How to make a basement under the house. Basement: subtleties of designing and creating a basement. Advantages of a cellar located under the house

The construction of a basement in a private house requires quite serious work before construction begins. As a rule, design engineers do this. But there are some nuances that the customer needs to know both during construction and when planning the rational use of the basement upon completion of construction work.

Step-by-step guide to building a basement

Depending on the intended use of the basement in an individual residential building, you will have to decide on some factors that influence both the geometry of the basement and the finishing methods.

Preliminary preparation. The basement under the house allows you to increase the useful use of the land plot without increasing the building area; it creates a kind of air barrier between the ground and the living rooms of the 1st floor, which significantly affects the microclimate in the entire house. Based on the method of operating the basement, they are divided into heated and unheated:

  1. Heated basement. The merit of such a basement is the placement of additional recreational areas in a residential building: a gym or billiard room, a sauna or bathhouse, a swimming pool. Often, various workshops, a garage, and a heating unit with the installation of heating units are located in the basement. Such a basement is not suitable for storing food, winter stocks of agricultural products, conservation, but it has a beneficial effect on the performance of the structural elements of the foundation.
  2. Cold or unheated basement. Such a basement is a kind of large cellar or storage room in a residential building. Due to the constant cold and damp air in the basement, heating costs for the entire house increase; in some cases, additional work is required to insulate the foundations and basement floor structures.
Only after weighing all the pros and cons, it is necessary to complete a project to build a house with a basement. A designer is not needed to draw up drawings - specialists from the design organization study the site for future development, the topography of the land, the quality and depth of soil freezing, and the presence of groundwater.

The number of future residents, the minimum set of premises, the proposed types of heating, water supply, energy supply, sewerage, and the proposed type of use of the basement are clarified with the customer. Based on the data obtained, the designer develops a project in which he indicates the order of work according to construction technology.

Developing a design solution for installing the foundations of a residential building with a basement will help to avoid unexpected financial costs both during the period of active construction and during operation.

Excavation. Before the start of excavation work, alignment work is carried out: the location of the future building with a basement is determined, the axes are fixed on the ground, and they are linked to existing capital landmarks. Based on the results of the work, a plan diagram for securing and linking the axes of the future building is drawn up.

Based on the elevations of the existing terrain and the design of future basement floors, the depth of digging the pit for the building is determined. The recommended height of the basement is 2.3-2.5 m, the floor structure is up to 0.3 m. If the project provides for a completely underground basement, the pit is deepened immediately to the full depth, a semi-buried one is 1.2-1.5 m. Width and the length of the pit is increased by 0.5-0.8 m on each side for ease of installation and.

Construction of foundations. After finishing and removing the soil in the pit, foundations for the entire house are installed, which will serve as walls for the basement. The foundation is made of 2 types:

  1. . Repeats the plan of the main walls of the 1st floor. It is made of monolithic concrete with a reinforcement frame, foundation blocks or rubble masonry. With this type of foundation, the floors in the basement are installed separately after the installation of the basement walls is completed.
  2. Monolithic slab. Formwork is installed along the perimeter of the entire building, a frame is made of reinforcing steel, and the ready-mixed concrete is laid using surface vibrators. After the completed structure has gained strength and the formwork has been dismantled, the basement walls are erected. The same slab serves as the basement floor.
The presented video clearly shows the process of constructing a foundation of the “monolithic slab” type, and describes the nuances of manufacturing the reinforcement frame and waterproofing:


For each type of foundation, it is necessary to perform horizontal and vertical waterproofing. Typically, horizontal insulation is made from several layers of roll insulation materials using bitumen mastic between each layer. Vertical - bitumen, penetrating or roll. Each type of insulation has its own technology, which must be strictly followed.

Construction of basement walls. Walls can be made of various materials: concrete, stone, foundation blocks, fired clay bricks. During the construction of walls, all openings are provided: windows (if any), doors, installation openings - for sewerage, water supply, ventilation, electrical supply. The placement and dimensions of openings are always indicated in the design solution, which must be strictly observed.

Waterproofing walls. This is the main stage of construction production of basement walls. The quality of the completed waterproofing significantly affects the penetration of ground moisture into the basement.

External waterproofing is best done from rolled insulating materials. An important point is the sealing of the seam between the slab foundation and the basement wall being built. In this case, it is recommended to use a plastic profile made of acrylic polymers, which ensures complete sealing of “cold” joints during the construction process, which increases in geometric dimensions upon direct contact with water, fills all cracks and irregularities, creating an active barrier for the penetration of water into the interior of the structure.

It is better to fill the sinuses between the walls of the basement and the pit with clay, with layer-by-layer compaction, which creates an additional barrier to water.

It is better to entrust all work on the installation of load-bearing structures of the basement to highly qualified professionals, because mistakes can lead to subsidence of the foundation, the formation of cracks, flooding of basements, and the impossibility of its rational use.

Safety precautions when performing general construction work

All of the above stages of work involve the use of lifting or earth-moving equipment. When working to excavate soil from a pit, it is necessary to organize the process so that transport routes for removing soil do not intersect with the work of the excavator, and auxiliary workers are not in the working area of ​​the bucket. In loose soils, provide for securing the pit slopes from collapse.

Using a crane to move and install building elements on a construction site, a senior person is determined whose commands, previously agreed upon, are carried out by the crane operator. Do not use faulty or homemade lifting devices. The sound alarm on the tap must be in working order. Workers must have personal protective equipment: helmets, special gloves, hard-soled shoes.

