Protective and decorative finishing of the foundation of the house – stone, panels, siding

Protective and decorative finishing of the foundation of the house

In the construction of a country house, any detail is important. It doesn’t matter if you build walls, or just paint them – everything needs to be done with special persistence and accuracy. So, finishing the foundation of the house also requires increased attention, because the comfort of the premises and the strength of the building will directly depend on the choice of finishing materials. What modern methods of finishing the foundation exist? What to choose from the variety that the manufacturer offers today? And most importantly, which is better and why? Let’s figure it out.

Content

• Paneling the foundation – a fresh look at simple things
• Finishing the foundation with siding – an old friend is better than the new two
• Facing stone – classic always in fashion

Paneling the foundation – a fresh look at simple things

The foundation of any building is more susceptible to the negative effects of the natural environment than the other components of the building structure. In addition, it accounts for most of the mechanical damage, for example, performing the usual work on landscaping the site, you can inadvertently catch a cultivator or something else on the lower part of the house. At the same time, the foundation is the main supporting element, which means that it requires much more protection than the rest of the building.

But just, diligently defending the foundation of your home, I really do not want to spoil its attractive appearance and turn the original designer creation into a boring squalor. Among the huge range of finishing materials, basement panels are on a special account with most designers and builders, as they have a number of advantages:

1. Thickened base panels can withstand heavy loads.
2. Retain their original appearance for many decades.
3. Absolutely inert to various bioreagents and chemicals.
4. Basement panels are fireproof and frostproof.

As a rule, the insulating layer of the panel is made of PVC – the material of the future. Such a panel is a kind of puzzle, which is assembled from the same size elements. They are fastened with screws to a wooden or metal crate, which is installed in advance.

Paneling the foundation allows you to simultaneously “kill two birds with one stone” – to give the building a complete aesthetically attractive look and protect the foundation from natural influences and human activities. And due to the color and structural imitation of natural materials (stone, pebbles, marble, brick, etc.), the panels can decorate the house in a variety of stylistic directions: from modern to classic. In addition, this finishing material makes it easy to hide most of the architectural flaws that could arise during the construction of the foundation..

Basement panels are a great solution for those who value their time, because their installation will not take much time.

Finishing the foundation with siding – an old friend is better than the new two

Siding can rightly be considered a universal material, because they can be used to finish any surface. It can have the most diverse decorative surface, imitate masonry, ship timber, slate or raw natural stone. And it’s a pleasure to work with it, because for its installation you only need your head and some tool that you will definitely find in your pantry.

Basement siding has several advantages:

1. It is durable and can withstand heavy loads..
2. Does not fade in the sun.
3. Easy to install.
4. Protects the base of the house from moisture.
5. Has a long service life – 40-50 years.
6. Resistant to shock and other damage..

If you naively thought that now we were talking about ordinary siding, which is used for wall decoration, then you are mistaken. Basement siding, although in appearance resembles a facade, is much more durable and reliable, in addition, it is manufactured using a slightly different technology with the addition of special substances that give it such characteristics.

The best option for finishing the foundation is a stone or brick siding. Due to the high color fastness and excellent resistance to external influences, siding “under the stone” can be attributed to the category of “put it and forget it.” The vinyl material that this siding is made of does not need to be painted, putty joints and any other work associated with updating the finish. Even after several decades, vinyl siding does not crack and successfully prevents the foundation from contacting with groundwater and salt, which remain half the frosty winter.

This finishing material has a small weight, which greatly simplifies the installation process and has virtually no power impact on the power structure of the building. Thanks to these characteristics, basement siding is an ideal material for facing the foundations of old houses, whose age is already far beyond …

If we talk about the cost, then finishing the foundation with siding will cost a little more than the same operation, but with PVC panels. Apparently for this reason, some buyers prefer the latter. However, as practice shows, it is siding that is much more reliable during operation.

Facing stone – classic always in fashion

Natural stone is always fashionable and modern. In the past, living in a stone house was considered the privilege of the rich and noble. Well, nowadays, the exterior finish of the foundation with natural stone is pretty much for everyone, because it’s not necessary to buy expensive marble slabs, you can limit yourself to a sandstone quite affordable.

Finishing the foundation with stone looks expensive and solid, and the protective properties of this building material have been the highest quality standard for many centuries. True, even such a seemingly ideal finishing material has its drawbacks:

1. Natural stone is quite heavy and facing with it will require skill and skill.
2. For the installation of stone slabs, not only the organization of a special supporting frame will be required, but also the use of additional fasteners – glue, cement-sand mortar, metal hooks, etc..
3. Natural stone is very “biting” in price, so compare your income with upcoming costs.
   

   Foundation stone

But, in spite of these moments, many still prefer the stone itself, because it is always at the peak of fashion, it looks luxurious and stylish, it perfectly protects the foundation from various weather phenomena and physical influences on the part of man.

If the funds do not allow you to buy such a coveted natural stone, then you can purchase an artificial analogue that imitates natural. From afar (and also near) it is very difficult to distinguish artificial stone from natural stone, but it costs several times cheaper. Another important advantage that has a “fake” – light weight and ease of installation. Such characteristics cannot but rejoice, because for quite reasonable money you can buy an excellent facing material that has all the advantages of natural stone.

Of course, finishing the foundation with your own hands, in any case, will require accuracy, patience and skill from you, but no one said it would be easy. Building your home is always difficult, and sometimes even difficult.