How and how to protect an unfinished house in winter

The construction of a country house is a long and phased process, especially if it is done on its own. And it depends on many factors, in particular, on weather conditions, financial capabilities, and force majeure cannot be disregarded. All this can serve as the basis for the suspension of construction work and the construction site has to be frozen.

In order to maximally protect the erected building structures from the influence of the external environment, it is recommended that at the stage of preparation, to provide in the project with measures for the conservation of the construction In this case, it is necessary to take into account the end of the technological stages of construction. The best periods for conservation are considered to be the completion of the foundation work, the erection of the walls and, finally, the roofing..

Only some types of foundations require shelter for the winter. Most of all, strip and slab foundations need it. If at the time of the start of the conservation work, the coating waterproofing was performed, then for reliable protection of the foundation it is enough to close it only from above. In this case, it is necessary to take measures to preserve the insulating material and keep it in place. Usually roll materials are used for insulation in this case (for example, roofing material).

To fix the material, you can use bricks, stones, pieces of concrete and other similar items. If, by the time of the onset of cold weather, the foundation remains with uncovered walls, conservation must be carried out in full. This means that it is necessary to make waterproofing, thermal insulation and backfill with soil. You also need to take care of the drainage of melt and rainwater from the foundation tape.

Tile bases require a little more attention. Spring heaving of soils (especially clay and loamy) can lead to the destruction of shallow foundations and therefore they should not be left unloaded for the winter. If the erection of the walls was postponed for any reason, it is recommended to arrange temporary insulation around the slab from any available materials – straw, sawdust, slag wool, etc. This will prevent lateral stresses from freezing the soil.

From above, the plate must be closed with roofing material or foil, while it is advisable to weld the seams. Experts recommend doing the first conservation precisely at the stage of the foundation. During the winter, the foundation will gain strength, settle and go through the entire shrinkage cycle. If the waterproofing is done poorly, then this will lead to damage in the structure, which in the spring may disrupt the integrity of the base. Therefore, all work on the conservation of the foundation must be carried out with special care and observing all the recommendations.

The second stage of construction is the construction of walls. For better preservation of the building structure, it is recommended to make an overlap before conservation. Then all the work comes down to laying the insulating material (film, roofing material) on the plates. Moreover, this should be done with the capture of the upper part of the wall by 30–40 cm and fixing the hanging edges of the insulating material. When using roofing material, the seams must be welded with a blowtorch, and in the case of the film, sealed with tape. If it is problematic to make the floor device for this stage, then a number of measures must be taken to ensure the protection of the walls from moisture penetration and destruction. This is especially true for horizontal sections. Such waterproofing is carried out using a thick film or roofing material, covering all open end surfaces with the material. Before this, it is necessary to strengthen the walls, the height of which exceeds 3 m, with struts or struts.

All window and door openings must be filled with wooden shields. If possible, it is better to make a temporary wooden canopy or frame with a crate over the unfinished building (the presence of a slope is important here), which must be covered with roofing material or any shield materials. These measures will prevent the ingress of water and snow into the structure, which will give maximum protection against moisture. At this stage, the construction of a blind area will already be needed, which will protect the foundation from water flowing from the canopy. You also need to remember about the site planning and the timely arrangement of the diverter grooves..

Almost similarly to the previous method, construction conservation is carried out with already removed walls and a ceiling, but not a roof. If a truss system has been erected, then it is necessary to strengthen the sheets of roofing material with an overlap along the crate, starting from the bottom and securing them with wooden slats. Shields must be installed on the gables to protect against blowing. It is important to ensure that when carrying out protective measures, the insulating coating does not have cracks, otherwise moisture will accumulate in these places, which will lead to the structure becoming wet..

On the construction site, besides the house itself, a lot of unrealized material remains for the winter – sand, crushed stone, cement, dry mixes, lumber, etc. They also require shelter and protection. If there is a temporary dry building on the site, then there you can store stove bricks, nails and other metal fasteners, paints and varnishes (cans should be tightly closed), hydro and thermal insulation materials (rolled – only in an upright position). All lumber is stacked on the leeward side in stacks, and each layer is laid with supports in such a way that at least half a centimeter of free space remains between the layers. The top of the stack must be covered with a film, this will protect the tree from direct water ingress.

It is better to take out cement and dry mixtures for the winter period to a place suitable for their storage. If this is not possible, you need to fold the bags in a dry room and cover well with a film, this will prevent moisture absorption from the surrounding air. Brick and wall blocks can be left outside, for reliable protection they must be stacked and covered with insulating material (film). But foam blocks are best stored in a dry room, since their surface absorbs water well.

By following these simple recommendations, you can successfully conserve an unfinished house for the winter and save the structure for further construction work.