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Why is a well near the foundation dangerous? What to do if there are old collapsed wells in the center of the future house

Many experienced well workers claim that a well can be dug at almost any time of the year, except during spring floods. However, you should still dig a well in August or September. Firstly, during these months, the aquifers that well diggers want to get into are at their lowest levels at this time. Therefore, the risk of not digging the well becomes less. If you dig a well of insufficient depth, focusing on the aquifer level increased by melting snow and rain, the well may remain empty in the summer heat. Secondly, summer time is also convenient because many summer residents stay on the site for a long time, which allows them to fully control the construction process.

The second important issue is the choice of location. It is believed that the well can be located where the aquifer is closest to the surface of the earth, this will facilitate construction work. How to find this place? Most experts do not recommend using methods for determining the depth of groundwater using metal frames or rods, as they are not accurate. Meanwhile, experts often contradict each other. This suggests that all plots of land have individual differences, and when choosing a location, you need to take a number of factors into account. Even the well-known opinion that in areas with dense vegetation and in lowlands it is more reliable to dig a well sometimes turns out to be incorrect. The wettest and lowest place on the surface may not have clean water underground.

Experienced summer residents know what type of soil is on their site at a depth of two meters, but water at such a shallow depth is not suitable for drinking; drinking water usually lies at a depth of tens of meters. Naturally, you will not be able to determine the location of places with the closest location of the aquifer to the surface. As well as finding out the quality of the soil located at such a depth. In this matter, you need to listen to the advice of professionals. When choosing a location for a well, you need to take into account several important factors.

You can ask neighbors who already have a well on their property about how deep it is, what problems arose during construction, and what type of soil is on the property. This information is quite useful.

Any sources of pollution should be located at the greatest distance from the well, and located lower in relief. Take into account not only the current appearance of the territory, but the changes planned in the near future, because when building a bathhouse or gazebo in the future, it will not be possible to move the well. Before you start digging a well, consider its location relative to the house.

It is difficult to determine the depth of the future well in advance. If there is a well on a neighboring property, its depth can be taken as a rough guide. According to experts, two wells dug at a distance of several meters from each other can have completely different types and depths.

How to properly dig a well

It is advisable to dig a well together, one person should be at the bottom, the other at the top, alternately replacing each other. The pit should have a diameter of slightly more than one meter in order for reinforced concrete or wooden well rings to fit into it. The internal diameter of the well should ultimately be 1 m. The easiest way to dig is sand, followed by clay. However, there is very dense and dry soil, or soil with a large content of stones. The deeper the hole gets, the more difficult it is to dig. Wells are usually dug with a shovel having a short handle. In addition to it, you will also need the following materials and tools:

At a depth of about 3 meters, it is necessary to use a thick rope and a hook to lift the soil in the bucket to the top. A canvas raincoat and rubber boots may also be required at this stage. Wooden or concrete rings are laid as the hole deepens, placing them one on top of the other. After digging a hole 1 m deep, you need to place the first ring, which will settle deep into the hole under the pressure of its own weight. You need to jump on the ring a little so that it settles more tightly. If the ring moves to the side, it must be corrected with a bayonet spatula. Verticality is checked using a plumb line. The measurement error increases with increasing hole depth, so it is necessary to regularly check the measurements using a plumb line. well rings (wooden or reinforced concrete);

  • bayonet blade;
  • construction plumb line;
  • hook;
  • thick rope;
  • wire eyes;
  • crushed stone;
  • log with a diameter of 20 cm;
  • bucket;
  • wooden beam;
  • sand cement blocks;
  • waterproofing material;
  • axe;
  • electric plane;
  • compass.

The cracks that form between the well rings do not need to be filled with a special solution; it is enough to simply lay the top layer around the well with clay, which will protect it from leakage. Reinforced concrete well rings can have different heights. The larger it is, the more difficult it is to install a well with your own hands. Therefore, when constructing a well yourself, you need to use short rings. The rings can be secured with wire eyes; a crowbar can be useful here. When constructing a well, it is necessary to use rope insurance, which will protect you from the dangers associated with underground quicksand and unexpected voids. You need to be very careful and monitor the tendency of the soil to move.

