What is a plinth. The optimal height of the basement of the house above the ground

How high should the basement of the house be and what does this indicator affect? How to determine the optimal plinth height for wooden house?

What affects the height of the base

Many owners, when building a house with their own hands, doubt whether it is worth paying attention to the height of the basement. Some even believe that it is enough to simply raise the base to ground level, after which walls can be erected.

In reality, this is not enough. It should be understood that, to prevent the occurrence of capillary processes in them. The fact is that the humidity of the lower part of the house and the upper one can vary significantly due to the proximity of groundwater, snow melt and many other factors.

As a result, low-lying walls made of wood or porous materials will get wet, which will not only worsen their thermal insulation qualities, but also reduce the life of the entire structure. The high base of the house will just prevent this process.

standard height

The optimal height of the basement of a residential building is 35-40 cm. For wooden buildings, it is better to make it higher - 50 - 90 cm. For buildings with basement floors, this value can reach two meters.

When determining the height, it is necessary to take into account climatic conditions, such as the average temperature level during the heating season, the amount of snow, etc.

Main functions

Now let's look at all the functions that the above-ground part of the base of the house performs in order to understand what role its height plays:

Note!
The height of the plinth of a wooden house is especially important, since rotting of the lower crown is an eternal problem for houses made of logs and timber.
Therefore, it is necessary to build a foundation from damp-resistant materials.

The only drawback of a high base is that the cost of construction increases. Therefore, many developers, for reasons of economy, are trying to reduce it. However, such savings are not justified.

Types of plinths

Depending on the type of foundation, the methods of erecting the basement may vary.

Consider its device on two types of base:

• Tape;
• Svain.

On the tape

In the first case, the following types of base are usually made:

• Monolithic - the aboveground and underground part of the foundation is a monolithic concrete wall. It is erected simultaneously with the pouring of the foundation.
• In the form of masonry - in this case, the foundation is raised to the level of the soil, after which masonry is made of brick or other material. This design is less protected than a monolithic wall, therefore, it needs additional finishing.

On a pile

As a rule, the greatest difficulty in construction is the construction of a basement on pile foundation. Its height is determined by the above-ground part of the piles.

According to the type of device, such a base is of two types:

• Hinged structure;
• On a strip shallow foundation.

The easiest and cheapest way is to make the foundation of the first type. It is based on a crate, which is attached to piles around the perimeter of the building. It can be made from wooden beams or metal elements. Further, the crate is sheathed with facing material, for example,.

Note!
Height column foundation must be at least 20 cm to prevent the possible impact of heaving soil on the building.

The second type of foundation is more difficult to manufacture and costly. Its principle is to arrange strip foundation along the perimeter of the room on top of which the masonry is performed. The advantages of this design include the fact that it insulates the structure much better.

In the photo - a plinth sheathed with siding

Finishing the above-ground part of the base

Despite the fact that the high plinth itself performs a protective function, in order to make the building more durable, it is necessary to finish it. This will prevent the negative impact of precipitation and, moreover, will make the building more beautiful. As an example, consider plinth siding, as the most popular material.

Brief installation instructions are as follows:

• Work begins with the preparation of the walls - it is necessary to eliminate irregularities. If the geometry of the walls is severely disturbed, then it is more expedient to perform a crate than to align them.
• Then the starting strip is mounted, which is installed strictly horizontally, at a height of 40 mm above the lower point of the future lining.
• Then the panel is installed in the guide bar and fixed with self-tapping screws.
• Next, the second panel is inserted and shifted to the previous one. At the joints, it is necessary to leave a small gap, which will allow the material to expand freely with temperature changes.
• Further, the entire remaining area is sheathed in the same way.
• At the end of the work on the panels, the finishing bar is installed.

Advice!
To insulate the building, heat-insulating material can be laid under the cladding.

Now the lower part of the house is not afraid of any precipitation and other atmospheric phenomena.

Conclusion

From all of the above, it follows that the higher the base, the less problems there will be in the future with heat leakage and the safety of the walls of the house. However, the height must be reasonable, as it increases the cost of the building. At the same time, it is necessary to take care of protecting the base itself by finishing it with reliable material.

For more information on this topic, see the video in this article.

Plinth height country house above ground can be very different. It is influenced by several factors at once, ranging from the type of foundation to the depth of groundwater. Many homeowners who build on their own do not pay due attention to the issue of the height of the basement of the building, because they are sure that it is enough to make the base slightly elevated above the ground in order to continue construction work.

