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Covering a one-story house with wooden beams. Attic flooring using wooden beams: a review of the best designs and tips for choosing beams. Ribbed beam floor: for private housing construction

Having made his choice of foundation, the developer proceeds to deciding whether to insulate it or not, whether a blind area is needed for pile foundation, whether to build a basement. The use of screw piles as supporting elements of a house is due to the following reasons:

• reduction of foundation installation costs by 2 times;
• uncomplicated soil at a construction site allows you to screw in piles manually without the use of mechanization;
• on quicksand and flooded soils there is no alternative to a pile-screw foundation;
• the installation time for supports ranges from several days to a week, depending on the area of ​​the house, and carrying out ongoing construction work not limited by settling time;
• best option when constructing a building on a hillside, mountain.

When constructing low-rise buildings, it is preferable to equip the blind area of ​​a pile foundation.

Insulation of the blind area for screw piles

To protect the piles from corrosion, and house from the influence of moisture, it will be necessary to insulate the base of the building. For this there is wide choose heat-insulating materials, such as polystyrene foam, polystyrene, ecowool. They differ in both characteristics and at the cost, and the choice of material should be made based on its corresponding performance qualities:

• good water-repellent properties and low hygroscopicity;
• high thermal insulation ability;
• should not be a haven for rodent colonies.

It is better to sew up the space between the base of the house and the ground level; this will give the building completeness and decorate the exterior of the facade. For this purpose, a decorative plinth is mounted, which will help prevent the accumulation of moisture or snow under the structure, and will fence off protruding parts pile foundation from unfavorable external influences. Insulating the basement will help maintain a warm and dry climate inside the building. If the distance from the soil surface to the base of the building is significant, then such a niche can be usefully equipped by organizing a basement or utility room.

When answering the question of whether a blind area is needed for a pile-screw foundation, the developer should focus on useful features performed by this building element:

• protects the foundation from damage by precipitation and plants;
• prevents heat loss from the house if thermal insulation is used in the blind area design;
• it is a beautiful finishing detail in the home area, which improves the visual perception of the composition of the structure;
• footpath around the building.

Taking into account these properties and features of the structure, it is easier for the developer to decide whether it is necessary to make a blind area for a pile foundation.

Do-it-yourself blind area at home

The construction of a blind area for screw piles, as for the foundation of any other structure, is a simple construction project. As a result of this arrangement of the house, the foundation and grillages will be protected from destruction under the influence of moisture.

The construction of a soft type of blind area for a foundation made of metal piles has its own characteristics. Structurally, such a blind area looks like layers laid Construction Materials, whose function is to collect and remove precipitation from the foundation of the building. Paving slabs or other decorative materials are used as a covering. finishing material a thickness of at least 100 mm, laid with a slope of 2-10 degrees. The underlying layer for the blind area of ​​a house on stilts is poured at an angle of 10-30 degrees, and its thickness is at least 300 mm.

Photo of the blind area around the house assembled on screw piles

It is recommended to construct a blind area with a width of 600 mm or more, since along with an increase in size, the functions it performs improve. When planning the blind area of ​​a house on screw piles, a tolerance is placed on the size of the path so that its width extends beyond the roof overhang by at least 200 mm.

You can make a standard blind area around a house on stilts using the following materials:

• waterproofing PET film (roofing felt). As an alternative, but more expensive option, it is used PVC membrane;
• geotextile fabric as a filter element;
• instead of crushed stone, to fill the top layer, you can use soil from the lawn or mulched soil, on top of which road slabs are laid;
• drainage pipe for removing sediments located inside the blind area.

In accordance with the aesthetic preferences of the developer, upper layer decorated to suit every taste, including by sowing plant seeds on top. The surface of the path near the structure will be decorated with red decorative crushed stone, but if you don’t have it, you can take a regular one, medium fraction.

Progress of construction work on the blind area of ​​the house

The trench for the blind area is dug down to a hard layer of soil, for example, limestone, but to a depth of at least 300 mm. External side the trench is framed with formwork or curb stone, in accordance with its depth. If the soil is construction site characterized as unstable, then clay is used as the first layer, which is laid on the bottom of the ditch in an even layer, followed by compaction by hand or mechanized way. The thickness of this layer will be 200-250 mm.

A video of the process of building a house on screw piles will give a clearer idea of ​​this type of construction work. Watch a video on how to make a blind area near a pile foundation

The second layer of the blind area of ​​a house on screw piles will be crushed stone, the thickness of the cushion will be 50-100 mm. It needs to be compacted evenly, and additional use hydrofiber will protect the blind area from getting wet and weed growth.

