Currently, it is difficult to imagine a summer cottage without a bathhouse on it. Taking a steam bath in a warm bathhouse is a real Russian tradition, with its roots going back centuries. A bathhouse can be built not only in a country house, but also in the city: the availability of a plot is an excellent opportunity to implement this initiative. Moreover, a frame bath is a modern high-tech design that does not require large expenses.
You can build a frame bathhouse with your own hands, without the help of specialist craftsmen. This type of construction is the fastest and most affordable: a frame bathhouse requires several times less materials than structures made of timber or logs of similar dimensions.
Where to start building a frame bath?
First of all, you need to decide on the location of the bathhouse. It may be an extension to the house, or it may be separate from it. Before starting to lay the foundation for a future bathhouse, it is necessary to determine the type of soil on the site and plan the construction itself: the number of floors and rooms, dimensions, interior.
Before building a bathhouse, a plan must be drawn up, where it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the structure and estimate the volume and duration of work. The plan should indicate all elements of the ventilation system, chimney, roof features and other important aspects. You can also attach a veranda or terrace to the bathhouse.
In order for the bathhouse to be comfortable and able to accommodate several people at the same time, its dimensions must be appropriate. Most best option for a steam room - 240x200x220 centimeters.
At the discretion of builders or customers, the bathhouse can be equipped with a billiard room, a relaxation room or an additional steam room.
The plan for the future bathhouse should be drawn up as accurately as possible and taking into account the smallest details - this way the construction process itself will be much simpler. The bathhouse project can be ordered from specialists. They will do everything competently and clearly, which will help avoid major mistakes during construction.
Also, when planning a bathhouse, a table is drawn up to record all the materials necessary for construction, which is correlated with the plan.
Required for construction frame bath materials:
- cement for pouring the foundation;
- sand;
- beams for mounting the frame and ceiling;
- beams;
- insulation material in a roll (mineral wool, ready-made mats, polyethylene, roofing felt, glassine);
- waterproofing film for walls and ceilings;
- lining for internal lining walls;
- roofing material for the roof.
What foundation to choose for building a frame bath?
Since the frame bath itself is very light, a strip foundation, which is poured directly under the walls along the entire perimeter of the structure, will be sufficient for its construction. A columnar foundation is also a common option, but its installation requires stable soil, otherwise the structure may collapse.
Due to the lightness of the frame bath, the foundation for it is poured according to a fairly simplified scheme.
When the main points are determined, you can begin the construction itself.
- Pouring the foundation.
Step one. The perimeter of the future bathhouse is determined in advance; special pegs are driven into the ground along its edges, within which it is necessary to dig a ditch 60 centimeters deep and 40 centimeters wide.
Step two. The ditch is filled with sand to one third of the depth. The sand is poured from above with water and thoroughly compacted.
Step three. After compacting the first layer, finely chopped red brick or gravel is poured over it.
Step four. A layer of broken brick or gravel is covered with a layer of sand, which should be level with the ground level.
Step five. Formwork is assembled from reinforcement. The entire structure is poured with concrete and insulated on top thin layer roofing felt
Important! Before building a frame bathhouse, at least a week should pass so that the foundation has the opportunity to properly settle.
- Construction of walls.
Step one. Lumber prepared for a frame bath must be thoroughly dried before starting work. It is not recommended to use birch wood for construction, as it quickly rots. The most the best option there will be linden, aspen or larch. The wood of these species is able to maintain its shape for a long time and has thermal insulation properties, which is very important for a bathhouse.
Step two. After all construction work is completed, with inside the boards should be covered with an antiseptic solution, and on the outside - furniture varnish, and in two layers. This procedure must be done around the entire perimeter of the room, avoiding only the steam room and the washing compartment.
Step three. The bottom trim, made of a reliable beam with a cross-section of 10x10 centimeters, must be fixed firmly enough, after which the beams should be properly fastened at the corners with nails. It is recommended to place the racks on metal pins so that during the construction of the walls they cannot change their location and knock down the structure.
Step four. Corner posts must be embedded in concrete.
Tip: The pillars - the basis of the walls of the future bath - should be placed directly under load-bearing walls, corners, stoves - that is, in those places where the load is greatest.
Step five. Along the perimeter of the walls, intermediate racks are installed, made of the same timber as the main structure.
Step six. To make the floor waterproof, it should be laid out with timber made of any wood, with a cross-section of 15x15 centimeters.
Step seven. To cover the bathhouse outside and inside, they use lining, which is affordable and easy to use. To ensure that there are no gaps between the sheets of lining located in a horizontal position, they should be overlapped. This procedure is very scrupulous in nature, but it can protect the walls from excess moisture.
- Let's move on to building the roof.
Step one. You need to take 8 special ceiling beams rafters cut at an angle. To begin with, you should set up only the outer rafters, and only after that fix a couple more pieces in the center future roof. The remaining rafters are connected to the main structure, first on one side of the roof, then on the other (through the ridge).
Step two. After the rafters, vertical posts are installed, and if necessary, an exit to the attic is also made.
Step three. On the rafters located at the edges, beams are cut out, to which the front boards are nailed, after which the battens are attached on top.
- It is necessary to insulate the walls.
The most common material for this purpose is roll insulation about 50 millimeters thick. In some cases, mineral wool or ready-made mats are used. The insulation is laid between vertical wooden posts, after which slats are nailed to them. For thermal insulation of the room, it is recommended to use polyethylene or glassine.
Advice: it is not recommended to use roofing felt for wall insulation, since under the influence of high temperatures it begins to emit an unpleasant odor.
For floor insulation, it is better to choose expanded clay or other types of backfill, and for the ceiling - polystyrene foam. If the insulation is selected correctly, heat will be lost several times less. Thanks to this, the cost of heating the bath will also be reduced.
After the walls and roof are built, you can begin installing windows and doors in the openings previously left for them. Upon completion of this work, it will be possible to enter the finish line.
The final stage of construction of a frame bath
For a bathhouse to be a pleasure to use, it must not only be comfortable and well designed, but also have a beautiful interior decoration. Therefore, after completing the main work inside the bathhouse, finishing work must be carried out.
First, you should protect the walls and ceiling from the adverse effects of moisture and high temperatures. Coniferous upholstery is perfect for this purpose. Then you can proceed directly to installing the most important part of any sauna - the stove. It must be installed in accordance with all safety requirements. It is recommended to make the wall separating the steam room and the relaxation room from brick - this way it will let in less heat.
To make the walls look more attractive, it is recommended to cover them with clapboard. Linden wood is best suited for this purpose.
What are the main pros and cons of a frame bath?
- Acceptable price. The construction of a frame bathhouse costs several times less than its analogues.
- Ease of construction. You can build a frame bathhouse with your own hands, without the help of specialists.
- Light weight. The frame bath box is quite light, its weight is acceptable for areas with soft soil.
- Short construction time. Building a frame bathhouse is not only easy, but also quick: to take a steam bath in it, you don’t even have to wait until next summer.
