Screeding the foundation with reinforcement with your own hands. How to screed walls to prevent the destruction of your home. High-quality foundation screed in different ways

Often cracks that appear in private homes can raise many questions and significantly spoil the mood of their owners. As a rule, this means that mistakes were made during the construction stage, resulting in cracks.

But don’t panic right away, because the situation can be saved. Initially, you will need to establish the reason why the crack occurred, and only then can you use a special screed at home.

Causes of cracks

The main reason for wall cracking is foundation shrinkage

All the reasons that will be given in the table accelerate the formation of cracks on houses. The main factor that causes such a defect is the subsidence of the foundation of the building. If certain circumstances are taken into account, cracks can be avoided and they will have a minimum size. So, the reasons and descriptions of why damage occurs are given in the table:

Cause	Description	Methods for solving the problem
No bonding materials between bricks	This happens if another building or room is added to a finished house. As a rule, it is the extensions that begin to show cracks as they begin to move away from the main building.	If the extension has moved away and no longer moves, you can seal the crack with putty. The second method of solving the problem is to screed the house. To do this, metal corners 10x10 cm are installed in the corners of the house, a rod is fixed between them and tightened with nuts.
Lack of binding materials	If mistakes were made during construction and there is not enough mortar between the bricks, then after the foundation shrinks, a crack may appear in the building or extension.	A screed similar to that described above will help solve the problem.
Technological violation of brick laying	A crack can go along the mortar seam, but the brick will remain intact. In other words, the crack found a weakness in the building and began to appear.	Most likely, it will not be possible to solve such a problem and you can only seal the crack with a solution. The problem is that during construction the brick was not wetted or placed on the mortar without pressing, this all makes the adhesion weak and fragile.
Appearance of a corner crack	As a rule, a problem arises in the corners of buildings if there is a lot of weight and a lot of force is exerted on the foundation. The problem is insufficient reinforcement of the corners or lack of ligament.	Screeding or strengthening the foundation can solve the problem.

Having studied the main causes and characteristics of the damage, we can conclude that in such cases the only solution will be to tighten the house. Of course, this method is not very aesthetic, but it is reliable.

Cracks in the finishing of a building do not always indicate damage to the walls. It is necessary to make sure that the damage has affected the load-bearing materials.

Basic rules for screeding houses

Steel corners

In a finished building, a screed is necessary to prevent the appearance of new cracks, as well as to ensure that existing damage does not increase. The technology has proven itself to date. To screed a house with dimensions of 6x6 meters and a height of 3 meters, you will need the following materials:

1. Steel corners 10x10 cm - 4 pcs. 3 m each.
2. Rods in diameter from 16 mm - 48 m.
3. Thick-walled pipe, diameter similar to rods - length 1.5 meters.
4. Threaded rods for rods - 16 pcs.
5. Nuts and washers - 16 pcs.

Threaded studs

To tighten the house, you need to install metal corners at the corners of the building. Sections of thick-walled pipes are pre-welded onto them. Studs are fixed to the rods, and after that the entire structure is tightened with nuts. To ensure the reliability of the entire structure, some rules should be taken into account:

For clarity, it is worth looking at the screed of the house against cracks in the walls in the photo. This will allow you to understand the fastenings and the structure as a whole:

After the work is completed, the house can be improved, for example, with siding, but leave access to the nuts for tightening them.

If the damage is minor, then other means can be used. ? To do this, use the following tips:

1. For minor damage that does not exceed 5 mm in width, you can use regular putty.
2. If the damage is up to 1 cm, then you will need to use a solution based on sand and cement in a ratio of 1:3.
3. For large and deep damage, it is recommended to seal the crack with foam, and then apply a cement-sand mortar.

Before you start working on or, read the recommendations of specialists.

The most common reason why cracks occur is overloading the roofs of private houses due to incorrect calculation of the snow load.

