How to check the quality of the foundation with folk remedies. Checking the house before buying is a must! Possible formulations of direct questions

Before buying a private house, among other things, it would be nice to know what kind of cigarettes the seller smokes and what car he drives. This will tell a lot about the state of construction ... The first acquaintance with finished house the inspection technique is more difficult than any apartment. If urban housing, one way or another, can have standard designs, then private houses are rarely similar. The matter of choice is complicated by the properties land plot. To use the time allotted by the seller and learn the maximum possible information about the object, you need an action plan.

Ready or almost finished houses there are so many on the market today that if the desire to buy a house is really strong, then interesting option easy to find. The main thing is to weed out clearly problematic ones as early as possible.

Purchase country house traditionally begins with a search for current offers on the Internet. At present, more than a thousand ads for sale have been posted on the portal site,.

Step 1. Talking to the seller on the phone

The purpose of preliminary telephone conversations with the seller of the house is to find out how interesting the object is for buying and whether the seller has the papers necessary for the transaction. It is advisable to talk with the owner of the house, and not with the realtor selling the object. This will reduce the distortion of information, plus it will be possible to focus on the intonation in the voice of the seller.

Egor Mityurev

agent, expert suburban real estate AN "Novosyol"

The ads do not talk about the shortcomings of the object, and realtors do not particularly talk about them. Therefore, the buyer will have to ask about possible problematic points. Start by phone. Questions are put directly so that the seller cannot avoid answering. Also, during a telephone conversation, you must ask the owner to prepare all the papers for the house, both technical and ownership.

Possible formulations of direct questions:

1. Why is the house for sale? (if the answer is vague, then most likely the house was either built for sale, or has serious structural or other flaws).

2. Is the house registered as a residential property? If not, is there a building permit? (if the house was built without a permit, then there will most likely be problems with its registration).

3. Does the house have electricity, heating, water, gas? How is sewerage arranged? If any of the above is not available, will the seller be able to present the technical conditions for connecting electricity, gas, water?

4. What project documentation is available, is there an agreement with builders, acts of hidden work, warranty certificates for engineering equipment? (if the house is positioned as high-quality and expensive, then the seller must have a complete set of papers, even if the house was built by covens, there must be at least documents for the boiler and water well).

5. Does the owner have debts for taxes, utility bills and other payments? If so, will he pay them off before the sale?

6. Category and permitted use of land? (you can register in the house if it is on the lands of settlements or on agricultural land with permitted use: IZHS; personal subsidiary plots (LPH); cottage construction or for horticulture or horticulture).

7. We intend to inspect the house using a thermal imager. will we have enough time for a detailed study of the house? And will we be able to access all the premises, including the attic and basement? (It is possible that with such a formulation of the question, the owner of the house with hidden flaws will cancel the meeting).

Step 2: Preparing to meet home

If we are talking about buying a large, expensive cottage, or there are doubts about the quality of the building, then it makes sense to involve a construction expert in inspecting the house. It's best not to watch alone. Relatively recently, in Yekaterinburg, a service has appeared for technical inspection of a private house before purchase. The cost of the service is on average 8-12 thousand rubles. per object depends on the distance and size of the object. To make sure that the invited construction expert has the necessary qualifications, he must be asked for a certificate confirming his status as an expert and documents from the organization where he works about membership in the design construction SRO. In addition to visual inspection and checking all the elements of the house, the invited specialist will be able to check the thermal characteristics of the building and find cold bridges using a thermal imager.

However, if you have your own experience in accepting a house, you can examine the house yourself with the help of a thermal imager. Invitation of a specialist with a device costs from 2.5 thousand rubles. This service is provided by a number of construction and design firms. Or you can simply rent a thermal imager from one of the construction equipment rental companies. This will cost from 700 rubles. for a work shift.

In addition, it is advisable to have a small set of tools with you on viewing: a tape measure, a building level and a powerful flashlight. And dress better in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Sometimes advised for inspection wooden house take an awl or screwdriver with you, you can poke it into the wall to check the log or timber for rottenness. However, builders do not recommend getting involved in piercing objects.

Alexey Galimov

In real life, the owner will not allow you to prick the walls with an awl. Yes, this is not necessary. It is usually sufficient to tap the wood with your knuckles. A rotten log will have a dull sound. In addition, paint peels off on rotten wood. It can be seen.

Step 3. Choose a day to travel

Usually buyers go to get acquainted with a country house on a day off and in good weather. But it's not always the best choice time. The house, which is planned to be used as a dacha, is really better to go inspect on the weekend. So you can get information not only about the object itself, but also about the congestion of the route on the days on which the visits to the dacha will be made. But with a house designed for permanent residence, it is better to get acquainted on weekdays. Ideally, time the trip to the beginning of the working day. At the end of the day, it’s better not to go, because it’s pointless to inspect the house at dusk - darkness will hide all the shortcomings. As for the weather, it makes sense to inspect the house on a rainy day. Then you can see how good the driveways and garden paths are when it rains. Plus, make sure the quality of the roof and the proper operation of the drainage system.

If you focus on the season, it is believed that the best time to get acquainted with a country house is spring, when the level ground water at the maximum. At this point, you can check the quality of the basement waterproofing (if any), as well as evaluate the quality of access roads.

Step 4. Explore the area

It is advisable to start exploring the area around the chosen house even before the trip. For example, you can understand that the house is not located near an environmentally dangerous object using online maps. Earlier, the portal site talked about in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg. In particular, data on cattle burial grounds, landfills and contaminated areas are given.

Realtors notice that when going to a meeting with the house and its owner, it is better to have half an hour or an hour to spare. This will allow even before meeting with the seller to inspect the territory of the village and its surroundings.

Oleg Grigoriev

Director of the Academy of Sciences "Alfa Group"

An important point is the inspection of the territory. Pay attention to any trench that is dug in the village - there should be no peat and peat-containing loose black soil. Most often, peat fields are located where water is close. Such conditions place increased demands on the strength of the foundation. And errors in its construction with high probability lead to a violation of the structural strength of the house.

In addition, high groundwater will complicate the drilling and operation of a water well. This is worth remembering if there is no centralized water supply in the village. Also, when examining the site, one should pay attention to the relief and the presence of drainage ditches. It is important to make sure that storm or melt water does not drown the area under the house. Ideally, if the site is on a hill, this reduces the risk of flooding.

