Preservation of the foundation for the winter (detailed instructions)

Foundation conservation is understood as a set of measures to protect building structures from adverse environmental influences during the cold season. The need for protection arises in the event of a forced stop in construction due to the impossibility of completing it before the onset of frost.

The main factors contributing to the destruction of the foundation in winter are:

exposure to moisture;
low air temperature and its sudden changes;
deformation pressure from soil heaving.

The list of protective measures taken and work performed depends on the type of foundation, its size, lower support point, freezing depth, type and composition of soil.

Insulation of foundations for the winter period

Since the most difficult operation to preserve the foundation of a house in winter is insulating it on each side, it is worth considering such work in more detail.

Such work should be carried out immediately after the foundation itself has dried, when the formwork is removed. Then you can not only leave the base of the house unloaded in winter, but also get warmer floors later, when the building is built.

The insulation process will look like this:

polymer-bitumen mastic is applied to the vertical surfaces of the tape (supports, slabs) as a waterproofing layer - this will prevent moisture from spoiling the finished base;
The vertical sides of the base are covered with expanded polystyrene slabs, using adhesive compounds for this - this will insulate the foundation and additionally protect it from damage;
additional finishing of the slabs attached to the base is carried out using plaster - this will extend the service life of the foundation for many years;
backfilling is carried out with non-metallic material in a layer of at least 18 cm with dense compaction.

Of course, the cost of materials and funds for such a foundation will be much greater than when creating a simple foundation. But the heat savings in the house during its operation will cover these costs in the first year of residence. And the likelihood of damage to the foundation from heaving is reduced to a minimum.

But if you have to leave the foundation of the house without load for several years, it is worth considering conservation more carefully.

What needs to be done to freeze construction work

In order to suspend construction work before spring, foundation work should be completed. It is necessary to install a drainage system around the perimeter of the foundation.

Waterproof the concrete surface using polyethylene film or rolled bitumen materials.

Insulate the foundation using expanded polystyrene.

Backfill the foundation with non-metallic material. The thickness of the insulating layer should not be less than 20 cm.

Provide an underground reservoir for the drainage system. It should be located below the foundation sole.

Protect the concrete surface from freezing from the sides. To reduce costs, you can use snow as insulation.

Concrete preservation methods

With the right approach, you can maintain the integrity of the pour and help the concrete solution achieve the required degree of hardness. With the arrival of the thaw, you can immediately begin construction of the building.

To accurately determine the concrete preservation method, it is necessary to take into account several factors that directly influence the choice.

It is necessary to make sure that the perimeter of the constructed structure is completely insulated and lined with vertical and horizontal waterproofing.

If the top layer of heaving soil was removed, completely replaced with a compacted sand embankment, or a clay hydraulic lock was laid around the perimeter of the future structure, plans can change dramatically.

There are two ways to preserve any type of base.

Protection with waterproofing and thermal insulation will prevent direct moisture from entering the concrete and will partially protect it from frozen soil. The insulation does not heat, but will prevent the fill from freezing.

For waterproofing, dense reinforced polyethylene or roofing felt sheets are used. It is better to use both options - lay roofing material down, film on top, or vice versa.

On top of the laid canvases they place oppression - bricks, foam blocks, which will prevent the material from being blown away by the wind.

The way to protect the foundation from water is to assemble a drainage system. You can prevent the destruction of a concrete base or house.

It is necessary to properly organize ditches and drains at the right points. Drainage points should be located no closer than 5 meters from the base. In a given sector, a large depression, 2 m wide, is dug to collect moisture.

Ditches are laid along the perimeter of the excavated space, with a depth and excavation width of 50x50 cm. A similar action is carried out along the perimeter of the foundation.

It remains to form several drains that will lead the liquid from the foundation towards the collecting pit.

How to drain groundwater

In rainy autumn and especially in spring, groundwater rises, and the soil is saturated with moisture as much as possible. During frosts, wet soil hardens, expands and creates a certain pressure on the foundation. Frost heaving of the soil is quite dangerous for the foundation laid for the winter, therefore, to prevent its negative impact, a number of measures are taken to install drainage to ensure the removal of excess moisture. The simplest way is to plan the surface at the construction site. To ensure natural water flow, a slope is made in the direction from the foundation with the maximum possible addition of soil around and along the structure.

If construction is carried out in a lowland, then the only possible option would be to install a bypass trench and drainage system.

Along the perimeter of the laid foundation, a shallow bypass channel 30-40 cm deep is dug in the direction of the existing natural slope so that the accumulating water can move by gravity. If there is no such slope, it will need to be provided when laying a drainage trench leading to an dug reservoir for drained water. For normal functioning of the drainage, the bottom of the receiving pit must be located half a meter below the level of the bypass drain.

A responsible approach to preserving a concrete foundation for the winter allows you to preserve it as much as possible for further construction, acquire high strength and save funds already invested in the construction.

Frost protection used for long-term preservation

If construction is expected to be frozen for a long period, the facility should be re-opened upon the onset of spring.

Here is another addition to the article in the video:

As a result of this, excess moisture will evaporate and the foundation elements will dry out.

The structure is prepared for the next onset of winter as follows:

Drainage sewerage is being laid;
Engineering systems are being fastened;
The grounding loop is extended;
A waterproofing coating is laid on all concrete surfaces;
Horizontal and vertical insulation is installed;
Backfilling is carried out using non-metallic material.

What is the need for protection?

If you do not preserve concrete and stone structures, then the existing foundation is highly likely to receive obvious and hidden mechanical damage during the winter. Obvious defects include visible breaks, cracks, deformations, delaminations, subsidence and lifting of individual elements.

Even more dangerous are hidden damages located inside a concrete monolith, which can only manifest themselves when the building is already built. As a result, this will lead to financial losses due to the inability to operate the facility.

The best construction plan

If you have the opportunity, it is advisable to plan construction work in such a way that the foundation is completely built and mothballed before winter. Then, in the spring, you need to start erecting walls and building a roof, after which these structures are preserved again for the winter. In the spring, you can begin finishing work so that by winter the house can already be lived in.