However, this is not enough. You need to understand that the basement is the above-ground part of the foundation of the house. The higher it is from the surface, the more difficult it is for moisture from the ground to penetrate into the living quarters. The walls of the basement must be separated from the walls of the first floor with a waterproofing layer. This is done so that moisture that could penetrate the base material does not penetrate through the capillaries into the wall material. The level of humidity in different parts of the house can vary significantly, and this must be taken into account during construction.

If the walls of the building are too low, the structure and the main building materials will constantly get wet, their thermal insulation properties will deteriorate, and internal destructive processes will begin to occur. Gradually, these processes lead to the complete destruction of building materials from the inside. As a result, the life of the structure is significantly reduced, and the owners sometimes cannot determine why this is happening. And the answer is simple - the insufficient height of the base above the ground.

standard height

In normal country house the base should rise above the ground by about 30-40 cm. If the building is built of wood, then it is better to take a larger height (about 60-80 cm). If the country house provides for the presence underground floor, then the height indicators can reach 1.5-2 meters.

When determining the height of the base, it is required to take into account the weather conditions on the ground: indoor and outdoor temperature in winter, snow level, abundance of precipitation, the likelihood of flooding, groundwater level. It is quite difficult for a non-professional to take into account all these factors. Therefore, even if you are building a house yourself, it is best to turn to specialists for the correct calculations. One-time insignificant costs at this stage will help to avoid further serious financial losses for repairs and re-equipment of the structure.

Typical dimensions and scheme of the device of the tape monolithic base.

To clearly understand what is the meaning of a certain height of the basement, it is necessary to consider several main functions performed by this part of the building:

• The plinth prevents the internal structures of the house from getting wet.
• With the help of the plinth, the finishing materials of the building are protected (for example, plastic panels) from pollution.
• There is a compensation for soil shrinkage observed due to the impact of the weight of the house structure.
• If a strip or column foundation was used to build a house, then the distance from the ground to the floor will affect the duration of the floor, which is often made of wood. In addition, the thermal insulation characteristics of the subfloor will depend on this indicator.
• The plinth helps to ventilate the underground with high quality.
• Among other things, the plinth is an architectural solution that affects the overall visual impression of the building.

Specialists Special attention it is recommended to give the height of the plinth in wooden buildings, because when the lower rims rot, it becomes very difficult to carry out any repair work. That is why developers are striving to reduce the likelihood of wood rotting by increasing the height of the base. But with independent construction, the owners often, on the contrary, reduce the height of the basement, trying to make the exterior of the house more aesthetic. Thus, they make a serious mistake.

The main disadvantage of a high base can be called the fact that with its increase the cost of construction work will increase.

Types of plinths

Plinth construction methods will vary depending on the type of building foundation. In our country, either a tape or pile foundation is most often used. Also very popular is monolithic foundation.

Plinth made of brickwork.

If a strip foundation was erected, then the base can be made in two solutions:

1. Monolithic. In this case, the foundation is made in the form of a concrete wall. Such a plinth must be built along with the pouring of the foundation.
2. Masonry. When implementing a masonry base, the foundation is made to the level of the soil, then brick (or from other building material) masonry is made. Such a design cannot boast a high level of protection against various influences (when compared with a monolithic alternative), so additional cladding and finishing is necessary.

When using a pile foundation above the ground, it is accompanied by some difficulties. The height and thickness of the base in this case is determined depending on the ground part of the piles. The basement with a pile foundation can be hinged or made on a strip foundation.

Of course, much cheaper and easier to implement. Its basis is a crate, fixed to piles around the entire perimeter of a country house. The crate can be made of wood or metal pipes. After the device, the crate must be sheathed using any finishing materials. AT last years increasingly uses siding or thermal panels.

The second solution is more difficult to implement and costly. It involves the arrangement of a strip foundation around the building on which the laying will be performed. The main advantage of this design is that it provides enough high level insulation of interiors.

Finishing the above-ground part with metal siding

The high plinth perfectly copes with all protective functions. In order for the structure to be more durable, it is necessary to finish the above-ground part of the foundation with suitable materials. This approach will prevent the negative impact of climatic conditions on the structure, and will also make the exterior of a country house more attractive.

As a striking example, consider cladding with basement metal siding. This stuff has been very popular lately.

Home decoration with siding.

The principles of finishing in this case are as follows:

• Finishing work should begin with surface preparation. Optional, but highly desirable to remove all defects in the draft wall. If the walls have significant irregularities, then it is recommended to make a high-quality crate, and not waste extra time on leveling.
• After that, the starting rail is installed, which is mounted in a horizontal position (approximately 40-45 mm above the bottom point).
• Further, the siding sheet is mounted in the guide rail and fixed with self-tapping screws or special fixing elements.
• Then you need to insert the second sheet of siding, sliding it to the previous one. At the joints, it is recommended to leave a minimum gap so that the material can expand without problems when heated. The minimum temperature, by the way, will slightly reduce the thickness of the trim elements.
• Subsequently, in the same way it is necessary.

