When exposed to excessive load, groundwater or freezing, the foundation of any building can be damaged. But you can diagnose the damage yourself. There are various ways to repair a foundation yourself.
If you doubt the integrity of the foundation of the house you live in, you need to get it diagnosed.
Foundation survey
If during the inspection you find a crack, you need to determine whether it is progressing. To do this, it is convenient to use regular paper tape. Stick it on the damaged area so that it connects both parts of the crack. Check it once a day for 2 weeks.
If the paper is deformed or torn, then it is necessary to urgently repair or replace it if the damage cannot be repaired. If the crack does not grow, then the damaged foundation can be easily repaired; if the problem does not threaten the integrity of the house, then it can simply be filled with cement mortar.
A more informative way to determine the severity of the damage is by digging holes. A pit is a depression in the ground adjacent to the foundation. It must be the same depth as the foundation, at least a meter long, and there must be at least 2 of them. To avoid collapse, it is necessary to install wooden supports on the walls of the recess.
Digging pits is the most informative way to determine foundation damage. It is recommended to dig it in a possible place of damage. It makes it possible to determine the presence of groundwater, soil composition and immediately begin repairs.
Types of deformations and ways to eliminate them
- When deflections, a network of cracks or faults resembling an inverted “V” are noticeable on the foundation, you can confidently determine that a mistake was made during construction. The project initially did not take into account the presence of groundwater and soil conditions. In this case, along with strengthening the foundation, it is necessary to strengthen the soil and provide a drainage system.
- The base may also bend if the depth of the monolith is incorrectly calculated. During frost heaving, the soil pushes out the foundation, causing cracks to form. To prevent the problem, the base must be deepened so that the sand cushion is located below the freezing point of the soil.
- All kinds of tilting of the base and its twisting occur when using low-quality building materials. Then the shrinkage will be uneven, and cracks will form on the monolith. In this case, a comprehensive repair will be required with the replacement or strengthening of damaged elements.
Even before starting work on strengthening the foundation, it is necessary to determine the option for its implementation. Repairs are complicated due to the significant weight of the building itself. You can quickly complete the event using the following methods:
- making a concrete belt to strengthen the cracked base;
- additional reinforcement;
- driving piles.
Common Causes of Damage
The most common reasons for foundation damage are:
- Human impact;
- Unscrupulous attitude towards the construction of the foundation, low-quality materials;
- External influence of natural factors.
The most dangerous thing is the presence of groundwater. In winter, when they freeze, they increase in volume and can damage the foundation. In summer, they can lead to subsidence.
Symptoms of damage
You are quite capable of identifying a violation of the integrity of the foundation in your home. The appearance of cracks and depressions are excellent markers of destruction. It must be remembered that some cracks do not pose a danger to the structure and can simply be filled with cement.
Main symptoms of damage
- The walls begin to crack;
- In the area of destruction, the finish begins to break;
- Obvious violations in the integrity of floor coverings;
- Partial building collapses;
- Damage to the integrity of the soil in areas of possible destruction of the foundation.
Vibration Loads
An example of an area where the foundation is subject to vibration loads
Near roads, the foundations of houses are often destroyed by vibrations. Country houses are not exposed to such loads. Heavy vehicles passing through the city gradually destroy it.
In this case, the pit is made 45 cm wider, formwork is placed around the corners, and after reinforcement and pouring with concrete, the resulting space is filled with sand.
Spilling water on it several times. As for the depth, the pillow should be 10-15 cm thicker, from the standard, about 25 cm. When compacting the pillow, the crushed stone is mixed in a 1:1 ratio. By taking such simple measures, you will be able to partially dampen vibrations, while extending the life of your brick house.
DIY foundation repair
Steps to restore the integrity of the foundation depend on the type and extent of damage. You can see photos of foundation repairs to better understand the process.
Cracks
First, you need to determine the cause of the crack and, based on this, a method to strengthen the foundation.
When destruction does not appear in a separate area, but affects the entire perimeter of the building and is associated with high soil moisture, you need to do the following:
- Dig a trench around the perimeter of the house;
- Remove dirt and old plaster from the foundation;
- Place a metal mesh in the trench and fill it with cement, compacting it well.
Foundation subsidence
First you need to find out how the destruction progresses. If active, how can the foundation be repaired? The procedure will be as follows:
First you need to install the jack. To do this, a strip of foundation up to a meter wide is removed with a hammer drill. A jack is installed in the resulting recess. It is safer to use several jacks and lift the building no more than 1-3 cm at a time, otherwise the building may be destroyed.
It is necessary to make supports. Reinforcing bars with a diameter of 2 cm are better suited for this. It is important that the supports are at least 0.25 m wide. They are installed on special substrates.
Installation of formwork. Concreting.
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How to avoid problems in the future?
The first step is to comply with SNiP when equipping a supporting structure. The base option must be coordinated with the density of the soil on the site, provide high-quality waterproofing, and protect the sole from the cold:
Soil waters contain many organic and mineral impurities that react chemically with base materials.
Abundant moisture provokes the proliferation of microflora, so it is very important to properly cover the foundation with a waterproofing barrier. It consists of several components:- drainage systems;
wide blind area;
- horizontal as well as vertical protection using waterproof materials.
- The drainage system is essential for the protection of a brick building. Most developers neglect this event, wanting to save money, although it is irrational to do so.
- A common cause of foundation destruction is an attempt to build it from low-quality building materials.
This is not only a violation of the concrete preparation recipe, but also the depth of the sand bed. According to SNiP, it must be located below the level to which the soil freezes. This indicator differs for different regions. When the base is properly deepened, cracks appear in it much less often. - When construction work is carried out on swampy soil, before installing the foundation, it is necessary to carry out reclamation measures related to excavation and then replacement of soil.
- External insulation of the poured base is necessary when a basement is provided under the building. Then such an event will not allow the monolith to freeze in winter, even if water gets inside.
Repairing the foundation of a wooden house with your own hands
If the old foundation can no longer perform its basic functions or it is necessary to extend the service life of the building, it is replaced.
What you will need to replace the foundation yourself:
- Hydraulic jacks;
- Steel wedges and crowbar;
- Jackhammers or sledgehammers;
- Logs or bricks for support;
- Support for the jack.
Complete replacement of the building's foundation with a new one
Many owners of old mansions are interested in how to completely replace the foundation under a wooden house. This procedure is very labor-intensive, but in cases where the support structure is in poor condition, repairs do not make much sense.
The most popular method is in which a wooden house is installed on a strip-type foundation with a base poured at the required height. Before changing the foundation, a continuous trench is dug around the perimeter of the building walls, into which reinforced concrete is poured. Waterproofing work will also be required, and before the foundation is finally strengthened, it is insulated and covered with cladding.
The second method of overhauling the foundation of an old wooden house involves the use of screw piles. With strength characteristics comparable to a strip foundation, the updated foundation on screw piles is more economical and does not require much time and effort for installation. The supports of a wooden house are installed with your own hands using levers specially designed for this purpose. The installation depth of the pile for the foundation under an old wooden house should be at the level of freezing of the soil layer. The installed piles are connected by electric welding using a channel belt, creating a single structure.
