-70 cm
  • The depth of a conventional foundation trench is approximately 180 cm

Note

To fill the gravel and sand cushion, you need to dig at least 20 cm additionally.

The walls of the trench are made strictly vertical, and the bottom is carefully leveled. I recommend using a building level to check. To prevent the soil from crumbling, you can install supports.

Installation of formwork under the foundation

The main task is to choose the right material. The formwork must withstand the load of a huge mass of concrete solution. Most often, edged boards with a thickness of 20 mm or more or sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are used for formwork. Such materials are not as expensive and available compared to other options.

Installation is carried out in this order:

  • Rectangular panels are made from boards
  • Shields are installed on both sides of the trench and reinforced every 50-70 cm with spacers
  • The formwork is secured externally with wooden supports.
  • The formwork along with the bottom of the trench is covered with waterproofing material, which will prevent the absorption of concrete milk.

Reinforcement of the foundation with reinforcement

Most often, the frame is made of steel rods with a diameter of 10-16 mm, and soft knitting wire is used to bind them together. A frame lattice connected from reinforcement serves to smooth out bending and compressive loads from the structure and pressure from the soil by the foundation. The reinforcement is placed closer to the surface of the structure; it should be covered with a layer of concrete of about 23 cm. Installing the frame lattice in the center does not make any sense, since there it will not properly cope with the loads. The reinforcement is overlapped and fastened with wire or welded. To avoid corrosion of the reinforcement, it is not recommended to lay the frame directly on the cushion. It is best to use stands made from scraps of polyethylene pipe. The thickness of the reinforcement is determined in accordance with the calculation.

Pouring concrete for the foundation

Before pouring concrete, you need to indicate the level of its pouring. To do this, stretch a fishing line on the inside of the formwork a few centimeters above the reinforced frame and stretch it along the entire perimeter.

Only high-quality factory-made concrete is used to fill the foundation.

To save money, you can prepare concrete yourself. To do this you will need cement (preferably M400 and M500), fine crushed stone, coarse sand and water.

The optimal amount of water for preparing concrete is 0.5 parts of the volume of cement used to prepare concrete. Do not experiment with water; a large amount of water will definitely lead to a deterioration in the consistency of the mixture.

To prepare 10 cubic meters of concrete using M500 cement, you need to take 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, 4 parts crushed stone and 0.5 parts water.

On a note!

Approximate weight of materials (kg/1 m3): cement - 1500, sand - 1800, crushed stone - 1400

After calculating the required amount of crushed stone, sand, cement and water and their preparation, we begin to prepare the mixture. Add a small amount of water to the concrete mixer, add cement and mix, then add sand and mix again. When the mass has become homogeneous and without lumps, you can begin to add crushed stone and the remaining water. The resulting mixture cannot be kept, infused, etc. use immediately for its intended purpose.

Waterproofing the foundation of a house

In order to prevent erosion in the structure, it is necessary to carry out horizontal waterproofing between the soil and the base of the foundation, between the foundation and the walls of the building. It is also necessary to isolate all inputs and outputs of utility lines from moisture.

Insulating the foundation of a house

To insulate the foundation, use:

Slab insulation:

  • extruded polystyrene foam
  • foam glass
  • polyurethane foam
  • synthetic rubber in the form of foam.

Backfilling with bulk materials:

  • expanded clay
  • boiler slag.

Most often, polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam is used for insulation.

Drainage of water from the foundation

When building a foundation, it is imperative to arrange to drain water from the base of the foundation. The drainage of roof drainage from the foundation is done using a blind area and arrangement of the relief in the adjacent area. Over time, due to precipitation and other factors, the blind area sags and water can begin to penetrate under the base of the foundation. If the necessary measures are not taken, the waterproofing of the walls will be compromised, the base will freeze and lose its load-bearing capacity. If even the smallest defects of the blind area are detected, it is necessary to immediately repair it with the necessary slope from the walls of the building in order to avoid moisture getting under the base of the foundation.

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The importance of the foundation for any building is difficult to overestimate, because a reliable foundation of a building is the primary condition for its long-term trouble-free operation. You can build any, no matter how durable and beautiful walls, a well-designed and installed roofing system, reliable floors, and expensive finishing. But all this can “go to waste” if errors were made when calculating the foundation, and during its construction, negligence was shown, unacceptable simplifications were made, low-quality materials were used, and the established technology was violated.