When working with hot bitumen materials when performing insulation work, it is necessary to observe not only personal safety (protective clothing made of thick fabric, mittens, rubber boots or boots with rubber soles, eye glasses), but also fire safety.

The manufacture of a reinforcement frame for a monolithic slab and foundation walls does not involve the use of welding. Knitting work is done in stages: immediately the bottom layer, then the top. It is necessary to walk only along panel passages with securely fastened fittings.

When constructing monolithic concrete structures, both surface and deep vibrators operating using electricity are used. All tools must be reliably protected and grounded; people working with them must have personal protective equipment: gloves, rubber boots.

Selection of building materials

It is necessary to select building materials for the construction of a basement with the utmost care, since the walls of the basement are at the same time the foundation for the entire house. The materials must have the necessary strength and be able to withstand the load from the upper floors.


For the construction of external basement walls, it is not recommended to use porous materials (cellular concrete blocks), silicate and pressed bricks.

The best materials are concrete foundation blocks, natural hard rock (granite, tuff, limestone, sandstone), baked clay brick, monolithic waterproof concrete.

Types of rooms in the basement and features of their finishing

The final finishing of the entire set of rooms in the basement depends entirely on the purpose of each room individually:
  1. Utility room. This could be a boiler room, a pantry or a cellar. In such rooms, simple plastering of the walls is carried out, followed by painting with water-based compounds. The floor is cement screed.
  2. Gym. Finishing depends on the imagination and financial capabilities of the owner. General requirements are improved plaster on the walls, plasterboard on the ceiling, linoleum on the floor.
  3. Sauna. As a rule, the walls and ceiling are finished with wood, after additional insulation of the walls has been performed. Floor – ceramic tiles. When decorating a sauna, you must always remember: this is a room with an increased fire hazard, regardless of the method of heating it. That is why it is necessary to strictly adhere to fire safety rules taking into account operation.
  4. Pool. The issue of protecting the surface of all enclosing structures from excess moisture should be at the forefront. The floor, walls, ceiling and the pool bowl itself must not allow water to pass to the structural elements of the enclosing structures. Ceramic or glass tiles are more often used.
  5. Billiard room. The finishing is usually done in a strict classical style. Particular attention is paid to the ceiling and lighting.
  6. Wine Vault. Many owners of wine collections prefer to decorate the cellar in the form of an ancient castle: made of natural stone, brick, untreated wood. Regardless of the finish, the main thing in such a room is maintaining the temperature regime.
Staircases, rooms of emotional relief or a library do not have clear rules for finishing methods. All techniques are good here: high-quality plaster, finishing with MDF panels or plasterboard, suspended or suspended ceilings.

Basement engineering equipment

The issues of ventilation and lighting in the basement only at first glance seem simple and do not require any special knowledge. In fact, there are some nuances that need to be paid attention to and taken into account when performing work on their installation:

1. Lighting in the basement. When purchasing materials for basement lighting, you must first of all be guided by the reliability of materials with a high degree of protection against electric shock. These include hermetic lamps in technical rooms, and additional electrically safe hoses for laying wiring in saunas, steam baths, and swimming pools. Be sure to ground the sockets.

It is better not to place the input distribution device in the basement. Lighting panels and emergency voltage shutdown elements should be installed only in easily accessible places with obligatory inscriptions about the accessory.

The cross-section of the cable used must correspond to the power consumption of all electrical devices and have the necessary safety margin. It is better to use a double-insulated cable with copper conductors.

An incorrectly selected cross-section of cables, sockets, switches, electrical appliances, as well as an incorrectly installed power supply circuit, can lead to irreparable losses in the future.


2. Ventilation. The most important measure to prevent the formation of mold and fungi on the surface of the walls and ceiling of the basement. Regardless of the set of premises and the nature of their operation, it is necessary to arrange reliable ventilation in the basement of the house.


Ventilation can be:
  • natural, ensuring the supply and removal of air due to the difference in temperature indoors and outdoors;
  • forced, with the installation of both injection and exhaust units;
  • combined, when using the 2 previous types in the same room.
Natural ventilation, the simplest in design, is used in basements with a minimum number of partitions by installing a supply and exhaust pipe diagonally across the room. The supply pipe on the facade of the building is installed at the level of the plinth. Inside the room it descends to the floor, not reaching 20-25 cm. Exhaust - is located at a level of 10-15 cm from the ceiling and is brought out onto the street 0.5-1 m above the ridge of the entire building. In such a ventilation system, it is not advisable to have many kinks in pipelines and changes in the direction of air movement.

Forced ventilation is installed in the basement with many functional rooms. Air supply and exhaust are ensured using appropriate electric fans of varying power.

To remove “exhaust” air, air ducts with air intake holes are laid under the ceiling throughout all rooms. To control such ventilation, it is better to install automation that will regulate the supply and removal of air depending on preset parameters in each room separately.

A combined ventilation system is the simultaneous installation and operation of two types of ventilation, when the inflow is carried out naturally and the exhaust is carried out using fans.

Is it necessary to insulate the basement?

The question is not at all idle, but quite significant. The answer is simple - it is necessary. According to technology, insulation of any structure is carried out from the outside of the walls. The basement is no exception.

At the stage of foundation construction, external insulation of the walls is carried out to prevent their freezing in winter and heat penetration in summer. In this case, external waterproofing of the walls is carried out after completion of strengthening and plastering of the insulation.

To save heat, a device is carried out inside the basement, which is not much different from the technology of the external device.

