Unfortunately, wooden houses cannot stand forever, over time they grow old and dilapidated: noticeable deviations from vertical lines appear, windows and doors stop closing, walls begin to warp. At some point, it becomes obvious that it is time to start restoring the old wooden house. The review will discuss which work should be carried out first and in what sequence.
Wooden house
It has long been built in Russia log huts. Our ancestors believed that this is the most suitable building material for the house. This is explained quite simply - the tree is unique natural material, which is able to pass air and perfectly retain heat indoors. It is an indisputable fact that houses built of wood have a kind of energy that persists for a long time and has a beneficial effect on human health.
A wooden house, unlike a concrete or stone structure, is a kind of living organism that is able to independently tell the owners about its condition. That he needs restoration, old wooden house will let you know through various crackles and squeaks that owners should learn to listen to. Most often, problems arise due to the characteristics of wood: it is prone to decay and is very sensitive to temperature fluctuations and moisture. However, even the oldest can be restored with your own hands.
Most often, in such buildings, the porch, the base of the house, the roof, and the front door come into a dilapidated state. Before proceeding with the restoration and repair of old wooden houses, it is necessary to carefully inspect all structures, identify places that require repair, and determine the scope of future restoration work.
Tidying up steps
Restoring an old building is a rather troublesome business, but a pleasant one. It is necessary to pay attention to the protective and bearing, and only then the decorative part. First of all, a strength test should be carried out.
Walls
The degree of deterioration of the walls should not be ignored. If they have darkened over time, this still does not mean anything. Very often, under the dark surface of the log, you can see a white core. However, if there is dust there, it must be cut out in whole pieces, along with clean areas, because it makes no sense to decorate a rotten surface.
truss system
Foundation
It should be carefully inspected for damage. Restoration of an old log house of a wooden house does not make sense without strengthening and strengthening the foundation. In the event that it is not strong enough, its base will receive a strong load, which will lead to a violation of the external and interior decoration.
It is recommended to take a small pick and a lantern and inspect the foundation surfaces from the outside and inside. If whole pieces of the foundation fall off during tapping, it is advisable to invite specialists to evaluate the capabilities of the supporting platform.
Foundation restoration
The most difficult and at the same time important task is the old house on their own. The foundation of the building may begin to collapse due to additional load, for example, a second floor or attic superstructure, perhaps simply from time to time, because after a certain period all materials become unusable. Repair methods directly depend on the degree of destruction and on the type of foundation. There are several options for restoration.
Strip foundation
If the residential building has strip foundation, and its destruction occurs after a long service life, it can be restored by pouring a new reinforced concrete belt. To do this, it is required to dig a trench along the perimeter of the building, and to hollow out holes in the old foundation, into which new reinforcement will later be laid.
The new frame is connected to the reinforcing lintels, and then filled with concrete mortar. After the foundation dries, it will become a single whole and will be able to serve the house for many years.
Do-it-yourself restoration of an old wooden house is much more difficult if the destruction of the strip foundation occurs unevenly and the house settles on one side. In this case, in order to reconstruct the foundation, you will have to raise the log house. Previously, a residential building should be freed from furniture, floors, windows and doors should be dismantled in it. When all the necessary procedures have been completed, you should very carefully raise the log house to the required height with special jacks and put it on temporary supports. The affected part should be completely removed, a new formwork put in and a new concrete plinth poured. To ensure the unity of the structure, it must be connected to the old foundation.
Column Foundation
If under the building the columnar foundation and the pillars began to collapse, their reconstruction is carried out in the same way as during the repair of the tape foundation. The log house is smoothly lifted with a jack from four corners, the old supports are dismantled and new posts are installed. If you find that the destruction has just begun, they can be "dressed" in a new concrete belt. This is done as follows: a formwork is installed around them and a solution is poured directly into it. After that, the structure is carefully released onto a new foundation.
Such work is quite feasible, it is only necessary to update the external walls and roof in time (in whole or in part). If the lower crowns of the building are rotten, it rises above the foundation, the damaged logs are removed and replaced with new ones. Please note: when replacing, logs should be selected that are identical to the previous ones in diameter and length.
A layer of roofing material or other waterproofing material is laid on the surface of the foundation. Only after that a whole box is installed on it.
The restoration of the walls occurs due to the formation of cracks around the perimeter of a wooden house. They should be thoroughly cleaned, treated with antiseptic compounds, covered with sealant. And only then you can proceed to the complete restoration of the house from the outside.
Grinding and elimination of defects of the old frame
In the event that you are not going to sheathe the house facade panels, and you plan to grind it, you will need a special machine equipped with nozzles. With its help, you can cope with even the most inaccessible areas. Grinding should be carried out until a layer with a light color appears.
If there are large defects that are located along the length of the crowns, they should be repaired even before grinding. This should be done with a special mixture of sawdust and asbestos, it is necessary to pre-wipe all damaged areas. Instead of asbestos, the use of wood glue or building plaster is allowed. However, such compositions are still better suited for correcting small flaws.
If there are many defects and they are too large, lining is necessary, otherwise the inevitable dampness in the cracks can cause rotting and damage to the wood. When restoring an old wooden house, it should be remembered that the wood must be treated with impregnations and various protective agents. This procedure should be carried out before proceeding with caulking. Sealing materials should also be processed.
Between the logs, all seams should be freed from a dilapidated seal; a vacuum cleaner will do an excellent job with this task. Replace the old tow with a new sealing material.
Building coloring
After all the completed activities, you should start painting the house. Here it is necessary to observe several nuances. This procedure involves the application of several different means- toning, varnish, azure. All of them will retain an interesting texture. natural wood. Please note: the ends of the logs cannot be subjected to either protective or decorative processing. It is in this place that a kind of capillaries of the tree are concentrated, with the help of which it “breathes”. If this condition is not met, then normal air circulation will be disturbed. In view of the fact that the processing process will seal them, soon the timber or log will undergo a rotting process.
