Many people build country houses and bathhouses on columnar and screw foundations because of high level groundwater. Why insulate? columnar foundation? Proper thermal insulation will help conserve heat in winter and save on heating costs country house. Let's look at a scheme for insulating a foundation made of pillars, materials for insulation, and at the end of the article we will show a video on how to insulate the columnar foundation of a bathhouse or private house on your own.
Pillars for this type of foundation are made of logs, bricks, concrete or rubble. The pillars are located below the freezing depth of the soil so that the structure is not affected by possible heaving of the soil in winter period. Poles must be installed in the corners of the house, at the intersections of walls, as well as around the entire perimeter external walls at home every 1.5 - 2 meters. Let's look at all the stages in detail.
Unlike, a pillar foundation is not greatly affected by soil heaving. If a shallow foundation can be damaged when the soil freezes, then a columnar foundation correct device located below the soil freezing depth. But, nevertheless, it is necessary to insulate the foundation in order to reduce heat loss in the house through the floor of the first floor.
Heat losses in winter through the floors of the first floor can reach 20% if the foundation is not properly insulated.
Thermal insulation of the columnar foundation of a bathhouse or house is done using polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, or polyurethane foam (PPU) is sprayed onto the structure. To select insulation, it is necessary to consider the main types of modern insulation, their purpose and specifications. But, when choosing, preference should be given to moisture-resistant and durable materials.
Mineral wool It is used more often to insulate the floor in a house on a columnar foundation from the inside. Mineral wool is supplied in slabs and rolls; for horizontal surfaces it is better to purchase rolled thermal insulation. Mineral wool and URSA fiberglass have high water absorption, so the insulation must be protected from moisture with rolled hydro- and vapor barrier.
Styrofoam would be better suited for insulating the columnar foundation of a bathhouse from the inside, since the material has a low density and cannot withstand strong mechanical loads. But many builders use polystyrene foam for external insulation due to the low cost of the material. When choosing polystyrene foam, use denser and more durable PPS boards.
Extruded polystyrene foam It is characterized by high strength and low water absorption, and is produced in slabs with a thickness of 20 to 100 mm. Extrusion insulation retains its characteristics even during wet ground. Penoplex, like Technoplex, should be used not only for thermal insulation of the foundation, but also for self-insulation blind areas of the house around the perimeter.
Expanded clay is an inexpensive natural insulation material. This material developers use it for insulation attic floors and when installing heated floors Knauf. To protect the foundation from freezing, formwork is made from boards 30–40 cm wide on the inside of the structure and filled with mm. In addition to expanded clay, you can use sawdust mixed with soil.
The foundation pillars are left at an elevation of 0.25 - 1 meter from the ground level. The ends of the pillars are tied with beams for rigidity or a shallow strip foundation is poured. If the pillars are made of rubble or concrete, then the surface of the pillars is treated with mastic or bitumen. It is also necessary to waterproof the foundation, including the grillage and façade of the building.
If the structure is made of concrete, then use the penetrating composition Penetron, made in Russia, for waterproofing.
Thermal insulation is carried out immediately upon completion. If you only insulate the floor on the first floor, and there is no thermal insulation between the pillars, then only the grillage is treated with thermal insulation. It is worth remembering that with this method, the basement of the house will be cold. If you plan to make the underground warm, then you need to insulate the basement of the house, watch the video at the end of the article on this topic.
The foundation pillars are sheathed around the perimeter wooden blocks, boards or profile at full height (see photo above). A load-bearing base is necessary when insulating a columnar foundation with mineral wool and expanded polystyrene. We recommend using polystyrene foam, since the structure borders the ground and will be constantly exposed to moisture from the ground and precipitation.
When self-insulating a columnar foundation with polystyrene foam, insulation sheets are attached to a base made of bars or a profile on the base of the house. , like extrusion from other manufacturers, is frost-resistant, has a high mechanical strength and moisture resistance. Seams and gaps between sheets of extruded polystyrene foam are carefully sealed with polyurethane foam.
