The warm season is not always enough for construction. Let's find out the specifics of building a fence in cold weather and whether there are any advantages to this approach.
Busy owners of personal plots often do not have enough warm time of year to complete all the work. For example, there is often a need to start or continue construction of a fence in winter. What are the features of building a fence in cold weather? Are there any advantages to this approach?
Construction of a fence in winter
There may be several reasons why a site owner decides to build a fence in winter:
- Appeared free time, because in the summer there was a lot to do in the garden.
- It is urgent to fence off the construction site so that in the spring we can immediately begin importing materials and building a house or barn.
- Only now a team has been found that is ready to complete all the work quickly and at a relatively low price.
- Money just appeared.
- The funds are limited and I want to save money.
In fact, as experts note, building a fence in winter has significant advantages:
- Prices for materials are reduced, and you can save money.
- It is much easier to find contractors, because construction crews are often left without work until spring.
- When the ground has frozen, it is easier to bring all the materials to the site, less problems with delivery than during the autumn and spring thaw.
- There is no risk of damaging the beds and flower beds during construction; the harvest has already been harvested.
Besides, modern technologies construction allows you to erect a fence at any time of the year, there is not that much of a difference. So there are few good reasons to postpone the construction of a fence around a dacha or house. Among them are the need to clear the area of snow and the problem of frozen soil. That's all, actually. Of course, let’s face it, it gets dark earlier in winter, and working in the cold is not so pleasant. But there is no sweltering heat that forces you to leave the site on a summer afternoon.
First of all, you should choose the material for the fence. The easiest and cheapest way is to build a chain-link fence and a fence made of corrugated sheets at any time of the year. Metal is not afraid of frost; such fences weigh little. It will be more difficult to build a brick fence in winter, because laying is a long process, and when low temperatures the properties of concrete change. But this problem can also be solved by using chemical additives and plasticizers, which significantly increase the frost resistance of concrete.
The technology for constructing fences is the same in both winter and summer:
- The territory is being marked.
- Install support pillars.
- The spans are being installed.
The only difficulties during the construction of a fence in winter time may arise with the installation of support pillars, which need to be deepened into the ground and securely fastened. For this purpose, the following technologies are used:
- Introduction of screw piles.
- Butting.
- Concreting pillars.
Important! The usual, simplest method of installing support pillars - digging into the soil about 1.2 meters and covering with soil - is not suitable! In the spring, the soil around the pole will begin to melt, and it may tilt.
We described in detail how water wells are drilled in winter. Drilling a hole for a supporting fence post is even easier; it is not so deep. For example, screw pile Thanks to the presence of screws, the top, frozen layer of soil can easily pass through. Motor drills, hole drills and other special equipment are used, which will greatly facilitate the work process.
As for butting, this is the most common technology for installing support fence posts in winter. It consists of drilling a hole with a diameter of about 20 centimeters and a depth of up to 1.5 meters. The soil should be thrown away and sand should be poured onto the bottom in a layer of at least 10 centimeters. A concrete pile or profiled metal pipe is installed on this pad. The vertical support is easy to control using a plumb line.
Rubble is poured between the soil and the pipe or pile. Usually this is fine gravel or crushed stone. That is why the technology is called bottling. The bottle is carefully compacted and filled in gradually. Plus, such backfill, unlike ordinary soil, will not freeze in the winter, that is, in the spring the post will remain securely fastened and will not move. In addition, there is no need to mix the mortar and concreting the supports.
Experts advise leaving a distance between support pillars of no more than 2.5 meters in length. After completing this most important and time-consuming stage, horizontal logs and lintels are attached to the pillars. And corrugated boards or boards are already installed on them, depending on what you chose to build your fence.
Thus, the technology for constructing a fence around the site is not too different in winter and summer. In the cold season, the situation is complicated only by the need to use special additives in the concrete solution, if this particular option for attaching support pillars is chosen, as well as clearing the area of snow and difficulties in passing the frozen layer of soil.
Otherwise, building a fence in winter is almost as easy as in the warm season. In addition, we repeat, you will definitely save on hiring workers and purchasing materials. published
If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to the experts and readers of our project.
P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet
CONSTRUCTION OF A FENCE IN WINTER CONDITIONS
Modern technologies make it possible to carry out construction and installation work in winter period time. At first glance, installing a fence in winter seems like a bad idea, which promises a lot of hassle and possible troubles later. Frosty weather, snow, and frozen ground complicate the installation of the fence. But these are not the main problems. It is practically impossible to install fence support posts by driving them into the ground in winter. Therefore, in the spring, when the soil begins to thaw, there is a possibility that the support pillars will collapse, the fence may become skewed, and you will have to spend effort and money to repair it.