Before covering the damage, you will need to remove dirt, dust and other debris. It is also recommended to wet the area that will be repaired for better adhesion of materials. For more information on how to make a screed at home, watch this video:

If a crack begins to appear on your house, you can be sure that it will not disappear. Screeding or strengthening the foundation will help solve the problem. If the work is done correctly, the damage will not increase, and the house will be provided with reliable protection for decades to come.

Its strength and service life of the future structure depend. The optimal connection method should be selected. Because When using composite materials, welding the structure is not an acceptable option, then other strapping options are used.

When using composite rods, you need to know how and with what to properly connect the frame elements.

There are several ways:

• with a crochet hook using traditional crochet wire;
• using knitting guns;
• plastic clamps;
• plastic clips.

For knitting, special heat-treated wire with a diameter of 0.8 to 1.2 millimeters is used, which is quite plastic and does not lose its properties, even with repeated bending and twisting.

The rods are fixed with wire using a special crochet hook. There is also a screw hook, which allows you to mechanize the process and reduce the overall labor intensity.

But the use of this method is not rational for large-scale work, for example for a slab foundation.

Knitting gun

It is a more progressive method, unlike crocheting. A gun with special wire, which comes on spools, promotes faster connection execution, therefore it is used for large volumes of work.

Another advantage is the uniform tightening of the wire. Of the minuses it is worth noting the cost of equipment is on average from 25,000 rubles.

Plastic clamps

This method does not require special skills or special equipment, unlike a wire bundle, and also does not take much time and provides good fixation elements. Another advantage worth noting is the minimization of the use of corrosive materials.
The negative aspects include:

• restriction of further actions when pouring the foundation, since walking on the reinforcement connected by clamps is strictly prohibited;
• no guarantee of maintaining the integrity of the connection during pouring.

However, you can knit the reinforcement with plastic clamps with a metal core, which add the benefits of wire knitting.

Important! This method should not be used at subzero temperatures, which can cause cracking of clamps.

Using plastic clips

The plastic clip for fittings is made of durable plastic that is resistant to various climatic conditions and aggressive environments. They provide reliable fixation of the rods.

At the same time, the assembly technology is very simple - it involves pressing the rod until it clicks, which takes a little time. The downside is the inability to disassemble the frame without damaging the clip.

For strip foundation

Fiberglass is used to reinforce the strip foundations of individual small buildings.

The use of composite rods is explained by several reasons:

• minimizing corrosion;
• light weight of fiberglass;
• a significant length of the rods, which allows you to get rid of joints on the horizontal load-bearing belt of the foundation, which are weak points when using metal.

Is it possible to completely get rid of the use of traditional when laying a strip foundation? Quite heavy, since the composite rods are difficult to bend without cracking. There are special devices for bending, but for a single construction its use will not be profitable. Therefore, metal reinforcement with a diameter corresponding to the selected thickness of fiberglass is used in the corners. How to choose the right fittings, see

An important condition when installing a composite frame is maintaining the correct geometry.

If reinforcement with metal rods is carried out at intervals of 10 to 20 cm, then Fiberglass reinforcement is carried out every 20-23 cm. According to building codes, rods with a cross-section of at least 12 mm are used for such purposes. But for foundations that do not bear large loads, a rod diameter of 6-8 mm may be suitable. It is recommended to use bars with a periodic profile to ensure high strength.

When forming load-bearing belts from fiberglass two rod diameters are used: The longitudinal parts of the frame are assembled from reinforcement of a larger diameter, and the vertical and transverse parts are assembled from smaller diameters.

The strip foundation has a non-standard geometry: its length is tens of times greater than its depth and width. Due to this design, almost all loads are distributed along the belt. A concrete stone cannot compensate for these loads on its own: its bending strength is not enough. To give a structure increased strength, not just concrete is used, but reinforced concrete - this is a concrete stone with steel elements located inside - steel reinforcement. The process of laying metal is called strip foundation reinforcement. It’s not difficult to do it with your own hands, the calculations are elementary, the diagrams are known.