So, the foundation is a key stage of any construction, which sometimes takes up to a third of the total budget. In an effort to save some money, some potential homeowners are seriously thinking about the problem: is it possible to build a foundation with their own hands? The answer to this question, unfortunately, is not obvious. It’s one thing to create the foundation for a small country house, garage or outbuilding, and quite another thing to create a full-fledged country mansion with several levels, and even with adjacent extensions.

This article will discuss the main types of foundations, but the main emphasis will be on its strip variety. We hope that after reading the article, many visitors to the site will become more clear whether they should undertake the construction of the foundation themselves, or whether it would be better to use the services of specialists.

Main types of foundations

There are quite a lot of varieties of foundations used in individual construction, but mainly four basic schemes are used, as well as their various combinations. And the main types include strip, columnar, slab and pile foundations.

Strip foundations

This is the most commonly used scheme, as it is suitable for almost all construction conditions, with the exception, perhaps, of regions with close permafrost or for buildings built literally “on the water.”

Despite a certain difference in the technologies for constructing strip foundations of various types, they all have a common feature - this is a continuous, closed strip-base along the entire perimeter of the house being built and under the internal load-bearing structures. The tape itself is buried in the ground to the required calculated value, and protrudes from above with its base part. The width of the tape is maintained the same throughout the entire foundation - this parameter should also be based on the calculations performed.

Specify the requested values ​​and click "Calculate the minimum number of rods"

Estimated height of the tape (including depth and base), meters

Estimated tape thickness, meters

Reinforcing bar diameter

If you get 3 rods, then usually their number is increased to four to achieve the design as shown in the figure above. With another odd number, this unpaired rod can be used additionally in one of the tiers, mainly in the lower one.

The rods are connected into a common structure by tying with wire. Welding of a reinforcement frame can only be carried out under certain conditions, using special types of reinforcement, and only by highly qualified welders, so you cannot resort to this method in conditions of independent construction - you can ruin all the work done.

The reinforcement bars in one row are joined with a mandatory overlap of 50d, that is, for the most common diameters of 10 or 12 mm, this value ranges from 500 to 600 m. This must be taken into account when calculating the required amount of material.

Particular attention is paid to corners and abutment areas. No cross connections are allowed - there are special methods for linking these nodes. They are clearly shown in the illustrations below.

In order to fully perform their functions and, in addition, to avoid corrosion, the rods must be located at a distance of at least 50 mm from the outer walls of the concrete strip. This is achieved by installing supports from below, as well as special calibration inserts placed on the longitudinal rods - they rest against the walls of the formwork and hold the reinforcement at the required distance from them.

Now let’s talk about how much reinforcement you will need. It would seem that everything is simple, the length of the foundation strip is known, and the number of rods in the cross-section is also known. But we must not forget about overlaps. Obviously, the more there are, the more significant the material consumption will become. The standard length of reinforcement 10÷16 mm is 11.7 meters. But it is not always possible to organize the delivery of such “long lengths” and you have to resort to cutting the rods in half - and this again increases the number of overlaps. So you will have to decide what is more profitable - order special transport or be satisfied with the increase in costs.

To make it easier to navigate, use the calculators below:

Reinforcement consumption calculators

Specify the requested values ​​and click "Show reinforcement consumption options"

Length of the foundation strip (perimeter of the house and, if any, internal lintels), meters

Estimated number of longitudinal reinforcement bars

Now - a smooth reinforcing rod for clamps - vertical and horizontal jumpers. They are usually prepared from one piece of rod, bent into the shape of a rectangle with vertices at the location of the longitudinal main reinforcing bars, with an extension on one side by 100 mm to tie into a rectangular shape (shown in the illustration above).

As a rule, a diameter of 6 mm is sufficient for clamps (for a tape height of 800 mm or more - 8 mm). The installation step of the jumpers has already been mentioned - with the most economical arrangement, it should not exceed 0.75 of the height of the tape. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the compaction of the installation step at the corners and abutment areas.

The standard length of the rods is 6 meters, and it is quite possible that part of each will be scrapped.

