Pile foundations have received enough widespread. This is due to the low cost of the device and the possibility of use even on soft soils. But during construction a problem arises: how to cover the basement of a house built on screw piles?
The buildings located on the supports in question have a ventilated underground. A grillage is provided for tying the piles. It connects separate elements into one system. The grillage can be made of concrete or metal. When installing wooden or frame houses, the harness is made of wood.
The plinth cladding will be attached to the piles or walls of the house. To complete this you will need to make a frame or sheathing. It is most convenient to make and attach wooden boards. Their cross sections will depend on the pitch of the piles and the mass of the cladding material used.
There are several options for solving the issue of how to close pile foundation outside. The finishing of the basement of the house can be made of the following materials:
- siding;
- brick;
- plastic panels;
- metal profiled sheet.
The choice of material depends on aesthetic and economic considerations.
Important! Whatever cladding of the basement of the house is chosen, it is necessary to provide vents.
They are necessary for normal ventilation of the space under the building. Lack of ventilation can lead to direct danger to human life. You can often hear about the dangers of gases such as radon. It lies in the ground, but often rises and accumulates in the basements of buildings and underground areas. Constant ventilation will help avoid the accumulation of hazardous substances. It is highly not recommended to close vents for the winter.
The easiest and cheapest way to cover a building on screw piles is with this material. Cladding has the following advantages:
- low cost (even taking into account components);
- ease of installation with your own hands;
- durability;
- wear resistance;
- resistance to rotting and mold;
- wide range of colors;
- ease of operation.
But along with its advantages, siding also has a number of disadvantages. For example, it will not be suitable if it is necessary to insulate the basement of a house on screw piles.
Installation technology
It is quite simple to do house cladding; you just need to know the order of work and the nuances of their implementation. The construction of the plinth is carried out in the following order:
All wooden elements Before starting work, they are treated with antiseptic compounds. This is necessary to prevent damage by fungus, mold and rot. As an additional measure, fire-fighting treatment with fire retardants can be performed.
Siding is the most common option. In this case, finishing the building is easy and quick. The installation should begin after the construction of the house is completed, when all communications have already been completed. To prevent pipes from freezing in a ventilated underground, they are wrapped thermal insulation material. Most often used for these purposes mineral wool. You can use ready-made thermal insulation elements for pipes, or you can make insulation using mineral wool mats (wrapped in rolls).
Pay attention to the soft waterproofing of the blind area Siding will be an excellent option to cover the space under the house. To attach the panels to the sheathing, you need to prepare self-tapping screws.
Brick finishing
The cladding can be made of more serious materials. Brick will allow you to build strong and durable protection. You can also choose this type for aesthetic reasons.
Finishing a building with brick begins with laying the foundation for the masonry. Just as in the case of siding, it is necessary to provide a layer that compensates for soil deformations in winter period. There are two base options:
- Monolithic non-buried tape. This option is not recommended for construction on heaving soils. It can only be used for coarse and sandy soils(medium or coarse sand).
- At a distance of 50-70 mm from the ground, a corner is welded to the metal heads of the piles. The shelf of this profile will become the base for a brick wall. It is recommended to take an equal angle corner with a shelf width of 120 mm. The thickness of the rolled products is determined depending on the height of the masonry and the distance between the piles. If in doubt, it is better to take a thicker product.
The length of rolled metal can be 6 or 12 m. They are chosen depending on what is available and on the length of the walls of the building.
Brick laying must be carried out with bandaging. To connect the elements together, a masonry mortar made of sand and cement is used. The average thickness of the seams is 10-12 mm.
Brick finishing has the following advantages:
- good thermal insulation properties of the material (you should choose hollow ceramic brick with increased performance);
- no need for additional finishing;
- maintainability;
- durability.
The finish is also characterized by a number of shortcomings. These include large mass and cost, labor intensity, limited color solutions.
Plastic panels
Attaching materials to piles is carried out using the same technology as in the case of siding. If you cover the space under the house with panels, you can get the following benefits:
- attractive appearance;
- a wide range of colors and textures (you can choose imitation brick or natural stone);
- rigidity;
- resistance to mechanical and chemical influences;
- resistance to rotting;
- affordable price.
But when choosing, it is worth remembering that despite the efforts of manufacturers, natural brick or stone looks better than finishing made from artificial materials.