Coarse-grained, crumbly sand without impurities is used as the third layer. Its thickness varies depending on the characteristics of the soil, the depth of the ditch and the drainage elements used (gutters, drainpipes), but is placed from 50 mm. The sand layer must be well compacted and thoroughly moistened for good shrinkage. To obtain a more even surface, these steps should be performed several times.

The drainage system is placed in a sand layer and covered with sand, which is compacted manually so as not to damage the drainage communications. Installation of drainage pipes in the blind area implies the presence of drainage wells on the site to drain precipitation from the building.

Insulation boards can be used as an additional layer, which will reduce the depth of soil freezing near the blind area. This measure allows clay soil lay the foundation less deeply, so the question is whether it is worth insulating the blind area of ​​the pile foundation, you can answer positively.

Pros and cons of soft blind area

The blind area for a pile foundation can be constructed either soft or hard, with a monolithic concrete top layer. The construction of a soft blind area for landscaping screw piles has a number of advantages:

• it will not be harmed by ground movement that occurs during seasonal cycles of freezing and thawing. When the soil swells soft covering will only “play” without losing functional characteristics. On the concrete screed, despite the reinforcing metal rods, cracks will begin to appear from such overloads, the elimination of which is a costly undertaking;
• a combination of aesthetics and practicality. Due to its qualities, the coating will protect the building from moisture, and big choice various decorative layers, distinguishes it favorably from simple asphalt or concrete pouring;
• simply decorate with flowers or other greenery.

The appearance of weeds on the top layer of the covering and the need to clear it of plant debris is an unattractive factor when using a soft blind area. The costs that will need to be made to equip the blind area will pay off in the form of increased comfort of living in the building and daily use landscaped area as intended.

September 6, 2016
Specialization: facade finishing, interior decoration, construction of cottages, garages. Experience of an amateur gardener and gardener. We also have experience in repairing cars and motorcycles. Hobbies: playing the guitar and many other things that I don’t have time for :)

A pile foundation, unlike a strip foundation, does not have a continuous surface, so its insulation raises a number of questions for home craftsmen. In fact, there is nothing complicated in this procedure, the main thing is to follow a certain technology. Therefore, below I will tell you in detail how to properly insulate a pile foundation so that the floor is warm and there is no damp under the house.

Why insulate a pile-screw foundation?

Before we begin describing the insulation technology, I’ll tell you why this procedure is necessary in general. Of course, insulating the foundation will make the floor warmer, however, it is possible to insulate the floor in a house on stilts without touching the foundation. This raises the question: is it worth doing this at all?

In reality, insulation must be performed for other reasons:

• As a rule, communications run under the house. Insulating the foundation will protect them from freezing in winter time. True, it is also necessary to additionally insulate the communications themselves;
• insulation involves the arrangement of the basement, thanks to which the house acquires a more solid and attractive appearance;
• the presence of a plinth prevents the accumulation of snow and water under the house, which is also very important.

As you can see, insulating the foundation is a really useful procedure that should preferably be performed immediately after building a house.

Insulation technology

So, the process of foundation insulation consists of five main stages:

Step 1: choosing insulation

Before you begin insulating the foundation, you need to prepare all the materials. In particular, you need to decide on insulation. Suitable for the intended purposes the following types thermal insulation materials:

• extruded polystyrene foam - is a modified polystyrene foam, which is characterized by higher strength and durability, so it is often used for insulating bases. On average, the price of extruded polystyrene foam is 4,500 rubles per m3;

• polyurethane foam - applied to the surface in the form of foam using special equipment, after which it quickly hardens. The advantage of this insulation is that it forms a continuous coating on the surface, without cold bridges. However, keep in mind that you won’t be able to do the thermal insulation yourself. The cost of insulation together with work starts from 350-400 rubles per square meter;
• thermal panels - combine insulation and finishing material. The cost of the panels is on average 1000 rubles per square meter.

On our portal you can familiarize yourself in more detail with the features and characteristics of these insulation materials.

In addition to thermal insulation, you will need boards and bars to install the sheathing. In addition, finishing material should be prepared. It could be:

• siding;
• plinth panels;
• aceid, etc.

If you perform insulation with thermal panels, then finishing material, of course, will not be required.

Step 2: performing a blind area

Many craftsmen carry out the blind area after insulating the foundation, however, it is more advisable to start work with the blind area. In this case, the insulation of the base will be adjacent to the insulation of the blind area, and not to the frozen ground.

