Hello, dear site visitors! We continue the series of articles from our readers In this article, the author shares his personal experience in building a log bath with his own hands. Construction is not finished yet, so we wish him success! If you have recommendations and questions for the author, you are welcome in the comments.
For the construction of the bath, I chose a relatively flat area with a slope of 20 cm on a six-meter segment. First of all, after preliminary marking, he made a cut of the fertile layer over the entire area of the future foundation. This is required to exclude the processes of decay of plant residues and other organic matter in the basement.
The site is dominated by sandy soil, so the best option would be a height of 50 cm from the base and a width of 40 cm. The outline of the foundation is marked with ropes that are attached to improvised corners of the inner and outer perimeter. To mark the perimeter, I took cuttings of boards about 70 cm long and drove them into the ground, screwed horizontal shelves with protruding screws for attaching the rope from above with self-tapping screws. It is better to choose a rope that is not prone to stretching, it will be easier to work with this.
In addition to the lengths of the sides of the future foundation, the diagonals between the corners must be verified, which must be equal to each other with a tolerance of plus / minus 3-4 cm. You can read more about how to mark the foundation in this article. We continue to remove the fertile layer and dig a trench to create a sand cushion.
As a result, we get a fully prepared "pit", where the bottom of the trenches is almost horizontal (we check with the building level). The depth of the trenches is 20 cm, from the soil level at the highest point of the site 40 cm, at the lowest - 30 cm.
The dimensions of the foundation are determined by the center of the intersection of the logs of the log house. This will be the center line. If the diameter of the logs is about 20-22 cm, then we retreat on both sides of the center line, respectively, by 15-20 cm. This will be required to obtain "shelves" for attaching floor logs and rain tides. In addition, the error is practically eliminated when the logs, due to miscalculations of the foundation, fall outward or inward “hanging” in the air.
The bath is connected to the strip foundation in order to exclude multidirectional shifts of the bath and the furnace. The size of the furnace platform was chosen as 120 * 120 cm, as the average for installing metal furnaces under brick lining.
We start laying sand in the trenches. At the same time, we moisten and compact the sand. We pour water until puddles appear, after the moisture is absorbed, we begin to tamp. The process is repeated 3-4 times until your shoes leave no marks on the compacted surface of the sand.
A day later, after the completion of work, we once again pass the entire base under the foundation with a rammer. Of course, you can use a simpler option and connect a tamping machine to work, this will not speed up the process much. I have the simplest option: a beam of 100 mm, a sole of 20x20 mm and a handle. The appearance of the finished base and manual tamper is shown below.
On top of the prepared site under the foundation, we pour a sand cushion to level the horizon and raise the site above the level of the site in order to prevent water from entering under the foundation.
If you hire a concrete truck, then take care of additional strengthening of the formwork with diagonal stops outside and inside the proposed foundation. The pressure that is created when the mixture is supplied can demolish an insufficiently strong structure. The same applies to pouring the mixture from a concrete mixer. Only in this case, you need to strengthen the place where you will drain or simply move the concrete mixer around the perimeter.
It is better to pour the entire volume of concrete at one time, so as not to get the effect of a layered cake. We cover the top of the foundation with a film that keeps our foundation moist in order to avoid cracks in the concrete. The foundation is periodically watered with water, not allowing it to dry out.
After 7-10 days, we remove the formwork, unscrewing the self-tapping screws, which will also go into work at subsequent stages. The finished foundation looks like this. Layout: 2x6 meters - veranda; 4x4 meters - rest room; 2x2 meters - washing room; 2x2 meters - steam room. The location of the ventilation holes is approximately 20 cm from the ground level, if necessary, you can buy plugs to close the holes in the winter.
The approximate quantity and price of materials used in the construction of the foundation are shown in the table below.
For dressing a log house 6x4 meters and a chopped veranda, you will need 25 bags of moss. When buying, make sure that the weight of a bag of compacted moss is approximately 20 kg. Moss must be elastic, that is, have optimal moisture content.