For outdoor work, it is better to use extruded polystyrene foam boards, which have increased strength and the ability to withstand the pressure of external soil without destruction.

For internal insulation, any wall insulation is used. They are also recommended to insulate the ceiling. All insulation work is carried out at the finishing stage.

All issues related to construction and arrangement of the basement must be determined before construction begins. The reliability of the operational qualities of the basement in an individual house depends on the correct decision and adherence to the technology for performing all construction and installation work in the underground part of the building.

  • Date: 05/23/2014
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How to build a basement under your house with your own hands

Even if the basement cannot be called an integral part of any home, it is still a very important part. In the spacious basement you can equip a whole warehouse for storing canned and raw foods, any things and accessories that are not needed at the moment, but will be needed in the future.

To construct a basement under the house, it is necessary to dig a pit with a depth of at least 2.1 m, and if it is planned to place a boiler room in the basement, then the depth should reach 2.5 m.

The basement can even be used as a gym or office. In order for the basement to become a truly useful structure, and not lead to the rapid destruction of the foundation of the house, you need to know the basic rules of its construction. This guide will help you do it yourself, saving money on third-party services.

Assessing the possibility of building a basement under the house with your own hands

Before you start, you need to check whether the soil is suitable, namely, how saturated it is with moisture and how close to the surface the groundwater passes. To understand everything accurately, you need to invite hydrogeologists. They will conduct relevant research, take soil samples, analyze and give a detailed answer. But in most cases, even the naked eye is enough to draw the correct conclusion. For example, it is necessary to refuse in a house built on wetlands or wetlands that are flooded during spring floods and rains.

You can check the possibility yourself: in dry weather, dig a narrow hole about 2.5 m deep and wait a few days. If the hole does not fill with water, you can start digging a pit.

If possible, ask your neighbors how deep their wells are, whether their cellars and basements are flooded, and whether there is dampness in their houses. If the answers are positive, then it is better not to build a basement.

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Design features of basements

A number of difficulties with the construction of a basement may appear at the planning stage. You are unlikely to be able to use a standard project - it will have to be significantly adjusted, taking into account specific conditions, the topography of the site and the condition of the soil.

There are special requirements. First of all, the basement must be able to withstand the pressure of the surrounding soil well, provide a solid foundation for the building built above, and prevent moisture from entering. At the same time, the basement should also be a fairly comfortable room.

The foundation pit for the basement is dug to a depth of at least 2.1 m (if a boiler room is planned to be installed underground, then from 2.5 m). In addition, it is desirable that the basement be located under the entire area of ​​the building. You can also build a partial basement - half or even a third of the area of ​​the house or under some room.

However, for the foundation to reliably carry loads, there must be no gaps in the basement. You will have to design your basement with steps so that the resulting foundation slope is no more than 30 degrees. And the costs of constructing a stepped foundation are almost comparable to the costs of constructing a full-fledged underground.

The outer walls of the basement, the functions of which are performed by the foundation of the house, are made of expanded clay concrete blocks, brick, reinforced concrete or monolithic concrete. The last 2 options are most preferable. There are a number of special requirements for the quality of the concrete network used. First of all, the mixture must be thoroughly mixed, i.e. prepared exclusively in factory conditions or in a concrete mixer.

Under no circumstances should you use a mixture prepared by hand. To prepare the mixture, use 1 part M500 Portland cement, 3 parts sand, 4 parts crushed stone and 1 part water. The solution is laid in layers in a monolithic foundation. Long breaks in work are not allowed.

Depending on the material used, the thickness of the walls is taken as follows: for expanded clay concrete blocks and bricks - 0.5 m, for monolithic concrete - 0.25 m, for reinforced concrete - from 0.2 m. If the distance between the outer sides of the base is more than 6 m, then, regardless of the layout of the basement, internal walls must be erected. They are built from the same material as the external ones. In basements of any purpose, it is necessary to ensure that a constant temperature is maintained at a level not lower than +5 degrees.

Before you start building a basement, you need to make sure you have everything you need to build a basement and cover the first floor. To build a basement you will need much more materials than to build above-ground premises of a similar area: thicker walls are needed; thin partitions alone will not be enough to plan the interior space. Thorough isolation measures are also expected.

Prepare tools and materials for work:

  1. Concrete.
  2. Lumber for formwork.
  3. Nails.
  4. Gravel.
  5. Sand.
  6. Hammer.
  7. Saw.
  8. Axe.
  9. Shovels.
  10. Bitumen resin.
  11. Hydrostekloizol or roofing felt.

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How to build a basement: step-by-step instructions

To build a good basement, it is not enough to simply dig a pit. This room must be reliable, well ventilated and resistant to moisture. Before starting construction, you need to dig a small hole 2-2.5 m deep and see if water is collected in it. It's good if there is no water. Otherwise, waterproofing work will need to be done. And this must be done as carefully as possible, because... Eliminating errors in the future will be very expensive and difficult.

It is best to lay out a basement made of brick on a clay mortar with sand or rubble stone on a sand-lime mortar. Before deciding on the thickness of the walls, it is necessary to take into account the design of the future building. So, if the house is permanent and built of brick or cinder block, then the thickness of the basement walls should be 5 cm greater than the thickness of the masonry box of the building. For a rubble basement, the walls should be slightly larger.

The floor is made of gravel, expanded clay or broken brick. The masonry is compacted and insulated from moisture with a layer of roofing felt. If desired, the floor can be left earthen. It will better eliminate unpleasant odors and better maintain low temperatures in the basement at a constant level. Make the ceiling cover from PKZh, laying boards under them for flashing. The basement underneath the entire building requires support columns. These columns can be rows of bricks or cinder blocks 50-60 cm thick.

