Base / plinth finishing options

Why do you need to trim?

The question of what is the basement of a house is still a hot topic for discussion - some consider it the top of the foundation, others - the base of the wall. Everyone is right: the basement is an intermediate structure between the load-bearing partitions and the underground base.

To select the most suitable finish for your base / plinth, you need to understand main functions of this architectural element:

• Carrier... Distributes the load from the higher walls.
• Support... The basement floor serves as an additional support for the whole house and guarantees the stability of the vertical partitions.
• Insulating... Solves the issue of thermal insulation of premises, waterproofing.
• Decorative... Creates the perfect picture of the outside of the house.

Based on the above, one can understand that the finish of the basement is not only decoration, but also functionality. The material for finishing the base must necessarily have mechanical strength, resistance to water and temperature fluctuations. And it is also desirable to enhance the hydro-, heat-insulating properties, increase the service life of the foundation, and protect the base from harmful factors.

Finishing options

There are a lot of methods for decorating the basement that meet the above requirements. To choose what to sheathe, you should know the advantages, disadvantages and specifics of the use of each material.

Brick

Brickwork is a versatile, often used option for finishing a basement. This design looks solid, is inexpensive, 100% protects the foundation from rain, snow, and the scorching sun.

The main thing in this process is to responsibly approach the choice of the brick itself:

• it is possible to sheathe a monolithic concrete foundation with standard building bricks;
• for strip or columnar, a finishing brick is required, it is thinner and lighter than an ordinary one, which allows to reduce the load on the foundation.

When choosing a brick, pay attention to its properties: the material must be water- and frost-resistant, as well as durable - because he will have to withstand serious pressure.

TO advantages brick cladding, in addition to a presentable appearance, includes a long service life, resistance to aggressive environmental factors and high loads.

Of cons - brick is more expensive than most analogs, the standard one requires a solid foundation.

In the photo there is a neat brick base

Siding

The so-called basement siding is a panel that imitates various materials: brick, stone, wood, metal. Facade panels are used not only for cladding the basement: they are used to trim the walls from roof to ground, so this method is suitable for those who do not want the basement to stand out against the background of the house.

Generally speaking, by pluses decorating the basement with siding include durability (declared service life ~ 50 years), resistance to weather conditions, non-susceptibility to the development of fungus, corrosion.

Of cons - the need for additional thermal insulation, the possibility of damage to panels (especially those made on the basis of PVC).

The exact characteristics depend on the specific type of facing siding:

1. Metal... Galvanized steel sheets are coated with a special polymer, thanks to which the metal does not rust, retaining its original appearance for many years.
2. Vinyl... It is mainly produced with an imitation of a wooden texture: externally, it does not differ much from natural wood. However, vinyl is lighter, easier to assemble and install.
3. Acrylic... Almost no different from the previous one, except for the finishing layer of acrylic, which protects the panels from fading.
4. Fiber cement... Reliable cement and cellulose slabs can easily withstand heavy loads. They have an advantage over the two previous types, because do not burn or melt.
5. Ceramic... Perhaps the most presentable of all of the above: resembles an ordinary porcelain stonewarebut more durable, durable, suitable for outdoor use. The most expensive of all.

There is also wood siding: planken or American, which we will talk about in the next section.

Wood

Natural wood has been used as a finishing material since time immemorial. Eco-friendly, beautiful, easy-to-process wood has only one large disadvantage: the need for careful preparation and regular maintenance. Applying impregnation from moisture, fire, insects takes a lot of time and effort, but still does not give a 100% guarantee that the tree will not swell on contact with water or will not be eaten by pests.

Plinth decoration with natural wood is possible in several versions:

• Planken... Profiled board of small thickness.
• American... The type of lining, beveled at an angle - the panels are stacked on top of each other with an overlap, forming the texture of ladders.
• False beam... Imitation of a square bar.
• Block house... Planks imitating rounded bars.

Elements are installed vertically, horizontally, diagonally, herringbone.

Decorating the basement with wood is quite a budget option, thanks to its natural origin, it fits perfectly into landscape, protects the perimeter of the house from heat loss and moisture ingress (if pre-treated).

Pictured is a combination of siding with wood

Decorative plaster

In the context of the base, we are talking specifically about decorative compositions suitable for outdoor use: special polymer additives improve the performance properties of the material. Unlike a conventional mixture, mineral decorative plaster moisture resistant, resistant to temperature extremes, does not crack even under heavy load.

Plaster is cheaper than analogues and is easy to apply, so making a plinth finish with your own hands can save you a lot.

Another advantage is a wide palette of shades and textures (achieved by adding crumbs of different diameters). Lamb, bark beetle, fur coat, carpet, rain - in a huge assortment, everyone will find a decorative coating for their taste, style or design.

Advice! In order not to get problems with the plastered base in the future, choose compositions based on cement with sand or lime.

