This article will talk about typical mistakes made when construction of brick walls.

It is no secret that the quality of other country houses, to put it mildly, leaves much to be desired. Through negligence or ignorance, builders make unacceptable mistakes, which sometimes lead to disastrous consequences. Moreover, the denial of norms and rules is becoming almost unsystematic.

In such conditions, customers have a hard time. To any question they receive a “comprehensive” answer something like this: “We have always done it this way, and no one has complained.” It is difficult for a person whose occupation is far from construction to defend his point of view, find convincing arguments and convict hacks of poor quality work. As a result, the house is built, but it is uncomfortable or completely unsafe to live in. Money wasted, materials wasted, and time wasted.

You can, of course, give advice from the very beginning to keep an eye on the builders, constantly monitor the progress of work, and invite independent experts to resolve controversial situations. But not all customers have the opportunity to regularly visit their country property. In addition, many errors can only be detected by a specialist. The best option is to organize independent technical supervision of the construction process. This type of service is offered by specialized companies with the appropriate license.

In recent years low quality brickwork has become a mass phenomenon. The use of substandard solution, non-compliance with technological standards and other gross violations lead to catastrophic consequences. The walls are literally bursting at the seams, the cladding is peeling off, and there is a threat to the health and life of the inhabitants of the house. In such cases, there is only one way out: partial (in combination with repairs and strengthening) or complete demolition of the defective structure. Meanwhile, even safe but crooked masonry can create many problems. Curved surfaces are very difficult to finish - applying plaster, facing with stone, etc.

Errors in design and construction often lead to external walls getting wet and freezing. The result is high heat loss, dampness, mold and slow but sure destruction of the brick. There can be no talk of any comfortable and serene living in such a house. And correcting such, so to speak, shortcomings requires enormous financial, labor and time costs. I'm not even talking about the moral damage caused to the owners.

	Laying according to the “slip-and-drop” principle. The brickwork was made in violation of technological standards. The bricks are laid at random. The seams are uneven, in some places their thickness reaches 30 mm, while the norm is no more than 15 mm. At the same time, the vertical seams were completely left without mortar. What kind of energy saving can we talk about if there are gaping cracks in the wall!
	Obliquely. And here the builders, without further ado, laid out the wall along an inclined line. The quality of work does not stand up to criticism. But the unfortunate masons did not have to ledge the wall under the inclined rafters of the pitched roof. But this created an emergency situation: the inclined section could fall out at any moment
	Wall "shrapnel". This wall is a victim of unscrupulous manufacturers. This is what happens to bricks that contain too much lime. In wet weather, the lime was “shot off”. The process is extended over time and it is not known when it will end. You can stop the “shooting” by finishing it. But do not forget that plastering is a “wet” process.
	The wall is covered in frost. Freezing of the walls of this respectable mansion occurred for two reasons: due to insufficient thickness and incorrect combination of hollow and facing bricks. If the problem is not corrected soon, the house will face big troubles: destruction of the cladding, dampness, mold, discomfort, heat loss
	Insidious condensation. This is what happens as a result of improper construction of a three-layer wall. The builders forgot to leave a ventilation gap between the cladding and the insulation. And besides, we saved on thermal insulation. Condensation had accumulated on the inside of the facing brick and leaked out. In winter, the walls will freeze, which will lead to the destruction of the brick.
	Crooked paths. Uneven seams on the brick cladding spoil the entire appearance of the facade. Of course, this will not cause the walls to fall apart. However, it is easy to understand the disappointment of the owners, who spent a lot of money on expensive home decoration and received a very mediocre result. In Soviet times, experienced builders called such seams between bricks “advance pay”
	Natural "ventilation". And here the builders went ahead and filled the gap between the window and the ceiling with hollow bricks. Everything would have been fine, but they placed the brick on a spoon - they saved on the material (they saved two whole bricks). And at the same time they provided the room with constant ventilation. Even if the holes are then sealed with mortar, this section of the wall will freeze (the thickness is only 65 mm)
	"Infernal Portal". Above this doorway it’s time to write: “Abandon hope, all who enter here.” Trying to “correct” the structure, the builders actually deprived the reinforced concrete lintel of its support point. Those measly 5 cm walls (the norm is 15-25 cm), on which the element now rests on one side, will soon collapse, unable to withstand the pressure of reinforced concrete
	Well, who builds something like that?! Water won't have to look for a hole in this basement wall. The brickwork is replete with holes. Moreover, the builders not only violated the current norm (it is prohibited to use hollow-core bricks when constructing a basement). but they also went against common sense. They laid the bricks as if they deliberately wanted to show off the voids
	Escaping beauty. Another example of the misuse of hollow core bricks. When decorating the platbands, we used products that were not intended for cladding facades. In addition, the voids “look out” onto the street. The polyurethane foam itself needs protection from rain, snow and sun. But the builders didn’t bother to fill the bricks with mortar
	All wrong. This steel lintel was installed incorrectly from the very beginning. The main mistake is insufficient support width. Support units should include concrete pads that would ensure uniform load distribution and prevent local destruction of the brick. In addition, steel lintels need insulation (with the same brick)
	Zigzag of failure. Such serious cracks in brick cladding occur for various reasons. Most likely, the deformations are caused by movements of the foundation, built without taking into account the hydrogeology of the site. It is also possible that during the construction of double-layer walls the correct relationship between the foam concrete base and the brick cladding was not ensured