Particular attention is paid to waterproofing. For its construction, a layer of bitumen with straw or girsa, a couple of layers of roofing felt or roofing felt, and foam concrete are suitable. All seams are carefully sealed and sealed to prevent water with an unpleasant odor from entering the basement. Take care of ventilation too. To do this you need to make 2 air ducts.

The functions of air ducts can be performed by exhaust windows or pipes located diagonally at different ends of the basement. One window (or pipe) should be located closer to the ceiling, the other - to the floor. To control the intensity of ventilation, curtain curtains are installed.

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A mandatory and one of the most labor- and material-intensive stages of basement construction is waterproofing the structure. This is where even minor mistakes can lead to very serious consequences. The issue of waterproofing is most relevant for owners of private houses and summer cottages located next to a body of water.

Waterproofing is carried out from the inside and outside. It is optimal to install an insulating layer on the outside of the foundation walls, because the pressure of groundwater and soil in this case will press the insulation against the structure, and not tear it off.

In this case, one of several materials available to choose from is used. So, in the case of using bitumen roll products (lined insulation), it is necessary to ensure that the insulation layers are not damaged during installation. Flat membranes are also used, but it is best to use membranes with a reinforced base. They are laid with an overlap of about 10-15 cm, and the joints are fused or glued together.

Coating waterproofing (bitumen mastics) is applied to the surface using a roller, spatula or brush. After drying, the material forms a waterproof elastic film. Experts advise combining materials: first, a layer of coating waterproofing is applied, after which the surface is covered with 2-3 layers of adhesive.

If groundwater flows at a high level, then it is necessary to provide additional protection to the structure from its effects. To do this, a single-layer brick wall or clay castle is erected. The latter is a layer of compacted clay around the foundation and basement walls. Such protection prevents direct contact of the waterproofing with water and reduces the water pressure on the walls of the basement.

The protruding parts of the base (the lower part of the plinth) must be protected from adverse weather conditions. The same clay castle and geotextile membrane are suitable for this. The best option is to bring the underground layer of waterproofing out to a level of about 15-20 cm. The blind area also makes a positive contribution.

If the soil on the site is sufficiently moist, it is also necessary to make drainage, with the help of which excess water will be drained from the soil. This will prevent the walls in the basement from becoming waterlogged and reduce the hydrostatic water pressure. Drainage pipes are laid in the pit along the perimeter of the base so that they create a closed loop. Then the pipes are filled with fine crushed stone and covered with geotextiles. Individual sections of pipes must be laid with a slope in the direction of the absorbing drain.

Your own cellar will be useful in almost every private household. You can store vegetables, canned goods and other things in the cellar. At the same time, such storage will be as convenient and high-quality as possible, because the cellar is located underground and does not take up useful space in living quarters, and the temperature conditions in the basement ensure the longest possible storage of various food products.

The cellar can be equipped both at the stage of construction of the building, and in an already finished private building. In the second case, the work is complicated by the fact that you will have to dig a hole for the cellar by hand and remove the soil from the room yourself. Otherwise, the procedure for arranging a cellar for both mentioned situations is practically the same.

The cellar in the basement of the house must be buried at least 150-180 cm deep. With less depth, the temperature in the basement will exceed +8 degrees, which will not have the best effect on the conditions and shelf life of vegetables.

Before starting work, you need to establish the depth of groundwater passage specifically in your area. This is easiest to do at the stage of arranging the foundation of the house, because... Geodetic research is included in the list of mandatory preparatory activities.

If the house has already been built, but you have just now decided to start arranging your personal cellar, determine the point of passage of groundwater you'll have to do it yourself.

This can be done according to the following methods:

  • dig a hole with a depth of 250 cm and monitor its condition for several days in terms of filling with water;
  • determine the depth of water in wells on adjacent land plots.

You can also contact a specialized company engaged in drilling wells.

Checking the groundwater level should be done during spring floods or prolonged autumn rains. It is during these periods that groundwater aquifers rise to their maximum level.

If groundwater is closer to the soil surface than 100 cm, you will have to refrain from constructing an underground basement, giving preference to an external cellar in some other suitable area.

If the groundwater level is within 100-150 cm, you can try to reduce it using a drainage system laid around the perimeter of the building below the floor of the future basement. In this case, special attention will need to be paid to waterproofing the basement walls.

Ideally, an underground cellar should have a depth of 200-230 cm. With such depth indicators in the underground room, it will be comfortable to go about your business, and the air temperature will be set at approximately +4-5 degrees, which is the optimal indicator for long-term storage of canned food, vegetables, etc.

Before you start arranging the cellar, you need to select suitable building materials. The walls of the room can be erected from concrete, natural stone, concrete blocks, ceramic bricks. It is better not to use sand-lime brick and cinder blocks.

Determine the best option for entering the cellar. The simplest option is to install a hatch in the floor of the room with the installation of a ladder to descend into the cellar. If possible, the descent can be made of full-fledged concrete steps - this is more convenient. An inclined trench for arranging the descent must be provided at the stage of digging the foundation pit.

Step-by-step guide to building a cellar

Self-arrangement of the cellar under the house is carried out in several simple steps. Complete each of them in sequence.

Video - Cellar under the house

The first stage is determining the dimensions

Start by determining the dimensions of the cellar that are convenient for you. As a rule, the cellar area under the house is at least 5-8 m2. With similar dimensions, it will be possible to place racks with canned food in jars and containers with various root vegetables. For the rest, be guided by your needs.