The main stages of foundation conservation:

It is necessary to make reliable waterproofing.
Then high-quality thermal insulation is done.
After this, the pit is backfilled with soil.
Then you need to ensure reliable drainage of groundwater from the foundation.

The need for proper conservation is determined by the type of foundation. Pile and columnar roofs require neither waterproofing nor insulation. But strip and slab can be severely destroyed over the winter if work is not carried out to preserve them. Experts also say that any foundation must stand before starting to build walls. Winter provides just the right time for this.

Preservation of a strip or slab foundation if the house does not have a basement:

Thermal and waterproofing of a strip foundation is done using roofing felt or thick polyethylene film, pressing down these materials with bricks and soil. Waterproofing of a slab foundation must be done before pouring the slab itself. To do this, waterproofing material is placed on the concrete base, insulation is placed on top, and the foundation slab itself is poured on top of these materials. The top of the slab is also covered with roofing felt or thick film, pressed down with something heavy, this is necessary to protect it from snow. A layer of sawdust, expanded clay or slag is poured around the foundation to provide additional thermal insulation. Then, regardless of the type of foundation, you need to fill the pit with soil

But before this, be sure to cover the holes that were made for communications with a piece of metal or plywood. It is very important to drain groundwater away from the foundation. When they freeze, the soil expands and begins to put pressure on the foundation of the house, the forces of so-called frost heaving arise.

You can slope the soil away from the foundation so that water flows away from the house and not towards it. But this is not possible in all cases. For example, if the house is located in a low area, it is necessary to create a system of drains and gutters.

How to preserve the foundation for the winter if the house has a basement planned:

It is imperative to cover the basement using prefabricated slabs. Ruberoid or plastic film is placed on top of them, and the joints must be glued. This material is pressed down from above with something heavy. The opening where the stairs will be must be covered with boards, since the weight of the snow will break through the waterproofing layer.
In the basement you need to make a floor; to do this, level the ground and cover it with a layer of sand or crushed stone of at least 12 cm, and pour cement mortar on top.
To prevent water from entering the basement, it is necessary to close all windows in the basement using waterproofing materials.
But still, you can never guarantee that not a drop of water will get into the basement, because winter can bring heavy snowfalls. To protect the basement walls from destruction due to the fact that the ice freezes and expands, large plastic bottles are placed in it, one-third filled with water. You need 4 of them per square meter. They will take the load from the expanding ice around them. But this method will only work if the basement is covered, that is, it is protected from direct precipitation.
If there is still water in the basement in the spring, it must be pumped out as quickly as possible.

Conservation of the construction of brick and block (foam block, gas block, shell rock) house

First floor without ceiling

Builders do not recommend winterizing the construction of a house at this stage. It is advisable that the walls already have a ceiling laid.

It is very important that there is a reinforcing belt along the top of the walls. If winter occurs at the construction stage, when the reinforcing belt has not yet been laid, then without protective measures water gets inside the bricks (or blocks), which leads to their destruction and guarantees efflorescence on the brick in the spring

If the wall is multilayer (well) and insulation is laid between the two walls, then remaining uncovered the insulation will absorb moisture, and the water in it will freeze and expand, which will completely destroy the structure of the material, and thereby render it unusable.

Therefore, preserving the house at this stage is labor-intensive and does not guarantee complete safety of the walls from getting wet and possible cracking.

If conservation is still necessary at this stage, builders recommend:

Cover the top of the wall with waterproofing film, then load the film with bricks, or bend it in two directions, then press it against the wall with boards and nail it.
The same is done at the window sill level. Waterproofing walls
Free-standing walls erected above the floors must be braced (with struts or struts) if their height exceeds 3.1;
5.6; and 6.5 m with a masonry thickness of 38, 51 and 64 cm, respectively. Spacers
Inside the house, the floors are covered with straw mats (to protect the soil from freezing and heaving) and waterproofing film, the film is pressed with soil or sand to the walls from the inside, raising it by 20-30 cm.
If there is a financial opportunity, then it is worth installing temporary lathing floors.
Place a waterproofing film or roofing felt on top of the sheathing and press it with bricks. Temporary overlap
There is no need to close the walls from the outside.
Cover door and window openings with boards, sheets of metal, roofing felt or plastic film.
Windows and doors covered with plywood
Windows covered with roofing felt
Windows boarded up
Water is removed from the house by leveling the surface of the site or using a ditch system (described above).

Protection of the first floor with overlap

This stage is more favorable for preservation for the winter.

Necessary activities:

Lay waterproofing (roofing felt, PE film) over the ceiling, overlap it, seal the joints with adhesive tape, and securely load bricks on top from the wind. The edges of the hanging film are pressed against the wall with slats and nailed.
Close door and window openings with boards, metal sheets, roofing felt or PE film.
At this stage, it is already worth making a blind area that will protect the foundation from water flowing from the ceiling.
Water is drained from the house by leveling the surface of the site or by installing a system of grooves described above.

The house has been roofed, the rafters have been laid, but not yet covered with roofing material

Rafter part without roofing material

At this stage, the walls were erected, the ceiling above the first floor and the staircase were laid, the gables were built, and the rafter structure was laid.

Preservation at this stage:

It is necessary to protect the interior from moisture; for this purpose, a temporary lightweight roof is constructed. The sheathing is placed on the rafters, and waterproofing (roofing material, roofing membrane or reinforced PE film) is laid on it. The waterproofing is secured with wooden slats.
If at this stage the gables have not yet been built, then these places need to be covered, for example, with plywood or boards to protect the waterproofing from blowing and the interior space from water and snow.
Cover the openings with shields.
A blind area and grooves are installed to drain water away from the house.

Errors and tips

At the very beginning of any construction, you should take into account all the advantages and disadvantages of your business, and, if possible, avoid them, since this will inevitably lead to disastrous consequences.