Corrugated sheeting
It is quite easy to attach a profiled sheet or corrugated sheet to a wooden sheathing. The frame is installed in the same way as for installing siding. Metal material with a special coating, it is highly durable, easy to use and operate. There are a large number of color options. But a basement structure made of corrugated sheets is not suitable for all buildings; it is important to pay attention to the cladding material of the main structure.
The principle of attaching corrugated sheets is very simple When choosing siding, brick, panels or corrugated sheets for work, you must strictly follow the fastening technology and take into account the appearance of the building; the integrity of the facade should not be compromised.
The construction of houses on screw piles is a relatively new thing in our country, although in America it was first used in 1850 during the construction of a lighthouse. Many people are skeptical about this technology, but in its defense, the lighthouse is still standing.
Foundation on screw piles
Foundation on stilts
What are screw piles, and why is their popularity growing every year? There are many advantages, and one of the main ones is the speed of installation. Unlike concrete foundation, pile does not require time to dry and shrink.
A screw pile is a pipe with a thread on one end and a flat head on the other. Depending on the density of the soil and the features of the landscape, piles can reach 2.5 meters in length. And the wall thickness ranges from 5 mm to 15 mm. On the outside, they are coated with a special ship’s primer, which protects the metal from corrosion.
Construction of foundations on screw piles
Today, some manufacturers present their unique models of screw piles, which have minor external changes, but in fact, there are only three options:
- Piles with threaded end
- Piles with carvings throughout the “body”
- Piles with blades at the end
Of course, there is also a noticeable difference in price, and if the first two options differ only in ease of installation, then a pile with blades can significantly compact the soil around it. This is especially true in places with unstable soil and strong soil.
Facing the foundation on screw piles
To summarize, under all that has been said above, I will list several striking competitive advantages of building a house on a pile foundation:
- Ease of installation
- Possibility to use screw piles in any type of soil except rocky
- The cost is almost two times lower than that of strip concrete pouring
- Installation can also be done in winter
- Possibility of building a house on areas with difficult landscapes
- There is no need to be afraid of ground movements, even if construction is near a body of water
But, despite the obvious advantages, the foundation on screw piles has a significant difficulty, namely, how to cover the base of the house. There are several options, and to choose the right one, you need to look at each in more detail.
Base finishing options
Regardless of which option for finishing the plinth is chosen, first of all you need to take care of the supporting sheathing. Houses on a pile foundation have an air gap under the base, which must be closed.
It is best to assemble the sheathing from a profile pipe with unequal sides, for example, 40/20 mm - this is not only convenient for further finishing of the base, but will also create an additional strong connection between the piles.
Important: if wood is chosen for the sheathing, then it must be well treated with impregnations and several layers of soil.
Depending on the height of the plinth, the number of sheathing guides is also calculated. There should be at least three of them, but if the height is more than a meter, then the distance should not exceed 35-40 cm between the guides.
When the sheathing is ready, you can proceed to the selection of finishing materials.
Base sheathing
Basement siding
I will list only the most important ones:
- Relatively low cost. Taking into account all the components, the final cost will still not be high
- Ease of installation. You can close the basement of a house on stilts on our own without resorting to the services of specialists
- Wear resistance. The dense plastic from which the siding is made is not subject to rotting and will last for decades.
- Huge selection of textures. Siding imitates natural materials and can be matched to the features of the landscape
- Ease of care. The base, finished with siding, can be safely washed even with the use of strong detergents
Basement siding
Facing brick
One of the most expensive ways to close the base of a house is on screw piles. In order to make brickwork you need to have certain skills, so it is better to turn to the services of specialists.
Important: in order to make reliable masonry, it is necessary to “tie” it to the pile foundation. This can be done using small metal pins, which are welded to the sheathing and subsequently embedded in the masonry.
Advantages of brickwork:
- Brick retains heat well and will not allow the base of the house to freeze even in severe frosts.
- Facing brick does not require additional finishing or restoration after a few years
- The masonry creates additional support for the entire house and strengthens the pile structure
- Few materials can compete with brick in terms of durability
But, despite all the obvious advantages, there are a number of disadvantages that also cannot be ignored:
- The cost of materials and labor make brickwork the most expensive option for finishing a plinth.