The water intake can be considered dug when its depth is 1 m. Water must be pumped out of the shaft and cleared of excess soil. Then it is necessary to fill the bottom with crushed granite stone in a layer 10 cm thick, this will protect the water from getting earth and clay when scooping it up with a bucket. Soil extracted from a well can be used to build an alpine slide and create beds on your site.

Installation of the above-ground part of the well

Installation of the above-ground part is easier than the construction of a well column. Here you can do creative work and embellish the landscape of your site. A frame made of wooden beams is usually installed as a head. You can make a ledge on the wall for a bucket. The head is installed on sand-cement blocks. Don't forget about waterproofing. Here you can use roofing felt, rubemast or stekloizol. Sand is poured under the blocks, providing the blocks with a backfill that protects them from soil displacement.

A winch is used to wind the chain when lifting a bucket from a well. It is made from a log with a diameter of 20 cm. Its length should be about 1.2 meters. The gate must first be prepared by leveling it with an ax and an electric plane, checking the evenness of the circle along its end, drawing an even circle with a diameter of 20 cm on it using a compass. At the ends of the log, holes are drilled in the center with a depth of 10 cm and a diameter of 2.2 cm. The diameter of the gate axis is should be a couple of millimeters larger for a more secure fit. After this, 2 washers are installed on the gate itself, the same number must be installed on the post of the log house on which the handle will be located, and one washer on the opposite post. This is necessary to protect the log house from displacement.

The roof of the well is mounted on supporting pillars using braces. A roof with large overhangs will protect the well from rain and snow. For better protection, boards on the roof should be laid in 2 layers, covering the cracks. Another roof option is metal roofing. The braces that hold the roof on can become skewed over time, so they need to be adjusted every few years.

After this, in the center of the gate you need to attach a cable or chain, on which a wooden or metal bucket is suspended. The ground around the log house can be lined with boards, stones or paving slabs to protect it from dirt. The layer of soil must be removed before doing this.

Approximate cost of a well

The cost of a well depends on many factors. First of all, it depends on the depth of the well. Most often, reinforced concrete rings are used to strengthen the walls of the well, the price of which varies from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles. Burying a ring in the ground costs up to 3,500 rubles, unless of course you do it yourself. In addition, some difficulties may arise in the process of arranging a well. For example, you may come across a block of stone that will be impossible to pull out. In this case, you will have to choose another place. Water-saturated soils can also complicate the work.

It is important to determine in advance the purpose of using the well. If only for drinking and watering, this option will be cheaper. And if, for example, water from it will flow into a house or bathhouse and be used in the winter, it will require the creation of a more complex pipeline system and its thermal insulation, which will significantly increase the cost of work. Therefore, you need to discuss in advance the issue of increasing payment in the event of unforeseen situations. If you enter into an agreement with a company, check whether such nuances are indicated in it in order to avoid unexpected expenses. So, a well with a depth of ten reinforced concrete rings has an approximate cost of 35 thousand rubles, taking into account the cost of work. Some summer residents prefer to save money and dig a well about three rings deep; the cost of such a well is reduced to 15 thousand. However, water from such a source cannot be used for drinking or cooking.

In some cases, a pump is installed in wells, and along with it a house above the well with a bucket on a chain and a shaft is necessary in case of a power outage and to give the well some color. The cost of the pump depends on its power, and the cost of the house depends on its design, materials and size. If the customer wishes, an additional expense item can be the service of removing soil from the site. After all, the entire volume of earth dug up during the work will remain on your territory. If you do not want to remove it yourself, agree in advance on the removal of the soil and the cost of this service.

How to properly care for a well

Conditions for construction are rarely ideal. Many developers have to deal with groundwater levels close to the soil surface. And if the situation is complicated by a large amount of clay in the soil, then you can’t even dream of a dry basement: it will have to withstand significant pressure from the forces of inevitable heaving. The foundation with high groundwater is built according to rules that minimize this unfavorable factor.

The most difficult conditions are those when groundwater is located at the freezing point of the soil. In this case, the base of the base cannot be deepened properly and is located directly above the groundwater level. But even in this case, there is a way out: they arrange it, the cushion of which is a shock absorber of soil movements during its seasonal heaving. The type of foundation is chosen depending on the weight of the building and other parameters. “Floating” you can build a monolithic slab, a strip, or a columnar base. But the best option for marshy soils is a foundation on screw piles.