- Difficult to care for. Insulation materials may become unusable under the influence of moisture and high temperatures, and replacing them will be quite problematic.
- Unsuitable for therapeutic purposes. Due to the fact that the walls of a frame bath do not emit useful substances, bath procedures it cannot help with health problems. If there are any, it is recommended to build a different type of bathhouse.
Despite the fact that the advantages of a frame structure are much greater than the disadvantages, you should come to a decision about building a bathhouse of one type or another, focusing only on your own taste and based on your capabilities - both material and physical. The condition of the soil and the location of the future bathhouse are also important.
There is nothing complicated or impossible in the construction of a frame bathhouse. The instructions given in this article will help everyone build the bathhouse of their dreams in a short time, without spending large financial resources.
If you have your own plot, your own house or cottage, and at the same time you are an avid steam room lover, sooner or later you will start building your own bathhouse. If you already have construction experience frame houses, then it will be easier for you to build a bathhouse with your own hands. If you have no experience, you will need a lot of theoretical information, and practical advice from experts will never be superfluous.
Where to begin
So, you firmly intend to build a bathhouse with your own hands. First answer the following questions:
- Where on the site will your panel building be located. Consider everything: the presence and location of the necessary communications, is there enough space to build a frame structure, do you want the bathhouse to be close to the house or located far away? Or maybe you want there to be a free passage-corridor from the house to the steam room? In general, you should have a first idea of what you want, as there are a lot of options.
- Determine the quality of the soil, this will be useful to you when building the foundation. If you have already built something framed before, then you already know what kind of soil is on your site. Let me remind you that they can be sandy (with admixtures of rock and other rocks), fine sandy (loose and extremely unstable) and clayey (subject to swelling in the cold season). For the first type of soil, the simplest and lightest foundations are suitable, and for the second two, the foundation should be more reliable (although frame buildings rarely need heavy foundations).
- Plan what rooms your building will consist of. Usually baths have a dressing room, a shower and a steam room. However, you may want to have a terrace, a swimming pool, a loft or a more extended sitting area.
- Determine where the stove will be located, as this affects the location of the ventilation system, pipes, and chimney.
- Think about what you want the roof of the bathhouse to look like. How more interesting solution, the larger the roof, the more reliable the rafters and frame floors will need to be made.
- Select a company or store where you will purchase building materials. Find out where there are discounts or free shipping - this can help you save a lot.
How to draw a plan for a future building?
Once you have decided on the basic issues, it is time to start construction. The first step is to draw it yourself or purchase ready plan. You can purchase a ready-made bathhouse plan from developers involved in frame construction. They already have several ready-made, proven solutions that they will be happy to sell to you. An additional advantage may be assistance from company representatives with the purchase of building materials or good advice DIY assembly.
However, if you want to do everything yourself, pay attention to the following tips:
- Determine how many people your bathhouse is designed for on average. If you often have guests, you can save on space by reducing the shower room and thereby increasing the dressing room or seating area. The shower room is traditionally the smallest room in a bathhouse.
- Even if you plan to steam alone or small company, do not make the steam room very small. The steam will be of poorer quality, and besides, you may not have room for a three-level bench, which is needed to steam at different heights.
- Consider creating a deck.
- It wouldn't hurt to have a bathroom at all.
- Place several outlets in the break room. Then you can use electric kettle, listen to music and even connect a small refrigerator with cold drinks if necessary.
- Think about the location of the windows. The relaxation room should be the brightest, and the steam room can do without natural light altogether. A do-it-yourself panel design allows you to make windows anywhere.
- Doors should be positioned functionally. From the shower you need to be able to immediately go to both the steam room and the relaxation area. It is better to place the bathroom closer to the shower - this will make it easier to lay communications.
Taking into account all these factors, having decided on the budget, you can begin to select building materials.
Building materials: choose and buy
So, you start building the best frame vacation spot. You need to determine what building materials you will need and calculate how much to purchase. To do this, you need to decide on the main stages of your work:
- Laying the foundation.
- Installation of the frame.
- Laying communications.
- Insulation and insulation of walls (internal and external).
- Construction of the roof and chimney.
- Interior decoration, installation of a stove, swimming pool, etc.
- External cladding.
- Construction of a terrace.
We discussed laying the foundation in a separate article, you can read about it. I can only say that it is best to go with a strip foundation - it is suitable for most soils and has good bearing capacity and reliably protects the building from distortion. You can easily build it yourself. To create this type of foundation you will need formwork and self-tapping screws for its assembly, concrete, reinforcement, stones, possibly crushed stone or sand. The foundation does not need to be deepened very much - under the lungs frame houses optimal height is 60 cm.
For further construction you need to purchase:
- boards or beams for constructing the frame
- materials for vapor barrier, waterproofing and windproofing
- materials for thermal insulation
- building materials for interior decoration
- materials for external cladding
- tools, screws, nails, etc.
Correctly made calculation of building materials helps you save money and not buy too much, and at the same time saves your time. Knowing the technology of frame construction, it is easy to calculate the quantity necessary materials. To do this, you need to find the total area of your building, from which we subtract the area of all door and window openings. We separately calculate materials for the floor and ceiling.
Pay attention to the instructions for insulating and heat-protective materials - they usually indicate how much material is needed to insulate a square meter. If such instructions are not available, check with your sales consultant. Frame buildings need good insulation.
Construction of the frame
Read about how to make a foundation for a frame bath. When it is ready, we make the frame.
Despite the fact that the construction of a bathhouse is similar to any other frame construction, it also has its own characteristics. The room itself is often in contact with moisture, and temperature fluctuations lead to faster wear of materials. Therefore, when constructing a frame, all wooden parts must be treated with special antiseptics, and preferably in several layers.
After you have made sure that the boards and beams are well dried and reliably protected with impregnations, we proceed to the construction of the frame.
To make a frame with your own hands, first of all we tie the base. We mark the future walls and line the outer building with boards (section 50×100 mm). We fix it with nails or self-tapping screws. Using a support made of boards or timber, the base frame is connected (the upper part of the building is connected in the same way). The timber or boards are laid horizontally. Use a level to check for accuracy under a straight line.
If you notice a slight misalignment, correct it by placing small pieces of board under the lowered part. It is better to use several small boards, layered, rather than one wide board.
When laying the studs, note that you need to be comfortable with installing insulation and sheathing later. The distance between the axes should be no wider than half a meter, but if there is a doorway in the wall, make a gap of 0.4 meters.
The pitch size of the racks depends on the size of the openings into which the windows and doors will be installed. It is necessary to build an additional rack where the frame meets other walls.
Usually the bathhouse begins to assemble from one of the corners of the planned room. After erecting one wall, it must be checked for verticality with a tool. If everything is in order, it is fixed using struts (temporary).
The remaining walls of the frame are installed in the same way, and later the angles are checked - they must be strictly 90⁰. Additionally, we fix the structure with nails and boards.
