Typically, preserving the foundation for the winter is used when the budget is insufficient, when it is not possible to pour the foundation, install walls and roof in one season. At the same time, it is necessary to protect underground reinforced concrete structures that remain without load from wetting and heaving forces. This requires waterproofing of concrete surfaces, insulation of the soil adjacent to the foundation, drainage at the level of the base of the tape or slab in accordance with VSN 29-85.

The piles of hanging grillages do not need to be insulated; leaving columnar foundations without vertical loading during the cold period is strictly prohibited.

The decision to pour the foundation in winter is quite justified, since it allows the construction of walls to begin in early spring in order to guarantee that the home will be occupied in the same season. The main problems of “freezing” construction at the stage of the zero cycle are:

• absence of loads from the weight of power structures to compensate for frost heaving of soils;
• opening of cracks from frozen water inside the structure of wet concrete;
• deformations, ruptures, tilting of reinforced concrete structures caused by swelling of clay soils.

The occurrence of heaving forces is possible only in the presence of three factors: a high clay content in the soil, the presence of moisture for its swelling, freezing to increase the volume of the soil by 9 - 12%. By removing any component, swelling can be reduced or eliminated completely.

Thus, in order to preserve an object with a monolithic foundation, it is necessary to insulate the perimeter of the building, protect concrete and soil from moisture, and replace heaving soils with non-metallic material.

The need to freeze construction

Suspension of work is not always caused by a lack of budget. Many individual developers prefer not to take risks, leaving the masonry until the next season. For wooden cottages, there is no particular point in freezing the object - the technologies of panel, log, frame, half-timbered and panel construction are all-season.

To leave a concrete underground structure to winter, it is necessary to complete all foundation work:

• drainage - wells in the corners of the building, corrugated pipes perforated with slots between them in a double geotextile winding;
• underlying layer under the sole - drainage + leveling of the site + elimination of swelling;
• waterproofing - carpet under the sole (2 - 3 layers of Bicrost, polyethylene film, for slab foundations) + fusing of rolled bitumen materials on the side and top edges, coating with mastics, treatment with penetrating compounds or plastering with moisture-resistant mixtures;
• insulation – horizontally laid extruded polystyrene foam EPS under the blind area at a depth of 30 – 40 cm + gluing the outer surface of the foundation with the same material;
• backfill - non-metallic material must cover the foundation surfaces with a minimum of 20 cm layer compacted with a vibrating plate.

The underground reservoir of the drainage system must be at least 4 m away from concrete structures and located below the base of the MZLF. The collected waste water can be reused.

Important: Each wintering of the foundation without a waterproofing coating reduces its strength and resource by 20%, that is, after 5 years you can destroy the MZLF or floating slab and build them again. Under no circumstances should you buy plots with such foundations.

After that, it remains to protect concrete structures that remain without load from lateral freezing and swelling of adjacent soils. To reduce costs, you can use natural insulation - snow, organizing the detention with shields.

Foundation protection measures

The best option for preserving the foundation in winter is to pour a floating slab, waterproof the surfaces of concrete structures and insulate the blind area. Even if there is uneven swelling after the soil thaws at the beginning of the next season, nothing can happen to the slab. It is much more difficult to maintain a strip foundation:

• water is collected in the grille of the structure;
• uneven swelling exerts twisting, pulling and bending forces on the belt without load.

Therefore, before leaving a strip foundation in the winter, it is necessary to carry out the following operations:

• strip the tape - wooden panels will not be able to protect the structure, they will swell from precipitation, serve as a wet compress, and contribute to waterlogging of the concrete, which is very dangerous when frozen;
• waterproof surfaces - by gluing, coating, plastering or penetrating compounds;
• make drainage - if this was not done at the stage of the underlying layer;
• insulating the blind area is the final part of the standard MZLF technology.

Despite the complex of works carried out, it is difficult to keep the foundation intact, since the building itself and heating of the interior are missing. Thermal insulation of blind areas in “unfinished buildings” turns out to be little effective; there are options for additional protection from moisture and freezing:

• perimeter cultivation - you can plow the soil around the foundation, harrow it to break up large lumps;
• snow insulation - installation of panels for snow retention (Given the nature of recent winters in the central part of Russia, with large temperature differences from plus to minus, such insulation can only do harm. Therefore, it all depends on the construction area. Snow should lie all winter.);
• “hut” - foundation elements are covered with natural insulation and plastic film;

Aeration of the soil allows the density to be reduced, after which water saturation automatically increases; when freezing, swelling is practically absent. Natural insulation materials are: bark, straw, shavings, slag, sawdust. Insulation prepared for roofing (expanded polystyrene, basalt wool), partitions and walls can be used, which can be reused.