How does a high groundwater level affect the foundation?

For concrete, the most destructive thing is not so much the groundwater itself, but the various salt solutions and other chemical compounds present in its composition. The complex of these components provokes the destruction of concrete through a certain substance, in the language of builders its name sounds like “cement bacillus”.

Its effect can be detected visually: the foundation delaminates and a light, loose coating resembling gypsum appears on it. In addition, mold and mildew, yellowish blurry spots, and a damp smell may occur in the immediate vicinity of the concrete monolith.

If the groundwater level is high, difficulties begin to arise at the stage of pit construction. Its bottom erodes and loses density, the bearing capacity of the soil becomes extremely low. If the base is installed directly on it, subsidence and destruction of concrete are inevitable. Therefore, in conditions of groundwater lying close to the soil surface, it is also necessary to divert water to the nearest reservoir, storage well or city communications.

The main danger when building a house on a site with a high groundwater level is ascending suffusion - the washing out of the mineral components of the soil.

As a result, it loses stability and its load-bearing capacity decreases. Therefore, without the complex of soil drainage work required under these conditions, the construction of even a light building becomes impossible.

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Foundation with high groundwater levels: common mistakes

Foundation wall drainage diagram.

A strip or slab of concrete begins to be laid in a semi-liquid mud composition, having first pumped out the main amount of water. Such a foundation has a low load-bearing capacity, the reasons for which are:

  1. The base of the base is loose, consisting of lumps of earth and concrete mixed together. This is at a time when it should form a strong, flat surface.
  2. During continuous pumping of groundwater, the cement component is washed out and the monolith becomes porous. Such a foundation is not reliable and may not support the planned weight of the building.
  3. When the groundwater level is high, many people see a solution in laying dry concrete mixture into the formwork. But such a decision is wrong, since under these conditions it is impossible to fully mix the composition and the monolith will soon begin to exfoliate.

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Open water depression at high groundwater level

This is one of the most convenient ways for a private developer to drain pits and. This is done using a pump that pumps out excess groundwater. But ignorance of the technology of this process can lead to unacceptable consequences. The rules of work are as follows:

  • it is necessary to achieve such a soil condition that the groundwater level is 0.2-0.4 m below the level of the construction site;
  • in the process of forming a pit, perforated pipes should be laid - drains, through which water will be drained outside the site;
  • as drains, it is easiest to use inexpensive pipes with a diameter of 110 mm made of gray or orange plastic, intended for the installation of sewer systems;
  • the soil is removed in such a way that the direction of groundwater flow goes towards the shovel or excavator bucket. If you do the opposite, then its erosion is inevitable;
  • open water reduction is carried out before the first signs of suffusion appear. Continuing to pump out groundwater will render it unsuitable for a foundation to be placed on it;
  • It is advisable to use pumps equipped with automation. In contrast to visual monitoring of the state of groundwater, open dewatering is more efficient.

Important: trickles of water breaking through from the depths, carrying particles of soil to the surface and depositing influxes like lava at a volcano crater, are the first signs of ascending suffusion. Moreover, the mass of removed soil particles should continuously increase. The soil acquires the ability to slide at the most unexpected times. Therefore, water drainage is immediately stopped, and its level must be increased until signs of suffusion disappear. For more complex problems, recommendations from a soil drainage professional are required.

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Construction of a drainage system at high groundwater level

If the soil at a construction site is clayey, during excavation work it behaves like quicksand. This makes it difficult to prepare the hole in which the foundation will be installed. Therefore, it is necessary to deepen the drains and arrange storage and receiving wells. That is, make a drainage system that should include not only a set of pipes that drain groundwater from the foundation and buildings, but also from the site.

To do this, reclamation ditches are dug around it. A well-built network of such trenches perfectly reduces groundwater level. The principle of its operation is as follows: the liquid begins to accumulate in it, since it does not encounter soil resistance along its path. The walls of the trenches are reinforced with wooden or metal shields, thereby preventing landslides. But you can also fill ditches with gravel or crushed stone. However, such a system in some cases of too high groundwater level is irrational and requires drains to be laid in trenches.