You can learn how to sheathe a house with facade panels from the video presented.
Overhaul of a wooden roof
Distinctive feature each wooden house is a roof, which is made under a certain slope. It can be of several types: gable, tent, in the event that it is equipped with an attic, attic. When carrying out a major renovation of the house, these features should be taken into account. What is the first thing you should pay attention to when covering the roof? To ensure that the tree is dry, otherwise it may be displaced after the completion of the repair work. It is necessary to erect extreme rafters, and install intermediate ones between them. In order for the roof to be even and as stable as possible in the future, it is necessary that all the upper parts of the rafters be located strictly on the same level. Increasingly, roofs are covered with ondulin, soft tiles or others modern materials, but first remove the old coating.
The roof is mounted only after the installation and fixing of the rafters with special ties. Please note: between installed rafters distance should not be more than 60 cm.
Interior decoration
We will tell you how to repair an old wooden house. A photo of the interior decoration, or rather, one of its options, we want to present to you. First of all, you need to decide what materials you are going to finish the room inside.
It can be drywall, wall paneling or plaster, all of these types are extremely popular with the townsfolk and have a simple solution. You should also prepare the surface for the selected raw materials - drywall and wall paneling require crates, while plaster should be applied to the base with a reinforcing mesh.
Replacement of doors and windows
Usually, when restoring an old wooden house, it is necessary to replace doors and windows inside. This activity can be done on your own. But first you need to check if the box of the building is squinting, you can do this with the help of a level. In the event that such violations occur, they can be easily corrected with a mount and a nail puller. For the manufacture of new wooden frames and doors, you can contact the master, who will take measurements and complete the order in a short time.
floors
If you are planning to repair an old wooden house with your own hands, pay special attention to the floor. It can be replaced completely or subjected to a thorough protective process. The first step is to remove the floorboards and be sure to check the condition of the log, they must be leveled with a level, brick posts or wooden blocks.
You can determine whether the foundation needs repair by throwing just one look at it. The fact that the days of the foundation of the house are already numbered is indicated by the warping of the building, cracks in the walls and subsidence of the house. It is impossible to insure the building against such deformations, because over time the foundation materials are destroyed. Therefore, one day the hour comes when the owners of a wooden house have to decide what kind of repairs to make - partial or complete.
Conditions for partial and major repairs
In order to find out the degree of damage to the foundation and determine the necessary measures to restore it, you need to carefully study the current state of the foundation and identify characteristic defects that may affect the strength and integrity of the building or its individual elements.
If cracks appear on the foundation, then you need to think about the need to repair it.
The foundation is restored fragmentarily if it has sunk lower, but has not begun to collapse. A full repair is resorted to when cracks and other damage are detected.
The decision on what basis to replace a completely damaged structure is made, taking into account the type of soil, the terrain and the type of foundation originally created.
If the foundation of the house has gone into the ground, it's time to repair it.
With a strip base, they often do the following: the destroyed zones are dismantled and the structure around the entire perimeter is reinforced. In case of serious destruction of the foundation tape, it is decided to completely replace it.
With serious defects in the tape base of the house, it makes sense to think about its complete replacement
The repair of the column base is almost always carried out completely: all the old supports of the building are replaced with new ones. To do this, the house is raised to the height of the pillars with the help of jacks. New reliable supports are fixed on reinforced concrete "pillows".
The columnar foundation is most often completely replaced with a new one.
The foundation of wood, which has already managed to spoil the fungus a little, is usually replaced with a tape or columnar structure. To do this, the building is raised to a certain level and concrete blocks or bricks are placed under it.
Strengthening the foundation of a wooden house
When repairing the foundation, it makes sense to immediately strengthen it. You can do this if you are confident in the stability of the soil, which is below the level of laying the foundation of your house. Strengthening the structure under the building may also be required when it is planned to make another floor in the house, but there is a suspicion that the previously installed base will not withstand the increased load.
There are two ways to strengthen the foundation, depending on the load that it has to withstand.
Instructions for strengthening the tape structure
To make the foundation stronger, perform the following work:
- A trench is dug around the perimeter of the base. The pit must be wide, otherwise it will be inconvenient to work. In addition, we must take into account that the new foundation will become more powerful.
- The soil is cleared from the excavated foundation. To do this, use a metal brush.
The trench must be wide enough to be comfortable to work in.
- Holes are made in the old base with a drill. It is important that their diameter exceeds the thickness of the purchased reinforcing bars by no more than 1 mm. In this case metal elements will be installed securely and without gaps.
- Reinforcement bars are inserted into the drilled holes with a hammer. They will help to connect the new foundation with the old one.
V drilled holes reinforcing bars are clogged to which a vertical grate is attached
- Next metal elements are welded to the clogged rods, forming a reinforced belt. It is better to solder the fittings with the rods already installed in only a few places. For the most part, it makes more sense to tie metal elements with wire to avoid deformation of the reinforcing chord during pouring and hardening of concrete.
The reinforcing cage will firmly connect the old foundation with the reinforcing concrete structure.
- Install the formwork and fill it with concrete. After waiting for the solution to harden, the structure of the boards is dismantled. For several days, the new foundation is not touched, so that it is even more strengthened.
A formwork is installed around the reinforcing cage and concrete is poured into it. After hardening of the reinforcing layer, the formwork is removed.
- The created base is covered with a waterproofing material. An asphalt strip is created around the foundation at an angle.
Due to the reinforcement, the weight of the wooden building is distributed over a larger area. This method allows you to stop subsidence and destruction of the house.
