Build a house yourself from scratch is a difficult task, but doable. Thorough calculations, competent selection building materials and high-quality execution of each process will help to cope without the involvement of specialists. The most crucial stage is the laying of the foundation, because the durability and reliability of any building depends on the strength of the base. It will take about 2-3 months to make a foundation for a house with your own hands.
To understand this Psalm and how it relates to our lives, one must first understand what it means to "build." Then we want to consider the meaning of "home" and "city", and finally, we want to understand how to live so that the Lord builds with us so that we do not work in vain and do not waste life.
Technology for arranging the foundation for a house
Let's start by looking at what “build up” means. Like many passages, this passage has a natural meaning and a spiritual meaning that is fundamental. “Building” means creating something lasting, worthy of time. In a sense, the value of your life depends on what you build. If what you build has value, your life has value. If what you are building has no real value, then your life will be wasted. If what you are building doesn't last, all your hard work is in vain.
For the construction of residential buildings, a strip foundation is most often used. It can be shallow, if the house is one-story and small in area, or standard - laid at a depth of 1.8-2 m. The width of the base tape is usually 40 cm, but it can be increased depending on the specific load of the building. When designing a house, one should immediately take into account possible extensions and arrangement of basements and semi-basements. The presence of a common base will significantly simplify the installation of a veranda or other structures that may be needed later.
Therefore, it is very important to carefully consider what you are building and how you are doing it. Man is edified because God edifies, and God created man in His own image. Today Christ Jesus is building the Church. Every person that God saves is built by God.
In a sense, the Bible teaches that what a person edifies determines the value of his life. In Genesis, shortly after Noah's flood, people wanted to build a tall tower to feel important. Throughout history, older people have built kingdoms, peoples and empires such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and many more. They built big cities of great importance.
In order not to be mistaken with the parameters of the foundation, you need to carefully calculate the total load on square meter soil and compare it with the permissible values.
Common types of foundation
People are forever raising, "building" families. The family can be a beautiful building that is far beyond a person's earthly life. If that building has true value and lasts for a while, it will feel its life. If it has no real value, or if it doesn't last, it will be a wasted life. If nothing is built, his life is wasted.
So, each person should stop to carefully consider what he is creating. Are you listening to me what are you building? And more importantly, is God being built with you? These are very important questions. Keep this in mind as we move forward. This Psalm was written as a song for those who made the pilgrimage to go to the Jerusalem Temple.
When calculating the load, the following factors are taken into account:
Calculations are made using special tables for each factor separately. After that, all loads are summed up, which determines the depth of the foundation in this area and the permissible width of the base of the base.
We remember that in the Old Testament, in order to worship God with sacrifices, one had to go to the Jerusalem temple. Thus, God made it clear that the ways no longer reach Him, but only the way He has established. This path is Jesus Christ. It was a time of great joy to worship God. It is not the greatest privilege in the world to enter into the presence of God to worship Him. Therefore, it was time to make this trip to Jerusalem to celebrate God and rejoice.
We, too, have the privilege of worshiping God, and we must see it simply as a great privilege. It is also important to remember that we are pilgrims traveling through the sky. This world is not our home. We are waiting for the heavenly city! This Psalm was an invitation to these pilgrims, and we need to think about how we edify as we travel through our lives.
Base marking
To mark the site for the foundation, you will need pegs, a strong thin rope and a tape measure. First, they remove everything that can interfere with the marking - stones, bushes, dry stumps, and so on. Determine the line of the facade of the house relative to the site and designate it with a rope stretched between the pegs. The distance from one beacon to another should be 30-40 cm more than the width of the facade. The location of the corners of the house is marked on the rope, and 2 perpendicular lines are drawn through these points, in length slightly exceeding the length of the side walls.
Features of the technology of the correct pouring of the foundation for the future building
This is the main point of the Psalm. This point is very important and very clear. If the Lord does not build, everything is in vain. To better understand the meaning of this song and the entire Psalm, let us dwell on understanding the meaning of the term "home". In fact, when this verse speaks of "home" and then speaks of "city," it means the same thing.
The purpose of life is to build something of value outside of Earth's life. At ground level, men build houses and cities. A well-built home can last much longer than a builder as well as a city. But, in fact, we can see kinds of spiritual things in the house and in the city. In fact, the Bible uses the term “home” for at least three things.