Concreting in winter conditions also has significant difficulties - the concrete solution practically does not set in frosty weather. Modern antifreeze additives into concrete significantly speed up the process: in concrete mixture add sodium nitrite, calcium nitrite, potash. An aqueous solution of such additives is used to mix the concrete mixture. This will not only allow concreting to be done in the cold, but will also significantly improve the adhesion of concrete to other materials. Another method can be used - heating the concrete. But it’s one thing to provide thermal insulation and heating, for example, of a foundation, and another thing to provide severaldozens of individual holes scattered throughout the site.
So, the use of special additives significantly increases the cost of the process, and heating is not very convenient. However, there are circumstances in which the fence must be installed in winter. Is there a technology that guarantees the installation of a fence in winter conditions? There is a backfilling of pillars, which is ideal for winter installation of reliable and stable supports.
The construction of a fence in winter differs from similar work in the warm season due to the presence of snow and frozen soil, which somewhat complicate the process. Otherwise, the algorithm for installing the fence is the same; it can be divided into three stages: marking the area, installing support pillars (with backfilling) and installing fence spans, gates and gates.
Place first installation work cleared of snow. The area is carefully marked with metal rods and construction thread, and the places where the supports will be located are recorded. Typically the distance between support pillars is 2.5 m.
Then, using hole drills, holes are drilled for the support pillars. The depth of the holes is from 1.2 to 1.5 m, the diameter of the holes is 150-200 mm. Moreover, only high-quality and powerful drilling equipment is suitable for working with frozen ground.
Metal profile pipes are used for fence support posts; larger diameter pipes are used for gate posts. The pillar is covered with special plugs to protect it from moisture.
From correct installation bearing supports depends appearance and the service life of the fence. Therefore, the vertical position of the pillars is verified with a plumb line, and the overall same height supports
To the very important points installation includes backfilling of pillars, its quality determines the strength and durability of the fence.
The essence of the method is simple. The fence support posts are installed in the drilled holes. Portions of rubble, which is used as small and medium-sized gravel, crushed stone or stone, are poured into the hole around the post. Each portion of buta is carefully compacted. It is important to ensure that the pole is not skewed, otherwise the whole work starts all over again.
As a result of backfilling, the post acquires good bearing capacity and tolerates soil freezing-thawing cycles without consequences.
At the last stage of work, fence spans, gates and wickets are installed. Horizontal logs (lintels) made of metal are attached to the support pillars. profile pipes. Usually two logs are installed, but if the fence height is more than 2 m, you should add one more horizontal jumper. The lags are fastened to the support posts by welding. Next, they begin to attach the material of the fence spans (corrugated sheeting) to the horizontal logs using self-tapping screws to match the color polymer coating profiled sheet. The corrugated sheeting is attached with an overlap on one wave.
To decorate the top edge of the fence, a fence edge is installed on top, which gives the fence a neat and finished look. Gates and gates are attached to the gate posts. The wicket and gates are made of corrugated sheets.
One of the activities of the Fence and Gates company isinstallation of fences and fences from various materials, including the installation of fences in winter. Winter construction has another positive side- enough low prices for building materials, construction works and cargo transportation. This allows you to significantly reduce construction costs and speed up the construction time of the fence.
Our specialists will do everything necessary work from the development of a drawing to the finished fence or enclosure with high quality and in short time. The work is carried out in Moscow, the Moscow region and adjacent areas.
Construction work in summer is freed from many of the difficulties that are present in winter. For anyone who decides to build a fence in winter, they are inevitable. But not so significant as to refuse practical implementation this idea. Thanks to modern technology, they are completely surmountable.
Metal fence with brick pillars in winter
Today construction uses developed latest methods, which allow the most complex processes in unfavorable conditions. And installing fence structures in winter is not that difficult. It is quite within the power of a home craftsman.
Problems and their solutions
- Inconvenience of working in the cold;
- Freezing of water in solution;
- Soil freezing;
- Changing the properties of concrete.
Installation in cold weather becomes more difficult. And this is quite understandable. But what changes does it make to the properties of building materials? We need to pay special attention to this.
In winter it becomes difficult for the following reasons. Already at a temperature of five degrees Celsius, the hardening process of an ordinary solution slows down. At zero degrees, hydration stops completely. A strong monolithic structure ceases to form.
