The veranda and gazebo are a stylish and functional decoration of a summer cottage.
But, if a gazebo is a separate structure that can be used in the summer, then a veranda is a room attached to the house that has a roof, walls and is intended for year-round use.
A warm veranda can serve as a corridor, hallway or recreation room, greenhouse, winter garden, you can even place a swimming pool in it
What is the difference between a veranda and a terrace? These concepts are often confused, although they have structural and visual differences. The presence of a roof and walls is what distinguishes a veranda from a terrace and porch.
The veranda is provided during the construction stage of the house, but more often it is completed during operation. Therefore, many are interested in how to attach a veranda to a house with their own hands. Below are step-by-step (step-by-step) instructions for building a veranda for a private house.
1. Veranda project
Any construction begins with the development of a project.
Summarizing the experience of constructing verandas, it can be noted that they differ in the following parameters:
Location (adjacent to the house):
- Corner.
- End
- Facade.
Degree of closure:
- Open.
- Closed (glazed.
By installing sliding doors for the veranda, you can transform a closed veranda into an open one.
Design feature:
- Built-in veranda (built together with the house, has a common foundation with it).
- Attached (added as needed, has its own foundation).
Veranda shape:
- A popular shape is the rectangle.
- Round (semicircular.
- Polygonal (hexagonal, octagonal).
The main purpose of the veranda is to make the house or cottage more spacious and decorate the building. The extension of the veranda also performs a purely utilitarian function - insulating the house. Therefore, the question naturally arises of how to attach a veranda to the house correctly. Despite the fact that the veranda is a summer structure, its construction requires the implementation of a number of rules.
What is included in the veranda construction project:
- location of the veranda. The main options are indicated above. It is important that the extension is a continuation of the house, representing a single architectural ensemble with it.
Note. It is better to place the veranda on the east or west side, then most of the time it will be out of direct sunlight. Also, it is worth taking into account the wind load in the region and on the site in particular.
- entry point to the veranda. The entrance can be from the street, from one of the rooms, or through, across the street into the house;
- door installation location. It is not advisable to place the entrance doors to the veranda and to the house opposite each other, otherwise drafts cannot be avoided;
- size of the veranda in the house. The length of the veranda is usually equal to the length of the wall along which it is built. The width ranges from 2.5 to 7 m. It is important here that the size of the veranda is proportional to the size of the house.
Advice from the master. There is no need to save on the project. Its high-quality execution guarantees that the veranda will be built correctly, and obtaining permits will not cause problems.
An example of a typical veranda design is shown in the diagram
How to attach a veranda to a wooden house
Any extension to a wooden house is carried out after the structure has settled. A house made of timber or logs shrinks over a certain period (the most active is the first 2-3 years). To avoid skewing of the walls, you need to wait this period, or consider a connection to the house that allows the frame to play.
2. Documents for the construction of a veranda (permission)
Adding a veranda refers to the remodeling of a house. Therefore, it requires obtaining permits.
To obtain permission to build a veranda (for an extension, reconstruction), you need to submit to the architecture department:
- a document confirming the ownership of the site;
- house project with a veranda;
- consent of all residents registered in the house;
- application for registration.
Note. You need to start processing documents 2-3 months before the planned construction work. According to user reviews, this procedure takes quite a lot of time.
In principle, it is possible to complete a veranda without documents, but when selling, renting or inheriting, problems may arise with this property. The veranda is included in the total area of the residential building; the BTI may regard this as an “Unauthorized increase in living space.” Especially if the veranda is heated (warm veranda).
When building a veranda, you should not deviate from the dimensions indicated in the registered project. Any adjustment will entail a change in the project documentation and the payment of a fine. The consequences of unauthorized construction are spelled out in the Law of the Russian Federation “On Architectural Activities in the Russian Federation” and the Civil Code, an excerpt from which is given below.
The consequences for unauthorized construction are listed below
The last thing that will need to be done after the construction of the veranda is to legalize the construction with changes and obtain new documents.
3. Tools and materials for constructing a veranda
The tool depends on what material will be used in the construction of the extension. For wooden you need: a hacksaw, a screwdriver, a hammer and an axe, a sledgehammer, a tape measure, a plumb line, a level (construction and water level), a corner, a cord for marking, a shovel. For a metal frame, you will additionally need a grinder and a welding machine.
Material
The economy (budget) version of the veranda is a metal frame covered with plywood, OSB boards or plastic lining.
A veranda made of brick, natural stone or wood has a more presentable appearance. It is important here that the material of the extension matches the material from which the house or cottage is built or is in harmony (combined) with them.
To build a wooden veranda, you will need: lumber (log or timber, board, batten), fasteners (elements), protective solutions for wood, crushed stone, concrete, bitumen, drying oil or roofing felt, window and door systems, roofing material.
For a veranda with a metal frame: lumber will be replaced by metal corners and a steel profile, solutions for metal processing will be added, but otherwise the materials will be the same.
A polycarbonate veranda has proven itself well in that it allows you to unhinderedly admire the surrounding landscape. In addition, polycarbonate retains heat well, transmits light, and can be used for both walls and roofs. Plus, the cost of the material is quite reasonable. Cellular polycarbonate with a wall thickness of 14-18 mm is used.
Note. All materials requiring processing must be processed before work begins. Once the veranda is built, processing will be more difficult.
Preparation for construction
Construction of the veranda begins with preparing the site. The part of the site allocated for the veranda is turning into a construction site. Before starting work you need:
- remove the canopy over the entrance;
- dismantle the porch;
- clear the area of green spaces and debris;
- remove part of the turf;
- think over the place for laying building materials and construction waste.
4. Foundation for the veranda to the house
Before you start pouring the foundation, you need to determine its type. The most widespread is the columnar foundation for the veranda, since it makes it possible to attach a veranda without being tied to the main foundation of the house. However, a heavier veranda requires pouring a strip foundation.
An important point is soil analysis, which makes it possible to reasonably choose the foundation for the veranda of the house. The following are taken into account: the ability of the soil to absorb moisture, the homogeneity and composition of the soil, the level of freezing, the height of groundwater, and the stability of the soil.
In addition, the choice of base for the extension will be influenced by the design of the house’s foundation and the condition of the walls (wall material).
Having decided which foundation for the veranda is best to make, make markings for a strip foundation or mark the location for installing pillars (supports) for a pile foundation.
Note. For a small wooden veranda, it is enough to install pillars at the corners of the structure. For long and wide ones, provide additional posts along the length/width of the base. The recommended installation spacing for supports is 500-600 mm.
