What to do? - seek advice and assistance from experienced engineers of the Remstroyservice company.
Seven construction mistakes - the difficult task of building a country house .
Lack of preparation and haste when building a house can lead to numerous construction errors. What “rake” do future home owners step into?
Where and how to start construction correctly and successfully?
Why is it so important to design a house?
How to avoid long-term construction and missed deadlines and why you shouldn’t rush?
What problems arise when building the foundation and walls of a house?
How not to make a mistake when choosing a roofing material?
How to build properly in winter?
Seven construction mistakes - simply about the complex. Lack of preparation and haste when building a house can lead to numerous construction errors. What mistakes do developers fall into most often? How to avoid long-term construction? What problems arise when building a foundation and insulating a house? How not to make a mistake when choosing a roofing material?
Experts from Remstroyservice answer.
Construction Mistake #1 - House Design
Many future home owners believe that building a house begins with choosing the first one they like. standard project. Practice shows that this is a deep misconception - for each site and type of soil for different types materials and floors - it is necessary to either adjust the standard project from the catalog or an individual house project
Another very important point is the layout of the house! To choose the optimal layout that you need, you need the opinion of an experienced architect - designer who will immediately find all the errors and future inconveniences in the layout of the house, problems with the arrangement of furniture and the future convenience of the house! You can also get rid of most of the problems associated with the functionality of the house.
The image error - it occurs if the final decision has not been made about what kind of house you are going to build, wooden or permanent, with or without a terrace. The result of this uncertainty is the completion of the eternally walking parts of the foundation and the destruction of the foundation and the house from excessive load.
Saving mistake - any future home owner wants the house to be as cheap as possible during construction, but this saving on the house design results in irreparable things, the destruction of the house, or vice versa in a large increase in cost due to a non-optimal standard design. Our professional designers achieve up to 30% savings on construction through optimal solutions without loss of quality. This is a saving of about 1,000,000 rubles on a small house. As a result, the cost of the house project pays off 10 times.
Responsibility error - when ordering projects from an unknown company and if errors occur in the project during the construction stage or, even worse, after, you risk being left without a person responsible for such work. Therefore, order a project or buy a ready-made one only from a company with an SRO - a company that is included in the register of Self-Regulating Organizations and is responsible for the design in the amount of the insured amount specified in the License.
Construction mistake No. 2 - incorrect choice of house area.
One of the main questions is, what should be the area of the house? Build a big house or choose a smaller one. One-story, 2-story or 3-story. Make the most of space
Let us give examples and completeness of the minimum areas for the premises of a country house:
Living room - from 25 sq.
Kitchen - from 15 sq.m.
Bedroom from 15 sq.m
Boiler room from 6 sq.m or from 15 cubic meters
Tambour from 3 sq.m
Storage room from 3 sq.m.
Hall on the second floor from 7 sq.m.
Bathrooms - one per floor from 5 sq.m.
The error of compromise occurs when a family is tired of agreeing on what size house it needs. For example, the husband wants a big house and the wife wants a small and cozy one. The result is that if you follow the path of least resistance and take into account the opinions of all family members and without considering all the wishes with a professional architect, you will end up with a house that does not suit everyone.
It is a financial mistake - when building without a project or without an estimate, there is a danger of unplanned expenses, which will ultimately lead to long-term construction and construction sites abandoned indefinitely. In the case of building a house, a clear understanding of the cost of building a house and calculating the budget for its construction is required, and this directly depends on the choice of size and configuration of the house.
Before choosing a house project, contact us to calculate the cost of its construction and understand the budget for all stages of construction.
Construction error No. 3 - Incorrect location of the house on the site!
The most common mistake is the incorrect location of the house on the site. How to position the house correctly?
The ideal ratio of house to plot area is 1/10
The maximum permitted house to plot ratio is 45%
Distance from site boundaries from 3 meters
Distance from the road from 5 meters - optimal from 6 meters, in order to fit, for example, a parking lot for a car
The orientation of the house is strictly along the line of the front side of the site
The main facade of the house should face the front side of the site
Living room with terrace and winter garden on a picturesque location or on the courtyard.
On the south side, the maximum number of windows is welcome.
The distance from the house to the bathhouse is preferably at least 6 meters
Distance between wooden houses from 6 meters
The distance between wooden ones is from 8 to 15 depending on the number of storeys
Arrange outbuildings in advance
Entry for cars and trucks (if required)
It is important to decide on the location of the well and septic tank communications
It is imperative to order the planting of the future house on the site, since the site may have a difference in height, which will subsequently affect the change in the height of the foundation and lead to an increase in cost, and sometimes to a complete replacement of the type of foundation.
Construction mistake No. 4 - Refusal to study the soil on the site
What kind of soil do you have on your site? - no one will answer this question 100% without geological surveys.
Even if your neighbors have normal soils, it is not at all a fact that they are normal in yours.
According to geological standards, the distance from the drill hole, along which you can navigate, is 5 meters in radius. That is, the distance between two geological punctures should be no more than 8-10 meters. Accordingly, depending on the size, a house will require from 2 to 7 punctures.
Based on the results of geological surveys, it is determined:
Type and parameters of the foundation.
Foundation depth
Number, size and length of piles in a pile foundation.
Proximity groundwater, their possible rise and pressure force, and, accordingly, the possibility of implementing a basement, cellar or basement.
An important parameter will be the maximum possible load on the ground to calculate the possible weight of the house.
Geology helps save 5-20% of the cost of building a house
Do not save on geology - 30,000 rubles saved here can lead to the destruction of the foundation and walls and the loss of 3,000,000 rubles.
Construction Mistake #5 - Choosing Builders or a Construction Company
Any house is a complex engineering structure, the construction of which requires professional tasks and competencies. Any mistake made in construction or defect can lead to the destruction of the house in a few years or even 5 years. Choose only a reliable company with good professionals. A lot in construction depends on the builders, but even more depends on the engineers who carry out the technical work. supervision and from their experience in construction. As a rule, involving a crew in construction on its own and an untested technical supervision engineer leads to disastrous consequences during construction. And the main problem with this approach is the absence of a cent of responsibility, which will be responsible for poor-quality construction, either through alterations or monetary compensation. Be sure to choose a contractor with an SRO license, even if it is not required for country construction of houses up to 3 floors.
