Basement in a private house — step-by-step instructions on how to equip the basement with your own hands (75 photos)
No modern country house can do without a cellar or basement. The cellar was traditionally built in every village house. It was a separate building and looked more like a dugout, where food was mostly stored. Now these structures have a wider application. There is a place for storing food supplies, technical rooms, a workshop, and of course a storage room for old things.
Each owner tries to turn this utility room into the most convenient part of the house. Sometimes the space under the house turns into a comfortable recreation area. And if everything is done with your own hands, then the photo of the basement in a private house becomes the pride of the owners and the subject of discussion in your favorite social networks.
Even before the start of construction, the question arises how to make the basement in a private house the most convenient. This will require significant construction costs, but over time everything will pay off in full.
Your house will receive additional spacious rooms for household needs and food storage. It is always better to plan everything in advance and make an accurate plan of the location of the premises before the start of construction.
You need to plan everything in advance
There are various schemes of basements. Even at the design stage of the house, it is necessary to accurately determine the number and purpose of each room in the basement. If you plan everything in advance, you will not have to start alterations immediately after the completion of construction.
Do not leave the solution of these issues for later. After the completion of construction work, it may turn out that the entrance to the basement is inconvenient. Or something is not provided by the builders at all. And the construction that has just ended will have to continue.
What you can do with your own hands
Of course, the construction of the house and all basements can be entrusted only to specialists. Professionals will always offer a variety of basement schemes for a private house and, of course, will take into account your wishes.
The basement space must be properly calculated and reliably made so that over time there will be no problems with the house itself. This is one of the most time-consuming stages of construction work. Here you need to take into account many factors that affect how the house will behave for many years after the completion of construction.
Mistakes can lead to the fact that the house can crack if the basement space and ceilings are built incorrectly and without taking into account all the features of the soil on which the house stands.
After the completion of construction work, you can independently finish the premises and erect non-load-bearing, additional partitions. All basic work on load-bearing structures should be carried out only by highly qualified professionals.
How to finish
It is quite possible to decorate the basement in a private house with your own hands. As a rule, these are ordinary painting works that each of us can do. It is not necessary to finish with wallpaper and multilayer coatings. Moisture can accumulate in the basement and such a finish will not be durable and reliable. It is best to do plastering work for painting.
But the walls and floor of the vegetable storage room are best finished with wood. An inexpensive pine tree is quite suitable. Be sure to make additional ventilation in the home vegetable storage. This will allow you to save homemade apples and potatoes until spring.
Ventilation is above all
Ventilation should always be given special attention. The humidity level is usually higher here. Ventilation in the basement of a private house can be natural or forced. Natural is when the exchange of air occurs naturally. In forced — electric fans of various capacities are used.
In basements, it is better to use both systems simultaneously and include forced air exchange if necessary.
There are automatic adjustment systems when the ventilation of the premises occurs depending on the changing parameters of temperature, gas content and humidity. It should be taken into account that proximity to the ground can lead to the accumulation of harmful gases in the basement, which only good ventilation will help to get rid of.
Availability of basements
An important factor is the entrance to the basement. It is best to make it closer to the main entrance to the house, say, on the veranda. It is not uncommon for large-sized items to be brought into the basements. Therefore, the entrance should be easily accessible.
If you need to go down to the basement directly from the residential sector of the house, kitchen or common corridor, then you need to think separately about how to arrange the entrance to the basement. It should not stand out from the general interiors. The door to the basement in this case will be decorative.
Additional precautions
Do not forget that the durability of the house itself depends on the safety of the basement. Dampness and eternal stains on the walls will lead to the gradual destruction of the foundation. The safety of the walls must be monitored constantly and not to allow any damage.
It is not necessary to alter the load-bearing basement structures. They have a big load on them. Therefore, the decision to demolish the interfering wall for more space can lead to irreparable consequences.
What can the basement be used for?
Usually, all heating equipment and water supply are installed here. It is not necessary to place the main regulating electrical equipment in the basement. In case of an emergency, the basement may flood, and then the whole house will be left without light for an indefinite time. It is an ideal place for storing vegetables and long-term storage products.
If the area allows, then here is an ideal place for a swimming pool. A billiard room, a recreation area, a favorite bar where you can spend time with friends, is also convenient to place in the lower part of the house.
How to keep warm
Along with humidity, special attention should be paid to the temperature in the basement. It is advisable to maintain a positive constant temperature throughout the year. It is impossible to allow freezing of the basement in the winter, and excessive heating in the summer. Insulation of the basement of a private house is recommended to be mandatory.
At the construction stage, all work with the foundation, and, accordingly, with basements, must be carried out in accordance with temperature fluctuations in your region. Full freezing of basement walls is unacceptable. This problem is solved by small heating devices that will maintain the set temperature.
In summer, the temperature balance is maintained by ventilation. It is best to put regulating equipment that will ensure a constant set temperature.
Digging a basement on your own is not a good idea
If your house did not have a basement built initially, and you decided to dig it under the house, then several important factors must be taken into account. In any case, in no case can you do it yourself.
Not every specialist will undertake to dig a hole under a built house. The price of even the smallest mistake can be a misalignment of the foundation or the destruction of the house. Cracks may appear in the hay of a brick house.
If the house is wooden, of course, it will not crack, but it may sink to one side due to improperly performed earthworks. Restoration work will be very expensive.
The construction of a basement in a residential building belongs to the category of the most difficult works. Here you need to take into account many factors and make all the necessary accurate calculations. Earthworks in the vicinity of a loaded foundation can be attributed to jewelry without exaggeration.