All this is taken into account in the calculator below:

Calculator for calculating the number of smooth reinforcing bars for making clamps

Specify the requested values ​​and click "Calculate the number of rods for clamps"

Length of foundation strip, meters

Total tape height, meters

Tape thickness, meters

Most often, metal depots sell products not by footage or number of rods, but by weight, in kilograms or tons. You can also convert to these units of measurement.

If you are choosing a site to build a house, keep in mind that in addition to price, there are also very important criteria that you should not forget about. It is very good if there are access roads to the site. In addition, make sure that connecting to utilities such as gas, water, sewerage and electricity will not cause you any problems. It is very important to approach the question of how to build a foundation for a house so that it meets all standards, with full responsibility. As you know, this stage of building a house is the most serious.

Marking the area for the foundation

In order to properly make the foundation for a house, you should start with markings. With the proper approach, this job can be completed in one day. So that you don’t have to face any difficulties during the work, carefully read the instructions on how to make a foundation for a house. Here, as in any other business, there are subtleties that won’t hurt to know, especially if you decide to work on your own.

To lay out and mark the site, which is necessary in order to make a foundation for a house, you will need:

  • hammer;
  • ropes;
  • pegs.

In the form of pegs, the most practical option would be reinforcement; the rope should be strong, preferably synthetic.

The next stage of foundation construction is determining the axes. Use a plumb line to mark the corner of the future house. Pushing off from it, pulling the rope, draw perpendiculars to one point, then to the second. In order to find the remaining fourth point (the corner), you will need a square.

At the corners of the resulting area, pegs in the form of reinforcement should be installed, and it is very important that they stand firmly and without the slightest tilt. Next, the rope is pulled, after which you should get a rectangular outline. Armed with a tape measure, make sure that each side is measured correctly. In order to properly make the foundation under the house, subsequently obtaining the right corners of your house, the lengths of the diagonals must coincide.

To make a foundation for a house, it is necessary to mark not only the outer side of the contour, but also the inner side with all the partitions. Having marked the first rectangle, you should begin laying out inside the foundation. As you work, decide on the width of the trench. The foundation should not be narrower than the walls of the house itself.

List of required tools and materials:

  • shovel;
  • Master OK;
  • container for concrete solution;
  • roulette;
  • level;
  • cement;
  • sand;
  • crushed stone;
  • boards for formwork;
  • fittings;
  • drainage pipes.

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Dugout: trenches under the foundation

In order to properly make the foundation for a house when digging a trench, you can use some tricks. First of all, you should take into account that you should not start working on the ground without finishing marking the foundation of the house. In addition, you need to prepare a cast-off. As cast-offs, use wooden posts 100-130 cm long; boards are nailed to them. Their level above the ground should be within 60-80 cm. The boards are nailed on the outside. To avoid skew and to ensure that the foundation is located in an equal plane, calculate the lowest point by measuring all its angles from the outside.

The cast-off should be placed approximately 2 m from the house. It is necessary in order to secure the points necessary to correctly mark the foundation itself and future walls. After the foundation for the house is ready, the pegs should be pulled out of the ground. The next step is to work with the soil.

First of all, before you start making the foundation, you need to remove all the turf from the marked area, and then the outer layer of soil. The fact is that they contain a large amount of organic impurities, which are completely undesirable when creating a monolithic foundation. The top layer of the area should be removed by 15-20 cm. Next, starting from the already installed cast-offs, you should break out holes and trenches in order to begin making the foundation for the house.

The required depth of the dug trench varies depending on the soil. So, in the case of sandy, gravelly or bulk soil, the depth of the trench should be about 1 m. If the soil on your site is sandy loam or loamy, you will need to excavate at least 1.54 m. The densest soil is dug to 2 m. In order to remove soil, you will need a shovel or bayonet shovel.

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sand cushion

Before you start making the foundation for your house, you need to lay down a bed of sand. It is needed in order to prevent excessive load on the inside of the future foundation.

After the bottom of your trench is filled with sand, you should level it and compact it, moistening it with water.

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How to make formwork correctly

Formwork diagram for the foundation.

Nuts, bolts, etc. are suitable as fastening elements. For the manufacture of formwork, you can choose steel, aluminum, wood or polystyrene foam. Wood is most often used in this case, which is explained by the affordable price and ease of installation of the material.