We use “cuckoo flax”, which we collect in late autumn, when all living creatures go to “wintering” in the soil and there is no risk of grabbing a snake with a bunch of moss. A small amount of sphagnum moss is allowed, which is shorter and crumbles when dry. If only sphagnum is fully used, then after a while it will simply fall out of the grooves.
The length of the strands of moss should be at least 30 cm, so that when caulking it is possible to twist the ends and ensure the sealing of the grooves. When drying, we sort the material, choosing twigs, foreign plants and cones from it. By the way, if the bump falls into the groove, then at a certain humidity it opens with such an effort that is enough to lift the log and arrange a “cold bridge”. This is how log house installers did in the old days, and even now this situation is not uncommon if the owner “offends” with money.
We install rolling logs. I have a small gap between the foundation and the log house, so I used half a log on one side and a 100 mm beam on the other.
We punch the place of contact of the log with the roofing material with moss.
Errors were revealed that caused the unwillingness of the cutters to do their work efficiently. The grooves were cut with a chainsaw, which made the gaps in the logs very large. Look, the edges of the grooves fit snugly against the body of the log, but in fact there is a void inside. Because of this, the amount of moss that will go to the caulk increases greatly. And this is if you do the caulking yourself, and the "shabashniks" only do the external processing, no one will break through the insides.
| Material | Volume/quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Edged fence board "inch" on the crate, 300 mm | 1 m 3 | 4500 rubles |
| Wood screws 50 mm | 2 kg | 300 rubles |
| Moss | 25 bags | 6250 rubles |
| log cabin | 1 piece | 72000 rubles |
| Board 50 * 150 six meters | 14 pieces | 3600 rubles |
| Metal tile, thickness 0.5 mm, length 4.2 meters (additional ridge and wind protection) | 12 sheets | 31000 rubles |
| Steam-Wind-insulation | 1 roll | 800 rubles |
| Grooved board 20 mm | 1 m 3 | 8500 rubles |
| "Belinka" base | 2.5 liters | 400 rubles |
| "Belinka" glazing composition | 2.5 liters | 600 rubles |
| Total: | 127950 rubles | |
The most simple, but tedious work on caulking a log house. We use a mallet, iron and wooden caulks. An iron one with a blade thickness of 3 mm and a width of 50 mm, a wooden one is made of hardwood (I have dry birch) and is a consumable.
The original view of the groove.
We fill the moss into the groove with a construction trowel. Previously used a spatula, but it quickly failed and was not as elastic. Feel free to hammer the groove completely. There is an opinion among the inhabitants that there is no need to make the seams dense and uniform, they say, the temperature in the bath is enough to compensate for the losses. But judge for yourself, drafts in the steam room and washing room will not add comfort and firewood consumption will be 2-3 times higher.
We hammer the resulting roller with a wooden caulk.
If necessary, if the groove is not tight enough, we make another roller of moss and punch it until we feel the hardness of the wood when struck with an iron caulk.
The final view of the caulked groove.
To prevent birds from dragging moss and for aesthetics, we close the groove with a 100 mm wide jute tape, which will subsequently be treated with impregnation and glazing composition to match the color of the log. Special "craftsmen" put logs on only one jute or linen, but this is unacceptable for a bath. If we have constant humidity in the house, then vaporization is welcome in the bath. Flax and jute absorb moisture, but do not dry out for a long time, the grooves rot and become moldy.
We get logs prepared for grinding.
We especially carefully caulk the corners to prevent cold air from entering the bathhouse. Work, if you do not hire specialists, will cost nothing. When attracting "shabashniki" - from 70 to 150 rubles per linear meter.
So, the caulking is completed, the moss is filled and compacted in the grooves, we proceed to prepare the log house for painting. At present, the logs look very unpresentable - traces of a planer, chips and pulled out wood chips. In addition, the logs are strongly "tanned" in the sun and under the influence of slanting rains, and some of the knots require sampling and sealing with mastic.