Video: how to strengthen the strip foundation
Replacing the base under a timber building
The way to replace the base depends on its type.
Replacing the strip foundation
Overhaul of the base in the form of a tape is carried out in stages:
- In order to reduce pressure on the base, furniture is removed from the house, the floors are dismantled, and the stove is dismantled. Only heating equipment standing on a separate concrete platform is not subjected to dismantling.
- The building is slightly raised. If the house is small, then its level in relation to the ground is changed with the help of a kind of lever for lifting weights - a beam 8x8 cm in size, brought under the corner of the building. A log will serve as a support for him. For heavy construction, it is better to choose thicker lumber. The wooden structure is lifted, putting pressure on the beam.
The house is raised on jacks and temporary supports are placed under it
- Around the house or only in areas where it is required to raise a wooden building, they dig a trench.
- A jack is placed under the old foundation. There may be several mechanisms for raising a building. The number of jacks is determined by their carrying capacity and the weight of the house. Mechanisms can only be installed in areas where there is no damage.
- With the help of a jack, the house is slowly raised to the desired level. It is important that it rises above the surface of the earth evenly. Since there is a risk of unsuccessful installation of the jack, it is advisable to play it safe - to get wooden wedges between the building and the base pad.
The house rises evenly on several jacks. Wooden blocks are placed under the load-bearing beams for insurance.
- The lower crown of the raised wooden structure is pulled together with a steel hoop or hammered with strong boards. This technique will protect the overloaded lower bars of the house from damage.
- The house to the very surface of the earth is freed from the former foundation. If you are not ready to spend a lot on repairing the base, then you can partially disassemble the structure - remove only the destroyed areas.
A hammer drill is used to destroy the old foundation.
- Under the reconstructed base of the house, a pillow is made of a sand-cement mixture. Supports made of concrete or bricks are placed at the corners of the building. Instead, you can use piles. Thanks to the installation of supports, the size of which must correspond to the height of the base being built, the base will be able to withstand increased pressure in the future.
- Construct a reinforcing belt, necessary to strengthen the base. Elements metal structure connected not by welding, but by wire.
- Formwork is made from boards. The finished structure is filled with concrete mortar.
The formwork with a reinforcing frame inside is reinforced with side supports and poured with concrete
- After 3 days, the concrete hardens, so the formwork is removed, but further work is not carried out yet, waiting for the foundation to be strengthened.
- A few days after the dismantling of the formwork, the new base is covered with a waterproofing sheet, for example, roofing material.
A few days after the formwork has been removed, the foundation is covered with waterproofing material.
- The house is lowered, acting as slowly as during the raising of the building. front side bases are covered with waterproofing and facing materials. A blind area is made around the house, which will not allow rainwater to seep into the base.
Video: how to repair a tape concrete base
Repair of supporting pillars
To replace the columnar foundation, proceed as follows:
If it is necessary to replace only a few pillars, they act differently: in the area of \u200b\u200btheir location, tunnels are made, pipes are immersed and poured with concrete. Old supports are dismantled after the mortar has hardened.
Video: do-it-yourself column foundation replacement
Converting a foundation from rubble or brick into a monolith
Since the brick foundation is characterized by increased fragility, it is more expedient to replace it with a concrete base.
To build a concrete foundation in place of a brick or rubble base, perform the following steps:
Video: brick foundation repair
Do-it-yourself wooden house foundation repair
The wooden foundation is mainly made of pine or larch. A wooden structure always requires a complete replacement, as over time it is completely covered with fungus and rots. The replacement of old elements of such a base with new ones is carried out as follows:
The damaged foundation of a dilapidated wooden house can be put in order. To do this, you need to obtain the necessary knowledge and choose the technology of repair or replacement. Reconstruction of the foundation of the house can be done with your own hands, if there is a desire and at least a little experience in the production of construction work.
New home made of wood, built by hand from scratch - what more could you want? Unfortunately, many of this option can only dream of. Not everyone has such an opportunity: a quality tree has an appropriate cost, and there are no building skills.
Buy an old wooden house or country house for many, it turns out to be much easier - this is a completely affordable option.
Yes, and as a legacy from relatives, people often get old huts, often in a very neglected and even uninhabited state. Before you start using it, such housing must be put in order. It should be noted that often quite suitable wood is found under the old coating - although not new, but quite high quality. They knew how to build before.
Restoration of a village house
First of all, a thorough inspection of the house is necessary. It is advisable to start with it. If you immediately proceed directly to the restoration of an old village house, and later it turns out that problems with the foundation of the house interfere with its full use, then the work done will be in vain. If during the inspection serious shortcomings are found in (partial destruction, cornering, dampness,), then they must be eliminated.
This procedure cannot be carried out without jacks. With these devices, with great care, lift to a comfortable height. The base itself is corrected, insulated or refilled - this is how the foundation is restored. Such manipulations are considered quite dangerous, so it requires insurers and observers.
Then the old log house returns to its place, and a new stage begins - its grinding. This will require a special machine equipped with nozzles. With its help, processing will be able to expose the most inaccessible areas. Hands and a simple sandpaper for this manipulation will not be enough. Grinding is carried out until a layer with a light color appears.
And the machine is universal: changing the attachment elements will allow you to use it not only for grinding, but also for sealing all kinds of defects, cracks and crevices.
Large defects located along the length of the crowns are sealed even before that. They are sealed with a mixture of sawdust and: damaged areas are rubbed with a pre-prepared composition.
Instead of asbestos, you can take carpentry glue, or ordinary plaster of paris. But such compositions are suitable for correcting minor flaws. If the defects are too large, and there are a lot of them, a log house will be needed. Otherwise, the inevitable dampness in the cracks will cause damage and decay of the tree. Wood must be treated with all kinds of protective agents.