The quantity, location, diameters and grade of reinforcement - all this must be specified in the project. These parameters depend on many factors: both on the geological situation on the site and on the mass of the building being constructed. If you want to have a guaranteed strong foundation, you need a project. On the other hand, if you are building a small building, you can try, based on general recommendations, to do everything yourself, including designing a reinforcement scheme.

Reinforcement scheme

The location of the reinforcement in the strip foundation in cross section is a rectangle. And there is a simple explanation for this: this scheme works best.

Reinforcement of a strip foundation with a strip height of no more than 60-70 cm

There are two main forces acting on the strip foundation: heaving forces press from below during frost, and the load from the house from above. The middle of the tape is almost not loaded. To compensate for the action of these two forces, two belts of working reinforcement are usually made: above and below. For shallow and medium deep foundations (up to 100 cm deep) this is enough. For deep belts, 3 belts are already required: too high a height requires reinforcement.

For most strip foundations, the reinforcement looks like this

To ensure that the working fittings are in the right place, they are secured in a certain way. And they do this using thinner steel rods. They do not participate in the work, they only hold the working reinforcement in a certain position - they create a structure, which is why this type of reinforcement is called structural.

To speed up work when knitting a reinforcing belt, clamps are used

As can be seen in the strip foundation reinforcement diagram, the longitudinal reinforcement bars (working) are tied with horizontal and vertical supports. They are often made in the form of a closed loop - a clamp. It’s easier and faster to work with them, and the design is more reliable.

What fittings are needed

For strip foundations, two types of rods are used. For longitudinal ones that bear the main load, class AII or AIII is required. Moreover, the profile is necessarily ribbed: it adheres better to concrete and transfers the load normally. For structural lintels, cheaper reinforcement is used: smooth first class AI, 6-8 mm thick.

Recently, fiberglass reinforcement has appeared on the market. According to manufacturers, it has better strength characteristics and is more durable. But many designers do not recommend using it in the foundations of residential buildings. According to the standards, it must be reinforced concrete. The characteristics of this material have long been known and calculated; special reinforcement profiles have been developed that ensure that metal and concrete are combined into a single monolithic structure.

Reinforcement classes and their diameters

How concrete will behave when paired with fiberglass, how firmly such reinforcement will adhere to concrete, how successfully this pair will resist loads - all this is unknown and has not been studied. If you want to experiment, please use fiberglass. No - take iron fittings.

Do-it-yourself calculation of strip foundation reinforcement

Any construction work is regulated by GOSTs or SNiPs. Reinforcement is no exception. It is regulated by SNiP 52-01-2003 “Concrete and reinforced concrete structures”. This document specifies the minimum amount of reinforcement required: it must be at least 0.1% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the foundation.

Determination of reinforcement thickness

Since the strip foundation in section has the shape of a rectangle, the cross-sectional area is found by multiplying the lengths of its sides. If the tape has a depth of 80 cm and a width of 30 cm, then the area will be 80 cm * 30 cm = 2400 cm 2.

Now you need to find the total area of ​​the reinforcement. According to SNiP it should be at least 0.1%. For this example it is 2.8 cm 2. Now, using the selection method, we will determine the diameter of the rods and their number.

For example, we plan to use reinforcement with a diameter of 12 mm. Its cross-sectional area is 1.13 cm 2 (calculated using the formula for the area of ​​a circle). It turns out that in order to provide recommendations (2.8 cm 2), we will need three rods (or they also say “threads”), since two are clearly not enough: 1.13 * 3 = 3.39 cm 2, and this is more than 2.8 cm 2, which are recommended by SNiP. But it will not be possible to divide three threads into two belts, and the load on both sides will be significant. Therefore, they stack four, laying a solid margin of safety.

In order not to bury extra money in the ground, you can try to reduce the diameter of the reinforcement: calculate it at 10 mm. The area of ​​this rod is 0.79 cm 2. If we multiply by 4 (the minimum number of working reinforcement bars for a strip frame), we get 3.16 cm 2, which is also enough with a margin. So for this version of the strip foundation, you can use class II ribbed reinforcement with a diameter of 10 mm.