After pouring the strip foundation, numerous pools are obtained in which sediment accumulates. In principle, it will not be possible to cover the entire perimeter with films - this material will be located horizontally and will not withstand the snow cover. Therefore, the boards covered with film are leaned against the tapes at an angle on both sides. Conservation measures in winter are described in departmental standards VSN 29-85.

In fact, the MZLF of a cottage that remains in winter is as similar as possible to the foundation of any unheated (seasonal) building. To compensate for the heaving forces of underground reinforced concrete structures of unheated houses, the following scheme is used:

• a horizontal 5 cm layer of high-density extruded polystyrene XPS foam under the entire building base;
• insulation of a blind area 0.6 - 1.2 m wide with sheets 5 cm thick;
• increasing the thickness of the heat insulator under the blind area in the corners by up to 10 cm.

Another method is less commonly used, when the heat insulation is laid under the floors on the ground, continues vertically along the inner edges of the MZLF tape, the insulation of the blind area is not connected to the internal heat-insulating contour.

However, if the foundation of a cottage intended for permanent residence is being preserved, it is irrational to spend such an amount of insulation by burying it in the ground. Therefore, the top layer of soil is covered and measures are provided to drain rain and melt water. The blind area is usually poured and decorated at the stage of finishing the facades; during conservation in the ground, improvised trenches with a slope can be made to drain surface moisture.

If the construction site is frozen for several seasons, the zero-cycle facility must be reopened with the onset of spring. This will allow moisture to evaporate naturally and dry the structural elements. For the next wintering, the foundation is prepared using the above technology. The blind area is concreted in winter only after a full range of work has been completed:

• a drainage system must be installed;
• engineering systems were introduced into the building;
• extend the grounding loop;
• waterproofing of all concrete surfaces was carried out;
• vertical + horizontal insulation has been completed;
• backfilling was made with non-metallic material.

Otherwise, next season the trenches will have to be excavated again to carry out the above work. Decorating blind areas with paving stones, rubber, and PVC tiles is done after finishing work is completed so as not to damage the coating.

Thus, the foundation of the home can be left without load in the winter, providing the specified protection measures. The main tasks are to preserve the geothermal heat of the subsoil with heat insulators and to prevent the concrete and adjacent soils from getting wet. Subject to modern foundation construction technologies, 90% of work is performed by default.

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January is over, which means you can start waiting for spring, but don’t forget that in February there is something to do in the countryside. We decided to devote our February articles to the topic of heating and energy saving, but in the first of them we will talk about what consequences await home owners who did not take care of protecting their properties in the winter.

Let's start from the very beginning: what can happen to a country house if it is not properly prepared for the winter? Which houses are more susceptible to severe winter frosts than others? What materials are most destroyed by moisture and temperature changes and, most importantly, how to avoid these sad consequences? We tell in our article and in order for our conversation to be closer to Russian realities, we asked the head of the cottage villages “Finnish Village” and “Novye Dubki” to express his opinion.

1. If the house is left to spend the winter without heating

In a house without heating, our specialist notes, the temperature regime can change quite quickly and sharply, almost simultaneously with temperature changes in the air outside the window. The consequence of such a sharp change in temperature is a sharp decrease in humidity levels. At the same time, all the moisture that circulated in the air moves freely to all surrounding objects that are prone to absorbing it. Thus, moisture settles on furniture, walls, floors, ceilings, curtains and other objects, which leads to the appearance of mold. Frost also actively contributes to the appearance of frost, which will stay in your house until the onset of thaw and spring.

The consequences of the influence of moisture are different for each individual material, and even more so for the object. For example, glass, plastic, and wood pre-coated with paint will not be damaged. In this case, upholstered furniture or unvarnished wooden objects, as well as decorative trim, can be seriously damaged. The consequences can be especially sad for drywall, which will swell and lose its shape due to moisture. At least with drywall this can happen much earlier than with wood, which does not begin to rot immediately.

The intensity of property damage depends on the humidity of the house in winter and the number of freezing and defrosting cycles. Accordingly, a large number of such temperature changes will lead to a quick and noticeable effect. For this reason, many summer residents who leave their homes without heating in winter prefer to visit them as little as possible in winter. It is not possible to heat and dry a house in a short period of time, and ruining its contents will not be difficult.

Important: It is difficult to answer the question of what humidity should be in the house in winter, as well as maintaining it at a certain level. In this regard, many avid lovers of country holidays preserve the house for the winter and drain the water from the heating system. They also cover all items that are sensitive to temperature changes with waterproof material.