We will advise you:

Check the bonding connections between the grillage and the piles around the perimeter of the foundation. If they are not strong, then severe shrinkage during frosts is inevitable, and this will lead to mobility of the pillars. This is a deplorable nuisance that should be corrected in time. If the grillage lies directly on the ground, then be sure to additionally insulate it with polystyrene foam. Lay insulation between the soil and the grillage

Otherwise, during the period of freezing of the ground, the piles may break due to their expansion under such conditions. Be very careful in all calculations and calculations; an unprofessional approach in this matter can lead to many undesirable consequences, including a short service life of your structure. Take into account a very important rule - do not install piles above the depth of the soil to which it freezes. Lower them lower to prevent the foundation from subsiding. Be sure to insulate the foundation at the construction stage, otherwise doing so later will be either too expensive and difficult, or completely impossible. Take your time when doing insulation work

Any mistake or miscalculation, or technical damage can lead to a longer completion of the task that you are currently performing.

Pile-grillage foundation is suitable for one-story houses

The pile-grillage foundation has long attracted the attention of ordinary self-developers. It is ideal for one-story residential buildings, bathhouses, garden buildings, and country houses. Take our information into account and let your home always be warm and cozy!

How to insulate a slab foundation

Such a foundation must be insulated and protected from moisture before the foundation slab is poured.

In this case, a layer of waterproofing is placed on a concrete preparation, and the insulation itself is laid over it. And then you can pour the foundation slab itself. It will be protected from groundwater, but not from precipitation or swelling of the soil.

If the foundation is not very deep, then it can only be left loaded during the winter so that it is not subject to severe deformation. For additional insulation, you can use a layer of expanded clay, slag or even straw; it will help prevent severe freezing of the soil. It should be noted that the foundation can be destroyed by groundwater; if its conservation is necessary, then care must be taken to drain it in a timely manner.

In most of Russia, due to climatic conditions, construction work is limited to the warm season.

For financial, organizational, technical or personal reasons, or various types of force majeure factors, it is not always possible to complete the construction of a house in one warm season. In this case, the unfinished construction will have to be prepared for wintering. Preparation for a long-term (for a period of 6 months)

and more) a break in construction work is called conservation. Conservation is the bringing of an unfinished house and construction site into a state that ensures the safety, strength and stability of building structures, preventing their arbitrary dismantling and destruction, the safety of building materials and the safety of the site for people and the environment. Conservation of construction is regulated by SP48.13330.2011 Construction Organization and Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 802 “On approval of the Rules for the conservation of a capital construction project.”

The main factors that can damage building structures and materials are exposure to water, exposure to freezing moisture, exposure to snow and wind loads, and the influence of the human factor.

The scope of work on the conservation of the construction of a house includes:

a) Sheltering building structures, building materials and equipment from the effects of precipitation and other damaging factors,

b) Construction of permanent or temporary structures that carry loads.

c) Fastening and strengthening unstable structures and elements, or their dismantling.

d) Freeing containers and pipelines from freezing and dangerous liquids.

e) Disconnection of utilities, including temporary ones (except for those necessary for the safety of the facility).

f) Closing openings, hatches, holes, backfilling pits, trenches, pits.

g) Removal of construction waste.

h) Restricting access of unauthorized persons to the facility.

Influence of design type

Each type of building foundation has its own design features, which determine how much the foundation will suffer from unprepared wintering.

The pile-screw foundation is least susceptible to destruction. It can even be installed in winter. This type does not need any conservation work during cold weather, it can be left as is.

Concrete pile or pillar foundations also do not require serious protection measures. The contact area with soil and air is small, and the exposure to heaving forces is low.

However, if it is a shallow type, then due to frost, uneven movements of individual supports may occur. Therefore, it is advisable that the grillage be installed before the onset of frost.

Slab construction is most exposed to moisture and cold in winter in an unfinished construction project. It requires special treatment and mandatory protection measures.

If you leave it without conservation, you can expect the most disastrous consequences, including destruction of the base.

The last two types of design require special consideration.

Consequences of lack of conservation of a construction site

To leave everything as it is and not carry out any work at all means to “kill” the construction site with your own hands, so it is simply necessary to carry out at least the minimum and easily accessible complex of protection for long-term construction. But it is worth considering that some events cannot be avoided, and some can be excluded to save money.

Conservation is a series of measures aimed at preserving an already erected structure from destruction when exposed to atmospheric factors, and it is not a bad idea to worry about the safety of the construction site for others. At the same time, conservation makes it possible to quickly put the object into construction in the spring without additional preparatory and restoration work.

Conservation itself implies drainage of water and protection from moisture of the construction site and stored materials purchased for future use. Without protective cover, building materials accumulate moisture, which, when frozen, destroys their structure. Moreover, even if at first glance, after defrosting, no damage is detected, it still exists: at a minimum, a decrease in the strength of the material due to microcracks, and at a maximum, subsequent rapid destruction (delamination).

Why protect the foundation?

Preservation of the base is necessary to maintain the integrity of the materials. In the absence of protective measures, partial destruction of the foundation walls is observed in winter. Due to severe frosts, the concrete becomes covered with cracks and cannot be restored.

If the groundwater in the area is located high, during rainy periods in late autumn and early spring the water will come into direct contact with the fill, causing subsidence of the base. The foundation pit may be damaged - the risk of erosion and collapses increases.

It is possible to prevent cost overruns for re-construction of the foundation if you address the issue of structural security.

Slab

A monolithic slab is a solid reinforced concrete structure. Such a slab ensures the stability of the house even on the most unstable soils and completely eliminates its possible deformations during soil heaving, since in this case the entire monolithic structure rises and falls back, and not its individual sections.

Insulation of a slab foundation requires minimal effort, since when constructing this type of structure, the base is already insulated with a cushion of sand and gravel mixture, and waterproofing is carried out even before concreting.

Therefore, work to protect against excess dampness and frost, using polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene, needs to be done only on the sides of the structure, sprinkled with expanded clay. The upper base of the monolith slab should not be left without a load, which, at the same time, must be distributed as evenly as possible.

Preparing the foundation for winter

Before you start preserving the foundation of the house, it is worth preparing it for wintering.

The easiest way to insulate and cover a monolithic type of foundation. It is simply covered on top with a thick film or other materials, the film is pressed with stones and fenced with high shields to retain the snow. This will provide additional insulation to the finished slab.

The columnar type of base without a load can be preserved only if each column is made with a boot, indispensable waterproofing after the pillow, drainage, and insulation. But even then, the probability of damage to the support pillars from soil heaving is high.