The ends of logs that were damaged during storage and transportation also require processing. Here the most loose wood, respectively, a high probability of decay and further destruction of the log.
Logging tools:
Bulgarian used the cheapest - 1200 rubles, made in China. It is worth noting that it withstood all the tests with honor and remained operational even after the passage of 70 square meters of walls (we add to this the semicircular profile of the log). The only inconvenience is cleaning the stator, rotor and the inside of the grinder from wood dust. Of course, you can put a stocking on the instrument, but the incoming air is not enough for cooling. By the way, the work is very dusty and immediately stock up on glasses, closed on all sides, and respiratory protection equipment - a respirator is enough. Working with a grinder requires utmost attention. High speeds and a removed protection cover can play a trick on you. One has only to lose vigilance, intercept too quickly to the grinding wheel, and you are guaranteed an injury. I twice went through the same place on my arm - the glove to shreds and the skin torn to the meat.
The grinding wheel was used with grain 80. Through testing and selection, I settled on this value - grain 60 leaves too noticeable marks, and grain 100 clogs very quickly. The approximate consumption of petal circles is 1 piece per 3 square meters. You can use the circle further, but the pace of work slows down, and you just get tired.
Attention bonus! I accidentally found that if a circle clogged with dust and tar is passed over the concrete of the foundation, then the sandpaper is cleaned and the circle is ready for work again.
With no skill and when working with all caution, you can sand 6-10 squares of a wall in a day. The prices of "shabashnikov" fluctuate between 400-500 rubles per square, and plus they do not stand on ceremony with consumables. Pay attention to resin pockets. If you expose such an area, then treat it with a solvent, otherwise this resin will then come out even through a layer of paint.
I started working from the smallest wall, the logs are changing before our eyes. Faced with the problem that when processing grooves, the edge of the grinding wheel leaves cuts on the lower log. But with further processing, the cuts grind well, and no traces remain.
Especially a lot of fuss with the corners, the high speed of the grinder and tightness slow down the process. Where the circle does not reach, you will have to switch to a slower processing method - a chisel.
When the grinding wheel is almost "sat down", we pass the ends of the logs. It is irrational to use a new circle for the ends - you will have to throw it out after a dozen logs.
We seal the ends with mastic on wood. At first I used the color “pine”, but then I realized that it was more economical to use white, since there would be painting under it.
After grinding, an interesting structure of the tree appears, intricate patterns run throughout the log. The knots and irregularities of the log add a certain fundamentality to the log bath, and I was even glad when there were especially knotty specimens.
To get an idea of how the wall would look after painting, I stopped and prepared the logs. According to all the aggregate features (quality and price), I chose the composition under the Belinka brand. Pre-treated with Base, the drying time of which is 24 hours, and passed over the polished surface with the first layer of glazing composition No. 24 (rosewood). Agree, enchanting beauty! If you want to get a surface that is smooth to the touch, then after the first layer of the composition and its drying, go over the log manually with a “zero” sandpaper. This is true on the railings and on the front of the bath, where guests love to run their hands along the wall and appreciate the work of the master.
The drying time of the first layer is 12 hours, to be sure, I survived the day and covered with the second layer. A dark noble matte sheen appeared. Another trick - after using the glazing composition, a little pigment remains at the bottom of the jar. We dilute it with a solvent to a very pale appearance and pass through the second layer of the dried coating. You can do the procedure at any time after the coating. As a result, we get a surface that resembles a log additionally impregnated with wax. Very pretty.
Along the way, the ends were processed with a glazing composition No. 11 (white), which favorably sets off the work already done.
The result completely satisfied me, we continue the polishing that we started. Since you will do all the work yourself, the quality will be at the highest level. If the hired workers can ignore flaws, then the master himself will torment himself for even the smallest oversight. For example, I, knowing that somewhere at the bottom of the log I missed a cut, like a criminal returning to the scene of the crime, again and again examined his “jamb”. Until it was corrected.
The log cabin is getting more and more beautiful. Do not forget to clean the logs from dust with a brush after work.