Step 5. Assess the location of the house on the site

During the initial inspection of the house, you should make sure that its position on the site complies with building codes. SP 30-102-99 states that the house must be at least 5 meters from the red line of the street, from the border neighboring plot- not less than 3 meters. If these rules are violated, the owner is likely to have problems. Or have already arisen, and that is why he is selling his house. If the rights of neighbors are violated, then the homeowner may be denied permission to put the house on cadastral registration and registration of ownership. But even if the house is already registered, there is a risk that one of the supervisory authorities (firefighters, the prosecutor's office) will issue a requirement to comply with the norms, which in fact means the demolition of the house. Although stories about such cases practically do not fall into the public space.

Step 6. Get to know the seller of the house

Sellers of private houses can be divided into four categories: 1) a developer selling a house as part of an organized cottage village; 2) a construction company that bought a plot and built a house on it specifically for sale; 3) a private owner who sells the house in which he lived; 4) a private owner who built a house for sale. As experts say, all options, unfortunately, can be problematic. True, to varying degrees.

Alexey Rusakovich

Specialists who examined private houses for sale came to an interesting conclusion - those that were built by professional builders (as part of a cottage village or just for sale) are usually built quite well - at four plus. The materials may be inexpensive, but there are no outright design flaws. But if a person built for himself or he built a house for sale, this is almost always a problematic object. Even if the owner does not try to save much on construction, he makes mistakes simply out of ignorance. However, there are also disciplined private traders who are able to "keep the mark". Therefore, when buying a house, you should look at its owner - find out about education, pay attention to how he is dressed, what car he drives and even what cigarettes he smokes. If a person is untidy, unassembled, then he built the same way. But there are people pedants, neat people. Probably, the quality of their construction will be acceptable.

Step 7. Study the technical documentation for the house

It is good if the owner of the house can present a complete set of project documentation for it. Another thing is that not every buyer is able to study this documentation. But a potential buyer should at least make sure that he was shown the project of this particular house - that the number of rooms and floors, the type of foundation and roof match in the house and the project. A high-quality project should contain not only types of facades and layout of premises, it should contain drawings of nodes, engineering network diagrams, wiring diagrams. If the buyer has the opportunity to show the project to a specialist, he can take a picture of all the pages of the project. The main thing is to have enough memory and phone charge, because the number of pages of project documentation can be several hundred. Although a really competent project may take only a few pages with the correct load calculations.

However, if the project is not available, this does not mean that the house is not good enough. If built by professionals, the quality of construction will be quite acceptable.

Alexey Rusakovich

chief engineer of the Construction Solutions Agency

If you invited a construction expert to take over the house, he may not even ask the seller for the project of the house. And there is an explanation for this. Most of the projects of private houses are empty shells in which nodes are not drawn, there are no wiring diagrams. That is, the builders create the responsible elements of the house, based on their experience. Often, studying the project to the buyer will tell little about the real state of affairs. In addition, during the construction process, a lot of changes are almost always made to the project (the pitch of piles and rafters changes, etc.), as a result, only the area and the general layout of the premises coincide with the project and the real house.

Photos of the stages of construction (foundation, walls, roof), as well as an agreement with builders, acts of hidden work and papers on engineering systems. In particular, the buyer should insist that the seller present documents relating to the connection of the house to electrical and gas networks and to the water supply (if the water supply is centralized). At a minimum, the seller must have specifications for connection, signed by the energy supply and gas supply companies. It is also desirable to have a water well passport. It indicates its depth, casing features and other characteristics. The passport will help a lot if problems start with the well.

Step 8. Examine the house from the outside

Even a simple exterior inspection of the house will reveal a lot about the quality of the construction and the materials used. If there are cracks on the facades of the house, then most likely the soils under the house and its foundation are “walking”. Moreover, attention should be paid not only to cracks, but also to attempts to hide them. For example, if not very new house painted before sale, this most likely means that the owner is thus hiding plastered cracks on the facades.

Alexey Galimov

head of the company "Ural SRS"

You should also be very careful with a house sheathed with siding or other material. Especially if the finish is fresh. Most likely, the house was sheathed to hide cracks and other problem areas. The same goes for the foundation. If it is covered with siding - this is suspicious.

If the house is built of brick or gas block, then it is useful to make sure that there is a layer of insulation between the masonry and plaster (or other finishes). What the “pie” of the wall of a finished stone house consists of is usually impossible to see. But sometimes a simple trick helps.

Alexey Rusakovich

chief engineer of the Construction Solutions Agency

Usually, ebbs are installed under the windows from the outside - external window sills. You can gently raise the ebb and look under it - then the condition (and presence) of the insulation will become visible. Even if the house is built from a gas block or warm ceramics, it is better that there is insulation - at least 100 mm. This, among other things, is also protection against blowing due to poor-quality masonry.

Inspection of the roof will also allow you to learn interesting things about the house. If there is no drain on the roof, then from the moment the house was built, all rainwater pours under its foundation, which can lead to a decrease in the bearing characteristics of soils and increase soil heaving. Not every foundation is able to withstand this.

Alexey Galimov

head of the company "Ural SRS"

Of course, the buyer will not go up to the roof of the house. But you can look from the side. If the roof is not very steep, and there is little snow on it in winter, this means that the roof is poorly insulated and the snow on it melts from the heat of the house. Large icicles will say the same.

If the buyer has the opportunity to consult with a building expert, he should photograph suspicious elements of the house (both inside and outside). To an expert, pictures will tell a lot about the quality of construction.

Step 9. Attention to engineering networks

Engineering networks are that element of a private house that requires constant monitoring. The comfort of living primarily depends on the state of the "engineer". Therefore, it is better to start a tour of the premises from the boiler room and the bathroom. Feel free to ask the owner to go to such delicate places, even if there are master's things there.

Alexey Rusakovich

chief engineer of the Construction Solutions Agency

When inspecting the boiler room and other technical premises, we look not only at the equipment, but also at the walls. In technical rooms, the walls are often not covered with decoration and you can see what material the house is made of and what is the quality of the masonry. This will say a lot about the quality of the house as a whole.