Construction mistake No. 6 - The foundation is like your neighbor's.
The foundation is the most important part of your home and treating it with neglect means you will subsequently pay with the destruction of the house and the loss of money for repairs. And in most cases, the consequences are incorrect installation or choosing the wrong type of foundation.
One of the most common mistakes is choosing a foundation “like your neighbor’s.” Usually citing the fact that everyone does this here. A rash approach leads to unpredictable results.
In addition, the durability of the house depends on the quality of workmanship and the reliability of the foundation:
- The foundation must be designed directly for your house and the soil on your site.
The poured concrete does not completely cover the reinforcement cage, and the reinforcement is in contact with the ground. This leads to its corrosion, a decrease in the bearing capacity of the foundation and its rapid destruction.
Insufficient foundation depth.
Pouring piles to a shallow strip foundation. This can lead to the piles being torn away from the tape due to frost heaving of the soil.
Insufficient width of the belt and a decrease in its load-bearing capacity.
- An overly thick foundation is highly susceptible to the same heaving.
- Filling the sinuses with local soil. When heaving, clayey soil can create a force of up to 40 tons per square meter and, for example, push through the basement wall.
- Incorrect reinforcement of MZLF.
- Excessive reinforcement. For example, the working reinforcement in the center of the tape section is useless. Or insufficient reinforcement.
- Lack of horizontal cut-off waterproofing, resulting in dampness and the appearance of mold on the walls in the house.
- The foundation is not properly insulated, which leads to soil freezing and frost heaving forces.
- The drainage of the foundation and the removal of surface water from it have not been completed.
The heterogeneous type of foundation of the house and veranda leads to rupture of the foundations at the point of contact.
Construction mistake No. 7 - Wrong choice of materials during construction.
You can often hear the opinion that this or that material is bad. It is important to understand that there are no bad materials - there are errors in their use and combination, which affects further operation.
Example: a widely used material for wall insulation, extruded polystyrene foam, its improper use, for example, on roofs, or incorrect calculation of its thickness when insulating external walls, leads to moisture being trapped inside the room or a dew point forming on the inside of the insulation adjacent to the wall. In these cases, moisture accumulates which significantly reduces the durability of the structure.
The roof is constantly exposed to adverse weather conditions. It must withstand significant snow and wind loads. Often, when choosing a material, clients use only questions of price and attractiveness of the material - this is the wrong approach.
Roofing material in the climatic zone of Russia must have a multiple supply of transition cycles through “0”
Materials such as ceramic tiles and sand-cement tiles, porous materials are destroyed quite quickly during freezing and thawing.
The above examples apply to all wall and finishing materials.
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Mistakes when building a house
Forewarned is forearmed!
If the future homeowner is not a Construction Professional, then he needs to know about the typical mistakes made when building an individual home.
Building your own home is an exciting event. Perhaps one of the most important things in life, along with starting a family and having children. In most cases, for an ordinary family, this is the largest investment in life. What “pitfalls” during construction should be avoided in order to get the maximum return on your investment and mental strength?
1. Irrational choice of site
Realtors joke that the value of real estate is determined by three main factors - “location, location, location.” When purchasing a building plot, remember that over time you may want to enlarge the house, but the land plot, its size and surroundings will remain the same.
The main requirements for the site are psychological comfort and convenience for life, provided by landscape views, proximity to nature, environmental conditions, proximity, communications and transport accessibility.
2. B Underestimating or ignoring the geology of the development site
Underestimating or ignoring the geology of the development site, the terrain, 
the condition, quality and structure of the soil, the presence and possibility of inflow of surface water, the groundwater level determine the type and volume of preparatory work on the site (water drainage, installation of drainage, strengthening or replacement of soil), the location of the future building, the type and design of the foundation of the house.
Construction of a foundation and a house without taking into account engineering-geological data on soil conditions increases the likelihood of unpredictable shrinkage, subsidence, swelling or movement of soil, which can lead to deformations of the foundation and violations of the integrity of the building.
3. Building a house without a project
Most individual developers try to save money on a house project. Many people believe that they themselves will be able to draw the rectangles of the premises on paper and explain to the team of coven workers what the end result should be. Others copy plans from the Internet or, at best, purchase standard designs. What are the consequences of saving on the help of professionals in the design and engineering of residential buildings?
- The absence of a project will not allow you to accurately estimate upcoming expenses, plan the purchase of materials and construction financing, or coordinate the work plans of various subcontractors, which will lead to delays in construction and increased costs.
- When there is no project, this leads to problems in laying communications and installing engineering equipment. As construction progresses, plans begin to change and, as a result, costs increase and conflicts arise with builders.
- The lack of calculations and design solutions for the most important structures and components of the house will inevitably lead to errors, the elimination of which will cost much more than the cost of the project, and in some cases may even become impossible.
- The lack of a thoughtful architectural and planning solution in most cases leads to the construction of a house with an inconvenient layout that is not adapted to the needs of a particular family. If the project is carried out without assessing the prospects, the need for new construction work (and even changing the house) may arise when the composition of the family changes or as its members grow older. A tasteless or pretentious appearance of a house, a lack of architectural connection to the area - all this reduces the market value of the house when it is sold.
4. Ignoring budgetary realities
6. Incorrect roofing
When installing roofs, the main mistakes are associated with underestimating snow and wind loads. It happens that builders use rafters of insufficient cross-section and installation spacing, or use a design that creates excessive bursting force on the walls of the house. 
The roof frame may be missing fasteners rafter system to underlying structures or it turns out to be insufficient.
When installing cold attics, the main mistakes lie in the disruption of the water vapor removal routes: attic ventilation is absent or difficult.
Insulated roof structures may not have the required air gap, and under-roof ventilation may be blocked or obstructed.
7. Mistakes when building foundations
Inconsistency of loads from the building on the base with the bearing capacity of the soil.
Insufficient depth of foundations, chosen without taking into account the heaving properties of load-bearing soils and the level of their freezing.
The use of prefabricated (from foundation blocks) or non-monolithic foundations on heaving soils, on the slopes.