Make the size of the pit at least 60 cm larger than the size of the cellar on each side. Of this reserve, approximately 30 cm will go to the walls. The rest of the space will be filled with waterproofing material and a clay castle.

Video - Construction of a cellar

Stage two – excavation work

Start digging a pit. If the house is just being built, use special equipment. In the case of arranging a cellar in an already finished house, you will have to dig it manually. To prevent the side walls of the pit from crumbling, strengthen them with temporary supports, for example, made of plywood or boards.

Make the depth of the pit such that its bottom is approximately 30 cm below the bottom of the future cellar under the house.

The third stage is the foundation

Fill the bottom of the pit with mixed grade crushed stone. Compact the backfill and lay the reinforcing mesh on it. Pour the concrete. Allow the fill 2-5 days to dry initially. After this, you can begin arranging the walls of the future cellar.

Stage four - walls

It is better if the walls of the cellar are made of monolithic concrete. To increase the moisture resistance of the fill, it is necessary to add a special mixture to the solution to create penetrating moisture insulation.

Assemble the formwork for pouring the concrete walls. To do this, use boards, bars, ties and nails. It is better that the formwork boards are planed - they are easier to dismantle in the future. Make the formwork about 30 cm wide. Lay 2 reinforcing bars along the future walls with a connection at the joints of the walls. Use soft wire to connect the rods.

At the stage of arranging the formwork, provide places for placing ventilation pipes.

Pour concrete into the formwork. It is best to pre-order ready-made concrete, because... It will take a lot of time to independently prepare the required amount of solution.

After pouring, pierce the concrete with a metal rod in several places to remove excess air from the material. The solution will dry for about a week and will need another 3-4 weeks to gain strength.

Let the walls dry and dismantle the formwork.

Fifth stage - waterproofing

Proceed with the external waterproofing of the cellar. Bituminous mastic is best suited for this. Apply 3-4 layers of waterproofing material to the outside of the basement walls using a roller, and then stick a layer of roofing felt over the mastic. Let the insulation dry and fill the area around the walls with earth or make a clay castle.

If there is a risk of flooding of the cellar, a clay castle must be made. Mix clay, clean sand and water until you obtain a homogeneous mass resembling plasticine. Fill the hole layer by layer with the resulting mass and compact thoroughly.

Inside, both the walls of the cellar and its floor are waterproofed. It is best to fill the floor with hot bitumen and cover it with roofing felt. To insulate walls, you can use polymer mastic or penetrating waterproofing. The second option is more preferable.

When installing the floor, remember the required 1-2 degree slope of the surface in the direction of the technical pit. Thanks to the slope, the cellar will remain dry even during the rainy season and floods.

Stage six - finishing

At the finishing stage you will have to make a ladder, a manhole cover and ventilation.

If you decide to make do with a simple wooden staircase, first soak the raw materials with an antiseptic. Place the stairs at a slope that makes it comfortable for you to climb and descend.

The hatch cover must be hinged. For the rest, at this stage, be guided by your preferences.

Video - Ventilation in the cellar

Insert the ventilation pipes into the holes that you made at the stage of preparing the walls for pouring concrete. The exhaust vent should be located under the ceiling of the cellar above the pit, the supply vent should be located almost near the floor in the opposite wall. Place the air ducts outside. Place protective grilles (grids) over the ventilation openings.

The procedure for arranging the ceiling depends on whether the cellar is created during the construction of the house or whether it is installed in an already completed building. In most cases, the ceiling of the cellar is an ordinary floor slab with a pre-prepared hole for the hatch. The procedure for arranging such a ceiling depends, as already noted, on the circumstances under which the cellar is created under the house, so be guided by the conditions of your particular case.

This completes the construction of a cellar under the house with your own hands. Install the planned racks and shelves, and you can start using your own cellar.

Good luck!

Video - DIY cellar under the house

It has the optimal combination of technical characteristics and capabilities.

It has a high load-bearing capacity and efficiency, allowing you to build large and massive houses on a relatively small supporting structure.

An important feature of the tape is the ability to combine it with additional elements, in particular with a basement.

Unlike most alternative options, the tape is fully adapted to the construction of an underground room without interfering with the base structure.

In addition to the main functions, the basement allows you to monitor the condition of the concrete strip and maintain it if necessary.

Let's take a closer look at the basement construction technique.

The difference between a basement and a cellar lies in two factors:

  • Location. If the basement is an element of the foundation of the house and cannot be separated from it, then the cellar can be built either directly under the house or at a distance from the building, in any convenient place.
  • Purpose. The cellar was traditionally intended for storing food products stored for the winter. The basement has a wider list of functions, from storing supplies for the winter to creating a workshop, warehouse, gym or other needs.

The most fundamental difference between these structures can be considered the temperature regime. If the storage of food requires a lower temperature, which promotes the preservation of preparations, vegetables, etc., then the functionality of the basement requires higher temperatures, comfortable for performing various works.

In addition, if a cellar can be built on a finished building, then the underground is large and is built only during the initial construction of the building.

The strip foundation allows you to provide almost any temperature regime in the basement, depending on the purpose. This type of base allows you to obtain the maximum basement area corresponding to the size of the above-ground floors.

If necessary, it can be equipped as housing, although less comfortable than the usual premises on the upper floors.

Conditions for building a basement

The main condition for the construction of a basement is a low level of groundwater. If they are located too close to the surface, the basement will be damp and the concrete floor will be subject to heaving loads.