Sometimes walls not covered with plaster can also be seen in the bathroom. Pipes and part of plumbing equipment can be hidden in boxes with doors. All doors must be opened to inspect both the equipment and the walls.

If the house is not yet connected to gas and there is no gas boiler in it, you need to make sure that there is a place for installing heating equipment. For a house up to 150-160 sq. m is usually enough for a boiler with a capacity of up to 24 kW (including hot water). Such a boiler can be installed in the kitchen. A more spacious house needs a more powerful boiler, which is installed in a separate room. It should have a volume of 15 cubic meters. m, as well as a window (and / or a glass insert in the door) and a ventilation hood.

Oksana Kosinova

chief architect of the company "Dizarch"

Sometimes they try to place a gas boiler in a completely unsuitable room for this. For example, there was an option when a room in the basement, located in the center of the house, was given as a boiler room. No gasman will connect a unit delivered in such a place

Earlier, the portal site talked about how the gas supply organization could find out about plans for gasification of the village and about the possibility of connecting gas to a particular house.

Step 10. Attic and basement

In a dry basement, you need to inspect the walls for the absence of traces of water - drips, swollen paint, mold, damp spots. Most likely, when preparing the house for sale, the owner will try to remove traces of moisture. It is possible to eliminate traces of flooding. And only an experienced eye can see the marks from the brush, which was used to clean off mold and peeling paint. If traces of water seepage are found in the basement, this means that it can be flooded during the rainy season or spring floods. A flooded basement is a risk of foundation destruction, high humidity in the house, fungus, mold. To make the basement truly dry, you will need to do waterproofing, and this is an additional cost.

The roof, especially the attic, is often a problematic element of the house. Even minor mistakes or deviations from the technology can lead to the fact that it starts to leak, or cold bridges appear in the insulation of the roof or attic floor. Third possible problem- condensation of steam on the inner surface of the roof. Condensation may leak into the living quarters or get into the insulation, which will lead to a deterioration in its performance. Therefore, when inspecting the attic, you need to make sure that there are no water stains on the inside of the slopes. When examining the attic, in which the slopes are sewn up, it is necessary to inspect the finish for traces of moisture seepage. The presence of soaks, streaks, delaminations will indicate that the roof is either leaking or steam is deposited on it.

Step 11. Inspection of rooms and other premises

When studying the living space of a house, it is advisable to use a tape measure and a level. The ideal option is to measure all the premises and compare with the parameters announced by the seller. Sometimes the difference is noticeable. There was a case when a 12-meter (according to the announcement) kitchen turned out to be only 6 meters in fact. Ceiling heights should also be checked. All detected deviations from the announced parameters can be used as a reason for bargaining.

Separately, it is worth considering the option of buying a house unfinished or finished, but not put on the cadastral register. If the buyer plans to register the house as residential and register in it, then he needs to make sure that the parameters of the building will allow him to recognize it as a residential property. Such a building must meet certain requirements prescribed in SNiP. Minimum size living room 12 sq. m, bedrooms - 8, kitchens - 6 sq. m. The area of ​​​​the bathroom and the hallway should not be less than 1.8 squares. The height of the ceilings in a residential building is at least 2.5 m. The house must have water supply, heating, and sewerage. If the mentioned norms are not met, then the owner may have difficulty in registering the building on the cadastral register as a RESIDENTIAL home. Well, in a building not officially recognized residential building, you will not be able to register.

If registration in the purchased house is not needed, then theoretically it can not be registered, or legalized, as non-residential premises(for example, if the building is located on agricultural land, it can be registered as a country house, which is not formally a residential building). In this case, the dimensions of the premises can be any. Earlier, the portal site talked about other buildings.

However, let's return to the examination of the premises of the house before buying it. The building level will help determine if floors and window sills are moving away from the horizontal. If there are deviations, this means either uneven settlement of the house, or problems with the foundation. Cracks on the walls and internal partitions will also tell about this.

Anastasia Chernova

sales specialist of the Academy of Sciences "Nakhodka"

The buyer should be alerted by fresh wallpapers or an abundance of decor on the walls. It is very likely that in this way the seller masks problem areas. In addition, in the process of inspecting the house, I will advise you to open and close all windows and doors in the house. If the geometry of the building is broken, then the windows-doors can skew.

To check the house, builders are advised to use another technique. If the floor is wooden along the logs, then one person stands in the middle of the room, the second moves away from him a few steps and jumps. The first one should not feel that the floor is swaying. Still need to stand barefoot on the floor of the first floor. The floor should not be cold. And of course, a thermal imager is very useful for checking the thermal characteristics of a house. With its help, a specialist will see more than an unprepared person. But even if the buyer does not have a special education, he will be able to identify the most problematic areas of the house.

Alexey Rusakovich

chief engineer of the Construction Solutions Agency

In spring, winter and autumn, the thermal imager clearly sees all cold bridges. Enough to walk with him around the premises. If it happens in the summer, then you can also explore the house with a thermal imager, but only if the owner agrees to help. And this will require additional time costs. During the night, the house warms up, and in the morning, when the temperature outside is minimal, you can walk through the premises with a thermal imager. The temperature difference between inside and outside will already allow you to see all the weak points. A thermal imager is especially useful if you buy a house with an attic floor. This is the most problematic design in terms of heat saving.

In the process of inspecting the rooms and the kitchen, you can make a simple experiment that allows you to determine the state of the electrical networks in the village. Lighting is turned on in the house, and then an additional powerful electrical appliance (kettle, stove). If the network power is low, then at the moment the device is turned on there will be a “drawdown” - the light of the lamps will dim for a second.

In the process of studying the house “with passion”, many deviations from the ideal will certainly be discovered. Some shortcomings can be dealt with. But there are also those that the new owner will have to fix. And it's better to imagine

The foundation, first of all, is not just underground part and the base of the house, it acts as a transitional element between the uneven surface of the earth and the flat plane of the house box. The quality of the built house directly depends on the quality of this design. If the foundation is poorly built without observing the technology, then the house can collapse at any moment, since all loads from all other parts of the structure, like ceilings and walls, are transferred through this structure. Therefore, it is so important to know how to determine the quality of the foundation of a house.