Naturally, the basement of the building can be finished with any other modern or traditional facing materials. The main thing in this case is to ensure the protection of construction materials from moisture and cold air. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the device of the blind area and the drainage system on the site. With their help, it will be possible to exclude flooding of the underground premises of the house, as well as the effect of moisture on structures.

What does height affect?

From everything that has been said above, we can conclude that the security of the interior of the country house and the building materials used for its construction will depend on the height of the basement. At the same time, it is necessary to determine the height with intelligence and calculation, because with each centimeter of the above-ground part, the cost of construction work will increase. In addition, special attention should be paid to protecting the basement of the building from the cold by placing a high-quality heat-insulating layer in the space between the wall and the finishing materials.

The higher the base, the better if the material for building a house is subject to biological attack and moisture. We are, of course, talking about wood. When erecting wooden houses it is best to make the most reliable plinth with effective waterproofing and heat-insulating layers.

If you are having difficulty calculating the height of the basement of your country house, then you should seek help from specialists. Of course, this type of help is not free, however, it is better to incur costs at this stage of construction than to spend money on home repairs in the future.

The term "base" originated from the Italian "zoccolo", literally translated as "hoof" or "shoe", and if applied to the construction of a building, then - the foot of a modern log house. The basement is a continuation of the foundation above the ground, which limits the underground space, protecting it from wind and moisture, and also serves for heat and waterproofing.

For a strip foundation, the base is considered to be its upper part, which is located above the ground. To ensure the necessary ventilation of the subfloor, its height must be at least 30-50 cm. When choosing wooden ready-made house designs, when building a basement, materials such as ready-made concrete blocks, monolithic reinforced concrete (as for the foundation) or brick are used. For the construction of a brick base should not be used silicate brick, only red and full-bodied. Since silicate brick absorbs moisture very strongly, and this can be fatal for the basement.

When laying a columnar foundation, a fence acts as a plinth, it fills the space between the foundation pillars and the grillage, which unites the pillars. A steel beam or reinforced concrete reinforced tape can be used as a grillage. For a country wooden house, a grillage is used in the form of a protrusion of the lower crown of the timber. The pick-up is usually made from a board, a sand-cement slab, and sometimes just from sand; less often from concrete or brick.

On opposite sides of the basement, at a height of 20 cm from the level of the foundation blind area, ventilation holes should be left at least 15 cm in size. In winter, they should be closed to keep warm. At other times, these ventilation windows will circulate air in the underground space, removing excess moisture from the basement.

Socle varieties

The type of basement depends on its location in relation to the surface of the wall of the house in two floors or one. The base is protruding and sinking.

The protruding plinth, as the name implies, protrudes beyond the plane of the wall, since its width is greater than the thickness of the walls. Such a plinth provides an additional protective device for draining, which diverts water flowing down the wall. This design is beneficial for houses with a basement or basement.

The width of the sinking plinth, on the contrary, is less than the thickness of the walls, the surface of the wall protrudes above the surface of the plinth. The advantage of this type of plinth is that the waterproofing layer is closed from external factors, therefore, it can last longer.
Another option is the plinth in the same plane with the wall of the building. But this option is rarely used, the reason for this is an indigestible appearance: it is customary to separate the plinth visually from the main part of the building, usually by finishing it with another material.

basement insulation

Basement insulation is necessary in all houses, not only in buildings with a basement or basement. Thermal insulation will minimize heat loss, as a result, it will be possible to save on heating.

For insulation, waterproof materials are used, most often polystyrene foam (EPS boards). Plates are easily mounted on the surface of the basement, and plaster is made on top or the same siding is used.

Waterproofing

The basement, being a continuation of the foundation, is significantly exposed to moisture - snow, melt water and rain falling from the outside, capillary moisture coming from the ground. In order to protect the structure of the building itself from moisture from the ground, horizontal waterproofing is necessary between the wall of the building and the basement. For this, rolled waterproofing materials, for example, ordinary roofing material, are ideal. The waterproofing layer is laid on top of the basement, and the walls of the building are already being erected on top.

To protect the outer surface of the plinth from moisture, vertical waterproofing should be used. This task can be realized in several ways and using a wide variety of insulating materials. Most often, the base is painted with hydrophobic paint, plastered or covered with mastic. To protect against external moisture, you can also use plastic siding, which, in addition to its waterproofing properties, is able to give the plinth a good aesthetic appearance - even imitate a stone finish.