Given the large area, their size may be critical and deform the base along with the concrete slab. If the depth of groundwater is too close to the basement floor, seasonal fluctuations can provoke a sharp increase in loads, the consequences of which can be very disastrous.

What should be the depth of the strip foundation?

To build a basement, it is necessary to immerse the tape in the ground to a depth below the freezing level. This is the minimum value; in practice, they are most often guided by the height of the basement, the thickness of the sand preparation layer and the concrete floor.

In total, the depth of the belt can be laid in excess of 2 m. It must be taken into account that under such conditions the side surface of the belt has a large area, which contributes to an increase in horizontal loads on it from the outside.

Their size can be reduced only by expanding the pit and increasing the layer of filling of the sinuses, which compensates for pressure and performs drainage functions. The volume of waterproofing work and the overall consumption of building materials increases, especially in the presence of concrete.

The calculation of the basement structure must be carried out by a competent specialist; acting “like a neighbor” in this case is too risky.

Construction over part of the house and over the entire area

A strip foundation allows you to create a basement both under the entire house along the perimeter of the external walls, and under part of it.

There are individual cases of constructing underground premises that exceed the size of the above-ground part of the house, but they require separate consideration due to the complexity of calculations and construction.

In most cases, when the size of the basement is smaller than the total area of ​​the base, the depth of the tape is taken according to the conditions of the building parameters. For the basement, a separate pit is dug with a deeper foundation, creating a sufficient height for the room

The pit is inscribed in the general perimeter of the belt. This option is used in cases where it is possible to use tape option.

If it is necessary to build a full-fledged buried foundation, the basement is formed by removing soil in the desired section of the tape.

Waterproofing

Cutting off the tape from contact with water is a mandatory element that helps preserve the working qualities of the material and increase the service life of the base. Traditional method, which has been used for many decades, is to apply a layer of heated (molten) tar to the side surfaces.

To cut off horizontal surfaces, a double layer of roofing material is used, glued inside with bitumen mastic. The bottom layer is laid before installing the armored belt, and the top layer is applied after curing and hardening of the material.

Modern materials for waterproofing make it possible to form high-quality protection for concrete from moisture. The most effective are impregnations that penetrate the surface layer of the material and completely eliminate the possibility of capillary penetration of water into it.

NOTE!

Most builders do not yet trust new and little-tested means, preferring proven methods - applying a layer of bitumen mastic or hot tar.


General installation diagram

The construction of basements is carried out simultaneously with the construction of the general foundation. This allows you to obtain a strong, monolithic base with maximum load-bearing capacity and resistance to external loads.

There is a technique with basements that uses foundation blocks (FBS), but this technology is mainly used for the construction of massive multi-story buildings.

Let's consider the procedure for pouring a monolithic concrete strip:

  • Preparing the site, marking, digging a pit.
  • Preparing a trench for the tape at the bottom of the pit.
  • Creating a layer of sand backfill.
  • Laying a layer of waterproofing.
  • Installation of formwork.
  • Creation of a reinforcing frame.
  • concrete.
  • Allow the concrete strip to cure until the material hardens completely.
  • Stripping, applying waterproofing.
  • Further work.

The procedure is indicated schematically, without details. Details depend on specific conditions, hydrogeological conditions, soil composition, etc.

Several additional actions may be necessary - drainage, or other operations that are applied as necessary and according to design data.

Installation of formwork

usually done right on site. The material is wood (edged board 25-40 mm thick) or plywood. Shields are assembled, the width of which corresponds to the height of the tape with some technological margin.

The assembled panels are installed in their places, aligned along the axes of the tape and fixed with stops in increments of 0.7-1.2 m. The distance between them determines the thickness of the tape and is fixed with crossbars. When assembling, it is necessary to ensure maximum density.

Gaps or gaps larger than 3 mm are not allowed. If large gaps appear, use tow or fill the gaps with wooden slats. The installation of the formwork is carried out carefully and firmly so that when pouring it is possible to withstand the loads and weight of the concrete.

Plywood formwork allows you to obtain maximum quality tape, a simpler and more airtight structure.


Selecting reinforcement and its diameter

The diameter of the reinforcing bars used on strip foundations depends on the width of the concrete strip. Typically, rods with a diameter of 10-14 mm (working) and 6-8 mm (smooth, auxiliary) are used.

For a strip width of up to 20 cm, a 10 mm rod is usually used, and for a strip thickness of up to 30 cm, rods with a diameter of 12 mm are used.

For tapes with a thickness of more than 30 cm, a diameter of 14 mm is used, but such parameters are rare in private housing construction. The most common rods are 12 mm, which can ensure the stability of almost any tape structure in low-rise construction.

Reinforcement

The reinforcement frame is a spatial lattice located inside the tape. The parameters of the armored belt are selected from the rods 2-5 cm inside the concrete. With a basement height of about 2 m, the belt usually consists of two gratings, consisting of 3-4 rows of horizontal (working) rods with fins.

They take on axial tensile loads in all directions, stabilizing and strengthening the tape.

All loads, both vertical and horizontal (directed at the side walls of the tape) will be compensated by working rods, and smooth reinforcement is used only to fix them in the desired position until concrete is poured.

Knitting reinforcement

The assembly of the arm belt is usually done by knitting with soft annealed wire. This connection method does not require connection to the power supply network and allows you to obtain a fairly strong connection between the elements.