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Drainage of the site using perforated pipes

The construction of a foundation on groundwater requires preliminary drainage of the site. Unlike a stormwater system, the depth of the pipes here is much greater. The work rules are as follows:

  1. The drains are laid at the same level with the base of the slab (tape) or 20-30 cm below it.
  2. When the groundwater level is high, not a wall one is required, but.
  3. The estimated depth of drains depends on many factors, the most important of which is the type of soil at the construction site.
  4. The foundation must be located from the pipes at a distance, which is calculated depending on the internal friction of the rocks.

Determine the type of soil:

  • the soil should be taken from a depth of 15-20 cm and 90-100 cm. Then the sample should be slightly moistened and rubbed between the palms, as if rolling. At high GWL, samples taken from depth should first be dried to a semi-moisture level;
  • if you get a fairly elastic “sausage”, the soil is clayey;
  • if in the process of rubbing between the palms it cracks and breaks, it is loam;
  • when rolling is impossible due to scattering into small balls, then it is sandy loam;
  • soils with a high sand content do not slide.

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Stages of work on constructing a ring drainage system

  1. Determining the pipe layout.
  2. Formation of trenches up to 40 cm wide to the required depth. If the groundwater level is high, it is recommended to carry out work gradually, digging no more than 20 m, installing a pipeline and starting to develop the next 20 m, filling the previous trench with the excavated soil.
  3. Water that fills the bottom of the ditch in large quantities must be pumped out with a drainage pump or pump.
  4. The trench is filled with sand to a height of 20 cm. The backfill is compacted.
  5. A gravel bed is made from medium-fraction stones in a similar way (crushed stone can be used).
  6. It is advisable to lay geotextiles between the sand and gravel, which will prevent the crumbling of fine soil and silting of the drainage system.
  7. Geotextiles are laid on the layer of crushed stone with an overlap of pieces of fabric of at least 15 cm.
  8. Drains are being prepared. If they are factory-made and the perforation is on only one side, then it should face the bottom of the ditch. Next, the pipes are laid and connected.
  9. The pipeline is covered with geotextile.
  10. Backfilling begins with sand, which should form a layer at least 20 cm thick.
  11. Next, the trench is filled with crushed stone or gravel to a height of 15-20 cm.
  12. After this, the ditch is filled to the top with previously removed soil.

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Selection and installation of a foundation for a house with a high groundwater level

One of the dangers with high groundwater level is the high content of sulfates dissolved in water. They are capable of destroying concrete, loosening it. Therefore, in such construction conditions, it is recommended to use sulfate-resistant Portland cement to prepare the cement-sand mortar. This is necessary regardless of which foundation is chosen. This component of the concrete mixture does not contain substances that can react chemically with the salts and other aggressive components contained in the liquid.

If the groundwater level is below the freezing point of the soil, but this distance is less than 1.5 m, then laying the foundation on sandy loam and sandy soils is carried out at a depth of 0.7-1 m. If the site has loam, then at the calculated freezing point or below it by 20-30 cm. The latter is also true for cases where the GWL and TPG (soil freezing point) coincide. In conditions of heavy soil (wet clay), you need to do the following: make the base thicker than the foundation itself, and make its walls with a slight slope. This design has significantly better resistance to lateral soil pressure that occurs during soil heaving.

In the absence of a centralized water supply, the water sources are underground interstratal waters. For free access to water, a shaft well is usually installed on the site. If the technology is followed, it gives good water, is durable and easy to use. One of the important conditions for the correct placement of a water source on the site is maintaining the optimal distance from the well to the septic tank, other wells and other structures.

Proper placement of a well on a site is a difficult engineering task that is underestimated by inexperienced owners of country houses. In order for the operation of water supply and sewerage systems to be problem-free, it is necessary to understand even before starting work that there are rules and regulations, non-compliance with which will lead to problems in the future.

Choosing placement and determining depth

When building a well, you need to determine its expected depth and number of rings. If the site is new and construction has not yet begun, the search for water should begin by examining the sources used by the neighbors.

How to find the right location for a well

To find it, you need to know the following information:

  • The depth of wells and wells in neighboring areas;
  • Volumes of water loss;
  • Terms of use;
  • Features of operation.

If there are no neighbors, the task becomes more complicated. Then it is recommended to use one of the methods for determining the water source. The most popular of them:

  • Dowsing;
  • Hydrogeological indications;
  • Local manifestations of water.

