Fox hole (mounded house, dugout). Fox hole - we build ourselves. pros and cons So, a dugout that is not a dugout is a great option

There is hardly any other place where you can feel such security as in a bunded building. The secret is simple and I learned this secret on the pages of the site www.ibrus.ru - energy and the spirit of the earth literally permeate the structure under the turf dome. Natural grounding of the building relieves stress, removes electromagnetic fields caused by stray currents, which is typical for multi-storey reinforced concrete structures.

Here, shutdowns of heating plants and power outages are not terrible, since an elementary wood-burning hearth is enough to maintain a comfortable temperature. Habitually monotonously flicker outside the window of the electric train holiday villages. Booths, huts, houses, houses, houses ... And behind all this heap of construction, the main thing is not visible - the beauty of the cultivated land. And the houses themselves (or rather, cases) are empty for most of the year. In cold weather, warming them up for an overnight stay (15-16 ° C) is problematic: while the walls are warming up, it's time to get ready for the city.

In a bunded house, water in pipes or in a kettle will never freeze, and at a minimum cost it is easy to create comfortable living conditions. The lack of natural light can be compensated by the installation of transparent roof elements (antiaircraft lamps), the efficiency of which is much higher than traditional windows.

Fig. 1 Plan of a house of the "Fox hole" type for a small area:
1 - veranda (14.0 m2);
2 - kitchen (12.0 m2);
3 - room (20.0m2);
4 - vegetable store (18.0 m2);
5 - greenhouse (18.0 m2);
6 - pantry (1.3 m2);
7 - bench-locker;
8 - pit-water absorber

Modern bunded structures can be of very different purposes: these are livestock rooms, garages for agricultural machinery, etc. Houses built using the simplest materials (expanded concrete blocks, sandbags, logs, soil blocks) can help solve the acute housing problem of many categories population - refugees, migrants, etc.

This type of bunded houses received our code name "Fox hole". Our architectural studio is ready to help develop projects for both small buildings and entire public complexes (sports, cultural, etc.). Let's see how for a small garden plot you can build a small house lined with earth.

Manufacturing jobs. At the first stage, a common pit is torn off with a depth of 0.5-0.8 m and a size of 0.5 m more than the dimensions of the future building. The soil is piled around the perimeter of the embankment. A strip foundation 400 mm thick and 250 mm deep is made of M300 concrete reinforced with a mesh of ZF6A-1 along the bottom of the pit. A preparation 150 mm thick from a sand and gravel mixture is laid under the strip foundation. On the top of the foundation - waterproofing from two layers of roofing material on bitumen.

The walls of the house are erected from red brick Ml00 on a cement-sand mortar M50: up to the mark of 0.00 - 380 mm thick, above - 250 mm thick. Walls can be made from other materials, for example, from concrete blocks, or made from monolithic expanded clay concrete. The outer surfaces of the walls in contact with the ground must be insulated by coating with hot bitumen (two to three times) or roofing material.

The ceiling is made of hollow reinforced concrete slabs of the PK63-15-8 type, on top of which a leveling screed is made. The ceiling is insulated with polystyrene foam boards 50-70 mm thick, which are laid on cold bituminous mastic. The insulation layer is covered with two or three layers of roofing material (hydroisol) on bituminous mastic with waterproofing of the junctions with the walls.

On top of the structure- clay castle with a layer of 10-15 cm, followed by bunding with soil taken out of the pit. Subsequently, ornamental grass can be sown at this place, a flower garden can be arranged, etc.

Yes, if you build a small garden house. Garden houses are small-sized houses that are built quickly and at the same time with high quality.

If you are planning to build a country house inexpensively, spending a minimum of time, then read this article. In it we will talk about a very interesting version of garden houses, about houses built on the principle of a fox hole.

What is a fox hole garden house. Most of you have probably watched the movie "The Lord of the Rings", so, remember the dwellings of the magical hobbits. They just lived in the "fox hole" houses. The fox hole house is very similar in principle to ordinary dugouts. It is worth noting that dugouts are a very good shelter from any bad weather, be it wind, heavy rain or cold. And if you are thinking about how to build a house cheaply, then the fox hole house option is just for you.

Fox hole house - pros and cons...