In the next photo, the logs processed by the Base, and the ends sealed with white mastic.
Having appreciated the color and texture of the painted logs, I realized that inside the veranda it would look a little dark, and I experimented with coloring the log with composition No. 11 (white).
White paint retains the texture of the sanded log, and I decided to completely paint the veranda. Through the first layer, a slight yellowness of pine appears, and there is no shine. Very similar to just bleached wood. But the second layer works wonders. There is brilliance and a certain completeness. By the way, buy "Belinka Azure", as the white "Belinka Top Azure" is designed for window frames and costs much more.
Now the bath, with the exception of one wall, is covered in one layer and looks like a house with a Khokhloma painting negative. Pleased with the upper cross beam - a knotty Christmas tree, which gives the structure a look of conformity with the natural style.
We continue the construction of the bath and proceed to the stage of flooring on the veranda. There is a roof over the room, but the absence of a pediment (for the airiness of the building) does not prevent drops of slanting rains from entering. In winter, snow blowing and its subsequent melting during a thaw is not ruled out. Therefore, we will pay special attention to the conservation of boards and logs, as well as to making the surface of the floors water-repellent along with a good appearance.
Boards 50 * 150 set on edge will serve as lags. According to the universal formula, the thickness of the board is multiplied by a factor of 20, and we get the step between the lags in my case 1000 mm. But I decided to somewhat strengthen the structure and placed the logs in 600 mm increments. It turned out like this.
On the veranda (conditionally 2 meters by 6 meters) I bought 16 six-meter boards, taking into account the lag and a margin of one board. It cost me 4300 rubles and 500 rubles for shipping. Some boards showed blue and mold, which is easily removed by sanding and bleaching. Worst of all, several boards are affected by the woodworm. Its larvae made several through holes, which I then sealed with mastic. On examination, I didn’t find more living creatures and calmed down on that - after drying, the wood attracts them little, and treatment with an antiseptic and biocide will discourage the beetle from any desire to approach my veranda. I laid a vapor-permeable film on the ground inside the foundation so that no plant would get a chance to germinate inside the veranda. The boards were marked and sawn in accordance with their location.
After that, I removed the boards, numbering them according to their location, and started processing the logs. I used a vigorous antiseptic of Yaroslavl production. I am a little familiar with the preparation of antiseptics and the composition of the purchased products inspired confidence in me. Preservation of wood is declared at 45 years old, subject to the impregnation technology. It is required to use 500 grams of solution per square meter, i.e. We apply the first layer, and after 1-2 hours the second. The antiseptic is yellow, so the coating is clearly visible. When dry it becomes dark brown.
Next came the turn of the boards. Previously, on the surface located below and on the sides of the boards, I passed with a petal emery wheel, fixed on a grinder to remove the pile. So we provide better absorption of the antiseptic. Then we grind the front surface with a circle with a grain of 100. I also used my long-suffering grinder of the lowest price category. If you are afraid to make potholes and holes, then try grinding part of the board with a clogged circle to gain a little experience. Don't forget to chamfer the edges of the board.
Attention bonus! To make the floor surface perfect to the touch and pleasant for the feet, walk along the sanded board with a mild soapy solution. Apply with a brush or roller. When dried, the risen residual pile will become hard and it is easy to knock it down with a sandpaper even in manual mode.
The boards are laid on logs with a gap of 4 mm. As a "standard" we take an ordinary nail, which we put vertically between the boards.
Since my boards are of natural humidity, they can be somewhat drier, that is, they are likely to warp during the drying process. That is why I decided to use not self-tapping screws for fastening, but screw nails. A self-tapping screw is a weaker fastener for transverse loads and can simply burst. The head of the nail, so that there is no rust and its spread to the boards, is covered with mastic on wood.
See the nail? And he is here!