Steam, wind and waterproofing
Warming is best done using synthetic materials. This type insulation is not so susceptible to changes in difficult conditions operation. These can be slabs of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam. Plates or roll version synthetic mineral wool or ecowool. Installation of these types of insulation can be done with your own hands. The material is lightweight and does not require special skills or complex tools for installation. Read more about insulating a frame bath.
Panel technology involves the use of windproofing materials. Wind protection is provided by the external finishing of the building, consisting of special membranes or foam boards.
For frame construction, the following types of waterproofing are used: roll protective films and membranes.
An air gap is necessary for ventilation. Drainage system represented by drainage systems.
Water laying
Communications in the bathhouse are the conduction of water and electricity. One of the main features of this non-residential premises is the need to drain water during frosts. If water remains in the pipes, it will turn into ice and burst the pipe.
To properly design a water supply system, determine where the water distribution points will be located. You will most likely need to run water to a shower or bathtub, sink, hot water boiler, or toilet. Water can come either from your home, in which case the pipes will be connected to your home, or from a separate well or well. In the second case, the water heating tank will be filled using a pump. The pump is selected based on the height of water rise, the diameter of the well and the required pressure in the system.
It is better to purchase pipes from polypropylene. To install them yourself, you need to try, but they will last longer than metal-plastic ones, in which rubber gaskets quickly fail.
Consider a filter system. You will need a coarse filter and a fine filter. The ball valve is located on the supply pipe. From him to pumping station a filter and check valve are installed. After this, a connection is made to the pumping station, with a main line being drawn at the outlet. It leads directly to the water heating boiler, from which it will already supply hot water. The tee, which cuts in here, gives rise to a line through which cold water will flow.
The cold water supply taps of the planned water intake points of the frame building are connected to the tee. At the outlet of the water heating boiler you will have a hot water supply line. Hot water taps should be connected here.
Features of conducting electricity
Electricity can be supplied to the bathhouse in two ways:
- By air.
- Underground way.
The aerial method involves running the cable through the air, and the underground method involves hiding the cable in a trench in the ground. The first method is more economical, since it will require the installation of two supports (more supports will be needed if the wire stretches more than 25 meters). The second method will require additional costs for digging a trench.
For aerial installation, you should purchase a self-supporting insulated cable, and for underground installation, a much more expensive VBBShV cable. Unlike insulated, it is armored with copper conductors.
Any type of wire requires the installation of a metal sleeve, which will protect the cable from deformation when entering the building. Without an iron sleeve, the cable may be damaged due to shrinkage and movement of the wall.
You will find more information about electrical wiring.
Which roof to choose?
The roof can be simple or complex. TO simple types include single-pitched and gable roofs. More complex ones have decorative and functional protrusions. These projections are constructed if there is attic room or attic. The roof may have one or more windows if there is a room underneath it.
A pitched roof does not imply the presence of an attic or attic, however, its flatness can be used by equipping a place for sunbathing or for drying fruits, berries and mushrooms.
The most popular is the simplest gable roof - it hardly accumulates snow in winter, makes it possible to equip an attic, is not too expensive financially and is easy to install. Access to the attic can be made using a staircase from the recreation area. You can store brooms there or set up a billiard room.
Interior decoration
Most often, interior decoration is made of wood. You can use the following species: larch, linden, oak. Do not use pine or spruce, which release resin when heated. If you want to use conifers, place them in the dressing room or relaxation area, away from the steam room.
The floor is best made of tiles; this is the most functional material for rooms with high humidity. Naturally, you need to choose a special tile - it does not collapse under the influence of water and has a rough surface, which reduces the possibility of slipping on a wet floor.
Under no circumstances interior decoration should not be used:
- laminate (it does not tolerate moisture)
- linoleum (when heated it releases harmful substances)
- Fiberboard and chipboard (also emit harmful substances contained in the glue)
Exterior finishing
A beautiful bathhouse immediately reveals a good owner, so the owners always pay great attention to the appearance of this frame building. However, the external decoration of the bathhouse also has a protective function. It can be made with your own hands from:
Terrace construction
Having a terrace is a huge advantage for your bathhouse. It is installed quite simply, but as experience shows, it is used constantly. The terrace can be made of wood, but it is better to use special tiles.
To build a terrace, it is not necessary to make a foundation; it is enough to remove the fertile layer of soil and lay a layer of gravel for drainage, and a layer of sand on top. All this must be thoroughly compacted by sprinkling with water. The quality of compaction depends on the reliability of your terrace.
After laying the tiles, pay attention to the seams. It is best to seal them with special grouts that can withstand low temperatures. It is better to choose tiles from granite (the most common option), basalt or syenite. Such tiles are easy to clean, durable, and not subject to abrasion. Has proven itself well concrete tiles, clinker and some synthetic materials. And here ceramic tiles It is better not to use it for terraces - it heats up too quickly and can cause burns.
If your own bathhouse is still only a dream, then it’s time to leave them and move on to action. In fact, anyone can build a bathhouse in their own yard. The main thing is to know in what sequence and what actions to perform. The article will provide step-by-step instructions that will allow you to do everything yourself.
Drafting
No building is complete without a good design. Regarding the bathhouse, you will need to think about the number of rooms. A steam room will be a must for the bath. Its size will depend on the desired number of people who will be in it at the same time. If it is possible to make a steam room in a bathhouse with a size of 3x2, then you can be sure that six people can comfortably fit in it. In addition to the steam room, a relaxation room is needed in the bathhouse. Usually it occupies the largest space in area. In this room in the bathhouse, as a rule, the necessary furniture is installed for a comfortable pastime.
Another room that is necessary for a bathhouse is a washing room. It can accommodate a shower stall and a toilet. Not required for this room large area. If you separate the bathroom, then the washing room can be an intermediate link between the relaxation room and the steam room in the bathhouse. It is also worth providing a hallway or dressing room in the bathhouse. It will provide an air cushion that will prevent heat from escaping quickly.
Step-by-step instruction
Step-by-step instructions describe the entire process of assembling the future structure, indicating the nuances and practical advice. Any construction begins with the construction of a foundation.
Foundation
The frame structure is lightweight due to its features. This means that for such a bath there is no point in pouring a slab or strip foundation. An excellent solution would be to use screw piles. They are metal pipes with a small drill at the end. Thanks to the drill, the piles can be easily immersed in the ground to the required depth. The length of the piles must be such that its lower part can pass through heaving soils and be fixed below the freezing level of the soil. In this case, its upper part should protrude above the surface at a given distance.
Some craftsmen do not recommend marking for screw piles, which will serve as the foundation for the bathhouse. The reasoning is that it is quite simple to orient the position of the piles for a bathhouse relative to a fence or other structure. If the construction of a bathhouse is carried out on open area, then you can’t do without markings for piles. The photo above shows how this can be done. According to the developed bathhouse project, the dimensions are transferred to the site where construction will take place.
Pegs mark the places where the piles should be screwed in. The distance between the piles should be 1.5-2 meters. Everything will depend on the load applied, i.e. on the total weight of the structure. After marking, one of the corners of the bathhouse is selected in which the first pile will be mounted.