Diagram with dimensions for installing fence posts
The cement mixture is said to not set. But everyone cares about construction, which will ensure high quality structures. Therefore, to enhance the gripping effect of the solution, chemical antifreeze agents are added to it. It can be potash, sodium nitrite or a mixture of urea and calcium nitrate.
In this case, the solution must be prepared using water that is already saturated with the catalyst before the remaining ingredients are added.
This substance sets relatively quickly, so it is not recommended to prepare it for future use. You need to spend everything without a trace. True, these chemical additives increase the cost of concrete. This means that the entire installation becomes more expensive. But they have one more advantage: they increase the ability of the mixture to adhere to other building materials. Don't forget that some supplements are unsafe. For example, sodium nitrite is highly flammable, even from an unextinguished cigarette. 
It is also a poisonous substance. You have to be very careful with him.
There is another way to improve the quality of concrete. But due to its high cost and complexity, it is used quite rarely. This is warming up. If the area is large, installing a long fence with a huge number of supporting posts will be very troublesome and expensive.
In frost, the solution freezes and becomes hard. The fence in this condition will remain unshakable until spring. With the arrival of warmth it will thaw. Its strength will decrease, however, not for long. After about a week of warm weather it will recover. Of course, its quality will be slightly lower. But the walls of such a structure can easily withstand their own weight.
It is necessary to monitor the thickness of the horizontal masonry lines. Thawed mortar in thick seams under the load of overlying bricks can float and deform the wall of the fence post.
The process of laying bricks in winter
The mentioned additives to the solution come in handy here. When thawed, they strengthen the adhesion of all elements of the brick structure.
However, fence supports are not always made of brick. Very popular as a supporting rack, hollow or. It is installed in the ground and strengthened at any time of the year using long-established and well-developed technologies.
Corrugated fences
In winter, the construction of fences using the specified material - good option. Their installation is practically not affected by weather conditions. True, frost complicates the installation of poles. It is impossible to properly compact the frozen soil around them in the holes. Stability problems may arise in the spring when the soil thaws. However, such problems can be easily solved using simple technologies.
Corrugated fence on a screw foundation
Advantages of corrugated sheets:
- Resistance to all weather changes;
- Light weight;
- Ease of processing;
- Easy to install.
It's curved thin Sheet steel, which is covered with protective polymers and several layers of paint. Sheets of corrugated sheets can be easily handled by one worker. He can cut them with hand scissors without special effort. Fences can also be installed by one person, quickly and without any help.
The disadvantages include the following. cannot do without metal parts, such as racks, framing frames, jumpers between posts for fastening sheets. The surface of the corrugated sheet is easily scratched and damaged by a strong blow. At the cost of a palisade from wooden slats costs much less. As for the color variety of the material, it is limited.
Zabutovka
To solve winter problems, installation of a fence cannot be done without sufficient simple method butting. Its essence is as follows. 120–150 cm deep and 20 cm in diameter. Their bottom is covered with sand 10–15 cm deep. A fence post is inserted into the hole. The free space is filled with rubble, namely crushed stone or fine gravel. This filling is done in layers, with each filling being carefully compacted.
Installation using this technology gives the support high stability at any time of the year. It is not at all affected by the freezing or thawing of the soil.
It must be remembered that when backfilling you need constant control over the vertical position of the support. To do this, use an ordinary plumb line. You should check not only verticality, but also height.
Scheme for backfilling fence posts
Since in most cases this metal pipe, as a rule, is large in size, then for the purpose of waterproofing the top should be closed with a special plug.
The corrugated sheet is attached to backed racks, adjusted in height and vertically. Then the plane of the fence will not skew or become zigzag.
Build quality and reliable fence winter is not an easy task.
Weather factors have negative impact at all stages of construction, and frozen soil and the presence of snow cover can significantly complicate the installation of supporting structures.
Is it possible to build a fence in winter? Read on to find out whether fences are installed in winter.
In most regions of our country, the cold period occupies a significant part of the year, so many developers are simply forced to build fences in difficult climatic conditions. This problem is completely solvable if we take into account all the problems that may arise when installing a fence in winter:
- Before starting work, you should once again evaluate the feasibility of such construction. Work must be carried out in warm clothing, and therefore not always comfortable for performing some processes, which can significantly lengthen the time allotted for the construction of the fence.
- Some materials, including concrete and cement mortars, not recommended for use with negative temperature conditions;
- In winter, difficulties arise when excavating the soil, which is due to deep freezing of the soil and the need to use special equipment for digging.