How to make a columnar foundation for a veranda
- dig holes for the posts about 1 m deep. It is important to know that the depth of the foundation for the veranda depends on the depth of the foundation of the house (must be the same) and the level of soil freezing;
- At the bottom of the pit, a cushion is made from a mixture of crushed stone and sand. They can also be covered in layers, first with sand, then crushed stone or gravel;
- the concrete base is poured;
- support pillars for the columnar foundation are laid out/inserted:
Made of brick. If you need to add a veranda to a brick house;
From timber. For a wooden veranda;
From asbestos pipes, concrete pillars or metal supports. For a frame veranda.
The ground part of the pillars is brought to the height of the main foundation of the house. If the base is high, you need to bring the extension to the level of the house.
Example in the photo (the first floor is used as a garage, the veranda is located at the level of the second floor).
The installation site is covered with sand to eliminate and strengthen the gap between the post and the soil.
The design of a veranda with a large mass requires pouring a strip foundation. To do this, you need to dig a trench, place the formwork (slightly higher than the required foundation height), and pour concrete. The process of complete hardening of concrete must be accompanied by periodic wetting with water to ensure uniform hardening of the concrete mixture.
5. Veranda frame
The installation of the frame begins with the completion of the bottom trim. To do this, timber is laid on the supports.
Note. The lower harness can have a double system. It is on this that the racks and floor joists will be attached in the future.
Next, supports are installed that form the frame of the veranda to the house. The frame of a wooden veranda is made of timber 120x80 or 100x100. When using logs, their diameter must exceed 120 mm. It is recommended to install supports at a distance of 500-600 mm, but in practice this is rare. However, supports must be installed in the corners and form door/window openings.
The height of the support is equal to the height of the veranda. In this case, the supports installed closer to the wall must be higher to form a pitched roof. Methods for attaching the racks to the bottom trim are shown in the figure.
Advice. The supports will be given rigidity by the jibs (braces) installed at the top and bottom.
When installing the frame, horizontal beams are installed, which will serve as the basis for installing the window sill board for glazing.
The installation of the veranda frame is completed by completing the top trim. It will serve as the basis for the formation of the rafter system, and will give the frame additional rigidity.
Note. To prevent the top trim from warping, the supports must be secured with temporary spacers.
Many people are interested in how to make a veranda frame from a log frame. Indeed, in this case, both the foundations of the buildings and the log house itself move. Therefore, all connections must be able to move (shift). Shrinkage compensators are installed from below, and from above the roof is firmly attached to the rafters of the log house.
6. Veranda roof
Part of the frame is the rafter system of the veranda. The installation of rafters and sheathing depends on what roofing material the veranda roof will be covered with.
From a design point of view, the following types of veranda roofs are distinguished:
Slope veranda roof.
The simplest and best option. In this case, the rafter system is mounted at an angle from the wall of the house, which allows rainwater or snow to flow down freely without causing damage to the building.
Note. A pitched roof is more convenient from the point of view of organizing drainage and, accordingly, installing a drainage system.
Gable roof veranda.
In this case, the veranda is attached to the house with a narrow part. It becomes like a passageway. This method has not found proper distribution. More often, such a roof is erected over a terrace.
The polygonal roof for the veranda is built in such a way that the angle of inclination is maintained for water drainage.
Installation of veranda rafter system
A purlin board (beam 100x80 mm) is installed on the wall of the house. The timber is secured with anchor bolts. The upper parts of the rafter legs are mounted on it.
A Mauerlat is installed around the perimeter of the frame. In small wooden extensions, this function is performed by the top trim boards. The lower parts of the rafter legs are installed on them.
The lower part of the rafters is mounted so that it is possible to provide an overhang (removal) of the roofing material, which means protecting the veranda from the ingress of flowing water.
Note. The distance between the rafter legs depends on the slope of the roof, the width of the veranda, and the weight of the roofing material.
When installing a polygonal veranda roofing system, a purlin board is additionally installed.
Depending on the chosen material, they fill the lathing (for metal tiles, ondulin, slate) or make a continuous sheathing (for flexible roofing materials).
How to attach a veranda to a house - video instructions
7. Floor on the veranda
Construction procedure, materials, methods of fastening and processing.
DIY flooring technology:
Logs are installed on the bottom trim boards. The distance between adjacent logs should be no more than 1 m. The logs are installed perpendicular to how the floorboard will be laid.
Attaching the joist to the frame is an important point; the quality of its implementation determines the performance characteristics of the floor. The installation of the log is controlled by the level.
What to make floors from on an open veranda
Concrete flooring on the veranda is cheaper, plus it is durable and requires subsequent finishing. For example, you can lay tiles or lay linoleum. The wooden floor on the veranda, even painted, will deform over time. It is also recommended to use plastic baseboards with wood decor.
How to cover the floors on a closed veranda
The floor of the closed veranda is being laid. In this case, installation begins with the board furthest from the entrance. It is attached to the joists directly through the board.
Subsequent boards are mounted using the tongue-and-groove method, and the hardware is fastened through the groove.
How to fix a floorboard on a veranda
It is recommended to fasten floor boards with self-tapping screws. Their length should be twice the width of the board. The distance from the edge of the floorboard to the wall is 10-15 mm. This gap will compensate for the expansion of wood during the hot season.
How to cover the floor on the veranda (open, closed)
Wooden veranda flooring is one of the most popular and easiest to install. Therefore, the relevant question is how to treat the floor on the veranda in order to extend its service life and preserve its aesthetic properties.
Floorboards will last longer if they are additionally coated with solutions that prevent the appearance of fungus. As a finishing floor covering, a decorative layer of paint or stain is applied, covered with varnish on top.
A new product among paintwork materials is Dufa “Liquid Plastic” paint, intended for outdoor use (well suited for an open veranda).
Of the transparent coatings that have earned the respect of users:
- Tikkurila Valtti (wood oil);
- Pinotex Terrace Oil;
- Alpina Oel Terrassen Dunkel;
- Watco Danish Oil.;
- as well as epoxy varnishes (yacht varnishes), which are intended for use in damp environments.
- the product must be intended for wood;
- be resistant to abrasion;
- be resistant to environmental factors (water, temperature, ultraviolet).
It is worth noting that veranda floor coverings are quite expensive, but this is justified by their service life, without refinishing, and high aesthetic properties.
8. Roofing material for the veranda
As a roofing material, it is better to use a material for the veranda roof that is installed on the main building (house or cottage). Bituminous shingles have proven themselves well. They are installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
Note. To prevent water from flowing inside the veranda where the roof of the extension meets the wall of the house, you need to lay a joint strip on top of the roofing material.
Correct installation of the joint strip involves making a gash in the wall of the house and inserting the narrow edge of the strip into it.
You can admire the surrounding beauty in the warmth of the veranda by installing transparent roofs for the veranda. In this case, the role of roofing material is played by glass or cellular polycarbonate.
Telescopic awning roofs or sliding roofs for the veranda are considered new.
). Installation of finishing materials depends on their type.
It is important to know that the wall of the veranda adjacent to the house is secured with embedded metal elements (parts). The fastening must be rigid.