To simplify your installation task, you need to make a pit. The depth of the pit must be no less than the diameter of the pile screw. It will help to start rotating and deepening the screw pile.
The photo above shows that for high-quality installation you will need three people. Two carry out the twisting using levers, and the third holds the pile in a vertical position. In this case, the use of a magnetic level to track the vertical position is not yet required, since the pile is not firmly fixed in the ground.
After the pile is firmly planted in the ground, you can attach the magnetic level. In the photo above you can see that it is fixed perpendicular to where the tightening levers are located.
Two people continue to tighten the pile, and the third monitors its position by level. Thus, it is necessary to secure all the corner piles of the foundation for the bathhouse. After this, two ropes are stretched between the piles, as shown in the top photographs. They form a shaped channel into which the remaining piles will be mounted according to the markings that were applied. Piles are required not only for the main walls, but also for the partitions. After the piles are installed in place, it is necessary to align them.
To solve this problem, you can use a hydraulic level. You must first set up one of the piles so that it serves as a control. A mark is applied to it, which will be transferred to the rest of the piles. One part of the level is applied to the control point, and the second to the opposite corner pile. Once the water inside the level has stopped fluctuating, you can apply a mark.
To transfer the markings to the remaining piles, there is no need to approach them with a level. It is necessary to stretch the fishing line between the outer piles so that it touches the intermediate supports. After this, a mark is made on the fishing line. The supports are trimmed according to the marks. Next, a metal square with a side of 25 cm is welded onto them. It is necessary to hold the lower frame of the building.
Next, the strapping for the bath is performed. To do this, you will need a wooden beam with a size of 15x15 cm. It is laid on prepared sites on stilts for a frame bath. The photo above shows how the individual elements are connected at the corners. It is necessary to make a slot for half the thickness of the beam, and also cut out a part that will be equal to its width. The result is a recess with a size of 15x15 cm. The same procedure is repeated for the second log. After this, they are connected to each other and fastened.
The photo above shows how to proceed with the strapping for the partitions. A similar recess is made, but in the middle of the beam. After this, the second part is placed on top and fixed. The result should look something like the one shown in the photo below.
Waterproofing is laid between the metal platform and the timber. The diagonals must be checked to ensure that the walls of the frame bath are even. If the beam for the foundation of the bathhouse has to be increased, then this is done using the same method as connecting two elements and always on a pile so that there is the required stop.
After assembling the trim, SIP panels are laid, which will act as an insulated subfloor. The panels are screwed to the sauna frame with self-tapping screws; this is done for temporary fixation. The panels sag quite easily under weight, so they need to be reinforced with a beam, as shown in the photo below.
In order for the beam to be well fixed in the SIP panel, polyurethane foam must be applied to the joint. A gap of 5 mm is left between the individual panels, which acts as a thermal seam.
Wall assembly
The next stage in the construction of a frame bath will be the assembly of the walls. For these purposes, you will need an edged board with a size of 15x5 cm. The structure is assembled from it, as shown in the photo below.
The distance between the individual vertical posts is equal to the width of the insulation that will be used for the bath. When the assembly is completed, the wall frame for the bathhouse is installed. Individual elements temporarily secured with jibs, as seen in the photo below.
The finished design looks similar to the one shown in the photo below.
It is worth noting that the places where window and door openings will be located are additionally reinforced with vertical and horizontal struts.
Roof
An excellent solution for a bathhouse would be to install a pitched roof. Its equipment is somewhat cheaper and also simpler than a gable one. In the photo below you can see that the rafter system has three support points.
The rafter legs are located in increments of 60 cm from each other and are fixed to the upper elements of the wall. To achieve the required roof slope, it is necessary to calculate in advance the height of all walls so that an angle is formed between them. The roof slope angle for a bathhouse is determined individually for each project. Much depends on the meteorological conditions in a particular area, as well as the type of flooring chosen. If it is metal tiles, then the minimum slope should be 16 degrees.
In the photo above you can see that the front wall had to be raised a little. To increase its strength, jibs were installed on the sides. Roof overhangs are made at the front and back so that water flows down unhindered. Waterproofing, control sheathing and sheathing under the roof deck and the roof deck itself are attached to the rafters. A video about the construction of such a bath can be seen below.
Insulation and finishing
Due to the fact that SIP panels are laid on the floor, it does not require insulation. Floor finishing is carried out at the request of the owner. A heated floor can be installed on it and a screed can be poured on top or a laminate can be laid. Walls require a special approach to insulation. First of all, waterproofing is done on the outside of the bathhouse wall so that water does not get on the insulation.
Insulation is installed in the prepared gaps that were left between the racks in the walls of the bathhouse. Great option For the bath there will be mineral wool. It has a certain vapor permeability, which will facilitate partial air exchange between the bathhouse and the street. The insulation should be inserted with little force so that it is well fixed inside. After the insulation has been installed, vapor barrier of the bathhouse premises is performed. For a steam room in a bathhouse you will need thick foil, as shown in the photo below.
The inside of the bathhouse walls can be trimmed with clapboard, but the outside will look better as a block house.
Installation of both the first and second versions of the bath material is carried out on wooden sheathing. After the cladding, the bathhouse is arranged. A stove is installed in the steam room, interior doors. If the bathhouse will be used all year round, then it is worth thinking about the system autonomous heating. Additionally, you can build a small terrace where you can spend time with friends.
Summary
As you can see, building a frame bath has its own difficulties. Some stages of constructing a frame bath cannot be completed without the help of a partner. An important stage of construction is the supply of various communications. These include water, sewer and electricity. All wires inside a frame bath must be double-braided and laid with non-flammable corrugation. Moisture-resistant lamps are used for the steam room in the bathhouse. To keep electricity consumption in the bathhouse to a minimum, you can consider using LED lamps. As windows for a bathhouse, you can use metal-plastic frames with a wood finish. They will cost a little more, but will look quite harmonious.
The technology for constructing such a bath is simple, you can cope without special equipment and deep knowledge in construction. For the work you will need wooden blocks and boards for the frame, materials for heat, steam and waterproofing. First, a plan for the bathhouse is developed and drawings are created, the type of foundation, materials for hydro and thermal insulation, for internal and exterior finishing frame bath.
Video about how to build a frame-panel bathhouse with your own hands.
Construction of a frame bath
The peculiarity of this design is ease. This must be taken into account at all stages of construction. The construction does not require complex work on the construction of the foundation, but you need to carefully calculate the roof load and choose lightweight roofing materials.
Foundation for a frame bath
The design is lightweight, so it will be enough pile foundation. If the soils are heaving, then it is better to prefer tape version. To build a pile foundation, piles are first installed, and a base beam is laid on them using the “half-tree” or “foot-to-foot” technology. Don't forget to check horizontality. For waterproofing, a layer of roofing material is laid on top.