The blind area is performed as follows:

1. Dig a trench around the perimeter of the house about a meter wide and about 40 centimeters deep;
2. now fill the bottom of the trench with sand, the layer thickness should be about 20 cm. The sand must be thoroughly compacted;
3. then you should fill in a layer of crushed stone about 5 cm thick, then carefully level it and compact it;
4. Next, you need to lay a waterproofing film on the crushed stone. The canvases should be laid overlapping;
5. Now the waterproofing should be laid thermal insulation material, for example, extruded polystyrene foam is excellent for these purposes;
6. along the outer edge of the blind area should be laid drainage pipe, as shown in the diagram above.

At this point, work on the blind area stops until the foundation is insulated.

If the foundation is insulated from the outside on heaving soils, at the junction of the plinth and the blind area, the trench should be filled with expanded clay. Thanks to this, in case of soil heaving, the base will not break.

Step 3: installation of the sheathing

Before insulating a pile foundation wooden house, it is necessary to make a lathing, to which not only the insulation, but also the finishing material is subsequently attached. The frame usually consists of two or three belts of boards, which are mounted around the perimeter of the base.

The boards are most often attached to the outermost piles. If the piles are metal, they can be welded horizontal strips and drill holes. As a result, it will not be difficult to fix the boards with bolts.

If you don’t want to deal with welding, you can secure the sheathing with clamps. Another option is to attach the sheathing to the walls of the house. To give the structure rigidity, vertical jumpers should be placed between the boards, which can be secured with self-tapping screws.

Step 4: insulation

The insulation process depends largely on the type of heat insulator. Therefore, we will consider everything below possible options insulation:

Type of heat insulator	Installation features
Can be attached to the sheathing using umbrella dowels. At the same time, in order to eliminate cold bridges, all joints of the insulation with the wall, as well as with each other, must be filled with polyurethane foam. It should be noted that it is better to install insulation with inside, in this case there will be no problems during the process of facing the base.
Polyurethane foam	As mentioned above, this insulation is simply sprayed onto the surface to be insulated. Therefore, when installing the sheathing, place the boards as close to each other as possible. You can also perform insulation from the inside after covering the base.
Thermal panels	This material is attached to the sheathing using dowels or special fasteners that are included in the kit.

If the house uses a wooden grillage, before insulating the foundation, it must be treated with protective impregnation. In addition, all other wooden elements, including the sheathing.

After installing the insulation, the blind area should be filled with concrete. After this, work stops for a while until the concrete hardens.

Step 5: cladding

The final stage is facing the base. Most often, a basement is used for this. The installation instructions look like this:

1. along the perimeter of the house from below to the sheathing is attached starting profile. It must be positioned strictly vertically, so it must be installed using a building level;
2. then the panels are inserted with the lower part into the starting profile, and the upper part is attached to the sheathing with self-tapping screws;
3. At the end of the work, additional elements are installed - ebbs, corners, etc.

When covering the sheathing, you need to provide vents for ventilation of the underground space.

More difficult option cladding is brickwork. In this case, a shallow excavation is made along the perimeter of the building. strip foundation, on which the plinth wall is being erected.

It must be said that a shallow foundation can be poured yourself; you can find out in detail how this is done on our portal. But it is better to entrust the masonry to specialists, since facing work requires a highly qualified mason.

Another option is to sheathe the base with aceid. The panels can be fastened to the sheathing with nails. Subsequently, the aceid is covered with cement plaster.

The finishing of the aceid is done at personal discretion, for example, it can be finished with artificial or natural stone, tiles or other material.

Here, in fact, are all the main nuances of insulating a pile foundation.

Floor insulation

To achieve maximum effect from insulating the foundation, it is also necessary to insulate the floor. Therefore, finally, I will tell you how this procedure is performed:

1. First of all, you need to lay the subfloor. You can do it in two ways - hem the sheets or another sheet material fasten slats (rough bars) from below to the joists or from below on the joists and lay sheets on them, as shown in the diagram above;
2. then the subfloor is laid on the joists and waterproofing film overlap For greater tightness, the joints should be taped;

1. Next, thermal insulation material is laid on the waterproofing. It is best to use mineral mats for these purposes. It should be noted that the insulation must fit tightly to the joists so that there are no cold bridges;
2. then another layer of thermal insulation is laid on top of the insulation.

Now you can lay boards or other floor covering on top of the joists. Thanks to all these manipulations, the floor in your home will remain warm even in the cold season.