Today, it is popular to cover veranda walls with sliding systems, the upper half of which is glass and the lower half is wooden.
Note. Before moving on to the external and internal decoration of the walls of the veranda, you need to give it time to settle. This is especially true for a wooden veranda.
10. Glazing of the veranda
Windows occupy a significant part of the veranda wall area. Due to the fact that the veranda is a summer structure, single wooden windows are usually installed, most often plastic or wooden. Aluminum windows with multi-chamber double-glazed windows are used.
The large veranda is equipped with both opening and fixed windows. The first allow for ventilation of the room, the second - save on glazing. Noteworthy are the sliding windows, which allow you to turn the veranda into an open terrace.
Among the new products, flexible windows for the veranda stand out. They allow you to extend the operational period of the summer veranda. The advantage of windows is their relatively low cost and the ability to quickly install and dismantle them for the winter. They make a high veranda safe for children to play without compromising its attractiveness.
Soft windows for the veranda are roller systems (PVC curtains), which allow you to glaze the veranda of any configuration (round, semicircular, oval).
Installation of soft windows - video
12. Arrangement of the veranda (decoration)
A creative task that involves developing a project. Even a simple but correct arrangement of furniture and interior items on the veranda will give it a well-groomed appearance and make it beautiful and cozy. Since the size of the room is not large, it is recommended to place furniture along blank walls, and tables on the contrary, near the windows. The use of folding furniture is convenient for an open veranda. Planting perennial plants and arranging flowers in tubs will turn the extension into part of a residential building (its logical continuation or addition).
Many owners of private houses, wanting to increase the usable area of the building, seek to attach various structures to it. One of the most common is the open veranda. Let's look at how a terrace is made from wood - the most affordable building material in our country.
We are drawing up an extension project
Before you start building a veranda made of wood or any other materials, you should carefully study the design documentation. This will allow you to pre-calculate all the necessary materials, decide on the shape of the future structure, and avoid possible mistakes during construction. Even if you do not have the necessary level of drawing or similar tools, we recommend making simple sketches of the future building indicating its dimensions.
Users often search:
When drawing up a project, you should think through the entire sequence of work and the most optimal methods for its implementation. Similarly, you should decide on the equipment and tools necessary for building a terrace.
Stage one - laying the foundation
After determining the construction sequence, a do-it-yourself wooden veranda is built step by step. You need to start with the base of the terrace, which is a shallow strip or columnar foundation.
As a rule, both types are quite widespread when making home extensions independently. Let's consider the features of the data for the future terrace.
Column by column
Simple and less expensive in terms of materials and physical effort is the columnar foundation of the veranda. It consists of several separate supports of rectangular cross-section in a horizontal plane. The following materials are used for manufacturing:
- red ceramic brick;
- concrete foundation blocks;
- concrete building blocks;
- masonry sand-cement mortar.
Before installation, holes of 0.6-1 m are dug under future posts. The depth of burial under the terrace supports depends on the quality of the soil and the mass of the future structure. The bottom of the pits is filled with sand and crushed stone with intermediate compaction. A concrete pad is poured on top of the fill under the base of the terrace for leveling.
The wooden veranda should rest evenly on all elements of the foundation. To do this, the pillars are brought to a common height level. For this purpose, you can use partially cut blocks or bricks, as well as different thicknesses of joints. Once all deck supports are installed, they must be protected from moisture. In this case, ready-made bitumen mastic and roll waterproofing are used. The heads of the posts under the veranda are waterproofed in the same way.
Tape under the terrace - pros and cons
The terrace requires a lot of effort during construction. Main stages:
- marking tape along the perimeter of the terrace walls;
- digging a trench to a depth of at least 0.6 meters and a width of about 30 cm;
- installation of formwork to lift the tape above the soil level to the timber frame of the veranda;
- filling the bottom of the trench with sand and crushed stone;
- production and installation of a reinforcing frame made of steel rods;
- preparing a sufficient volume of concrete solution, pouring the tape to the upper edge of the formwork;
- waterproofing cured tape using ready-made compounds;
- backfilling the trench with soil.
As can be seen from the description of the process, the technology for installing a strip foundation under a wooden terrace is a rather labor-intensive and time-consuming process, requiring higher qualifications than when installing a columnar foundation. In case of improper construction or high soil mobility, the tape can tear and bend, which will certainly affect the entire structure.
Stage two - construction of the building frame
The structure frame is installed on the finished foundation. A wooden deck can be made quickly, even if done alone. For work you will need construction timber with a cross section of 150x150 and 100x100 mm. The first beam will fit on the lower frame - the base of the veranda floor, the second - on the racks and supports for the railings.
Laying the bottom trim
We lay the timber with a section of 150x150 on a foundation for the terrace pre-lined with roofing felt. If the dimensions exceed 6 meters - the standard length of lumber in our country - you will have to splice the strapping elements. The technology for corner and longitudinal connection of timber is as follows:
- Select the most even, undisturbed lumber.
- At the ends, mark cuts for half the thickness of the timber. The length of the future groove is in our case 150 mm.
- Saw the timber along the markings using a hand or mechanical tool - a hacksaw, circular saw or chain saw.
- Connect the parts groove to groove at an angle or lengthwise.
- Additionally strengthen the connection by driving in 2-3 nails No. 150.
To avoid possible displacement of the terrace frame relative to the base (this should be thought about at the stage of foundation construction), several scraps of steel reinforcement with a diameter of 8 or 10 mm and a free end length of 200-250 mm are left at the top of the pillars or tape. Before laying the strapping, holes of larger diameter are drilled at the exit points of the steel rods, and the timber is laid on the pins, which are then bent flush.
After completing the timber lining of the terrace floor around the perimeter, lay several transverse beams of the same section in the same way, installing them in pre-marked and cut grooves in increments of about 1 meter, fastening them with long nails.
Installing racks
To support the roof of a wooden veranda, it is necessary to install several vertical bars at the outer corners and along the long side parallel to the wall of the house. The length of which is chosen in such a way that the height of the terrace roof from the floor is at least 2 meters, and the slope of the roof from the main building is maintained.
Connection diagram of harness and racks
If the terrace framing timber is allowed not to be planed, then the racks must be pre-planed with an electric planer. This will give them a more aesthetic appearance and will simplify further finishing and processing of the veranda. The racks should be secured to the frame with self-tapping screws using reinforced steel corners. In the upper part, the ends of the beams are attached to the terrace frame, which is a frame element that serves to increase the strength of the veranda structure.
It is better to make the top trim from planed timber 100x100. Assembly is carried out on the ground in detail, after which it is installed on the ends of the racks and attached to them. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the vertical parts are perpendicular in two planes. To do this, use a plumb line or a building level.
Stage three - installation of the terrace floor
The step-by-step process of installing a wooden terrace continues with the manufacture of the extension floor. Particular attention should be paid to the correct selection of material; these are operating conditions associated with constant exposure to moisture and sudden temperature changes.