If the soil is heaving, then it is better to build strip base:
- In the area for the bathhouse, dig a trench and fill it with sand to ground level, remembering to constantly compact it and water it with water to avoid shrinkage of the material in the future.
- Place formwork 50 cm high. Place metal pipes at the base to strengthen the structure.
- When the formwork is ready, fill it with concrete in layers, and after the last layer has dried, lay roofing material on top.
When the foundation is created, proceed to the next stage.
Video about building a foundation for a frame bathhouse with your own hands.
Construction of a bath frame
We build a frame bathhouse with our own hands. This stage of construction begins with installation of vertical racks. If there are no partitions in the bathhouse, then four racks in the corners are enough. But if there are several rooms, you need to calculate intermediate racks. They are made from beams with a cross-section of at least 12x12 cm. To connect the racks, make upper and lower straps.
At this stage there is no need to rush, the main thing is to monitor the level and install the racks strictly vertically, otherwise the structure of the bathhouse will turn out to be skewed.
Finishing
When the frame of the bathhouse is created, you can begin finishing the walls. So that the frame bath can be used at any time of the year, need to be done:
- Internal lining. There are many materials suitable for interior decoration. But wooden lining is more popular. It is better to choose hardwood (alder, linden or aspen) for the steam room.
- The insulation is laid between the frame posts. For these purposes, you can choose mineral wool. Direct the metallized layer indoors.
- Waterproofing and wind protection. To prevent the insulation from coming into contact with moisture, it is protected with a vapor barrier film. The edges need to be placed on the floor, door slopes and walls and sealed well with metallized tape.
- External upholstery. For external cladding, you can choose plywood, edged boards, OSB boards. Don't forget to treat the joints polyurethane foam or caulk. After this, you can move on to decorating the walls.
Floor installation
The floor in a frame-panel bath should be wooden with water flowing into the sewer. At the end of the work, partitions are installed between the steam room, washing department, dressing room and rest room.
Construction of roof, ceiling and roofing
Frame construction is a lightweight structure that heavy roof will not work. Experts for such buildings advise choosing gable roof With hanging rafters. It is better not to build an attic, so as not to create additional load on the building, but to choose wooden blocks for arranging the ceiling.
Ready-made bath sets
To make life easier for builders of frame-panel baths, you can order a ready-made kit from specialized companies, which is inexpensive and allows you to reduce construction time.
Typically, this kit includes panels for external and internal walls, wooden flooring, roofing panels, mounting bars, fasteners and technical documents. Such baths collected within 1-2 weeks. For example, it will take 2-3 days to build a steam room.
But still, the cost of a bathhouse using a ready-made kit will be more expensive than building it from materials chosen independently.
The cost of building a frame bath with your own hands
The cost of a bathhouse built with your own hands is several times lower than the construction of a building made of bricks or beams. The approximate price is from 100,000 rubles. The cost of ready-made kits starts from 150,000 rubles. To accurately calculate costs, you need to decide on the size of the bathhouse and make drawings.
Frame baths – economical option , which allows you to reduce money and time costs for construction. Their only drawback is that they are not as durable as bathhouses made of timber or brick, but if you approach the construction process responsibly and choose high-quality materials, a frame building will last at least 100 years.
The construction of a bathhouse is necessary for any summer cottage and at country house. But traditional options, which use brick or timber, have a number of disadvantages. But frame buildings deprived of them must be erected using a special technology.
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Peculiarities
It is very difficult to build buildings, even such minor ones as a bathhouse, with your own hands from bricks or logs. You will need to spend a lot of money on materials and prepare perfect drawings. And without the help of someone, it will not be possible to complete such work. That's why frame projects deserve special attention. Moreover, wood consumption compared to conventional designs from the timber is lowered exactly half.
The buildings turn out to be relatively light, even if they are made in dimensions of 6 by 4 or 6x6 m; if the size of the structure is 3x4, 4x4 m, this circumstance is even more pronounced. Therefore, there is no need to prepare solid foundations. You can simultaneously finish external and internal walls, and the overall installation speed increases noticeably. The smallest area of the steam room is 250x250 cm. It is recommended to use asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of 100 and a length of 4000 mm, which are filled with concrete, for the foundation.
All wooden elements are thoroughly dried before installation. The rafters are assembled on the ground, after which they are lifted one by one and placed above the frame posts. The roof is made only in a ventilated version.
It is advisable not to raise the ceiling in the steam room above 210 cm. Only after finishing the frame is completed, the bathhouse is divided into separate rooms.
Advantages and disadvantages
The undeniable advantages of building frame baths are:
- Ease of construction;
- cheap design (low cost for materials);
- simplification foundation works in comparison with other options;
- poor thermal conductivity;
- the ability to make communication channels inside the walls and not spoil the appearance;
- elimination of shrinkage;
- no need for complex construction equipment;
- environmental safety (rare for country budget buildings);
- the ability to complete all work without the involvement of specialists;
- exclusion of wet work - construction can be done in winter and even where there is no stable water supply;
- wide variety of finishing options.
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But after carefully studying the reviews of owners and developers, you can immediately discover certain disadvantages. Each of them can be eliminated with timely measures, but that’s why you need to properly understand possible problems. Frame baths in their pure form cool quickly, and therefore an ugly fungus appears inside after a short time. To cope with this difficulty, you need to use only the highest quality insulation.
Polystyrene foam or simple mineral wool do not serve effectively enough, and the first option also catches fire easily.
You can extend the service life of a panel bath if you impregnate all used timber and boards with special antiseptics. After 18-24 months, the shrinkage of the frame is sometimes 80-100 mm. As a result, the external and internal decoration is deformed. This risk can be reduced if you use lumber that has been kiln-dried.
Subtleties of design
The simplicity of construction and its accessibility for non-professionals does not mean that you can safely start work without preparation. Even having experience in such work does not give grounds for a complacent attitude. A well-thought-out design and drawings of the future structure will help you avoid serious mistakes.
In a small area (3x4 or 4x4 m), it is necessary to maximize the intensity of space use. If possible, such small baths should be avoided altogether if there is sufficient territory for development.
The most simple circuit– when the steam room, shower, boiler room and dressing room are combined. But such a step is acceptable only for mini-structures or transportable bathhouses, because it is not possible to distribute the temperature as expected. Therefore, they try to create, even with the smallest dimensions, even very small, but autonomous rooms. A 3x4 m bath can easily be heated by a small boiler or a wood-fired stove. Some designers even find the opportunity to supplement it with a veranda or terrace.
Minimum-sized projects have a number of valuable properties:
- low consumption of building materials;
- almost complete elimination of waste;
- high speed of work;
- strength and reliability (since in a small area there is no need to save on the quality of components).
It should be remembered that even a small one-story extension to the house must be registered with the cadastral registration authorities.
On a larger site, it is quite possible to build a 6x6 bathhouse: it will allow you not only to wash off the dirt from yourself, but also to invite the whole family and even a group of friends. Typical projects with such sides involve a significant area of the rest room - it can reach 20 m2. Most often, this is where the staircase connecting the first floor with the attic is located.