Reinforcement of a strip foundation for a cottage is carried out using rods with different types of profiles

Installation step

There are also methods and formulas for all these parameters. But for small buildings it’s simpler. According to the recommendations of the standard, the distance between horizontal branches should not be more than 40 cm. This parameter is used as a guide.

How to determine at what distance to lay reinforcement? To prevent steel from corroding, it must be embedded in concrete. The minimum distance from the edge is 5 cm. Based on this, the distance between the rods is calculated: both vertically and horizontally it is 10 cm less than the dimensions of the tape. If the width of the foundation is 45 cm, it turns out that between the two threads there will be a distance of 35 cm (45 cm - 10 cm = 35 cm), which corresponds to the standard (less than 40 cm).

The reinforcement step of a strip foundation is the distance between two longitudinal bars

If our tape is 80*30 cm, then the longitudinal reinforcement is located one from the other at a distance of 20 cm (30 cm - 10 cm). Since medium-level foundations (up to 80 cm in height) require two reinforcement belts, one belt from the other is located at a height of 70 cm (80 cm - 10 cm).

Now about how often to install jumpers. This standard is also in SNiP: the installation step of vertical and horizontal dressings should be no more than 300 mm.

All. We calculated the reinforcement of the strip foundation with our own hands. But keep in mind that neither the mass of the house nor the geological conditions were taken into account. We relied on these parameters to determine the size of the tape.

Corner reinforcement

In the design of a strip foundation, the weakest point is the corners and the junction of the partitions. In these places loads from different walls are combined. In order for them to be successfully redistributed, the reinforcement must be properly tied. Simply connect it incorrectly: this method will not ensure load transfer. As a result, after some time, cracks will appear in the strip foundation.

The correct scheme for reinforcing corners: either bends are used - L-shaped clamps, or longitudinal threads are made 60-70 cm longer and bent around the corner

To avoid this situation, when reinforcing corners, special schemes are used: the rod is bent from one side to the other. This “overlap” should be at least 60-70 cm. If the length of the longitudinal rod is not enough to bend, use L-shaped clamps with sides also at least 60-70 cm. Schemes of their location and fastening of the reinforcement are shown in the photo below.

The abutments of piers are reinforced using the same principle. It is also advisable to take the reinforcement with a reserve and bend it. It is also possible to use L-shaped clamps.

Reinforcement diagram for adjacent walls in a strip foundation (to enlarge the picture, right-click on it)

Please note: in both cases, in the corners, the installation step of the transverse jumpers is reduced by half. In these places they already become workers - they participate in the redistribution of the load.

Reinforcement of the base of a strip foundation

On soils with not very high bearing capacity, on heaving soils or under heavy houses, strip foundations are often made with a sole. It transfers the load to a larger area, which gives greater stability to the foundation and reduces the amount of subsidence.

To prevent the sole from falling apart under pressure, it also needs to be reinforced. The figure shows two options: one and two belts of longitudinal reinforcement. If the soils are complex, with a strong tendency to winter baking, then two belts can be laid. For normal and medium-heaving soils, one is enough.

Reinforcement rods laid lengthwise are working. They, as for the tape, are taken in second or third class. They are located at a distance of 200-300 mm from each other. They are connected using short pieces of rod.

Two methods of reinforcing the base of a strip foundation: on the left for foundations with normal bearing capacity, on the right for not very reliable soils

If the sole is not wide (rigid design), then the transverse sections are constructive and do not participate in load distribution. Then they are made with a diameter of 6-8 mm, bent at the ends so that they cover the outer rods. They are tied to everyone using a binding wire.

If the sole is wide (flexible), the transverse reinforcement in the sole is also working. She resists the soil’s attempts to “collapse” her. Therefore, in this version, the soles use ribbed reinforcement of the same diameter and class as the longitudinal one.