On the outside, expanded polystyrene sheets protect from solar ultraviolet radiation and precipitation basement siding or PVC panels. To prevent moisture from the soil from rising into the house, the underground of the house is covered with a layer roll waterproofing and fill the foundation.
Buildings erected on a pile or columnar foundation are distinguished by greater warmth. This is facilitated by a layer of air between the foundation floor slabs and the ground.
The space under the house is well ventilated, which reduces humidity levels. But in winter, pillars made of concrete, stone or steel are susceptible to destruction due to the influence of low temperatures and moisture, so they require insulation.
This process usually involves installing barriers to close the gaps between the posts and protect them from the effects of cold and precipitation.
Cold air combined with insufficient heat transfer to the supports from the building due to floor insulation leads to problems with the stability of the house. 
Reinforced concrete and especially metal are an excellent conductor of heat from the soil, which leads to heaving of the earth. To prevent such problems from arising, it is necessary to insulate the base:
It would be most advisable to insulate the foundation supports while they are being immersed in the soil.
To insulate the base, one of the insulating materials is usually used:
To protect the columnar base as much as possible, insulation must be done to the depth of soil freezing.
Most often, the heat insulator is installed on the foundation and plinth from the outside. 
The arguments in favor of this method of insulation are very compelling. External thermal insulation:
During the installation of the supports, it will be necessary to pour a layer of heat-insulating material into the upper parts of the pit sinuses, to create a drainage system for the soil around support pillars and on top a layer of extruded polystyrene foam. And also sheathe the outer parts of the supports with heat-insulating material.
If external work is not possible, the base insulation is carried out inside. The advantage of this technology is that the heat insulator laid in the inside of the foundation helps create a good microclimate in the basement and throughout the building. This occurs due to the appearance of moisture on the walls. But it does not protect the foundation pillars from the influence of cold from the street.
Sudden temperature changes that cause swelling of the soil are the main risk factor for deformation and cracking of the foundation.
Penoplex is preferable because when installing it, you will not need to additionally protect the waterproofing. Extruded polystyrene foam will prevent damage. For the base located below the freezing depth, it is allowed to change the technology for protecting the waterproofing coating. 
Penoplex is placed up to the freezing level of the ground, and below this boundary a geomembrane made of high-pressure polyethylene is installed.
Penoplex insulation of the foundation can be done in two ways.
The first technology implies that the pit and formwork into which the concrete of the foundation pillars is poured is increased by the width of two sheets of thermal insulation. Its density should be 35 kg per cubic meter or more, and the layer thickness should be at least 10 cm. It is individual in each region and depends on the climate. After removing the formwork, polystyrene foam does not require additional protection.
The second method involves attaching the insulator to the base after dismantling the formwork. The pit is expanded if the width does not allow installing penoplex. The ground part is covered with tiles, stone, and siding panels.
It can also be done in two versions. The first method involves layer-by-layer application bitumen mastic from top to bottom, and gluing sheets of roofing felt. 
The second method involves covering the outside of the foundation from top to bottom. concrete mortar and powdered with cement. Then strips of roofing felt are glued.
High-quality cement is used for the work. Optimal brand- no less than M400.
As a concrete aggregate the best option will become coarse sand and fine gravel. A solution of cement, sand and gravel is mixed in the following proportions: 2:5:8, respectively.
This is the name given to the foundation fencing on pillars, which is necessary to protect the space under the building from weather influences. 
When creating such a barrier for insulation, they use different materials, on which the choice of pick-up design depends. It can be:
In the process of insulating wood with the boards placed parallel to the ground, a trench is dug between the supports to a depth of 20–40 cm. Approximately a third of the part is filled with sand and fine gravel.
On the posts, bars or logs with a groove are attached, into which boards 4–6 cm thick are inserted. The lower one is installed edge-on on a sand and gravel cushion. The inner part is covered with expanded clay or other bulk heat insulator.
