The basement of the house requires reliable protection from moisture penetration, wetting, sunlight and mechanical damage. To obtain a solid foundation and a uniform weight load, various facing materials are used. In this article, we will analyze in detail how to veneer the basement of a house, provide a description of the materials, their advantages and disadvantages.
Types of basement structures
The most reliable type is the sinking base. Its device perfectly protects the structure from mechanical and atmospheric damage, and for its device there is no need to build a drain. The western view looks great and complements the building.
The protruding base is equipped in frame houses With thin walls. This type requires a drain device to remove precipitation from the foundation as much as possible.
An important point in the construction of the basement is its waterproofing. Before choosing a facing material, the following points should be considered:
- brickwork expands the basement structure;
- a heater is laid inside the frame, which reduces heat loss;
- frame system allows you to carry out any repair work Anytime;
The main purpose of plinth cladding is:
- minimize Negative influence on the foundation of the house of precipitation, humidity, temperature changes and direct sunlight;
- preventing dirt from entering the walls of the house, chemical substances, which can cause destructive processes of the foundation;
- protection of the foundation from the formation of mold, stains, fungus and insects;
Full characteristics of the facing material
Facing the basement of the house and what material is better to choose this question arises for each owner country house. We offer to consider popular materials for finishing the foundation.
Finishing with decorative plaster
Plaster is used for any type of building. This mixture is in good contact with other building materials. The advantage of plastering is:
- high vapor permeability;
- responds well to temperature changes;
- easily repaired;
- easy to apply to the surface;
- the ability to combine with other materials;
- affordable price.
- short operating period;
- requires constant updating of the coating (painting);
- if dirt gets on the surface, it may be difficult to wash them out.
The finishing process consists of simple steps:
- before plastering, insulate and level the surface;
- fix the plaster tiles;
- use paint with resistance to frost and moisture;
The photo shows the plastered facade
siding finish
For cladding the basement, siding panels designed for these works are used. The advantage of such a facade is:
- high strength and reliability, the panel is able to protect the entire surface;
- easy to care for, can be easily washed;
- resistant to shock and damage;
- panels do not fade in the sun;
- installation of panels is possible on any type of foundation;
- Replacing parts won't be a hassle.
Among the shortcomings can be noted:
- installation will take a lot of time and effort;
- the cost of finishing material is higher due to the installation additional elements(frame, slats);
- the material is flammable.
Facing the facade with siding should be after:
- crate installation;
- perform high-quality sealing of all connections;
- perform and take into account the dimensions of the gaps.
For your information. Recently, manufacturers have begun to produce brick panels. This finish looks very beautiful and original. The product resembles a stone, sometimes it is even difficult to distinguish it. This similarity is achieved by the fact that in the production of siding panels they make an impression that clearly conveys the entire structure and roughness of the stone. The photo shows a panel element under the rubble stone.
Facade decoration using stone
Facing the foundation of the house with artificial stone is the best and inexpensive option. The lined facade of the house has the following advantages:
- wide range of shapes, textures and color palette products;
- high strength of the product;
- long term operation;
- easily repaired;
- easy installation.
Disadvantages of artificial stone:
- laying of material is possible only at positive temperature;
- The work is quite laborious and takes a lot of time.
A natural stone for facing the facade will increase the cost of purchasing materials. It is worth noting that manufacturers have learned to produce artificial stone, appearance which does not differ and completely resembles the structure of the natural. The facade with its use looks natural and natural. The photo shows a stone facade
Not everyone can do stone laying on their own. As a rule, specialists are attracted for such work.
The use of clinker tiles
Facing the basement with clinker tiles will cost almost the same as brickwork. This material has a number of advantages:
- the manufacturer produces ready-made corners, external and internal elements;
- products are easily fixed to the foundation;
- due to its low weight, the facade experiences a slight load;
- diversity decorative coating;
- tiles do not require additional finishing;
- long service life;
- provides reliable protection to the foundation;
- tiles are easy to clean when dirty;
- has high resistance to mechanical damage and shock;
- large selection of color palettes.
For information! Clinker tiles can give an interesting appearance to the facade of a private house. With the right installation of products, it is difficult to distinguish it from natural stone.
It is worth noting that clinker tiles allow you to perform additional decoration of walls and even corners of the building. The material blends perfectly with the tiles and gives the house an attractive appearance.
When laying it, a special adhesive is used that is resistant to freezing. The tile is glued like a regular tile, the only thing is there is a small nuance, the ground level is variable around the entire perimeter of the building. Before laying, it is necessary to seal the seams with grouting mortar.
