Is it worth laying the foundation in the fall?Is it possible to build walls in winter or is it better to wait until spring? Is it true that you can save a lot in autumn and winter? In our article, you will find detailed answers from builders and architects to these and other questions related to seasonal construction. You won’t surprise anyone with a foundation wrapped in polyethylene and winter sheds. It has become commonplace in central Russia. And this is understandable: discounts on building materials begin in September-October, foremen become more accommodating in terms of payment, and the flow of cars on major “outbound” highways decreases. It is believed that autumn construction saves up to 20-25 percent of the budget. And construction companies assure that modern methods allow work to continue in rain, snow, or frost. This is partly true. Nevertheless, many experts advise not to rely too much on technology and to take into account the peculiarities of both the national climate and mentality.
Preparatory work
If you think a home starts withfoundation, you are seriously mistaken. A house begins with the selection and purchase of a plot of land, research into its features, and design work. This first stage of your construction can be carried out at any time of the year. And autumn is perhaps the best time.
Our opinion:— In autumn, there are many construction exhibitions where you can learn a lot of interesting things about modern construction technologies, materials, types of houses, etc. It is also worth taking a closer look at designers and contractors. In autumn, you can conduct geological work and geodetic survey. Both types of work should not be underestimated — they are key to choosing the type and design of the foundation. Finally, at this time you can calmly and without haste discuss with the architect, designer and constructor all the nuances of your future home.
Mikhail Egiyan, architect:— First, you need to think about what kind of house you want to build, then order a project, then hand it over to a designer who will make the necessary calculations taking into account the characteristics of your site and the type of building. If you want to get a good, strong foundation, you can’t save money at any of these stages. Don’t think that if your neighbor has sand, then you have sand too. You need to trust the work to a professional. torard.ru
Below zero
The zero cycle of construction begins withensuring convenient access for equipment, unloading materials, creating a site where you will store them. Do not forget about protection from rain and wind, given the capricious nature of the "golden season". It would be a good idea to take care of acceptable working conditions for workers - even if small, but insulated and heated premises in case of unexpected frosts and cold weather. In addition, autumn is a time of rapid reduction in daylight hours, which means that you will have to think about lighting the facility, again well protected from bad weather.
Our opinion:— Whatever foundation you choose, you will have to drain, dig out and compact the soil underneath it. Autumn is not the best time to do this work, especially during the rainy season. Therefore, they usually try to finish it by the end of summer or at least the very beginning of autumn.
On the question of whether it is worth laying downfoundation in the fall, even builders do not have a unified opinion. On the one hand, manufacturers of building materials assure that modern construction methods allow erecting structures at any time of the year - look at the monolithic houses growing like pies, for example. On the other hand, "winter" construction technologies, with the slightest miscalculation, multiply all the benefits by "zero" and significantly increase costs.
For example, theoretically “winter” concrete withantifreeze additives allows you to work at significant negative temperatures. But with strong differences - and this often happens in autumn - it can behave unpredictably. "Heating" the foundation with heat guns is both an expensive and not always reliable task in practice. In rainy weather, mixtures with additives that increase moisture resistance are used, but even these are not recommended to be poured during heavy rains.
Mikhail Egiyan, architect:— If the foundation needs to be deeply buried, it needs good waterproofing. For the concrete to dry and harden properly, it needs one and a half to two months. It is desirable that they fall on a relatively dry time of the season. So, do the math. We usually try to finish the foundation work before November. That is, it is best to start no later than the first days of September. torard.ru
In Soviet times it was believed that a house,the foundation of which is laid in the fall, but before the rainy season, will be the most reliable. After the winter frosts and the melting of the snow, it will be clear how well the work was done, many mistakes can be corrected, and the foundation itself will "settle" properly.
Our opinion:— But this approach has its downsides. Firstly, it extends the construction period. Secondly, if there is too much water in the spring, then a shallow strip foundation, for example, may be too saturated with water and even deform. To avoid this, a drainage trench is dug in the fall, before the construction is mothballed. The so-called screw-in piles are considered an “all-season” foundation option. But they are only suitable for very light structures — garages or baths, for example, and often “float” in the spring together with the house if they were installed incorrectly in the fall.
Mounting in the rain and snow
Assemble a house from “factory” sandwich panels orprofiled timber can be used at any time of the year. However, even these works can be difficult to carry out during periods of heavy rainfall. For advice, we turned to architect Alexander Borisov, whose company builds in just a few months according to individual projects by another famous Moscow architect, Ivan Shalmin.
The author of the project is Ivan Shalmin Alexander Borisov,Architect: — The main thing is to finish all the work with the soil before the rains. A frame house can be assembled in damp weather. The timber itself is treated with antiseptics in advance and dried properly. After that, moisture is not a problem for it. And the assembly process can be organized by stretching awnings over the entire site. But there may be some nuances here too. It’s good if the area where the work is being done is in a pine forest. Then — no problem. But what if it’s an open area exposed to the winds? In very strong winds with rain, assembling a house even under an awning is difficult and unsafe. But there are no temperature restrictions for our construction technology. As soon as the autumn rains and winds pass, construction can be resumed in full. The assembly of a frame house with an area of about 150 meters will take about 4-5 months. borisovpro.com
Project author Ivan Shalmin
The author of the project is Ivan Shalmin and houses made of blocksexcess humidity and low temperatures are contraindicated. Winter construction technologies and special additives to the solution exist here too. But the risks are very high. During night sub-zero temperatures, water freezes in microcracks and pores. Considering the high cost of brick housing, mistakes can result in very serious sums, and therefore winter construction using this technology is more the exception than the rule. Such buildings are most often mothballed until spring. But for wooden structures, winter, on the contrary, is a good time.
Our opinion:— If the foundation is laid on time and correctly, you can build a wooden house during the low construction season. Winter logging is the best. Summer forest is bad because it can turn blue when the humidity increases. Winter and spring are the most favorable times for natural drying of the forest, without sudden temperature changes. And its shrinkage is much less then.
Preservation until spring
The main enemies of "unfinished construction" are precipitation and amateursfree building materials. The right "clothing" will protect against the first. The structure should be well wrapped in polyethylene, leaving sufficient ventilation holes so that the materials can be blown through. Otherwise, you may encounter fungus in the spring. It is best to treat the main surfaces with special antiseptic compounds in advance. If you are not sure that the foundation is really well insulated and deepened, it is best to lay insulation around it and protect the soil around it from deep freezing.
From those who want to profit from someone else's construction siteIt is not easier to protect yourself. Experience shows that the best methods of struggle are to buy a plot of land in a village that is obviously guarded and to have a vigilant neighbor who lives nearby permanently. But if such conditions are not available, you have to look for other solutions: from a GSM alarm to a siren that operates on the principle of a "scarecrow" and informs the entire area about the "arrival" of the police. It is best not to leave any flammable waste, construction equipment or tools, even the simplest ones, on the plot, and try to hide light or expensive materials from prying eyes.