What are the advantages of garden houses on the principle of a fox hole?
Advantages:
* construction speed. The fox hole garden house can be built independently with a full finish in 2 weeks
* if you want to build a country house inexpensively, then this option of a garden house is for you.
* garden houses "fox hole" require minimal repairs, since the entire roof is covered with earth, * the facade of the house is reduced to a minimum
*favorable climate inside the garden house. In summer, a pleasant coolness remains, and in winter * houses keep warm for a long time
*Energy savings in space heating. Garden houses on the principle of a fox hole for a long time *keep warm they can be heated even at -30 only 1 time per day

Inexpensive garden houses are real, but in addition to advantages, any construction has its drawbacks.

The disadvantages of such inexpensive garden houses can only be attributed to psychological factors. The desire to feel the sunlight in the daytime, the desire to hit from above, on the ground, and not underground, desires can be listed more and more, each person can experience his own special needs. Therefore, before construction, cock all the pluses and minuses, and only after that make a decision.

Waterproofing in garden houses

Humidity inside the garden house will depend on the depth of groundwater and the quality of the soil. For waterproofing, a bicrost or roofing material is placed under the lower trim. Over time, it is possible to break the waterproofing in places where the roofing material is damaged. Also, poor waterproofing is often found in houses to which a cellar is attached.

When building a garden house, it is very important to use as thick, even logs as possible with a minimum number of knots. Since over time, logs can break from the load. Most often, logs break in places where knots are located.
How to build a house cheaply

Let's write down the stages of building a fox hole house:

1. a hole is dug around the perimeter 1 meter larger than the planned garden house
2. roofing material is laid on the bottom
3. on top, leveling the level, lay four logs. These logs will serve as the lowest harness for the house. You can put the logs of the lower strapping on bricks
4. logs are placed at the corners of the lower trim
5. Pillars are placed in the middle of sides A and C, securing them with corner brackets
6. fasten the beams and the ridge
7. install rafters

8. Intermediate posts are embedded on each side
9. the resulting walls of the garden house are sheathed with roofing felt or boards of 25 mm each
10. additionally insulate the facade walls of the garden house
11. a crate is nailed to the rafters and the roof is covered with roofing material
12. optionally make windows
13. further they are engaged in the interior decoration of the garden house
14. at the end, you can proceed to the decorative exterior of the garden house

Garden houses can be built using different construction technologies. In this article, we told you how to build a house cheaply. Good luck with your building!

The design and construction of underground dwellings is currently developing rapidly, as one of the ways to reduce the dependence of residential buildings on a continuous supply of fuel. Previously, it was believed that the mention of the possibility of building underground or buried dwellings could, due to a negative psychological reaction, cause a negative attitude towards any other such ideas.

Indeed, man has always turned to the earth to protect himself from the effects of adverse and extreme climatic conditions. Only a historically short era of affordable and cheap fuel has allowed us to build climate-independent homes and supply those homes with the energy we need to create comfortable conditions. Now that fossil fuels are dwindling and prices are rising rapidly, it's time to re-evaluate the possibilities that land offers us.

We collect information on the site about the construction of fox holes, dugouts.

• Cellars and cellars: how to build

  Outside the city, you can’t do without a cellar and a basement. Especially if you have your own garden and orchard (and it is almost always on the site). I would like to save vegetables, pickles, and apples for the winter ... A good basement (cellar) is very important, and therefore its construction must be approached wisely.
  

  Everyone who is faced with the problem of long-term storage of a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables needs to build a cellar.
  

  Methods for storing fruits and vegetables outside the home: in earthen pits, heaps, ice storages, cellars of various types, etc.

• bunded house

  The exceptionally hot summer of 2010 caused a lot of trouble for the Russians. From the heat there was simply nowhere to go. Personally, I escaped in the basement of my own house, where the temperature was quite comfortable, which allowed me to sleep normally in a pleasant coolness. True, you will not live in the basement. Involuntarily, thoughts came up - how to combine this comfortable temperature regime of the semi-basement, in which it is cool in summer and warm in winter, with the usual convenience of natural lighting in an ordinary house. Here, by the way, I recalled the project of the bunded house Fox hole B. Novoselov (House No. 10, 1999). The most significant disadvantages of this project are the lack of natural light and the need to ensure high-quality waterproofing of the house. Both that, and another, it is rather difficult to make the offered methods. By slightly changing the specified design and applying modern materials, it was possible to solve these problems.