Now measure the distance from the corner of the facade to the corner back wall and mark the points on both lines, and then pull another rope, parallel to the first. The intersections of the ropes form the corners of the building, and it is from these points that the diagonals of the resulting rectangle must be measured. If the diagonals are equal, the markings are correct. After that, the inner boundaries of the foundation tape are designated, stepping back from the marking lines 40 cm inside the perimeter. The pegs should be positioned outside the perimeter to better define the corners of the base. The last ones are the internal load-bearing walls, the base for the veranda or porch.
Useful tips for casting strip foundations
First of all, the term "home" is used to describe the people of God. Therefore, for example, we read in Hebrews 3 that Moses was faithful over the “house”, which at that moment refers to the people of God. God is the Church, made up of all true believers. So, in order to build something that really needs to be engaged in building the Church.
Of course, the Bible uses the word “house” to describe a house of brick and wood as well. In addition, more than once in the Bible the word “home” is used to refer to a family, usually not only a single family nucleus, but all descendants. For example, we often read the expression “house of David”, which refers to the descendants of David. A person can build his family to leave a spiritual heritage on earth if he edifies well.
When the markings are ready, they begin to dig trenches for the foundation. This can be done with shovels or with the help of special equipment, which will be many times faster and more convenient. For a shallow foundation, the depth of the trenches is 60-70 cm, for a conventional foundation - from 1.8 m, depending on the level of soil freezing. The bottom of the trench should be at least 20 cm below this level. The depth is measured from the lowest markup point.
Foundation pouring methods
In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, the terms "house", "son" and "daughter" all come from the same root, the verb "edified." In fact, a family built with sons and daughters is building a "house with stones and wood." So when this Psalm talks about building a house and overseeing a city that is part of building a city, intended primarily to refer to building a family and even a church, it becomes clear if you look at the Psalm together. These are only buildings that can last after death and have eternal value if built well.
The walls of the trenches must be leveled vertically, if the soil crumbles, props are installed. After excavation, the bottom must be checked against the horizontal, all irregularities are cut off with a shovel, and excess soil is removed. The location and width of the trenches must fully comply with the project. The next stage is the installation of a sand and gravel cushion, designed to reduce the load from the building on the base of the soil.
Having seen that the concept of "house" is something much more important than just a house made of stone and wood, let's now consider the issue of building a brick and wooden houseto understand some of the principles that are beneficial to our lives. Building a family is like building a brick and timber house. During the Old Testament period, it was normal for a family to build their own home, perhaps with the help of relatives. They didn't have motorized vehicle, they didn't have wheelchairslike ours and they didn't have all the tools we use today.
The arrangement of the sand and gravel layer is as follows:
- the bottom of the trenches along the perimeter is covered with a thin layer of river coarse-grained sand;
- spill sand with water and tamp thoroughly;
- another layer of sand is poured and compacted again;
- fine gravel is poured and leveled with a layer of 15 cm;
- tamp the surface.
For a shallow foundation, the inner surface of the trenches is lined with geotextiles before backfilling with sand. This material protects the sand bed from erosion by groundwater and silting.
Therefore, the work was very difficult and was a huge effort. However, if a solid and solid house was built, it was hard work. This Psalm says that if the Lord does not build the house, then all the fatigue of the builders will be in vain, useless and will not produce lasting results.
Sand bed-pillow under the foundation
Although the builders know what they are doing and are doing, if the Lord does not build them for them, they will be in vain. They will be empty lives. Stop considering the meaning of these words. What does the term "vain" mean? This means "no effect, no result, completely useless."
Formwork installation
The foundation of a residential building should rise above the ground surface by at least 15 cm. In flooded areas, the height of the aboveground part of the base can reach 50-70 cm. The formwork is assembled taking into account the required height, using available materials.
If something is empty, it means that all efforts and commitments are lost because they do not give desired result... What a terrible disappointment for so many, so many years, so much effort, and then finding out that it was all in vain! This will be the life of everyone who edifies one, unless there is God who edifies him.
God does not want to bring us to this moment, so in this Psalm and in many other songs he remembers what he needs in order not to live in vain. Let's move on to the second example, that is, the guards who patrol the city. Even a city is something important that people are trying to build. An important aspect of building a big city is protecting it from enemies: for this reason, guards are needed. This also applies to our lives and how we must be careful to protect us from disasters that can ruin what we have built. part of the verse.