How much rod do you need?

Having developed a strip foundation reinforcement scheme, you know how many longitudinal elements you need. They are laid around the entire perimeter and under the walls. The length of the tape will be the length of one reinforcement rod. By multiplying it by the number of threads, you get the required length of the working reinforcement. Then add 20% to the resulting figure - a margin for joints and overlaps. This is how much in meters you will need working reinforcement.

You count how many longitudinal threads according to the diagram, then calculate how many structural rods are needed

Now you need to calculate the amount of structural reinforcement. Calculate how many crossbars there should be: divide the length of the tape by the installation pitch (300 mm or 0.3 m, if you follow the recommendations of SNiP). Then you calculate how much it takes to make one lintel (add the width of the reinforcement cage with the height and double it). Multiply the resulting figure by the number of jumpers. You also add 20% to the result (for connections). This will be the amount of structural reinforcement to reinforce the strip foundation.

Using a similar principle, you calculate the amount needed to reinforce the sole. Putting everything together, you will find out how much reinforcement is needed for the foundation.

Technologies for assembling reinforcement for strip foundations

Reinforcing the strip foundation with your own hands begins after installing the formwork. There are two options:

• The entire frame is assembled directly in a pit or trench. If the tape is narrow and high, it is inconvenient to work.

According to one technology, the reinforcement is knitted directly in the formwork

Both options are imperfect and everyone decides how it will be easier for him. When working directly in a trench, you need to know the procedure:

• The longitudinal rods of the lower reinforced belt are laid first. They need to be raised 5 cm from the edge of the concrete. It is better to use special legs for this, but pieces of bricks are popular among developers. The reinforcement is also 5 cm away from the formwork walls.
• Using transverse pieces of structural reinforcement or molded contours, they are fixed at the required distance using a knitting wire and a hook or a knitting gun.
• Then there are two options:
  • If contours formed in the form of rectangles were used, the upper belt is immediately tied to them at the top.
  • If during installation you use cut pieces for crossbars and vertical posts, then the next step is tying up the vertical posts. After they are all tied, a second belt of longitudinal reinforcement is tied.

There is another technology for reinforcing strip foundations. The frame turns out to be rigid, but there is a large consumption of rods for the vertical posts: they are driven into the ground.

The second technology for reinforcing a strip foundation is to first drive in vertical posts, tie longitudinal threads to them, and then connect everything with transverse ones

• First, vertical posts are driven in at the corners of the tape and at the junction of horizontal rods. The racks should have a large diameter of 16-20 mm. They are placed at a distance of at least 5 cm from the edge of the formwork, checking horizontal and vertical, and driven into the ground 2 meters.
• Then vertical rods of the calculated diameter are driven in. We determined the installation pitch: 300 mm, in the corners and at the junctions of the walls it is half as much - 150 mm.
• The longitudinal threads of the lower reinforcement belt are tied to the posts.
• At the intersection of the racks and longitudinal reinforcements, horizontal jumpers are tied.
• The upper reinforcement belt is tied, which is located 5-7 cm below the upper surface of the concrete.
• Horizontal jumpers are tied.

It is most convenient and quick to make a reinforcing belt using pre-formed contours. The rod is bent to form a rectangle with the specified parameters. The whole problem is that they need to be made identical, with minimal deviations. And a large number of them are required. But then the work in the trench moves faster.

The reinforcing belt can be knitted separately, and then installed in the formwork and tied into a single whole on site

As you can see, reinforcing a strip foundation is a lengthy and not the easiest process. But you can cope even alone, without helpers. It will take a lot of time, though. It’s easier to work with two or three people: both carry the rods and set them out.

Reinforcement of a strip foundation with your own hands: diagrams, calculation of the diameter of the reinforcement, location in the corners and in the sole

How to calculate and make the reinforcement of a strip foundation, choose the thickness of the rod, the distance between the threads, reinforcement schemes for corners and junctions, assembly technology - you will find all this here.