In the process of laying the boards, I begin processing them. I had the choice of using Alpina outdoor terrace oil or Belinka glazing as a coating. I liked the second option better. Firstly, that the oil that the Belinka Base penetrates deep into the tree and protects it from moisture. Secondly, the oil tinting and Belinka No. 24 are almost similar. Thirdly, oil and glazing composition, which does not have high resistance to abrasion, should be renewed every two years. And fourthly, Belinka is cheaper. A large flow of visitors is not planned on the veranda and the maximum load is walking in slippers or barefoot.
After the first layer of the Base has dried (24 hours), apply the second layer and let it dry for another day. And the culminating moment comes - coating with Belinka No. 24 glazing compound. If you want more effect and shine of the floor, then get Top Azure.
–––––– Half a year has passed ––––––
Since my last story of the past, quite a lot of time, and the construction of the bathhouse was gradually moving forward. Little by little, because you have to do everything yourself. I don't trust scammers. I contacted them twice (assembling the log house and installing the roof) and was very dissatisfied with the result.
I looked at the bathhouse from the side and decided that another pediment was needed to protect the veranda space from rain. He laid the lining in different directions, leaving something like a window. There will be a stained glass window - polycarbonate with a pattern applied with special stained glass paints.
The fit of the boards to the pediment turned out to be quite tight, so I will do without an additional plinth, I will leave it as it is.
The pediment is painted in the same color as the bath, a side board with a claim to carving is installed. The cost of the work was: lining - 2500 rubles; self-tapping screws - 200 rubles; paint - 200 rubles; wind carved board - 800 rubles. I think that it is quite inexpensive for such a result.
Last year, I didn’t have time to paint the roof lining, I just covered it with a base coat, the temperatures started to drop below zero. Just the other day, having chosen a period without rain, I walked with two layers of white Belinka. I liked the result, but I think to fix it with a third layer.
And so, the new bath construction season has opened. In autumn, I managed to capture a few fine days with a positive temperature, which finally made it possible to make a window and a door. The technology for preparing openings is standard. We mark and cut out with the formation of a spike on the log. For the window opening, I used a bar 100 * 200, and for the door frame, a bar 100 * 250. At the sawmill, they met me halfway and made two six-meter blanks on special order. They took quite ridiculous money - about 2500 rubles with delivery.
On the spot, the beam was sawn into the required segments. The window opening turned out to be clean 50 * 50 centimeters, the door clean 70 * 160. So we really implement the old commandment - bow to the bathhouse when you enter. The upper level of the threshold will be 15 centimeters from the floor to keep warm in winter. I sawed a groove on the beam according to the size of the spike on the log, plus a centimeter in width in each direction. I fixed a rolled insulation 20 centimeters wide on the spike, it seems linen, I don’t remember what I bought. The vertical beam went to the stretch, and horizontal segments were used as struts. The gap from the top pigtail to the log is about 3 cm, filled with moss. There is also moss under the threshold and window sill, which, after installing all the components, was compacted to the state of almost a log.
A quarter is selected on the window for the convenience of installing plastic. Spacers are placed in the door, since during the natural drying of the timber, deformation is possible.
What is planned. The window is plastic with imitation of division into smaller windows. The photo shows my hooliganism, so to speak - instead of a window, I inserted foam plastic and made markings for the future product with insulating tape.
The door is metal with a heater on a cloth and jambs. In the company where the doors are made, the director is my good friend, we discussed all the details and, I hope, a good product will turn out. On the door leaf there will be a wooden lining 1.5 centimeters thick. According to the overlay, I will perform aging of wood, I will make an imitation of forged hinges and wooden cross bars. But this is in the future, and now he is engaged in the improvement of the veranda.
We have one craftsman who makes tables and benches of fairly good quality and quite inexpensively. This headset cost me only 7.5 thousand rubles. By tradition, I covered it with the Belinka base, Rosewood glazing compound and deck varnish from the same company.
Somewhere on the hundredth or two hundredth jump from the level of the veranda, I realized that I needed a porch. The plans were to make some kind of forged product with wooden steps, but for now I decided to limit myself to a temporary hut. Although the makeshift turned out to be quite nice and will still serve me until I get bored. On the sidewalls I used logs that remained from cutting out openings, on the steps a board 50 * 150. On the base he laid stones from a nearby quarry.