When installing the formwork, you will need:
The boards are fastened into rectangular boards, securing with transverse bars from the outside. Self-tapping screws are screwed in from the inside to make it more convenient to dismantle the formwork. For the same reason, it is recommended to use self-tapping screws, not nails. When assembling, you should consider the location of the sewer holes and make cutouts of the appropriate diameter in the boards. Finally, the shields are covered with a film that will not allow the tree to absorb water from the solution.
Where does the fill start?
Imagine a city with high walls. The guards are in the watchtower, watching closely to warn the city of danger. Since the guards can be careful and vigilant if the Lord is not guarding the city, it is all in vain.
Case: it's okay if God doesn't bless
Without the care of God, the city will not be safe. He will suffer great damage and be destroyed. Much effort, but in vain. It is very important to understand the essence of this verse. God allows people to live from Him. God allows us believers not to walk as we should. We can work a lot in many projects and in different companies.
The formwork is installed in parts on both sides of the trenches, and then reinforced with transverse bars every half a meter. Shields are placed strictly vertically, observing the same distance between opposite sides along the entire length of the perimeter. Outside, the formwork is propped up with timber struts. There should be no gaps between the lower edge of the boards and the upper edge of the trenches, otherwise the solution will flow out.
However, if God does not build for us, we will not be able to build something of value in our lives. If God does not protect us, all our efforts will be in vain and will not bear any fruit. There will be so much effort, so much sacrifice and so much effort, but it will all be in vain.
We cannot bless ourselves. Vanity as opposed to blessing. This verse contrasts with two perfectly different ways life. If we try to build for us, our life will be a continuous work. When we strive to build on our own, there is never enough time. We get up early and go to bed late, working uncomfortably, and yet we cannot finish it all.
The presence of a reinforcing frame in the thickness of the foundation allows you to strengthen the base and extend its service life several times. For the manufacture of the frame, steel reinforcement with a section of 10-16 mm is usually used. It is very important to tie the rods correctly in order to distribute the load evenly over the entire area.
This verse describes the lives of many people and, unfortunately, also many believers. These people are always busy, they always feel the weight of everything that needs to be done. Those who live this way do not know the rest of the soul that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 11, but rather go to bed thinking about how much more he needs to do and get up feeling the weight of the new day.
One who lives this way despite a great day-to-day commitment, a commitment that makes him fall to bed for extreme weariness, eats the bread of hard work. You can also translate the word “hard” to “sad”. Lived by his own strength, perhaps asking for help from God, but still building on his own, this is a completely vain life.
For work, you will additionally need:
If the Lord is not at the center of what we are building, we will not have the joy of our salvation, we will not have the peace of God, and all our work will be in vain. It doesn't bear real fruit. How different life is for those who walk with their eyes to Christ and find their delight in the Eternal! This verse says that the Lord gives rest to his delights. To his delight, the Eternal gives calm rest. This believer is busy with the day, but then quietly goes to bed, knowing that everything is under control and is on the right path, because God is all Working in his life.
When a person finds his pleasure in the Eternal and in his Law, God works in such a way that his life becomes like a tree planted along the banks of the water. His life will bear good fruit, and even in her difficulties, her leaves will not disappear. This believer will prosper in everything he does. That is why he will rest in peace. His bread will not be "heavy", restless bread. In fact, he will enjoy his bread every day and then sleep peacefully knowing what the Lord is building for him.
- knitting wire;
- building level;
- bulgarian;
- trimming a plastic pipe;
- roulette.
The armature is cut with a grinder along the length and width of the trenches, after which a lattice with cells from 30 cm is knitted from it.For this, 4-5 longitudinal rods are fastened with transverse segments every 30 cm.
It is categorically not recommended to use welding for the connection, since it weakens the attachment points and promotes corrosion of the rods. The frame should be voluminous, therefore, horizontal gratings are placed at 3-4 levels, tying up with vertical rods.
Additional fastenings should be made at each corner of the foundation and at the intersections of the bearing interior walls... You can lower the frame into the trenches in parts, and already inside, tie them together. In order to avoid corrosion as much as possible, the reinforcement should not be laid directly on the sand: take the old plastic pipe, cut it into rings 4-5 cm wide and put it under the lattice in the corners and every 50-60 cm along the trenches. About 5 cm should be left between the side walls and the edges of the frame, the same applies to the upper edge of the reinforcement.