Support on soils that can change their properties when soaking or applying a load (subsidence soils, highly compressible soils).
The use of pile foundations in soils with weak lateral support (peat, silt, silty sand).
Use of steel screw piles in aggressive soils - such as peat, soils with a high content of sulfates and chlorides, soils with low electrical resistivity - due to the high rate of electrochemical corrosion of metals.
Ignoring measures to reduce the heaving of foundation soils (drainage, water disposal, soil insulation).
Errors in preparing foundations, trenches and pits
Decompaction, loosening of load-bearing soils, absence or poor-quality compaction of sand cushions under foundations, leading to settlements under the load of the building.
Long breaks between the opening of pits, trenches and the start of construction work, leading to wetness or drying out of load-bearing soils and crumbling of trench walls.
Filling the cavities between the foundation and the walls of the trench (pit) with soil, not sand.
Errors in foundation reinforcement
Insufficient reinforcement or its absence, the use of scrap metal as reinforcement, improper reinforcement of the foundation strip, corners, junctions and intersections without anchoring the reinforcement - with simple crosshairs.
Bending of steel reinforcement by heating with a flame or sawing off the rods, leading to a decrease in its tensile and fracture strength.
Welding of non-weldable class reinforcement (without the letter C in the designation, for example A400, not A400C), leading to a decrease in its tensile and fracture strength.
Connecting non-weldable reinforcement with an overlap without the required gap between the rods (basting the rods to each other with tying wire), insufficient overlap of the rods along the length.
Fastening working reinforcement to scraps of reinforcement stuck into the ground, which leads to accelerated electrochemical corrosion of the reinforcement frame.
The use of smooth, dirty, painted reinforcement, which reduces the adhesion of concrete to steel.
Failure to comply with the dimensions of the protective layers of concrete between the reinforcement and the external environment, which leads to accelerated corrosion of steel.
Errors in concreting foundations
The absence of a layer of continuous waterproofing in the formwork, preventing the leakage of laitance from the concrete gaining strength. This leads to a loss of concrete strength.
Placing concrete in formwork without the use of deep vibrators leads to a decrease in the strength and resistance of concrete to external influences. aggressive influences due to higher porosity, possible delamination and void formation.
Breaks in laying concrete mixture into formwork for more than 2 hours.
Construction of working joints during long breaks in concreting in a horizontal rather than vertical plane, leading to the possibility of delamination of the foundation under load.
Ignoring the care of concrete after laying it in formwork, leading to a decrease in the strength of concrete and the formation of shrinkage cracks. It is necessary to moisten the concrete to prevent its premature drying, and, if necessary, maintain its positive temperature with the help of shelter and insulation, protection from the effects of precipitation and winds.
Premature removal of formwork before concrete reaches 70-80% of brand strength. This time is 28 days at an average daily (not daily!) temperature of +5°C.
Other mistakes when building foundations
The lack of waterproofing reduces the service life of the foundation due to concrete corrosion (especially in aggressive soils) and the effects of freeze-thaw cycles.
Underground communications should be installed before the construction of the foundation begins, especially when it is constructed in the form of a monolithic slab.
8. Errors in installation of floors
Most of the first floor floors in houses on strip or pile-grillage foundations in Russia are traditionally made in the form of hanging beams (joists) filled with insulation and subfloors and finished floors. This scheme has many disadvantages. When making basement floors, builders forget to cover the ground with waterproofing and arrange the necessary underground ventilation. This leads to its constant wetting due to evaporation of moisture from the soil and insufficient removal of moisture (especially in winter, when homeowners close the vents to save heat).
Radioactive soil gases can accumulate in the underground, which then enter the living space of the house. A ventilated underground deprives the homeowner of free geoheat in winter (1-2°C), contributes to deeper freezing of the soil and increased frost heaving. Today, the standard is to build a house on a monolithic reinforced concrete slab and install floors on the ground.
When installing floors of the first and second floors, a very large interval for installing beams is often used - 1 m or more, which leads to their sagging and vibrations.
9. Lack of waterproofing
Most often, builders forget to install waterproofing between the foundation concrete and the overlying wall materials or use waterproofing from short-lived materials such as roofing felt, the cellulose base of which is subject to biological destruction, and the bitumen layer is subject to degradation and cracking.
For waterproofing, it is necessary to use modern bitumen-polymer materials on a synthetic basis with a long service life.
10. Blocking or reducing vapor transfer through structures
A barrier to steam passing through materials such as cellular concrete most often occurs when external wall insulation is insulated with a vapor-impermeable material.
This can be extruded polystyrene foam, polyethylene foam, polyurethane foam, cement or acrylic plaster. The same effect occurs if the external brickwork is made without a ventilation gap or with a non-ventilated gap.
Many mistakes made during the construction of houses are typical and are repeated time after time, even if the construction is carried out by a professional team. What comes out of this? Often the house is ugly... How to avoid this, read this article!
When planning construction, study all work cycles. Decide what you can do yourself and at what stages you need to invite professionals. Many additional questions may arise during the process. If possible, consult with someone experienced in this matter. Otherwise, in the future you will face costs for correcting errors, repairs or radical restructuring.
It’s better to learn from the mistakes of others, so let’s look at the main mistakes made during construction.
It is better to start construction in the summer season. In winter it will be more expensive. All preparatory work must be carried out in advance (ordering a project, approving an estimate) and, with the onset of warm weather, digging for.
The main mistakes in building a house:
- No topographical or geological analysis is done. Based on the results of this work, the structure is aligned and the foundation is selected.
- Choosing a standard project hastily. The future house will not live up to expectations, and it will be difficult to rebuild it.
- There is no engineering project (connection of communications).
- Appeal to unscrupulous builders, lack of control and interaction in the process. Problems cannot be solved over the phone; we need to meet and discuss estimates.
- Incorrectly prepared estimates. The estimate is calculated so that there is enough finance to complete each stage of construction.
- Inconsistency of the project. For example, utility lines are not located in the specified location.
- Haste during construction. Each technology requires a certain time. For example, you need to leave the sediment for 6 - 18 months.
- Inconsistency with documentation when laying the foundation. Observe the dimensions indicated in the drawings.
Let's take a closer look at these and some other common mistakes.