In the photo, the front part, finished with clinker tiles
For information! Clinker tiles are perfectly combined and get along with other building materials.
Decking
by the most economical option for facing the facade of the building is the use of corrugated board. To perform the work, a galvanized or polymer-coated product is used. Such cladding reliably protects the foundation from destruction and has a long service life.
The surface of the material is resistant to corrosion processes. To fix the corrugated board, waterproofing, thermal insulation and fasteners will be required. The end result is quite attractive. The photo shows a house sheathed with corrugated board
Low tide device
The ebb device is able to reliably protect the protruding part of the foundation from moisture and water. Perform ebbs from different materials:
- metal castings are made of galvanized steel, on the surface of which a polymer coating is applied, which prevents products from corrosion;
- aluminum products are produced from sheet copper, this is a rather expensive product that will be a great addition to the copper roof of the building;
- plastic ebbs are the cheapest material that have a short service life, most often plastic ebbs are used in combination with PVC siding;
- ebb, made of profiled ceramic blocks will be a good addition and protection for brick or clinker tiles on the facade of the building.
As we see, there is a large number of options for lining the basement of a house. The choice of material directly depends on the financial possibilities and features of the project of a private house.
There are many ways to beautifully finish plinths, but the choice of material for this purpose should be carried out, first of all, based on design features foundation. Naturally, the installation process of one or another coating can be fundamentally different, because the lining of a screw foundation is not at all the same as the finishing of the concrete walls of the basement.
In addition, the use of materials that have a solid weight requires that a preliminary calculation be performed for the lining of the foundation. In this article, we will consider the features and nuances of finishing plinths of various designs.
Column and pile foundations
Structurally, these two types of foundations differ radically, but they are united by the fact that in the end their basement part looks about the same: a concrete grillage with supports at certain points.
So:
- Only in one case, piles play the role of supports, and in the other - brick or concrete pillars. Piles are usually used in unstable soils when the foundation needs to be deeply buried.
For example, in the regions of the Far North, almost all construction is carried out on pile foundations. - The smaller and lighter the structure, the less effort is required to build the foundation. For small ones, especially wooden ones, a columnar foundation, buried up to one and a half meters, is sufficient, while the length of a reinforced concrete pile can reach twelve meters.
- Since the upper part of these structures is identical, the foundation will also have the same technology. In the diagram we have shown, it can be seen that the pile protrudes from the ground by 20 cm, and the height of the grillage is 40 cm. This is the distance that needs to be closed.
- A grillage is necessary in cases where the walls of the house will be built of bricks or blocks. If the house is wooden, instead of a grillage, massive wooden beams as in the photo below.
In this case, the piles protrude above the ground much higher than twenty centimeters.
The cladding of a columnar foundation differs from the cladding of plinths of other structures in that there is no solid base necessary for the installation of a decorative coating. This very foundation must first be created, and not all types of finishes, in this case, will be available.
brick plinth
One of the most time-consuming and expensive, but also the most durable options for building a basement on a pile foundation, is the construction of a brick base. Its essence is as follows: between piles or pillars, a kind of strip foundation is made, which will serve as a support for brickwork.
So:
- Such a foundation for facing the basement with bricks can be made when the pile heads are quite high above the ground, and there is no concrete grillage. For example, if, a brick base will provide it with additional rigidity, and will take on some of the loads.
- The technology for making such a foundation differs from the usual supporting structure only in that it is practically not deepened. A shallow groove is cut between the pillars, the bottom of which is rammed with sand and covered with roofing material.
Next, formwork is made of unedged boards or plywood.
- The height of the shallow foundation, performed to support the basement wall, can be only 20 cm. Part of the solution is poured into the formwork, rammed, metal reinforcing mesh and then the rest of the concrete is added.
After the concrete has gained strength, you can start laying out basement walls OK. - The minimum width of the foundation for cladding is 30 cm, so a one and a half brick laying will fit perfectly on it. You can, of course, lay out a wall of ordinary building bricks, and then veneer it with natural stone.
But this method of finishing will only increase its cost.
It is much easier to lay brickwork from clinker or hyper-pressed bricks: colored or embossed. It will be durable, very beautiful, and will not require additional surface decoration.
If the masonry does not exceed four or five rows of bricks, then there will not even be a need to reinforce it.
Decorative plinth
If a grillage is provided in the foundation design, there is simply no need to lay out the brick walls of the basement. And the distance of the grillage indent from the ground, as a rule, is small.
In this case, the easiest way is to make a decorative plinth, and this can be done in two ways.
So:
- The first method is to build a retaining wall from moisture-resistant plywood, wood-polymer or cement-bonded particle boards. Attach them like wooden blocks, and on a metal profile, which is fixed to the grillage and poles with the help of dowels and a perforator.