- Construction of masonry requires large quantity time
- Diversity appearance limited choice of brick color
Facing brick
Corrugated sheeting
A popular material that was originally created as a roofing material, but today is used almost everywhere. You can cover the base with corrugated sheets yourself in just a few hours, and the only tools you need are a metal saw and a screwdriver.
Advantages of corrugated sheets:
- Large selection color range
- The corrugated sheet is very lightweight material and will not create additional load on the pile foundation
- Low price
- Does not require additional processing
Unfortunately, corrugated sheeting has a number of significant disadvantages that make it less attractive compared to other materials:
- Corrugated sheeting is resistant to scratches. Polymer coating easily scratched, and corrosion begins in these places
- The appearance is limited to just one option, although it can come in different colors
- In places of contact with the soil, corrugated sheeting quickly begins to rot
- Over the course of several years, the paint fades and loses its gloss.
Finishing the base with corrugated sheets
Flat slate
Finishing the foundation on screw piles using flat slate, is losing its popularity today. Slate is a capricious material, which, in addition to everything, is also recognized as harmful to human health, due to the high content of asbestos in its composition.
This option has few advantages, but for the sake of fairness they must be mentioned:
- You can make slate finishing yourself, if you have a certain set of tools.
- Slate is not subject to rotting and is insensitive to the environment
- The service life of this material is unlimited
Of course, there are many more disadvantages, and I will list only the main ones:
- Despite its density, slate is a very fragile material; the slightest inaccuracy in cutting or drilling will lead to its destruction
- Unpresentable appearance
- The cost of flat slate is somewhat higher than the cost of corrugated sheets or plastic siding
- Slate is very difficult to attach to a pile foundation
Flat slate
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many options for finishing the foundation on stilts, and most of them can be done independently. The main thing is to understand what requirements must be met finishing material. You must approach your choice responsibly and not be guided by considerations of economy.
The finishing of the pile foundation is carried out in order to protect the structure from the impact environment and moisture rising from the ground. The complexity of the process lies in the fact that the parts do not have a common plane. Therefore, before closing the base of a house on screw piles, preparations are carried out that will allow the selected material to be correctly fixed. Used for work various types construction products, which makes decision making easier.
The cladding of such a structure is difficult because it most often does not provide for the presence of a solid bond. The support pillars are placed at an equal distance from each other, and the upper deck is made of timber or metal elements serves as the basis for the house, but is located away from the ground. The exception is piles with a grillage, which in appearance resemble strip foundation. Therefore, the cladding technology requires the creation of a frame; its installation is carried out using two methods.
Use of metal profiles
The first option involves the use of square pipes, which are welded to the supports at the same distance. This method is suitable when you need to decide how easier it is to close the base in a pile-screw foundation. If desired, the welded frame is installed on concrete supports into which strips of sheet metal are pre-embedded, but this is a very complex procedure.
Metal profile pipe is a quick solution to the problem of the frame for basement finishing, but it must be carefully treated with an anti-corrosion compound, because the thickness of the metal there is small The second method largely repeats the standard front view lathing, in which U-shaped profiles are used. They are laid tied to the wooden part of the building. The guides are attached to the piles using a rigid tie made of various materials. Such a design must have high reliability, so all elements must have excellent adhesion.
Application of wooden beams
The frame is the most important detail; without it it is impossible to obtain a beautiful and durable cladding.
Tying a wooden sheathing to a concrete grillage or wall of the house is considered a very reliable option, but the timber must be well waterproofed
Siding
Siding refers to modern materials and is very popular, this is explained by many advantages. A special base type is used for work, the durability of which is in many ways superior to the façade version.
You can cover the foundation as follows:
The finishing of the basement of a house on stilts can be done using other panel products; their installation is carried out using a similar technology. If there is a need for insulation, special thermal panels are used. They have an excellent appearance (imitation brick or stone) and include a layer of insulation. They are fixed directly to the frame parts.
Application of bricks
The process of creating brickwork requires the presence of serious support; it will ensure the structure's reliability and durability.
Creating a foundation for masonry
There are two ways to do this:
- The first method resembles the process of creating piles with a grillage. The peculiarity is that the tape is poured into a small depression level with the ground. A cohesive structure is created that will serve as support for the masonry.