2. What to do with wooden furniture and trim?

Please remember that wood of absolutely any species that is not treated with varnish or paint tends not only to quickly absorb moisture, but also to release it when the temperature drops. Some types of wood that have a high density are less susceptible to this property than others. But sooner or later, the fate of damage and rotting due to temperature changes befalls any type of wood.

What to do? Everything is quite simple: in order to protect the wood, you need to either cover it with varnish or paint, or constantly maintain the temperature in the house using heating (by the way, we will talk about heating and its types in the following articles), or carefully preserve the house for the winter and return to it only after the ambient temperature returns to normal.

3. How to protect wallpaper?

At this point we should mention not only wallpaper, but also putty, which is used in many country houses. This finishing material tolerates freezing well and can withstand being in the cold for a long time without any heating. But at the same time, the putty is very sensitive to moisture. In this regard, it is also advised to leave the room without heating for the entire winter or, conversely, to constantly keep the house warm. Due to humidity and temperature changes, the plaster can swell and, as a result, crumble in places.

Wallpaper most of all “does not like” to dry in the cold. Thus, frequent heating and cooling of the room can lead to the appearance of condensation drops, which will destroy the wallpaper and glue. Is the result of such an impact clear? You will end up with cracked or peeling wallpaper.

To avoid such consequences, you should carefully select wallpaper and pay attention to moisture resistance and sensitivity to changes in temperature. It is also better to avoid buying either too expensive or too cheap wallpaper, which will save you from unnecessary expenses.

In custody

Well, together with our expert, we noted the main points and, if you are wondering whether it is possible to leave the house without heating in winter, then our answer is yes, it is possible, and in some cases it is even necessary. The best options to avoid the consequences of winter are either complete and thorough conservation of a country house for the winter, or maintaining the same temperature in it all winter using constant heating control, which we will talk about in our next article.

The inability to complete construction before the onset of cold weather leads to the need to protect the concrete foundation from the negative effects of the external environment.

If this is not done, it may receive obvious or hidden damage. In the first case, we are talking about visible breaks, cracks, deformations and other similar defects. Even if you try to eliminate them, it will be impossible to achieve the previous integrity of the structure.

A more dangerous situation is when the concrete base receives hidden damage. They can arise for the same reasons as visible defects (swelling of frozen soils, temperature changes, high humidity, etc.) - but they do not appear immediately, but after a certain time. Sometimes problems with the foundation become known only at the final stages of construction and even after its completion, which leads to the impossibility of operating the facility.

Is it possible to leave the foundation for the winter?

Preservation of the foundation for the winter is required regardless of the degree of its readiness. Otherwise, there is a high risk of losing already created foundation structures.

Low temperatures and high humidity have a destructive effect on the concrete base. The degree of negative impact depends on the following factors:

• climatic features of a particular region;
• type of foundation (pile, strip, columnar, etc.);
• the stage of work after which the foundation will have to be left for the winter;
• structure and other features of the soil (heaving, freezing depth, presence of groundwater in the immediate vicinity, etc.).

The most resistant to adverse weather conditions are pile (screw) foundations. Strip structures and concrete monolithic slabs are at greatest risk of destruction.

No less dangerous is the swelling of the soil due to its freezing. This phenomenon can seriously destroy the concrete base to the point of making it impossible to use further. Tears, deformations, distortions, and other defects appear. Strip foundations and monolithic slabs suffer the most from soil swelling.

Is it necessary to cover the foundation for the winter?

The need to cover the base depends on the degree of its current readiness. It is sometimes possible to keep the foundation open for the winter under the following conditions:

• concrete gained strength at positive air temperatures for at least a month (this rule is the most important);
• high-quality vertical and horizontal waterproofing was performed;
• tamping was carried out, the internal space and sinuses were filled;
• A hydraulic lock is made in the upper part of the backfill.

If it is necessary to fill the base at negative air temperatures, it is necessary to use special anti-frost modifiers. A more complex option is to heat the entire structure until it reaches the required strength.

Waterproofing is especially important for lightweight concrete. In other cases, its absence is allowed - if the soil is dry and the soil waters lie deep enough. But in this situation, when preserving the foundation for the winter, you can leave the foundation for the winter only under cover.

As for the backfill, it protects the created foundation from flooding by melt or rain water.

Is it necessary to load the foundation for the winter?

Leaving your foundation unloaded over the winter can be dangerous. One of the main threats to an unloaded foundation in the cold season is the risk of its destruction under the influence of such a phenomenon as swelling of the soil due to its freezing. First of all, shallow, monolithic and strip structures are susceptible to it.