When building a private house, most developers often make the same mistakes. In this article, we have collected 9 of the most common mistakes during construction, by avoiding which you can build a cottage without unnecessary problems.

Start of construction without a competent design

Many developers prefer to skip this stage and immediately begin construction without a quality project. But construction begins not with laying the first brick, but with transferring the idea to paper. Only a high-quality project will make it possible to calculate an estimate as close to reality as possible, terms, and the number of specialists involved.

Selection of low-quality building materials

The second typical mistake that customers make is choosing low-quality building materials. More precisely, even like that. Take good cement, but use dirty sand. Buy insulation from a trusted company, but save on glue for it. This ultimately leads to double spending. And it’s good if the shortcomings have to be eliminated when creating the house, and not during its operation.

Advice

To avoid spending more money at the stage of purchasing building materials, you need to complete the project estimate in advance. A competent specialist calculates everything down to the number of nails. And this will allow you to save money without compromising quality.

A competent builder will not make mistakes and will ensure that materials arrive gradually. This

1. Will not force the construction site to stand idle without work.
2. Will not allow the weather to degrade the quality of materials.
3. It will make it possible to carry out all the work in stages.

Wrong timing to start construction

The fourth common mistake is to start building a private house in the spring or even summer. In the warm season, concrete for the foundation will dry much faster. But this does not mean that it will be of better quality. It is worth clearly understanding: you cannot rush when building a house!

Advice

You cannot build a house over a foundation that is not yet “settled.” The concrete solution fills all the voids and is poured into the allotted space. This takes time. The optimal time for the foundation to be ready is 1-2 months.

The larger the cottage, the stronger the foundation. One of the most common mistakes you should not make is to start building walls over a foundation that was poured less than a month ago. Experienced builders say that the foundation should be poured in the warm autumn. Natural drying of the concrete will provide the strongest possible foundation for your future home.

Construction without the use of reinforcement

Increasing the strength of a building material is only possible by using reinforcement. The house takes years to build. Precipitation, wind and use reduce its wear resistance. And only reinforcement can slow down this process.

Advice

You can reinforce a building that is already in use. But this is difficult and degrades the appearance of the house. You should not make a common mistake of illiterate builders. The best option is to perform reinforcement during construction.

Needs reinforcement

1. Foundation. Reinforcement can be transverse or longitudinal.
2. Walls. The reinforcement will allow you to additionally fasten walls made of any material.
3. Floors. The beams will increase their wear resistance and allow them to withstand additional loads if reinforcement is provided during their installation.

The reinforcement process will not take much time and will not increase the cost of the project too much.

Construction without wall insulation

The house needs to be insulated. This is an unbreakable dogma. It is a mistake to rely on a heating system or mild winters. The best option is to insulate the walls outside the house. Installation of the heat modernization system can begin immediately after the walls are erected.

If you plan to finish the exterior of the facade, you may not adhere to the ideal evenness of the walls. This will save time. And the arrangement of the facade can be carried out immediately after strengthening the insulation to the walls.

Use of low-quality double-glazed windows

Under thermal modernization, any specialist assumes insulating walls and installing the “correct” windows. Even the thickest insulation will not fully retain heat if it does not have good double-glazed windows. High-quality windows are the key to heat conservation, as well as good sound insulation.