Country road
When moving out of town, you need to take into account all the little things. A country road is often off-road, with ruts and potholes. Prepare for this, and then you can avoid disappointment.
Underestimating the forces of nature
If there are trees on your property, their roots can get under the foundation. The radius of the root system will be 1 m larger than the projection of the tree crown. Don't do it construction works within these boundaries.
Savings in heating when creating a wall from blocks 4 cm thicker than the standard one will be 3 - 4%. It is more logical to invest in high-quality attic insulation and install a recuperator that returns part of the heat lost through ventilation. Thus, you can save 20 - 30% of thermal energy.
Interior floors made of light porous blocks
There must be walls between rooms. This is their main task. The problem with lightweight porous materials is increased audibility.
Insulation of brick houses with foam plastic
In Soviet times, the foundation and walls were often insulated with foam plastic, and this was a mistake. For construction, you need to use materials that are equal in service life. The foam gradually crumbles, and voids appear in the walls and foundation.
Better insulate walls mineral wool or foam glass. Not environmentally friendly, sealed into the wall and well insulated, it is not able to harm you.
Lack of heat channels in brick walls
When building brick walls, it is necessary to install channels that remove heat from the external walls during hot periods. In summer, under the sun's rays, the house can become very hot. Heat ducts help circulate hot air and exhaust it, relieving stress on the walls and preventing them from cracking.
Typical mistakes in the construction of wooden and frame houses
Wood - environmentally friendly, good construction material. But mistakes made during the construction of a house from wood greatly affect its service life.
Buying poor quality material
Failure to comply with the design during the construction of a wooden house
Be sure to monitor the construction process. Unprofessional work leads to many defects.
Errors when installing roofs and roofing
The main mistakes when building a frame house
- Do not use low-quality timber.
- Fastening the strapping beam without embedded parts leads to deformation of the box.
- Don't work without.
- Do not neglect steam and waterproofing of walls.
- The absence of insulation clamps and its loose arrangement will, after 5-7 years, lead to its subsidence, leading to the opening of the sheathing and repair.
Mistakes when installing floors
Springy floor
Layer the layers carefully. Expanded polystyrene, located under the concrete layer, can be deformed under load. An average weight person may cause slight deformation of the polystyrene foam board. But if he starts jumping on it, the deformation will already be noticeable.
Screed function— uniform load distribution. It will do the job if it is thick enough and properly reinforced.
Concrete screed on wooden floors
Don't try to seal wood floors or make them "warm."
Wood swells during use, absorbing moisture and, shrinking, dries. Screed applied to wood will lead to cracks or subsidence.
The Wait and Accumulate Error
If you have a plot and part of the money to build a house, you need to start building. On the way to saving money, emergency expenses always appear, prices rise, and the professional situation changes. It turns out that time is working against you.
At the same time, real estate prices are unstable. Investing money in your home, even in small parts, is a more reliable financial decision than keeping it in a bank, because in the end you will get your own home.
Building a house has many features and nuances. Sometimes it seems that there are so many of them that it is simply impossible to take into account everything. How would you like to build a house in such a way that you don’t regret anything later - don’t stumble on an uncomfortable staircase, don’t have to worry about cleaning inconvenient windows. To your frame house turned out to be as convenient as possible, we have collected for you the warnings of many developers, as well as our clients: they told about their mistakes so that you would not make them. We formulated their mistakes as advice on what you should pay attention to when building a house.
So let's get started.
Preparatory stage of construction
The stage preceding the construction of a house is no less important than the process of its construction itself, because mistakes made now can affect the comfort of the building and the layout of the site, and it will no longer be possible to correct them. The experience of our clients and experienced developers will help you avoid many problems and mistakes.
What should you pay attention to when choosing and purchasing a plot of land?
- When purchasing a plot of land through an agency, many clients encountered the following problems:
- The agency does not always have reliable information about the utilities connected to your site. It is better to clarify this separately with management companies.
- To adapt the foundation of a standard project to your site, it is better to carry out geological surveys in advance. This will provide detailed information about the depth of groundwater, soil composition and will help at the stage of building a house.
- By talking with your neighbors after choosing a plot of land, you can find out a lot of things that the agency won’t tell you.
- If you decide to buy a plot through an agency, you should not blindly believe everything that is said. It's better to find out everything yourself.
- In addition, the house owners gave a number of useful tips for choosing a site for construction:
- When buying land on a slope, keep in mind that you will have to spend a lot of money on planning work and the construction of retaining walls. If you are not ready for such expenses, buy a plot with flat terrain.
- Purchasing a plot of land in a club village is advantageous in that you do not have to deal with street cleaning and clearing snow on the roadway during the cold season.
- Don’t think that land with construction has begun will make your life easier. You will get the following problems: when choosing a project, you will need to be tied to the existing foundation; if the unfinished structure is in poor condition, it will have to be strengthened, which will entail additional costs.
- Immediately after purchasing a plot, fence it off.
- Before starting construction, decide where on the site you will mix concrete, store and remove garbage, and burn small waste. This will maintain order and protect the earth from combustion products and concrete.
Construction costs
12. Almost all owners of built houses agreed that the desire to save money will entail even greater expenses. Many clients who are building their house without a detailed estimate (based on the foreman’s approximate calculations) have come to the conclusion that they needed twice as much money as was announced. If you still want to save money, then you should not do this by reducing the cost of home engineering.
How to choose a project?
Most owners of private houses unanimously agreed that purchasing a standard project and its implementation is much more profitable and cheaper than self-building. Regarding the selection and purchase of a project for a future home, the owners give the following recommendations:
13. It is better to buy a project from a reputable company, rather than asking friends or downloading a free version on the Internet.
14. Start building a house only after you have all the sections of the project in hand.
15. It is better that the project includes the normal height of the premises. The minimum for residential floors is from three meters, and for basements - at least 2.8 m.
16. It is very convenient if the house design includes dressing rooms, at least a small sauna and a separate washbasin in the garage.
17. A design project for the interior decoration of a house should be ordered in advance, and not at the time of plastering the walls.
18. View examples of interior decoration of houses in advance. This will help you save money later.
19. Any non-standard building entails additional costs. Therefore, when choosing a project, give preference to typical standard one- or two-story houses.