When the grating is fixed inside the formwork, the concrete pouring level is indicated on the inside of the panels. You can do this with a fishing line: small nails are stuffed at the ends of the formwork and a fishing line stretched strictly horizontally is fixed on them. It should be located 5 cm above the edges of the reinforcement grid and run along the entire perimeter at the same horizontal level.
It is recommended to fill the solution at a time, but not with the total mass, but in layers. Each layer should be no thicker than 20 cm; this will distribute it evenly between the reinforcement cells and reduce the amount of air voids. For the manufacture of the mixture, they take M400 or M500 cement, fine grained crushed stone and coarse river sand.
It is very important to correctly observe the proportions when mixing, otherwise the quality of the solution will be below normal. 1 bucket of cement requires 3 buckets of sifted sand and 5 buckets of rubble. You need to take about half of the total water, add it in portions so as not to overdo it. The mortar should be neither too liquid nor too thick: high-quality concrete has a uniform consistency, when the shovel is turned over, it slowly slides down in total mass.
After pouring the first portion, the solution is leveled with a shovel and pierced along the entire length of the trenches with a piece of reinforcement to release the air that has accumulated into the solution during mixing. It is very effective to compact concrete with a vibrator, it increases the strength of the monolith several times. The remaining layers are poured in the same way until the surface of the concrete is level with the stretched fishing line. The formwork is tapped with a hammer, after which the top of the mortar is leveled with a rule or a trowel.
It takes about a month to strengthen the foundation. To prevent the surface from cracking, it is constantly moistened and covered with polyethylene from rain. In hot weather, the concrete should also be protected from direct sunlight to avoid cracking. The formwork can be dismantled 10-15 days after pouring, and continue construction works after 28-30 days.
Video - Do-it-yourself foundation for a house
In private housing construction, several types of foundations are used, each of which has its own design features.
- Tape - the structure is a monolithic reinforced concrete frame that exactly repeats the contours of all load-bearing walls future building. Advantages – simple constructionperformed manually. Suitable for the construction of buildings with a large area. Relatively affordable cost. disadvantages - constant monitoring of the lines is required at the stage of excavation. The larger the building area, the greater the possible error.
- Columnar - the main bearing load is carried out on reinforced concrete supports buried in the ground. They are made independently by pouring concrete into prepared recesses with reinforcement pre-installed there. The number of supports and the step between them are calculated based on the weight of the building. Mandatory installation at the joints of the walls. Advantages - very cheap and does not require the involvement of heavy construction equipment. For soils with deep groundwater, this is perfect solution in the construction of small one-story buildings. disadvantages - when arranging on clay and heaving soils, as well as having a freezing depth of more than half a meter, the pouring depth will be at least two meters.
- Platen - it is also called floating. Used when constructing buildings on soft soils with a high level groundwater, unstable and heaving. Structurally, it is a reinforced concrete slab with a thickness of 40 cm or more, depending on the weight of the building and the type of soil. Such a base also acts as a floor for a basement or ground floor. It is made by pouring concrete into a pit corresponding to the area of \u200b\u200bthe building with pre-installed reinforcement. Advantages - withstands buildings of various storeys, when pouring does not require formwork and manual mixing for uniform distribution of the composition over the trays disadvantages - high consumption of concrete, correspondingly high cost, therefore it is inappropriate for the construction of buildings with a large area.
These types are basic and for each project individual solutions can be applied based on the characteristics of the building. For example, to strengthen the structure, on top columnar foundation equip a tape made of monolithic concrete or prefabricated blocks.
Preparatory stage
Layout begins with the study of topographic images and accompanying documentation. This stage is also called zero, since the construction itself has not begun, but work is already underway. Measurements are made here, the purpose of which is to create an outline for the base, as well as the demolition of green spaces and the preparation of the construction site.
The evenness of the main load-bearing structures and compliance with the project. In the construction of small outbuildings, such as a garage, the use of analog measuring instruments is allowed. In residential construction, it is necessary to work with laser rangefinders.
Width of the future take a few centimeters larger from the thickness of the enclosing structures resting on it. The allowance for the thickness of the formwork for strip structures must be taken into account.
When pouring underground supports and calculating their number, it is taken into account that they must be placed at the joints of the walls.
To mark the perimeter in the outer and inner corners, wooden pegs are installed, connected by pieces of twine. After the end of the marking, a control measurement is made.
Excavation
This is the most labor-intensive part of the construction, however it requires high precision. They can be performed:
- With the involvement of special equipment.
- With the help of manual labor.