To avoid a common mistake, you need to think about how many sashes there will be in each double-glazed window. And also do you need windows that can be ventilated? You can install double-glazed windows immediately during the construction of walls, as well as after the “box” is ready.

Errors during roof installation

Most modern roofing materials are of fairly high quality, however, a common mistake is not to pay due attention to the roof. All problems most often arise precisely because of installation errors. For example, when purchasing high-quality materials for the roof itself, some people install it on cheap fastening elements, which overall makes such a roof short-lived. Or they use materials that are not suitable for installing a particular type of roof. That is why, when installing a roof, you should study this process in detail in order to avoid annoying mistakes.

Incorrect internal arrangement

The house must be comfortable. A common mistake is planning rooms without taking into account the needs of residents. If there is not so much space, you can:

• donate a guest room;
• make a small dressing room;
• Don't make a big living room.

But there are things that even a small home should have. This

1. Children need their own rooms. If it is not possible to make rooms for each child, zoning should be done in the common nursery.
2. The kitchen should have a dining area that can accommodate the whole family.
3. If the house has more than one floor and the bedrooms are, for example, on the second, there should be a bathroom.

A good layout will allow the inhabitants of the house to feel comfortable. And the house itself will be cozy.

Selection of unqualified personnel for construction

And one last thing. It is impossible to build a good house if you involve random people in this process. A well-coordinated team must work. It needs a core of specialists, a good leader, who is also a person who controls every stage of the work.

Choosing builders is undoubtedly the most difficult aspect of creating a home. The best option is for one company to do all the work. This way the performers will have more responsibility. At the same time, an experienced company with a well-coordinated team can always give timely, competent, necessary recommendations.

Advice

You need to control all stages of construction yourself. It is best not to allow the next stage to begin without checking the previous one. Builders may well hide their mistakes. And those, unfortunately, may later be incorrigible.

In fact, advice on how to avoid mistakes during construction can be continued for a very long time. But the 9 listed are the most typical and difficult to correct. That’s why it’s better to know in advance what will help prevent them.

In recent years, the number of significant miscalculations in the construction of country houses has been greatly reduced, but annoying misunderstandings still often occur, the correction of which is very expensive. Experts told RIA Real Estate what the most common mistakes are made by dacha owners and what consequences this can lead to.

Types of land

The first thing to consider when building a house is the category of land and the need to obtain building permits. This could be individual housing construction (IHC), personal subsidiary plot (LPH), peasant farm land, and so on.

“Permission is obtained only for individual housing construction,” explains Igor Goryachev, project manager at Good Wood. “For other categories of land, SNT or dacha farming, agriculture, permission is not needed. The land plot is put on the cadastre and rights are registered based on the technical plan. They can demolish it for now. buildings that were not built on their own land. But starting from July, all unregistered buildings will be demolished by court decision. The corresponding bill has already passed two readings. Quadcopters are already flying and monitoring illegal buildings and buildings that do not correspond to the stated purpose."

If we talk about agricultural lands with the type of permitted use “dacha construction”, then on these lands, while the “dacha amnesty” is in effect, the construction of residential buildings is allowed. The registration procedure for such objects has been simplified, adds Ivan Zhuravlev, managing partner of Dachny Alliance Development.

House in the forest

Building a house in the forest or next to a gas pipeline can significantly complicate the life of summer residents, notes Mikhail Afrikanov, head of the Istra Valley project.

Those who are building a house in the forest or next to a gas pipeline should carefully read the legislation regarding the forest fund and encumbrances associated with linear objects. Violators face substantial fines or even orders to demolish capital construction projects, the expert warns.

The question is extremely serious. For example, in the Moscow region, about 200 thousand plots have recently been identified, the boundaries of which extend into forest lands, says Afrikanov. It was impossible to build anything on such plots or even register property rights. The “forest amnesty” that came into force, of course, helped solve some of the problems of the owners. But the “amnesty” applies only to those land plots whose rights arose before January 1, 2016, and which do not fall under a number of exceptions. To avoid such problems, it is better to choose plots from trusted developers with reputation and history, the expert advises.