Conclusion

The process of insulating a pile-screw foundation is generally quite simple. You just need to mount the sheathing correctly and then attach the thermal insulation to it, taking into account all the recommendations outlined above. In addition, be sure to insulate the floor to ensure the most comfortable living conditions and reduce energy costs for heating.

See the video in this article for more information. If after reading the material you have questions regarding foundation insulation, ask them in the comments, and I will be happy to answer you.

September 6, 2016

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Before insulating the pile screw foundation of your own wooden house, it is necessary to study the technology of performing the work and necessary materials. The design of the basement in a building performs several functions at once:

• decorative and aesthetic;
• protection of the underground from moisture and wind;
• increase in temperature under house structures.

The last point allows you to get several advantages at once. First of all, this is a reduction in the thickness of the thermal insulation in the ceiling. At the same time, the design pie becomes larger; the height of the premises on the first floor is not eaten up.

Second positive attribute insulation is to reduce the consequences of such a phenomenon as frost heaving. Insulation of a pile-screw foundation with wood construction will help partially prevent ground movement in winter period.

Is it necessary to insulate

Currently in construction industry Much attention is paid to work on insulating walls, basements and other structures of the house. This is due to the fact that energy resources are limited and their cost is quite high. To improve the energy efficiency of a building, it is necessary to carefully consider insulation.

Options for insulating the basement of a house on a pile foundation

Heating costs can be up to 40% of family budget. And these costs are constant. Knowing the costs of utility bills and the amount of insulation work, you can easily calculate when the measures taken will pay off.

It is also important to remember that a well-insulated structure is protected from condensation. Humidity becomes main reason the appearance of mold and mildew. You can also easily encounter other microorganisms. Insulation of the pile foundation will preserve the health of the inhabitants of the house, as well as reduce the frequency of repairs and replacements flooring on the first floor.

Insulation options

The plinth cladding can be of several types. The decision which one to use is made based on aesthetic considerations, financial capabilities, and the qualifications of the workers who will perform the finishing.

Insulation of the base can be done in two ways:

1. on a separate tape structure;
2. along the sheathing, which is attached to the piles.

Tape design

The first option is more complicated and also has a number of limitations. Tape design shallow type can be made of concrete or brick. Most often she rests on the ground or her small monolithic foundation(more about the device). But when building on heaving soils, it is strongly not recommended to use this option. Especially when it comes to brick base. In this case, the ground rises (swells) in winter. Moreover, the process occurs unevenly. Having dug out the snow from the plinth structure, at some point you will see inclined cracks, which indicate damage from frost heaving.

This phenomenon can be prevented by eliminating one of the heaving factors:

• low temperature;
• moisture.

It is impossible to fulfill the first condition when manufacturing a non-buried tape. The soil under the cladding of the basement of the house will still freeze and deform. Moisture removal may also be ineffective.

It is reasonable to use strip lining only on those soils that are not prone to heaving. Such grounds include coarse soils, medium or coarse sand. Also option will do for regions with warm climates where negative temperatures are rare.

The insulation is fixed to concrete or brick wall according to the type of thermal insulation of the external enclosing elements of the building. It can be performed both without an additional frame and with its use. The method depends on the type of finish chosen.

Insulation of the base along the frame

This option for your home will be less expensive and easier. Insulation of the foundation on piles in this case can be carried out using the most different materials. Examples include:

• basement siding;
• clinker panels;
• metal profiled sheet.

The choice among options is based on financial capabilities and aesthetic considerations. All options are attached approximately the same. Read a detailed article about. To provide a foundation for cladding the base of the house, it is necessary to provide a frame.

The frame can be made of wood or rolled metal. When facing metal materials It makes more sense to use steel as a sheathing.
The frame is usually made of two longitudinal straps. If necessary, you can provide larger number longitudinal elements. It all depends on the height of the base. It is also possible to provide vertical frame elements. The need for them depends on the chosen material for cladding the basement of the house.

Before insulating the foundation on screw piles, it is necessary to provide for attaching the frame to them. The method depends on the material:

• When attaching the cladding to wooden slats and the bars are required to provide metal embedded parts in advance at the top of the piles. They can be made from angle or other similar types of rolled products. Fastening to the piles is carried out by welding.
• When using steel frame elements there is no need to carry out preliminary preparation. Metallic profile welded directly to the foundation elements.

To prevent ground moisture and frost heaving from destroying the finishing and thermal insulation, it is worth raising the base above the ground. The damper gap can be from 5 to 15 cm. At the final stage, this distance can be closed with some kind of bar.