When building the foundation of a house, pay attention to the elevations above the ground; here, along the edge of the trench, formwork should be erected. The structure consists of knocked down boards. The frame itself is assembled directly on the ground. At the same time, try to make the structure with a minimum number of cracks.

In order to strengthen the formwork, install pegs and cross braces from the outside in increments of 1-1.5 m.

By the way, keep in mind that the more spacers you install, the stronger your formwork will be, and therefore the monolithic foundation of the future house itself. The edge on top is set using a level. This way you will get a level foundation.

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Preparatory work for reinforcement

Scheme of foundation corner reinforcement.

Why is metal reinforcement needed when building a foundation? The use of this material prevents the occurrence of deep cracks. In addition, it provides a guarantee that the foundation of the house will not sag, which can lead to deformation of both the structure itself and the walls.

Before building the foundation, it is important not only to ensure the highest quality reinforcement in the form of a frame constructed from reinforcing bars along the entire length of the dug trench. Here it is also necessary to attach a special protective material in the form of parchment.

Building a house is a rather complex, labor-intensive and responsible process. The process of constructing a residential building includes several stages, at one of which the foundation for the house is installed. This stage is one of the key ones, since the quality of the laid foundation determines the durability of the building, its protection from many internal and external factors, and the degree of safety. A competent approach to foundation construction allows you to avoid many mistakes. In addition, one should take into account the fact that experts distinguish several types of foundations, each of which has its own characteristics and is suitable for a particular soil and type of structure. Depending on the design features, it is customary to distinguish strip, pile, slab and columnar foundations. And now - a little about each of them.

Strip foundations are ideal for the construction of residential buildings with heavy walls and floor slabs. That is why it is located along the entire perimeter of external walls and under other areas with an increased degree of load. In addition, the presence of an underground garage, cellar or basement is another argument in favor of a strip foundation. In a fairly general form, this type of foundation consists of strips buried in the ground. The entire load from the load-bearing elements of the house: columns, walls is transferred to them. The belts are supported by foundation slabs, so-called distribution pads. This design allows the existing load on the ground to be distributed evenly and over a large area. Strip foundations are divided into types according to various criteria. So, according to execution they are divided into:

  • Prefabricated. They are made of reinforced concrete blocks, which are mounted directly on the construction site using a crane.
  • Monolithic. Such foundations are initially laid at the construction site.

Depending on the material used, it is customary to distinguish:

  • Brick strip foundations made of solid clay bricks.
  • Rubble concrete. To lay them, concrete with coarse filler is used, which is coarse gravel and small boulders.
  • Reinforced concrete strip foundations, which require class B15-B30 concrete and reinforcement.

Pile foundation for building a house on soft soil

This type of foundation is suitable for soils with weak bearing capacity with a fairly significant load on it of a residential building. It is worth noting that building the foundation of a house on stilts has gained wide popularity due to the low cost of materials and high performance. A pile foundation consists of groups of piles or individual piles, which are connected to each other from above using a slab or beam.

The material for making slabs and beams is concrete or reinforced concrete. This design ensures the stability and safety of the future residential building in the case when weak soil lies at a sufficiently large depth: subsidence, loose sand. Pile foundations also differ in the type of construction and the material used. By type of production we can distinguish:

  • Driven foundations. They are laid using special machines on previously undeveloped territory.
  • Pressed pile foundations. The piles are pressed into the ground using powerful hydraulic pumps.
  • Rammed foundations. When they are laid, concrete is fed into a pre-drilled well.

Depending on the material used, pile foundations can be:

  • Metal. Piles are metal pipes.
  • Wooden. The piles are made from treated pine and are ideal for small wooden houses, the height of which does not exceed 2 floors.
  • Reinforced concrete. This foundation is suitable for reinforced concrete structures and is made of reinforced concrete.
  • Combined. For this type of foundation, both metal and concrete are used, which makes it possible to build houses in areas with difficult engineering and geological conditions.

Monolithic slab - a universal reliable base

A slab foundation most often lies on the surface of the ground or is only slightly buried into it. It is a reinforced slab made of reinforced concrete, the thickness of which can be in the range of 0.3 m - 1 m. The reinforcement of the slab is carried out using reinforcement with a diameter of 12 mm - 25 mm. Before laying the slab, the surface is prepared from low-strength concrete or sand, which allows the soil to be leveled.