Finishing

Finishing the plinth is required not only for waterproofing, but also to give it an acceptable appearance. The most ideal finishing option is natural stone: stones with even, flat edges are selected and attached to the surface of the base using ordinary cement mortar. The disadvantage of such a thorough finishing method is the relative complexity and high cost.

More a budget option- siding, can be made in the form of the same stone or in any other style. The cost in this case will be an order of magnitude less, and the work will be completed faster. Do not use facing, decorative brick for the basement due to its susceptibility to moisture.

Use of basement space

The basement space, even a small one, between the surface of the earth and the ceiling of the house, is necessary to protect against moisture. However, the basement can be fully or partially used as a basement or cellar.

If the height of the basement is sufficient, then it is possible to equip an entire basement floor in it to accommodate engineering equipment for home life support systems and additional utility rooms. In some houses, the basement floors are used to install pools, equip baths and saunas. But most often basements are used as car garages.

The height of the basement is one of the parameters that are of great importance when building a house. This is the lower part of the building, erected on the foundation and performing important features associated with the preservation of heat indoors. The plinth is necessary in order to protect the walls from the effects of groundwater, it prevents the formation of fungus and mold on the walls, and increases the resistance of the structure to low temperatures. Due to the presence of the plinth, the heat exchange between the indoor and outdoor areas increases.

In order for this part of the house to meet all the requirements and contribute to the solution of the tasks set, it is necessary during construction not only to choose high-quality and reliable material, but also to take into account the height of the plinth being built.

One of the types of socle - sinking

The effectiveness of the protective functions that the basement of the house performs directly depends on its height and type:

1. The protruding plinth requires additional finishing and the construction of a visor that protects the structure from precipitation and moisture accumulation. It becomes a decoration of the facade of any building.
2. Falling - the most durable. In this option, the joint of the basement and the walls of the house is completely protected from moisture, which is a guarantee of increased safety of the foundation and the protection of the waterproofing layer. During the construction of this type, there is no need to construct mandatory water outlets.
3. Level with the wall. The least popular type of plinth. It requires the construction of a visor, and when additional finishing is carried out, it becomes bulging.

The choice of the height of the plinth being erected is influenced by the type of foundation, the depth of groundwater, and the climatic conditions in the area where construction is underway. In addition, the presence of a basement (basement) is important.

Starting work on the construction of the basement, it is worth considering that the higher it is, the less likely it is that the interior may suffer from moisture penetration. Erections start directly from the foundation of the house, and at the joints with the walls of the building, proper organization of waterproofing is required, which prevents the possible penetration of moisture through the capillaries of the porous material into the walls of the building.

The impact exerted on the plinth is comprehensive, as it withstands a constant load from the walls. And in cases where there is no basement in the house, and the floor is located on the ground, the basement is also subject to the pressure of the earth, which is covered inside the entire perimeter of the house.

If, in order to determine the width of the future basement, it is necessary to accurately determine the choice of material from which the walls of the house will be built, and its type on the quality of the foundation, then the height will depend on the presence of a basement, temperature conditions, weather conditions and the amount of natural precipitation characteristic of that zone where construction is taking place. These parameters are very different in different areas, so there are no strict guidelines for determining the height of the base.

Minimum Height

The construction of the base begins directly from the foundation, and raise it to a height of at least 40 centimeters. It is believed that this is the minimum height of the basement of the house.

This height is optimal in the presence of a strip foundation, although a basement of this height is erected on a different basis, based on the decade-average level of snow falling annually in this area. A basement of this height is erected only in cases where the house does not have a basement.

In some areas, the height of the basement of the house is lower than this indicator. In especially arid zones, the construction of a brick structure is allowed up to a height of only 20 centimeters. But even here there is a risk of abundant moistening of the walls of the house when ordinary rainwater gets on them. In most cases, a properly constructed blind area can make a difference. Although with a low basement height, as well as with improper foundation construction, the walls of the house may suffer from capillary wetting of the walls with groundwater. This will lead to the destruction of the material from the inside and a significant reduction in the life of the building.

standard height

Plinth standard height

The basement floor requires a significant increase in the height of the basement itself. Now, to the main functions that this design is designed to perform, it is also added to ensure the installation of engineering systems in the technical room, which include pumps or valves. In some cases, when choosing the height of the basement, they are guided by the height of the ceilings of the basement.