In 2011, there was a precedent when the court declared buildings located on a garden plot subject to demolition due to their location in close proximity to the main pipeline, recalls Olga Rogacheva, a lawyer at the Borodin and Partners office.

The buildings were located at a distance from 112 to 150 meters, and according to SNiP, the distance should have been at least 250 meters. Thus, the owner of the site lost all the buildings and the opportunity to subsequently develop this site, since no one will carry or move the main gas pipeline anywhere. In another case, the court found a residential log house to be demolished because it was located very close to the wires of a high-voltage power line. If the court recognizes that the violation creates a danger to life and health, then the likelihood of demolition of the building is very high, says Rogacheva.

Lack of norms

One of the most common mistakes when building a house is violating building codes. “Unfortunately, a significant share of the construction market is “gray,” Goryachev complains. “It follows from this that when building a country house, regardless of the wall material, the phasing of work is most often violated. Let’s start with the fact that there is a complete lack of design documentation. This means “that no one calculated the loads of the structure and thought through the materials and components that could withstand them. The fastening methods (assemblies) are invented right at the construction site; no one checks their logic and safety. In this case, the building is life-threatening.”

It is also worth mentioning that with this construction method, components are used on the principle of economy; their quality and safety remain in question, Goryachev continues. “We had a case when a customer decided to do the repairs himself. He used low-quality materials to insulate the walls, and as a result, the whole family suffered from allergies,” the expert gives an example.

“I have been in houses built by ambitious owners “at their own discretion”, without the involvement of specialists, where mistakes happened at every step,” says architect Ilya Samsonov, owner of a small private architectural studio. “Utilities are designed in such a way that on the ground floor It’s cold, and on the third you’re suffocating from the heat. The snow rolls down from the roof of the garage and completely blocks the entrance. The road to the garage is made with such a slope that only a jeep can get inside: a car with low ground clearance sits on the bottom. And that’s all there is to it. to do. An illiterately drawn up project can have the most disastrous consequences: the layout of the house will be ineffective, the interior will be uncomfortable, the architecture will be ridiculous.”

To avoid troubles associated with natural phenomena, it is necessary to conduct geological surveys of the land to eliminate the risk of damage to the foundation due to flooding, moving soils, and so on, advises Zhuravlev. Changing foundation designs entails many additional costs.

To keep distance

When building a house, it is necessary to comply with fire safety requirements and sanitary and hygienic rules. For example, the distance from the road to the house must be at least five meters, from the neighbor’s property - three meters. A common mistake is the reference point. For example, if you count from the foundation, and the roof extends beyond these points, then the norms will be violated, says Goryachev.

© Law firm "Borodin and Partners"

© Law firm "Borodin and Partners"

If there is a “red line,” then its requirements must be taken into account, adds Zhuravlev. If, for example, the “red line” is approved at a distance of seven meters from the border of the site inward, then this rule must be followed in order to avoid possible risks.

“It should also be remembered that a law has come into force, which states that the width of streets from building to building must be at least 20 meters. If violations are detected, objects will have to be demolished. This law was developed so that in the area that found itself " “sandwiched” by gardening partnerships, it was possible to build highways connecting certain microdistricts. The law regulates municipal authorities to demolish objects if they are built at a distance of less than 20 meters from each other,” says Zhuravlev.

According to him, compensation in these cases is provided only on the basis of the cadastral value of the object, which is 1-2 million rubles, in rare cases 10 million rubles. In this case, the market value of the house can be 30 million rubles. And you can count on compensation at best, since the law says that objects built with violations are not subject to compensation.

Better without a fence

Also, a huge number of mistakes are made when installing a fence around summer cottages, Samsonov points out. Some make mistakes when marking, others - when strengthening the fence (the support is installed incorrectly), others calculate such a length of the fence that then nothing grows on their land plots.

But in our time, in order to protect yourself from neighbors or clearly define the boundaries of your possessions, a fence is not at all necessary. For example, in many cottage villages there is not a single fence around private houses. The fence is placed only along the general perimeter. “This is a fundamentally new architectural approach,” notes Samsonov, who develops such house projects in Pirogovo, near Moscow, “The feeling of safety and privacy is achieved through competent planning and landscape design. Standing 50 meters from such a house, you may not even see it.”