  I note that this is only a project, but I also used my personal experience when choosing some constructive solutions.

  Comments: 3

• Photo of the house and the interior of the fox hole

  Photo sent by Dmitry Dorogov.

  Comments: 1, Catalog: 9

• Two solutions to the fox hole

  We will illustrate the design solutions for bunded buildings with two examples. These buildings are simple and economical. They can be compared to well-made, carefully insulated ordinary buildings, although they cannot be considered perfect. The given examples of solutions should not be considered as optimal. Attention is drawn to the three main features of the projects, which consider: firstly, architectural and planning solutions; secondly, questions of energy conservation; thirdly, economic characteristics according to local designers. Issues of capital and operating costs are of paramount importance for the construction of buried dwellings.

Good afternoon Alexander!

Our settlement is really famous for its fox holes. And even in addition to the “official” name Rodniki, the variants Lisienorsk and Norouralsk were offered. But we can boast more about the number of holes than the creative originality of the projects (although in the future, convinced burrowers - I'm sure - will show the wonders of architecture. Projects of 8-sided and round fox holes are already being hatched). It so happened historically that the three burrows now inhabited were built in order to get a finished dwelling as soon as possible, spending little money.

In addition to these 3 inhabited heated holes (Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova, Nadia Rubtsova, Tanya Skomarokhova), there are 2 already filled in, but without interior decoration and without a stove, and (Volodya Simakhin and Andrey Beloborodov) another 1 small (2.5x2.5 m) adapted under the summer house (Okulovsky). In the next couple of years, at least 4 more families promise to build fox holes for themselves.

Such popularity is associated with the advantages of such a dwelling:

1. Construction speed. One of the burrows (by Nadya Rubtsova) was brought from scratch (a pit dug by an excavator) to a habitable condition (with a stove and interior decoration) in 2 weeks, of which it took 3 days to build the frame, sheathing and backfilling. Of course, with the help of neighbors.
2. Cheapness. In almost all our projects, the main materials are round timber and unedged boards.
3. Low repair costs. Since the facade is reduced to a minimum and the roof is covered with earth, they do not need to be repaired.
4. Indoor climate. In winter, residents spend REALLY LESS firewood (at -30 they heat 1 time per day) than their neighbors in log cabins. They can leave for several days and not heat without the risk of freezing the dwelling (although in practice we still heat each other's stoves in the absence of the owners). In summer, the house is pleasantly cool.
5. No need for an official building permit (advantage for those who are afraid of visitors from the land committee). Although Ukraine, for sure, has its own specifics.

Disadvantages of fox holes:

1. The earth, like reinforced concrete slabs, has shielding properties, that is, it is an obstacle to natural cosmic radiation. People who are sensitive to subtle energy feel it as an internal discomfort. Therefore, it is better for such people to build wooden houses that are permeable to radiation.
2. The inability to look out the window, the desire to be on top of the earth are also serious psychological factors.
For me personally, these 2 shortcomings are very significant. Therefore, I myself live in a log house. Apparently, for the same reasons, the inhabitants of all three inhabited burrows dream of moving to the surface in the future. While the settlers, who still do not have any housing on the estate, dream of fox holes.

The oldest burrow (the house of Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova) was built in 2004, the other two in 2006. Filling - from 0.5 m to 1 m. The experiment was a success: the owners are generally satisfied with their dwellings.

