A rickety old house. Ways to correct defects in the foundation for a house

Quite often, the owners of the old wooden buildings are faced with the question of how to achieve their rise. Log house can last much longer if you qualitatively "reanimate" its base. Hydrological processes occurring in the depths of the soil cause subsidence of the foundation of a wooden structure. Exposure to water also provokes various biological processes that destroy the structure of building materials. The result is the formation of cracks and the gradual expansion of existing ones. During operation, a log house loses caulking, which negatively affects thermal insulation, in addition, the house begins to settle over time.

After raising the log house, the lower crown or foundation is changed.

You can control the intensity of these processes by using paper beacons, which should be glued to the cracks.

Violation of their integrity indicates the destruction of the base of the house, which needs to be repaired, in otherwise destruction will progress.

Tools and materials

Replacement of logs in a log house: a) Was; b) it has become.

  • asbestos-cement pipes;
  • brick;
  • metal staples;
  • sledgehammer;
  • crowbars;
  • chainsaw;
  • wedges;
  • jacks;
  • sheet metal;
  • hydro level;
  • metal plate;
  • sand;
  • fittings;
  • cement;
  • shovel;
  • roofing material.

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Features of lifting a wooden house

Pouring a new foundation for a log house.

If the destruction touched solely the foundation log house, which sank into the soil, while the rest of it remains in excellent or satisfactory condition, it is necessary to lift and then replace the foundation. In this case, it is important not only to repair the foundation of the house from logs, but also to avoid the destruction of the building.

The initial step will be to determine the height to which the house is to be lifted. As a rule, this figure is not more than 2 m. In order to obtain accurate data when measuring, one should use a hydro level, which can be successfully replaced by a tape measure. Based on this, it is necessary to first prepare reliable posts made of wood, which should have the required height, they should be substituted at the corners.

It is necessary to determine the mass of the house, knowing such data as the thickness and dimensions of the walls, as well as the density of wood, which is approximately 800 kg / m³. This will be necessary for the correct selection of the type of jacks.

The old house should be freed from pieces of furniture and things, doors should be removed, the floor should be dismantled, all these actions will help to facilitate the construction. If the house has any structures that can interfere with the lifting process, you should also get rid of them for a while, among such elements: beams from the stove, porch, roof chimney.

The scheme of pouring the foundation for the house along the perimeter and with a concrete lintel in the middle.

In addition to wood posts, you should take care of the availability of additional equipment, such as a sledgehammer, a chainsaw, crowbars, wedges made of wood, jacks with a long stem. Jacks, as practice shows, should have a carrying capacity of at least 10 tons. During the work, jack supports will be needed, which should be made using thick sheet metal, it can be replaced by plywood sheets. As a result, the resulting lining dimes should have dimensions equal to 500 × 500 mm.

Before starting work, the log house should be analyzed in order, if necessary, to strengthen the joints of the logs or to repair fragments of logs that have become unusable. Using metal brackets, it is necessary to fix the first 3 lower rows that make up the frame. Before starting the jack, you should determine the most convenient angle for this. After placing the jack under the house, you can begin to lift it gently. As soon as it was possible to raise the blockhouse to the moment when the corner was torn off from the base, wedges should be put in, which will act as insurance in case the jack cannot cope with the load.

After it becomes possible to install jacks at other angles, you can install them on the lining pads, and then start lifting. By shifting the corner by 1.5 cm, you can move on to the next. Lifting should be done with extreme care to avoid distortions that could lead to collapse. Near the jacks, it is necessary to equip temporary supports using bricks, which will provide additional insurance.

Replacing the bars of the lower rim of the log house.

After the opportunity arises, under lower rims you need to start the beams by rearranging the jacks so that they rest against the beams. A metal plate should be laid between the beam and the jack, and then continue to lift until the desired height is reached. In the process of carrying out work, props should be erected by applying Construction Materials, and then placing them under the middle of the spans.

If out of order brick foundation has sufficient height, bricks should be removed in certain places by placing the beams in the holes formed. Then you need to install jacks under the beams in order to continue lifting the house with the above method.