The tape type of base requires more careful preparation in order to preserve it until the thaw. Here it is not only possible, but also necessary to combine several preservation options. After all, when the tape swells, it cracks (and often breaks), and when the soil thaws, it bends. Therefore, the preliminary work looks like this:

Be sure to remove the formwork - it attracts moisture.
Waterproof the entire tape using primer, coating, or plaster - this will additionally protect against moisture and swelling during frosts.
It is better to build drainage while the foundation is being built, but it can also be done before conservation.
Insulate blind areas with maximum efficiency.
Loosen the soil around the belt, plow the soil around the entire perimeter, breaking up large clods and leveling it - heaving will be reduced due to uneven soil.
To create a hut effect - cover with film on top and press down with stones and natural warm materials.

By performing these simple steps, you can successfully leave both a strip foundation and other types of foundations without load in the winter.

Carrying out protective measures

Preservation of the foundation for the winter of a structure with a floating slab will include preparatory operations aimed at waterproofing the concrete covering and insulating the blind area.

Even if uneven swelling occurs after the soil thaws, the foundation slab will not be damaged.

It is much more difficult to prevent damage to the strip base. Moisture gets into the structure.

With uneven swelling, the strip structure is affected by forces that cause twisting and bending of the foundation.

Therefore, before preserving the tape base for the winter, the following actions should be taken:

Remove the formwork from the structure. Wood panels will not protect the concrete surface. They will absorb water and contribute to excess moisture in the concrete. There will be an additional risk factor when freezing.

Waterproof the concrete base using gluing, coating or plastering. Make and install a drainage system. Insulate the blind area.

Despite the work carried out, it is difficult to maintain the foundation structure in its original condition. The main structure is missing.

When using additional thermal insulation, it is impossible to achieve the desired effect. To protect the foundation structure from moisture and frost, the following methods are used:

The perimeter of the construction site is cultivated. The soil near the foundation is plowed;
Insulation is made using snow. Install snow-retaining shields;
The foundation base is covered with natural insulation and polyethylene film.

After soil aeration, its density decreases and water saturation increases. When frost sets in, the swelling disappears.

The following natural insulation materials are used: straw, sawdust, bark shavings and various slags.

Is it possible to leave the foundation for the winter?

For a number of reasons, construction work in the private sector is suspended in the autumn-winter period. If you have already poured the foundation in the summer or are just going to do it, hoping to leave it until winter, you need to study the features of this technology.

Good conditions for the formation of high-quality concrete are a temperature of 18-20 degrees and humidity slightly above average. This weather in our climate lasts until September. And if the concrete does not set before frost, then destruction of its monolithic structure will inevitably occur due to the expansion of water, which has turned into ice.

On screw piles

A pile foundation is installed in cases where construction is carried out on weak, crumbling rocks that are not able to withstand the heavy load of the house.

When using a pile base, the load is transferred to denser and more stable soil. Pile structures are especially often used in heaving soils with deep freezing levels (over 1.5 m). It is also advisable to install it in areas with high groundwater levels.

All construction work is carried out mainly at sub-zero temperatures. It is at this time that it is possible to install piles in moving soil.

Screw piles do not require additional conservation in winter, with the exception of making a grillage (tying the piles with rolled metal) and checking all piles to ensure that their internal space is completely filled with concrete.

Preservation using insulation.

Foundation for the winter without load. Conservation rules

So, preserving the base for the cold period includes the following steps:

1. Waterproofing the foundation - prevents moisture from entering the foundation. Such work begins at the end of 4 weeks after the final pouring of concrete. First, the base is covered with polyethylene and then with roofing felt. This material should be secured very well around the edges so that water cannot seep in anywhere.

It will be good if, after coating, the roofing material is additionally secured to the ground with the help of bricks or cinder blocks. Alternatively, you can use bitumen mastic for waterproofing.

2. Thermal insulation – protects the foundation from the cold. For these purposes, you can use extruded polystyrene foam or waterproof insulation, which covers the base on the sides and top, securing them with sheets of slate or bricks. You can also sprinkle a thin layer of dry straw on top of the slabs.

All existing pipe outlets to the street must be covered with durable plywood and a greenhouse film must be fixed over all covered surfaces, which must also be pressed down along the edges and on top with bricks.

3. Drainage of groundwater - will prevent subsidence of the foundation and destruction of the walls of the building. To perform this procedure, you must first determine the lowest place on the site, then dig a deep hole about 2 m wide there as a reservoir. Then along the entire perimeter of this hole you need to dig grooves about half a meter deep and wide.

And the same exact trenches, only maybe not so wide, are dug around the entire base. Next, drains are dug from near the foundation grooves towards the tank. After which, during the winter, all that remains is to check the integrity and indestructibility of the dug trenches, since precipitation can destroy this structure.

4. You can also create additional load on the base. This is suitable for shallow foundations. To do this, heavy various materials or structures are laid on top of an already insulated and waterproofed base. The resulting load will help avoid deformation and destruction of the slabs.

At what stages is it better to carry out conservation of unfinished construction?

The best stages of building a house are when planes are created on the site that can be sheltered from precipitation and winds. This is the stage of the completed foundation, the stage of the completed floors on top of the walls and the completed rafter system with sheathing. The critical stages of construction are conservation when opening a pit, trenches or pits, construction of walls without ceilings or a rafter system with sheathing.

Construction stages:

0-20% construction of the zero cycle.

20-60% of work on the construction of walls and roofs has begun and is almost completed.

60-80% of walls and roof are completed, installation of equipment is 50-75% completed and finishing work has begun.

80-99% completion of finishing work

1. Preservation of house construction at the zero-cycle stage.

It is not recommended to preserve construction at the stage of opening a pit, trenches or drilling holes for the foundation. Open soil samples left even for a short time become filled with water, softening of the supporting soil layer occurs, shedding and sliding of the walls of the soil samples occurs, which will lead to the need to re-select the softened soil and compact the foundations during re-preservation and continuation of construction. Pile foundations without base extensions are not recommended to be put into conservation mode without being tied with a grillage to prevent changes in the design position of the piles.