Features of the device of a high-quality foundation

The load on the foundation is equal to the load on the soil itself. It’s good if you have a large granite slab under your house, which has been unshakable for a million years. But in practice this is absolutely not the case! Therefore, before starting the construction of a country house, it is necessary to find out in more detail what type of soil is in the area, as well as what properties it is characterized by.

When laying foundations, you cannot do without preliminary engineering and survey work (at least in minimal volumes). Such surveys will help you understand whether the soil will be stable, whether there will be a warp or landslide of the foundation, whether ground floor flood during spring floods. In general, remember that you can defeat nature and put the house in your favorite place, the main thing is to know what to do in this or that case.

It's pretty good when the foundation is laid on a mound of stones of natural origin: in this case, the reliability of the foundation under the house will not inspire concern, and there will also be no lifting costs for the foundation. The most reliable are sandy homogeneous soils, which consist of coarse sand. With a properly installed foundation, uniform settlement occurs in the soil and, as a rule, the foundation does not warp in the future and does not experience heavy loads from the soil.

Clay soils, pulverized and fine-grained sand show exemplary "behavior" only in dry weather. With a large amount of moisture, they become fluid, and in the cold winter time swelling occurs, and because of this they press with great force on the foundation structures. And this suggests that the structure can skew, and cracks may appear on the walls. To prevent this from happening, you need to take special measures, that is, to deepen the sole of the foundation below the freezing of the soil.

The most unfavorable option is a peat base, which is also found in our area. It is clear that capital structure only a crazy person who does not value the life of loved ones and his own can bet on peat. And yet, if you come across such an unsuccessful site, you need to remove all the peat and fill the resulting pit with sand, thus making a sand cushion.

one more an important factor, which affects the quality and arrangement of the foundation, is the design of the house itself. It is not necessary to be a master in the field of housing construction in order to understand: a relatively light frame house or a heavy brick cottage, of course, require a different approach to laying the foundation. In the case of large financial resources you can build a huge reinforced concrete slab under a light structure, but the question will not leave anyone indifferent reasonable economy.

Foundation construction technologies

Before characterizing the foundation technology, it is necessary to discard such an option as driving powerful piles to a great depth, because this method beautiful only in the construction of skyscrapers. Things do not reach such radical methods of construction in private housing construction. The most common structures are strip, column and slab foundations.

slab foundation

Complex heaving and bulk soil often requires a monolithic reinforced concrete slab to be laid under the structure. The reliability of the foundation with this design will increase, since incredible efforts are needed to move such a foundation. But, of course, a reinforced concrete slab needs a large consumption of material.

If the slab has a very large thickness, then the slab foundation will in some cases be even cheaper than the strip one. But if, in addition to everything else, the slab foundation is also buried, then it will be necessary, in addition to a large number concrete, also bring in a lot of rubble and sand for the construction of a "cushion".

Strip foundation

The most common option is the tape type foundation. concrete foundation in this case, it is done under the supporting structures inside and around the perimeter of the building. It is not at all necessary to pour concrete; if necessary, such a base can be made from ready-made blocks and bricks. It is important to understand how to check the quality of the foundation for the house.

It happens that strip foundations are produced profiled, while the base of the foundation lies below the freezing depth by about twenty centimeters, and sometimes shallowly buried - from the surface of the earth by 50-70 centimeters. Typically, the upper part of the strip foundation is a plinth, which can be recessed, protruding or made flush with the outer wall of a residential building.

As a rule, rather heavy houses are installed on a strip foundation with varying degrees of penetration. If the house has a basement, basement or a garage under the house, then strip foundations should be preferred. Proceed in the same way if the soil plinth serves as a retaining wall.

Column Foundation

When conditions permit, one can columnar foundation while significantly saving on materials. See for yourself: in this case, the foundation is made not solid, but point - supporting the structure only at certain reference points: at the intersection of the walls, under the supports of very loaded girders, in the corners. At the same time, much less building materials are needed than in the construction of a tape or slab foundation hence the savings.

Basically, a columnar foundation is used for frame, chopped or panel houses of light weight. The cheapest pillars are wooden, which are still used when it is necessary to build a light temporary structure. If you have to demolish the building in a couple of years and build something new in its place, then there is no point in spending money on expensive reinforced concrete, and then dismantling the foundation, this is very laborious and costly.

Column-strip foundation

In addition to the listed varieties, completely different types of foundations are also used, and every year various new items appear in this traditional area of ​​\u200b\u200bconstruction. For example, on deep-freezing and difficult soils, sometimes a columnar-strip foundation is built. At the same time, wells are first drilled to a depth that is slightly below the level of soil freezing.

The lower part of such a well is expanded with a special plow. Next, reinforcement is inserted into the wells and they are poured with concrete. Such a pillar withstands a load of 5 and even 10 tons, and the most interesting thing is that even the Arctic frost cannot squeeze it out of the ground. Further, between the pillars in the usual formwork, a grillage tape is cast, which is reinforced and then placed at a short distance from the ground, taking into account that frost heaving of the soil can occur.

The subtleties of checking the quality of the foundation

If the house has already been built, and you have doubts about the quality of the foundation, or you are buying a plot with a foundation and want to build your house on this basis, then you must carry out a technical examination of the foundation, since the future of your house depends on the quality of the foundation. It often happens that the owners are engaged in building a house, but they are not sure how well the foundation is poured. In this case, there is a need to control the quality of the foundation, because there is a possibility of cracking in concrete when piles are directly driven into the ground.

Visual inspection of the foundation

So, the first thing we do when checking the quality of the foundation is to visually inspect the structure. You have to make sure that the right foundation has been made for the soil on which you will build the house. After all, all types of foundations are specially designed for different conditions - both tape, and monolithic, and on piles.

It is best to check the foundation, of course, after the winter time, due to the fact that the soil will pass a kind of “defrost-freeze” test. So the ideal option would be to let the building winter at least once, in which case all the shortcomings will surface.