- The second method is used when the piles are made of pipes. Corners are welded to the base at a short distance from the ground; for reliability, the place under them is compacted and a support is created. Rolled metal is welded on top, the thickness of which depends on the load.
Arranging a shallow foundation is considered a more reliable option, but if the foundation is close groundwater this option is not possible, and in such a situation the brick is placed on a metal support Brick laying technologies
- The base is covered with waterproofing. Roofing material is suitable for this.
- The first row is built according to the level to eliminate differences. The element is fixed to the required amount of solution.
- Adjacent parts are fastened at the ends. For ventilation, the edges are not coated at certain intervals; the resulting gaps will not be noticeable.
- The second strip is laid offset. The joints of adjacent lines must not coincide.
- A connection is being made. To do this, the wire is placed between the rows and in some places fixed to the piles.
- On last stage When the masonry is completed, seams are formed.
When finishing the pile foundation from the outside, take into account that they are suitable for this process different options. The main thing is to ensure reliable fixation of the selected products.
Screw piles for creating a strong, high-quality and durable foundation are becoming increasingly popular. However, after the construction of the building is completed, many happy owners of a new house are at a loss as to how to properly and beautifully finish such a basement.
This article, illustrated with a photo, shows detailed instructions How to finish the basement of a house on stilts with your own hands. Guided by the recommendations of experienced and professional builders, masters of their craft, you can create a truly beautiful and unusual cladding.
A variety of materials for finishing the base of a building
The modern construction market is filled with many building materials, which can be successfully used to solve the problem.
If you have a pile foundation, the finishing of the base can be done with the following industrial products:
- siding;
- sheet slate;
- asbestos-cement slabs;
- clapboard;
- corrugated sheeting;
- other various finishing panels.
It is also quite common to use decorative brick.
It should be noted that finishing panels are in great demand and popularity among builders who know well how to finish the base of a house on stilts.
This is due to the following factors:
- the variety of structure of such products;
- their ease;
- ease of installation, which even an inexperienced person can do.
Today we will look at two options for facing work - hanging panels and decorative bricks. Which method to choose is up to you - it all depends on your personal preferences and attitude towards this or that material.
Creating a suspended plinth
It will be noted that finishing the basement of a house on screw piles can be successfully carried out using any of the finishing panels mentioned above. Fortunately, their price is relatively low, and therefore the final estimate of the work will be acceptable.
The main advantages of wall-mounted finishing
A variety of options for finishing the basement of a house on screw piles with hinged panels has a number of undeniable advantages.
- Economical– according to experts, the arrangement of a suspended plinth requires three times less financial costs than the creation of a conventional strip foundation for a house.
- Convenience and ease of installation- for example, if the dimensions of your house are 6 by 8 meters, then two people will cope with the task in ten hours.
- Optimal protection against dampness– enters the underground space freely fresh air, and therefore in winter and autumn, when the humidity level rises, mold does not form under the house.
- Highest aesthetics– a variety of materials allows you to create a surprisingly accurate imitation:
- wood, etc.
Stages of finishing work with curtain panels
So, if the question of how to finish the base of a house on screw piles has already been resolved for you, and you have chosen finishing panels, let’s look at the sequence of work.
First you need to create the sheathing:
- guides are welded onto the piles or fastened with self-tapping screws - either wooden or made of metal profiles;
- if you decide to choose wood, then in this case you should use a board that has been pre-impregnated with an antiseptic, which will prevent it from rotting and damage by bugs;
- If the choice was made in favor of a metal profile, then a profiled pipe with dimensions of 40 by 20 by 2 is best suited.
Once the sheathing has been secured around the entire perimeter of the house, you can begin hanging the panels.
Advice. Before you begin hanging the slabs, the part of the soil with which they will come into contact should be sprinkled with sand to a depth of forty centimeters, but more is possible.
When installing, align the corners and individual parts as accurately as possible, which will guarantee the durability and aesthetics of the finish.
If the soil is excessively heaving, then it is recommended to leave a small distance between the soil and the panels - this will avoid damage to the finish. To prevent small animals from getting under the house, the openings should be covered with a fine mesh.
Brick cladding
This method is more labor-intensive and costly, since in addition to using decorative bricks, you need to pour a shallow strip foundation around the entire perimeter of the house, on which the masonry will be done.
The main advantages of brick finishing
Naturally, this type of finishing also has certain advantages that are worth mentioning.