- All of the listed materials are not afraid of moisture, and are an excellent base for stone or ceramic tiles. Further actions related to the laying of a decorative coating will not differ in any way from brick or concrete wall.
Instructions and videos on this topic can always be found on the Internet.
- The second way to decorate the space under the grillage is the simplest, and the price of finishing, in the end, is lower. To decorate the foundation, basement siding is used with all kinds of imitations of stone and brickwork, tiles, and clinker tiles.
They produce siding panels from a variety of materials: aluminum, lightweight concrete, polymers. - All of them are equipped lock connections, mounted on a crate, and the simplicity of the technology will allow even a beginner to do the work with their own hands. Briefly, this process is as follows.
From the top of the pile, a horizontal line is marked along which the guide profile is attached. - From it, with a step equal to half the height of the panel, the following crate belts are mounted. Then, from left to right, from the corner, vertical guides are mounted.
Their lower edge is buried in the ground by half a meter, and the upper one is attached to the grillage. The position of the elements of the crate is checked by level.
- If the distance between the ground and the grillage is small, no more than the height of one row of panels, vertical guides may not be needed. Especially if lightweight polypropylene panels are mounted.
Note! When installing basement siding, it is necessary to remember about the thermal expansion of materials, leave a small gap between the cladding elements, and also do not screw the screws tightly.
The nuances of installing siding panels on the crate can be different, depending on the design of their fasteners.
Therefore, there is no single recipe for all occasions. As a rule, the panel installation scheme is attached to the purchase of goods.
Plinth on a strip foundation
Strip foundations in low-rise residential construction are used in houses whose walls are built of brick or concrete blocks. They can be monolithic or prefabricated, and are deepened depending on the presence or absence, the dimensions of the building, and the quality of the soil.
So:
- For the construction of the walls of the basement, concrete foundation blocks are used, or they are laid out of brick during the construction process. The height of the basement may vary, depending on how it is supposed to be used.
If there will be technical or residential premises, a garage, then the height of the floor will be at least 2.5 meters. - In some projects, the plinth protrudes only slightly above ground level. But there are also such structures where the base is very high, and almost all of it is above the ground.
Naturally, its design needs a slightly different approach. - Facing the strip foundation, in this case, is often performed using large-format slabs of natural stone or porcelain stoneware, facing bricks. Such heavy materials must necessarily rest on the foundation, and usually their use is provided for in the project.
- In this case, the width of the foundation for cladding must be calculated in advance. The ground floor must be insulated.
If this process is carried out outside, then a layer of insulation and a facing brick should fit on the protruding part of the strip foundation. And between them there should be an air gap of at least three centimeters. - According to building codes, a brick can protrude beyond the foundation by a third of its width, but no more. Therefore, if you decide to ennoble the basement of an old house, and at the same time strengthen it, you will need to expand the foundation for cladding.
To do this, the foundation needs to be dug up, making a groove of the required width along its perimeter.
- In principle, this work is carried out similarly to that which is performed when constructing a base for a brick basement wall on a pile foundation. The width of the additional foundation of 20 cm, in this case, will be quite enough.
Consider for yourself: insulation 4 cm + gap 3-4 cm + brick 12 cm. When concrete base will be ready, and gain strength, you can proceed to facing the basement. - But first you need to perform coating waterproofing. This applies to the foundation of a new house, and an old one.
Concrete and brick walls perfectly absorb moisture. To prevent this from happening, the surface of the basement walls is treated with waterproofing compounds.
For this use bituminous mastic, liquid glass, various penetrating soils of a new generation, such as Penetron, Gidroizol. - Then, after the soil layer has dried, insulation is mounted on the walls. Great options for the plinth will board materials: extruded polystyrene foam, vermiculite, foam glass.
All these materials are perfectly fixed adhesive method. - After the basement is insulated, you can proceed to the brickwork. This process has its own nuances, and you need to know about them. For example, that every five rows of bricks, masonry must be anchored, and this is done in different ways.
- If you want to complete the lining of the foundation, or the entire facade with bricks on your own, you can read about all the intricacies of the construction of brickwork in articles on this topic, watch master classes from specialists.
- If you have a great desire to veneer the basement with natural stone, you can perform the insulation of the basement floor from the inside, and mount the stone with an adhesive method directly to the wall. This applies to rubble stone, slabs, slabs large format from natural stone and porcelain stoneware.
But coating waterproofing and in this case is required.