None of them will give a 100% guarantee of data accuracy. However, you should know that it can be carried out at a certain distance from water supplies in neighboring areas. Otherwise, the water from them may simply go into newly formed wells. In addition, this method is quite expensive and is more suitable for undeveloped areas.

Criteria for choosing a site on the site

Careful selection of location is a prerequisite for creating a reliable and high-quality source of water supply. This approach will eliminate the risk of receiving water that does not meet sanitary standards. When choosing a location, they are guided by the following criteria:

  • Convenient location on the site;
  • Distance between wells and objects of use;
  • Distance from sources of pollution.

What you need to know about the distance of the well to the foundation

The problem of the location of a well on a site is especially relevant for owners of small plots. The structure should be as convenient as possible. To do this, it is positioned so that it is possible to easily organize the supply of water to buildings on the site, such as a house or a bathhouse, as well as to a vegetable garden. Usually, the highest place on the site is chosen for the well; it should not be allowed that the cesspools of neighbors are located higher in the terrain.

Find out what a pumping station for a well is.

In addition, the impact of the mine on the neighboring building should be taken into account. For a well, choose a place closer to the house. This is due to the peculiarities of organizing water supply: supplying water to a house over long distances is an expensive pleasure. Wells can even be built inside a house. Usually, they first build a shaft for the well, and then dig a pit for the foundation. In this case, the type of soil and topographic conditions of the site should be taken into account.

It’s another matter when the house is already ready, but the well is only in the plans. Houses on shallow foundations may suffer from the proximity of well shafts. You should not install wells in close proximity to such buildings. Shallow strip foundations on clay are especially dangerous in this regard. Here it is worth considering the depth of the well. Shallow mines are more troublesome for buildings. Water can wash away the foundation.

Wells can be located at a distance of at least 3 m from the foundations of buildings. This norm is prescribed in SNiP 30-02-97.

The minimum distance to buildings for keeping animals is 4 m, other buildings – 1 m, trees – 4 m, bushes – 1 m.

What should be the distance between wells

The installation of local water supply on the site must be carried out according to the project. If it clearly states how many and what structures will be required for the system, then many questions will disappear by themselves. The documentation must also indicate the exact distances from well to well.

The technology for drilling water wells is described.

Owners of country houses often build a water supply system with their own hands, without drawing up a project. Therefore, we need instructions that will tell you how to calculate the location of the wells.

When creating a home water supply, one well is not enough; additional tanks are needed. They are necessary for maintaining the network, as well as eliminating emergency situations.

The number of shafts and tanks depends on:

  • Distances of the well to the foundation of the house;
  • The presence of other buildings, pipelines and other structures on the site;
  • The complexity of the terrain, taking into account changes in height.

Installation of water supply with a well near the house

The best and simplest option is one inspection well. It is suitable for areas where the drinking well is located as close as possible to the house. It is located at the entrance of the pipeline into the building.

How to choose a pump for a well will tell you.

Calculations are made taking into account the fact that external pipe routing is carried out 20 cm from the wall. If the diameter of the well is 1 meter, then the distance from its axis to the wall will be at least 70 cm.

Installation of a water supply system with a well remote from the house

The situation becomes more complicated when the source of drinking water is significantly distant from the house. In this case, it will be necessary to construct several inspection tanks. The maximum distance between water supply wells is 15 m. For sewer inspection structures, this norm is no different.

Check out the dimensions of concrete rings for wells.

If it is necessary to change the direction of the pipeline, construct a rotary well. The connection of all nodes must be as precise as possible. Blockages occur in these places more often than others.

In areas with height differences, it is necessary to change the depth of the pipes. For this purpose, a differential structure is built. The entire water supply system is laid at an angle to the well.

The distances from this structure to other components of the water supply system are regulated solely by the terrain features of the site. To optimize maintenance costs and save money on the device, both auxiliary structures can be combined with inspection wells.

Sewer

In order for the water supply to fulfill its function, it is necessary to maintain distances from sources of pollution to the well with drinking water and between the elements of the sewerage system of the site. These standards are prescribed in SNiP 2.04.03-85. In this case, structures are taken into account not only on one’s own site, but also on neighboring ones.