Knitting is done by twisting two rods in a cross or longitudinal direction. A piece of wire, folded in half, covers the joint, after which a special hook engages the loop and makes a tight twist with a rotational motion.

This does not require any special skill; the skill is acquired very quickly.

Fill

is made from several points to ensure uniformity and consistency of the tape. It is recommended to use at least M200 or M250, which allows you to obtain a high-quality and load-resistant concrete monolith.

Before starting work, you should prepare everything and organize the delivery of concrete so that all work is completed in one go. The presence of cold seams dramatically reduces the quality of the tape, posing a threat to the entire building.

After pouring, bayoneting or processing with a vibrating machine is performed to remove small air bubbles. Curing of concrete lasts 28 days. For the first 3 days, the tape is watered every 4 hours, after which it is covered with polyethylene.

NOTE!

Then, for 7 days, watering is carried out three times a day. The formwork can be removed 10 days after pouring.


Final stages of work

After curing is complete, the surface of the tape is covered with a layer of waterproofing, insulated (if necessary) and the sinuses are filled. After compacting the backfill layer, a concrete blind area is poured, cutting off the sinuses from contact with rainwater flowing from the walls or from gutters.

This allows you to significantly reduce the possibility of moisture penetration into the backfill layer and relieves the drainage system.

Ventilation

Ventilation holes (vents) are made in the upper part of the tape along the short sides of the perimeter. They are located in pairs, opposite each other in the corners and evenly along the entire length in increments of 1.5-2 m.

These openings organize air exchange in the basement, removing excess moisture and helping to dry the walls, eliminating mold, mildew and other undesirable manifestations.

Useful video

In this video you will learn how to build a monolithic strip foundation with a basement:

Conclusion

Construction of a basement allows you to significantly increase the usable area of ​​the house, create space for a workshop, storage or other needs.

To create a basement, a large amount of materials and excavation work will be required, so it is necessary to prepare a place in advance for storing the excavated soil, and also be prepared for increased financial costs.

The construction technology differs little from the method of creating a conventional tape, the only difference is in the height of the walls and the amount of work on insulation and waterproofing.

In contact with

Nowadays it is hardly possible to imagine building a private house without a basement. A basement in a private house can be intended for a variety of purposes: storing food, equipment for a sauna, bathhouse or billiard room. Depending on the purpose for which the basement will be used, its shape and type of decoration of the walls, floor and ceiling are selected.

Small billiard room in the basement of the house

In order to build a basement in a house, it is necessary to establish the groundwater level on the site - it should be quite low. Otherwise, it will be a very common occurrence after heavy rain has passed. To prevent this from happening, the foundation of the overall structure is provided deep, and it is better if it is of a mixed type.

To build a utility basement, a height of 2-2.2 m is sufficient. It is also rational to install a heating boiler for the entire house in the basement. Due to this, all rooms of the cottage, including the basement, will have a constant temperature regime.


Drawing and diagram of the construction of a private house with a utility basement

Advice. If the groundwater level on the site is quite high, then instead of a full-fledged basement or cellar, you can build a basement space. Its depth can be no more than 120-150 cm.

In terms of its technical characteristics, the room is not inferior to a cellar, and has recently become very popular. The basement is being done simultaneously with the general construction. Its walls must be connected to the foundation, and the ceiling must be connected to the ground floor.

To ensure the safety of the basement, the walls of the structure must be thick enough to withstand the load of the soil on them. As a rule, this thickness is at least 30-40 cm. The construction of a basement directly depends on the quality of the soil on the site.

If the soil has a loose structure, then the walls of the basement can be made of brick, rubble stone, reinforced concrete, rubble concrete, concrete.

In order to ensure sufficient structural strength of the walls, which are lined with bricks, it is necessary to lay reinforcing mesh in horizontal seams in the masonry of the building material along the entire height of the wall in increments of 40-50 cm.

If there is high air humidity in the basement, then it is better to build the walls of the room as a monolith. For this purpose, a solution of concrete or reinforced concrete is pre-prepared. The walls must have a certain degree of inclination to allow the soil to expand.


Durable monolithic basement walls

The wall structures of the basement must not only have sufficient strength to withstand the loads of the soil on them, but also be well insulated and insulated. This will help ensure a constant temperature.

Expanded clay or mineral wool are widely used as insulation for floors. You can also use polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam. Similar insulation materials are used for walls.

Advice. It will be more effective to place insulation on the outer walls of the basement - then the walls will not freeze.

The best material for this is considered to be polystyrene foam. It has high thermal conductivity, which is several times less than that of mineral wool. Also, this insulation does not burn and does not emit toxic substances.

External insulation of basement walls with foam plastic

In order to make a floor in the basement of a house, you must first add broken brick or bitumen, gravel or crushed stone to the ground. Layers of material are laid and distributed evenly around the entire perimeter, after which they are compacted.

If the soil in the basement is too wet, a layer of insulating material should be laid before adding layers of brick or gravel. This can be polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam.

Scheme of pouring and correct installation of the floor in the basement of a house

Advice. It is better not to use mineral wool for such work, as it absorbs moisture very easily and can be deformed even under light loads.

A layer of clay or crushed stone is placed on this material, which is impregnated with heated bitumen.

As for the finished floor, it can be concrete or reinforced concrete, it can be made of ceramic tiles or linoleum, as well as wood.

The base for the latest flooring options must be level. It is for this reason that concrete or reinforced concrete floors are often used. Any material can be laid on top of it.
In this video you can see how to make a basement in a house with your own hands and equip it with everything you need

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Cellar or basement

Very often it acts as a basement. It is usually located under the floor of a residential building. It can be placed in the hallway or kitchen. It is very common to have a cellar in the dressing room.