- High level of strength - such a base is maximally protected from mechanical damage.
- Protection against cold penetration into the underground.
- Possibility of creating a basement.
- A high level of aesthetics is natural if you have chosen a beautiful, stylish decorative brick.
Disadvantages of brick finishing
However, there are certain disadvantages that also cannot be kept silent about:
- the impossibility of creating such a finish on heaving soil;
- the impossibility of creating such finishing in houses built on plots with a strong difference in height;
- quite high cost compared to a suspended plinth.
Stages of finishing work with decorative bricks
At the first stage, it is necessary to pour a shallow foundation between the piles. After the mortar has dried and gained strength, you can lay the bricks, providing holes for vents.
Advice. Vents must also be created in the base from hanging panels.
They are necessary for good ventilation of the subfloor.
To prevent rodents and other living creatures, including domestic cats, from entering them, the vents are closed with a fine mesh.
If you were laying not decorative, but ordinary bricks, then in this case it is worthwhile to provide additional finishing, which will increase the aesthetics. For this you can use ordinary plaster.
In conclusion
Screw piles are an excellent method to reduce the cost of building a house, but not reduce its performance characteristics. (See also article.) And using one of the above methods for cladding the base, you can make the structure incredibly beautiful and attractive.
In the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.
Screw piles are a product of new technologies, a type of columnar foundations that are indispensable for construction on soft soils. This technology makes it possible to reach stable soil layers without additional costs of equipment and materials. Piles are considered the best option foundation for private construction. Reliable, safe, and most advantageous in all respects, the supports make foundation construction simple and quick. It can be made in a few days, in any weather, at any time of the year, and, load-bearing structures are installed immediately.
“List list” or options for finishing the base
One of the stages of completing the construction of a house is to disguise the aesthetically unpresentable foundation piles. The question inevitably arises: how to cover the base of a screw foundation? The specifics of installing a house structure on piles do not imply the arrangement of the basement floor.
However, situations arise in which the basement work. They differ from the generally accepted concept and involve either digging a small depth of tape ditch connecting the piles around the perimeter, or finishing with a hinged plinth. In turn, the hinged structure can be presented in different designs.
There are several ways decorative finishing plinth (this is the name of the distance from the ground to the walls of the house). The main ones are: basement siding, brick finishing, decorative panels. What’s remarkable is that you can do the work yourself without spending money on specialist services. Traditionally, external decorative cladding is done with siding.
Hanging structure
Making a hanging structure is not difficult. You just need to follow the order:
- From metal corners, pipes or wooden planks a sheathing is created.
Please note. It is important not only how to cover the base of a house on stilts, but also what condition the soil is in, what is the depth of the soil groundwater. The suspended plinth is located in close proximity to the ground, therefore, if there is a threat of flooding of the territory, it will most of the time be in an environment with high humidity. Under these conditions, when constructing sheathing or a frame for tiles, it is better to refuse wooden structures, facing materials on a wooden base.
- Any in a convenient way(with self-tapping screws or welding) guides are attached to the piles. It could be a metal profile, wooden beams; a kind of frame for fixing panels or asbestos-cement slabs on it, combined systems with insulation or slate sheets.
- Before installation, a “cushion” of sand up to half a meter thick is poured around the perimeter.
- Corners are formed in a convenient way using accompanying components.
- All seams are sealed with a sealed solution.
- The design is complemented by the installation of ebbs and other elements that are missing for the finished design of the base.
- The crowning achievement is the finishing decorative finish.
Basement siding: practical, fast, aesthetically pleasing
If the design should serve only the function of decoration without additional insulation, then siding panels are quite suitable. A variety of textures and colors of the material can transform an unfinished open area works into a neat pedestal on which the building rises. It may become brickwork, tiled or ceramic tiles, decorative stone.
Siding will become ideal solution problems:
- It is very easy to solve a problem like: how to cover the base of a house on stilts, using this simple and understandable material. For independent work You will need the following tools and equipment: a cord, a building meter or tape measure, a set of wooden pegs, a plumb line, a building level, boards, a shovel, roll-type waterproofing.
- Before starting work, the area between and around the piles is cleared of vegetation and debris.