Before and after house restoration The procedure is carried out before they start caulking. Sealing materials are desirable to be processed by them. All seams between the logs are freed from a dilapidated, crumbling sealant, for which it is convenient to use a conventional vacuum cleaner. After all, the old log cabins are caulked to the conscience. Instead of worn tow, a new, modern sealing material is selected.
The final stage of all work carried out- final.
Ignorant citizens are sure that this procedure consists in simply applying a decorative coloring composition to the wood. This seems to be the case, but in this case, not quite.
This implies the application of various means - tinting, varnish, azure. The listed coatings do not hide the lovely texture of natural wood.
But if the facade of the house is really old and dilapidated, then it will have to be lined or covered with opaque paint, one way or another.
It is important to remember that the ends of the logs should not be subjected to any protective or decorative treatment. Here are some kind of capillaries of the tree, with the help of which it "breathes". The processing process will seal them, the normal air circulation will be disturbed, and the log or beam will undergo a rotting process.
As you can see, the restoration or reconstruction of a wooden house is not an overly complicated process. This is not such a difficult job, besides, it is clearly creative. Here you can give free rein to your imagination and fantasy, trying to improve and ennoble the old home. What would seem risky for decorating a new home can be safely used to restore an old one.
Ancient buildings: features of restoration
Cases of putting in order houses with high architectural value, or which are monuments of antiquity, are not uncommon. Sometimes restoration of private merchant houses and mansions is carried out. In such cases, a particularly careful and thorough approach is required.
Complicating the matter is that such a building cannot be decorated with other modern materials. All work is carried out with care, because any negligence can cause irreversible consequences.
Over sanding, for example, can thin out or ruin a unique wood grain pattern.
What specific features characterize the measures for the restoration of the old house:
- The global restoration of an old house should take place measuredly and consistently. There is no haste here. Building materials and essential tool must be selected with particular care;
- Separate parts and elements, such as elaborate columns or lace trims, can be ordered from professional craftsmen;
- When restoring a house, it is good to focus on old photos of the house being repaired. Maybe the old owners or in the family archive you can find the right pictures. If desired, you can reproduce the building in its original appearance.
Otherwise, the transformation of an old log house is similar to the repair of an ordinary one. Logs and compactor must also be processed. Perhaps they need even more protective substances than simple dwellings.
Before and after restoration
home renovation cost
The cost of restoring a private house is made up of various factors. This is both the season and the remoteness of the building from the city limits. After all, if you hire craftsmen to work, then they need to somehow get to the workplace. In the cold season, this is more difficult to do.
A significant role in the cost of restoring a suburban building is played by its size, living space and the degree of neglect.
If the house long time stood without tenants and without supervision, then the premises inside and the outer facade could become completely unusable. The craftsmen will have to make a lot of efforts to return the building to its dignified appearance and all the qualities necessary for a dwelling.
The scale of the proposed work also affects the final cost of the restoration.
After all, it is one thing to repair individual elements of a small building, and quite another is a major overhaul with the reconstruction of a large two-story dwelling. Of course, minor restoration work will cost much less.
Any, even the most high-quality house, eventually loses a fair amount of attractiveness. Various defects may appear on its surface, perfectly visible to the naked eye. Individual elements buildings wear out and can collapse, ceasing to fulfill their function, and look unsightly.
It is better not to wait for the moment when the dwelling becomes completely unusable. Then it will be much more difficult and costly to repair it.
Repairing a wooden house with your own hands is a fairly simple task, after completing which you will get a small oasis that hides you from the bustle of the city. Sounds tempting? then let's get started.
And to help such enthusiasts, we wrote this article, which reveals some of the nuances and gives advice on how to make a major overhaul of a wooden house.
Advantages of a wooden house
Let's start by highlighting some of the benefits:
- durability;
- beautiful appearance;
- good heat-saving characteristics;
- excellent ventilation;
- maintaining constant humidity inside the house.
In addition, the materials used in the construction of such a house are natural and economical.
Reasons for the repair
- Change of rotten log crowns.
- Cracks that went horizontally along the main logs.
- Required, which are located under the window openings.
- Replacement of rafters with obvious damage.
Wall reconstruction
Quite often, replacement of logs is required, which perform the functions of the lower crown, floor beams and floor. When replacing the logs of the crown, it is not necessary to raise the house, you can limit yourself to disassembling the top.
The procedure without dismantling the foundation will require raising the house on jacks.
Note! It is not recommended to raise the house too high, this should be done gradually in several steps. In this case, we advise you to remove the window and door frames. Figure 1 shows how to correctly position the logs of the crowns.
Figure 1. Diagram of the location of the crowns
- 1) the first log of the crown;
- 2) the second log of the crown;
- 3–8) logs of privates' crowns.
The diagram clearly shows that the first log should be located in the masonry, adjacent to the foundation, almost half the diameter, the second log should be the same or slightly smaller. The ends of these logs should not be in the masonry, otherwise they may begin to rot.
The walls that are under the windows can be changed in two ways: conventional or with racks. The scheme of laying logs under the windows in the usual way is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Scheme of replacing logs under the window in the usual way
Figure 3 shows a diagram of replacing logs under a window using racks. Racks connect the ends of the logs that have already become old. New parts of the logs are inserted, and dilapidated places are advised to be caulked. After that, you can collect the box.
Figure 3. Scheme for replacing logs under a window using racks
If replacement of several crowns is required, it is necessary to hang out part of the house. How to do this is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Using struts and compression when hanging a wall
- washer;
- bolt;
- squeeze;
- brace;
- bracket.