A reliable foundation of a house is a solid foundation, built in accordance with all the rules and in accordance with the requirements of the technological process. Its effective strengthening depends on many components, including the quality of the screed and whether the mesh for the foundation screed, necessary for reinforcing the structure, is selected correctly.

Mesh for reinforcement

At the very beginning of the work, during the creation of the project for the future house, all the features of the materials used in construction are discussed. It is mandatory at this stage to select the reinforcement with which the mesh is made to strengthen the screed and foundation.

The presence of such a structure is a prerequisite for ensuring the strength of the entire building, especially the screed. With its help, the surface is leveled, but without fastened reinforcement it is susceptible to cracking and rapid destruction.

Heaving soil poses a serious threat to the foundation of a house. Without strengthening, the foundation of the building cracks, which causes deformation and further destruction of it and the walls of the house.

The quality of the screed directly depends on how correctly and accurately the calculations were made when choosing reinforcement rods. The choice is made in accordance with the requirements of SNiP 52-01-2003.

Purpose of the reinforcing mesh:

• strengthening the resistance of concrete not only to compression, but also to tension;
• preventing changes in the spatial shape of the foundation;
• obstruction of building shrinkage;
• resistance to deformation.

The process of knitting reinforcement

A structure is made to strengthen the screed in compliance with certain rules, according to which the cells between the rods are at least 20 centimeters. For work, only whole rods are taken, avoiding scraps, and this work is carried out directly on the construction site. Hot-rolled rod reinforcement of class A2-A6 is used. When reinforcing the screed, the distance between the rods does not exceed 10 centimeters, and the reinforcement can be knitted using clamps.

In some cases, a welded structure is used, although most work is performed using steel wire. The welded structure for screed reinforcement is made of rods marked “C”.

The welded structure is created without the use of arc welding. But even spot welding is rarely used, since the welded structure is more susceptible to corrosion and less resistant to tensile loads. That is why the work on constructing a mesh for reinforcing the screed and foundation is carried out without the use of welding.

Slab foundation reinforcement

Carrying out work related to strengthening a monolithic foundation begins with choosing a reinforcing bar of a certain brand. Such a foundation is usually erected during the construction of buildings that do not have a basement. The choice of reinforcement intended for the manufacture of the base is related to the quality of the soil and the existing possibility of horizontal shift of the building. Watch the video on how to reinforce a monolithic base slab.

If construction is carried out on non-heaving soil, horizontal movement is practically excluded. Reinforcing reinforcement is used, which is laid in the lower and upper layers of concrete when constructing a monolithic base slab for a house. Similar reinforcement is necessary when making screeds. Reinforcement can significantly strengthen the structure if you use rods with a diameter of 10 to 14 millimeters. The upper and lower layers are fastened together with a rod with a diameter of 6 millimeters, installed vertically. You can knit the reinforcement rods together using annealed wire or plastic clamps. In the first case, you will need a special hook or a knitting gun.

Features of strip foundation reinforcement

A feature of the strip base can be considered its susceptibility to increased load along the base strip. This is related to the choice of reinforcement for longitudinal strengthening with a thickness of at least 12 millimeters, and in some cases with a diameter of up to 16 mm. As with screed reinforcement, the distance between the rods should not exceed 10 - 15 centimeters. This foundation of the building is strengthened by two levels of mesh, fastened together by vertical rods. After the work is completed and the solution has completely hardened, the ends of the rods protruding above the surface are cut off using a grinder.

The strip base does not use a welded reinforcing structure. Its construction is possible on soils where, for greater reliability and tensile and compressive strength, a wire-connected structure is needed.

The undoubted advantages of the mesh used to reinforce the foundation and screed are its high tensile and tear resistance, flexibility and resistance to moisture and temperature changes. The use of two tapes when strengthening a building allows it to be strengthened during soil subsidence. To do this, you need a bottom tape to prevent the base from breaking. The upper one will protect the foundation of the house during soil heaving.