20. If you think about what to redo an old house for yourself is cheaper than building a new one, then you are very mistaken. A lot of money will have to be spent on strengthening and restoring the worn-out structures of the old building.
As for the choice of a one-story or two-story house, there is no unanimous opinion. It all depends on the personal preferences of the owners and the size of the family. The following arguments were given in favor of the second floor:
21. Two-story houses are more beautiful and provide an unlimited choice of planning options.
22. A 2-story house is more compact, so the cost of foundation and roofing work is lower.
23. The heat loss of such a structure is lower than that of one-story buildings.
24. Only from the windows of the second floor does one have such a beautiful view.
25. In a small area two-storey house will help save space for a garden, vegetable garden or gazebo.
Opponents of the second floor near the house gave the following arguments:
26. Irrational use of space in the case of bedrooms on the second floor.
27. Many owners of two-story cottages do not like walking up the stairs.
28. The construction of an attic house is much more profitable and cheaper than the construction of a full second floor.
29. Optimal sizes The area of the house, comfortable for living and heating, is 120 m². But you shouldn’t save on a garage: for one car it’s better to make a room measuring 8x5 m. This way you can easily open car doors in the garage and can save up to 30% on installing a gate (non-standard small ones will be more expensive).
Is it necessary landscape design?
The need for professional landscape planning is indicated by the following reviews from our clients and home owners:
30. Proper planting of the house on the site will allow it to be correctly oriented to the cardinal directions, ensuring good insolation and comfort in all rooms.
31. When planning a site, it is better to provide in advance for the laying of all necessary utilities.
32. Landscape planning of the development area will allow for soil drainage, retaining walls where necessary, there are also flat areas for transport and recreation.
33. At the site planning stage, it is important to ensure the preservation of good green spaces by fencing them off during the construction period.
34. To avoid problems with supervisory authorities, the site planning project must first be approved by the architectural authorities.
Many owners of dachas and cottages unanimously agreed that purchasing inexpensive finishing materials for a home does not guarantee its attractiveness and durability of the exterior. In addition, you should listen to the following tips on choosing materials for construction:
35. Always ask for manufacturer’s certificates and warranties for building materials. In the future, this will help you resolve controversial issues with suppliers.
36. It is better to purchase materials in advance, so that at the height of the season you do not encounter a lack of the most necessary products.
37. It turns out that mice can also live in foam plastic.
38. As roofing material It's better not to use slate.
How to choose a good contractor?
To protect yourself from unscrupulous construction crews and companies, experienced developers recommend concluding an agreement and indicating in it a list of all work, deadlines, payment and penalties in case of failure to comply with the terms of the agreement. To this we can add a number of tips for choosing a customer:
39. Request qualification certificates, portfolios and recommendations from private teams and construction firms.
40. If you have the opportunity, purchase materials for construction yourself, and pay workers only for the work performed.
41. Don’t forget to indicate in the contract with the crews the work required to clean the workplace, so that later you don’t have to do it yourself.
42. Do you want to save up to a quarter of the estimated cost? Then hire a technical supervision service. They will ensure that your home is built according to building codes.
43. Photo chronology of the construction process will allow you to monitor the work of a private team.
Construction of a house
Having gone through all the difficulties of the preparatory stage, it is equally important to successfully begin and complete the construction of the house. The advice of our clients and home owners who have gone through all this on their own will help you with this.
Foundation work
The foundation is the basis of the entire building. The durability and integrity of the structure depends on its strength and reliability. That is why foundation construction work should be entrusted only to professionals. Advice from experienced developers on building a foundation:
44. If you want to save money, do not make a full basement. It is better to make a semi-basement or slab foundation.
45. To save money and time on installing holes for entering communications into the house, provide for laying pipes under the networks in the enclosing structures at the stage of their construction.
46. Any deviations from the project when laying the foundation may require you to pay additional costs for the purchase of building materials.
47. Concrete works The installation of the base of the porch, terrace and blind area should be carried out immediately after the construction of the foundation. This will prevent concrete from contaminating other structures.
If you are building a house with your own hands, then you cannot do without a level, a laser level, a plumb line and a two-meter level gauge. This is the only way you can maintain strict horizontality and verticality of all surfaces. Also, when constructing the box, consider the following:
48. After installing the floor slabs, do not rush to load them.
49. You should not save on purchasing finishing materials for exterior work.
50. If you want to save time and money on building a box at home, then choose frame construction. After reading about frame houses(owner reviews), you will see that you can save twice as much on building the box.
Roofing
Many home owners agreed that when choosing a roof configuration, preference should be given to a simpler gable structure. The more joints and kinks there are on the roof, the more likely it is that it will leak and require repairs. In addition, such a roof will be more expensive. In addition, please note the following:
51. Make a device roofing pie and skylights at the same time.
52. When installing an attic floor, it is worth thoroughly insulating the roof. The minimum thickness of the thermal insulation material should be 250-300 mm. It is better to use a soft roof as a covering rather than metal tiles. This way, when it rains, the noise from the impact of drops on the coating will not be heard on the attic floor.
53. Be sure to use snow guards even on roofs with a slight slope.
Facade finishing
54. Lamb plaster and light painting of the facade are a very beautiful and practical finish. The house practically does not heat up, and the beauty does not fade.
55. If you decide to use “horizontal bark beetle” plaster, keep in mind that debris and dirt accumulate in the recesses very quickly.
56. To decorate the facade of the house with flowers or vertical landscaping, it is necessary to provide hooks and fastenings for shelves and stands for flowerpots in advance in the masonry.
Do you need a balcony?
Opinions of experienced developers about the need for a balcony in a private house:
57. If you have small area with a beautiful view from the windows of the second floor, then a balcony is worth making.
58. Otherwise, there is absolutely no need for a balcony, because in the summer it is already possible to go out into the yard, but in the winter you will have to remove the snow from it.
59. You should not make a balcony without understanding how you are going to waterproof and insulate it to prevent the formation of cold bridges.
60. Make sure that even at the design stage sufficient space is allocated for the stairs. Please note that it should not only be comfortable to walk on, but also to move furniture between floors.