The depth of excavation must be consistent with the design documents. The first option is more expensive, but it allows you to reduce time costs and facilitate labor. Applicable for the construction of large and medium-sized buildings. For small outbuildings, the use of machines is unprofitable, since the foundation here is usually of a shallow type.
When pouring supports to a depth of more than a meter and choosing in favor of a columnar base, mechanized drilling is used. The removal of soil for the slab foundation is performed by a machine method, since the amount of work and time costs fully justify the use of an excavator.
In the case of a tape base, an excavator can also be used, but it is mandatory to clean the bottom and walls of the trench manually if the formwork is not used. It is not recommended to keep the finished pit for a long time without pouring, since the edges will begin to crumble.
Formwork and reinforcement
To concrete structure not cracked due to multidirectional loads, it is reinforced. The process itself is the creation of a frame of steel rods, which is subsequently poured with concrete and remains inside the body of the foundation. The connection of the rods can be welded or mechanical. There are two types of round bar reinforcement:
- Ribbed - has increased rigidity.
- Smooth.
Formwork is a form of the future base into which liquid concrete is poured. It is made of wooden, less often metal shields.
The wooden structure can be made of plywood or boards.
Drainage and ballast
Regardless of the type of base chosen, it is necessary to arrange ballast, which is an intermediate layer between concrete and soil. This allows you to evenly distribute the load and reduce the effect of moisture on the structure.
For a slab or strip base, geotextiles are laid on the bottom of the pit, on top of which a mixture of sand and crushed stone is poured. The fabric will not allow the sand to turn into clay over time.
The height of this layer is from forty to sixty centimeters, but not more than half the height of the entire foundation. A geotextile is laid under the columnar, depending on the depth of the excavation.
For better compaction, the sand is moistened with water and then manually or using a vibrating plate, the surface of the ballast is compacted. At the end of tamping, the surface for the tape and slab foundation covered with waterproofing and proceeding with the installation of formwork and reinforcement.
Formwork
The height of the formwork is taken equal to the height of the basement or higher. Preference is given to boards made of edged boards, since plywood, due to long contact with damp concrete, quickly fails and cannot be reused.
Shields are installed along the perimeter of the foundation pouring, marked out according to the plan. Boards should be as close to each other as possible, and in order to exclude leakage completely, polyethylene is placed on the bottom of the mold. Its edges must extend beyond the upper boundary of the formwork.
The shields are interconnected with fasteners, and are additionally reinforced with wooden supports, since the weight of the liquid concrete is quite large.
Reinforcement
- For a columnar foundation - the reinforcement is installed during the formation of the support body... The frame should be pre-made, for which three ribbed rods are placed longitudinally at an equal distance from each other so that they form a triangle in the profile. The connection between them is made with a wire of a smaller section by welding in several places. The resulting structure is immersed in the concrete when the mold is half filled. If it is not planned in the future to weld any elements to the outward reinforcement, then the height of the frame should be ten centimeters below the upper level of the support. This will eliminate metal corrosion.
- For slab and strip foundations - the reinforcing frame is mounted before casting in the formwork.Fastening of longitudinal rods is carried out to the reinforcement coming out of the underground supports, if such are provided, and in addition, wire ties are performed across. In other cases, the frame is simply laid on the prepared base.
Pouring concrete
The amount of concrete is calculated based on the size of the future foundation. It is recommended to use cement grades resistant to moisture. For foundations of a simple form, the preparation and pouring of the solution is carried out manually.
In the case of a mechanized feeding from a concrete mixer, you need to constantly help with an available tool for even distribution inside the formwork. Liquid concrete has a sufficiently high viscosity and if you do not drive the mass accumulating at the pouring point, this will lead to static overvoltage, breakdown of the formwork or overflow through its top.
At the end of the pouring, the level of the mortar height must be controlled, and the ends of the polyethylene used to protect against leakage through the formwork should be bent in order to protect the structure from rapid drying.
How to care for the foundation
Complete drying time is up to four weeks, depending on the season and humidity. All this time, the structure remains in the formwork.
In dry seasons with very dry air, the surface of the foundation is periodically sprayed with water.
Reinforcement exposed to the surface should be protected from corrosion by covering with polyethylene. After the deadline, you can remove the formwork and start building the enclosing structures.
When assembling the formwork, the panels facing each other are best fixed with studs using nuts. Pre-drill holes in the wood where the pin will pass. After the mortar has hardened, the fasteners can be easily removed and reused.