A slab foundation can be used on soft soils, as it helps to effectively distribute the load from a residential building over the entire area of ​​the laid slab. In addition, it allows the perception of horizontal and vertical deformations. Most often, this type of foundation is used for the construction of houses above two floors. It is carried out monolithically and directly on the construction site. It is worth noting that a slab foundation is also suitable for houses with a complex structure. However, in this case, the slab must have expansion joints that cut the slab into separate parts.

Columnar foundation - economical choice

You can lay the foundation for a house with your own hands by choosing a columnar foundation. A columnar foundation is pillars immersed to a strictly defined depth in the ground, or concrete immersed in a pre-drilled well. The pillars are connected at the top using reinforced concrete beams. Columnar foundations are optimal for the construction of low houses of 1-2 floors. At the same time, the weight of the materials used for construction should not be too large. It is ideal if the walls of the house are made of wood or other lightweight analogue. A columnar foundation is also suitable for frame objects, but it is worth considering that it is used only on those soils that are not subject to heaving. Depending on the type of execution, columnar foundations can be:

  • Monolithic. Made from concrete.
  • Prefabricated.

The material can be:

  • Stone. Suitable for the construction of residential buildings with fairly heavy structures.
  • Tree. The most commonly used wood is pine or oak. Suitable for small wooden buildings.
  • Clay brick.
  • Concrete with reinforcing reinforcement cage. Used in the construction of heavy houses and buildings without a basement.

When deciding how to lay the foundation of a house that will ensure its reliability and durability, first of all you need to be guided by some general recommendations.

They are suitable for all types of foundations, being universal, and represent a list of factors that are recommended to be taken into account when choosing and laying a foundation.

  1. Soil condition, its type.
  2. Freezing depth.
  3. Load on the ground from the structures of a residential building.
  4. Availability of a basement or underground garage.
  5. Lifespan of a house under construction.
  6. Materials used to lay the foundation.
  7. Availability of underground communications.

Undoubtedly, when solving the problem of how to build a foundation for a house and avoid mistakes, you need to know the possible flaws. A common mistake can be considered laying the foundation of a future house on an uncompacted foundation (soil). In addition, it would be a mistake not to take into account the force of lateral pressure that the soil exerts on the foundation walls. Incorrect calculation of the bearing capacity of the soil can also lead to many negative consequences, as well as the lack of proper calculation of the supporting area of ​​​​the foundation of the house. You should not neglect measures related to draining water from the foundation.

The main stages of laying a foundation using the example of a strip structure

The question of how to make a foundation for a house correctly can be resolved by a clear sequence of actions. Thus, we can distinguish five main stages of foundation construction.

At the first stage of laying the foundation, the condition of the soil and the depth of groundwater are determined. To do this, you can dig a hole about 1 m deep and evaluate the composition of the soil and the presence of water in the hole. If it is available, then the depth of the foundation should exceed 0.5 m, and if it is absent, the depth of the foundation may not exceed 0.5 m.

Then the site is marked and the fertile layer of soil is removed. After this procedure, a trench is dug around the perimeter of the future house, the bottom of which is leveled with sand.

At the third stage, the foundation is poured directly. For this purpose, formwork is made from specially prepared boards or plywood. The pouring itself is carried out with concrete of one class or another. The density of the concrete solution is directly proportional to the strength of the foundation: the thicker the solution, the stronger the foundation of the house. In this case, the width of the foundation should be approximately 20 cm greater than the thickness of the corresponding wall.

Then measures are taken to waterproof the foundation. To do this, 2 layers of roofing material are introduced into the foundation at ground level, after which its laying continues to the required height. The underground part of the foundation can be pre-coated with hot bitumen.

After the waterproofing layer, bricks or blocks are laid, and holes for ventilation are made in the opposite walls of the laid foundation, which will avoid unwanted dampness under the floor of the house.

A video will present one of the ways to construct a monolithic strip base.

Thus, taking into account a number of nuances, laying the foundation of a house with your own hands is not so difficult.

An obligatory part of a residential and industrial building is the foundation for a house. It ensures stability, reliability, and a long service life of the building. It is important to thoroughly study before starting construction how to build a foundation for a house, as well as study the design features and purpose of various types of foundations. Foundations are constructed in strict accordance with technology requirements. Let us dwell in more detail on the sequence of actions for their construction.