You can lower the house using levers or wedges.
Kitchen arrangement
Kitchen interier
The kitchen is an integral part of the house, requiring a special approach in reconstruction.
As a rule, the kitchen has two parts: dining and working. They can be connected to each other or located in different rooms.
Finishing
Renovation of the kitchen in a wooden house begins with finishing. For this, materials are selected that match in color and texture to the design conceived in advance.
Ceilings can be made painted or stretched, or you can even decorate them in country style by equipping decorative beams. The walls are best left wooden and varnished.
A matter of style
Such a house allows you to create a special style, this applies not only to furniture, but also to individual decorative elements.
Bathroom finishing
Bathroom
Nowadays, every home has all the amenities, including a bathroom..
When starting repairs in a wooden house in the bathroom, remember that you need to fit all the necessary communications into this room. Good sewerage is a must.
The floor in the bathroom must have good waterproofing. Floor tiles are considered ideal. It can be posted on concrete screed or drywall.
Note the moment of waterproofing in the bathroom. It will not be able to fully function without high-quality waterproofing of the foundation. Waterproofing the bathroom is carried out comprehensively and provides protection for all surfaces of the room.
Ceiling finish
Pictured ceiling restoration
Not only the most popular, but also very beautiful material, which is intended for finishing the ceiling, is a tree. This finish is natural, fits into the interior and creates its own, special atmosphere in which harmony is felt.
In a wooden house - the work is not too hard, but painstaking.
Among the accepted options modern finishes not forgotten and plastering. But if you are not in the mood to mess with solutions, it is quite possible. Price - from 120 rubles. per sheet.
Repair of wooden houses requires strength and patience, but the result will certainly please you.
Summing up
We hope our article was useful to you. In order to more accurately understand the technological and practical issue, our website contains a detailed photo and video instruction, in which you will find useful information on this issue.
Photo gallery
Many residents of the metropolis dream of a country house, but it will take a lot of money to buy good real estate, and building a house from scratch will cost even more. Therefore, most people prefer to buy old houses that require renovation, which we will discuss below.
How to renovate an old house with your own hands
As noted above, the pricing in the real estate market is such that sometimes, in fact, it is more profitable to buy a used home. In addition to financial benefits, there is another significant advantage of old houses - most often they are located in places with well-developed infrastructure, while progress may not be reached soon for new buildings.
If you buy a plot and build a house yourself, then you will have to lay communications, which takes time and additional funds. And everything would be fine, but no one canceled the natural wear and tear of the structure, and often old houses need overhaul. What is the best place to start and what to focus on first.
First of all, the disadvantages of used houses are related to the specifics of construction in the Soviet Union. In the past, most houses in rural areas were built of wood, and it is clear that after 50 and more years these structures will need to be strengthened and restored. Inside the floor and walls, wood-boring beetles most likely live, fungus and rot are noticeable somewhere.
If you bought a Soviet-built home, then be prepared for the fact that it will take a lot of money to repair an old wooden house, and in some cases it will be easier to completely demolish the box, repair and strengthen the foundation and build everything from scratch.
In the period of the 90s, there was a high popularity of private housing construction, and then bricks began to be used in construction. It would seem that a more durable building material should last longer, but the use of poor building mixes, the lack of qualified architects, and sometimes just sloppiness during construction caused most houses to require significant capital investments.
Usually in such houses there is a discrepancy between the nature of the soil and the foundation structures - brick buildings are heavy, so under them there must be stable soil and a strong foundation.
If you have to work with a box of a house that does not have interior decoration, then most likely the exposed brick walls have already begun to crumble, for this reason you will have to strengthen them or replace especially damaged areas.
The most common damage in old houses
Before proceeding with the repair and purchase Construction Materials should develop a detailed action plan. To do this, you need to carefully inspect the home and assess its condition. What to look for when repairing an old house with your own hands?
The most "weak" places in private houses of old construction:
- Exterior walls - often weak seams, water-permeable cracks, rotten elements (beams, lathing), rusty steel beams, peeling concrete are found in them. For example, damp walls in a basement are indicative of poor design or failure of foundation waterproofing. Special attention should be paid to internal ventilation and thermal insulation of walls.
- Internal walls - poor soundproofing, fire safety (Decoration Materials are not treated with flame retardants, are easily flammable), plaster crumbles due to poor application or dampness.
- Doors and windows - in 99% of cases, windows will have to be replaced. Pay special attention to window sills (integrity, coating strength), insulation of metal frames (condensation often forms on them). As a rule, locks and fittings on the doors suffer, sometimes when the foundation shrinks, they are repainted, the sealant peels off. If in a house with metal door there is no cold vestibule, then on her inside condensation is formed.
- In the 90s, tiles were most often used as a roof, which were laid at random. It is important to pay attention roof structure- whether the beams have rotted, whether it has warped. The roofing cake must include heat, hydro and vapor barrier, and also be intact. If superstructures and chimneys on the roof are used, check their integrity. Carefully inspect the gutters and check how firmly they are fixed.
- Interfloor floors - due to incorrect calculations, floor beams crack or bend. If between wooden beam and there is no waterproofing on the wall, it will have to be replaced. Basements often contain concrete floors or short steel beams.
- Floors - there are large gaps between the boards, the wooden flooring has worn off, the parquet floorboards creak, cracks and holes in the monolithic ceilings, burnt or worn linoleum, shaky chipboard coating.
- Stairs - almost everything wooden stairs require the replacement of damaged elements or a capital element. Fire safety requirements are often violated - there is an insignificant distance between the balusters.
- Heating - a crumbling stove, the size of the adapter does not match the connection to the gas supply system, too wide chimneys (accumulate soot), unsuitable radiators (often cast iron), lack of heating regulators.