Vents can be provided in the place indicated on the diagram or in the gap between the cladding and the blind area

The insulation for the basement of the house is attached to the same frame as the trim. Depending on the type chosen, a number of additional measures will have to be carried out.

When insulating, it is important not to forget about underground ventilation. For this purpose, the finishing design provides special holes or products. According to the standards, their total area should be equal to 1/400 of the underground area. The gap between the ground and the sheathing can also serve for ventilation. To do this, it is covered with a special mesh that prevents the penetration of rodents and insects, but does not impede the movement of air.

How to choose insulation for the basement of a house

For structures that are close to the ground, it is not recommended to use mineral wool. It is highly hygroscopic, and when wet it ceases to perform its direct functions. Also, cotton wool can sag easily. It is not so easy to attach it to the frame using screw piles.

Insulation of foundations on screw piles is best done using materials such as:

• Extruded polystyrene foam or Penoplex. The material has good thermal insulation properties and is resistant to moisture. In most cases, when using it, there is no need to apply thermal insulation. This option is more expensive than mineral wool or polystyrene foam, but will become the most affordable of all possible.
• Liquid penoizol, which is distributed by spraying. Helps simplify the process of attaching insulation.
• Foamed glass, which is produced in blocks.

Penoplex can be attached either to the sheathing or to a solid base. The second option allows you to simultaneously use glue and fasteners, guaranteeing greater reliability. The base can be sheets of plywood that are mounted on the sheathing.

Another option is to attach Penoplex to the frame with DSP cladding and subsequent finishing
On heaving soils, it is also recommended to insulate the blind area - this will prevent the piles from “bulging” from the ground in winter

It is not recommended to use polystyrene foam for insulation. This material is capable of accumulating moisture between the styrene balls. This phenomenon leads to the fact that when low temperatures the foam crumbles into separate particles. The phenomenon is caused high pressure freezing moisture onto balls of material.

The house is built, the roof is also built, now is the time to think about protecting the foundation. And we will not be talking about the cladding of the above-ground part, but about additional element- blind area. It will protect the foundation of the house from flooding with rainwater and give the overall architecture of the house a finished look.

Foundation blind area: what is it and why is it needed?

The functional purpose of the blind area is to protect the foundation of the house from destruction. If this is not done, the above-ground part of the foundation may crack under the influence of precipitation. In other words, the blind area serves to remove moisture leaking under the house.

The construction of the blind area is the last stage in the construction of a house.

The blind area is a platform with an average width of 0.7–0.9 m with a slight slope to drain moisture. Its angle of inclination should be within 4–11 degrees away from the base of the house.

When constructing a blind area for a house, it is necessary to take into account the nature of the soil on the site

When constructing a blind area, it must be connected to the foundation for good waterproofing. All joints must be sealed to prevent destruction of the base.

The height of the base will directly depend on the type of blind area. So, for crushed stone or gravel, the above-ground part of the base can be raised 300 mm from the ground surface. But for a concrete or stone blind area, the height of the base should be up to 0.5 m.

In addition, it is recommended to create a small gap between the blind area and the foundation - the so-called expansion joint. The width of the seam should be up to 20 mm, this is necessary to compensate for temperature expansion. As a rule, gaps are made when constructing slab and stone blind areas, so that in severe frosts piece material did not put pressure on the wall and did not destroy the foundation of the house.

The blind area must be performed for any foundation. U columnar foundation the blind area neutralizes the destructive effect of heaving soils on the foundation; moreover, it protects the house from flooding and prevents erosion of the soil around the support pillars. The same applies to slab and strip types of base.

But for a pile-screw foundation, the blind area will play a rather aesthetic and decorative role - screw piles They are metal pipes on which blades are attached on one side and holes are drilled for installation on the other side. With such a foundation structure, the blind area is not the main protection against the destructive effects of moisture.

Types of blind areas

To build a blind area, you can use concrete, brick, paving stones or paving slabs, profiled membrane. Each material has both pros and cons.