Visual inspection of the foundation is carried out in the following sequence:

1. First you need to look at the soil around the foundation: if the earth has failed in some places, cracked or subsided, then you need to think, maybe the foundation was laid without first checking the soil itself.
2. The next step is to check the area and width of the base: the larger it is, the less pressure on the ground, respectively.
3. The presence of cracks in the floor, walls of the house or some other deviations suggest that the foundation of the house is damaged.
4. Salt deposits on the walls of the foundation or streaks on the walls of the basement indicate that the waterproofing is broken, or it does not exist at all. Therefore, it is also necessary to check the waterproofing, due to its absence, the foundation will absorb moisture from the soil, and this, of course, is fraught with consequences.
5. In just a couple of minutes, you can check the porosity of the foundation: how “vibrated” (compacted) the concrete. Remember that the less air bubbles you see in it, the better it is, respectively.
6. It is necessary that a substrate be made under the foundation, for example, under monolithic slab a layer of gravel and sand should be laid out. In order to check if it is there, you need to dig the soil from the side of the foundation 30-40 centimeters deep and dig the soil inside. Also, foam is sometimes laid in order to keep the foundation warm and to keep your house warm.
7. The next step is to determine the quality of the material used to build the foundation. For the foundation, it is customary to use concrete grade 200, and preferably 400. When buying grade 600 foam concrete, the wall thickness should be up to 45 centimeters, when choosing foam concrete brand 800, the wall thickness should be at least 68 centimeters, and when using grade 1000, it should be at least 94 centimeters.
8. If a superficial examination did not lead to any results, if you have the slightest doubt about the defectiveness and integrity of the foundation of the house, you should not be stingy and call a specialist for examination. He'll check the concrete for compression. In this case, the master with the Schmidt hammer is called. He will be able to determine the degree of compression of a given building material.

Foundation testers

To check the quality of the foundation, you can use a special device called a pile diagnostic device. The principle of operation of such a device is quite simple, it is based on the method of seismospectral flaw detection: the operator strikes the structure with a special hammer, which fixes the force of impact, and a special vibration sensor is responsible for fixing vibrations that are reflected from internal defects and the edges of the structure in it.

Such an examination will take much less time, and human factor will be reduced to almost a minimum: flaws that the eye can overlook, automation will not miss. Such equipment is not only intended for quality control of piles. It can also be used to inspect other supporting elements such as floors and columns. Such devices, as a rule, can also perform the functions of sonar (audible fault detection).

Thus, you know how important a well-executed foundation is. Remember that before pouring the foundation for the house, you must: do an engineering and geological survey, develop a project for the house and foundation, perform a design calculation of the foundation and foundation for a power load, use only high-quality Construction Materials and specialized equipment, as well as comply with all technologies and regulations.

The process of construction of buildings and structures is associated with many risks, which, unfortunately, are not always possible to identify in the early stages, and some remain completely hidden from the eyes of the customer or the owner of the building; Quality is the key to any construction project.

Modern trends in construction are aimed at achieving maximum savings and efficiency, or rather on the ratio of these indicators. However, more expensive material will not always be of better quality. As practice shows, the best price-quality ratio is demonstrated by building materials of the middle class.

Paints are one of the building materials. and learn how to choose them.

In the event that you doubt the quality of a building or structure built for you, you can contact specialized expert bureaus that perform a comprehensive examination of your building for the correctness of the structure, assessment of durability, etc.

Among other things, such expert companies provide the following services:

• definition of quality construction works;
• identification of deviations from technical documentation, projects and plans of the real structure;
• detection of defects during the inspection of the construction object;
• determination and compilation of a clear list and algorithm of special measures to eliminate defects at the facility;
• derivation of the cost of eliminating defects at the facility, taking into account the costs of materials, energy resources and direct work.

It is worth noting that a general expert assessment of a built house can only give a general picture of the state of your residential property. In order to thoroughly examine your fortress for any defects, it is necessary to conduct more narrow-profile examinations, asking for help all the same expert departments of construction companies or independent specialists, many of whom provide their services in all settlements countries.

The so-called narrow-profile examinations should include the following:

• assessment of the quality of construction and repair work in the premises. At the same time, the internal part of residential real estate is examined, and not the external one, as in the case of a general appraisal examination;
• study of the quality of assembly of building modules and structures. AT this paragraph the accuracy of placement of interfloor slabs and other massive parts of the "body" of the building is implied;
• a comprehensive check of coatings that have been varnished or painted. Quite often, unscrupulous builders hide behind paint or varnish defects that should not be, and their manifestation can be delayed indefinitely. That is why the evaluation of paint coatings is one of the most important criteria in drawing up an expert opinion on building a house;
• expert assessment of the floor and floor coverings. First of all, the floor surface is checked for irregularities, which later can affect not only the durability of the coating, but also the overall stability and durability of the residential building;
• verification of welding work and quality of metal structures. It is also a very important parameter, especially if your home project has a lot of metal frames;
• detection of defects in the assembly of structures made in a monolith.

In general, it is very difficult to determine the quality of building a house on your own without the necessary tools and qualifications. An ignorant person can see only gross violations and defects, but he may not see hidden threats that may appear after a while. That is why it is necessary to involve specially trained professionals for an expert assessment, who will conduct a full inspection of a newly built residential building.

How the quality of a frame house is checked Video

The purpose of a professional home inspection is to inspect the foundation, framing, trim and mechanical systems for defects, breakage or deterioration of materials, and any damage from adverse weather conditions such as rotting. Regular home inspections will help you determine what needs to be fixed to prevent major problems in the future.

A home inspection consists of monitoring plumbing, security, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. For example, the main task of ensuring safety on the site is to divert drains away from the building. The next step is to inspect the paths, you need to make sure that they are not cracked and that you can walk on them without the risk of injury.

Foundation check

If you decide to buy a ready-built house, the first thing you need to pay attention to is an inspection of its foundation. Practice shows that this is the most important structural element on which the durability of the house depends. Most of the "sores" in the future, such as the appearance of cracks, high humidity and water ingress, increased wear of the structure and finishes, appear precisely because of a poorly built foundation.

To begin with, inspect the semi-through channels and basements for water penetration into the foundation cracks under the walls. If water is seeping through the walls below the ground, then this indicates problems with drainage outside the house. Check the foundation and retaining walls level 1.2 m long. If you find bends or a roll from excessive pressure, then it is better to refuse to buy such a cottage, since these deformations can lead to a collapse of the walls.