61. To make the staircase beautiful and reliable, it is better to make it from oak on a metal frame.
62. The optimal angle of inclination of the stairs in the house is 30-40 degrees, the height of the steps is 15 cm, and the width of the tread is 30 cm. The most convenient to use are not spiral staircases, but two-flight staircases.
Experienced developers recommend that all “wet” finishing work inside the house be carried out during the hot season. Then you are guaranteed natural protection against dampness, mildew and mold. In addition, you don’t have to worry that central heating will cause the wall decoration to peel off. It is also easy to ensure sufficient ventilation of the room in summer. Regarding selection finishing material We found the following tips:
63. The decoration of the walls of a children's room should be wear-resistant, practical and environmentally friendly. You should not use wallpaper that children can easily damage.
64. Not everyone likes painted walls because fingerprints appear very quickly around switches.
65. It is much more practical and economical to use tiles in the hall and corridors rather than parquet.
66. Cork flooring on the walls will not add beauty and originality to the interior.
67. Stretch ceiling with a “starry sky” effect is not the best ceiling covering. All family members quickly got tired of it, and regularly replacing light bulbs requires time and money.
Window openings
Tips on choosing windows, their dimensions and location in the house can be summarized in several points:
68. Shutters on window openings are a very convenient thing. In summer they protect well from the heat, and in winter they give warmth and comfort.
69. You should not make very high windows. In this case, the window sill will be low, which will limit your choice of heating radiator (non-standard models are more expensive), and will also make it easier for children to access the window.
70. The optimal area of all windows in the room is 1/8 of the floor area. If you do a lot of glazing, then even energy-saving double-glazed windows will not protect you from the cold in winter and from the heat in summer.
72. Above the staircase and in the bathroom skylights help to illuminate the room well and ensure its normal ventilation.
Doorways
73. If you want to entrance doors retained heat well, did not make much noise when closing and were not too heavy, use wooden ones. Metal doors with MDF sheathing are very impractical and inconvenient. Their lining can wear out within two years.
74. For convenience, it is better to place the light switch near the door handle, and not near the hinges, so that you do not have to first turn on the light and then reach for the handle to open the door.
75. When choosing handles for doors, give preference to those that do not have sharp protruding parts.
Do you need a fireplace?
Most owners of houses with fireplaces do not regret that they included it in the project, because it is so pleasant to sit by a warm fireplace and look at the dancing flames on cold winter evenings. As for the design features, the owners give the following recommendations:
76. When building a fireplace, it is better to provide the ability to close it with a glass door. So you can, if you wish, either enjoy the fire and sit by the fireplace with the door open, or close it and be calm that neither children nor guests can accidentally get hurt.
77. A fireplace insert with a fan and proper pipe routing allow you not only to enjoy the fire, but also to heat part of the house. However, if the house is small and the channel layout is done according to all the rules, then a fan is not needed.
Laying electrical networks
The layout of electrical networks and the placement of sockets should be planned taking into account the purpose of the room and future furniture, so that later you do not have to rip out the new finish and add networks and sockets. Advice from experienced developers on laying electrical networks is as follows:
78. So that you can de-energize the entire house, install switches and circuit breakers outside the house. Otherwise, even after turning off the power, one section of the wire going to the meter will be energized.
79. It is better to use copper wires with a good voltage reserve.
80. Lay wiring in advance to illuminate the facade of the house and the territory of the site. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to hide the wires on the house.
81. During construction, be sure to make channels in the floors between floors to allow wiring to pass through, as well as holes in the partitions between rooms on the same floor.
82. When laying wires, do not forget to provide networks for the intercom, boiler temperature sensors, alarms, television, local network, hoods in the kitchen and bathrooms.
83. It is better to make chandeliers in high rooms descending. This makes it easier and safer to wash them.
84. When choosing lamps, give preference to those that have conventional sockets (E 27 and 14). With other bases it will not be possible to change the power and use energy-saving appliances. In terms of reliability and durability, conventional plinths are also better.
85. Even at the design stage, it is worthwhile to provide warm floors in those rooms where this is especially necessary, as well as an air conditioning system for the entire house.
86. It is better to lay utility lines in grooves before finishing the walls.
87. If your region experiences severe winters, install a backup solid fuel boiler.
88. In places where pipes and chimneys pass through ceilings, sleeves must be installed.
89. To ensure that the exterior decoration of the house is not damaged during the installation of communications for external lighting of the building and the territory of the site, install these networks before the start of facade work.
90. It is better to install a well on the site before the construction of the house begins.
Perhaps not all the advice will be useful to you, and we fundamentally disagree with some recommendations. In any case, your home is the embodiment of your dreams and your ideas about comfort and coziness. That is why it is worth going to the process of its construction with a large amount of knowledge. It’s better to learn from the mistakes of others than from your own, so we hope that the experience of experienced developers, our clients and owners of private houses will help you build the house of your dreams.
In this section we will look at errors during construction low-rise buildings from small blocks of autoclaved aerated concrete, as the most common wall material from cellular concrete on the Russian market.
All errors in the construction of houses from aerated concrete blocks can be divided into the following groups:
- Errors leading to violation of the integrity of building structures.
- Errors that worsen the operational characteristics of the building.
- Errors leading to excessive labor and financial costs during construction without compromising the integrity of structures and performance characteristics building.
- Errors leading to violation of the integrity of structures.
This is the most dangerous group of errors in the construction of houses from aerated concrete blocks, since as a result of incorrect design of the building and neglect of construction technologies, the integrity of the load-bearing structures of the house can be compromised. The range of negative consequences of this group of errors can extend from the formation of relatively stable cracks in the walls of aerated concrete buildings to the collapse of structures.
A. Errors in the design and construction of foundations for houses made of aerated concrete.
The fracture strength of autoclaved aerated concrete blocks tends to zero. Unreinforced masonry made from aerated concrete blocks has slightly better properties, but in general, a base deformation of 2 mm per meter and a foundation roll of 5 mm per meter can cause the formation of cracks in aerated concrete masonry.
Movements of foundations and changes in their shape are possible under the influence of soil movements (freezing, thawing, changes in moisture saturation), settlement under load, and subsidence soils. Deformations of the foundations are also possible due to an incorrectly chosen design under the applied load. Therefore, foundations for buildings made of aerated concrete blocks are subject to increased requirements for position stability and preservation of geometric shape. The design of the foundation must ensure the compatibility of deformations of the building walls located on it during linear and angular movements.