For finishing the walls of the basement, erected on strip foundation almost any material can be used: plaster, facade tiles, mosaic, composite and siding panels. On our website there are detailed articles on each type of cladding.
Read, choose suitable option, try your hand, and we wish you success and successful design!
The basement is the lower part of the facade of the house. The main purpose of the plinth is to provide reliable protection of the facade from all kinds of pollution and different kind damage. It is for this reason that the considered structural element should be made of reliable and durable materials. At the same time, the lower part of the house should be beautiful. To solve this problem, you can use a wide variety of materials. At the same time, finishing the base without any problems is done by hand.
Regardless of which material you decide to use to finish the plinth with your own hands, before starting work, the base must be cleaned of any kind of dirt and carefully leveled. To eliminate depressions, use a special leveling solution. Knock down the protruding parts in a convenient way.
The surface of the base must be impregnated with a primer emulsion. Without such treatment, the plinth will absorb moisture from the adhesive solution, which will not have the best effect on the reliability and quality of the cladding.
Some finishing materials, for example, artificial stone, must be treated with special water-repellent compounds before installation. They will help to reduce the water absorption index of the finishing material and increase the resistance of the cladding to various contaminants.
A large selection of water repellents is available for sale. These are colorless solutions that can be applied with rollers, brushes, etc. handy tools. On the lining treated with a high-quality water repellent, moisture will simply flow down without being absorbed into the finish and leaving no marks on it.
A plinth with a similar cladding looks very much like a wall laid out of simple clinker bricks. But the tile has a significantly lower weight and is much thinner compared to the mentioned brick. The thickness of the tiles usually varies from 8 to 20 mm. The width and length are most often the same as those of clinker bricks.
First step. Determine your starting level. To do this, add the value of the width of the future seam to the width of the element, and then divide the height of the finished plinth by the resulting value.
To make the calculation principle more clear, consider the following example. The height of the plinth of the house is 400 mm. The width of the tiles used is 65 mm. Seam width - 6 mm. In total, you will need to stick 6 rows of clinker tiles. The starting level must be set aside 26 mm below the planned ground level.
As a result, there will be approximately a 6 mm gap above the last top row of cladding. You will fill it with polyurethane or acrylic composition.
Second step. Lay the cladding over the entire surface. Lay out in even horizontal rows. For fixing, use an elastic adhesive solution with frost-resistant properties. Apply the solution with a notched trowel to both the plinth and the tile.
Do not cover a large area with glue at once. It dries on average in 15-30 minutes. Usually, during such a time, it is possible to veneer about 1 m2 of the base. Leave the finished lining to dry for about 2-3 days.
Third step. Fill the joints with an elastic mortar specially designed for jointing clinker. The composition must necessarily have frost-resistant properties.
Such tiles do not require treatment with water repellents and.
The finished cladding will be somewhat recessed into the surface (after appropriate finishing external walls), so there is no need to equip the ebb cornice.
Stone cladding has a chic appearance, but requires significant financial costs. Most often, limestone or sandstone is used for plinths. The most expensive and luxurious option is marble or granite cladding.
Finishing elements can have a variety of sizes and textures. At this point, focus on your taste. Sandstones and limestones require pre-treatment with water-repellent compounds.
The procedure for stone cladding is very similar to tiling and is done in a few simple steps.
First step. Determine the lower level of the stone attachment. The calculation is the same as in the case of the facing of the previously considered tiles.
Second step. Apply a mortar for gluing the stone to the pre-cleaned base. The same solution must be applied to the reverse side of the cladding elements. Use strictly glue to fix the stone. The use of other compounds will cause the formation of cracks in the finish and very quickly lead to peeling of the tiles.
Choose the width of the joints according to the size of the tiles. Between the small elements of the cladding, leave seams of half a centimeter. A 2 mm joint is sufficient between large tiles.
Third step. Fill the seams with a special compound for jointing. Make sure that the composition is frost-resistant and elastic enough.
If the plane of the base protrudes against the background of the general plane of the house, be sure to install a protective molding cornice. Without it, your lining will begin to crumble after the first frost.
Externally, such material is as similar as possible to its natural counterpart. Special additives and various kinds of aggregates make it possible to obtain a finishing material with excellent performance and properties, and dyes - to choose a lining that fits perfectly into the landscape.
A wide range of materials is available for sale various forms imitating a variety of materials.
Facing is carried out in almost the same way as in the case of tiles.
First step. Apply to the pre-cleaned surface of the plinth and directly to the cladding adhesive composition. Glue can be used elastic or regular. Select the specific composition in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer of artificial stone.
Coat the entire surface. You can make the seams as narrow or wide as you like.
Second step. Fill the seams with a solution specially designed for this.