Presence of cracks

Microcracks in concrete can be cosmetic (caused by subsidence of the foundation), but they should still be checked. V-shaped cracks (tapering downwards) or cracks running the length of the wall are most likely caused by uneven subsidence and will only get worse over time. If the floors in the floor cracked or rose up, then this indicates a rise in the groundwater level. In this case, you need to replace the drainage pipes to prevent the consequences.

Drainage and water waste system

If a pump is running in the house to pump out groundwater, then you may encounter a drainage problem. Check the foundation around the perimeter for potholes and exposed areas of erosion, indicating that the flow of water to the site exceeds that which the soil can absorb. With high soil moisture, a drainage system will be required.

The drain must be diverted at least three meters from the foundation of the building. To do this, extend the pipes of the drainage system using drainage blocks or drainage pipes. The system must be diverted away from the house, expect 15cm of water discharge for every 1.8m. Poor drainage can cause hydrostatic pressure to build up near the walls, which can cause basement walls to bulge or water erosion and weaken the home's foundation.

wood decay

Using a screwdriver or an awl, inspect the section of the frame of the house for rotting and decomposition. Rotting can be caused by fungi or termite pests. Check the area around for termite infestation. Termites leave specific traces on the ground - small funnels of dirt. Termites also lose their legs easily, so a bunch of legs nearby will be another clue for you.

Examine exterior walls for structural integrity, secure fastenings, and signs of rot and moisture ingress. Look at functional drainage holes in brick and brick cladding. Check for cracks in the plaster, this will help you determine if the plywood sheathing behind it has bulged. Remember that cracks in plaster of any size will allow moisture to enter. When checking exterior insulation, use a moisture meter to determine if there is moisture behind it.

Facade check

The look of your home can tell you a lot of potential problems that you will face.

plant propagation

Perhaps the tree casts a large shadow on the house, as a result of which mold and rot cannot be ruled out on the walls. Trees and shrubs that have grown near the cottage can lead to an invasion of pests, so it is advisable to remove them.

Wall problems

Any signs of swelling or sloping of the outer walls indicate a problem with the fasteners. They can become deformed if water has penetrated the wall and reacted with the wood.

Tightness of connections

Take a pick or an awl and gently peel back the door and window trims. See if the paint has peeled off, check the condition of the soft woods. Make sure drains are installed at the top and around windows to drain water.

Check the doors for normal wear and tear and rotting wood. All homes with wood trim are prone to rot, look for warping, delamination, peeling paint, and missing insulation. As a rule, the problem is solved by replacing the old insulation with a new high-quality sealant.

Roof check

Be sure to check all the main elements of the roof.

Surface

To inspect the surface of the roof, you will need a ladder and binoculars. This way you can find missing or damaged tiles, as well as clogged drains. Inspect the insulation of all openings on the roof for wear. Check the roof for warped, bulging, or wavy spots, as these are indicative of framing problems.

Chimney

Check for cracks in the chimney, see if smoke is coming through the seams. A warped or faded rain canopy, creosote flakes on the roof and ground, damaged roofing are all indications of dangerous amounts of creosote in the chimney.

drains

Check gutters and pipes for leaks or cracks. Make sure there are no leaves or other debris blocking drainage. Covers on the gutters protect them from clogging with debris - and completely free of charge.

Exterior walls

Check the exterior siding for integrity, security, and signs of rot or water intrusion. Are the drain holes in the veneer clogged and brickwork? Look for cracks in the plaster - moisture can penetrate through the expansion of the wood. Walk the exterior insulation system with a moisture meter to check for invisible areas behind the wall surface.

water damage

Check the surfaces of all doors and windows for any problems caused by water. Explore the basement, fireplace and attic. Jamming of interior doors is a possible sign of foundation movement caused by water pressure. If the walls or ceiling have been exposed to water, they may become deformed.

Water can also damage the structure of plaster walls. If the walls in your home are wood paneled, check for kinks or warping, as this likely indicates moisture behind the wall.

The attic must be provided with the necessary ventilation. Humidity coming from the bathroom and drains from the roofs settles in the attic, in which case it is necessary to immediately find and eliminate its source. In the bathroom, check for moisture buildup on the ceiling behind the shower panel. Check the tiles with a moisture meter.

Design issues

Sticking nails can cause problems with wall framing. Check the basement frame for bent, warped, or rotted fasteners that could be causing the floor to sag. The floor can also sag due to an unstable or rotten support beam.

Inspect the ceiling for protruding nails, cracks, or sagging. This indicates serious problems in the design. Keep in mind that sagging ceilings can also cause adjacent walls to sag.

electrical safety

Check all smoke detectors, Use a 3-pin electrical tester to diagnose outlets. All sockets must operate in the 220 volt range. Wiring problems can cause electric shock.

Faulty wiring can spark, catch fire, or cause a power outage or loss of power. Causes of low electrical power: a short length of electrical wiring for a given load, an excessively long electrical circuit, or increased resistance of conductors at high temperatures.

Check all water pipes for corrosion and insulation integrity. If you are buying old house, then, perhaps, there are lead pipes in it, which is dangerous to health. Lean a magnet against a metal pipe, if magnetization occurs, then the pipe is made of galvanized steel, if not, then most likely from lead.

Gas service specialists often inspect pipes and valves for gas leaks with a special device, which you can also purchase at a hardware store.

Heating and ventilation systems do not need to be tested for safety and water content. However, you should track how effectively they work. In older systems, an inspector would most likely open the oven and inspect the flame and other parts of the oven.

However, new heating systems cannot be tested this way, they are able to run on electricity, gas or gasoline. They can heat air, water, generate steam, or simply act as heat reflectors. If you are not very well versed in the design of your heating system, then it is best to call a specialist to inspect it.

How to find heat leaks from home?

If air leaks through wall, wood paneling, floor coverings or ventilation and heating systems, then this is tantamount to throwing your money out the window. In cold weather, warm air rises into the attic. This air, ending up in the attic, leaves the living space, and you pay for heating this air.

Cold air also enters through cracks and crevices in the house around doors and windows, from the basement. Thoroughly inspect your home for any leaks. However, get ready for the fact that it will not be so easy to find them behind the isolation.

The most problematic areas are: roof doors, piping valves, wire holes, hanging chandeliers and ceilings.