Illustration 1. Correct and incorrect preservation of the foundation for the winter.

For zero-cycle conservation, it is better to choose the stage of foundation readiness after the concrete has reached 75% of brand strength (28 days at an average daily air temperature of +5°C and 7 days at an average daily air temperature of +20°C) when it is possible to remove the formwork and carry out further work.

Preparation of the foundation and construction site for conservation of the surface or shallow foundation of a building without a basement includes:

a) Waterproofing of all visible edges of a strip or slab foundation, at least using a coating method.

b) Temporarily covering the foundation with waterproof material.

c) Diversion of ground and surface water from the foundation using drainage ditches, drainage and soil profiling

d) Backfilling of trenches and pits.

e) Closing passages for communications through the foundation and installing plugs in pipes.

Illustration 1. Preservation of utility passages through the foundation slab.

e) On heaving soils, additional insulation of the strip or slab foundation and the soil around it is required by covering it with foam plastic, expanded clay, hay, sawdust, or using a snow retention device.

Illustration 1. Methods of insulating an unloaded strip foundation for the winter.

f) Construction of capital and temporary blind areas (you can use an underground soft blind area made of rolled waterproofing materials) to drain precipitation further from the base of the foundation.

In buildings with a buried foundation and basement, it is advisable to perform reliable external or internal waterproofing of the walls and floor (buried slab), close technical hatches and openings in the walls, arrange a temporary ceiling over the basement if there is none, or, if available, close the opening in the ceiling with a temporary roof . If the internal walls of the basement are incomplete, the walls should be strengthened with wooden spacers to prevent them from being compressed by the soil during frost heaving.

Illustration 1. Waterproofing the foundation and plinth of a building during conservation of unfinished construction.

2. Preservation of buildings with erected walls without ceilings and roofing. In all cases, in houses without ceilings and roofs, the installation of temporary roofs is recommended.

If it is impossible to install such a ceiling in houses with walls made of stone materials, it is recommended to make at least a reinforced belt over the walls, which is then covered with temporary waterproofing. In the absence of a continuous reinforced belt, the walls must be additionally strengthened with struts and spacers, especially in the case of building walls of small thickness or significant height (more than 3 meters). If there is no temporary roof over the entire area of the building, the floors must also be covered with waterproofing material and technological openings must be provided in the walls to drain excess rainfall. On slab foundations made on heaving soils, it is also recommended to insulate the floor inside the building. Conservation of multi-layer walls without ceilings and roofs is the most risky undertaking, which, if waterproofing fails, can lead to the need for complete or partial replacement of damaged walls.

In buildings with multi-layer walls (insulated stone walls, frame walls, SIP panels), waterproofing of the upper plane and all open openings, hatches and openings must be done especially carefully to prevent the insulation from soaking inside the wall or precipitation getting into cavities and gaps. Additionally, it is recommended to wrap the lower edges of window and door openings with waterproofing materials for guaranteed protection against water leakage even if the wind blows away the materials covering the opening. Illustration 1. Covering window openings for the winter with reinforced film. In houses with walls made of damp, damp or dried solid wood (timber , log) it is critical to treat the walls with a basic vapor-permeable antiseptic (not varnishes, oil paints) and create conditions for good ventilation of the walls while protecting the wood from precipitation.

An option for organizing ventilation is to leave one small window open in opposite walls of the house. Illustration 1. When preserving a house built from solid wood with natural moisture, the window openings are not closed during conservation to ensure sufficient ventilation to remove moisture and dry the frame. It is much more rational to build wooden houses from dried and dried materials. The best option for covering a building with erected walls is to install a temporary roof using a rafter system, supported by a temporary roof made of unused lumber.

The optimal roof configuration is gable, even with a minimum slope. In the absence of a sufficient number of internal walls to support the temporary roof, when performing a temporary roof covering not made of timber, logs or I-beams, it is strengthened with wooden posts with braces. The sheathing is carried out as often as possible or using sheet materials (plywood, OSB, fiberboard). The smaller the angle of inclination of the roof, the more frequent the sheathing should be.

The roof covering is made of rolled waterproofing materials with an overlap and gluing of joints, with the material secured to a temporary sheathing or decking using wooden slats or metal or plastic strips. The gables of a temporary roof are also covered with lumber, sheet materials or waterproofing materials. In this case, it is necessary to leave slot gaps to ensure ventilation of the under-roof space.3. Preservation of buildings with erected walls, floors and rafter system without a permanent roof. The presence of an erected rafter system with sheathing facilitates the tasks of conservation of construction, which is carried out according to the principles described above with minor differences, consisting of the following: a) when conserving the construction of a house with a pitched roof with sufficient angle of inclination (more than 30 degrees) for one winter season, it is permissible to use especially strong three-layer under-roofing membranes as a temporary roofing material, which are immediately mounted in their regular place: on top of the future insulation layer. Illustration 1. Using a three-layer under-roofing superdiffusion membrane as a temporary roofing membrane) when conserving a house with a slight roof slope, in snowy areas, or during a break in construction for more than one season, the roof will require the installation of continuous or very thin sheathing, or continuous sheet flooring and covering with rolled waterproofing materials with reinforcement of the seams with antiseptic wooden slats or plastic or metal tapes. If it is impossible to continue construction work in the next season, the mothballed building must be inspected for damage when the warm season begins.

It is necessary to remove any water that has accumulated somewhere and provide conditions for ventilation and drying: open all possible openings in the walls. Before the next winter season, conservation measures must be repeated.4. Features of storing unused building materials during temporary conservation of construction. Bulk water-hardening materials (cement, alabaster, gypsum, plaster mixtures) can be stored in unloaded original packaging, additionally wrapping the bags with plastic film and placing them in steel or plastic barrels with hermetically sealed lids. It is important to remember that the grade of cement progressively decreases when water binds during long-term storage - it is not recommended to use cement that has survived winter storage in the construction of load-bearing and self-supporting structures. Lumber.