Third step. Coat the finished cladding with a water-repellent compound. Also, the cladding elements can be subjected to such processing before they are mounted on the wall - there is no difference. Thanks to this treatment, even after a few years, the finish will look almost like new.
In the end, it remains only to install a low tide to protect the base from precipitation.
This is a relatively new finishing material. Outwardly, it can imitate "torn" stone and decorative brickwork. Such a tile is characterized by a small mass, which allows it to be successfully used even for facing structures with a low bearing capacity.
The cladding under consideration is characterized by sufficiently good plastic properties, which eliminates the risk of cracking and various chips. The tile is resistant to moisture and negative temperatures. Pre-treatment with moisture-repellent compounds is not needed.
First step. Attach the elements of the crate to the previously cleaned base. Collect the crate from wooden slats. Choose the step between the slats in accordance with the dimensions of the cladding elements used.
Second step. Fill the cells of the crate with heat-insulating material. If the basement insulation is not included in your plans, you can also not do the crate. In this case, the tile will be attached directly to the wall.
Third step. Start fixing the polymer sand tiles from the bottom corner of the base. Use screws to fix. Attach the tile to the crate or wall material of the house, depending on the chosen installation method. Complete the cladding of the entire plinth.
An additional advantage of using polymer sand tiles is the possibility of laying insulation simultaneously with the lining.
Externally, this material can successfully imitate sandstone or clinker brick. The big advantage of this tile is its surprisingly small thickness - 3 mm. The material is characterized by good flexibility, it can even be used for facing arched bases. Also, such tiles can be safely bent at the corner joints of the walls, which greatly facilitates the work.
If necessary, the tiles can be easily cut with scissors. It can be glued to plaster, concrete base and even to insulation. Tiles can have a corrugated and smooth surface. Available a good choice colors.
First step . Determine the upper level from which you will begin the installation of the cladding elements. The best option- laying a whole number of tiles. Therefore, determine how many horizontal rows of tiles you can glue to your plinth, determine their total height, and then subtract the smaller value from the larger value. So you determine the desired gap.
Set aside the required clearance from the top of the base. Finally, you will fill the remaining gap with acrylic or other suitable compound.
Second step. Start gluing tiles. Start mounting the elements from the corner of the plinth. Apply glue with a notched trowel already familiar to you. Glue 4 rows of cladding at once in one go.
Seams may not be filled. The protruding glue will perfectly cope with the functions of the filler. You just need to carefully distribute it at the seams with a brush.
Third step. Protect tiles from rain. To do this, the lining can, for example, be covered plastic wrap. The protection can be removed after the glue has completely dried, i.е. after 2-3 days.
Externally, such a cladding practically does not differ from the finish natural materials, while being much cheaper. To protect the plinth, be sure to install a rain eaves (low tide).
Such plaster compositions have a granular structure. The grain size can reach 3 mm and even a little more. After applying the solution, a pattern is formed on the wall, similar to a multi-colored mosaic. The function of the binder is performed by the resin. Thanks to it, the finish simultaneously receives vapor-permeable and moisture-proof properties.
Mosaic plaster is not afraid of frost and various mechanical damage. It is forbidden to apply such a composition to heat-saving and lime plasters. base from various artificial materials won't fit either. The best base option is concrete and other substances based on mineral components, gypsum, cement and, of course, lime-sand plasters.
First step. Prepare the solution according to the manufacturer's instructions. Also prepare a tool for applying the composition - a stainless steel grater.
Second step. Start applying plaster from any convenient angle, preferably from above. The layer must have the same thickness. Directly the thickness of the finishing layer should be equal to the size of the grains contained in the plaster.
The applied composition must be smoothed with a grater until it dries. The plaster is applied and rubbed in exactly the same direction.
Third step. Treat the coating with a quality water repellent.
Up to 8 kg of plaster mass can be used to finish 1 m2 of basement. The specific consumption depends on the size of the crumb.
Thus, the finish of the plinth can be made using a wide variety of materials. At the same time, there is absolutely nothing complicated in arranging any available cladding. You only need to follow the instructions and be attentive to the procedures performed.
PVC panels are great for facing small cottages and country houses. In particular, plastic blends well with siding. PVC panels are lightweight, easy to process and do not cause any trouble during installation.
First step. Fix the crate on the wall. It can be metal or wood. Choose the material with which you are more comfortable and easier to work with. The wood must first be impregnated with an antiseptic. Choose the step of the crate according to the dimensions of the panels.