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Home base renovation

After the house has been raised and fixed, you can start repairing the base on which the frame is installed. In this case, you must adhere to a certain order of actions. Replacing the base under the house starts with the dismantling of the old foundation. Brickwork must be completely disassembled. And the trench should be deepened to create a new foundation.

Replacing the old foundation with screw piles.

The bottom of the trench should be filled with sand, the thickness of the embankment is 150 mm. The base on which the log house will be installed must have a reinforced foundation; for its arrangement, formwork should be mounted. The next stage is filling the trench concrete mix... In the process of gaining strength with concrete, it is unacceptable to load it, which should be adhered to for 28 days. After the end of this period, the formwork can be dismantled.

The log house is exposed to water, which is why its base must be waterproofed, for which roofing material sheets should be used. The new base must certainly be treated with bitumen, these actions are vertical waterproofing, which serves to protect against the effects of groundwater.

Opposite sides of the foundation should be provided with openings to allow ventilation of the underfloor space. It is possible to equip the holes by laying asbestos-cement pipes at a certain height during the process of pouring the base.

You should know that raising a house is not too difficult. Of course, it is better to entrust this work to professionals, but if this is not possible, you can do it yourself.

We need the following materials and tools:

  • hydraulic jack, preferably ten or twenty tonnes
  • beams approximately 150x250 mm in size, you can take sleepers
  • various construction tools
  • thick steel plate

Sequence of work:

  • calculate the load falling at each corner
  • choose a place where the jack will stand
  • put a jack
  • lift each wall and place stops
  • fix the raised wall
  • replace the crowns or top up the foundation

Next, you should choose a place where the jack will stand. It depends on the purpose for which you are lifting. If you need to change the lower rims, you need to cut a hole in them before the next log, it will then become the support of the jack. The hole should be wide enough for the jack itself to fit in the opening, as well as boards that will serve as a support for the house after lifting.

If the purpose of the lift is to increase the height of the foundation, it will be necessary, if the foundation is of a tape type, to make a recess in it for the jack. If it is columnar, there is no such need.

Place a thick steel plate under the jack head. Well, if there is some kind of milling in its center, then the head will not slide off.

Not far from the corner, you need to put a rail and stick it into the ground. On it and on the coal, you need to make marks at the same level. The ratio of these marks when lifting will indicate how many centimeters the angle is raised.

Work begins by turning on the jack. Make sure that the jack is upright. If it deviates to the side, you need to stop work and install the jack correctly.

When lifting, the following rule must be observed. It is necessary to lift with two jacks at once, which are set at angles. The lift of one corner should be carried out if it has settled in relation to the other corners and it is necessary to align it.

Each wall must be lifted at a time to a height of 4 to 6 cm and no more. Then you should put stops under the wall and start lifting the opposite wall.

There are two options for fixing an already raised wall. First, boards should be placed between the foundation and the log. The second is to make a "bench", that is, put the boards under the wall at right angles to it. The ends of the board should be located on supports located on both sides of the wall. The choice of the option should be determined by what you need to do with the house, for example, replace the crowns, top up the foundation, etc.

How to raise the angle of a house video

Every person who has own house, sooner or later will face the problems of cracks on the walls of the building, curvature of the foundation, distortions. First of all, these problems come from damage to the base of the foundation, which, even with its correct arrangement, can significantly decrease after a long period of time.

Of course, these problems must be addressed without the slightest delay. This will save you time and money, and will prevent the house from deteriorating further. Therefore, below will be described the main ways of how to fix it.

There are 3 main options for solving this problem: the foundation can be strengthened, raised, or replaced in whole or in part.

Method one: strengthening the foundation

Let's start with the simplest:. Usually, reinforcement is performed in the event of the beginning of subsidence of the base. If, with the help of reinforcement, you cannot fix the foundation of your house in time, then this can result in a large amount of money with a complete replacement of expensive parts of both the foundation itself and the building completely.

First, you will need to dig a trench around the entire perimeter of the house. It is better to make the trench as deep as possible. At the same time, its width should be such that it was as comfortable for you to work with underground part foundation while in a trench.

Now thoroughly clean the surface of the foundation of the whole house from dirt and debris with a trowel, after which you can start strengthening. To be reliable, you need a reinforcing rigid wire. Take it and nail it firmly to the foundation as far as possible. At the same time, the other end of the wire is lowered and fixed on the other side to the ground.