The walls of the cellar may not be connected to the foundation. They are usually built independently from brick, concrete or reinforced concrete. The form of this design comes in different shapes. The round shape has been considered the best option for a cellar for many centuries. It greatly helps to reflect the soil pressure on the walls, and the walls themselves can be made thin. It is also convenient to place food products for storage in a round cellar.

Waterproofing and ventilation of the basement

In order to ensure high-quality use of the basement, it is necessary to waterproof it internally or externally. For a cellar or basement, it is necessary to carry out waterproofing work, since the walls are in contact with the ground. And it, in turn, can be wet or dry, the condition of the external walls of such a structure will depend on this.


Basement waterproofing diagram

If the site has dry soil and groundwater is below the foundation structure, you can double coat the walls with heated bitumen. As for the wet structure of the soil, in this case it will be necessary to cover the walls of the basement with roofing felt.

Advice. Instead of roofing felt, you can use ordinary plastic film for the walls of a basement or cellar.

Quite serious measures will need to be taken during the waterproofing process if the basement is located at a level below groundwater on the site. In this case, make the floor in the room monolithic, and cover the outside walls with several layers of roofing material and lay plastic film on top of it.


Scheme of waterproofing the basement of a house located below the groundwater level

To ensure the strength of the floor and ensure the reliability of the entire structure, the base of the basement needs to be made of a monolith of reinforced concrete mortar.

Most of the work that is carried out to strengthen and waterproof a basement located below the groundwater level can take place in a flooded pit. It would be more rational to abandon the idea of ​​​​building a room, since only a professional in this field can cope with such work.

In addition to waterproofing, you need to think about effective waterproofing. The quality of product storage will depend on how fresh air gets there; ventilation is also important to keep the air humidity in the basement normal. As a rule, when constructing walls, ventilation pipes are inserted into them. Their exit can be on the street or in the house itself.


Drawing and the simplest diagram of a ventilation system for a cellar or basement in a private house

Advice. It would be better to place the outlets of the ventilation ducts on the street, so fresh air gets into them, and the circulation of air masses will become much better.

The top of the pipes is covered with special unique roofs. They are cone-shaped and attached to the pipe using small diameter metal pipes. The minimum pipe size to ensure high-quality ventilation is considered to be 140x140 mm. This method of ventilation is called natural.

Natural ventilation of the basement of a private house

In the basement you can also make artificial ventilation using special equipment. But this method of ensuring air circulation will not be rational to use, since it is considered expensive. Ventilation ducts that lead from the basement to the roof must also be sufficiently protected from rainwater or snow entering them.

Sauna in the basement

Very often the basement under the house is used as a sauna. This is an option for saving space in a suburban area.

Building a sauna is considered not only fashionable, but also healthy.

To ensure comfort in the sauna, its size should be at least 12-15 square meters. m. This is necessary even if the sauna is located in the basement. Natural ventilation can be ensured by the correct arrangement of rooms. They must be adjacent to the walls of the main building.

In saunas located in basements, it is not possible to build a swimming pool, since groundwater can penetrate into the building. The average depth of the pool is 1.5 m, and you also need to take into account the deepening of the basement itself, in general, it will be 3.5 m. That is why you should not risk the integrity of the structure.

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Advice. To ensure quality relaxation in the basement sauna, you can use small showers instead of a swimming pool. They don't take up much space.

The removal of wastewater from a room of this type will need to be thought out in advance. As a rule, the sewer pipe goes at an angle into a drainage pit or any other septic tank. That is, it should be deepened into the ground by 2-2.5 m. Everything will depend on the height of the basement.

A sauna in the basement of a house, as well as a separate building of this type, should have two main rooms: a relaxation room and a steam room. Showers and toilets will be auxiliary. You can also build a small dressing room at the entrance where you can change clothes.


Common layout of a sauna located in the basement of a house

The steam room in the sauna must be safe, since the reliability of the entire residential building fully depends on this. Very often, an electric or gas stove is used for a steam room. An economical option is a gas stove, which is equipped specifically for use in a steam room. In order to supply gas to the sauna to ensure the operation of such a stove, you need to obtain the appropriate permission from certain authorities. Gas workers must independently connect this equipment to the gas supply. Connecting gas yourself is very dangerous to life.

The temperature in the steam room should be about 100 degrees. In this case, do not forget about the stones. They will be the main source of steam production, as they can withstand a variety of high temperatures. Stones for a steam room must be selected for strength and resistance to temperature changes.

Due attention should be paid to the decoration of the walls of such a room. As a rule, the finishing material for sauna walls is wooden lining. This material is considered environmentally friendly and can last for a very long period of time. Its surface is varnished, but this is not important.

Advice. Wooden lining for walls must be thoroughly dried and treated with antiseptic and structure-strengthening substances.

The ceiling of the room is usually covered with plastic; this finishing material is practical and durable. Even if moisture collects on its surface, it will not absorb it. The plastic is very easy to clean and simple to install.

Such a ceiling cannot be installed in a steam room, since plastic tends to deform under the influence of high temperatures. That is why it is best to make the ceiling from wooden beams, which will look harmonious with wooden walls. As a floor covering, you can choose any material that is intended for these purposes.

It would be better to make the floor in the sauna with ceramic tiles. It is durable, can withstand high temperatures without deforming.

In the recreation room, linoleum can be used as flooring.

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