Second step. Start attaching the panels. Start trimming from the bottom of the plinth. To fasten the cladding panels to the crate, you can use self-tapping screws or even liquid nails. Between themselves, adjacent strips are fastened with factory ridges and grooves. Coat the entire surface.
Siding ( Wall panels PVC)
Third step. Close the upper border of the base with a special patch profile.
Fourth step. Cover the corners of the plinth with corner pieces.
Additional processing of the cladding with a moisture-repellent composition is not carried out. Panels can be used for cladding different size, choose to your taste.
Successful work!
Video - Do-it-yourself plinth finishing
In construction important point is insulation and protection from external factors of any element, its quality will affect energy costs, optimal microclimate and service life of building parts. Since the foundation of any building is the foundation, I will talk below about its decorative finish and protection of the basement from moisture and other factors.
Finishing the foundation with facing stone
What material to choose
Facing the foundation is quite doable with your own hands, the main thing is to choose best material, which will combine all the necessary properties. By the way, the lining of the foundation can also be carried out during the repair of the old foundation. First you need to understand - why do you need a foundation sheathing? Although the foundations of houses are built from durable materials, they also need to be protected from moisture, precipitation, wind, mechanical damage and other adverse factors. Therefore, facing the foundation is initially the protection of the foundation of the house and the preservation of it. operational properties for a long time. Also, processing the base will help protect the basement from moisture and cold and decorate the house. Since the construction market is full of necessary materials Our task is to choose the best of them.
Finishing the plinth with stone
A common finish is decorative plaster, its qualities and properties in modern construction do everything the necessary conditions for quality surface finish. This finish is an inexpensive and unpretentious option as the design of the foundation and its protection.
But I would not use plaster for several reasons - firstly, it is a laborious process, and secondly, there are many other materials that can provide high-quality protection for the house and create a noble appearance. Moreover, the protection of the basement from cold and moisture requires thermal insulation qualities.
Of course, you can use various sidings and slabs, but nothing brings so much nobility to the house as facing stone. Therefore, I opt for sandstone, and you will learn what it is below.
Natural stone cladding
Noble finishes
The cladding of the foundation should fulfill not only its direct purpose, but also act as decorative element ground floor. Natural stone has always been noble and durable. building material, so the stone plinth finish looks harmonious and rich.
Do-it-yourself plinth finishing
Choosing from all the options, I settled on sandstone, which has many properties:
- Facing stone is a natural building material, time-tested. Its service life is simply staggering, more likely to need repairs to the house than old sandstone. The brick foundation lined with sandstone looks noble and natural.
- The strength of the material allows it to withstand heavy physical loads, so the elements protected by sandstone are not susceptible to mechanical damage.
- Repairing an old base with sandstone treatment will help create excellent moisture protection.
- Due to the ease of installation, you can veneer the brick foundation with your own hands.
- Due to its porous structure, sandstone has some thermal insulation properties, which allows to reduce heat loss through the basement floor.
- Facing stone is great for finishing various surfaces, whether it be the facade of the house, internal walls or brick foundation.
- The facing stone looks equally harmonious on brick house that on wood. Not everyone will be able to imagine what kind of cottage creates, the base of which is lined with sandstone.
- The natural texture and patterns of sandstone fit perfectly into various architectural styles.
Finishing the plinth with natural stone
Combining all the above advantages, the facing stone perfectly protects the brick foundation or any other type of foundation. It should be noted that the brick foundation is the optimal surface for finishing. natural material. Such a base is easy to process, which allows you to veneer the surface with sandstone with your own hands in a short time.
Sheathing of foundation surfaces
Facing stone is a fairly undemanding element, so you can do the repair of the old basement from the outside yourself.
For the repair, the following tools were useful to me:
- A metal brush is necessary for surface preparation and cleaning.
- A chisel and a hammer will be needed in case of repair, to remove the old coating (plaster).
- The ax was useful to me in the manufacture of notches for better adhesion to the surface.
- I prepared a spray gun or a brush for applying a primer.
Finishing the foundation with stone
If the foundation is heterogeneous, which is rare, a building grid is used, I did without it.
Having prepared necessary tools I started to repair outer surface basement floor. He performed all the relevant work on surface preparation, cleaned it well and covered it with a high-quality primer. Further, I took a specialized glue for laying stone and gradually began to lay out my future masterpiece. The seams between the elements were filled with mortar and carefully processed. As a result, it turned out great view basement floor.
We start cladding from the corner
Finishing screw foundation
Houses with a brick foundation are in a huge advantage over their counterparts. The fact is that the pile foundation device does not allow sandstone finishing, so the question immediately arises - how to close pile foundation outside. For me, this question was quite interesting, because it is simply necessary to close the basement from moisture and cold, and you also need to decorate the bottom of the building. But if a brick foundation can be finished with sandstone, then what kind of exit can be found here?