From the author: Good day, my dear readers, who are again faced with the problem of low-quality buildings. The formation of cracks in walls and floors is no exception either for old forgotten Stalinist houses, or for recently purchased new buildings in European-style residential complexes. Having noticed a crack in the wall, first of all you will think about what to do with it, after which you will puzzle over how to make a screed?

Pulling together walls when large cracks form in them is an adequate and correct solution, since this is considered a more rational and less expensive way to stop the destruction of the entire building.

Could a crack really break everything?

Of course, it can, if you don’t attach importance to it right away. They can be both harmless to the integrity and turn a home into a heap of stone and dust, which can take not only a lot of valuable things, but also human lives.

You see, a crack formed in the wall (in most cases) is only the tip of a huge iceberg, which confidently moves towards the foundation, destroying it too. It makes no sense to explain why a foundation split is dangerous, since everyone knows what this will ultimately lead to.

If we reason correctly, then it is not the crack that leads to the foundation, but on the contrary, it comes from it, since only a serious physical impact can start a split from the center and lead to two or more directions. There is no other way to create such an injury to the building.

You may encounter other reasons if your building was built from bricks that were laid with gross errors. They often appear as a result of saving money on auxiliary materials that serve as the prevention of these diseases.

Why is all this happening?

There may be more than one reason, since the condition of the foundation is influenced by many factors. Having identified the most basic ones, we are ready to present them to you:

• displacement of earthen rocks due to seismic activity of the area. In the countries of the post-Soviet space, the phenomenon is quite rare, but, nevertheless, in some areas at the foot of the mountains such cases do occur. Even the Crimean Mountains, not to mention the Caucasus, are no exception, making themselves felt from time to time with minor earthquakes. They are imperceptible to humans, but can quite noticeably affect the foundations of buildings;
• climatic conditions are also not left aside. Nature may not have bad weather, but the foundation doesn’t think so. Due to excessive moisture or, conversely, its lack, the earth, clay, sand or their synthesis can sag from time to time, thereby affecting the position of the foundation, lowering one of its parts, forming cracks that will force you to tighten the walls;
• Trees could grow next to your house, the power of whose roots can easily pierce the foundation. As far as I remember, next to my parents’ house, literally three or four meters from the wall from the backyard, the previous owners planted a nut. By the time we moved there, it was already a little more than ten meters in height, and its roots were close to the building itself. After about 3 years of living there, a crack about three centimeters wide and more than two meters long opened on the outside, which was very elegantly hidden by the old owners who had moved far away using putty and whitewash. The reason for this turned out to be the ill-fated nut. The natural solution to this problem was to cut down the tree, which also entailed certain losses. The first is permission to cut down a tree, since it is impossible to engage in amateur activities in this matter. The second was a broken roof from falling branches, because it was incredibly difficult to direct them in the right direction. And the third is a crack in the foundation, which later had to be strengthened with reinforcement;
• an initially incorrect design or construction site can also cause splits to form in the walls of the house. Minor cracks up to one millimeter wide are not normal, but acceptable for new buildings, so if you have one, don’t be alarmed ahead of time. Almost all scientists and builders claim that any building takes about five years to sit normally on the surface of the earth due to its enormous weight. You should not completely ignore such moments. Any crack that forms must be monitored so that it does not begin to increase in size. If this happens, then this is a sign of improper construction, and you need to contact the developer to get the necessary advice or even help. If you notice that cracks have appeared in your home, then you urgently need to contact specialists in this field, because only they can provide you with qualified support.

How to deal with cracks in walls yourself

Any distortion in the foundation and, therefore, in the walls requires immediate repair. Many of us may be faced with the problem of insufficient funding and the search for a more budget-friendly and independent restoration of the integrity of your home.

Naturally, there is a solution, and, purely theoretically, it will not require a colossal amount of financial investment and physical strength from you, since closing a crack is a very real task for any person.

