How to properly prepare a grout for a foundation

The foundation is the basis of any house. From its quality will depend both the durability of the future building, and its performance characteristics. There are several types of foundations: tape, columnar, plate and pile. Regardless of which type will be chosen for the construction of the building, the most important thing is to properly prepare the concrete mix.

Any mortar for the foundation consists primarily of cement, sand, gravel and water. In special cases, various plasticizers are added to the mixture. Most often this is lime or clay. Cement brand is chosen based on the type of soil the house will be built on, in addition, the level of groundwater is also taken into account . The quality of the mixture ultimately depends on how well the sand and the size of gravel fractions are chosen.

Mortar for the foundation is made from cement M300-400. When using the first, the proportion of cement / sand / gravel is 1/3/5. When using M400 cement, it is permissible to add four parts of sand to the mixture. However, this is only if the soil on the site is dry and has a good bearing capacity. For clayey moist soils, when building on slopes, quicksands, etc., it is best to use M500 cement.

As for the sand, for the basement usually choose the river coarse-grained. In this case, it is necessary to make sure that there are no organic inclusions in it, as well as clays. The mortar for the foundation must include only well-sieved sand. In no event can you use slag instead. The matter is that cinder concrete absorbs very much moisture. In the house with such a foundation there will be constant dampness.

Concrete for a strip foundation, as for all others, usually contains five parts of rubble or gravel. Sometimes private developers also use rubble stone. In the latter case, you can save a significant amount of money. In this case, the solution is diluted in the proportion of cement / sand: 1/3. Prior to the bottom of the pit is laid concrete, then rubble stone of medium size. This is done in such a way that the distance between individual elements is not less than 2-3 cm. After that, the next layer of mortar is poured in with the rammer. Then again a stone, etc.

Some private stewards use an even cheaper mortar for the foundation - soil cement. In this case, instead of sand take sospezi, loam or loess. In addition to cheapness, such a foundation has one more advantage - in due course its strength properties increase quite strongly. The proportions of the mixture are usually used the same as when using sand.

Many developers order a ready-mix concrete in building organizations. There is such a solution is not much more than the dry ingredients necessary for its preparation at home. At the same time, you do not need to waste time and energy on a rather laborious operation for an independent batch of it. In addition, you can get much better quality concrete. A solution, the delivery of which is usually performed fairly quickly, is prepared in this case on professional equipment, and therefore has better characteristics. It is transported in special machines with concrete mixers.