Reconstruction of the basement "turnkey"

Determining the goals of reconstruction and repair
- Types of basement repairs
Make repairs in the basement: What should you pay attention to when repairing basements?
Prices for basement renovation
Features of basement repair in an apartment building
Features of repair in the administrative building
Features of basement renovation in a private house
Examples of work on the reconstruction and repair of the basement

Often it is the basement, which is characterized by high humidity and local leaks, that serves as a source of damage to the foundation, walls, floor slabs of the first floor, and other elements of the building. In this article, we will talk about how and when it is advisable to carry out the reconstruction and repair of the basement.

Determining the goals of reconstruction and repair

Many factors can serve as an indicator that repairs or reconstruction should be done in the basement. Here are some of these indicators:

Increased humidity. The main problem of all basements, from which their destruction begins, is a significant increase in humidity. This phenomenon can occur due to the penetration of water or moisture from the outside, as well as due to the formation of condensation on the cold wall inside the basement. Increased humidity can not only negatively affect the condition of the floor, walls, and ceiling of the basement, but also become a favorable environment for the development of mold, fungus, and pathogens. The air in such a room is usually unsuitable for breathing, and the fumes coming from the basement can negatively affect the health of the residents of the house.
Leaks. As a rule, if the waterproofing from the outside of the basement is missing or damaged, then water enters the room, which does not give its owner the opportunity to operate the room efficiently and leads to the destruction of concrete or brick structures of walls, foundations, and floors. Over time, under the negative influence of water, these elements may collapse, and cracks may form in the structure.
Cracks. The presence of cracks in various places in the basement is a direct indicator that the room needs urgent reconstruction. If there are cracks in the wall, foundation, or floor slab, repair measures should necessarily include sealing the cracks and eliminating the causes of their occurrence, for example, waterproofing or strengthening the structure.
The consequences of high humidity — are the occurrence of stagnation of water, which can also be provoked by insufficient protection of the basement from groundwater. In such cases, there are problems with communications, located in the basement, the active reproduction of insects that prefer a moist habitat begins, and at the same time, unpleasant odors are constantly released from the basement. In fact, condensate accumulation and groundwater activity are not the only causes of problems.
The desire to make repairs in the basement. Another reason for major reconstruction — is the desire of the owner of the premises to change its appearance or make it suitable for living or placing commercial or office premises in it.

The following factors can negatively affect the condition of the basement of a building:

Poor-quality ventilation of the room;
Poorly installed waterproofing;
Cracks in the walls and foundation of the house;
Failure of communications of a private or apartment building located in the basement.
Destruction of concrete or brick
Problems with water leaks

Depending on the causes and degree of damage to the basement, a choice is made in favor of one or another type of reconstruction or repair, among which current, cosmetic, partial, and capital works are known today. In order to avoid further destruction of the basement and the emergence of a direct threat to the lives of the residents of the house, work on the reconstruction of the facility should begin as early as possible. How to determine which type of repair is appropriate in a particular case?

Types of basement repairs

Current repairs involve regular inspections of the basement by a team of specialists. This type of work is the most effective since all damage to the room (if detected) is immediately eliminated.

We are talking about such minor defects as cracks in the slabs of walls and foundations, minor leaks, wetting of insulation, damage to the blind area, instability of communications, and not only. If the basement is regularly repaired, the room will be able to perform its tasks at a high level for several decades.
Cosmetic repairs involve, first of all, working with the decorative component of the basement. For example, basements in a private house are regularly plastered, and whitewash consisting of chalk and lime is applied to the walls in 2-3 layers. Such works allow not only return a pleasant appearance to the basement, but also reliably protect it from fungus, mold, and pathogenic bacteria.

The optimal time for cosmetic repairs— is spring or summer, depending on what purposes the basement is used for. For additional protection, the walls of the room are often covered with paint based on oil and polymeric substances. Provided there is good ventilation and waterproofing, such a basement can serve for quite a long time.
Partial repair. Often, one or more problems become the cause of damage to the room. In such cases, it is most correct to carry out partial repairs, aimed, for example, at restoring the ventilation system or eliminating the consequences of a communications accident. Partial repairs are usually accompanied by additional restoration work.