- Soil is selected along the outer perimeter of the house near the walls. A trench is formed up to half a meter deep and 0.3-0.4 m wide. In this case, its internal border should be located, slightly extending under the walls, and the excavation itself should be carried out with the formation of a slight slope in the direction from the walls: for every 2 m, 1-5 cm.
- The entire excavated pit, including the walls, is covered with a layer of rolled waterproofing.
- A drainage perforated polyvinyl chloride pipe is laid around the perimeter on a small layer of poured crushed stone.
- In several places they appear on the surface drainage wells– “first aid” when the system becomes silted to flush it.
- The pipes are covered with a layer of 0.1 m of fine gravel. The trench is completely filled with sand along the upper boundary, which is compacted well, sloping away from the walls.
- A blind area is formed. Alternatively, it could be paving slabs, paving stones or concrete screed.
- Holders are welded onto the piles, onto which guides will be attached through holes.
- The frame is made of wooden (40x100 mm) or metal elements. To prevent wood from rotting, it is pre-treated with an antiseptic substance.
- Using J-profile, external and internal corners With fasteners, siding panels are installed. In this case, a compensation gap of 3-5 cm is maintained for possible expansion when the temperature changes between the panels and the blind area.
- An ebb is installed on top of the finished structure, through which precipitation is removed from the base.
By the way, it is never too late to start work on arranging the basement; it is even preferable to do this after the house begins to live its own life. All communication wiring has already been connected to it, so there is time to slowly start finishing.
Paying homage to the brick
If you still haven’t decided how to cover the base of a house on screw piles, and you don’t have the desire or time to bother with digging a trench, there is a simpler way to design the base of a pile foundation - reliable, inexpensive, quickly erected - brickwork. To the foundation piles covered protective film from rust damage, metal is welded at the very bottom corner profile. A corner with a shelf width of 120 mm and a length from 6 m to 11.7 m is pre-treated with a protective anti-corrosion compound.
Facing bricks are laid on the lower profile, starting from the corners. Rising up along the perimeter, masonry is formed with a spoon bandage and seams of at least 0.05 cm. To prevent water from entering from above, ebbs are made on the lined base. It is better if they are decorative, but you can use elements made of galvanized sheet. The result is a neat, complete foundation. Visually and in terms of cost, it even outperforms a traditional concrete base.
Economical plastic panels
I use decorative plastic panels instead of brick, they get economic benefits, but lose in aesthetics: natural brick or stone looks richer, more beautiful than anyone panels. But this finish perfectly veils the pile foundation and can withstand heavy loads due to the increased thickness of the panel sheet and its non-susceptibility to chemical and biological effects.
With hanging panels, the space under the house remains unfilled, moisture does not collect under it, and condensation does not form, thanks to good natural ventilation. The panels accurately follow the terrain of the site, creating an absolute resemblance to the monumental foundation, while maintaining all the advantages that the base of a pile foundation has, especially in areas with significant differences in elevation and other terrain difficulties.
Features of finishing the base on difficult soils
Important! Before covering the base of a screw foundation on soils with deep freezing of the soil, be it hanging panels, decorative stone, etc., you need to provide a gap of 5-7 mm between the soil covering and the decorative design.
It must be maintained to ensure free ventilation, and also to avoid damaging the finish when the soil swells in frosty weather. The resulting gap is covered with a mesh, preventing debris and rodents from entering under the house. It is important that ventilation is carried out at any time of the year. To prevent defrosting of communications, they are pre-insulated with mineral thermal insulation or polyurethane foam.
Economy option: concrete plinth and its finishing with plaster
This method is not only the simplest, but perhaps the most economical. It does not require large financial costs or significant effort to dig a trench or install guides. Just making a blind area. The base is finished with waterproof elements (for example, asbestos-cement boards). Below, near the surface of the earth, the gap between the finishing panels and the ground is sprinkled with sand. However, it is plaster that will be the most optimal finish in a situation where financial capabilities do not allow purchasing more expensive cladding.
Now on construction market a new, more expensive type has appeared, created on the basis of acrylic resins - mosaic plaster. This is another solution to the problem than covering the base of a house on stilts. The plaster not only looks impressive in a variety of colors, but also gives the plinth high moisture-proof properties.
Having done right choice material for finishing the plinth, taking into account its performance characteristics, local climatic conditions, observing the work technology, it is not at all difficult to give the “windswept” facade an aesthetic, finished look with your own hands.