Vertical fastening of boards involves placing a beam into a trench dug and filled according to the previous method, and the second one is fixed to the base of the house. Both beams must have grooves into which the boards are installed vertically.
To build a brick or block fence, you also need a trench with a cushion to serve as the foundation for the walls of the fence. Their thickness is 30 cm.
In houses placed on high supports (from 70 cm or more), the foundation is insulated with special sheet material.
A metal profile frame is installed on the poles different sections. On the inside, the frame is sheathed with sheets of polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene or other insulation. The outer side is lined with profiled metal sheets. The gap between them and the ground is filled from the inside with a heat insulator.
Watch the video:
All methods of installing a pick-up include a device ventilation holes in opposite walls with a diameter of 10–15 cm. In winter they are covered with plugs.
If the foundation insulation is done correctly, the support will withstand any temperature.
The heat loss of a building through the floor can reach 20% and depends on how correctly the insulation of both the floor itself and the entire foundation of the house is done. On normal soils, for the sake of economy, columnar foundations are often installed. This type of foundation costs about 1.5-2 times less than a strip foundation. With correct calculations, such a foundation is not inferior in strength and reliability to a strip foundation, and sometimes even surpasses it.
Insulation of a columnar foundation has two purposes. The first and most important goal is to protect the foundation itself from thermodynamic damage. The second is a decrease total heat loss Houses.
There is no universal formula for foundation insulation. In each specific case, insulation methods are selected individually. This is the work of an architect-designer. Therefore, this article does not provide step by step instructions on the insulation of a columnar foundation, but the main factors influencing the decision are named.
First of all, it’s worth taking a closer look at the question: does a columnar foundation need insulation at all? Surely there will be builders who are inclined to believe that the foundation need not be insulated. However, when such an opinion is expressed, one should say what kind of foundation we are talking about, or rather, the foundation of which house. If this is the case, then the answer is obvious.
So, let's return to our first question: why insulate a columnar foundation? When they talk about insulating a columnar foundation, they mean insulating the resulting underground space. If left unprotected, the ground under the building will freeze. In a protected underground, even in the harshest winters, the ground temperature does not fall below 0°C. This has a beneficial effect not only on the energy efficiency of the cottage, but also on the foundation itself, because the soil at positive temperatures does not swell and does not squeeze out the columns.
In its design, a columnar foundation is very similar to a pile foundation. The only difference is the depth of the supports. Piles, as a rule, are lowered to great depths. The posts are installed on a sand cushion, which is located below the freezing depth of the soil. There is a certain distance between the posts, as well as between the piles. Typically, posts are laid at corners and intersection points of walls, as well as in intermediate areas if the wall is heavy or long.
When the columnar foundation is ready and the builders begin to build the frame of the house, the need to fill the space between the columns is visible. A house without such filling looks unfinished. In addition, debris collects under it, the ground freezes, and the blowing wind cools the floor, constantly carrying away heat.
Obviously, insulation of a columnar foundation is simply necessary. Especially today, when energy efficiency becomes the main condition of construction.
Insulation of a columnar foundation means both insulation using heat-insulating materials and simple sealing of spans between columns, i.e. collection device. In the vast majority of cases, a house on a columnar foundation also has a fence. It is carried out different ways, depending on the material of the columns; their heights above the ground; from architectural preferences, in the end.
An example of a collection device.
Unfortunately, it should be noted that modern energy efficient house cannot be built on a columnar foundation. Such houses are placed on monolithic slabs, completely isolated from the ground by a thick layer of rigid insulation. All other types of foundations (including columnar) require so-called cold bridges. If it were technically possible to establish an effective thermal break between the support and the wall, then a columnar foundation would be one of the most economical and energy efficient at the same time. However, none of existing insulation materials today is not able to withstand concentrated compressive loads, such as the force exerted by the weight of the building.