Why come up with such a complex base, to which it is also difficult to pick up the finish - you ask. But the screw foundation is the only optimal solution for unsteady and heaving soils. It is the screw foundation that is able to penetrate to great depths and provide reliable support for the house. And the choice of finishing the base is quite possible with the help of such material as profiled sheet.
Facing the plinth with a metal profile
This material appeared as early as 1820 and became very widespread in the construction industry. The profiled sheet is made of galvanized steel using cold rolling, after which it is subjected to the creation of the necessary shape - trapezoidal, wavy. This is done more for rigidity than for beauty. Professional sheet is a unique material used in the construction of new buildings and the repair of old ones. Steel sheet is used not only for decoration ground floors, but also for the repair of roofs, walls. In the assortment you can find profiled sheets for facing stone or a “wooden” element. I was very pleased with this choice, because with the help of it it is easy to create a unique style with your own hands.
In the assortment you can find profiled sheets for facing stone or "wooden" element
Facing the screw base with your own hands
Usually, screw foundations are used in the construction of light houses, for example, wooden ones. Therefore, the decorative finish of the screw foundation should be in harmony with wooden elements. Fortunately, I have found in a variety of profiled sheets an imitation of stone, which goes well with wooden houses. It turns out an imitation of a completely natural, natural house.
Profiled sheet "under the stone"
Sheathing a screw foundation is a simple task, so I took it on myself and, adhering to the following scheme, did an excellent job:
- For the base of the sheets I made wooden crate, after soaking the parts with an antiseptic solution.
- To avoid deformation of the sheets under the influence of heaving soils, I left a gap between the ground and the element. To do this, I made sandfilling the junction of the earth and parts to a depth of 500 mm.
- The very fastening of sheets on a wooden crate I made with self-tapping screws. To avoid dents, I tried not to tighten the fasteners too much.
- I covered the joints of the material and the corners with additional elements.
So, with a little effort, you can veneer your foundation yourself.
After the erection of the walls of the house, it is time to finish it, including finishing the foundation, or basement. In addition to the most obvious function - decorative - finishing the foundation wooden house or a brick structure performs several more important tasks.
- It protects the wall material from precipitation and wind.
- Finishing creates an additional thermal insulation layer, preventing the concrete foundation from cooling down in winter and taking away heat from the house.
- Finishing protects the foundation from dirt, many materials are much easier to clean than bare concrete.
In the article you will find a description finishing materials for the plinth, tips on their use and photos of houses.
Finishing materials
Plaster
The easiest way is beacon plaster. It is called so because for its even application, beacon marks are installed on the wall. Most often, beacon plaster is used not as final finishing, and to prepare the wall before applying decorative plaster or finishing with other materials.
Decorative plaster does not have to end up with a flat surface. Using stencils, you can apply a relief pattern to it, and with certain skills, even make an imitation of stone or brick.
Siding
Finishing the foundation with siding - modern solution. This material weighs a little, sold in the most different options colors and textures and three standard sizes: 120*80cm, 60*18cm and 40*18cm, easy to mount. To finish the basement, they use not ordinary, but special basement siding - it is more durable due to a different composition. Quality siding for exterior finish withstands high and low temperatures (from -50 to +60), does not deform, does not lose color in the sun and retains a beautiful appearance and strength for a long time.
Before installing the siding, a special starting profile is installed in the lower part of the wall. The siding is mounted on special horizontal or vertical rails that are mounted on the wall. Between themselves, the panels are fastened with a tongue-and-groove connection. Additional elements are installed in the corners. The finished plinth is covered from above with a special plinth. Siding does not require additional processing.
Profiled sheet and corrugated board
Profiled sheet and corrugated board are profiled a metal sheet. These varieties differ in that the profile on the profiled sheet is more rigid. Their main purpose is to serve roofing material, but due to their strength, relatively low price and durability, they are also used for other purposes, for example, for finishing the foundation of a house with a profiled sheet, building fences. The profiled sheet can be either galvanized or have a polymer coating. To finish the foundation with a professional sheet with your own hands, use a wall profiled sheet with a thickness of 0.6 mm. For facing the foundation, corners, a profile for guides, self-tapping screws, dowel anchors, and ventilation grilles are required. First, a crate of metal profile or wooden bars. Then the corrugated board is cut and attached to it with self-tapping screws with a waterproof gasket.
Resin tiles
This material can imitate any natural cladding: wood, stone, brick.
