Can I fill the foundation in October or should I wait?

For a long time it was believed that the foundation should be filled only when it becomes warmer - in spring, in summer or in autumn. However, modern materials and adaptations in construction have radically changed this approach. Now the pouring of the foundation in the autumn has become the same habit as in the summer. Just a little changed approaches to this matter.

It should be said that if the concrete can be poured before the summer, then it is better to do so. After all, in the fall period, more resources are spent for additional equipment, fillers and materials that will not allow the concrete to freeze, creating conditions for its full congealing.

How does the hydration of concrete occur?

People often wonder when it is possible to fill the foundation in the fall, and whether it is worth doing at all in such an unpredictable time of year. Now let's look at how concrete congealing takes place in order to better understand all the processes and plan the construction accordingly:

• At the initial stage, a crust appears on the surface of the mixture, it is sodium hydrosilicate;
• After that more solid particles of the surface of the basement harden;
• The next stage of solidification is the contraction of the shell due to evaporation of the liquid;
• This process begins to go to the center until the mixture acquires the declared strength.

Proceeding from this scheme and answering the question whether it is possible to fill the foundation in October, seasoned builders confidently say: "It is possible!" And we will describe why, comparing this process in summer and autumn-winter time.

Comparison of concrete filled in the heat and fall

It is logical that with the summer heat the foundation will dry many times faster. But will its structure become dense as it is necessary? It all depends on the house - how much it will stand, whether there will be cracks in its walls. Fast freezing occurs because the water evaporates rapidly. However, this is not very good, because instead of it emptiness is formed, which makes the concrete fragile.

In the fall, the pouring of the foundation - in October, for example - may be hindered by the fact that frosts begin. As a result, water crystallizes, and voids are formed due to the fact that ice forms in the mixture, which also expands, creating microcracks. That's why the foundation is poured in the cold season using special technologies.

Properties of concrete, which help builders

When the mixture freezes, a chemical reaction takes place in it, which causes heating. Thanks to this, the concrete dries better, but due to the fact that the surrounding temperature is low, there are no voids in it, and it does not dry out. Therefore, the answer to the question whether it is possible to fill the foundation in the fall, is unequivocal: yes. The most important thing in this business is to carefully calculate everything. In addition, concrete pouring must be included in the construction plan, it will allow to prepare all necessary materials, apparatuses and devices in advance.

In the cold, it is better not to fill the pillars, unless they are sufficiently insulated. After all, under such conditions, the internal heat will last for a very short period of time, for which it will not completely freeze. It is better to limit yourself to a low foundation, in which case the chemical reaction can continue and dry the solution much longer.

Factors of solidification of concrete

Often, in order to have time to build a house for spring and summer, the owners are always interested in whether it is possible to fill the foundation in October, so that in the spring, as soon as it gets warm, start building a house immediately. After all, when the foundation is ready, the construction will be much faster. And this is especially important when the building is planned to be large, and there is a risk not to have time to rebuild it until the next chill.

The quality of concrete is affected by the following factors:

• Dimensions and dimensions of the structure;
• The proportions of the fill elements;
• Quality of cement and its grinding;
• climate;
• The possibility of heating and insulating concrete.

In order for cement to react quickly, it needs to be ground as small as possible, then pouring the foundation in October will be much better, because there are no voids in it. Only fillers and water should be heated. In no case can this be done with cement, because it will lose the properties that are necessary for a quality foundation. But this is very undesirable.

When adding warm water to the cement, its temperature should not exceed +30 ° C. If it is added first to the aggregate, then it can be hotter. If the solution is well mixed, it lasts longer than the temperature. In addition, it fills the mold more tightly, penetrating into all corners and crevices.

Difficulties associated with autumn weather

First of all, the question of whether it is possible to fill the foundation in October, arises from the fact that the ground is frozen, and it is impossible to dig it by hand. Of course, this is so, but you can use a technique that can dig a foundation pit of any length and depth. Simply calling the excavator will require financial investments.

Solution of the problem of freezing of concrete

The next insoluble task of builders of past years was that, in the cold, concrete loses its qualities, becoming fragile. This is because its components are not mixed in such conditions due to the crystallization of water due to the effects of frost on it. Therefore, pouring the foundation in autumn, and even more so in winter, was something unreal.

Now everything is solved with the help of chemical additives, which do not allow the water to freeze. In addition, special concrete is sold, which already includes substances that promote its normal hardening at sub-zero temperatures. Its properties are no different from the summer analogue.

However, there is an opinion that it is undesirable to use chemical additives in the concrete of a residential building, because many of them are poisonous. Therefore, building a building, you need to take into account this nuance.

Still, to fill the foundation, in October or February - it does not matter, salt is added to the solution. Its content should not exceed 2%, it does not allow water to congeal. Accordingly, all ingredients are fully mixed and frozen. Without heating, this method can be used up to -5 ° C, and if the temperature drops even lower, then it is necessary to use heating, which will be discussed further.

Still it is possible to make a solution not subject to freezing with the help of acid additives. They are added, after which a chemical reaction takes place in the mixture, which raises the temperature. Under this influence, the concrete dries up. And, of course, in case of severe frosts, the foundation should be additionally covered, so that the heat released immediately does not evaporate.

Preheating of concrete

In practice, answering the question whether it is possible to fill the foundation in October, many builders prefer not to add chemistry to the solution, but simply to warm it up. For this, special machines that are equipped with heating can be used. However, when pouring, everything should be done very quickly, so that the cement does not have time to freeze. But even if this happened, do not pour hot water into it. This will lead to the formation of voids inside the structure, which will make its quality much worse.

Warming of the foundation

When the foundation is under construction in autumn, another method can be used to protect against low temperatures. In concrete do not add anything, its consistency remains, as in the summer period, but only the foundation is insulated. This can be done by different materials. Mainly used:

• Only;
• polyethylene;
• tarpaulin.

In general, you can use any improvised material. In severe frosts, the foundation is even covered with sawdust, which protects well from minus temperatures. The main thing is that the top layer is waterproof and could protect from rain. In addition, it is necessary to make a ramp so that the water does not remain on the material, but leaves sideways from the foundation. In general, it is worth everything in the form of an awning, so it will be more convenient.

Often there is a question about whether it is possible to fill the foundation in the fall, also because there is a lot of dampness, in addition to frosts. This is also solved very easily: a cannon made of polyethylene, roofing paper or tarpaulin is sent to the heat gun. She drives the warm air inside, heating the solution and promoting the evaporation of moisture. Thus, you can easily dry the foundation even in the January frosts.

Still quite often in places filled with concrete, put greenhouses of polyethylene, inside which put a heater or a heat gun.

Electrical drying of the foundation

There is another great way to dry the foundation. When it is poured into the solution, wire is laid. It can be copper, steel or aluminum. On the one hand, all ends are divided into two beams, they will be connected to the welding machine. On the other side, light bulbs are connected, two ends to each. Lamps should be 36 V, the most important - you need to connect everything correctly. If there is a mistake somewhere, it will not earn anything. Then the wires are connected to the lamps in pairs and connected to the device. The first should light up, at first a dim light, but when the concrete starts to dry up, they will burn all brighter. So you can perfectly observe the progress of the whole operation and know when the foundation is ready. This method is also suitable to heat the foundation in October or in another cold month.

Many builders generally prefer the autumn pouring of concrete, because it does not overdry, as it happens in the summer heat. The method of pouring, or more precisely, the method of heat retention in the mixture, should be chosen based on the weather conditions, available equipment and materials.