A standard pine or spruce floorboard is the worst thing you can choose for a veranda. If you decide to use it, you must treat the lumber twice with antiseptic compounds that protect the wood from rotting and damage by various microorganisms. Pay special attention to processing the boards from the end.
The best choice for the veranda floor is larch flooring. Its advantages:
- resistant to moisture and damage by fungi, mold, insects;
- has a beautiful woody structure;
- lends itself well to additional treatment with protective and decorative compounds.
Instead of larch, artificial flooring material – decking – is often used for outdoor terraces.
To enhance the decorative properties of the entire product, the flooring can be laid not only traditionally along one side of the terrace, but also at an angle to them. With this method, the consumption of floorboards on the veranda will increase by 20 percent, but it is worth it. They are also carried out from the center along diagonals, which requires making precise corner cuts, which can be made on a miter circular saw.
Stage 4 - roof installation
A high-quality roof will help protect visitors to the veranda and the floor covering from rain and the heat of the sun. Its frame is made of wood, using a vertical terrace frame and a horizontal base beam fixed to the wall of the house. When constructing the veranda roof, it is necessary to provide a slope relative to the horizon of at least 15-20 o in order to avoid the accumulation of large masses of snow.
As roofing materials for terraces, both traditional metal sheets or soft roofing and less common glass or colored cellular polycarbonate are used. Thanks to the use of the latter, the roof of the veranda can have a radius or dome shape. Of course, this will require the manufacture of a more complex rafter system, but it will give the terrace a unique appearance.
Stage 5 - installation of railings, finishing
Wooden railings will help limit the internal space of the veranda and protect visitors from falling. They are made from profiled metal or planed timber. Balusters will add zest to the exterior interior.
Having completed the installation of the fence, the wood should be treated with stains, stains or oil-based paints, in other words, protected and prepared for use.
In this article we examined the issue of building a veranda, as it turned out it is not at all difficult. The main thing is to follow the recommendations and step-by-step algorithm.
A veranda attached to the house allows you to expand the habitable area and provide a place for comfortable relaxation. Closed (glazed), it further reduces heat loss in the house. The best part is that you can do it yourself. Moreover, there are options that require significant costs, and there are inexpensive ones. There are many varieties both in structure and in the materials used; they can be decorated in any style.
What are there
Depending on the method of construction, a veranda attached to a house can be closed - with glazing - or open. Open ones are used mainly in the warm season, closed ones can serve as a place to relax all year round. A veranda attached to a house can be of two types at once: part can be glazed (closed), part can be open.
There are also walk-through doors - this is when in order to get into the house you pass through it. Such extensions are located on the front side of the house, sometimes on the yard side if there are two exits from the house. Entrance to impassable buildings is only from the house. It is impossible to get outside from such a veranda.
An extension can cover one, two or more sides of the house. If it covers two adjacent parts of the house, it is called a corner. Some of them occupy only part of the wall.
The forms are different. More often it is a rectangle, less often - a hexagon, a semicircle, or other non-standard shapes (these are more difficult to build). In short, these are all types of verandas attached to the house, but without taking into account the materials.
The perimeter extension gives the house an extravagant look
What materials are they made from?
Most often, wooden verandas are made in our area. It is easier to work with wood, and it is not as expensive as in other countries. In areas where wood is very expensive, structural elements are made of metal, and the cladding is selected to suit your taste. It can be glass (double-glazed windows), polycarbonate.
The walls of the veranda are built from brick, shell rock, rubble stone, and building blocks. Just like a house, they are then finished or not, depending on the design of the main building. They can simply make a fence, as in the photo above.
If wood is expensive, or you are reluctant to work with it on a regular basis, the veranda frame is assembled from metal. For this purpose, a profile pipe, corners or channels are most often used - it depends on the material and size of the extension. It is easier to attach double-glazed windows to metal; instead of glazing, you can use polycarbonate. This material can be of different colors and varying degrees of transparency. Despite its apparent fragility, there is a fairly strong material that is used for the construction of greenhouses. And if so, then in the veranda, if it is closed, it will keep the heat well.
Veranda attached to the house: stages of construction
First of all, you need to decide on the type - open/closed, what material it is made of, and choose the type of foundation. It is also necessary to decide what size it will have, where and how it will be located. It is advisable to draw all this on the plan. Even better - order a project. Construction according to a project is rather an exception for us, but at least there is a plan with dimensions and an indication of the location, reference to paths, etc. you must have.
The construction of a veranda for the house with your own hands proceeds according to the following plan (we build it from wood):
- Use pegs and twine to mark the outlines.
- Remove the turf and fertile layer. If this is not done, the vegetation under the flooring will rot, spreading aromas.
- Mark out the foundation. At this stage, questions may arise: what height should it be. If the foundation is made incoherent and “floating”, the level of the veranda flooring should be 5-10 cm below the floor level. This is necessary so that even when raised, the extension does not block the front door. If you don’t want the floor to be lower, you will have to make a high threshold in the front door: to guarantee the freedom of opening the door. The height of the support beam depends on the height of the extension floor. It is nailed to the wall of the house, and floor beams are attached to it. The height of the foundation is marked along its lower edge (these are the next two steps).
- Nail a support beam to the wall, along the lower edge of which the height of the foundation is measured.
How to mark an extension: nail the support beam at the required level, and mark the height of the foundation along its lower edge
- Build the foundation.
- While the concrete gains at least half strength, you complete site preparation. If at the bottom of the pit (the fertile layer has been removed) the soil allows water to pass through well (sandy, sandy loam), add crushed stone to the bottom. It can be compacted, or you can do without it. If there is loam or clay under the fertile layer, you will have to fill the pit either with the same soil (but not fertile) or with clean clay. It must be compacted well to avoid creating voids in which water will accumulate (it is better to lay it soaked to a paste in layers).
- A layer of waterproofing is laid on the finished foundation.
- Support posts for the roof are installed and secured.
- They tie the racks: they nail a beam 100*150 mm thick around the perimeter. It can be nailed to the outside of the studs or between them. Sometimes the racks are nailed after the floor has been laid. This is not the best option: the floor will most quickly become unusable. With such a structure, in order to replace it, you will have to dismantle everything, right down to the roof. If you install the racks first and then the floor, it can be repaired without problems.
This is what the assembled frame of a veranda attached to the house looks like. Intermediate racks are needed only if the width of the veranda is more than 3 meters.
- Floor beams (beam 100*150 mm) are attached to the foundation and support beam. The step of their installation corresponds to the step of installing piles or columns.
- Assemble the rafter system.
- Side railings (for open ones) or walls (for glazed ones) are installed. At this stage, the general technology ends. Further, for indoor ones it is longer; an open veranda is easier to attach to the house:
- For open ones, floor boards are nailed onto the beams.