Before preservation, lumber is treated with an antiseptic so that it is completely dry and placed in stacks with air gaps between each unit in a place protected from precipitation. Bricks, small blocks. These types of building materials are highly hygroscopic and should be stored in stacks, isolated from the ground or foundation, in a dry place, protected from precipitation. Conclusions: 1. When planning the construction of a house that will not be completed in one warm season, it is advisable to preserve the house at stages that facilitate the conservation of the house. The best option is to place the building under a roof with a permanent or temporary roof, or at the stage of completing the foundation of the house.

It is less preferable to stop construction at the stage of installing floors. The worst stages for conservation are unfinished earthworks of the zero cycle and leaving the erected walls without ceilings and roofing.2. The main goal of conservation is to prevent destruction or damage to building structures and materials by natural factors.3. Relatively small additional investments of money and time in preserving the construction of a house will help prevent much larger probable losses. The inability to complete construction before the onset of cold weather leads to the need to protect the concrete foundation from the negative effects of the external environment. If this is not done, it may receive obvious or hidden damage. In the first case, we are talking about visible breaks, cracks, deformations and other similar defects.

Even if you try to eliminate them, it will be impossible to achieve the previous integrity of the structure. A more dangerous situation is when the concrete base receives hidden damage. They can arise for the same reasons as visible defects (swelling of frozen soils, temperature changes, high humidity, etc.) - but they do not appear immediately, but after a certain time. Sometimes problems with the foundation become known only at the final stages of construction and even after its completion, which leads to the impossibility of operating the facility. Is it possible to leave the foundation for the winter?

Preservation of the foundation for the winter is required regardless of the degree of its readiness. Otherwise, there is a high risk of losing already created foundation structures. Low temperatures and high humidity have a destructive effect on the concrete foundation. The degree of negative impact depends on the following factors: climatic characteristics of a particular region; type of foundation (pile, strip, columnar, etc.); stage of work after which the foundation will have to be left for the winter; structure and other characteristics of the soil (heaving, freezing depth, presence of close proximity to groundwater, etc.). The most resistant to adverse weather conditions are pile (screw) foundations.

Strip structures and concrete monolithic slabs are at the greatest risk of destruction. No less dangerous is the swelling of the soil due to its freezing. This phenomenon can seriously destroy the concrete base, making it impossible to use later. Tears, deformations, distortions, and other defects appear. Strip foundations and monolithic slabs suffer the most from soil swelling.

Is there a need to preserve the foundation?

The most optimal option for private housing construction is considered to be a phased construction of the building, when during the first year the development of the site is carried out with the laying of communications and laying the foundation, in the second year the box with the roof is erected, and in the third year the interior finishing is carried out. This is due to the specifics of a number of technological processes that can only be carried out at positive ambient temperatures. But it is precisely this sequence that allows the structure to be used for a long time without fear of shrinkage or cracking.

Moreover, some experts recommend leaving the finished foundation without load for the winter (until next spring) for its natural shrinkage and acquisition of the required design strength. Of course, modern technologies make it possible to carry out construction work even at negative external temperatures, but this requires the use of expensive grades of concrete or special additives, which leads to additional costs.

In any case, if you leave the foundation unprotected throughout the winter, then in the future there is a risk of encountering certain negative consequences.

In the autumn-spring period, the underground structure can be washed away by groundwater accumulating in the pit.
Atmospheric precipitation will probably fill the dug pit with water, from which it will be quite difficult to pump it out.
Under the influence of negative temperatures, the exposed foundation can crack, after which its restoration becomes impossible.
In addition, a frozen foundation loses its strength characteristics and gradually begins to collapse over time.

Thus, the question of the need to preserve the foundation is obvious and comes down, as a rule, to its thermal and waterproofing, as well as the creation of a drainage system for draining groundwater. It is worth mentioning here that pile foundations, in principle, do not require insulation or waterproofing. For the winter, slab and strip foundations are preserved.

Covering screw piles

Again, a little theory so as not to bore you. Screw piles are usually made of metal. They are hollow; concrete is poured into this cavity.

If there is a light structure, such as a gazebo, on the stilts, they can remain hollow, and the upper end can be welded.

The main enemy of a hollow pile will be corrosion. Therefore, painting in several layers with anti-corrosion compounds (polyurethane paint at a price of approximately 1000 rubles per liter) will serve as protection not only for the winter, but for its entire life.

Screw piles are painted, ends are welded

If the structure of a more impressive gazebo, for example, a bathhouse or a frame house, rests on stilts, then in addition to painting the piles, which will be much thicker than their younger counterparts, concrete is poured inside, reinforcing it with several steel rods.

And concrete, as we learned earlier, is hygroscopic. If you do not close the top end for the winter, wet concrete can completely tear the pile.

Therefore, we need to cut plastic bottles of a suitable diameter and put the resulting caps on our steel pipes.

Once upon a time, while visiting a friend in a holiday village not far from the capital of our vast Motherland, I observed the installation of piles for a frame house.

At that time, my brain had not yet thought about building my own house, but the process of constructing a rather rare frame structure in our area attracted my attention. I noticed how liberally the piles were painted before they were screwed in.

To my curiosity, the owners noticed that they extensively treated the steel to combat unwanted corrosion. Moreover, after welding the ends on the twisted piles, everything that sticks out of the ground was covered again with mastic.

Preservation of the foundation for several years

Without a doubt, it is worth protecting the finished foundations in all available ways. This means not only insulating the walls with tapes, supports or slabs, but also covering the top with film and insulation in the form of mineral wool, sawdust or shavings.

During rains, you can cover the top of the foundation with regular film. And after the end of precipitation, the film must be removed without fail. But such operations can only be done after concreting has been completed, when the solution has completely hardened and received the necessary strength.

Since the strip foundation represents the greatest inconvenience during this work, it is worth building something like a hut over the strip. This device is simple, but requires additional costs. But you don’t need to constantly stretch the film and remove it (in autumn and early spring).

On each side of the belt, boards made of boards or plastic are installed with a slope so that a gable roof is created over the entire belt. This will be the hut that will protect the foundation from destruction.

Covering columnar foundations

A columnar foundation is something between strip and pile foundations. It is either made simply from concrete, or a brick cabinet is laid on a concrete base. Sometimes a grillage is poured between the pedestals.