The optimal foundation for a house made of aerated concrete blocks is monolithic reinforced concrete foundation, the structure most appropriate to the soil conditions (pile-grillage foundation, buried or shallow strip foundation, buried or surface slab). The soil foundation under such a foundation must be properly prepared to reduce possible movements: the foundation must rest on compacted or unloosened layers of compacted soil, the soil must be drained before building the foundation, large deciduous trees should not grow in close proximity to the foundation, and there must be insulation around the foundation by an amount sufficient to reduce frost heaving.
A lack of understanding of the mechanics of soil movement and the basic properties of aerated concrete blocks leads to the fact that prefabricated foundations from foundation blocks (with or without a reinforced belt) are used for houses made of aerated concrete. Such foundations are permissible only on non-heaving soils and are conditionally permissible on slightly heaving soils. On soils prone to heaving, prefabricated foundations for houses made of aerated concrete blocks are not recommended.
Sometimes there are attempts to build buildings from aerated concrete on pile foundations with a frame (high grillage) of steel structures(channel, angle, I-beam) instead of monolithic reinforced concrete grillage. A metal grillage is not able to ensure the stability of the position of walls made of small blocks of aerated concrete and has significant temperature fluctuations in geometric dimensions.
When installing grillages, some independent builders, guided by popular construction literature of the early post-Soviet period, save on reinforcing the top row of reinforced concrete grillage of a pile-grillage foundation, do not perform the required anchoring of reinforcing bars in the corners of the grillages and reduce the permissible height of the grillage section (it should be at least 40 cm). As a result, such an “economical” grillage is not able to withstand all the resulting loads, which leads to deformations and the opening of cracks in the grillage itself, and to the formation of cracks in the walls.
Combination not allowed various types foundations under a single building made of aerated concrete blocks due to the possible unevenness of the resulting loads during soil movements. Any combination of dissimilar foundations and construction of extensions is possible only when expansion joints are installed in aerated concrete walls at the junction of dissimilar structures.
B. Errors when laying aerated concrete blocks
Violation of the correct ligation of blocks in row masonry, incorrect execution of openings, incorrect pairing of external and internal walls, absence or insufficient reinforcement of walls, absence of reinforced concrete belts can lead to the formation of cracks in the walls aerated concrete houses.
Chain ligation of blocks during masonry ensures the absorption of bending and shearing forces acting on the masonry. When laying blocks with a height of 25 cm or more in one row, the minimum dressing should be either 20% of the block height, but not less than 10 cm.
A common mistake is the lack of ligation or flexible connections when connecting walls made of aerated concrete blocks. The connection of walls made of aerated concrete blocks can be rigid or using flexible connections.
Rigid coupling is possible if the difference in loads on the walls does not exceed 30% (that is, walls of the same type are mated - load-bearing with load-bearing, self-supporting with self-supporting, or non-load-bearing with non-load-bearing). If walls of different purposes are mated (load-bearing with non-load-bearing or self-supporting), with a load difference exceeding 30%, then the mating is performed exclusively with flexible connections that allow deformation. Common mistakes are the lack of connections between mating walls, or the use of rigid connections, such as a piece of reinforcement driven into the wall, in walls with different loads.
In places where there is a possible concentration of temperature and shrinkage deformations of aerated concrete blocks, which can cause ruptures of masonry made from blocks that are unacceptable under operating conditions, temperature-shrinkage joints should be installed in the walls. In practice, such seams should be installed every 35 meters of masonry, which, perhaps, can only be encountered during the construction of fences (fences) made of aerated concrete. Settlement joints must be provided in places where the height of the building changes by more than 6 m, as well as between sections of the building with a rotation angle of more than 30°, or when connecting parts of the building on separate foundations.
When building from aerated concrete blocks, they often forget to perform structural reinforcement of walls and especially reinforcement of openings in walls made of aerated concrete blocks. Such reinforcement does not increase the load-bearing capacity of aerated concrete masonry, but only reduces the risk of temperature-shrinkage cracks and reduces the opening of cracks during movements and deformations of the base of the building that exceed permissible limits. Structural reinforcement of aerated concrete masonry is used to prevent shrinkage cracks during construction from “fresh”, just released aerated concrete, which will obviously be subject to shrinkage, which lasts up to two years and amounts to 0.3 mm/m when the moisture content of aerated concrete decreases from 35% to 5% by weight.
For all buildings made of aerated concrete blocks without a load-bearing reinforced concrete frame, it is necessary to perform structural horizontal reinforcement to prevent the formation of cracks around windows, doors and other openings in walls made of aerated concrete blocks. In this case, not only the rows of masonry above the opening are reinforced (in the absence of a lintel above the opening in openings up to 120 cm), but also the rows of masonry next to the opening and below the opening (see reinforcement diagrams).
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Under certain conditions, a number of conditions for the construction of houses made of aerated concrete blocks, it is necessary to perform vertical reinforcement of the walls:
1. Walls subject or potentially subject to lateral (lateral) loads are vertically reinforced (fences, free-standing walls, underground floors of buildings, basements, walls of buildings on steep slopes, walls of buildings in areas of mudflows, avalanches, in regions with strong winds, hurricanes and tornadoes, in earthquake-prone areas).
2. Increasing the load-bearing capacity of aerated concrete building walls. For example, the use of vertical reinforcement makes it possible to use aerated concrete of minimum density, which has lower thermal conductivity, when laying walls.
3. Vertical reinforcement allows you to organize the perception and transmission of load from a significant concentrated load (for example, from a long-span beam).
4. Strengthening the bonding of masonry of adjacent walls and corners with vertical reinforcement.
5. Strengthening openings in walls.
6. Strengthening small walls.
7. Vertical reinforcement of aerated concrete columns.
Vertical reinforcement can be installed in special O-blocks supplied by many foreign manufacturers of aerated concrete products. You can also make O-blocks yourself using a drill with a crown with a diameter of 12-15 cm. Vertical reinforcement is performed with d14 reinforcement. The reinforcement should be placed no further than 61 cm from openings and free ends of aerated concrete walls.