- For glazed ones, an insulated floor is made. The subfloor is nailed to the beams. There are joists on top, insulation between them, and a finished floor on top.
- Roofing.
- Wall decoration inside and outside.
These are just general steps. To have a more complete idea of how to make a veranda for a house, we will next consider the most problematic aspects of construction in more detail.
Perhaps you are interested in building a gazebo?
Foundation
If a veranda is attached to a house, the foundations are very rarely made coherent. Firstly, the house has already settled, the shrinkage has passed. If a “fresh” building is rigidly attached to it, problems will inevitably arise. If it is possible to tie them, then only on stable, reliable soils, on which no movement occurs. Secondly, heavy foundations are rarely made for extensions of this type. The building itself turns out to be light - especially an open one made of wood or frame - and the load-bearing capacity is sufficient.
In general, verandas are placed on the same foundations as houses. Another thing is that most of them are on columnar foundations: the costs are small and the time required is short. And although all architects and designers claim that it is much more difficult to install a correct columnar foundation than (though a strip foundation is much more expensive), people install exactly the pillars.
Column and pile foundation
If you decide to attach a veranda to a wooden house, you can install a columnar foundation. To make it yourself, you need to find out at what depth and at what distance the supports are placed. The distance between the columns depends on the material from which the extension will be built. If these are lightweight materials - wood or a light frame structure - you can place them in increments of 1.5 meters. For heavier ones, the distance should be from 1 meter.
Columnar foundation for the veranda - the columns are made of brick. This open veranda is attached to a wooden house. The house stands on a strip foundation. The foundations of the extension and the house are not connected
When choosing the depth of columns, there are two approaches:
- Bury below the freezing depth of the soil. This is done on water-saturated soils that are prone to heaving. In this case, the veranda will stand at the same level without changing its position, regardless of the heaving forces. For a columnar foundation, this only makes sense if the freezing depth is no more than 1.2 meters. At greater depths it is easier to make a pile foundation (better -). Holes for piles are not very difficult to make even if you need to drill 2 meters. To install posts for each of them, digging a pit of the same depth is difficult and time-consuming.
- Make a shallow foundation: 20-30 cm below the fertile layer. In this case, get a floating veranda that will float and lower during frost heaving. It is much easier to build such a structure, but every spring you will have to deal with the consequences of heaving. Different pillars will “walk” differently and the situation will have to be corrected somehow. But this is on heaving soils (clays, loams). On stable soils that are not prone to heaving there will be no such problems.
What is good about this option for the foundation for the veranda of the house? It is quickly built, the cost of work and building materials is low.
The veranda is attached to a brick house on a strip foundation. They put it on . It differs from the columnar one in that the piles are either screwed in/driven ready-made, or poured into the formwork and are monolithic.
Disadvantages: difficult to predict his behavior. Moreover, both deep and shallow. With a shallow foundation, everything depends on winter and the degree of soil saturation with water, which is impossible to predict and calculate. When buried deep, there is also a problem: it is not known what is under each of the piles. After all, geological surveys cannot be done at all points. And in those areas where the soil has a complex layered structure, it is quite possible to get into some kind of pocket, due to which the pile will not behave as expected. Also in the case of piles or deeply buried columns, it is necessary to remember about lateral heaving forces. They may well break long and thin piles or pillars. Therefore, on problematic soils, strong formwork (metal, asbestos) is used for piles and they are also reinforced: when making pillars, a steel pipe coated with a primer is inserted inside, around which the masonry is laid. It is also possible to lay reinforcing belts. When making bored piles, three or four reinforcement rods must be inserted inside, which add strength to them. Building a veranda with your own hands on a pile foundation can be done quickly and inexpensively, but the risks on heaving soils are great.
Monolithic: strip and slab
If you are going to build a veranda from brick, rubble or other similar heavy materials, and even with heavy cladding, you need a monolithic foundation. You will have to either cast a tape or make a slab. They are made according to all the rules without any exceptions: with formwork, reinforcement, vibration, etc. Completely based on technology.
When building such a foundation, it can already be connected to the main one: you will have to build it to the same depth and, most likely, it will behave stably.
Advantages: high reliability and stability. Disadvantages: significant cost and lengthy construction process.
Bedding
If the house is located on dry soils or in a region where frost heaving is just a horror story, if it does not have a base, a veranda attached to the house can do without a foundation. In this case, the fertile layer is removed along with the vegetation, the bottom of the pit is compacted, then crushed stone is filled in, compacted, then sand, which is also compacted. On this base you can already lay a flooring: wooden, paving slabs or slabs.
A veranda attached to a house can be without a foundation
One “but”: the racks on which the roof will rest still need to be strengthened in some way. Small piles are made for them or columns are laid (from approximately the same depth where they began laying crushed stone under the flooring).
How thick should I make the bedding? It depends, firstly, on the thickness of the fertile layer, and secondly, on the choice of floor covering. If these are wooden panels (as in the photo), you need to choose the layers so that they lie flush with the ground. If you are planning to lay paving slabs, you will have to consider their thickness. Although, it can be raised slightly above ground level to separate it from the yard. But then they put a border along the edge.
In this photo, the open veranda is attached to the house without a foundation - it’s more like a summer shed with a polycarbonate roof and an open wooden fence
How to attach the stand and bottom trim
Work on the construction of the veranda frame begins after the foundation concrete (if used) has gained some strength. 50% of the calculated value is enough, and this at a temperature of +20° C will happen in 4-5 days. Then, on top of the concrete, in those places where the posts or trim will be attached, two layers of waterproofing are laid. It can be roofing felt, roofing felt, folded in half. You can coat it twice with bitumen mastic or use other modern materials.
Then there are two ways:
- secure the racks and then the harness;
- first the strapping, there are stands for them.
If the first option is chosen, special holders are inserted into the foundation when pouring. These can be different devices (see photo), but the most convenient is a metal plate in the form of an inverted letter “P”, to the bottom of which a pin is welded, which is walled up in the foundation. A stand is inserted into this plate (the end must be treated with an antiseptic), its level is checked, and secured with bolts or nails.
How to attach posts to the foundation
After all the posts have been positioned and secured, the framing bars are nailed between them.
With the second option, the situation is different: the racks will have to be attached to the harness. The strapping beam is attached first. It is more convenient to do this if studs are embedded into the concrete at some intervals. Then holes are made in the beam in the right places, it is put on studs and secured with bolts. Then, using one of the methods suggested in the photo, the racks are installed.
Options for attaching racks to strapping beams
Any of these methods does not exclude the use of metal corners. They make the fastening more reliable, which is very important in this case. After all, the racks will support the roof, as well as the walls or fence.
Attaching the joist to the harness
They can be mounted on top of the harness, or at the same level with its top edge. You need to decide exactly how you will do this at the very beginning of the work: this will determine at what level it will be necessary to attach the support beam to the wall of the house (the height of the joists is taken into account or not). Methods for attaching floor joists are shown in the photo below.