Gabions

To make an original design of the lower part of the building gabions: grids filled with stones. They are stable, durable, can be of any width, thickness, length, height.

The equipment of such a base requires practically no costs: neither physical nor material. All that is needed is to fill the stone meshes and attach them to the façade with anchors. No painting, plastering, lathing or other complications.

Important! For filling, choose stones slightly larger than the grid. You can use crushed stone, granite, pebbles and any other hard rock.

Porcelain stoneware

If the low or high basement is tiled with sheets of porcelain stoneware, the appearance of the structure will only benefit: large tiles give the buildings a touch of luxury.Porcelain stoneware is resistant to mechanical damage, easy to clean, not afraid of stress, atmospheric surprises.

But in order to enjoy all the benefits listed, you first need to attach it to the wall - this is where the nuances begin.

First, the base must be flat - you will have to spend time and money on an additional stage. Secondly, reliable - porcelain stoneware, glue, a layer of concrete or plaster for leveling weigh a lot.

An easier way - installation of the base on the crate. Creation of the so-called ventilated facade, when the slabs are fixed with special clamps. Then insulation can be made between the cladding and the wall.

Pictured is a ventilated facade with porcelain stoneware finish

Clinker tiles

You can get a brick base on the house without using the brick itself - there are a lot of imitation options, but one of the most popular is clinker.

Clinker bricks or tiles are 100% natural clay-based material, fired in a special oven at a temperature of over 1000 degrees. After such treatment, the clinker does not absorb water, has protection against scratches, chips, and serves for many years in heat and cold.

Due to its compact dimensions (~ 240 * 71 mm, with a thickness of 10-20 mm), the tile is lightweight, can be laid on any, even not the most durable base (unlike its corpulent counterpart).

The cost of clinker bricks is 1.5 times higher than the price of ordinary bricks, but for this money you get a more reliable protective facade coating.

A rock

In finishing the basement, you cannot do without stone:

• A natural stone... The type should be chosen based on what effect you want to get - bright sandstone looks natural, marble - expensive, pompous, granite - simple, but solid.

Advice! When choosing a stone, pay attention to its performance characteristics: it is safer to buy material for cladding, mined in a region with a similar climate.

• Fake diamond... It is much easier to finish the basement with an artificial stone - it has a given plane, easily fits with each other, and in appearance it practically does not differ from its natural counterpart.

Important! Artificial stone is lighter, which means it can be used not only on monolithic bases.

Painting

Painting the walls just above ground level around your home is one of the easiest ways to protect your basement surface from premature damage.

The correct base paint should have the following properties:

• Water repellency... It should be understood that moisture trapped in the porous texture of a brick or concrete, when frozen or heated, will simply destroy it.
• Light reflection... Firstly, the paint gives a beautiful shimmer in the sun. Secondly, it protects the base from direct sunlight.
• Long service life... It is unlikely that anyone wants to repaint the perimeter of the house every couple of years.
• Frost resistance... In the northern regions, this point is especially relevant.

Acrylic, latex, epoxy paint compositions marked "For facades and plinths" are distinguished by the widest palette of shades, increased resistance to environmental conditions.

The photo shows a small painted base

Professional list

A budget method for finishing the basement, which is easy to implement with your own hands. For basement works, choose a rigid type of profiled sheet (C13-C21) with a polyurethane coating: this will not be squeezed inward from a snowdrift, will not peel off, will not rust from the rain, and will not fade in the sun.

The fastening principle is profile. Wooden or metal girders are installed on special plumb lines, a profiled sheet is mounted on top. Insulation is placed between the outer finish of the basement and the wall of the house.

Important! The joints with the ground and walls are additionally insulated so that fungus or mold does not form inside.

Slate

The material is undeservedly considered outdated: yes, slate is quite fragile, but at the same time it is not afraid of acids, alkalis, low or high temperatures, does not absorb moisture, does not burn, does not fade under UV rays.Only a blow can destroy it, but the same minus is inherent, for example, in siding or porcelain stoneware.

Experts recommend flat pressed sheets for facade work, which are mounted on a wooden or metal base.

The photo shows an example of using flat slate

Beautiful examples

Natural stone combines strength with decorativeness, opens up a lot of possibilities in home decoration: it is worth expanding or reducing the gap between the elements, as the appearance of the basement radically changes.

A safe option in terms of aesthetics is a dark bottom. Chocolate, graphite, wet tarmac looks more neat compared to the same mid-tone finish.

Another universal solution is the bottom of the facade in the color of the path along the house. At the same time, light is combined with a bright, dark base. Dark, on the contrary, with the lightest possible wood or brick.

The choice of finishing material is always a compromise between price, beauty, and practicality. The design of the base is no exception, therefore, the final decision can be made only after studying all the possible materials described above.