- Plumbing - clogged or damaged pipes, ill-conceived location of communications, as a result, constant blockages occur, the impossibility of a gas column or boiler for heating water. In almost all cases, plumbing is recommended to change.
- Electricity - low voltage, unusable wiring (only enough to turn on the TV or the light in the room, but not enough for the normal operation of household appliances), old fuses.
Most of the problems listed above are eliminated during repairs, for example, an unusable wall covering is dismantled if you plan to increase thermal insulation. Replacing switches and sockets is also not difficult; you can replace old plumbing in a short time. When it comes to a cracked foundation or a faulty roof, fixing such issues can be expensive and difficult.
How to renovate an old house with your own hands - renovation planning
A major renovation of an old home should start with careful planning. After inspecting the housing and identifying all serious defects, it is recommended to start implementing the project on paper. If you do not have the makings of an artist, you can handle visualization using design computer programs (Autodesk Homestyler, 3DMax, SketchUp Make, Ashampoo Home Designer, Sweet Home 3D, SketchUp Make).
Who needs a plan:- You will have an idea of what needs to be done and in what order.
- You will see in advance how the house will look and compare the result with the virtual one.
- You will calculate the exact amount of building materials.
If you are planning to move or demolish walls, heating or gas appliances, plumbing equipment, replacing an electric stove with a gas stove, such actions will require documented permission. To do this, you will need to contact the relevant authorities in the area.
To correct the registration certificate at home, you must write an application and prepare a package of documents, including a description of the upcoming work. To determine whether you need to obtain a permit for repairs, look at the data sheet - all the structures in the plan can be repaired. However, to attach additional space, for example, a summer kitchen, you will need permission. Otherwise, the extension may be considered illegal and simply demolished.
How to repair an old house with your own hands: interior work
The fast pace of life forces people to often spend time on the road or constantly work, but even the busiest person spends a third of his life at home, not to mention children, housewives and pensioners. Therefore, it is very important to create a favorable atmosphere, and this applies not only to decoration, but also to lighting, heat, ventilation and other important points. It is on them that the psychological and physical health of the household will depend.
Daylight
It is important that the house has natural light, and the more it is, the better. Windows should occupy no more than 10% of the entire area of the house. Just imagine how much discomfort a person who is regularly in a shaded room will feel - he will ruin his eyesight, in this room it is impossible to fully tidy up, ventilate and grow houseplants. In addition, the lack or absence of windows will lead to high energy costs, and now even wealthy homeowners are trying to save on electricity.
Attention! Previously, small doorways and small windows were made in wooden houses in order to minimize heat loss. In those days, simple glasses were used, which did not protect very well from the cold.However, no one will allow you to cut through a beach window in the wall just like that. For the expansion, transfer or replacement of windows, certain standards are provided. Please note that for all regions of the country there are separate norms, since the coefficient of natural light is different.
Light damage is affected not only by the size of the window, but also by the type of glass you use. It's no secret that a double-glazed window or ordinary glass does not transmit UV radiation, which means that it will not work to make a luxurious greenhouse or solarium. Quartz glasses are used for this, but they are expensive, so they are purchased for certain needs.
How to arrange windows in the house:
- The windows in the bedroom and kitchen should face the southeast side so that in the evening the sunset does not dazzle the household, and in the morning there is natural light.
- The windows of the living room are usually located to the west, so that you can turn on the light during the evening rest for as long as possible and enjoy the sunset.
- The windows of the utility rooms must necessarily be oriented to the north, since usually there are equipment, tools, materials and products that do not need bright natural light.
- If the room has several windows on different sides, then the small ones should be oriented to the north, and the large ones to the south.
- Windows facing south and west should be shaded naturally with structural elements buildings (protruding roofs or balconies), cornices or shutters, nearby trees.
House insulation
In a lot of comfortable microclimate in the house depends on humidity and air temperature. In turn, these factors are ensured by proper vapor and thermal insulation and ventilation of the space.
The temperature in the house consists of two components - the temperature of the surfaces (ceiling, walls and floor) and air. The optimum surface temperature is +17°C, air - +20°C. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the residents. For example, for older people, housing should be made warmer, so it is better to install a heating regulator in each room so that everyone can set the desired temperature.
As a rule, in houses of the old type, there is insufficient thermal insulation of the walls, or it is simply absent. For this reason, there is a difference between the temperature inside and outside the building, as a result of which condensation forms, humidity increases and households feel bad due to constant stuffiness. If the wall cannot be dismantled, we recommend making high-quality thermal insulation of the walls from the inside or outside.
Ventilation in the house
Due to the violation of natural air exchange, the structures of the floor, walls and ceiling deteriorate over time, which can also cause respiratory diseases. Previously, rarely anyone thought about creating ventilation in the roof and walls, and the reason for this was often not just the carelessness of the builders, but also the lack of well-thought-out projects.
At that time, such methods of ventilation of foundations, facades and roofs, which are used in construction today, were not yet known.
Special attention deserves the ventilation of rooms with excessive air humidity - bathrooms, kitchens, basements. If in multi-storey buildings it is used exhaust ventilation, which works due to pressure drops of cold and warm air, then this method is unacceptable for private houses.In a house with two or three floors, the air pressure is very weak, so air exchange is carried out through the walls. To ensure it, it is worth laying a vapor barrier and insulating with "breathing" materials. These include mineral wool boards, expanded polystyrene (extruded and regular), foam flex, etc.
Additional ventilation should pass through windows and vents, but in winter this method is inconvenient. As a result, cottage construction always provides for an exhaust ventilation system, which work on fans - they take warm air and bring it outside, supplying fresh air from the street. The photo below shows the principle of operation of exhaust ventilation.