How to attach floor joists to the frame
Attaching the roof of the veranda
The porch attached to the house is usually covered with the same type of roofing as the crowbar. There may be several options, and the organization of the roof connection depends on how and to which wall you attach it. If the roof is a continuation of the roof slope of the house, you need to join two rafter systems. In this case, they say that the roof of the veranda is adjacent to the roof of the house.
Then the procedure is as follows:
- The top trims are attached to the veranda posts.
- Transverse ceiling beams are nailed to the frame. The ceiling is then sewn to them.
- The long rafter legs of the house are shortened. They should not protrude beyond the wall.
- Veranda rafters are made from planed boards, which are cut at an angle from the roof side so that they adjoin the existing ones (see photo below). To make it easier to work, you can make a template, according to which you can then prepare the rafters on the ground. The rafter legs are attached to the house system through nails; metal reinforcing pads can be placed on the sides.
- To increase the rigidity of the structure, spacers (anti-snow supports) are installed between the rafters of the house and the extension. They are shown in the photo explaining the design.
If the width of the veranda is more than 2 meters or heavy roofing material will be used, spacers are installed to prevent the support beam from sagging. It is better not to nail them on the side, but rather to insert them between the ceiling beam and the rafter leg.
In order to prevent the roof from sagging, spacers are installed between the ceiling beams and rafters
More often it turns out that the roof of the veranda attached to the house is adjacent to the wall. In this case, a groove is made in the wall, a special wall profile is placed in it, the other side of which is laid on the roof covering. The place where it joins the wall is sealed with sealant.
The second option differs only in the shape of the wall profile: it can be made independently from a sheet of roofing iron. This design is distinguished by the presence of a beam, which allows you to move the bend away from the wall of the house and cover possible errors when laying roofing material at the junction. Also, in this option, the apron is not attached directly to the wall material, but to a beam with a beveled edge, mounted in the groove.
The second option for connecting the roof of the extension to the wall of the house
Some questions may arise about how to attach the rafters to the outer top frame, because its dimensions do not allow making cuts, as on the mauerlat. The solution is the usual: using corners (see photo). Instead of corners, you can use small cross-section bars.
Maybe not the most elegant solution, but reliable. After everything is covered with roofing on top, clapboards will be added underneath, they will not be visible.
The opportunity to be at home and outdoors at the same time, to enjoy the surrounding nature and not get wet in the rain, to sunbathe and barbecue, to set up a winter garden, to relax with the whole family - all these desires become possible thanks to the ancient invention of architects, which is still popular today. Even to a finished house, you can add a terrace with your own hands without spending significant money.
What is a terrace, its types
An area near the house or in the garden, equipped for comfortable relaxation, usually adjacent to one of the walls of the house, traditionally raised above ground level, with decking and a canopy - this is the standard definition of a terrace. In fact, there are many types of terraces. To choose the appropriate option for your site, you should understand the differences and subtleties of the different types of these sites.
Type
The division into main groups is made according to design features and degree of openness, as well as location on the site. The choice of site type is influenced by the purpose and surrounding natural conditions, for example, strong winds or the presence of a reservoir.
Open
For mild climates and if you want to relax in the fresh air, an outdoor terrace is perfect. It is made without walls and roof, which allows you to enjoy the proximity of nature. For privacy, you can place tall plants or decorative elements on such an area, make a glass fence, and install balusters and railings.
Sun rays and precipitation will fall on furniture and other interior elements, so it is better to choose sofas and armchairs from a material that is not damaged by water and does not fade.
It is better to put interior items in the house for the winter
Half-open
Today is a sunny day and I want an open area, but in the evening it will rain and get colder. In this case, a good solution would be a compromise between a veranda protected on all sides and a terrace open to the sun and fresh air. Semi-open options come without a roof, but surrounded by walls and with a canopy in combination with a different number of walls and partitions, columns.
The most advanced version of such a private recreation area is a structure with sliding glass or plastic walls and a canopy. When conditions change, you can close the doors and find yourself in a room completely protected from the weather.
If you want to isolate yourself from indiscreet glances, you can use curtains and drapes, place pots with indoor plants, hang flower pots, and plant hedges around
Closed
If the weather conditions in the region are difficult and change frequently, then the optimal solution would be to build a closed terrace on which you can relax and enjoy the countryside landscape even in winter. This is an entire room with walls and a ceiling, a canopy or a roof, it can be heated and has a separate entrance from the street or from the house.
Winter gardens are often installed in a closed terrace, and to make the area more open in the summer, sliding frames and walls are installed
By location
The terrace can be located deep in the garden, near a pond or pool, or adjacent to the house. Depending on their location, recreation areas have their own design features and nuances of decor and lighting.
Ground
A beautiful garden area can be built directly on the ground by carrying out preparatory work to strengthen and level the base for the terrace. A light canopy will shade and create privacy, wicker furniture will provide comfort, and garden plants and flowers around will give aroma and fusion with nature.
To protect the terrace from the wind, you can install light partitions
Advantages of soil construction:
- ease and speed of construction;
- minimal financial costs;
- openness of space and closeness to nature.
Among the disadvantages are:
- exposure to bad weather, possibility of flooding;
- the need to treat materials with antiseptics;
- not recommended for unstable and difficult soils;
- You need a flat area.
Ground
These decks are slightly raised above the ground and are mounted on joists or a concrete base. The finishing material for flooring is traditionally decking board, which looks great and does not rot, has no splinters, is safe and pleasant to walk barefoot.
Advantages of ground-based sites:
- can be either open, closed or combined;
- low financial costs;
- the flooring protects from water and dust;
- Great possibilities for design and decoration;
- does not require fencing due to its low height.
There are also relative disadvantages:
- the need to arrange a foundation;
- wooden parts require special processing.
The terrace flooring should be 5 cm below the level of the threshold of the house so that melted snow and rain do not enter the room
Exalted
Such terraces are raised above ground level to a height of half a meter, have steps, fencing or walls, and partitions. This is the optimal solution for difficult terrain and sloping areas, houses with a high base and porch, and if you want to build a multi-level area for comfortable relaxation. The advantages of this terrace are:
- the possibility of useful use of space with a slope or height differences;
- possibility of constructing multi-stage complex structures.
Overhanging
If there is a natural reservoir, pool or pond next to the estate, then building an overhanging terrace would be a good solution. It is also recommended for difficult terrain and a large slope near the house. Overhanging structures are very popular in mountain resort areas and estates with beautiful views. Pros of an overhanging terrace:
- allows you to enjoy the proximity of water;
- the possibility of beneficial use of areas with complex terrain;
- stunning view, the site seems to be floating in the air.