Now let's make a small but important digression regarding financial side. It is not possible to reduce construction costs and increase the energy efficiency of a building at the same time. These articles are directly opposite in essence. Theoretically, it is possible to insulate all the building envelopes so well that several hundred watts will be enough for heating. But will there be any material benefit from this? Insulation also costs money. In addition, it has its own service life. If the payback period of insulation is equal to its service life, then such insulation cannot be called cost-effective. Insulation is considered appropriate if it pays off in at least half the time allotted to it.
However, there is another opinion. Some experts consider insulation as a kind of investment project. It is believed that young and energetic people have the opportunity to spend money on serious insulation, and this will insure them against serious operating costs in old age, when they will no longer be able to earn much.
Economists would consider this not the most profitable investment, because the funds can be deposited in the bank, and the interest will probably be enough to pay the energy bills. Moreover, this will already be the so-called compound interest.
If you put $1,000 in the bank at 10% per annum, then after 20 years your account will have $6,727. This is taking into account the fact that interest on the deposit will be accrued on interest and with the condition that the deposit will not be withdrawn. And that's only a thousand. And when insulating a house with a layer of 10-15 cm, you may need ten thousand. Accordingly, when investing such an amount, the profit will increase by an order of magnitude.
In general, you need to count everything. True, there is one unknown in this task - the cost of energy in the future. In addition, money is depreciating, life is becoming more expensive, and there is no stability. So people come to the conclusion that it is better to insulate now than to pay fabulous bills all their lives and at the same time heat the atmosphere with their own money.
Let's return to the main topic. It's unlikely that anyone will count today good idea leave the columnar foundation completely open. Usually, at a minimum, a cold pick is performed.
Pickup- This is a fence that fills the gap between the corner supports of a columnar foundation. The construction regulations describe the design of the fence in sufficient detail. IN in this case, first of all, they are guided by SNiP 2.02.01-83.
To construct a fence, various Construction Materials. It can be brick, stone, cinder blocks, boards or beams, sheet materials(plywood, OSB). It is not recommended to use blocks made of cellular concrete and other materials with high water absorption for the construction of the fence. It’s not difficult to guess why: the collection is subject to moisture (capillary, rain/snow). Since the pick-up does not carry any loads other than itself, there are no requirements for the strength of its material. The collection can be made from lightweight large-format ceramic blocks. Such a fence will be both durable and heat-insulating.
Brick fence. Often the fence is made of brick or stone. In this case, it requires a solid foundation. Under a wooden house, the fence is buried 20-30 cm into the ground. This is recommended to be done, first of all, if the house is built on heaving soils. Narrow trenches are dug under the intake, at the bottom of which it is necessary to cast screed on a sand bed.
Sometimes a stone fence is erected directly on a sand bed. But on a screed it will still be more correct, since it evenly distributes the load from the masonry. The screed in this case is a guarantee that the masonry of the fence will not crack under its own weight.
Insulation of the fence and blind area. Now let's talk about whether the fence is worth additional insulation. The most authoritative experts strongly recommend doing this. Insulating a columnar foundation together with a fence is relatively inexpensive, but provides many benefits. An insulated foundation guarantees a positive temperature in the underground; In addition, the insulated columns themselves will not freeze. If you also insulate the blind area, then the columns can be laid not to the depth of soil freezing, but half as shallow. This will force you to spend a little on insulation, but will save money on excavation work and the actual building material.
It is best to insulate a columnar foundation outside so that the posts and the fence themselves are insulated from the cold. Insulation should be done in a continuous line without breaks. Since both the foundation and the filling are in contact with the ground and are subject to moistening by capillary moisture and precipitation, you should choose materials with zero water absorption. These include extruded polystyrene foam, foam glass, polypropylene foam and other closed-cell polymer insulation materials.