To keep this whole structure strong, you need to make a formwork along the width of the trench and fill the whole thing with concrete. The solution must be made as thick as possible. It is also advisable to add small pieces of reinforcement to it.

Fill the trench with mortar so that about 15 cm remains to the surface of the earth. After the concrete has set, it will be necessary to fill up the earth with sand at this height and tamp everything well. If on your foundation there are places with very large cracks, it is necessary to make a through anchoring on them and tie it to an additionally laid out row of bricks or cinder block. This will subsequently provide an even load on all parts of the building.

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Method two: raising the foundation

The next option is to raise the base of the foundation. it perfect option on how to fix the foundation for a house, in the event that it sagged too much, thereby giving large cracks on the walls of the house and distortions of the openings of doors and windows.

To raise the foundation, you will need a very sturdy pad to support the foundation and two jacks that are strong enough. Begin by lifting the most damaged corner of the house with jacks. Carefully place a spacer under the raised part and immediately tackle the following corners.

There are two important things to consider when jacking up corners. The first is the height of the rise. The most damaged area should be lifted first and above the rest of the corners. But with all this, the maximum lifting height should not exceed two cm. The second is a possible distortion of the frame. Therefore, in the process of raising the corners, it is necessary to carefully monitor so that the frame is not skewed. Otherwise, it can lead to even greater destruction.

After raising all corners, check that all corners are raised by exactly the same distance. If you made a check and all the heights of the rise turned out to be the same, start directly with the process of adjusting the foundation. To do this, near the corners and in the middle of each of the walls, we make recesses for the pillars, the height of which is about 1 m.

After that, a very strong reinforcement is pushed into the recesses. Try to squeeze the reinforcement so that it rests well against the walls of the recesses. When finished with the reinforcement, install the formwork. But after that, knead a thick solution with pieces of reinforcing wire and fill them with recesses with reinforcement. As a result, you should get the so-called reinforcing posts, which in the future will not allow the foundation to sink. After the solution has solidified, you can sprinkle the flooded areas on top with soil, compacting it well with a roller.

During the whole process of work, it is very important not to forget about safety precautions. To avoid damage, be sure to install the jack securely so that it is well supported. And between the frame and the support for the jack, it is necessary to put non-slip boards.

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Method three: replacing the foundation

And now with regard to partial or complete. In the case of a complete replacement, everything is very clear. This is tantamount to rebuilding a building with a large investment and a significant time investment. Therefore, it is undesirable to allow this to happen. It is better to fix individual parts of the foundation in time.

For partial replacement of the foundation, it is most convenient to use the old, but well-proven method. This is a partial replacement of the base. For this, the sole should not be deepened. It is best to make cells about 1 m deep in the ground in places where the foundation and walls of the house are damaged. Opposite each of the cells in the wall of the foundation, notches are made with a perforator for future fastening.

Now, with the help of a powerful jet of water, wash the foundation near the dug cells and bring reinforcing beams under them, which must be hooked with anchors to the notches made in the wall. Then knead the thick solution and fill all the cells with it.

After that, it is imperative to strengthen the openings for doors and windows. To do this, tap openings in loosened places and check them with a level. Only they must first be carefully aligned, even if even slight distortions have already formed.

This method will make it possible not only to partially restore individual parts of your foundation, but also to increase the overall bearing capacity grounds for the whole house. In this regard, the risk of new cracks appearing will be much reduced.

Thus, three main ways were considered on how to fix the foundation of a house. These methods are the simplest and most effective, if the deformation of the foundation has not yet reached too significant a scale. Corrected defects in time will prevent the problem from escalating to a more serious scale.


Wooden structures - private houses and summer cottages - inevitably tilt over time. Experts will help to solve this problem with minimal losses and will lift the problem area with the subsequent consolidation of the result.

Preparatory measures and calculations

It is necessary to carefully study the features of the log house, measure all its parameters and estimate the approximate weight - with the help of these data it will be easier to correct the sloping corner or side. Log cabins wooden houses usually lifted on one side and put a support, then slightly raised on the other side, thus leveling the structure. It is best to entrust this work to professionals, since in the process you can inadvertently distort the house even more.