Pillars with reinforcement extended under the grillage, covered with film

I even witnessed the construction of a house on such a foundation by a student classmate. Let's just say, a rather atypical solution for a foundation in our area, but quite justified on clay soils.

He, like me, did not have the resources to build everything in one season. For the winter, he simply covered everything with old slate, thereby keeping the foundation safe and sound for the next season.

Since we are dealing with the same concrete, the cabinets, like the grillage, can be wrapped in film for the winter.

Features of long-term preservation

If construction has to be postponed for a year or more, it will be necessary to remove the preservative packaging in the spring and carry out actions aimed at maintaining the normal condition of the structure.

In the summer, the plastic film is removed so that the foundation is completely dry and ventilated. It is necessary to create moisture drainage lines according to the scheme for continuous operation.

Along the perimeter of the planned building, close to the poured base, a blind area is laid with a constant slope of 1 cm per meter, or flat material is laid, but drainage pipes are laid and storm drains are left.

Schematic representation of a correctly laid blind area

It is necessary to install a lightning diversion with a length of 10 meters or more. Form a descent and provide a grounding loop.

It remains to perform waterproofing vertically and horizontally.

It is possible to reduce the pressure on the sides of the foundation during the period of soil heaving if you use wall insulation with a thickness of 10 cm or more. It will be possible to protect the concrete from freezing.

If you take steps, you can delay the start of building a house, but no more than 5 years.

Preservation of concrete preserves the normal condition of the foundation. You need to make a high-quality coating and not skip the formation stages. If everything is done correctly, construction will continue without any difficulties or reworking of the foundation. The conservation process does not reduce the basic parameters of the structure and does not affect the strength of the finished structure.

The process of preserving a strip foundation:

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Methods for compensating for deformation effects on a strip structure

A strip foundation structure left for the winter is similar to the foundation of any unheated building structure.

In order to compensate for the deformation forces that arise during soil heaving, the following scheme is used:

A polystyrene foam covering is placed under the entire base of the building;
The blind areas are insulated with insulating sheets 5 cm thick;
The thickness of the insulating material in corner areas, under the blind area should be 10 cm.

How to preserve walls

If the walls of the house are already standing, but you do not have time to cover the house with a roof, it is good to at least make an interfloor or attic ceiling, which, being covered with waterproofing material, will actually act as a roof. The scheme here is exactly the same as in the arrangement of the basement above the foundation with a basement described above. If the ceiling cannot be done, a possible solution would be to install a temporary pitched roof.

The worst, but nevertheless uncritical, option is conservation of the walls, when it is not possible to build any semblance of a roof over the house. In this case, for stone houses, it is necessary to cover the upper edge of the masonry, as well as the areas of window sills and doorways, using an airtight coating. The covering, for example, made of thick polyethylene or roofing felt, must be reliably strengthened so that it is not blown away by the wind and snow does not blow under it. The most responsible approach must be taken to the conservation of masonry made of hollow bricks and porous ceramic stones, which, due to the presence of numerous vertical voids, can easily collect rain and melt water, which, when frozen, will cause their destruction. These risks can be reduced by covering the voids in the top row of masonry with a thin layer of mortar, but then you still need to lay a layer of waterproofing.

Vertical wall surfaces do not need to be protected with anything additional, except in the case of a low base, where it is necessary to prevent active moistening of the wall by attaching a film apron. This can be done, for example, by pressing a layer of film with sand or gluing it to the wall.

Walls made of wood with natural moisture should be treated with antiseptic impregnations to protect them from the appearance of fungus and mold, which can appear with the arrival of warmth in the spring. If it is not possible to build any kind of roof, then the walls should not be specially covered in any way, since film or other waterproofing that comes into contact with the wood will do more harm than good.

To preserve the walls made of laminated veneer lumber, a temporary roof will have to be erected, since this dry material will deteriorate when wet. The same applies to the walls of the frame structure, since kiln-dried lumber is used for their construction.

When can the formwork be removed? When can formwork be removed?

The only indicator that allows you to make a decision about stripping is the degree of strength of the material. Not a single modern regulatory document specifies when it is possible to remove formwork from a strip foundation. There is an old SNiP 3.03-87, which is not valid today. It indicates the values at which the formwork can be dismantled. In particular, for strip foundations, a strength of 50% is sufficient, for concrete floors 70% is required, and for long floors (more than 6 m) - 80%.

Despite the fact that the validity of this regulatory document was not extended, the data provided can be used in work. They have been confirmed by many years of construction practice and should not be doubted. Material that has reached the specified values of brand strength can be left without formwork.

Sclerometer - a device for determining the strength of concrete Source geobrand.ru

However, when building a private house, it is difficult to determine the percentage value of strength - most often, there is simply nothing. Therefore, you have to rely on the holding time of the material. Calculations and experimental tests have shown that at a temperature of 0°, concrete of grades M200-M300 from (Portland cement grades M400-M500) gains 50% strength in 14 days. The same material at a temperature of 30° gains 50% in 3 days.

This does not mean the maximum temperature value during the hottest daytime, but the daily average. This means that you can determine when to remove the formwork from the foundation based on existing weather conditions. However, in practice they prefer not to take risks and leave the casting for 2 weeks. It is dangerous to rush into stripping, since there are always additional factors that slow down the process of concrete crystallization.

Concrete is ready for formwork dismantling Source googleusercontent.com Which foundation is better: strip or monolithic slab and their features

Dismantling of formwork

Stripping is a responsible procedure during which maximum care must be taken. Before pouring, the internal cavity is covered with polyethylene. Open areas of the boards are lubricated with special materials that facilitate peeling of the formwork from the concrete.

The first step is to trim the metal fasteners and remove the connecting strips. Often after this, the shields themselves move away from the tape. If this does not happen, use wooden wedges that are driven between the shield and the concrete. You must act extremely carefully, avoiding impacts on the concrete itself.

Disconnected parts are cleaned and stored until next use. The construction of walls on the foundation is possible only 28 days after pouring, but after dismantling the formwork, waterproofing and installation of a heat insulator can be performed.