Distance between sewer and septic tank

Water structures need to be built as far as possible from landfills, industrial facilities, septic tanks, sewers and other sources of pollution. The minimum distance from the source of drinking water to wells with drains and cesspools is 50 m, buildings for livestock farms is 30 m. The distance from the septic tank to residential premises is 7 m.

Types of sewer wells and distances between them

Installing a sewer system in a country house is not a difficult task. And it is quite within the power of any skilled person. The simplest system consists of a septic tank and a pipeline. All pipes and pits require constant monitoring, so additional sewer wells are built. They, just like in the water supply system, are divided into the following types:

  • Observations;
  • Rotary;
  • Nodal.

The principles of their construction are practically no different from water wells. The minimum distance between such technical structures is 15 m. If the system is limited to one pipe, then the distance can increase to 50 m.

It is possible that you will find information about .

Before starting work, you need to think carefully about the wiring diagram and the installation location of the wells. Having a ready-made plan will reduce the cost of installing sewerage and water supply on the site.

The video shows an example of improper placement of a well:

To minimize the risk of receiving poor quality water, you need to carefully select the location for creating an autonomous source of water supply. A well is a capital structure; it is built for a long period of time. If it fails, it is almost impossible to move it to another place. And failure to comply with the standards regarding the distance of communications to other objects on the site can lead to the failure of the entire water supply and sewerage system.

After completing the construction of the well, the time comes for its arrangement, aimed at ensuring ease of use and maintaining the purity of the water. An important element of such arrangement is a soft blind area around the well, which will not allow melt and surface water to penetrate into the mine, and will provide you with a convenient approach to the structure.
Why do many experts advise making a soft blind area, what other ways are there to create it, what are their advantages and disadvantages? All this will be discussed below.

When to do a blind area and whether to do it at all

Let's start with the question - why do we need a blind area? Mainly to prevent contaminated high water and melt water from seeping into the groundwater well from the surface of the earth.
Her task is not to let them through to the mine shaft, to take them aside. One should not neglect the fact that a well with a blind area looks more aesthetically pleasing, and it is much more convenient to use it standing on a clean and dry foundation.
However, the need for it may not arise if the following conditions are met:

  • The well is located away from roads, industrial zones, in an environmentally friendly place;
  • It stands on a hill, which prevents the flow of surface water to it;
  • Equipped with automatic water-lifting equipment that does not require your frequent presence at the well.

Now about the best time to make a blind area. The instructions state that no earlier than a year after completion of construction, since during this time (and sometimes longer) self-compaction and settlement of the soil filled around the well shaft occurs, as a result of which voids and failures are formed.

Also during this period, a natural displacement of the upper ones in the horizontal plane is possible, which can also disrupt the integrity of the blind area. Therefore, its construction can be started only after these processes have been completed and their consequences have been eliminated.

Advice. In order to be able to use well water without fear during this time, during the construction of the structure it is necessary to make a clay castle and temporary blind area around it.

Types of blind areas

The blind area at the well can be made of different materials: clay, concrete, reinforced concrete, as well as waterproofing film and sand.
The latter is called a soft blind area. Let's look at the features of their device.

Solid types of blind areas

Made of clay or concrete with a thickness of 20-30 cm and a width of 1.2 to 2.5 meters along the entire perimeter of the structure:

  • The clay blind area is a layer of compacted clay placed in a recess of the specified dimensions.
    Its main disadvantage is the formation of slippery and sticky dirt on the surface when water gets on it. This will require additional costs for the installation of a protective coating.

  • The concrete blind area of ​​a well is made by pouring concrete into the formwork installed in the recess on a bed of gravel. To make it last longer, reinforcing mesh is placed in the formwork before pouring the solution.
    A prerequisite for the manufacture of such a blind area is waterproofing the outer walls of the well in the place where they will come into contact with the concrete. This is necessary to prevent rigid adhesion to the frozen blind area slab.

Note. In any case, the blind area must have a slope from the well to drain water. Sometimes drainage grooves are also made in it.