Electricity in the house
Unfortunately, the power supply of old houses almost always leaves much to be desired. If past tenants did not take care of improving the system, then such work will fall on your shoulders. The main problem in these cases is not rotten wiring and old sockets, but insufficient power.
Previously, people did not consume so much electricity, as there was no abundance of electrical appliances. As for entertainment, there was only radio, TV, but now there are game consoles, computers, stereos, etc.
If you have planned the installation of the "warm floor" system, do not want to turn off the computer to turn on washing machine or simply risk the performance of expensive equipment, you will have to contact the district power supply organization and ask for an increase in the quota for the house.Unfortunately, this is not possible for most old houses, so the only correct solution is to install your own substation. This measure is quite costly, but it can pay off in the first few years and, as a result, will save money and control energy supply.
In the event that everything is fine with the power, and you only need to replace the wiring, you need to draw up a diagram of the finished system. It is necessary not only for a quick and coordinated replacement, but also for subsequent repairs in the house. So, if you are planning to demolish a wall or a doorway, then there is a high probability of completely de-energizing the entire house.
Mostly open wiring in old houses (the wires are outside the wall, run in the corners near the floor or under the ceiling), so it will be easy to draw it up. If you use closed type wiring, we recommend calling a specialist.
Attention! When drawing up a wiring diagram, we recommend that you indicate not only the location of the sockets, but also the power of the devices that you are going to connect to them. It would be nice to have a small supply of outlets if you plan to install additional equipment in the future.
High-quality heating in the house
The most common problem of old houses is the high consumption of electricity for space heating. First of all, this is due to poor thermal insulation of the floor, walls and ceiling and an outdated heating system. To reduce costs, in addition to thermal insulation, it is worth replacing old radiators (usually cast iron). Roof insulation deserves special attention, since most of the heat escapes through it.
Attention! If you paint the batteries black, and lay foil material between the wall and them (the reflective side should be out), then the house will be much warmer. Black color contributes to the fastest heating of the battery, and the foil will reflect the heat in the room, while previously it went through the wall.
It is especially important to determine the right choice heating equipment. So, modern solid fuel boilers are able to maintain the optimum temperature at the outlet of the boiler in automatic mode, they can be connected to a capacitive heat accumulator, which will accumulate excess heat during the day and release it at night. This is convenient if there are no residents during the day, and there is simply no one to warm up.
V Lately gas-fired boilers are gaining immense popularity. Their efficiency reaches 90%, since not just wood burns, but also wood gas. They give out a small amount of zone, significantly save fuel and do not produce soot.
As for pyrolysis boilers, they are perfect for houses with centralized gas supply, while electric ones are recommended to be used as a safety net if your boiler suddenly fails. They are unprofitable financially and consume a lot of electricity. However, even a high-quality boiler cannot avoid heat losses, especially if it is installed in an old house.
There are several ways to help minimize heat loss:- seal or replace windows and doors;
- install thresholds and gaskets between the floor and doors;
- if only one glass is installed in the windows, provide it with a second frame or install a second one;
- hang thick heavy curtains in the living room, bedroom and nursery, but so that they do not cover the radiators;
- to provide floor insulation in a room located above the basement, you can use a cork or felt backing, linoleum, thick carpet, heat-insulating boards, to enhance the effect, insulate the basement ceiling;
- we recommend covering the outer surface of the heating boiler with non-combustible insulation, you can determine from excessively warm air that the heating equipment is losing a lot of useful energy;
- in summer, special solar collectors that heat water will help save on electricity;
- in places where the heat pipe passes through an unheated room, insulate it with foam or mineral wool.
Interior decoration
When the replacement of electrical wiring, plumbing, vapor barrier and surface insulation is completed, you can proceed to the interesting part of repairing an old house with your own hands - interior decoration. The specifics and scope of work directly depends on the chosen material for the walls.
For example, plasterboard partitions can be covered with wallpaper, while brick walls require priming and leveling, unless, of course, you plan to finish with PVC panels.
Interior wall decoration is necessary not only for external attractiveness. Her main task is the protection of the heat and vapor barrier layer and the material itself from premature damage and deterioration. Therefore, it is worth choosing materials for finishing only taking into account the specifics of the room. For the kitchen and the nursery, washable paints or putties are suitable, for the bedroom it is better to give preference to something more comfortable, for example, vinyl wallpapers, wooden panels are perfect for a study.
Before finishing the walls of wood, it is worth treating them with fire retardant compounds that protect the wood from fire. In this regard, paint is the best option, as it performs both decorative and protective functions.
However, it should be chosen carefully. Like other finishing materials, paints can be for interior and exterior use. The main difference between "internal" paints is that they are not so resistant to negative external influences, temperature extremes and UV radiation, but they have greater hiding power and aesthetics.
The environmental friendliness of the material also plays a huge role. In old houses, you can still find surfaces that are covered with heavy paints (they contain lead). It's also best to avoid inexpensive oil-alkyd paints, as they release harmful chemicals.
As for water-dispersion paints, they are perfect for interior decoration. They are safe for health and do not violate natural ventilation, that is, they allow the walls to "breathe".
Floor in the house
As a rule, the floors in old houses are covered with either boards, or creaky parquet, or worn linoleum. Let's consider each of the options in more detail.
The nature of the repair work depends on floor covering Houses:
- Wooden covering.
Most often there is a plank floor, since the floorboard provides aesthetics and comfort in the room and was inexpensive. It is durable and environmentally friendly, for this reason, if you got such a floor, do not rush to tear out the boards - if it is properly repaired, then no modern coating can compare with it in quality and beauty.