How to secure a beam to any type of foundation so that it does not fall off

Briefly about the main thing

If all the work is planned correctly, in one summer season you can completely complete all the work on creating the foundation and begin building the walls. However, the ability to allocate time in the most effective way depends on the characteristics of the material and external conditions (climate, weather, etc.).

The maturation of concrete is an important and responsible process that must not be disturbed. Making attempts to speed up the progress of crystallization, or trying to optimize the holding time of the material always leads to irreversible consequences. Rash decisions can cause destruction and complete loss of your home after some time. Until the required strength is achieved, stripping cannot be carried out.

It is necessary to strictly comply with technological requirements and meet deadlines. The foundation is the most important structure of a house, and its manufacture must be treated with the utmost care.

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Concreting foundations in frosty conditions

Sometimes it is necessary to carry out work to create a foundation at a time when the air temperature is tens of degrees below zero. Or when concreting, the solution has not yet had time to dry, and frost is already setting in. In this case, there is no need to despair. You just need to perform a device called a heater, and calmly continue working as usual.

During winter concreting, the implementation of greenhouses becomes an indispensable operation. And although carrying out work in such a device is quite comfortable, the construction of the structure itself requires a lot of money.

Several types of greenhouses are used for winter concreting. Their difference is in the height of the structure. And the height depends on the degree of work performed.

Actually, a warm house is the same temporary hut. A wooden frame is built over the unfinished foundation. It is covered with thick film or plastic. The resulting building resembles an ordinary greenhouse, with a door for entry.

Heat guns are installed inside the greenhouse, which will maintain positive temperatures. This allows you to get a well-seasoned foundation when concreting in winter.

Methods for protecting foundation structures

Proper conservation of the foundation before winter will not only preserve its integrity, but will allow the concrete to gain maximum strength over these months. As a result, it will be possible to begin the construction of walls with the onset of a thaw and thereby complete construction faster.

How to preserve the foundation for the winter? In order to ensure reliable high-quality protection of the foundation, the list of work performed should include:

insulation of the building perimeter;
presence of vertical and horizontal hydraulic insulation;
replacing heaving soils with compacted dry sand;
installation of a hydraulic lock along the entire perimeter of the building.

If the groundwater level is high, drainage pipes should be installed to ensure efficient drainage of water.

Recommendations for working with different types of base

Conservation is the key to the integrity of the poured structure. Depending on the shape of the foundation, different amounts of material will be consumed.

If you choose a separate method of winter protection, you can protect the building.

Tape fill

A tape-shaped foundation, poured along the contour of the future walls of the building, belongs to the group of increased risk of failure in winter.

A large area of direct contact is formed along the vertical surface. This increases the load from the heaving soil, affecting the influence of moisture that accumulates in the soil during the autumn rains.

To avoid mistakes, you will need to create an effective conservation structure.

Preservation of tape filling

To avoid curvature of the pouring, the appearance of kinks, extrusion or severe shrinkage, it is necessary to dismantle the formwork. Excess moisture from the wood gets into the concrete.

It is necessary to use several types of waterproofing, for example, first apply impregnation, then glue roofing material, seal the joints from overlap with bitumen mastic.

It is recommended to insulate the side surfaces of the foundation with waterproof material, for example, polystyrene foam.

The structure is covered with a reinforced film made of dense polyethylene, and a liquid drainage system is constructed. A drainage structure is assembled if groundwater flows higher than 0.5 meters down, relative to the lower edge of the foundation, or if the soil freezes.

Work with concrete must be completely stopped no later than 30 days before the first frost appears. The mixture will have time to gain density and will better withstand winter conditions.

Monolithic slab

The large dimensions of the monolith with a relatively small thickness do not exert much pressure on the soil; there is a high risk of damage as a result of mechanical impact - the soil swells in winter. Despite the pre-filled cushions of sand, crushed stone, and gravel, there cannot be an absolute guarantee of the absence of damage.

The integrity of a concrete slab in the spring is not an indicator that the insulation laid underneath is not deformed. A crumpled, damaged layer of thermal insulation will not reduce the heat loss of the building.

Protection of a monolithic slab during winter

To make the foundation strong enough, concreting is carried out a month, 40 days before the onset of cold weather. They are moving on to the construction of conservation for the winter.

A dense layer of waterproofing materials is applied to the sides of the flooded space; the top of the slab is covered with two layers of reinforced polyethylene film, or filled with bitumen mortar. If you fill the surface with bitumen, in the spring, before constructing the building, you need to pour a cement screed.

You need to purchase expanded clay and cover the surface with a layer 10 cm high. The lying material can be successfully used when insulating the attic floor, blind area, which is laid close to the foundation.

Pillars, piles

Columnar and pile foundations do not require shelter until the grillage is poured.

Even the pouring pillars are sufficiently protected from damage; the pouring area in direct contact with the environment is very small.

Grillage prepared for wintering

After pouring the grillage, it is necessary to take conservation measures.

Concreting is carried out at least 2-3 weeks before the onset of cold weather, and the formwork is removed. It is necessary to apply a thick layer of bitumen primer, let it dry, and wrap the concrete tightly in reinforced polyethylene.

Conservation of a construction site

For whatever reasons, the construction of the facility was suspended in the winter, it is necessary to carry out a set of necessary work to prepare for the conservation of the facility itself and the materials brought for construction.

Snow and frost can greatly damage the foundation

There are several reasons that can cause damage to prepared building materials and erected structures:

Atmospheric precipitation - water from rainfall is absorbed into materials and accumulates in the cavities of building structures. With the onset of the first frosts, the water freezes and expands significantly, which can cause destruction of building structures and damage to materials.
Low temperatures can cause deterioration in the properties of some building materials, which lose their properties and become very brittle. To prevent damage to material resources, it is very important to cover them correctly.
Water and frost cause a phenomenon called soil heaving - frozen wet soil begins to push foundation structures to the surface of the earth. Shallow foundations suffer greatly from this phenomenon.
Excessive snow load in winter can cause the collapse of building structures that are not designed to withstand a load of such force.
The last reason in favor of conservation is not related to natural phenomena or the design features of the building. At a site unprepared for wintering, there is a danger of theft of materials that are not guarded by anyone during the winter period.