Insulation of a columnar foundation with polystyrene covered with decorative panels. The best option both in terms of quality and cost is, perhaps, extruded polystyrene foam (EPS). Unlike conventional polystyrene foam, EPS does not absorb moisture and, accordingly, does not accumulate it. Conventional (non-extruded) polystyrene foam has significant water absorption, so it is not the most suitable material for insulating a basement, much less a foundation. If you have a question about choosing insulation, the following article can help:.
After the construction of the fence, the columnar foundation looks like a strip foundation. Accordingly, the issue of ventilation becomes internal space. As is the case with strip foundation, will be needed vents. If the fence is constructed of brick or stone, then the vents are left in the form of gaps.
To protect against rodents and birds, the vents are covered with metal mesh. Vents should be located on each side of the base of the house. It is more convenient to make square vents in brickwork. The recommended size is 10-15 cm. The products are distributed so that they are opposite each other. Their meaning is to let the wind blow Fresh air underground from whichever direction it blows. Then “excess” air will come out from the remaining vents. Thus, ventilation of the underground space is carried out.
Conventional columnar foundations do not have a grillage in its technical sense. The pick-up is laid only on the outer contour. Inside the perimeter of the house, the columns are not connected by solid walls, so there is no need to make internal vents, as is the case with a strip foundation.
The number of vents theoretically depends on the volume of the underground. If the height of the column above the ground is within 30-40 cm, then one vent per 3-4 m horizontally is enough. These figures are taken from practice and they are high probability are correct. If you make too many vents or their cross-section is too large, then the underground begins to overcool. At the same time, no matter how much ventilation is done (within reason), the soil under the house will still not freeze. But everything needs moderation.
Lack of perfume is also bad. The soil contains moisture, and it eventually ends up in the insulated underground. This is not too much of a problem, especially if the posts and fence are made of high grade concrete. However, moisture always remains the enemy of any structure. The reinforcement in reinforced concrete columns is highly corroded by moisture. Rust increases in volume and literally tears apart the concrete. And weakening the support of a building is an unpleasant thing.
Finally. Guided by the considerations expressed in this article, you can make your own decisions when developing insulation for a columnar foundation. Understanding the principle of foundation insulation, knowledge of thermal insulation materials makes it possible to find, based on building regulations, the best way thermal insulation.
The foundation of a house is the basis of any structure; to a large extent, it determines how long the house will last. Let's take a closer look at the insulation of a columnar foundation.
A columnar foundation is quite simple to construct and has a low cost, however, like other types of foundation, it needs insulation to increase its service life.
An important factor is not only the quality of construction, but also insulation, because if there is a basement in the house, then heat loss through it can be up to 20%.
Insulation additionally protects the foundation from freezing, dampness, and mold, significantly extending its service life. The insulation technologies are the same for wooden house, and for a private brick house.
It is quite easy to insulate using 1 of 2 more suitable options. Insulation must be carried out to the depth of soil freezing. This value must be found out for each geographical region separately from the geological exploration service.
When installing insulation at a greater depth, the effective use of thermal insulation material can be significantly reduced.
Extruded polystyrene foam is considered an excellent insulation material for foundations. It is moisture-resistant, frost-resistant and safe for human health.
If insulation is carried out using polystyrene foam, then there is no need for additional protection for a waterproofing layer that protects it from mechanical damage. For a foundation located below the soil freezing depth, you can change the protection scheme for the waterproofing layer: we lay extruded polystyrene foam up to the soil freezing limit, and below this level we install a profiled membrane.
You can use 1 of 2 options:
You can make the floor warmer using a heated floor system, 2 popular options:
External insulation of the foundation is considered the most effective, thanks to which the strength of concrete is maintained and a barrier to cold and moisture is created.
Construction practice indicates that it is better to insulate the base from the outside. The arguments in favor of external insulation are quite compelling:
If work cannot be done from the outside, all that remains is to insulate the foundation from the inside. Advantages of this method:
The negative aspects include the following:
Do not forget, after insulating the foundation, to insulate it in wooden house floor, the house will be much warmer.