Frozen wet soil pushes foundation elements out of the ground. This leads to their ruptures, deformations and distortions, violating the integrity and structure of the prepared base.

Thus, the absence of loads from the erected power structures of the building leads to the impossibility of compensating for buoyancy forces arising due to swelling of frozen soils.

Therefore, if you do not plan to load the foundation for the winter, it is necessary to take a set of measures to protect it from the negative impacts of climatic and geological nature. Otherwise, it may be subject to complete or partial destruction, up to the impossibility of subsequent operation.

Foundation conservation work

The process of preparing a poured foundation for the upcoming winter period depends on its type and design. It is important to follow the sequence of steps and procedures, since even minor deviations from mandatory technologies can lead to devastating consequences.

Strip foundation

This type of foundation is one of the most susceptible to destructive effects from swelling soils, as well as high humidity and low temperatures. Therefore, preservation of the strip foundation for the winter is necessary, and in order to protect the foundation for the winter, several types of work should be performed, the main of which are:

• mandatory removal of formwork, since wood attracts moisture and then transfers it to concrete;
• waterproofing of the entire structure, for which different materials can be used: plaster, coating, primer, roofing felt, etc.;
• construction of a drainage system, and it is recommended to do it while working on the foundation (but it can be done immediately before conservation);
• insulation using polystyrene foam, polystyrene or other suitable materials, followed by covering with reinforced film.

In any case, it is necessary that before preserving the strip foundation for the winter, it must gain strength for at least a month at positive air temperatures.

Monolithic slab

This type of foundation, left without load, is most susceptible to deformation, erosion and displacement in winter. Its vulnerability is due to the fact that due to its relatively small thickness, the entire structure is actually located in the zone of soil freezing.

The presence of a sand-gravel cushion and a waterproofing layer protects against soil water and swelling, but in any case it is impossible to leave the slab foundation unpreserved for the winter. It is necessary that before the onset of cold weather, concrete gains strength for at least 30 days at positive air temperatures.

Before leaving the base for the winter, it is necessary to protect not only its surface, but also the surrounding area from moisture. You can use film, waste slag, expanded clay, etc. You must first provide insulation - polystyrene foam, polystyrene, dry sawdust or sand are suitable for this.

Screw pile foundation

This type of base is least susceptible to moisture, low temperatures and swelling frozen soils. Pile structures can be erected both in summer and winter. They are used on weak, crumbling, swampy, etc. soils, as well as in areas with high ground water levels.

Special preservation of the pile foundation for the winter is not required; the preparation technology may only include tying from rolled metal. You should also first check that the internal space of the installed piles is filled with concrete, and that it is desirable to have a cap on top.

Columnar foundation

Structures of this type are used primarily for the construction of relatively light buildings, for example, frame, wooden, panel houses. The peculiarity of such bases is that they have little contact with open air and soil.

They are practically not subject to destruction due to lifting forces from frozen soils. The only exceptions may be some types of shallow structures: in this case, uneven lifting of individual pillars is possible.

When and how to prepare the foundation for winter?

Thus, the preparation of a concrete base left without load for the cold season depends on its design and engineering features.

The process of preserving the foundation for the winter must be followed in compliance with technology and using suitable materials. In the absence of the proper experience and skills, it is recommended to invite specialists, since even seemingly insignificant errors can lead to complete or partial destruction of the structure.

It is best if by the winter period the main structures of the building (walls, partitions, roof, etc.) stand on the foundation. This will eliminate the need for additional protection from humidity, low temperatures, swelling of frozen soils and other destructive influences from the external environment.

However, this is not always possible: most often, delays in building a house are due to lack of time or money. In such situations, proper preparation of the concrete base for the winter season allows you to postpone the construction of walls and other structures until spring without the risk of damage or destruction.

The type of foundation is selected taking into account the design of the house, the condition of the soil and other nuances. For any questions, please contact the specialists of Territory Group of Companies by phone or via the website.

Is it possible to leave a frame pool for the winter? Do I need to disassemble and put away a frame pool for the winter? Details here.

After the end of the swimming season, many people are wondering whether it is worth dismantling the frame pool or leaving everything as it is. I really don’t want to deal with the annual assembly and disassembly of the structure, draining it, and especially since the film becomes unusable with constant folding, and it is so inconvenient to roll it up.

Do I need to disassemble a frame pool for the winter? No, this is not necessary. Preservation is acceptable for all-season prefabricated models with rigid sides, the metal bowl of which is made of frost-resistant materials. Summer type frame pools. In order for it to go through the winter safely, you need to properly care for the bowl. Do not leave the container without water under any circumstances; frost will definitely deform the frame, and the film will become fragile and covered with microcracks. In addition, it is easier for rodents to get into an empty pool and chew on the material. Moreover, strong winds can also blow away the structure.