The disadvantages of an overhanging structure are the complexity of construction and the significant cost of the estimate, the need for fencing for safe recreation
What can you build from?
Various materials are used for construction; the choice depends on the purpose and the presence of walls and roof. Heavy structural elements will require a stronger frame and a solid foundation. On the market you can find special weather-resistant and expensive materials for outdoor use, and if you have a limited budget, use cheap ones at hand.
Base and floor
For light open ground and ground galleries, it is enough to make a gravel-sand cushion. During its construction, gravel or crushed stone of medium fraction and sand are used, and geotextiles are laid between these layers. The geo-fabric will prevent sand from mixing with crushed stone and subsidence of the base, as well as strengthen and level the soil and prevent weeds from growing onto the terrace.
More substantial wooden platforms are traditionally built on a base of metal screw piles, concrete supports, screeds and a lower frame made of wooden beams and logs.
For closed massive structures with a roof, the following types of foundation are suitable:
- tape;
- pile;
- screw.
The strip and pile type is made from concrete grade M-300, sand, water and a plasticizer, which is liquid soap. Reinforcement is performed using a rod, metal mesh or available materials. When installing formwork, you will need boards and bars for supports, and installing piles involves using roofing felt with permanent formwork and waterproofing.
The screw foundation is mounted from steel piles with blades at the bottom
The floor of the dirt terrace is not laid at all, furniture is placed and people enjoy relaxing in good weather. You can lay out the site:
- paving slabs;
- tile stone;
- sprinkle with small sea pebbles of different colors.
A frame is mounted on top of any foundation and logs made of timber measuring 50x150 mm, aluminum profile or WPC for decking are laid.
It is recommended to finish the decking with decking boards, specially designed for the street. It looks neat and imitates natural wood of valuable and expensive varieties, has a rich palette of textures and shades, and provides ample opportunities for stylish design of a recreation area.
To fasten deck boards you need to use galvanized or steel nails
Advantages of this material:
- does not rot, does not fade, does not burn;
- does not deform under the influence of water and heat: does not warp or swell;
- service life is at least 30 years;
- absolutely environmentally friendly and safe, it’s pleasant to walk on it barefoot;
- affordable price, ease of installation;
- Can be washed and cleaned with detergents.
Regular floorboards are also used for flooring. Wood is inexpensive, this is its advantage, but there are also disadvantages:
- under the influence of moisture, fungus and mold form on it, insects appear, dark spots appear, then the wood is destroyed;
- the boards become deformed due to water, and dry out when exposed to dry air;
- fire hazard.
To make it last longer, you should treat the board with antiseptic impregnation and cover it with several layers of weather-resistant or yacht varnish, and also choose species that are resistant to outdoor conditions, for example, larch.
Clinker or ceramic tiles for outdoor work and natural stone look great on the terrace. It is advisable to choose unglazed and non-slip coating options. Stamped concrete is an innovative material consisting of monolithic concrete, printed with polyurethane molds to create various textures on its surface.
Stamped concrete imitates wood, stone, paving stones, ceramics
Frame
The frame is the basis for the roof and future walls of the closed terrace; it bears the main weight load, so for the strength of the frame, either a thick wooden beam or a metal profile is chosen. For lightweight platforms, metal-plastic structures can be used.
Treatment of wooden parts is carried out with fungicidal impregnation and varnish or paint for external use.
The standard size of timber for support posts is 100x100 mm or 150x150 mm; the species you should choose are larch or oak, conifers. Aspen, birch or beech are not suitable for building a frame, as they are quickly destroyed by water. The support posts are reinforced with braces, which reduce the load on the supports and give the structure additional rigidity and stability. For these works, timber with dimensions of 50x100 mm is taken.
Canopy
Often a lightweight canopy is installed on the terrace. It can be made of tarpaulin or other waterproof fabric, polycarbonate, wood, glass. The canopy can be mounted flat or with slopes, semicircular in shape, or complex configuration. When building massive verandas, you will need support posts 150x150 mm, a rafter system made of wood or metal and roll waterproofing, as well as roofing material.
Soft roofing requires a continuous sheathing; it is used for domed roofs and tents
Polycarbonate is suitable as a roofing material. It is light, transparent, tolerates low temperatures well, and can take a curved shape. Corrugated sheeting is inexpensive and easy to install.
Partitions
For semi-open and closed areas, it is necessary to install partitions and walls that will create privacy and protect from bad weather. Most often they are made of wood, they can be solid or carved, in the form of lattice or low. With the help of partitions, the site is zoned into several corners with different purposes, for example, a summer kitchen and dining area are separated from the recreation area.
Enclosed terraces look great with full-height glass walls, which are equipped with sliding mechanisms for opening on a fine day
How to make a terrace with your own hands
Building a terrace with your own hands will not take much time and is quite within the capabilities of even a novice master.
Drawings and projects
If the main building has already been built and the terrace was not included in the project initially, you can design it later by drawing a detailed plan indicating all dimensions and location on the site.
The owners of ready-made terraces post designs of their creations for public use on the Internet
If the terrace is attached to the house, then the length is taken as the length of the area adjacent to the house
The flooring area is determined by multiplying the length by the width. For example, for a terrace with dimensions of 3x4 m, the area will be 12 m². Marking and construction rules:
- Decking consumption for finishing should be increased by 15%, making provision for waste. We round 13.8 m² to 14 and get the consumption of decking boards or other finishing material.
- The consumption of fasteners per 1 m² will be 22 clips and 4 starting fasteners per 1 linear meter. m. Each fastener has a hole for a self-tapping screw. Thus, for 12 m² you need to take 240 clips and 24 starters, 264 screws.
- Along the perimeter of the finished flooring, the ends of the boards are covered with end tape or a corner. The perimeter is 14 m.
- For the base you will need 3 main beams of 3 m each, logs that are laid in increments of 35 cm, for 1 m² you will need to take 3 linear meters of logs. The standard log length from the manufacturer is 4 m. With an area of 12 m², you will need to buy 9 logs, 4 m long. In addition, you will need crushed stone, sand, and concrete supports.
- Concrete pillars are dug in or poured to a depth of 40 to 60 cm every 1.5 m. The size of the supports is 40x40 cm, 9 supports will be needed.
- The height of the terrace should be slightly less than the height of the first floor of the main building to allow for a slope under the canopy. If the height of the house is 3 m, the height of the terrace will be 2.5 m.
- We calculate the supporting posts of the frame using support blocks along the perimeter of the site, you will get 8 posts of 2.5 m each. 16 m of 50x100 mm timber will be used for braces on both sides of each post.
- A shed roof covers spans up to 4.5 m; for longer lengths, it is necessary to strengthen the structure with purlins and rafter legs. The pitch between rafters made from boards should be 60–120 cm, from timber 100–175 cm, from thick timber 150–200 cm. With a pitch of 80 cm, you will need 5 rafters of 3.5 m in length and dimensions of 50x200 mm, waterproofing 12 m² plus a margin for an overhanging canopy, a total of 14 m².