Foundation for a house - types and features of foundations

The design features of the foundations allow them to be used as a reliable base for various buildings. Choosing a foundation design is a serious task, solved based on an analysis of a set of factors. It should be taken into account that the choice of the optimal option is influenced by natural factors, as well as the mass and design of the future building.

The foundation of any structure is its foundation, on which the future of the constructed object depends.

The following types of foundations are widely used in the construction industry:

  • columnar. It is not difficult to build it for a wooden one or on your own. A distinctive feature of a columnar foundation is that it allows the construction of buildings on areas with a significant slope. Supporting elements are located at the intersection points of the walls, as well as evenly along the entire contour of the building. With such a device, the base does not allow for the construction of a basement. The design has proven itself positively in problem areas. The columnar base ensures the stability of buildings located in areas with increased soil freezing depth;
  • tape The reinforced concrete base of the structure follows the contour of the building and is concreted with a kind of tape. Professional builders know how to make a strip foundation for a house. It is important to construct a strip foundation on soils with deep aquifers and an insignificant freezing depth. Brick houses, block buildings, utility structures, as well as fencing structures should be located on strip foundations. Massive structures made of heavy stone should not be built on a strip base. The design of the strip foundation allows for the arrangement of a basement. You can build the foundation yourself or use the services of professional builders;

One of the most popular types of foundations for any individual buildings is a strip foundation
  • slab. If it is necessary to make a reliable foundation for a building located on problematic soils, a slab option is used. Structurally, the slab foundation is a massive concrete slab reinforced with a steel wire reinforcement frame. Slab construction is characterized by an increased level of costs, which pays off over the long-term operation of the structure. To ensure the required safety margin, it is necessary to perform strength calculations and evaluate the load capacity of the slab base;
  • pile-screw. Increased load capacity, short duration of installation activities, as well as an affordable price are the main features of a foundation on pile or screw supports. The pile-screw type foundation is widely used in areas with various types of soil, with the exception of rocky. A significant disadvantage of the pile-screw base is the gradual destruction of steel supports as a result of the negative influence of corrosion processes.

When thinking about how to make a foundation for a house, study in detail the types of foundations, their design features, and also consult with professional builders.

How to make a foundation for a house yourself

Installation and installation of the foundation for a house is a responsible set of activities carried out according to a specific algorithm. When we build a foundation for a house, we must follow the technological sequence of operations and be guided by the requirements of the project.


You should not think that in each individual case you can only rely on a specific type of foundation for future construction

The main stages in the construction of the foundation base:

  1. Performing markings.
  2. Excavation works.
  3. Construction of formwork structure.
  4. Assembly and installation of reinforcement cage.
  5. Pouring concrete solution.
  6. Compacting the array with deep vibrators.

Please note when making the foundation that reliable waterproofing of the foundation will protect the building from moisture absorption and will avoid dampness. Let us dwell on the specifics of the main stages.

Marking the foundation base

The marking operation involves transferring the design coordinates to the actual conditions of the construction site. For marking activities, pegs made of wood and metal, as well as construction cord, are used.

When performing markup, adhere to the following algorithm:


Once you have decided on the type of future supporting structure and are ready to begin actual construction, it’s time to mark the foundation
  1. Drive pegs along the front part and tighten the construction cord. The interval between pegs driven into the soil should exceed the size of the façade by 50 cm.
  2. Mark the coordinates of the location of the corners of the building on the cord and drive in the stakes. Draw marking lines through the marked points, perpendicular to the front of the building.
  3. Measure along perpendicular straight lines the distance corresponding to the length of the side walls of the building and make a mark using existing wooden or steel pegs.
  4. Stretch a cord between the hammered pegs. The resulting marking corresponds to the external contour of the future house. Check the correctness of the markings using the project.
  5. Check the correspondence of the angles by determining the difference in the diagonals. Equal lengths indicate right angles. Deviation of diagonal lengths up to 2 cm is allowed.
  6. Mark the inner contour of the foundation line, stepping back from the outer contour into the future foundation by 40 cm on each side. Drive the pegs into the appropriate locations.

The completed markings affect the location of the future structure, its configuration, as well as its strength properties.