In the event of an accident related to the breakthrough of water supply pipes, both the restoration of the integrity of the damaged pipe and the pumping of water and drying of the basement are carried out. Partial reconstruction is considered the most common type of work and in most cases allows you to solve all the problems that have arisen.
Major repairs. In case of major repairs, we are talking about almost a complete reconstruction of the basement. The room completely gets rid of high humidity, as well as its causes and consequences. The ventilation system, communications, internal and external waterproofing, insulation, and other elements of the basement are being updated.

Sometimes, during major repairs in old buildings, measures are taken to strengthen the foundation and further strengthen the floor slab. If we talk about a private house, then in most cases capital works also include cosmetic reconstruction of the basement and, quite likely, its redevelopment.

Make repairs in the basement: What should you pay attention to when repairing basements?

Repair work in the basement should begin with getting rid of excess moisture and liquid available in the room, as well as with drying the workspace. Then, all elements of the basement are examined for damage, as this will help to determine the true cause of high humidity or leaks. In addition, it is extremely important to study in detail the state of groundwater in the territory, the prospect of flooding of the basement, as well as the features of the installed drainage system.

If the basement is characterized by a large area, then it would be most correct to equip a ventilation system of the supply and exhaust type, and its installation is necessarily carried out using special equipment. In most cases, repair work to restore the integrity of the basement and its elements is best entrusted to professionals.

Repair of basement waterproofing

The reconstruction of the waterproofing of the basement includes several stages. the process begins, as mentioned above, with the determination of the groundwater level and the prospects of flooding the basement, as well as with a thorough examination of the space.

At this stage, it is extremely important to examine every centimeter of the basement and all its elements and find all the damage that is currently present. It is also necessary to determine the places of leaks and areas where cracks have appeared. Special attention is always paid to cold seams, seams between blocks, areas of mold and mildew, and joints between the floor, walls, and ceiling. All the defects, even the smallest ones, should be marked and subsequently worked out.

If water has accumulated in the basement, then it should be pumped out. Without performing this process, it is not allowed to proceed with the reconstruction of waterproofing. Then the work surfaces are cleaned of dust and all kinds of dirt. Also, facing and plaster materials are removed from the walls, floor, and ceiling. Upon completion of surface cleaning, the basement should consist only of concrete, brick, or other original foundations. Poor-quality cleaning of the basement will provoke a low level of installed waterproofing.

All cracks present on the surfaces are expanded, cleaned of dust, and then sealed. Also, an obligatory step is the application of a primer, which will help increase the degree of adhesion of the waterproofing to the base. In addition, priming allows you to strengthen the walls of the basement.

Before performing the following steps, you should wait for the primer to dry completely. In the next stage, the selection and direct installation of waterproofing materials are carried out. For hydrophobic treatment of the basement from the inside, injection methods of waterproofing or compositions capable of withstanding negative water pressure are most often used.

Important: When repairing or restoring waterproofing, it is recommended to call specialized specialists with experience in the field of waterproofing from our or another organization. It is experience waterproofing specialists who will help you choose the right waterproofing technology and choose the high-quality materials for application.

You can read more about the repair of various seams and cracks in the basement in the article:

You can read more about the methods of repairing basement waterproofing in the following articles:

Repair of basement walls

The basement walls of a building can collapse under the influence of high humidity, water, or an aggressive environment (salts and minerals in the soil and water). This process is especially pronounced when the basement walls are not protected by waterproofing from the outside of a building or a private house. In this case, it is likely that the walls will saturate moisture or water, which in the cold season begins to freeze in the thickness of the wall and expand, and in the warm thaw, forming microcracks, pores, and capillaries in the thickness of the wall.

