Basement brick: how to choose and lay out?

Significant loads from a residential (and not only) building are assumed not only by the foundation, but also by the basement. In addition, the latter is exposed to negative external factors such as precipitation, like the facade of the construction. That is why it is so important to select high-quality and durable materials for the base that will serve for many years without problems. Today we will take a closer look at such a building material as a basement brick, and learn how to properly lay it.

Before looking for a specific type of brick for building a basement, you should find out what requirements it must meet.

• Such building material must have sufficient density and rigidity. Products that are too plastic and fragile will not work. A suitable brick should not be deformed under severe stress.
• The brick for the base must be resistant to wear and tear. He should not be "afraid" of atmospheric precipitation. In addition, this building material must be moisture resistant. Otherwise, it will not last long and will quickly begin to collapse.
• These building materials should not be afraid of low temperatures and frost. The water absorption of the basement brick should be as low as possible. Otherwise, the building material will simply crack and fail.
• The building material for the basement must have standard dimensional parameters. If the material meets this requirement, then its installation will be simple and quick, and an inexperienced home craftsman can handle it.
• The brick for the basement must necessarily differ in a sufficiently good and reliable adhesion to the mortar chosen for construction work.
• The product must be environmentally friendly. The use of toxic products will not be the best solution.
• It makes no sense to buy too expensive brick for the basement. This building material must have an adequate price.
• The type of basement brick is also important. It should be aesthetic and attractive.

Brick basement structures are made in order to:

• to provide full protection of wall bases from low temperatures and destructive moisture getting into their structure;
• form the correct horizontal plane for the subsequent execution of the masonry;
• evenly distribute the loads on the foundation;
• provide the required floor level of the lowest floor;
• to make the technical underground higher;
• make the construction more aesthetic and solid.

For the construction of a basement structure, you can use different types of bricks. Consider the characteristics of the most popular and frequently encountered options.

Very often, when designing a basement, it is silicate brick that is used. Such a building material is characterized by high strength, but at the same time it has an impressive weight, so it is not always convenient to work with it. The level of water absorption of silicate is approximately 8-16%. Such products are made in accordance with the technology of pressing from a special composition prepared from quartz sand and lime. Very strong and durable blocks are obtained from such components.However, they also have one serious drawback - they differ in a rather low water resistance.

According to experts, the specified building material will not work for the middle lane. Even if in such circumstances the walls of the house are made of reliable sand-lime bricks, the basement is usually made of more water-resistant materials.

Often in the construction of basement structures, craftsmen turn to the popular clay brick. This building material is produced using heat treatment technology, that is, it is “baked”.

Clay brick is good because it is more water resistant, especially when compared with silicate products. But it must be borne in mind that it does not matter at all whether this material is corpulent or hollow - both options will actively absorb moisture into their structure. This quality affects the frost resistance of brick structures. In the event of freezing in the pores, the water begins to expand, and therefore destroy the material itself.

If you are choosing clay bricks for making a basement, then you better rely on their brand. Products with different markings also have different characteristics. For example, some models are frost-resistant, while others are not prepared for low temperatures. For example, bricks of the M150 brand can easily withstand more than 60 freeze and thaw cycles. The higher the brand number, the higher the frost resistance.

Ceramic acid-resistant brick can boast of excellent performance characteristics. He has the following qualities:

• resistant to moisture and moisture;
• "Is not afraid" of temperature changes;
• is frost-resistant;
• it has a fairly low water absorption;
• has good soundproofing qualities;
• it has good thermal insulation.

This common building material is characterized by a high density, making it permissible to build even multi-storey structures from it. Another important feature of ceramic bricks is its resistance to hazardous environments. This quality is very important for the basement, because both in the soil and in atmospheric precipitation there are various chemically active components.

The degree of water absorption of clinker bricks reaches 3-5%. Like the popular clinker tiles, this building material is made from special types of clay in accordance with the technology of single firing in a high temperature environment.

The load-bearing capacity of clinker bricks is much higher than that of standard red building material. In addition, it has good decorative qualities and color stability. Many companies provide a guarantee for these products up to 100 years. However, one must bear in mind that such products are more expensive than other options.

If you want to build a neat and high-quality base, then you will need to choose the appropriate brick for it. In this case, you should rely on the following important criteria.