Over time, the boards dry out, begin to spring, creak and stagger, and in some places holes from woodworm beetles appear. In this case, heavily damaged boards should be replaced. If you decide to replace part of the board, then the patch must rest on two lags, otherwise it will be unstable. So that the floor does not creak and is even, the floorboards are rally.
To do this, the floor is dismantled, marking the location of the boards, so as not to disturb their order later. Then you need to check the condition, replace or lay the substrate if it has deteriorated from humidity or time.
If the floorboards sag, this may mean that there is little lag under them and insufficient quality support. Therefore, you just need to remove the boards and add logs at the deflection points. If suddenly you find holes, chips and cracks in the floorboards, they can be repaired with wood putty.
- Parquet flooring.
Parquet is especially common in houses that were built in the 60s and 70s. last century. One of the most common parquet problems of those times is creaking and swelling of the floorboards. Such elements will have to be replaced with new ones, unless, of course, the parquet is swollen around the entire perimeter, since then its complete replacement will be required.
Often the cause of the creak is cracked boards or an uneven base. Previously, parquet was laid directly on bituminous mastic, and there was no talk of any cork or plywood substrates. To find the cause of the creak, you need to remove the floorboard and carefully examine the base. It is best to lay creaking parquet on the substrate.
In the old parquet, there are gaps in which debris is regularly clogged. They should definitely be sealed. To do this, you need to clean the gap and fill it with a special putty. If it is large, then to eliminate it, use a wooden patch that is planted on epoxy glue.
If you are faced with worn, scratched and darkened parquet, there is only one way out - sanding. The scraping machine removes the top layer of the parquet and removes the lacquer coating, after which you can start sealing the cracks and cover the floor with fresh varnish.
- Linoleum.
If there is an old linoleum on the floor, it is easier to replace it than to repair it. This is one of the budget coverage options, so you don't lose out financially. In addition, modern linoleums are produced with dense sound and heat insulating substrates, so they will be better than the previous coating.
In the event that the linoleum is in good condition, but there are small holes or dents in place of the furniture, put patches. Attach a new piece of linoleum to the damaged area with a small allowance, cut out the patch, grabbing the old linoleum from below.
So, you will get both a patch and a recess suitable for it. Thoroughly glue the edges of the hole in the old linoleum and the bottom of the patch with glue, and for better fixation, place a weight on top until the glue dries. Moreover, with the help of such patches you can create original cover for the floor, if you have pieces of linoleum with different patterns.
How to renovate an old house with your own hands: outdoor work
If you have renovated an old house from the inside, then you will most likely need special equipment and hired workers for outdoor work. First of all, it concerns the external decoration of the walls on the second floor and the repair of the roof.
Foundation design features
Buying old private house, first of all, you need to pay attention not to wallpaper, pipes and wiring, not even to the condition of the roof and walls, but to the foundation, because if the base is faulty, then it is very expensive and difficult to repair it, or even completely impossible.
The destruction of the foundation can lead to many problems from flooding the basement and cracking the walls to the collapse of the entire frame of the house.One of the most common problems is the change in the physical and chemical properties of the soil. If earlier the house was built on stable land, this does not mean that over the years the soil has not eroded and the groundwater level has become higher. As a result, the foundation falls into the ground or warps.
When the foundation of the house is settling, it is necessary to interrupt such a process as soon as possible. Usually, for this, beams are placed under the base so that they can take on the load during repairs. To strengthen the foundation around the entire perimeter, a reinforcing mesh is used, which will improve the bearing capacity of the foundation by expanding it to the sides.
Be that as it may, repairing the foundation is a responsible event, which is associated with a risk to life and implies the presence highly qualified, therefore, it is highly not recommended to engage in it on your own.
External walls
Most of the old exterior walls eloquently speak of their venerable age with weathered mortar joints, peeling plaster, frank cracks or wet smudges. And if the plaster can be replaced, then a crack in the wall may indicate a serious foundation failure, so carefully inspect the walls before buying an old house.
If a fungus or mold is noticed on the inside of the wall, this indicates a missing or broken waterproofing - the temperature difference between the outside and inside of the house causes condensation to form. But in order to eliminate several problems at the same time: heat preservation, dampening of walls, creation of ventilation and energy savings, it is worth taking care of laying steam and heat insulation.
If the wall was insulated, then the laying of a vapor barrier membrane and a heat-insulating layer will not allow the formation of condensate.
To improve the ventilation of the intra-wall space, it is enough to take a few simple measures:
- Ventilate the room as often as possible.
- Do not move furniture close to the walls - let there be a distance of 5 cm between them.
- Between the crate and the vapor barrier for interior decoration, make an indent for ventilation.
- Replace rotten elements and treat the rest with anti-corrosion compounds.
Roof of the house
The roof acts not only to protect against cold and rain, but also determines the appearance of the house. Depending on the design, the “mood” and the exterior of the house change. If earlier gable tiled structures were in vogue, now most people prefer "European" straight roofs. They are much easier to use, create a laconic and stylish look, and they can be used as an additional usable area (applies to flat roofs).
The integrity and condition of the roofing cake directly affects the preservation of heat and the microclimate inside the room. The most common roof problems include damage or poor coating density, rotten rafter system, damaged waterproofing, leaky or missing thermal insulation. If you have a slate roof, then most likely it has turned green from moisture and time.For practical reasons, it is better to change the old slate to eliminate the possibility of leaks, especially if you bought a house in the summer and do not know what to expect when the rainy season arrives.
It is impossible to tell exactly how to repair an old house, since the specifics and scope of work directly depend on the nature of the damage. Above, we examined the most common malfunctions. If you are just planning to buy an old house in the country, pay attention to the points listed above, especially the condition bearing walls, roof foundation, and then, perhaps, you can avoid expensive overhaul.