Therefore, if defects are found in the form of wet spots, efflorescences, salty deposits, leaks, cracks, and other problems, it is not worth pulling with the reconstruction of the basement walls. Repairs should be started immediately upon detection of the first damage to the walls. Moreover, experts often point out that partial repair of the basement in such situations is impractical, since if major repairs are not carried out, then further destruction in undamaged areas is only a matter of time.

In the absence of proper experience in carrying out repair work in basements, it is better to order the reconstruction of the basement walls on a turnkey basis from a construction company. Professionals will provide not only high-quality repairs but also the safety of the foundation of the building, which is often associated with the walls of the basement.

You can read more about waterproofing the foundation and basement walls in the following articles:

Repair of the ceiling in the basement

When measures are taken to reconstruct the basement, there are often situations when the ceiling of this room requires not just the application of plaster and painting, but such actions as waterproofing, repairing cracks, or strengthening the ceiling structure, or rather, the floor slabs.

Repair of cracks in the ceiling:

When cracks are detected, the crack should be stitched, then the repair compound is compacted in layers into the indenting. If the crack is serious, it is recommended, in addition to surface repairs, to carry out injection measures into the concrete thickness in the crack location area, so that the injection resin fills all voids, capillaries, and pores inside the concrete itself.

Ceiling reinforcement:

If during the reconstruction there are suspicions or expert opinions that the cracks on the ceiling are through or dynamic, and there are problems with the bearing capacity of the beams or walls of the foundation, then in this case it is necessary, in addition to all other repair measures, to strengthen the ceiling with specially installed channels, I-beams and supports.

Waterproofing of the ceiling:

If for some reason the ceiling in the basement leaks, then it is necessary to perform a set of works related to its protection from water. It is recommended to take such measures from the outside of the floor slab in order to solve the root of the problem with the impact of water on the base. If there is no access from the outside, then special mineral-acrylic waterproofing is applied to the ceiling, which can withstand negative water pressure from the outside to the inside. If the situation with leaks is serious, then in addition to applying to waterproof, the body of the concrete structure should be injected.

You can read more about the waterproofing of the ceiling in the following articles:

Waterproofing of the ceiling: Types of materials and technology of their application
Waterproofing of floor slabs: Methods and materials

Renovation of the basement floor

The features of the reconstruction of the basement floor are determined by what material is made of. Let’s consider the technology of floor repair in the example of concrete pavement. Indicators that the floor needs reconstruction may be areas where concrete is peeling or crumbling, cracks of various widths and depths, as well as potholes and other surface defects.

Among the causes of damage to the floor — are corrosion damage to the reinforcement, heaving of the soil, too strong mechanical loads, and not only. What are the steps involved in the repair of the basement floor on a turnkey basis?

The reconstruction of the floor can be either partial or complete. Complete dismantling of the old coating is relevant in cases where serious damage is observed on it. Partial repairs are also suitable for eliminating individual defects. In any case, the work begins with beating off the damaged sections of concrete and stripping the surface.

Cracks, the width of which exceeds 2 mm, are cut on 5-6 sm to the depth and 2-3 sm to the width. The resulting triangular-shaped recess is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, treated with a primer, and filled with a specialized composition. The entire floor surface should be cleaned of dirt, grease, and oil stains, and paint. After cleaning, the surface is leveled using putty, as well as a grinding machine and other equipment.

Upon completion of the preparatory stage, waterproofing material is laid on the floor. Most often, roll-type compositions are used, laid in compliance with an overlap of 10-15 sm. After waterproofing, a layer of expanded clay is laid and leveled, a reinforcing mesh, fragments of which are connected with a wire, as well as a screed. The screed level can be controlled using special markers.

Concreting of the floor should start from the far wall. It is necessary to get rid of markers immediately after the concrete seizes, and the resulting holes need to be sealed with concrete mortar. Hydrophobic impregnation a d acrylic-based paint can be applied on top of concrete. Often the owners of private houses cover the concrete surface with linoleum.

For more information about the repair and waterproofing of the basement floor, you can read the article – “Waterproofing of the basement floor of the house: Methods, installation technologies, and materials”.

