Concrete Porch

Living in a private house opens up much more opportunities in terms of construction and arrangement than an apartment. Now and then I want to improve my housing, to make it more interesting, more practical, more convenient. Some dream to leave the house, get up on a beautiful porch and enjoy the surrounding view. For this you need to build a porch. The easiest way to make a porch of concrete.

Let's see how exactly to complete the task and what points should be especially taken into account in such buildings.

Construction is completed successfully and correctly only when competently approach the issue of planning. After all, there are a number of points that need to be taken into account. In order not to miss anything important, you need to make the appropriate project.

The project review includes:

1. Is the veranda built together with the house, or is it an extension to the finished structure?
2. Height is determined from the ground to the lower edge of the threshold of the house.
3. The width is determined depending on how many people can walk up the stairs at the same time, and also whether large things need to be brought into the house. So, for one person, an opening of at least 80 cm is required. To walk two, you will need at least 100 cm.
4. Steps. An unpaired number of steps is done, which makes it easier to climb and descend. The optimal dimensions are from 12 to 20 cm in height and 25 cm in width.
4. The porch should be about 5 cm below the threshold of the entrance door. This will allow the extension to not interfere with the opening and closing of doors.

Taking into account all these parameters, you can create a project. Based on the drawings, it will be much easier to work in stages, to comply with the established standards, to avoid mistakes.

On the main mistakes in planning the construction of the porch, see the following video.

The work plan involves drawing up a clear sequence of your actions. If you make a plan in advance, you will not be confused in the stages, you will be able to correctly allocate your own time. After all, after some work is required to give the material to dry and harden. For this, by the way, it is recommended to determine in advance the properties of a material.

When building a porch of concrete, the sequence of steps is as follows:

1. Cleaning the site under the extension and preparation of the territory;
2. Determining the size of the structure;
3. Execution and installation of the frame;
4. Pouring concrete mix.

And now let's talk about each step of the plan in detail.

Preparation of land for future construction plays an extremely important role. Here you need not just to remove all the garbage and remove a layer of accumulated grass. Plants have tremendous strength and are able to penetrate even through a thick layer of concrete. Therefore, it is necessary to provide that the plants do not begin to make their way under the foundation after the execution of the relevant works.

Of course, construction will require certain financial costs for materials. It is important for you to determine how much they will cost.

Having decided on the size of the building, take into account:

• the height of the porch
• porch width,
• number of steps.

This will allow you to correctly calculate the amount of concrete. How much cement is needed per cube of concrete, you can look at another article. It is concrete - the basis of construction and the material that requires the greatest amount of funds.

Make a drawing and make calculations for it. If you are going to use ready-mixed concrete, then it is enough to calculate the volume of the structure.

You also need to determine the fittings and waterproofing materials. For example, two bars of reinforcement should be used for reinforcement for each step.

Without appropriate tools and materials, starting work does not make sense. You just can't even start it.

Before construction, prepare the following materials and tools:

• Sand
• Cement;
• Crushed stone;
• Plywood sheets;
• Boards;
• Shovel;
• Fittings;
• Nails on wide hats;
• Concrete mixer;
• Measurement tools (level, roulette, etc.);
• Putty knife;
• Metal wire;
• Broken bricks.

1. The foundation will require a pit, and its depth should be about 30 cm. The width of the pit should be 2.5 cm wider than the width of the planned extension. For a porch made of concrete, it is necessary to create an appropriate foundation - a shallow foundation. Its parameters must meet certain requirements. The depth should be 20-30 cm lower than the level of soil freezing.
2. At the bottom of the pit is laid substrate. It is made of rubble and sand.First, they sand the 10 cm layer of sand, and then a layer of rubble — about 5 cm. The substrate is designed to protect the foundation from groundwater and strengthen the foundation. The substrate should extend beyond the foundation by about 10 cm.
3. If there are ground waters at the foundation site, it is necessary to organize activities for their removal.

After completing the pillows, it's time to start building a porch.

Porch necessarily need a frame:

1. The skeleton is a solid base that can easily withstand the weight of the concrete fill that will be poured over it. In fact, the formwork is a structure made of planks, plywood and brick elements, which repeats the appearance of your future porch made of concrete.
2. Boards should be used that are strong, but not excessively dry, as they may crack. Their thickness - at least 2 cm., And width - from 20 cm.
3. The height of the formwork to be created should be approximately 30 cm higher than the planned porch itself, since the lower part will go down to the ground. It is necessary to install the side elements that make up the parts of the steps of the required height and width. The frame elements are assembled into a single unit with spacers.Due to this, the required strength is achieved.
4. The sides are reinforced with stiffeners, and they can be supplemented with reinforcement. The armature is stacked with a 20 cm step sequence, taking into account the predefined drawing.
5. Spacers should be provided between the frame and the ribs. All this is filled with soil about 10 cm and compacted. Having completed the construction of the formwork, pouring begins.

The question of the steps should be viewed in more detail. After all, they represent the most important element of the whole structure. Having correctly calculated and executed them, you can comfortably rise and fall from the porch. Having made a mistake, you may wish to decide to make a porch.

The number of steps depends on the height from the floor at the entrance door to the ground. The width of the steps should be large enough so that the foot is completely placed on the element. This will provide additional security.

Consider another important point - if you need to build more than three steps, based on the calculations, it is desirable to provide for the installation of railings.

To calculate the parameters of the stairs, we recommend using the calculations in the following figure.

The angle of the stairs is allowed from 27 ° to 45 °.

When planning the height of the steps, consider whether children and the elderly will use the porch. In this case, the height is worth making less.

1. The design will be stronger and more reliable if the use of fittings is foreseen. It is desirable to pre-cut into the necessary elements. They are connected with metal wire. Also allowed to install on the layers of pouring stones, broken bricks. Due to this, you will need to use less concrete without compromising the reliability of the structure.
2. When mixing the solution is useful mixer. Laying concrete begins only after the completion of its kneading, which will allow you to preserve the properties and characteristics.
3. Filling is carried out from the bottom step.
4. Each new filled layer is carefully tamped. Leaving voids, you risk reducing the durability and strength of the structure. If the fill is above the required level, remove the excess solution, tamp it. The construction level is determined by the correctness of the bookmark.
5. After filling the first layer, wait, let the mixture harden properly.Only after that you can proceed to the next layer. The fill is completed with the last step.
6. Constructed formwork is not removed immediately after pouring the last step. You need to wait about 7 days before dismantling it.

Of course, having completed the casting and removing the formwork, it is unlikely that the porch will look like you expected. All because it is still required to carry out finishing work.

Some craftsmen even when pouring lay out various patterns using pebbles. However, this requires effort and extra time.

Of course, it is important to take into account that the house and the porch look like a single design, blend and match the same style.

Original and useful additions to the porch will be the railing and visor. If the stairs are short, then the railing is not needed, but if there are older people in the house, it is still worth thinking about them. Choose the material at its discretion and focus on the style of the composition.

Watch the following video on how to make a porch of concrete with your own hands.

As you can see, to make a porch of concrete, relying only on our own strength and capabilities, is quite realistic. The main thing is to follow all the important recommendations, use high-quality materials, and follow the instructions for preparing the mixture.

Accuracy and competent sequence of your actions will provide excellent results. Your porch will be the subject of real pride. After all, you yourself have made this beauty with your own hands.