Light a candle

If you want to check if you have air leaks, then the easiest way is to light a candle. On a cool, windy day, close all doors and windows and turn off the heating. Turn on long ventilation to induce a leak. Light a candle and run it around the perimeter of doors and windows. Observe the movement of the flame for leakage.

Check temperature

If the temperature in different parts of the room differs by one or two degrees, then it is likely that the house is not sufficiently insulated. If the difference persists, then the building may have an airflow problem in the ventilation systems.

Some places in the cottages are the least protected. Observe the temperature around the flame tube or vent ducts. Next, you should inspect the ventilation grills, radiator screens, slots under the baseboards and the threshold.

Outside, check the bottom edges of the siding at the base, as well as the garage floors and wall joints, for leaks, then check the openings through which the power cable enters the house, gas is supplied and the air conditioner is turned on.

Be sure to check the basement, all doors and windows.

Invest and get an infrared thermometer for self-diagnosis at home. For a few thousand rubles, you can get a device that can detect heat losses around doors and windows, holes in insulation, ventilation systems, and other areas.

Join our VK community, where we talk about all the nuances of country life and real estate.

Source: https://Nedvio.com/kak-proverit-dom-pered-pokupkoy/

Comprehensive survey of a country house before buying

Planning to buy a house and don't want to buy a pig in a poke? Order a survey of the cottage in the company "Professional Acceptance of Real Estate".

What is the benefit of the service of construction expertise of a house before buying?

A survey of the house gives you comprehensive information about the technical condition of the building, all its elements and engineering structures.

Gutter check

Checking electrical

Checking sockets and

switches

System check

sewers

System check

heating

Thermal imaging inspection of windows,

walls, roofs

System check

water supply

Instrument check

heating

Defect detection

Foundation check, carrier evaluation

capabilities

As a result, as a result of the construction expertise of the house, you get the opportunity to:

• draw informed conclusions about the appropriateness of the purchase;
• refuse to purchase real estate with significant shortcomings that preclude the possibility of its safe operation;
• agree with the owner to reduce the cost of the object based on the data of the construction expertise;
• avoid large expenses for home repairs, as well as lengthy and costly litigation with the seller.

The procedure for conducting a construction examination of a house

Specialists conduct a comprehensive inspection of the building, all load-bearing and enclosing structures, as well as utilities.

As part of the construction expertise of a country house before buying, we:

• we examine the foundation of the object, determine its suitability for further operation;
• checking the integrity load-bearing structures;
• inspect the windows and doors of the cottage for defects;
• we inspect the integrity of the roof and drainage system;
• we determine the performance of water supply, sewerage, electrical, ventilation systems;
• we conduct a thermal imaging survey of the house to identify hidden flaws in the building and check the heating system;
• check the quality of finishing works;
• we check the level of electromagnetic radiation;
• we check the level of radioactive emissions;
• we carry out a water test according to 6 parameters;
• we make a list of all defects with recommendations for elimination;
• we give an approximate estimate of the cost of eliminating the identified comments.

The presence of significant defects in the foundation can lead to the destruction of the entire structure and the unsuitability of the house for further operation. To eliminate the shortcomings of the foundation, in most cases, complex and expensive work is required, and in some cases it is almost impossible to correct them.

As part of the construction expertise when buying a house, experts discover the consequences of design flaws, violations of the foundation laying technology and unprofessional construction work.

Checking the house reveals an incorrect determination of the depth of the foundation, the distribution of the mass of the building, errors in the calculations of the bearing capacity, and a decrease in strength caused by the use of low-quality materials.

During the construction examination of the enclosing and load-bearing structures of the house, our employees fix cracks in the walls and ceilings, displacement of building elements. Such work makes it possible to find shortcomings that can lead to a decrease in the stability and stability of structures, the performance of the building.

When inspecting windows and doors when checking a house before buying, we pay attention to the quality of installation and the materials used, the integrity of the structures, the performance of the fittings, and the tightness of the double-glazed window. This makes it possible to identify such shortcomings as moisture condensation, freezing, blowing, drafts, distortions and the appearance of a creak.

The convenience of a private house and even its suitability for normal operation largely depend on the quality of engineering systems. When examining a house before buying, specialists determine the technical condition of the equipment, its reliability and safety, identify emergency areas, leaks.

Thermal imaging inspection is the most effective non-destructive method for detecting hidden flaws in an object. With the help of special equipment, we check the quality of thermal insulation, detect cold bridges, areas of moisture condensation, roof leaks, etc. You will learn about all the defects that can cause poor thermal insulation, destruction of building structures, mold formation, increase in home heating costs.

Based on the results of the inspection of the house before buying, the specialist draws up a report indicating all the defects found. In addition, you receive recommendations on how to eliminate the identified deficiencies, as well as a rough estimate of the cost of the necessary work.

At the request of the customer, we give arguments to the seller to reduce the value of real estate.

Terms and cost of construction expertise of a house before buying

Comprehensive examination includes inspection of the cottage and oral consultation. As a result of the construction expertise of the house, you will receive:

• defective statement;
• full consultation with recommendations to eliminate the identified deficiencies;
• an approximate estimate of the cost of eliminating the identified defects.

This task takes only 2-4 hours to complete. The cost of the service for houses with an area of ​​\u200b\u200bnot more than 200 m² is 10,000 rubles.

Completed home inspections

Country house 244 m2 Tabolovo

Country house 370 m2 Yurlovo

Country house 542 m2

Country house 210 m2 DNT Veteran

Specialists conduct inspection and control measurements of various indicators of the state of load-bearing and enclosing structures and utilities. For inspection of the house, professional equipment of imported production is used:

laser plane builder

digital power tester

professional thermal imager

electromagnetic emission indicator

You can clarify the cost and order a construction expertise of a country house before buying using a special form on the website or by calling:

Source: https://www.prof-priemka.ru/services/obsledovanie-doma-pered-pokupk/

What to look for when buying a new home. Step-by-step instruction

In a previous post, we talked about what to look for if you want to buy Vacation home in the "second hand" condition - that is, such an object that has withstood some kind of test of time and at the same time has not fallen apart. Acquisition of "unfinished", a new dacha, or a completely fresh house in which no one lived, has its own characteristics.