Prices for basement renovation

Below is the price list, which shows the prices for the reconstruction of the basement on a turnkey basis.

Description of the service	Unit of measurement	Price of works in $
General construction works
Ground work (deepening of the fall or excavation of the soil)	m³	190
Work to strengthen the foundation	m²	120
Work on strengthening the floor slab	running meter	210
Arrangement of thermal insulation	m²	30
Waterproofing and repair work
Injection waterproofing arrangement	m²	190
Roll insulation arrangement	m²	40
Application of polymer-cement compositions	m²	60
Spraying of liquid rubber	m²	60
Sealing cracks	running meter	120
Sealing of cold joints	running meter	120
Finishing works
Dismantling of the ceiling skirting board	m²	5
Dismantling of the ceiling	m²	15
Ceiling sanding	m²	35
Ceiling arrangement	m²	35
Cleaning of tile seams (for walls)	m²	15
Dismantling of a brick wall	m²	43
Walls sanding	m²	7
Walls assembly of GVL (gypsum-fiber sheet) on glue	m²	40
Dismantling of the wooden floor	m²	15
Dismantling of linoleum	m²	7
Dismantling of the ceramic skirting board	m²	4
Floor primer	m²	6
Installation of concrete floors	m²	45
Rough repairs	m²	110
Cosmetic repairs	m²	160
Euro repairs	m	360

*The above prices may vary depending on the scope of work and their complexity.

Features of basement repair in an apartment building

The reconstruction of a basement in an apartment building — is a very responsible process, in which, one way or another, all residents of the house take part. The work begins with the identification of weak areas in need of repair.

Repairs in the basement of an apartment building may be associated with such problems as:

The need to strengthen the foundation and the floor slab;
Presence of cracks;
Destroyed sections of concrete, brick, or FBS blocks;
Water leaks into the basement or the presence of wet spots;
Fungus and mold in the basement of an apartment building;
Problem with pipes and communications;

Communications located in the basement may need to be dismantled and installed in a more suitable location. It is also extremely important for the basements of apartment buildings to be free of chemicals that are dangerous to human life and health. For this purpose, all seams and joints are sealed.

You can place an order for the repair of a basement in a turnkey of multi-storied house (MKD) in our construction company.

Features of repair in the administrative building

The overhaul of the basement in the administrative building is aimed at restoring the technical and consumer characteristics of the premises lost during its operation. Turnkey basement repair includes such processes as the dismantling of the floor, walls, and ceiling, replacement of the ventilation system, reinforcement of the floor slab, installation of partitions, elimination of unpleasant phenomena characteristic of basements (high humidity, mold, fungus, and so on), and some other points.

The overhaul of the basement of an administrative building takes much longer time than other types of repair work, therefore, experts recommend periodically ordering ongoing restoration work that will not allow the condition of the basement to be “started”. This is due to the fact that with timely detection and repair of damage, serious costs for carrying out a larger reconstruction can be avoided.

Features of basement renovation in a private house

When repairing a private house, it is necessary to pay attention to the integrity of the waterproofing, walls, floor, and ceiling of the room. In some cases, it may be necessary to replace the insulation and waterproofing of the basement. The sewer system, electricity, and all laid communications should work properly in the basement. Often owners of private houses prefer to decorate basements, regardless of what they are used for.

The walls can be painted or covered with wallpaper, and the floor and ceiling can be decorated with high-quality materials. Linoleum is often the best option for the arrangement of the floor. To create pleasant lighting, lamps are used that provide a regular supply of warm daylight. Floors and ceilings are also decorated with baseboards, for which special gaps are left at the stage of basement repair is its reliable protection from humidity and water, for which neither time nor financial resources should be spared.

Important: If the waterproofing of the basement of a private house is done with violations, then soon the expensive finishing done indoors will begin to peel off, swell and crack, which, in turn, will lead to large financial losses. That is why, before performing repairs in the basement of a private house, it is recommended to pay special attention to the issue of its protection from water, with the help of specialists in this field.