A two-story bathhouse is superior to a one-story one because it allows you to organize extra space for life and leisure. Often there are rooms for receiving guests, bedrooms, billiard tables or other sports equipment.
Thanks to frame technology, the vast majority of costs relate to the foundation of the building, and if it already exists, subsequent stages of work will be much more affordable.
In the construction of two floors, the first step is to create a foundation of support pillars, and the base must be covered with a layer of waterproofing. Experts recommend building rafter system baths are made of boards with a cross-section of 10x5 cm, and the lathing is usually boarded with a thickness of 2.2 cm.
The frame-panel structure is assembled according to the principle of a toy construction set. It is not difficult to find combinations of elements suitable for the construction of a washing room with a swimming pool; then they are simply placed on the prepared frame. The kit usually comes with a detailed technological instructions, helping to avoid mistakes - as long as it is strictly followed. In the case of mobile bathhouses, everything is even simpler - they are not assembled construction sites, and on industrial enterprises. All that remains for customers is to supplement the finished blocks with the necessary parts.
Most projects involve the use gable roofs, the attic space under them is not organized or it is very small. Bath equipment is often placed inside. When choosing the type of foundation, they are guided by the category of soil and its condition. The mass of the building, even if we take into account the presence of a second floor in a number of options, is relatively small. Design insulation indicators depend on whether the bathhouse will be used year-round or whether it is intended only for the warm season.
Calculation of the quantity of materials
It is not so difficult to calculate the need for metal frame assemblies: any seller can do this after knowing the required dimensions and design. IN standard projects the exact metal consumption is standardized, and if they are made to order, then all calculations are undertaken by the designers. But they still need to be controlled, since even with iron materials, some builders can make “mistakes” in their favor. Before calculating the wood needs, you need to choose whether timber or logs will be used in this case. Timber-based structures are preferable because:
- shrinkage is noticeably reduced;
- there are no strict restrictions on size and geometry;
- the work is greatly simplified.
The strongest timber, according to experts, is made from coniferous trees; moreover, they are less susceptible to the destructive effects of wood-gnawing insects and microorganisms. Standard sizes timber taken into account in the calculations range from 10x10 to 20x20 cm. The volume is calculated by multiplying the length by the height and by the thickness of a single element.
Some masters claim that you need to add 10-30% to the result obtained. But this step is frankly stupid, because, on the contrary, you will have to spend less timber - it is not mounted on the openings of windows and doors.
Inexperienced customers and even builders replace the length of the perimeter with area, and then find themselves forced to stop work, purchase missing materials and spend money on their transportation. To avoid mistakes, you should also carefully check the labeling and accompanying documents. In some cases, price tags and sellers' speeches indicate slightly larger sizes of timber than they actually are.
To save additional money, you can replace the timber with boards, and make the cladding from plastic lining or profile sheets. Only boards of the highest category are acceptable for work.
Construction stages
Having calculated the need for materials and chosen the dimensions of the frame bath, you need to understand the sequence of construction work. There are no fundamental differences from the construction of other bathhouses or city houses in the order of stages, but each of them reveals its own specifics.
Foundation
So, when building a foundation, it is best to use columnar structures. They are assembled from asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of approximately 10 cm, reinforced from the inside with concrete. Then the external contours are marked and, using a drill, holes are drilled that go 2 m deep.
Please note: the amount of depth in some cases may be greater or less. This decision is made based on soil type and groundwater depth. Each pipe is inserted into the opening and filled with coarse sand on top, and it is thoroughly compacted. When pouring, concrete is used, which is prepared from:
- 1 part cement M200;
- 4 parts sand;
- 7.5 parts of fine crushed stone;
- 3 parts clean water.
According to step by step instructions, the filling of the pipes should be smooth, and a strong steel plate is placed on each of them when ready. The installed pipes must dry, and only then it comes time to install the lower piping. The box is treated with disinfectants and covered with a layer of waterproofing. Logs are placed on top of the frame, and a subfloor is formed from them. In the gap separating the structure of the joists and the framing, roofing felt is laid, and sometimes this place is generously coated with mastic.
The construction of a foundation under a frame bathhouse, which has two or three floors, must take into account the total load and snow pressure. Wooden bases are allowed only for miniature baths, the total area of which is 12 square meters. m or less. Increased attention You will need to pay attention to calculating the diameter of the beam and leveling the surfaces.
Be sure to place several bars at the same level, trimmed along the perimeter with stakes. Such systems perform well on clay soils, where they serve consistently for many years.
When building baths on screw piles, there is no need to join support structures using timber or channels. Such supports help to build even on the slope of a hill or on a heavily eroded bank of a river with a rapid current. The introduction of piles into the ground is carried out either with the use of special equipment, or through the efforts of several builders at the same time. When working, it is strictly forbidden to deviate the support from the horizon line.
At every fourth turn, the position of the pile is carefully verified using a magnetic level. It is forbidden to remove structures that have tilted when twisted, according to the technology; their position is corrected using a rotary level. To get rid of the gaps separating the piles and the surrounding soil, you can use any durable concrete and fragments of reinforcement. After completing the installation, the piles are checked for evenness. If everything is in order, the heads are welded on top of them; A drain in a bathhouse is always equipped not only in the washing room, but also in the steam room.
Many people try to put a bathhouse on strip base. This solution is acceptable even on soil prone to movement and subsidence, which can easily swell. The tape is divided into Finnish and Canadian; both schools of technology are simple, but require a careful and responsible approach. Monolithic foundations They are erected directly on the construction site, and the prefabricated ones are only laid and connected. Most often they focus on shallow depths (up to 50 cm), such a tape is evenly spread under the load-bearing walls.
Choice suitable option foundations are often difficult without geological surveys. The simplest check can be carried out independently: the type of soil and its visual characteristics are determined by digging a trench 150 cm deep. They carefully evaluate not only the height of groundwater, but also the level to which the ground freezes.
For any type of foundation, the construction site is cleared of grass and bushes, flowers and turf in advance. There should not even be stumps, roots or any objects that could interfere with construction.
Strong cords made of colored fabrics help to simplify marking. In accordance with the markings, you need to dig a recess for the foundation, which will be 50 cm deeper and 400 cm wider than the prepared landmark. The building's cushion is made of sand, which is generously filled with water and compacted. Then cover the first layer with crushed stone. Waterproofing is installed along the side planes of the trench. Traditionally, roofing felt is used, although it is increasingly being replaced by the more modern penetron.
The formwork is created as follows: the upper edge of the waterproofing is used for laying boards, their thickness is 50 mm, and their width is maximum 1.5 m. The boards must be laid without the slightest cracks, with an elevation of 30 cm above the ground. Then reinforcement is also carried out: tied wire reinforcement placed 50 mm below the top point of the formwork (later completely hidden by a layer of concrete). Concreting is done with a mixture of cement with sand and gravel; its thickness is similar to dense sour cream. Additional strengthening is achieved through plasticizers.