Do you want to buy a cottage, a house in Leningrad region? See the offers in our photo catalog of houses for sale. Do you intend to buy a plot and expect to build it yourself? Check out the photo catalog land plots for private development.

So, what to look for when buying a new home. If this is a turnkey house, sparkling with newness, smelling of fresh paint and wood, ready for sale and brought to marketable condition, then upon inspection you will not find any cracks in the foundation or roof leaks. Such problems may not appear immediately, but after several years of operation. Therefore, we will meticulously assess the quality of construction.

We require documentation: when a project is needed

To complete the transaction, you will need a cadastral passport, or an extract from the cadastral register ordered by the seller. It is clear that all the documents offered by the seller must be carefully studied. Frequently encountered problems are the absence of already erected buildings in the cadastral plan and the discrepancy between the boundaries of the site in cadastral passport to what it really is. But we analyzed this range of issues in one of the previous publications.

Now about project documentation. Of course, if we are talking about a dacha in gardening, then most likely it will not be. But if the subject of your interest is a decent IZHS house with communications and architectural “excesses”, then the lack of a project makes the acquisition a purchase of a “pig in a poke”.

If the seller (developer, private developer) can present you with a house project, all your tasks related to the inspection of the object are simplified. Moreover, project documentation in this case is not a set of pictures with floor plans and a schematic representation of facades, as many people think, but a voluminous album with drawings, cost tables and explanatory notes.

It is clear that not all of us will be able to read the drawings and find errors in the calculations. This is not necessary in the first step. It is important for us to make sure that we are dealing with contractors who built according to the project, and fixed any changes. For example, if engineering systems have already been installed in the house, you should be presented with a package of contracts with subcontractors and suppliers, which indicate the warranty obligations of third-party organizations.

Accuracy first and foremost

If the documentation looks neat (and, unfortunately, this is not always the case), you can move on. Now our task is to try to evaluate the real quality of the project implementation. Therefore, armed with a building level, we begin a tour of the house, check the verticality of the walls and partitions, the horizontality of the floors and window sills. We open and close all windows and doors, at the same time we check (also using a level) whether they are installed without distortions.

What will the deviations we found tell us? No, not about the “walking” foundation (as some readers probably thought), but about the culture of construction work. After all, where there are visible traces of the careless work of builders, the probability of unremovable hidden defects is also high.

Wooden, frame house: the main nuances

The best time to buy a new wooden or frame house- this is not a stage of turnkey readiness, but a period when internal work is not completed and you can see the status building structures.

Unshielded window openings, free from wall cladding and foundations not closed with plinth panels on screw piles will allow you to evaluate what materials were used and how they worked with them.

Resolute refusal to unscrew a few screws and remove a sheet of drywall sheathing in frame house without fine finish, let you into the attic (on the grounds that there is no exit) or let you look into the space under the floor, should alert you. This may indicate that the seller has something to hide.

Stone house: features of choice

With stone cottages (today these include buildings made of brick, porous ceramic or aerated concrete blocks), the situation is more complicated. In this segment, there are two types of objects, the purchase of which is associated with minimal construction risks.

The first is if the house has already survived several winters, settled, but did not crack. The second - when construction, starting from the preparation of the territory, was carried out in strict accordance with project documentation and under the control of a demanding customer.

At the same time, a completely new and ready to move in stone house, which has not yet survived a single winter, is always a pig in a poke.

The main problem here is that the defects that turn a brand new cottage into a collapsing "illiquid asset" (for example, the lack of reinforcement when it comes to a house made of aerated concrete, foam blocks) do not appear immediately, but after several years of operation.

Let's start with the foundation

When it comes to a brand new building, Special attention upon inspection, we will have to pay attention to its foundation and basement. But if by the time of the sale it is already lined, we will not be able to assess the condition of the foundation.

Therefore, we, first of all, should be interested not in the foundation itself, but in what is around it - first of all, the presence and performance of drainage systems. If the house has a basement, you should also look into it. Leaks on the walls, excess moisture, and moldy smells will tell you about imperfections - they can already appear in a new house.

Assess the quality of foundation preparation, as well as the level of groundwater (and this is the main enemy stone houses) can be drilled with a garden drill a control well about a meter deep. If it fills with water - it's really bad. Having made a pit directly at the foundation, we will see if there is a sand cushion under it.

True, if you still get not a compact house made of aerated concrete blocks, but a three-story brick cottage, it is advisable to involve independent specialists in assessing the condition of building structures. There are many nuances here, and the price of imperfections, which can lead to sad consequences, is disproportionately high.

We rise above

It is no coincidence that we spent so much time reviewing the problems associated with foundations. It is from the preparation building foundation, as a rule, chains of unrecoverable construction defects begin. Marriage at the stage of erecting roofs and walls, of course, is also unpleasant, but not as critical as "fundamental" mistakes.

The best way to check the quality of thermal protection of walls and roofs is a thermal imaging survey. But it can be carried out only in winter, when the house is heated, and on the street - minus temperature.

We go up to the attic. The main thing that should alert you in a finished attic or attic is excess humidity, stale air and structures under the ceiling that are wet to the touch. All this can manifest itself even in a new house (although, as a rule, at the beginning of the heating season) and indicates problems with ventilation of the under-roof space.

So, for the first time enough.

We study history

Is it possible to purchase a new country house, which was built according to the “we build it ourselves” method that is widespread today, and the seller is not ready to provide you with any design and technical documentation? Yes - only if the title documents are in perfect order, and you really like the house itself, and the site, and the surroundings. But you need not just meticulously inspect the object, examine the basements, dig holes in the area, look into the well and septic tank.

You will have to delve into the study of the history of the object - at least ask your potential neighbors about how long the house was built. After all, one of the biggest troubles in this segment of suburban real estate is to run into a long-term construction, hastily brought to marketable condition.

The point here is not only that with such a construction site there is no one to ask for quality. The climate in our area is humid, wood that is not protected from the effects of precipitation is subject to fungal infections, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles destroy both brick and concrete. In the box of the cottage, which stood for several years without protection from moisture, irreversible destructive processes could begin.

If you intend to purchase an unfinished building that has been under the open sky for more than one season, then you can not do without consultations with independent construction specialists.