If it is not possible to insulate the floor, you can install a warm film floor system under the laminate.
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Polystyrene foam is widely used as foundation insulation. It is inexpensive, lightweight, hypoallergenic, non-toxic, sound and thermal insulating material.
Today, the following foundation insulation materials are widely used:
Each insulation must be assessed according to the following characteristics:
These indicators help determine whether thermal insulation material specific foundation when insulating various structures.
The thermal conductivity of the insulation must be low, then it will work better.
The density of the insulation determines what load they will experience. load-bearing elements structures, in this case the foundation.
The water absorption coefficient indicates the percentage of moisture absorption: the lower this indicator, the better the thermal insulation material will work.
The higher the flammability class, the more resistant the material is to high temperatures.
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One of effective ways foundation insulation is considered to be the use of expanded polystyrene, which protects against freezing and also prevents the appearance of mold and dampness.
Expanded polystyrene is the most used building material for insulating foundations and other structures. Expanded polystyrene is available in sheet form and is easy to install on any surface. This insulation resists moisture well and retains excellent heat. Foundation insulation with polystyrene foam is carried out as follows:
Insulating the foundation from the outside is much more effective. However, if a house has already been built, it is possible to insulate the building from the inside with expanded polystyrene. For installation of polystyrene foam sheets, special glue is used.
Be sure to pre-waterproof the foundation walls.
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To insulate the foundation and basement, you need to take the following steps:
When building a house or other building on an area with high water content in the soil, a columnar foundation is used. Due to its qualities, it is ideal for light or medium-heavy structures. But due to the fact that there is no insulation under the house external environment space, an increased amount of heat is spent on heating the street compared to other types of foundations. To avoid unnecessary expenses, you need to know how to insulate a columnar foundation with your own hands.
The foundation of the entire house requires careful care, and the lack of insulation leads to disturbances in the structure of the materials. Even damage to one pillar will lead to uneven distribution of the load, which will cause the grillage to begin to collapse. This situation will lead to the formation of cracks in the walls of the house and distortions in the floors. It is also possible for cracks to appear in windows and doorways, due to the fact that the holes no longer correspond to the frames. This is especially dangerous for two-story houses, because the higher the walls, the more pronounced the foundation violations are. This situation occurs when the defeat affects one pillar.
If you do not carry out thermal insulation, with the slightest change in temperature, all the pillars will experience a destructive effect. environment. Frequently used concrete pillars require not only thermal insulation, but also protection from moisture, because concrete is a porous material that absorbs moisture from the environment. When freezing, the water in its pores crystallizes, expanding the voids, which leads to accelerated destruction. If they are used wooden supports, then even with waterproofing, when the temperature drops, the wood delaminates, which leads to cracks.
Main reasons:
Insulation is required not only for the underground part of the pillars, but also for the ground part, including the grillage. The better the insulation, the longer the foundation will last without major repairs.
There are several directions for insulating a columnar foundation, and depending on the location of application, different materials are used. In order to understand what properties will be needed in a particular case, insulation is divided into 3 stages:
For underground works It is best to use expanded clay or extruded polystyrene foam. Reducing costs, ground insulation is possible with polystyrene foam or mineral wool. To insulate the under-house space, bricks, profile boards or EPS are used. To choose best material, you need to understand the basic properties of insulation.
High thermal insulation and low cost make it possible to insulate with foam plastic large areas. But it is not suitable for underground use due to its low strength; the soil surrounding the foundation will compress the material, turning it into a thin layer, which destroys everything useful qualities. You also need to know that due to its porous structure, polystyrene foam quickly absorbs moisture. The disadvantages of polystyrene foam are shown in the video
Extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex, technoplex, etc.) thanks to special technology manufacturing, which eliminated the main disadvantages of foam plastic, is used to insulate underground structures or roof vaults. Lightweight and durable, withstands pressure up to 3 tons per square meter and not susceptible to moisture penetration, this material is ideal for concrete pillars. EPS has only 2 drawbacks: the price, which is higher than that of conventional polystyrene foam, and susceptibility to pinpoint compression, which requires an additional layer of sand between the insulation and the soil with rocky inclusions.