Important are the features of the construction of the foundation of the house. If the level of the foundation coincides with the level of the ground, then the height of the base cannot be less than 70 centimeters, and sometimes it reaches one meter. The standard height, during the construction of a country house, reaches 50 or 70 centimeters. It is this value that is recognized as optimal for most areas with a variety of climatic conditions and different depths of groundwater.

So, to determine the height of the basement during the construction of a country house, it is necessary to take into account:

• depth of groundwater;
• the amount of precipitation;
• the presence of a basement;
• the need to organize a technical room in the basement;
• view of the equipped base of the house.

Features of waterproofing and insulation at different heights

The effectiveness of the tape base will be reduced to zero if there are no ventilation ducts in it. These are holes, the distance between which should not exceed 3 meters. They are arranged around the entire perimeter, providing high-quality air circulation. Interior walls and partitions are no exception. These openings can only be closed with ventilation grilles. In the video you will see how to properly insulate and waterproof the basement of the house.

The use of any plugs is strictly prohibited, since the moisture present in the basement space leads to the formation of mold and mildew. When building a brick basement, it is enough to leave gaps in the masonry to organize ventilation ducts; in other cases, pipes are used that are fixed between the blocks. Jumpers can serve as sheet steel or conventional fittings.

Reliable protection of the basement from groundwater provides waterproofing material. It can be ruberoid or another type roll waterproofing, such as:

• glass roofing material;
• rubemast;
• euroruberoid.

It is laid in two layers directly on the foundation, applying bituminous mastic or heated bitumen to it. Between the layers of waterproofing material, a layer of adhesive is applied to ensure a strong connection.

The basement is that part of the foundation that is above ground level. The main purpose of the plinth is uniform distribution the weight of the building on the ground in order to increase its stability and long service life.

Socle varieties

By design features socles can be divided into the following types:

1. Protruding - the line of the basement is wider than the line of the walls of the building
2. On the same level with the wall
3. Falling - the perimeter of the building is greater than the perimeter of the foundation.

Fig.1 Types of plinths

The most widespread is the protruding type of base. This is due to its high stability, ease of installation on its surface of the building, as well as an attractive appearance. The only drawback of this design is the need to protect the base from precipitation. If the plinth is installed flush with the wall, then there is no need for waterproofing - this type allows for the same exterior finish over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe wall.

Plinth characteristics

A reinforced concrete wall can act as a plinth if the foundation consists of piles, or the outer surface of the foundation, with the usual tape version of the building foundation. Therefore, the height of the base above ground level can vary from a few centimeters to a meter or more.

As building material for the manufacture of the plinth, cement mortar, natural stone, blocks or bricks can be used. The choice of one or another material depends on the external compatibility of the facade with one of these plinths. For example, when brickwork walls, the most successful solution would be a smooth concrete texture of the foundation.

There are various options for insulating the basement, which can significantly reduce the heat loss of the building. The insulation must be covered with a layer of waterproofing so that rainwater and high humidity do not worsen the thermal insulation properties of insulation materials. In the role of waterproofing, several layers of roofing material are often used, which is laid with mastic or cement.

The plinth made of solid concrete monolith is characterized by high performance. It is poured together with the foundation into a special formwork, it is advisable to carry out this process at a time in order to avoid uneven drying and cracking. For greater strength, the base is based on reinforcing materials - fittings, pipes, corners, etc. After the foundation has completely dried, its upper part is carefully sanded, bumps and depressions are primed and a layer of fresh cement mortar is applied. The surface can be painted, but the paint, as a rule, crumbles quickly under the influence of precipitation and bright rays of the sun.

Stone plinth

Plinths made from natural stones very original and elegant. This decoration of the foundation is more suitable for buildings built in classical style. However, the production process of a stone plinth is very complicated and expensive, and professional skills and knowledge are required for its proper installation. For construction, it is necessary to use only those stones that have the most even shape, so that they can fit snugly against each other.

The stones are placed on the foundation and fastened together with cement mortar. Laying starts from the corners of the building, gradually advancing in its middle. Each stone must be tied on all sides to increase strength. It is constantly necessary to control the verticality of the basement and the level of the horizon. The thickness of the seams between the stones should not exceed 15-20 mm.

Brick plinth

Brick plinth is the cheapest and not difficult to install. There are several variations of the installation of this plinth, combining the use of several materials (see Fig. 2) Usually a brick surface is not the final look. It can be plastered and painted. If you paint the plinth, then only with silane-siloxane paints, which protect the plinth from water penetration. You can also paint the base with special chlorine compounds, for example Brown color, and process the seams between the bricks with white pigments. Appearance such a plinth will resemble classic masonry, and the operational properties will meet modern requirements.