It is recommended to prepare the mortar yourself, as it is much faster than receiving a ready-made mixture from a factory. In addition, this approach will help preserve the quality of the cold seam and avoid water seeping through it, which would damage the base. And, importantly, differences in cost can be neglected. Having completed the work, the foundation is covered with liquid-impermeable material. Concrete will harden in 24 hours, but will gain final strength only after a few weeks.
The formwork must be made using smooth and strong panels so that its appearance is ideal. Nails are driven strictly from the inside into outside. If you do the opposite, removing the shields will be much more difficult. When working on formwork structures, you need to immediately think about the connections for sewerage, water supply and electrical cables.
If they are not provided immediately, then you will need to chisel and destroy the quality of the monolith. Install a strip foundation in the form monolithic belt
under a frame bathhouse it is quite acceptable if the fertile soil layer is removed and replaced with added sand. Both a monolithic solution, a shallow structure, and a non-buried base are necessarily protected from the effects of frost heaving.
- For this use:
- drainage means;
- insulation around the blind area;
- removal of heaving soils and replacing them with sand or crushed stone.
Tapes with shallow depth cannot be used on various slopes: there they will not withstand significant shear forces. When building on dusty sand or embankment, an expansion slab is placed underneath. A correctly executed monolith always has a greater height than width. Moreover, the difference is 2-4 times; Such a step will make it possible to make the basement part of the structure optimal; it will be possible to form both the beams and the ground floors.
Walls and floor
They begin to work by arranging special racks that will be secured by the upper harness. In between, other posts are added. They will make the sauna stronger and more stable. The box is covered with boards, they are attached with self-tapping screws. By sequentially assembling the parts, the structure is finally formed.
In frame buildings, windows and doors are installed immediately, without waiting for the work to be completed.
In most frame baths, the floors are created from logs and boards, but it will not be possible to accurately determine the appropriate size of these elements without complex calculations. But this is not necessary - private developers can easily make do with ready-made average values. In most cases, boards with a thickness of 30-40 mm and finishing logs based on timber with a cross-section of 100x150 mm are acceptable. The thickness of the board, expressed in millimeters, should approximately correspond to the gap between the joists, expressed in centimeters.
If thermal insulation is used, the gaps between the finished flooring joists are adjusted taking into account the insulating layer being created.
As for the basic materials, all long-lasting wood species are suitable for creating a floor in a frame bath. But the poplar and so on soft wood unacceptable. Before purchasing and using, you should carefully check the dryness and integrity of the material, the absence of cracks, splits and other problems. Ideally, all lumber should be taken from one batch that has been kiln dried.
It is advisable to make the finishing flooring from edged or tongue-and-groove boards, since it will not require additional sanding, but the rough base can be unedged.
An alternative to wooden structures is often self-leveling flooring. This solution has become more and more popular over the years, pushing ceramic and stone surfaces into the background. The key advantages of self-leveling flooring can be considered:
- integrity of the created coating;
- high mechanical strength and excellent wear resistance;
- zero level of fire danger;
- absence of dust and harmful emissions during operation;
- a significant variety of design options, including decoration with three-dimensional drawings;
- Maintenance is much easier than caring for wooden structures.
But there are also objective weaknesses: for example, a self-leveling floor will finally harden only after a few days, when you can walk on a wooden floor right away. There is a high risk of scratches and dirt, and the cost of such coating is very high. It is recommended to make any bath floors with a slope towards the drain; this will prevent water and soap suds from spreading in all directions. The self-leveling floor can be made horizontally (without a slope) or the mixture can be poured onto a base that already has a slope. The first option requires carefully sealing the intersections of the floor with the walls, and the second is more difficult to implement, but directs all the liquid in the right direction at once.
You can’t just “pour” a self-leveling floor: its substrate is prepared very carefully. On top of the tree you need to lay powerful concrete screeds, and with reinforcement. The sooner the mixture is poured, the better - it quickly loses its fluidity, and if this happens before the end of the work, all costs will be in vain. Most often, two people fill the floors.
When working with walls, in most cases, the front cladding is made on the basis of lining or particle boards. Waterproofing is provided by parchment laid under the outer skin. Only then is insulation used, which must be ideally environmentally friendly and fire safe. The total thickness of the cake and its individual layers is determined by the climatic parameters of the territory and the peculiarities of using a frame bath.
A structure used year-round must have not only thicker walls, but also a special vapor barrier. The optimal solution for this is considered to be polyethylene film.
Painting wall paneling, even in dressing rooms, is undesirable, because even the most safe paints and varnishes can be harmful to health. When thinking about wall design Special attention attention is paid to how ventilation ducts and electrical wires will pass through them. Since flammable materials are used for exterior finishing, and there is often excess moisture in the air, preference should be given to closed, thoroughly insulated cable ducts.
If the rooms are finished using boards, their thickness should be approximately 30 mm. With a smaller value, strength suffers; with a larger value, the structure becomes heavy.
Roof
The basic parts used in the construction of the roof of a frame bathhouse are gradually laid and assembled directly on the site. The farm must stand on a prepared frame base. Placing it on a rough plank floor helps to simplify the work on creating the roof. A sample pie always includes ventilation systems, therefore, the gap from the rafters to the counterbeam is filled with a vapor barrier. The sheathing must be attached to the timber.
Then it’s time to make gables from oriented slabs or quality boards. In most cases, it is worth limiting yourself to the simplest pitched roof, which can be done quickly and without unnecessary difficulties. But if you choose completely original design, not every specialist will be able to complete the work competently and within the allotted time.
What is very important, with the same area, gable solutions are 50-100% more expensive, and this difference is not justified even by their specific capabilities. If calculated correctly, a cover with one slope will last for many years and will be extremely convenient to use all this time.
Flat roofs It is not recommended to do it yourself in bathhouses. The cost-effectiveness of such a choice is only apparent - the need for powerful artificial ventilation when natural ventilation is weak absorbs all the savings. According to qualified builders, a pitched roof should be located at a general slope of 20 to 30 degrees. If this condition is met, liquid and solid precipitation will spontaneously descend down.
You can create a slope in two ways: deliberately making the walls unequal in height or installing racks. With the second option, less material is wasted, but the heat will be retained worse.
Experienced roofers know for sure that as the angle of the roof decreases, they have to use increasingly smooth facing materials. But at an angle of less than 10 degrees, even best solutions do not allow you to get rid of the resulting puddles and snow drifts. The Mauerlat is formed from coniferous timber with a cross-section of at least 15x15 cm. The outside is covered with a layer of waterproofing (smeared with mastic or wrapped in roofing felt). Rafters are made exclusively from smooth boards with a cross-section of 5x15 cm, which are made of hard wood.
With such dimensions, an optimal safety margin is achieved and it remains possible to attach insulation up to 15 cm thick, if necessary. Please note: the length of the rafters is calculated with reservation for overhangs, which improve the protection of the walls from water. All ends of the rafter legs are equipped with cuts for mauerlats, which are secured with nails or metal plates. The sheathing is attached to the legs of the rafters at right angles.