Table: comparison of different types of blind areas

Type of blind area	Description	pros	Minuses	Device Features
From clay	The simplest of all blind areas, it can be built on heaving soils. As a screed, medium-sized stones can be sunk into a clay blind area	Availability, simplicity of device, possibility of additional decoration using pebbles	May crack after prolonged use	Mandatory presence of drainage and waterproofing, layer height - from 150 mm, blind area width - at least 0.8 mm
Concrete/asphalt	The second easiest to manufacture, but more labor-intensive compared to the previous option, is poured in a continuous layer along the entire perimeter around the house. The device requires concrete grade M200 and higher	Simplicity, accessibility, good protection from moisture, the ability to decorate with almost any material	Mandatory reinforcement of a concrete structure	Layer height - from 50 mm, separation joints are required for every 2.5–3 m
From gravel/crushed stone	The blind area is backfilled along the entire perimeter without fastening with cement mortar. You can use any crushed stone, but the best is considered to be a dry fine gravel mixture with larger crushed stone - by mixing different fractions, you can better compact the backfill	Not too much labor-intensive process devices, low cost, the ability to decorate with drought-resistant shrubs without damaging the foundation, no cracks due to temperature changes, good decision at high level groundwater	The need for periodic addition of material	Backfilling to a height of 150–200 mm, using crushed stone of a fraction of 5–40 mm
From sand concrete	Sand concrete grade M300 is used, to which crushed stone mixture must be added. Filling the trench around the perimeter is done in the same way as when installing a conventional concrete blind area	Durability, does not shrink	High cost of materials	Mandatory screed device
From stones	The main purpose of such a blind area is aesthetics. Elements can be laid directly on the layer concrete screed. Almost any type of stone is used for the device - both artificial and natural.	Aesthetics, strength, durability	Labor intensity and cost of the process	Requires a large number of stones and cobblestones
Made from profiled membrane	Its main advantage over concrete blind area- no long wait until complete readiness. Other name - soft blind area. It is a kind of barrier to grass germination	Simplicity of the process, simultaneous installation of blind area and waterproofing, protection against frost heaving, aesthetic appearance	High cost of materials	Mandatory drainage device

It is advisable to lay the blind area before the onset of cold weather, so that the site has time to settle sufficiently on the ground.

Photo gallery: types of blind areas for the foundation of a house

Stone blind area is an expensive but very effective finishing coating
Flexible pipes laid in a trench, covered with gravel on top and covered with a finishing coating. Such a blind area also serves storm sewer A relatively inexpensive finishing material, it looks good as a decoration for the foundation Using wooden blocks, separate sections are created that will be resistant to temperature changes One of the most durable coatings - paving stones - requires painstaking work when laying A storm pipeline can be installed at the lower edge of the blind area Clay blind area it is easier to do than all others and is used more often on heaving soils. A blind area made of concrete is a foundation in miniature: it also requires a reinforcing frame and formwork. A blind area made of gravel is a low-cost solution for an area with high level groundwater The poured mixture consists of sand concrete, crushed stone and water. The laying technology is the same as that of a concrete blind area

Construction of a foundation blind area with your own hands

The whole process can be divided into several stages: preparatory work, installation of a drainage layer and creation of a finishing coating.

1. First, a layer of soil is removed - the depth of the trench will be equal to overall height layers of blind area.

   The width of the trench must be at least 0.6 m

2. A sand and gravel cushion is laid at the bottom of the trench followed by compaction of the fill.

   The cushion can be covered with a continuous layer, and then the entire trench can be divided into sections

   3. Then expansion joints are made with the installation of curbs. The curbs will act as permanent formwork.

   Wooden blocks can be used as formwork

   4. The top layer or finishing coating is applied. The following options are possible: concrete or asphalt concrete pavement, continuous filling with cement-sand mortar, laying paving stones or stone.

   Concrete blind area requires perfect alignment

Asphalt and concrete must be additionally reinforced. The screeds are made one by one - in sections of 3 m, each of which must be separated by an expansion joint. Wooden planks can be used as separating seams - they can also act as permanent formwork.

Coating from cement-sand mortar can be decorated by laying artificial stone on the poured blind area.

In addition to concrete pouring, piece material - paving stones or slabs - can be used as a blind area. On sand and gravel cushion a layer of reinforcement is laid to strengthen the structure, on top of which it is poured concrete mortar. The finishing layer is piece slabs - gaps of 10–15 mm must be left between pieces of slabs.

Gaps are made not only between the piece blind area, but also at the junction of the base of the house and the blind area itself

As for the blind area made of clay, this type is suitable for clay soils: when moistened, the clay turns into a plastic dough, which, when tightly compacted, does not allow the base to flood. Insulation of the blind area is carried out on heaving soils with mandatory waterproofing.

The reinforcement is laid in one row on a waterproofing film

Video: building a blind area with your own hands

The foundation blind area must be mandatory - to protect it (as is the case with a strip or monolithic foundation) or to give the house a finished look. The process of installing a protective platform, which at first seems costly, will help to significantly extend the life of the house.