The disadvantage of this type is the frequent formation of chips and cracks on the surface. They not only allow surface water to pass through, but also give the concrete surface an unkempt appearance.
However, this is not the biggest problem - if desired, the blind area for the well can be repaired. But it itself, if the manufacturing technology is not followed, can damage the well trunk and compromise its integrity.
The fact is that the blind area is affected by the forces of frost heaving, and if it is rigidly connected to the upper ring of the well, it may be separated from the lower one. As a result, a gap is formed between them, through which contaminated water and soil particles fall directly into the mine with clean water.

Soft blind area

This structure consists of a waterproofing film, which is covered with a layer of sand. It is possible to install a decorative covering or lawn on top.
Its production does not require large financial and physical costs and consists of the following steps:

  • Before making a blind area around the well, fertile soil is removed around it to a width of 1.2-1.5 meters;
  • A waterproofing film is placed at the bottom of the recess, the edge of which is placed on the upper ring;
  • The film is fixed to the ring using double-sided tape or a metal strip, through which it is attached to the walls with dowels or screws;
  • At the point where the film transitions from a vertical to a horizontal position, a fold must be made. It is designed to compensate for displacement and subsidence of the soil in the base, which will prevent damage and destruction of the top decorative layer;
  • Sand is poured onto the film, on top of which paving slabs, paving stones, bricks, crushed stone, etc. are laid. You can simply put back the previously removed turf or sow lawn grass.

Advantages of a soft blind area

In addition to the fact that manufacturing such a design in an economical version will require a minimum of effort, it has many other advantages:

  • The most important thing is that there is no risk of the well shaft rupturing along the seam between the rings;
  • The soil around the well can settle and compact without damage to both the well itself and the covering of the blind area;
  • Low price of materials used;
  • If necessary, the soft blind area is easy to dismantle;
  • A waterproofing film will do a much better job of draining water from the walls of a well than clay or concrete;
  • Low labor intensity of the process - in this case, digging a well with your own hands is done without problems and without the involvement of assistants;
  • Decent service life, reaching 80 years. Only the outer decorative layer may need repairs;
  • Finally, you can use any decorative finish from wood decking to stone cladding.

Conclusion

The video in this article will help you better understand how to make a blind area for your well. It is important not to forget about all the rules and nuances of its design described in the article, so that in the future you do not have to remodel or even repair the water source itself.

When arranging an autonomous water supply, a rather unusual solution is a well in the basement of a house. This location of the source of autonomous water supply certainly has a number of advantages, however, there are also some difficulties in its implementation.

Well in the basement - all the pros and cons

First of all, let's figure out whether it is even possible to build a well inside the house. Many experts argue that construction should be carried out no closer than 5 meters from the house and in no case in the building itself. Such recommendations are justified by the fact that the construction of a well can damage the foundation, and the presence of a water source in the basement or basement will make the room damp.

Partly there is some truth in this, however, you can retreat the required distance from the foundation into the house. As for dampness, even with a relatively close location of the aquifer, it is not difficult to prevent it, because water can be extracted with an electric pump, and the source itself will be hermetically sealed. In addition, good ventilation can be a solution to the problem.

Proof of this is the many houses whose owners successfully use wells located in basements and basements and do not experience any problems with excessive dampness.

Advantages

There are quite a few advantages to such a solution, as mentioned above, here are the main ones:

  • The possibility of unauthorized access and contamination of the well from the outside is excluded. Therefore, such a well for a country house is the best option, especially if the owners do not live in it all year round, but, for example, only in the summer.
  • You don't have to worry about the safety of your water production equipment.
  • There is no need to insulate the deck and pipeline.
  • The length of communications is shorter, which allows you to save on materials and installation work.
  • There is no need to build a small house for the well, just cover it with a tight lid.

As for the disadvantages of this design, we have already considered all of them.

Construction of a well in a house

Types of arrangement of wells in the house

It should be said right away that there are two construction options:

  • The source of water supply is carried out before the construction of the house.
  • A well is being made in a house that has already been built.

In the first case, the construction of a well does not have any special features, the only thing is that you need to decide in advance on the location of the house on the site and its layout. To accurately determine the correct location of the source in the future building, markings should be applied.

In the second case, making a well is somewhat more difficult, since it is not possible to use technology, and it is not always possible to lower concrete rings into the basement. Therefore, they have to be made with their own hands on site. Next we will consider this option.

Preliminary work

Before you start building a well, you need to make sure that all the necessary conditions are in place for this.