ADVICE!Pool conservation work should begin when the air temperature drops to 15 C.

We are not afraid to freeze correctly until spring

We leave the frame pool with water for the winter, just below the nozzles, and filter it for 2 hours so that the water does not bloom. But before adding fresh water, the walls and bottom of the pool must be washed from mold and plaque. Harsh alkaline properties and rough metal brushes should not be used for cleaning. We tie plastic bottles with weights to each other so that they are evenly distributed throughout the pool and place them in the water. They will not allow the expanded ice to tear the awning, but will shrink, taking the load on themselves.

We remove all equipment:

• filter,
• tubes,
• skimmer

We wash and dry everything, remove all filter materials from the filter. We put all accessories in boxes in a dry room. We put plugs on all inlet and outlet openings. We cover the pool with a durable awning to protect it from precipitation and debris. All. Now you can leave the frame pool outside in winter.

To prepare a pool, you need to work physically and spend not a single hour on it. But such a thing is not cheap and you can’t just let it happen. Any thing needs proper care. Having carried out all the above procedures, even a frame pool with a metal bowl will last a long time.

No spring installation

Leaving a frame pool for the winter turned out to be not so scary and now you can safely move to a city apartment until the next warm weather arrives. And upon arrival, in the warm season, such a pool will be easier. You just need to install the equipment, connect the hoses, remove the plugs, add specialized preparations again and wait for the water to heat up. And no painful editing.

Preservation of a frame pool for the winter

It is no secret that construction in our area is progressing at an unrelenting pace, and if someone needed to build a foundation in late autumn or winter, there are reasons for this. When it comes to choosing a “winter” base, expert opinions differ, and at the same time, the majority choose the strip type as the simplest and most versatile in low-rise construction.

Preparing the construction of a strip foundation in winter

Is it possible to build on frozen ground in winter so that its quality and durability do not differ from summer conditions? To do this, you should prepare the site in the fall, that is, carry out engineering-geological surveys, soil testing to predict the level of freezing, the behavior of groundwater, soil swelling, etc. Since the laying level of the strip foundation must be below the freezing line, samples cannot be taken when water melts, groundwater comes to the surface, or the first frost.

If the area allocated for the construction of the foundation is uneven, then leveling work should also, if possible, be carried out before frost. But you can install markings from pegs and start working directly in winter.

What difficulties might arise?

The specifics of “winter” work on the installation of a strip foundation, especially in conditions of low temperatures (-5 and below), imply increased hydration of concrete, that is, heat losses. This will entail additional costs for heating and electricity: the use of heat guns will help maintain the properties of the poured concrete at the desired level. A heat generator with a capacity of 30 to 40 kilowatts is suitable, depending on the volume of work. You will also have to take care of installing a heating cable around the perimeter of the reinforcement.

Is it worth mentioning that the ability to handle cannons and lay strip foundations at low temperatures requires experience. If you hire a team of specialists who have the above equipment, it will cost more. But you will definitely be confident in the quality of urgent work.

Technology selection

The strip foundation laying system in autumn or winter is followed depending on several factors. Of course, the first of them is weather conditions, including temperature, the presence of cover on the ground, humidity and soil freezing. The price of a strip foundation depends on the cost of concrete, and therefore on these factors. To save on concrete costs or efforts to heat it, technologies such as heating the soil under the influence of thermoelectric platforms are used. Compared to wire or electrode heating, it provides a better guarantee of performance. Concrete with increased frost resistance of class M400 or M500 is also chosen, or additives are added to the existing dry mixture.

Is it possible to leave a strip foundation for the winter?

If you have weighed all the pros and cons and decided to suspend construction for the cold period, you must understand that you cannot simply leave everything as it is. What can happen:

• If you leave the strip foundation for the winter, the cement will freeze and cracks will appear in the structure. This will be revealed at the most inopportune moment during the operation of the house - the building may simply collapse in a year or two.
• The outside of the structure may be covered with a fine network of cracks of varying widths. In this case, there is only one way out - to sort out the structure;
• The ground and surface water that comes in during thawing will erode the foundation.

First of all, it is necessary to organize waterproofing (before the onset of frost): roofing felt or polyethylene can be used for wrapping. You can “cover” a strip foundation for the winter in the fall using EPP or other insulation materials, add straw, sawdust, ready-made communications and pipes with chipboard on top. Finally, the structure is also covered with film on top and weighted with brick or expanded clay.