The main tools here are jacks, with the help of which the required level change occurs. Usually, craftsmen pre-strengthen the walls with planks, nails and screws. The jack installation point also needs to be protected from destruction, and, as a rule, a piece has to be cut out in the log so that it fits perfectly into this hole upper limit unit. A channel can serve as a support for the jack; corners or metal strips of sufficient width are often used. On-site specialists decide how best to correct the base of the house so that it is firmly fixed in an aligned position.

Features of finishing works

The most common reason the curvature of the walls, the slope of the house is the subsidence of the corners, and this problem is most acute for the owners of structures made of chopped logs. If construction wooden houses(http://stroyluga.ru) produces conscientious company, the likelihood of such a phenomenon is minimized, and usually such organizations take on the repair of housing that has lost the original evenness of the base and walls.

The cheapest option for finishing the walls of a leveled house is chipboard plates, this material is fixed with bars. You should work closely with a plumb line so that all surfaces are ultimately as flat as possible. The bars are nailed every meter, then the finish is installed - fiberboard, for example, or drywall. In this case, the cladding should be 5-8 cm shorter than the walls themselves. The indentation should be formed exactly around flooring, then it will be masked by a baseboard. Fastening of sheets and beams is carried out using self-tapping screws for wood.

Experts do not set restrictions on further internal and exterior decoration, everything can be done according to the taste of the residents. The main thing is that the foundation of the house is reliably strengthened, otherwise all leveling work will be useless.


Svarog (Builderclub expert)

You are right about the trench. Just check in which direction the water is then discharged from it. And most importantly, how fast. If the water does not leave from there immediately. Too a trench can play a negative role - water is collected in it from the surrounding area, stands, is absorbed and flows under the house already inside the soil.

Apparently you have frame house... The frame is quite flexible and forgives large drawdowns and distortions. True, the panels may disperse in the corners. But when they return to their original position, they should close almost completely.

Better, of course, to raise the falling corner. In order not to wait for the floors to rise strongly, the sheathing will disperse, etc. But if the drawdown continues, then you don't want to give 10k every two years. Therefore, as an option - raise the house yourself with the help of wedges.

Wedges are best made from the cheapest wood. The main thing is that it is not rotten. As a rule, such wood is soft (not construction). I don’t know what kind of wood you sell, so I won’t tell you. The wedge is made flat. Do not make the wedge very sharp. Look at the attached picture, I think it will be clearer. The picture shows the lining - it is temporary, not the permanent one that is indicated below, and is needed only at the corners and intersections of the walls, as a safety one.

The order of work is as follows:

1) It is necessary to gain access under all external walls (on the side where the subsidence is) and under all internal walls at least from 1 side. Those. make room for work.

2) Take the first wedges, which are 10-15mm thicker than the gaps. Drive in 3 wedges at each corner with a step of 500-1000mm (the first in the corner, and 2 and 3 on one and the other side of the corner, respectively. Do the same for interior walls... As a matter of fact, on the plan of the house that you showed, red arrows mark all the right places... Drive the wedges evenly. Those. no need to beat every wedge to the stop. Knocked out in half 1, then 2, etc. Finish off for the second pass.

3) Prepare new wedges (better of course in advance), which are 15mm thicker than the previous ones and drive them in next to the previous ones. In this way, you gradually align the entire wall to the desired mark.

4) It is necessary to raise all the walls a little more than necessary - by 2-3mm. This is necessary in order to lay the main (permanent) gaskets. The main gaskets are already manufactured from construction timber(pine, for example) impregnated with antiseptics. Lay the gaskets and gently knock out the wedges. To strapping bar at home lay down tightly on the gaskets.

What you need to properly prepare gaskets and wedges. First, determine as accurately as possible how much each part of the house has sagged (your drawdowns seem to be uneven). Prepare wedges for each corner and wall. Lay them out next to the place where you will put them. If you dump it in a heap, you will mess it up later. During work, it is necessary to constantly monitor building level the position of the strapping beams so as not to skew them in the other direction :). It would be nice for someone inside the house to watch how the floors are leveled and if any cracks appear.

Work can be stopped and continued at your convenience. But the wedges under all walls should be lined with approximately the same.

If something is not clear - check it out.

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