• The same color and shape of the bricks in the batch. Be sure to pay attention to these parameters. If individual bricks in the package differ in their shade, then this will immediately catch the eye. Construction from such materials will look disharmonious. If the bricks differ in shape, then it will be almost impossible or extremely difficult to build the correct erection from them.
• Surface. Take a closer look at the surface of the bricks you pick up for the basement construction. It must be perfectly flat and intact - no cracks or chips should be visible on it. If such are still observed, then it is better to refuse to buy such products - perhaps they will not last a long time and will not withstand serious loads under the weight of the same brick house.

• Colors. Look at the color of the bricks. It not only has to be the same for all bricks. The color of these building materials should be bright and uniform enough. There should be no dull and whitish areas.
• Price. Of course, every consumer wants to save money and buy not only high-quality, but also inexpensive brick. Be careful here. Suspiciously low cost materials may be of low quality and not designed for heavy loads.
• Trade point. It is necessary to purchase bricks for the construction of the basement at proven retail outlets known in your city. It is better to refuse bazaar and shop products - they are rarely really high-quality and reliable. It is advisable to ask the seller for a quality certificate when buying, which will indicate all the characteristics of the building material. If your request was denied, then it is better not to risk it and go to another store.

It is quite possible to build a basement structure made of brick with your own hands. The main thing is to use only high-quality building materials and take into account all the features of such work. Let's get acquainted with them.

• It is important to take into account that the thickness of the basement structure will always depend on the materials from which the facade is made. If it is made of brick, then the width of the basement should be at least 51 cm.If we are talking about a log house, then a basement of 25 cm will be enough here.
• As a rule, masonry is made 1.5 or 2 bricks wide. The parameter for the total height of the base must be at least 30 cm.
• To lay the brick correctly and reliably, it is advised to use a cement mortar with a grade of at least M200 with lime and sifted sand. The proportions should be as follows: 1 part of cement to 6.7 sand, as well as 0.7 clay or lime.

• It is important to monitor the consistency of the composition. It should be as thick as dough. For 1 part of cement, about 0.8 part of water is usually taken. In order to make the overly liquid composition thicker, it is permissible to mix more lime or clay into it. Also, experts advise mixing a small part of plasticizers (it is allowed to use washing powder in the role of these components).
• In order to effectively waterproof the basement structure, you can use sheets of roofing material or roofing felt. They need to overlay the base, covered with bituminous mastic. The waterproofing is laid in 2 layers with the addition in the form of the same mastic.
• The brick base must be properly insulated with suitable coatings.
• In order for the outside of the basement to be reliably protected from adverse external factors and atmospheric precipitation, it will need to be completed with a high-quality finish. It will not only protect the structure, but also make it more attractive and aesthetic.

Before starting construction work, be sure to make sure that the foundation is horizontal. Moreover, it does not matter at all what kind of foundation was built on the site - tape, columnar or any other. In its correct execution, you will need to make sure in any case.

If you have chosen a silicate brick for the construction of the basement, then you should remember that, although it is very durable, it quickly absorbs liquid, after which it swells and loses its strength qualities. It is recommended to use this building material only if you live in a region with a fairly dry climate. In this case, you will need to take care of good waterproofing of the basement structure.

If you still could not find the perfect brick for organizing the basement, then it can be built from concrete.

Before proceeding directly to the installation work, you should calculate how much you need to buy building material. To do this, it is permissible to use online calculators and services on construction portals, or try to do all the calculations yourself.Of course, in most cases, people turn to the first method, because it is much more difficult to make a mistake.

Experts strongly recommend purchasing a brick for a basement with a small margin, given the possibility of collision with defective parts or damage during transportation.

Basement bricks are often supplemented with all sorts of facing materials. Beautiful stonework is especially popular today. It looks harmoniously with most existing facades in different shades. Thanks to this addition, the home will look much more interesting.

Masonry mortar can be bought not only ready-made, but also prepared independently. For this, cement and sand are taken in a ratio of 1 to 3.

When equipping a basement structure made of bricks, the mortar should be laid in a thickness of no more than 1 cm. Observing this rule is especially important if the foundation of the building is made of reinforced concrete blocks.

Many users are interested in whether it is permissible to use a brick that was not fired during the manufacturing process for organizing the basement. Yes, the use of such building materials is allowed, but experts advise giving preference to blocks that have nevertheless transferred this procedure. It is recommended to apply to the use of unfired bricks only if it is not possible to purchase other materials.

Do not forget about the basement insulation if you are building a residential building. It should also be borne in mind that there are three types of basement structures - incoming, butt-to-end with external walls and recessed. The latter is always constructed for residential buildings at a depth of 6 cm below the outer wall foundations.

For information on how to choose and lay out a basement brick, see the next video.