Yes, it is with the help of an artificial one that you can strengthen the foundation and prevent your house from splitting in half, as if the world had again begun to divide into continents.

What is a screed and what does it consist of?

A screed is the only solution that will help you stop or cut off the possibility of complete destruction of your house. Why suspend? You see, if the building was erected with errors in the construction itself or in an unsuitable place, then the process of destruction cannot be stopped. Whatever you do, you will only delay the outcome of the event. Naturally, this is if the problem is in the foundation. If you find that the cause of the split was the wall itself (it can be made of brick or wood), then everything will be a little simpler.

If you have expressed a desire to repair the breakdown yourself, then you will need certain skills, without which it will be a little difficult:

• In order to save a lot of money and not buy an already welded screed, you can limit yourself to purchasing fittings and electrodes, and then independently welding the required size of reinforced mesh. So, the first thing is welding and the skills to use it.
• fittings Something without which you will not be able to make a screed either for the foundation of the house or for its brick or wooden components. It will be exploited in different ways, but its presence is mandatory. Why? The reinforcement has the necessary ratio of size and strength to ensure that the structure itself is as comfortable, reliable and, if necessary, aesthetically pleasing as possible;
• to strengthen the lower part of the base of the house you will need a large amount of concrete mortar, the method of use of which I will tell you a little later;
• Piles will come in handy when shaping the area that needs to be filled with concrete. And then you will need to give it the desired shape. Don't skimp on them, as low-quality wood may break and force you to redo the whole job. If you are not interested in the aesthetic beauty of the foundation, and you do not want to spend extra money on logs, think about how much money you will throw away on excess concrete mortar, which will certainly spread around the house for a distance of about half a meter.

Let's move on to the practical part of installing the screed on the base of the house

We've read a lot of stories and theories, but now let's look at how to do it all in practice. The very first thing you will need to do is arm yourself with a shovel and, if possible, equip several of your friends or hired workers with them to speed up the process. Start digging at the place where the rift originates. Go deeper to a depth of about half a meter. It is possible that more depth will be required, given that it depends on the height of the building, its number of floors and the load it creates. You can find out the depth of the foundation from the house construction plan.

It is necessary to excavate not only the place where the breakdown occurred, but also along the house at a distance of one and a half, or better yet, two meters. This distance is also determined situationally and individually for each building. Why do you need a big ditch? If you strengthen a small part, the split will repeat much faster than you can cook dinner and raise a glass to a job well done.

The second stage will be the construction of a reinforced mesh. Reinforced mesh consists of reinforcement rods welded in such a way as to create a network with squares, the side of which can be at least ten centimeters. If you reduce this distance, the solution may simply split in two without fixing the required area.

An increase in this indicator leads to the fact that the reinforcement process does not in any way contribute to an increase in strength, but only creates the appearance of work performed. If the financial issue does not play a big role, then it is better to make a double grid, that is, build it in two levels. This will require more concrete but will provide additional strength.

A small life hack: It is quite possible that you do not have enough funds to purchase the required amount of reinforcement for the screed. If time does not allow you to wait, then you can replace it with an ordinary concrete pillar. Yes, it will not provide the same level of strength, but it will serve quite confidently as a temporary structure. And if we take into account that there is nothing more permanent than something temporary, we get an excellent alternative.

Having built the grid, you need to firmly fix it to the foundation of the house. Drill holes and install mesh. You don’t have to rush to seal up the resulting cavities, because in the next step everything will become more clear. This ends the third stage.

Fourth - installation of piles. In some cases they are not needed, but if you have made a serious dig at the house, they will come in handy. Install the pilings and wooden fencing to begin the next step.

Fill everything with concrete. A very important point is that you should never fill the screed by manually filling the cavity between the mesh and the house. This process only involves pouring concrete mortar. Otherwise, all the work will be done in vain and will not show any results. The building will continue to deform.

After you have done everything we indicated above, wait until the concrete hardens. This will take up to one week, depending on the climatic conditions of your area.