The tile is glued to a leveled and primed foundation surface. To lay the tiles evenly, markings are first applied to the wall. It is possible to glue tiles not only directly on concrete, but also on thermal insulation. They begin to lay the tiles from the corner, while it is immediately necessary to make 4 rows. Glue protruding from the seams seals them. After completion of work, the foundation should be closed for 2-3 days from precipitation. During this time, the glue will dry. The finished foundation does not require any additional processing.
Clinker tiles
This is a variant of facing bricks made from special types clay. It has an interesting appearance due to the unique pattern of layers of clay mixed during the production process, looks like brickwork and gives the house a touch of antiquity.
Facing brick
This is a natural ceramic brick, which perfectly imitates brickwork, additionally insulates and protects the facade. The downside is that it's pretty heavy. If you want to finish the foundation with bricks, you need to plan this in advance, even at the stage of developing a house project, so that the wall can exactly withstand the severity of the cladding.
Fake diamond
Finishing the foundation of a house under a stone is done using an artificial stone made on the basis of concrete. It can imitate river, sea, hewn or natural stone, brickwork. Artificial stone for finishing the foundation of a house costs much less than natural stone, is durable, and resistant to temperature changes. Mounting it is simple: tiles are glued to a leveled surface special glue. After the glue dries, the seams are filled with a water-repellent agent. The photo shows the facades of houses with stone finishes.
Cement particle board and flat slate
For getting flat surface when finishing the foundation with their own hands often use flat slate or cement-bonded particle board (DSP). As part of the slate - asbestos fiber, Portland cement, water. As part of the DSP - wood shavings, Portland cement, chemical additive-mineralizer (aluminum sulfate, sodium and potassium silicates), water. Slate can be pressed and unpressed, unpressed is inferior in strength and durability. DSP is less durable than slate, but lighter, and due to the chemical mineralizer, the chips in its composition are protected from moisture. A layer of decorative plaster or paint is usually applied to the DSP or slate.
Most often, not a standard gray DSP is used to finish the foundation, but embossed, painted or covered with stone chips. DSP-based facade slabs have many advantages:
withstand more than 100 freeze-thaw cycles,
- lungs,
- environmentally friendly,
- provide additional sound insulation,
- the composition of the plates prevents the appearance of mold on them.
- they are easy to cut, mill, drill at home,
- are easily mounted on a facade in the dry way.
To mount the DSP on the foundation, you need to prepare the crate. It is mounted on a prepared leveled foundation surface. The step of the crate is made no more than 60 cm. The crate can be made of wood or a metal profile, in this case the tree must be dried and treated with an antiseptic.
Attention! DSP is a fragile material, it must be protected from impacts.
Holes are drilled in the DSP sheet, steel drills are used for this, tungsten carbide drills are also acceptable. Drills should be used for hard materials. For fastening, special galvanized nails, screws or self-tapping screws with a countersunk head are used. The distance between them should be about 20 cm. It is not recommended to use fasteners designed for drywall.
Finishing the foundation in a wooden house
Finishing the foundation of a wooden house creates an additional heat and moisture insulating layer, increases the service life of the foundation. Usually, natural materials are used to finish a wooden house:
- a natural stone,
- brick,
- clinker tiles,
- porcelain tile.
Foundations wooden houses finished with vinyl panels (siding).
Plinth finishing feature wooden house in the fact that in this case, proper waterproofing is especially important. A waterproofing layer is made on the foundation to a height of 20-30 cm from the ground. They also install thermal insulation. After that, you can veneer the foundation. Some experts recommend doing this not after the walls are completed, but as soon as the foundation is ready, so as not to damage it during the construction of the rest of the house.
Rough plinth protection
Before finishing the foundation of the house with their own hands, they first make its rough protection. It is carried out in several stages.
- The manufacture of blind areas. The blind area is an inclined strip filled with concrete. It is made 25 cm wide more than the roof extension. Before this, part of the soil is removed, a drainage cushion of crushed stone and sand is laid. Then a layer of concrete of about 20 cm is poured on top. The blind areas should have a slight slope from the foundation. On their edge do expansion joints damper tape.
- Plastering. For more convenient operation a metal mesh is attached to the foundation.
- Waterproofing. It can be done as follows: coat the foundation with hot bitumen; cover with several layers of roofing material; cover with a penetrating waterproofing compound.
After these events, you can proceed to decorative cladding.
Now you can find materials for self-facing the foundation for every taste and budget. But it is important not so much to choose one of the many materials, but to properly organize waterproofing and thermal insulation and carry out high-quality finishing work. Then beautiful plinth buildings will not lose their appearance for a long time and will serve as protection for the house from external influences.