Under certain roofing materials that are prone to deformation, a continuous sheathing based on moisture-resistant plywood must be created.
In other cases, gratings are made of slats; their thickness varies from 2.5 to 3 cm. But in each specific case, of course, this thickness must be uniform throughout the entire volume. It is advisable to cover bathhouses with pitched roofs with ondulin, corrugated sheets, metal or soft tiles. If there is a simple ceiling below, without an attic or attic, it is necessary to install slab or roll insulation. Regardless of this, use:
- hydrophobic film;
- fire retardant and antiseptic impregnations;
- special fasteners;
- carefully selected and tested tools.
Single-pitched roofs should rest on rafters spaced at 0.5-0.8 m intervals. Roofing material should be attached to the base using special self-tapping screws, including caps made of synthetic rubber. These tops help block water seepage. If there is no specialized fastener, you need to use simple self-tapping screws, supplementing them with external ones. rubber gaskets. Then the gables are sewn up, a drain is installed - this completes the external work on the frame bathhouse.
Finishing
No matter how reliable and durable the created “box” is, it will not be possible to limit it to it. It is imperative to protect these structures from negative external influences and at the same time make them more attractive.
Finishing external walls helps developers and designers express their tastes and aesthetic priorities. Often they try to cover them with siding or clapboard. These materials are not much less popular than block house and plaster.
Before applying any cladding, you need to check the rough walls. There should not be even minor cracks on them, the joints of the sheathing should fit tightly to each other. With help vinyl siding you can create a variety of visual pictures: and imitation simple tree, and a “brick” wall, and something high-tech in spirit. Plastic panels perform no less well, and if you need to increase the natural appearance of a bathhouse to the limit, you should choose a block house.
If you choose lining, it must be left for several days to allow acclimatization to take place.
Decorating a frame bath from the inside is no less important than the outside. It is recommended to give preference to environmentally friendly safe materials, their increased cost is fully justified. The choice of design in interior decoration is now unlimited; you can use any style, not necessarily traditional Russian. The dressing rooms are finished with both deciduous and coniferous wood. But it is advisable to choose a color that is as calm and balanced as possible, taking into account the purpose of the bath.
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The washing compartments are covered with lining, pre-impregnated with mixtures that block rotting. Some consumers use plastic panels and even polycarbonate sheets. There is no place for coniferous wood in the steam room, with the exception of cedar. Among deciduous varieties, the first place invariably comes from linden, which does not burn when touched and does not fade during long-term use. In more budget projects preference is given to aspen and alder.
You can decorate a brick sauna stove using tiles: this option is the simplest, cheapest and at the same time allows you to provide an attractive appearance. The tiles should not be hung on the masonry; they should rest on the base of the stove. You should avoid simple plastering; it does not give decent results even in dry rooms. The use of decorative stone sometimes brings good results.
If the stove is not made of brick, but is supplied to order, you should choose the solution that matches the chosen style.
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Ventilation
Even the most durable and reliable materials will not last long if moisture stagnates inside. And the constant accumulation of musty air will not bring pleasure to anyone. All these problems can be solved using carefully designed ventilation. In most cases, the choice is made between supply and exhaust and natural systems. Self-circulation is ensured by placing the air inlet at a height of 0.5 m from the floor, and the air outlet at approximately the same distance below the ceiling.
An outlet at the bottom can only be installed using forced ventilation or a large ventilation pipe. The cold air input can be organized in the space behind the stove, and the outlet in the floor itself, if the basement is connected by ventilation to street air or other rooms. For baths built into the house, it is always necessary to use means of forced ventilation.
How to insulate?
It is unreasonable to blame high-quality and intensive air exchange for the lack of heat in the bathhouse. Almost always, the real cause of the problem is weak and poor-quality insulation. In most cases, mineral wool slabs are used. Thanks to a large number They retain heat well from the air inside, and their high melting point means there is no fear of fire. Often frame wall It is insulated with reed slabs, which are environmentally safe and perform their task well.
The cheapness of foamed synthetic materials and their lightness and resistance to moisture make such protective coatings one of the best. But it is important to understand that not all materials in this series are equally perfect. In addition, any such insulation can be used only where strong heating is excluded.
Thermal protection must be protected from contact with water and water vapor. Wet insulation quickly deteriorates and loses its positive qualities.
The classic approach to insulating stoves and their surroundings involves the use of various asbestos materials for protection. It can be used in the form of slabs or sheets. But given the danger of asbestos fibers to humans, it is advisable to use other finishing methods:
- basalt fiber;
- isolon;
- needle-punched mats.
Heat in a bathhouse can escape not only through the walls; Most of its leakage occurs through floors and ceilings. Expanded clay is sometimes used to create thermal protection inside them. It is used less and less in wall insulation because it is too heavy (500 kg per 1 m3) compared to publicly available analogues. In addition, expanded clay is significantly inferior in heat retention to both foam and mineral wool, so the thickness of the insulating layer increases. And even though it slowly but steadily absorbs water, it turns out to be very difficult to dry the material.
Insulation has a rather long history frame buildings sawdust. They are absolutely safe in environmental and sanitary terms, but installing such thermal protection will not work quickly. Wood shavings are used not only for insulation, but also as bedding for animals, fertilizer and in many other cases. Therefore, suppliers no longer give it away for free, but prefer to receive money for such a sought-after product. IN big city Sawdust is also sold in supermarkets, but the price level there is even higher than at sawmills.
Only shavings made from hard hardwood are suitable for the job. The maximum permissible humidity is 20%, and it is better if it is even lower. Clean sawdust has not been used on construction sites for a long time, because it settles and forms voids, and fungus can appear inside.
Raw materials must be processed boric acid or copper sulfate. The standard mixture also includes clay or cement (when finishing the ceiling), lime or gypsum.
The layer of sawdust under the floor should be at least 200 mm, and in the northern regions of the Russian Federation this figure can be increased by another 50%. Bulk laying involves mixing wood processing waste with binders, then the composition is poured into wooden molds on which the floor is laid. The base is protected from dampness using kraft paper, polyethylene and similar materials. The composition is placed uniformly over the entire area; it has to be compacted only in rare cases. The final readiness of the insulation is achieved after two days.
Examples of finished buildings
Beautiful frame baths can be made in a variety of designs. This is what the structure looks like with a not too steep roof pushed forward above the facade. In front of the door there is a kind of platform, which you need to climb up a small ladder. The design concept is clearly built in the spirit of maximum naturalness of construction. Many corner baths, built using frame technology, are finished with siding.
If done correctly, it is extremely difficult to distinguish them from simple log buildings. A modern approach to baths often involves the use of a minimalist style. A striking example shown in the photograph - there is only a canopy, a small ladder and clapboard-lined walls and a rectangular window. You can build such a structure with your own hands, and in as soon as possible. Using any of the presented types of washing machines is easy and convenient.