Earth events

Excavation work is one of the most labor-intensive operations in the construction process. Earthworks are carried out using various methods:


Determine the depth of soil water and soil composition
  • manually using bayonet and shovel shovels. The manual method is characterized by labor intensity and requires the involvement of an increased number of workers to complete the task within a given time frame;
  • using special construction equipment. Mechanization of earthworks can significantly speed up their implementation, which reduces the duration of the overall construction cycle.

The depth of the formed pit is determined by the type of foundation being constructed:

  • the shallow belt base is located 70-80 cm below the zero level of the soil;
  • The depth of a standard foundation, depending on the level of soil freezing, can be 160-180 cm.

When healing the soil, pay attention to the following points:

  • ensure that the trench walls are vertical;
  • install, if necessary, supports to prevent the soil from collapsing;
  • Level the bottom of the pit and check horizontality using a level.

The cushion of crushed stone and sand provided for by the project requires an increase in the depth of the trench by 15-20 cm.

The procedure for constructing crushed stone-sand bedding:

  1. Pour sand onto the base of the pit, ensuring a layer thickness of up to 15 cm.
  2. Moisten the sand mass and compact it thoroughly.
  3. Re-fill with sand and provide additional compaction.
  4. Place a layer of crushed stone 15-20 cm thick on the sand and compact it.

Laying geotextile fabric on the bottom of the pit will prevent siltation of the gravel-sand backfill for a shallow foundation.


Dig a trench of the required depth along the perimeter of the future building, level the bottom with sand

Installation of formwork for the foundation

The installation of panel formwork requires special training. It is important to decide on the choice of building material that can withstand the load from the weight of the concrete mixture.

For the manufacture of formwork the following is used:

  • edged wood 2-2.5 cm thick;
  • moisture-resistant plywood;
  • sheet steel.

The use of plywood and boards, which have a low price, allows you to reduce costs.

Sequence of actions for installing formwork:


When installing the formwork, pay special attention to the rigidity of the panel structure and the absence of cracks.

Reinforcement is a prerequisite for building a good foundation

A spatial frame made of steel reinforcement, laid in the foundation, increases its strength and ensures durability. To make the frame, rods with a cross section of 1-1.6 cm are used, connected with annealed wire.

Frame assembly procedure:

  1. Cut the rods into pieces of the required sizes.
  2. Tie the rods into a flat lattice using tying wire.
  3. Assemble a frame from two flat gratings using transverse rods.

Place the assembled frame on special supports that guarantee a fixed distance to the concrete surface.


Insert the reinforcement cage and fill the hole with concrete with periodic compaction

Pouring the foundation for a house yourself

Before starting concreting, mark the level of mortar pouring inside the panel formwork. The use of concrete produced at specialized enterprises allows us to produce a foundation with increased strength. When we make the foundation, we use a concrete solution based on M400 Portland cement, fine gravel and coarse sand.

Prepare the solution using the following technology:

  1. Prepare ingredients in proportions appropriate to recipe.
  2. Mix sifted sand with crushed stone and Portland cement.
  3. Gradually add water until desired consistency is achieved.
  4. Mix the solution thoroughly until smooth.

The order of the stages of pouring the foundation:

  1. Fill the concrete solution with a twenty-centimeter layer.
  2. Check the filling of voids in the reinforcement grid.
  3. Add the rest of the concrete.
  4. Remove air inclusions with reinforcing bars.
  5. Compact the concrete mass with a vibrator.

After concreting is completed, level the surface with a rule or trowel. Dismantle the formwork after the concrete has completely hardened.

How to build a foundation for an extension to a building

When thinking about arranging the foundation for an extension, adhere to the following recommendations:

  • maintain equal depth of the foundation of the attached structure and the main building;
  • ensure a rigid connection between the reinforcement grid of the main building and the frame of the extension.

Pouring is carried out in the same way as the main foundation.

When planning to build a foundation for a house from expanded clay concrete blocks or other building materials, it is important to decide on the type of foundation and also study the technology. Knowing the technological nuances, it is not difficult to make a concrete or utility building. Professional builders will tell you, if necessary, how to properly fill a residential building. The foundation can be used as a foundation base and can be easily found on our construction portal. The construction of a foundation is a responsible process in which there are no trifles.