About waterproofing. In all 5 cases (except for the Okulovsky summer micromink, I don’t know about it), roofing material or bicrost was used. It was placed under the lower trim (almost everyone except Volodya Simakhin has it on the ground, and he has it on bricks), they also sheathed the wall boards from the outside. To be honest, I don’t really like this option: it interferes with the natural balance of moisture between the earth and the house (according to the theory, loamy soil itself regulates humidity and maintains it at an optimal level). But I don't know any other options. Maybe plaster the walls outside with clay, dry it and fill it up? Clay plaster protects wood from decay.
Humidity in the room probably depends on the type of soil and the depth of groundwater. We have loam, water at 5..7 m. Experience shows that dampness does not occur in a heated fox hole. Only Tanya Skomarokhova faced the problem of dampness: she has a cellar attached to the hole, and from there dampness pulls through the door. She also noticed the wetting of the ceiling in the corner and the rotting of the boards: there, probably, the backfill is insufficient and the roofing material is damaged somewhere. Or maybe condensation? It may well appear on the roofing felt from the side of the boards, if the room is damp from the cellar.
Tanya was also the only one whose burrow suffered from earth load. After a year of operation, the ridge beam gave a noticeable crack, and it was necessary to support it with a column in the center of the house. The length of the beam is 4 m, the diameter is about 16-18 cm, there is a large knot at the point of breaking. I must say that the logs were used from the burner, which also affected the strength. (Nadya Rubtsova has a ridge beam with exactly the same characteristics that works properly). The conclusions are as follows: use a log thicker and with a minimum of knots. And, most importantly, rest the rafters against each other in order to redistribute the load on the walls. At the same time, attention should be paid to the quality of the upper wall trim. Although, according to our standard project, numerous boards of walls (perpendicular to the ridge), as well as the ground itself, should protect the walls (parallel to the ridge) from driving around.
I must say, Tanya's hole is generally a phenomenon. Our settlers built there, but the work was poorly organized, no one knew the project. They did it, one might say, at random. Now I look and am surprised: the distance between the rafters is 133 cm and the crate is made of an inch (!). Thumbelina caved in under the weight of the earth, but holds! Of course, all other holes are built more intelligently.
You ask about racks. Everything is alright with them! They're not going anywhere.

Various smart people advised to do ventilation through two vertical pipes. However, it has not been implemented anywhere, and no one has yet suffered from it. Although it is possible that it would be even better with her, including in such “clinical” cases as Tanya Skomarokhova’s.
The windows in all our holes are from the facade, and the facade is from the side of one of the gables.
In two more burrows (at Nadia Rubtsova and Nina Ivanovna) ceiling windows were made. Before installing the first one, we argued for a long time: is it worth it? There were fears about lakes of condensate, about rainwater flowing under the glass, under the frame, about hail breaking the glass, about the fact that it would be swept away in winter anyway... They did it and saw: IT WORTH!!! There was no water leakage, the hail did not damage either (the upper glass is tempered), the snow does not cause inconvenience and is easy to clean. True, Nadia still had some condensation. But even this did not overshadow the satisfaction from the window: bright, but soft, pleasant diffused light from above and from the side illuminates the house until sunset.
No condensation was noticed on the second window (at Nina Ivanovna's).

I give a typical project, according to which the three mentioned now inhabited burrows were built (the other 3, brought under the roof, are also very similar in design). True, I drew only the initial stage. Further it will be clear from the description. Our burrow sizes range from 2.5x2.5 to 4x4.

1. The pit is being dug larger than the intended burrow. For a 4x4 hole, they dug a 5x5 m hole. Our average depth is 1.5 m.
2. Roofing material is laid on the bottom along the perimeter of the future frame.
3. We put 4 logs of the lower trim on the roofing material, connect them into half a tree, align them according to the level (it is possible with some error), adjust them to equal diagonals and fix them with brackets. Alternatively, you can put the bottom trim on bricks. In our area, the main soil is loam, so it can be considered trustworthy, and the pillars should not be buried deep.
4. We install 4 posts at the corners of the lower harness (length = 180..200 cm): for a good fit, we trim either the strapping logs or the pillars. Of course, we check on a plumb line. We fix it with temporary cuts, from a slab, for example (not shown in the figure).
5. We install central pillars in the middle of sides A and C (length 250..300 cm). We fasten them with a slab with corner posts.
6. Install the ridge and beams. It is recommended to take longer than sides B and D according to the project in order to provide a canopy from the side of the facade.
7. Install the rafters. In our projects, they rely on the skate, but it's probably better to rest them against each other. The distance between the rafters is 80..100 cm. When using a canopy from the facade, it is necessary that one pair of rafters is just above the logs and pillars of side A.
8. Intermediate posts are cut on each side. In the 4x4 project, we had 2 of them on each side.
9. The walls of the resulting frame are sheathed on the outside with boards (25 mm) and roofing material. The front wall needs to be insulated additionally.
10. A crate is stuffed onto the rafters and roofing material is placed. We have a crate of 25..30 mm, but it is better to make it thicker, or the rafters more often.
11. Well, there, windows, doors and all that. Then interior decoration.

That's all.

All the best! Prosperity to your settlement!
Paul.