First of all, this concerns sanitary standards, which are given below:

  • The location of the future source must be at least 50 meters from the nearest pollutant. This applies to cesspools, sewer wells, cesspool toilets, etc.
    Often, land owners are interested in whether it is possible to dig two wells side by side if there is a dilapidated well on the site that is unprofitable to restore? In this case, the distance is also regulated by sanitary standards, since any well is a potential pollutant.
  • The house should not be located closer than 30 meters to highways and highways.
  • The depth of the sewer well in a private house should be higher than the level of the aquifer.

In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the aquifer is located at an accessible depth. The easiest way is if there are wells in neighboring areas. In this case, you also need to ask your neighbors about the quality of the water, the debit of the source and other characteristics to make sure that the decision was made correctly.

Manufacturing of concrete rings

Work must begin with the manufacture of concrete rings, since this process takes quite a lot of time. Moreover, first you need to make the forms. To do this, you can use plastic barrels or pipes, however, it is not always possible to lower molds of the required diameter and height into the basement.

In this case, the formwork should also be made on site, for example from steel sheets. The manufacturing principle is quite simple - you need to make two well rings, the diameter of one of which is 20 cm smaller than the second. In this case, the thickness of the walls of the concrete ring will be 10 cm.

Advice!
The inner ring should be slightly tapered to make the concrete products easier to remove from the formwork.

The instructions for making reinforced concrete rings are as follows:

  • The prepared rings are inserted one into the other.
  • Then the formwork is centered and fixed so that during pouring there is no displacement of one ring relative to the other. To do this, you can use a spacer made of wooden wedges.
  • Next, vertical metal rods are installed in the formwork.
  • When the forms are ready, concrete should be made from cement, gravel, sand and water.
  • The next step is pouring the formwork. It is performed in layers, with a thickness of each layer of about 20-25 cm. Moreover, after each stage of pouring, it is necessary to compact it with a metal rod.
  • After a few days, the formwork needs to be dismantled and the concrete allowed to finally gain strength. This will take at least 15-20 days.

Advice!
If the rings are made without reinforcement, then the thickness of the walls must be increased to 15 centimeters.

Well construction

Once all the materials are ready, you can proceed directly to constructing the well. To simplify the work, it is advisable to make a tripod and hang a winch from it, which will simplify the transportation of soil and the installation of rings.

The work is performed in the following order:

  • The first step is to make a recess along the diameter of the concrete ring. Its depth can be one or one and a half times the height of the ring. In this case, the bottom of the resulting hole should be level.
  • After this, a concrete ring is placed in the recess. It should be positioned as evenly as possible relative to the horizontal plane.
  • Next you need to go down inside the ring and deepen the shaft, evenly digging up the soil under the lower ring. The ring will gradually settle under its own weight. If there are large stones in the ground, they should be turned out using a short crowbar and removed to the surface in a bucket, or tied securely with a rope.
  • As space becomes available on top, new rings should be installed.. At the same time, tarred rope must be placed in their seams to ensure sealing.
  • If you notice that the rings are stuck, i.e. stopped settling, they need to be weighted down by placing a shield and bags of stones on top. Under this weight, the structure will probably fall.
    To prevent such a situation from arising, you need to constantly monitor the horizontal position.
  • At a certain depth, water will begin to flow into the mine, but it is too early to stop the deepening process. If necessary, water must be pumped out with a pump.
  • When the water arrives too quickly and aquifer veins appear, dredging must be stopped.
  • The next step is to make a filter at the bottom of the well. To do this, you need to wash large stones in advance and place them on the bottom, then cover them with a layer of washed gravel or crushed stone. Such a filter will significantly reduce sand impurities in the water.
  • After this, the joints of the rings need to be covered with a solution of liquid glass and cement.
  • To prevent surface water from entering the mine, a clay castle about two meters deep should be made around the column.
  • This completes the main part of the work.

After the home well is completed, it is necessary to equip its upper part. Under no circumstances should the hatch be made flush with the floor. The well must have a head that will serve as a fence.

In the photo - a cover for a well

As a head, the easiest way is to install another concrete ring, which can later be finished with natural stone or wood, depending on the interior of the room. In addition, an important element is the well cover, which must close tightly. You can make it yourself from wood, or buy a ready-made one from PVC or other material.