Is it possible to correct bad decisions when building a house or choosing a plot of land? It is possible, but they may be associated, for example, with moving the house, lifting the house on jacks using professional labor, or strengthening the foundation. In extreme cases, we can talk about dismantling the old house and building a new one. These are very significant costs. If we talk about moving a house, then the costs of moving it can reach from 20% to 50% of its value.

LED String LED Strip Silver Wire Fairy Warm White Garland...

70.01 rub.

★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ (4.80) | Orders (1952)

Mistakes when building a house

Forewarned is forearmed!

If the future homeowner is not a Construction Professional, then he needs to know about the typical mistakes made when building an individual home.

Building your own home is an exciting event. Perhaps one of the most important things in life, along with starting a family and having children. In most cases, for an ordinary family, this is the largest investment in life. What “pitfalls” during construction should be avoided in order to get the maximum return on your investment and mental strength?

1. Irrational choice of site

Realtors joke that the value of real estate is determined by three main factors - “location, location, location.” When purchasing a building plot, remember that over time you may want to enlarge the house, but the land plot, its size and surroundings will remain the same.

The main requirements for the site are psychological comfort and convenience for life, provided by landscape views, proximity to nature, environmental conditions, proximity, communications and transport accessibility.

2. B Underestimating or ignoring the geology of the development site

Underestimating or ignoring the geology of the development site, the terrain, the condition, quality and structure of the soil, the presence and possibility of inflow of surface water, the groundwater level determine the type and volume of preparatory work on the site (water drainage, installation of drainage, strengthening or replacement of soil), the location of the future building, the type and design of the foundation of the house.

Construction of a foundation and a house without taking into account engineering-geological data on soil conditions increases the likelihood of unpredictable shrinkage, subsidence, swelling or movement of soil, which can lead to deformations of the foundation and violations of the integrity of the building.

3. Building a house without a project

Most individual developers try to save money on a house project. Many people believe that they themselves will be able to draw the rectangles of the premises on paper and explain to the team of coven workers what the end result should be. Others copy plans from the Internet or, at best, purchase standard designs. What are the consequences of saving on the help of professionals in the design and engineering of residential buildings?

• The absence of a project will not allow you to accurately estimate upcoming expenses, plan the purchase of materials and construction financing, or coordinate the work plans of various subcontractors, which will lead to delays in construction and increased costs.
• When there is no project, this leads to problems in laying communications and installing engineering equipment. As construction progresses, plans begin to change and, as a result, costs increase and conflicts arise with builders.
• The lack of calculations and design solutions for the most important structures and components of the house will inevitably lead to errors, the elimination of which will cost much more than the cost of the project, and in some cases may even become impossible.
• The lack of a thoughtful architectural and planning solution in most cases leads to the construction of a house with an inconvenient layout that is not adapted to the needs of a particular family. If the project is carried out without assessing the prospects, the need for new construction work (and even changing the house) may arise when the composition of the family changes or as its members grow older. A tasteless or pretentious appearance of a house, a lack of architectural connection to the area - all this reduces the market value of the house when it is sold.

4. Ignoring budgetary realities

6. Incorrect roofing

When installing roofs, the main mistakes are associated with underestimating snow and wind loads. It happens that builders use rafters of insufficient cross-section and installation spacing, or use a design that creates excessive bursting force on the walls of the house.

The roof frame may not have fastening of the rafter system to the underlying structures or it may be insufficient.

When installing cold attics, the main mistakes lie in the disruption of the water vapor removal routes: attic ventilation is absent or difficult.

Insulated roof structures may not have the required air gap, and under-roof ventilation may be blocked or obstructed.

7. Mistakes when building foundations

Inconsistency of loads from the building on the base with the bearing capacity of the soil.

Insufficient depth of foundations, chosen without taking into account the heaving properties of load-bearing soils and the level of their freezing.

The use of prefabricated (from foundation blocks) or non-monolithic foundations on heaving soils and on slopes.

Support on soils that can change their properties when soaked or applied load (subsidence soils, highly compressible soils).

The use of pile foundations in soils with weak lateral support (peat, silt, silty sand).

The use of steel screw piles in aggressive soils - such as peat, soils with a high content of sulfates and chlorides, soils with low electrical resistivity - due to the high rate of electrochemical corrosion of metals.

Ignoring measures to reduce the heaving of foundation soils (drainage, water disposal, soil insulation).