It is also important to remember that the period for concrete to gain brand strength indicators at a temperature of +20°C takes just under a month, and work in low-temperature conditions can cause cracking and premature destruction of the erected structure.
When erecting fences in winter, experts recommend giving preference lightweight designs based on materials such as profiled flooring, metal rods, mesh or picket fence.
This option does not require large volumes of earthworks and reduces overall labor intensity.
Ways to install fence posts in winter
Considering the full range of problems that may arise during the winter construction of a fence, resolve the issue of installation supporting structure can be done in several fairly effective ways.
Most often, pillars are concreted at low temperatures using solutions with special additives in the concrete mixture, as well as heating the composition during the pouring process and at the hardening stage. Despite the effectiveness of the second option, it is less popular, which is caused by a noticeable increase in the cost of the work performed.
Installation of a fence from corrugated sheets in winter
All-weather modern technologies, which are also in demand when constructing fences in winter, are represented by the installation of screw piles. A device in the form of a pipe with something like an auger at the bottom can be screwed into frozen soil quite easily. The widespread use of this method is limited by the high cost, as well as the need to use special equipment.
Butting method
Butting is the most convenient and budget method fastenings fence posts using materials that are not subject to freezing. The bottling technology is not at all complicated and is quite accessible for independent implementation:
- removal of snow mass along the perimeter of the fence construction area;
- marking the territory and designating places for installing support pillars;
- drilling a hole with a diameter of no more than 20 cm to a depth of one and a half meters;
- thorough removal of soil from drilled holes;
- filling the holes with a sand cushion no more than 10-15 cm high;
- installation on sand cushion a fence metal profile or concrete post and leveling it in a vertical position using a plumb level;
- filling into the free space between the support pillar and the walls of the hole the so-called rubble, represented by fine crushed stone and medium-fraction gravel.
Butting with crushed stone
It is necessary to fill the rubble stone in parts, tamping each layer very carefully. At all stages of butting, it is extremely important to control the vertical position of all fixed posts.
As practice shows, if the technology of rubble backfilling during the winter construction of a fence was followed in full, then in the spring there is no movement of the support pillars at all, and the durability and quality of the fence are beyond doubt.
Increasing the frost resistance of concrete
The concreting process in winter is carried out using simple, but relatively expensive methods. It is quite difficult to heat the concrete solution during the hardening process, especially if the fence being built includes a large number of support pillars and is of considerable length. The heating method involves high financial and energy costs.
The option of increasing the frost resistance of potting mixtures thanks to special additives is more convenient and affordable.
Harden concrete mortar in low-temperature conditions, special components, represented by potash, sodium and calcium nitrates, which are added in the following proportion, help:
- at temperatures down to minus 5 o C - in the amount of 5-6% of the total volume of the mixture;
- at temperatures from minus 5 o C to minus 10 o C - in an amount of 6-8% of the total volume of the mixture;
- at temperatures below minus 15 o C - in the amount of 8-10% of the total volume of the mixture.
It is important to remember that at temperatures below minus 15 o C the activity of sodium nitrate drops sharply, so the concentration of potash should be increased to 12-15%. Good result Pure urea or mixed with calcium nitrate is also used as an additive that increases frost resistance.
The activity of antifreeze additives can be increased by introducing a concrete hardening catalyst, which is most often used sodium formate.
Ready-made antifreeze additives with a plasticizing and catalyzing effect are presented:
- Hydroconcrete "S-3M-15";
- Hydrozyme;
- Lignopan;
- Wins with Anti-Frost;
- Betonsan;
- Cement breaker.
During the winter construction process, it is recommended to use the thermos effect method, which consists of covering all concrete holes with such thermal insulation materials like foam plastic and mineral wool followed by film coating.
Installing a fence in winter
Let's look at how to install a fence in winter. After the base of the fence has been completely assembled and the concreting of the pillars has acquired sufficient strength, spans and other fencing elements are installed.
This stage of fence construction does not differ significantly from the summer construction process and includes the installation of fence spans, gates, and wickets. Horizontally placed jumper logs, represented by a metal profile, are fixed to the support pillars.
As a rule, a pair of lintels are installed, but if the height of the fence exceeds two meters, then it is advisable to install a third additional lag.
The lags are fixed to the support posts by welding, after which the construction and finishing material is fixed in the form of profiled flooring.
The corrugated sheets must be secured with self-tapping screws, the color of which matches the color of the polymer coating.
Installation of the canvas must be carried out overlapping the wave.
The final step is to decorate the top of the fence. It is recommended to install a special fence edge, which will easily give the already constructed fence a finished and very neat appearance.
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