Expanded clay – cheap material, made from baked clay, has a high weight, and for thermal insulation it is necessary to create a wide strip between the ground and the supports. It is often poured into the under-house space to eliminate drafts. Main disadvantage material in its heterogeneous structure, due to the fact that it consists of separate pieces, water can accumulate in the cracks between them.
If expanded clay is used, a vibrating plate will be needed to minimize gaps and compact the material. Mineral wool is used only when insulating floors from the foundation. Due to its high hygroscopicity, careful waterproofing is necessary.
Do-it-yourself insulation of a columnar foundation must begin before pouring concrete or installing wooden beams. If the pillars are already ready, then the first underground stage is skipped.
The first step is to create a layer of sand and gravel on which the pillars will rest. After this, geotextiles and an EPS sheet are laid, on top of which a layer of waterproofing is placed.
The next stage depends on how the supports are created. If you plan to dig only space for pillars, and use permanent formwork, then you can use EPS. If the formwork is removable and the work is carried out in a dug pit, then lateral insulation is carried out after the concrete has hardened, which increases the reliability of the work.
After hardening, concrete base Be sure to cover it with waterproofing, and then attach the insulation. If expanded clay is used, then choose gravel that has a rounded shape, which will not damage the waterproofing. Using slab insulation, buy slabs half the required width, and they are glued to the foundation in two layers, overlapping, after which they fill the base, with the obligatory creation of a 10 cm layer of sand. Not reaching the edge of the pit 30 cm, leave a trench a meter wide for the future drainage system and blind areas.
The pillars are insulated with EPS or polystyrene foam, which requires external waterproofing, after which the walls are reinforced with fiberglass mesh and plastered. A grillage is installed on the top of the pillars, which is securely fastened to avoid horizontal shifts. When all installation work completed, it is also isolated from water and temperature changes.
The next stage requires deciding how foundation ventilation will be eliminated. There are 3 ways - with installing barriers, with filling empty space and combined method.
Barriers are installed on the grillage, made of corrugated sheets, decorative cladding or brick. For the profile, you will need to create an additional supporting structure to support the weight of the steel sheet. The brick will have to be insulated on both sides to avoid freezing, but it is also possible to use permanent or removable shields between the pillars. If barriers are planned from decorative material or profiled sheet, then hanging occurs after the house is completely built, and all finishing works. Due to the presence of empty space under the house, some of the heat is used to warm it up, even through the insulation of the floors.
The backfill method of insulation is made with expanded polystyrene or expanded clay. To do this on inner side wooden panels, geotextiles are installed and sand is compacted, not reaching the floor level by the width of the selected slabs, after which waterproofing and EPS are laid on it. This is the cheapest filling method. The expanded clay method does not require additional insulation with polystyrene foam, but its cost is higher, since sand is 4-5 times cheaper, which makes a significant difference for large volumes of backfill. Thanks to the filling method, all the heat remains in the house.
The third method connects the previous ones, when underground voids are filled up, secured to outside grillage panels or lay bricks. Sometimes for decorative purposes, instead brickwork, large stones are used. This method allows you to create a beautiful and warm base.
Due to direct contact with the supports, roofing material and heat-insulating material are laid along the top of the grillage. If this is not done, then heat loss will be observed along the entire perimeter of the floor, and moisture from the house will penetrate into the pillars, which will reduce durability.
To avoid dangerous situations with the destruction of the foundation of the house, it is necessary to protect the columnar foundation from temperature changes. A self-created protective layer will not differ from a professional one if you follow the recommendations for building materials.