- Errors that worsen the operational characteristics of the building.
Basically, this group includes errors in exterior finishing, external insulation of aerated concrete walls, leading to an increase in the thermal conductivity of the walls, a deterioration in the microclimate in the house and an increase in heating costs.
The most common mistake in construction, resulting from ignoring the features of the open cellular structure of aerated concrete and its permeability properties for gases and water vapor, is the creation of vapor-tight layers or layers lower than those of aerated concrete masonry on the outside of the aerated concrete wall. Such designs contradict the requirements for vapor permeability of multilayer walls set out in the Code of Rules SP 23-101-2004 “Design of Thermal Protection of Buildings,” which stipulate that each layer of such a wall, located outward from the previous one, must have a higher vapor permeability. If this rule is not followed, the inner layers of the walls, which have a hygroscopic permeable structure, can gradually become damp, since not all water vapor will be removed outside, which will lead to an increase in the thermal conductivity of the walls (insulation). This rule applies to heated buildings for permanent residence. In unheated buildings this problem does not arise, but in buildings that are heated from time to time ( country houses, heated only during vacations or weekends), the relevance of the problem depends on individual conditions. Watch against freezing when wet.
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How do builders like to “seal” aerated concrete blocks that are permeable to gases and vapors from the outside? There are two absolute leaders in this field: brickwork and extruded polystyrene foam (EPS). Usually builders make these mistakes under the most plausible pretexts: to “protect” delicate aerated concrete from atmospheric influences with “strong” bricks and to properly “insulate” aerated concrete using EPS and at the same time protect it from external moisture and freezing.
Although the main condition for durability for a house made of aerated concrete blocks is exactly the same as for a wooden house: the porous wall material must be able to dry, releasing moisture into the atmosphere.
There is also a combined use of EPS with brick lining. The effect of blocking vapor transfer is similar to the cladding of aerated concrete facades with thermal panels made of polyurethane foam and brick-like clinker tiles. Brickwork, like EPS, have practically zero vapor permeability. TO constructive solutions, which significantly worsen the vapor permeability of multilayer walls using aerated concrete, include external insulation with weakly vapor-permeable polystyrene foam, and the installation of brick facades with an unventilated air gap between aerated concrete and masonry.
If the homeowner definitely wants to see his aerated concrete house with brick facades, then he needs not to follow the lead of the builders, who, of course, find it easier to cover aerated concrete walls with bricks without any ventilation gaps. To install a brick facade of an aerated concrete house, you will have to fulfill the requirements of paragraph 8.14 of SP 23-101-2004: for walls with a ventilated air gap (walls with a ventilated facade), the air gap must be at least 60 mm thick and no more than 150 mm thick. The brickwork must be connected to the aerated concrete wall with connections made of stainless steel or fiberglass. Brick cladding must have ventilation openings, the total area of which is determined at the rate of 75 cm2 per 20 m2 of wall area, including the area of windows. The lower ventilation holes must be made with a slope below the surface of the bottom of the air gap in order to remove moisture (condensation) accumulating in the air gap.
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When building with aerated concrete blocks, errors occur that lead to excessive heating costs: the formation of cold bridges. Most often, this is the absence or insufficient insulation of reinforced concrete lintels, reinforced concrete belts, unjustified use of reinforced concrete frames in the construction of low-rise buildings from structural and thermal insulating aerated concrete blocks due to lack of confidence in the strength of the material.
: first of all, you should know that openings up to 120 cm wide above which the height of the masonry is at least 2/3 of the opening width do not need lintels, but only horizontal reinforcement of the row above the opening. Openings up to 3 meters can be covered with monolithic reinforced concrete beams in permanent formwork made of special U-shaped aerated concrete blocks that do not require additional insulation. Also, special aerated concrete reinforced beams, which can cover openings up to 174 cm, do not require insulation.
However, in real construction, most often the openings are covered with monolithic reinforced concrete beams cast on site. Such beams require external insulation, which is sometimes forgotten to be insulated.
The most common brands of aerated concrete blocks on the market have a compressive strength class of B2.5 and can have a density from D350 to D600. Such aerated concrete blocks can be used to build load-bearing walls with a total height of up to 20 m. However, some builders do not trust the strength of the “light and porous” material and construct massive reinforced concrete frames that conduct cold well, even for two-story structures.
Another strange habit of domestic builders increases the thermal conductivity of aerated concrete masonry: in many cases, builders do not apply glue to the end surfaces of aerated concrete blocks.
Meanwhile, in all cases, the design of the vertical seam must prevent through blowing through the walls. Vertical mortar joints when laying blocks with flat edges must be completely filled with mortar. When using blocks with a profiled surface of the end faces in masonry, which is subject to requirements for shear strength in the plane of the wall vertical seams must be filled along the entire height and at least 40% of the width of the block, and in other cases the seam must be filled from the outside and inside with strips of glue or mortar.
By the way, it is unacceptable to spread excess glue or mortar along the seam and surface of the block: in this case, the total vapor permeability of the aerated concrete masonry decreases. Excess glue must be left to dry and cut off with a spatula.
Laying aerated concrete blocks on cement mortar is not formally a construction mistake. However, you should know that laying aerated concrete blocks on cement mortar conducts heat 25-30% better (thick seams are “cold bridges”), and, therefore, to achieve the standard heat transfer resistance of such a wall, the thickness of the masonry will have to be made significantly larger, which will reduce there is no “saving” on aerated concrete adhesive.
- Errors leading to excessive labor and financial costs during construction without compromising the integrity of the structures and operational characteristics of the building.
This group includes all kinds of amateur “improvements” in the technology of building houses from aerated concrete blocks. One of the most common, as well as harmless, mistakes is the desire to “strengthen” aerated concrete masonry by making the first rows from “more durable” materials. ceramic bricks. In fact, the limiting deformations for fracture and shear for ceramic bricks and aerated concrete blocks are close, and thus it is impossible to protect the wall from the formation of cracks if the foundation is incorrectly made or in the absence of horizontal structural reinforcement.
We hope that our brief review will protect you from making major critical mistakes and help you save effort and money both when building a house from small blocks of cellular concrete and during its operation.