Errors in preparing foundations, trenches and pits

Decompaction, loosening of load-bearing soils, absence or poor-quality compaction of sand cushions under foundations, leading to settlements under the load of the building.

Long breaks between the opening of pits, trenches and the start of construction work, leading to wetness or drying out of load-bearing soils and crumbling of trench walls.

Filling the cavities between the foundation and the walls of the trench (pit) with soil, not sand.

Errors in foundation reinforcement

Insufficient reinforcement or its absence, the use of scrap metal as reinforcement, improper reinforcement of the foundation strip, corners, junctions and intersections without anchoring the reinforcement - with simple crosshairs.

Bending of steel reinforcement by heating with a flame or sawing off the rods, leading to a decrease in its tensile and fracture strength.

Welding of non-weldable class reinforcement (without the letter C in the designation, for example A400, not A400C), leading to a decrease in its tensile and fracture strength.

Connecting non-weldable reinforcement with an overlap without the required gap between the rods (basting the rods to each other with tying wire), insufficient overlap of the rods along the length.

Fastening working reinforcement to scraps of reinforcement stuck into the ground, which leads to accelerated electrochemical corrosion of the reinforcement frame.

The use of smooth, dirty, painted reinforcement, which reduces the adhesion of concrete to steel.

Failure to comply with the dimensions of the protective layers of concrete between the reinforcement and the external environment, which leads to accelerated corrosion of steel.

Errors in concreting foundations

The absence of a layer of continuous waterproofing in the formwork, preventing the leakage of laitance from the concrete gaining strength. This leads to a loss of concrete strength.

Laying concrete in formwork without the use of deep vibrators leads to a decrease in the strength and resistance of concrete to external aggressive influences due to higher porosity, possible delamination and the formation of voids.

Breaks in laying concrete mixture into formwork for more than 2 hours.

Construction of working joints during long breaks in concreting in a horizontal rather than vertical plane, leading to the possibility of delamination of the foundation under load.

Ignoring the care of concrete after laying it in formwork, leading to a decrease in the strength of concrete and the formation of shrinkage cracks. It is necessary to moisten the concrete to prevent its premature drying, maintaining, if necessary, its positive temperature with the help of shelter and insulation, protection from the effects of precipitation and winds.

Premature removal of formwork before concrete reaches 70-80% of brand strength. This time is 28 days at an average daily (not daily!) temperature of +5°C.

Other mistakes when building foundations

The lack of waterproofing reduces the service life of the foundation due to concrete corrosion (especially in aggressive soils) and the effects of freeze-thaw cycles.

Underground communications should be installed before the construction of the foundation begins, especially when it is constructed in the form of a monolithic slab.

8. Errors in installation of floors

Most of the first floor floors in houses on strip or pile-grillage foundations in Russia are traditionally made in the form of hanging beams (joists) filled with insulation and subfloors and finished floors. This scheme has many disadvantages. When making basement floors, builders forget to cover the ground with waterproofing and arrange the necessary underground ventilation. This leads to its constant wetting due to evaporation of moisture from the soil and insufficient removal of moisture (especially in winter, when homeowners close the vents to save heat).

Radioactive soil gases can accumulate in the underground, which then enter the living space of the house. A ventilated underground deprives the homeowner of free geoheat in winter (1-2°C), contributes to deeper freezing of the soil and increased frost heaving. Today, the standard is to build a house on a monolithic reinforced concrete slab and install floors on the ground.

When installing floors of the first and second floors, a very large interval for installing beams is often used - 1 m or more, which leads to their sagging and vibrations.

9. Lack of waterproofing

Most often, builders forget to install waterproofing between the foundation concrete and the overlying wall materials or use waterproofing from short-lived materials such as roofing felt, the cellulose base of which is subject to biological destruction, and the bitumen layer is subject to degradation and cracking.

For waterproofing, it is necessary to use modern bitumen-polymer materials on a synthetic basis with a long service life.

10. Blocking or reducing vapor transfer through structures

A barrier to steam passing through materials such as cellular concrete most often occurs when external wall insulation is insulated with a vapor-impermeable material.

This can be extruded polystyrene foam, polyethylene foam, polyurethane foam, cement or acrylic plaster. The same effect occurs if the external brickwork is made without a ventilation gap or with a non-ventilated gap.