- For the sheathing you need boards 25x100 mm. Roofing material must be taken with a reserve for the canopy, which will be 14 m².
Wooden with canopy
The project has been selected, the drawing is available, and now construction work can begin. Let's take an example of all the stages of installing a wooden terrace with a canopy, one of the most affordable and popular options.
For construction, you should prepare the following tools and consumables:
- tape measure, level, pencil, ruler;
- shovel, hammer, hacksaw;
- sand, crushed stone, water;
- fasteners, screwdriver, drill with attachments;
- timber, waterproofing, roofing material, boards;
- decking and accessories for it;
- antiseptic impregnation, varnish or paint for exterior use.
Preparing the base and floor
Stages of preparatory work:
- The site is marked according to the diagram, the perimeter is outlined, and the locations of the support blocks are marked. The top fertile layer of soil is removed. Stones and debris are removed. Holes are dug for the support blocks, sand and crushed stone are poured onto the bottom.
The layer of crushed stone and sand in the pit should be 10 cm
- Ready-made supports are installed on the pillow; they should protrude 15 cm above the surface to ventilate the flooring. For waterproofing, they are coated with bitumen mortar and wrapped in roofing felt. You can make permanent formwork from roofing felt and pour concrete pillars. The support beam is mounted horizontally to the wall of the house 5 cm below the floor level.
The timber is secured with anchor bolts every 60 cm
- Beams are installed and fixed on the supports with reinforcement and fasteners, all junction points are waterproofed, logs are placed on top, attached to the support beam and beams, and the strapping is knocked down.
- A terrace or regular floorboard is laid and fastened across the joists.
The ends of the decking boards are covered with corners
- The floorboard is sanded and impregnated with stain and antiseptic, and varnished in several layers.
Construction of the frame
Canopy
For a wooden terrace attached to a house, the optimal solution would be a pitched roof with a slope of 5–10º. Installation includes the following steps:
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate has flexibility, transparency and lightness, is available in various shades, and is durable. Thanks to these qualities, it is often used for the construction of terraces, where it is an excellent alternative to wood and metal.
Polycarbonate is easy and quick to install with your own hands
Required materials and tools
To work, the master will need:
- shovel, tape measure, level;
- crushed stone, sand, concrete M-300, water;
- wood or metal for the frame: profile pipe 80x80 for the main posts, 40x20 for the truss, embedded parts for the base;
- polycarbonate transparent or matte;
- welding machine;
- fasteners: bolts, nuts, hardware;
- drill, screwdriver, circular saw, construction knife.
Preparing the base and floor
For lightweight polycarbonate, a metal frame and a columnar base are sufficient. Installation is carried out as follows:
Construction of the frame
Stages of work:
Canopy and walls
If the terrace is planned to be open, then it is enough to make a fence to the desired height. For semi-open and closed recreation areas, walls, partitions and a canopy are installed. Work order:
Video: building a wooden terrace
Photo gallery: arrangement and decor of the terrace
It’s easy and inexpensive to expand the usable space and create a recreation area near your home with your own hands. The result is a comfortable outdoor living or dining area where the whole family will enjoy spending nice summer days.
Having settled in a little in a new house and put the garden in order, almost every homeowner begins to dream of an additional extension. Some people need to expand the dining area, while others just want to relax on a spacious veranda. For its construction, you can choose any high-quality material: brick, wood, cinder blocks or products made from cellular concrete. A veranda for a house made of foam blocks with your own hands will have the best characteristics.
Before starting the construction of a new part of the main building, you need to clearly know the size and type of foundation, as well as the condition of the walls, roof and soil. In addition, it would not be superfluous to draw up a project for the future veranda or at least a clear drawing. At this stage, you need to decide whether the integrity of the roof will be compromised or not, how the veranda will connect to the house and think about the entrance to it. Only after all these actions can you begin construction work directly.
Laying the foundation for the veranda and erecting walls
Before you begin constructing the foundation of a future building, you need to know at what depth the main foundation is located. For this, a pit is made with dimensions of 1 * 1 m. Its depth should be sufficient to have an idea of the old foundation of the house. The best option for laying a base for a veranda is a foundation of the same type and size as the main one. If this cannot be done for some reason, then it is necessary to create a good expansion joint. The sequence of its bookmarking is as follows:
- A short distance of about 5 cm is left between the foundations, where boards pre-wrapped in roofing material are laid.
- At this stage of laying the blocks, a gap of 2 cm is left between the walls adjacent to each other, which is filled with insulation and sealant. After all work is completed, the resulting seam is covered with panels. Mineral wool is perfect as an insulating material.
As for the foundation, most often for foam concrete buildings they make a shallow strip foundation, but for the construction of a veranda another option is suitable - a columnar one made of brick. This type of foundation is not only quite durable but also economical financially and in terms of labor costs.
After laying the foundation, you can safely move on to laying the walls; it is absolutely similar to ordinary foam concrete or brick.
Features of veranda construction
A special place in the construction of the box walls of an additional extension is the installation of lintels. For the veranda, special ones are more suitable - U-shaped, they are quite light. Using them, the foundation is not affected by critical loads. Thanks to such lintels, it is possible to make openings more than 1.5 m long; to make them you will need reliable U-shaped foam concrete, metal and wooden formwork, commercial heavy concrete mortar and, of course, reinforcement with a diameter of 10 mm.
First, blocks of a special shape are installed, then formwork, after which reinforcement is placed in a pre-prepared foam block groove, the final stage of making a lintel is pouring the resulting structure with concrete, which is carefully compacted and leveled.
As for any structure made of lightweight concrete, a foam block veranda requires an armored belt; it will add rigidity to the entire structure and protect its walls from cracking and destruction. For its construction you will need the same materials as for creating a specific jumper. The technology for filling the armored belt is similar to filling the same jumper.
Another significant feature of the extension is its connection to the main building; reinforcement is used for this purpose. To make such a rigid connection, it is necessary to cut out small grooves measuring 3*3 cm and 5 cm deep in every third row of the foam concrete wall; reinforcement is inserted into them and filled with concrete mortar or a special adhesive. A hole is also drilled in the load-bearing wall of the house, the second end of the reinforcing bar is inserted and concreted. With the help of such a connection, the subsidence of the veranda made of cellular concrete will be reduced to almost zero.
The construction of a foam concrete veranda next to a wooden house deserves special attention. This is due to the different densities of materials and types of foundations. As a rule, they are lighter under wooden structures, such differences can lead to excessive and uneven shrinkage of both structures. Such specific construction should only take place under the guidance of experienced builders in the field.
Conclusion
By choosing high-quality foam concrete products as the main wall material for an extension at an affordable price, you get a guarantee of the durability and reliability of your future veranda.