And now about the pressing. Firstly, I spend the caulk inside the log house. The logs have already settled down in place. What is possible - dried up, what is needed - led what it wanted - settled in its permanent place. Accordingly, gaps appeared inside that require careful sealing.
External examination confirmed the good quality of the caulk. Nothing has fallen out, the birds haven't messed up, and the moss is lying as planned. When sawing openings, the moss was packed into one dense and hard strip, it was even difficult to make out, but it is good to fill cracks with such strips. I made another birch caulk. The shoulder blade turned out to be wider and larger, a two-kilogram sledgehammer perfectly suited it. Moss flies into the cracks with a whistle, and where the log lay too tightly I use birch wedges. The process is lengthy, but mandatory if you do not want to bathe in felt boots in winter. Secondly, I conducted an audit of the foundation. There are light chips on the outside, but these are sagging during pouring and do not affect the quality. However, if I have free time, I will plaster and cover with facade paint. Manufacturer and color not yet chosen. Last year I installed low tides, which performed well even with a serious snow load. And, thirdly, I will count the snow holders. When last year a crust formed on the roof after a freezing rain, and 50-60 centimeters of snow fell on it, it was a good surprise in the form of a huge dense snowdrift near the bathhouse after the first thaw.
Well, I’ll tell you what I do to keep my bath warm and dry. A month ago I bought a metal stove from Izistim for 58,000 rubles. I chose for a long time, tediously, I read all the reviews and realized that this is what I need. Its parameters can be found on the official website of the company, where a detailed description is given. While the stove is standing on the street in front of the bathhouse, 130 kg of metal still needs to be thought out how to carefully drag it, especially since I still have no floors and 600 pieces of bricks are stacked on the ground. It turned out that these stoves are made literally right next to me, so I had the honor to communicate directly with the manufacturers, who really helped with advice and recommendations. The pipe is planned to be adjacent to the stainless sleeve. The structure will be about 5 meters. I ordered a stainless pipe with a wall thickness of 1 mm in the same place, in the Izistim company. Just a week later I received the order. Laser welding, high quality and reasonable price. In terms of money, the pleasure amounted to 11,500 full-weight rubles for a set of pipes of 5 meters. CRAFT company.
The complete kit includes a tee, a plug for cleaning the pipe from soot and removing condensate, and a type of adapter with a platform that will allow you to firmly fix the chimney in a brick pipe. The design on the right in the photo is a horizontal pipe section from the stove to the chimney. Heat-resistant stainless steel 4 mm thick, made in EasySteam for 4300 rubles.
Naturally, I didn’t go shopping and bought convection doors without leaving the cash register. Convenient locks, normal appearance and additional metal sheets for fixing products in brick.
I bought Kostroma clay brick of grade 150, which is enough for lining the furnace. The geometry of the brick is normal, if necessary, the edges can be rounded to give the products a more interesting shape. If you want a more beautiful brick, then buy Vitebsk brand 200. Each brick cost me 25 rubles apiece.
I didn’t bother with clay, which needs to be mined and prepared somewhere else, since I don’t have any special skills. I bought a ready-made mix "Makarov's Furnace House" produced by Kostroma, Gzhel color. They also have a white clay mix for aesthetes. Pechnikov could not be found - everyone is busy. The cost for the masters starts from 40 rubles for a brick for lining and 60 rubles for a brick on a pipe. You can calculate the cost yourself. I will do it myself, although the work will be delayed.
“And the battle begins again” - we continue the construction of the bathhouse and the improvement of the internal space. The heart of the bath is the oven. My wishes for the climate of the future steam room and other rooms are extremely simple and unpretentious. Firstly, the legs and ears should be warm even in winter, and not bathe with a hard plus in the head area and at the same time in felt boots so that the legs do not freeze. Secondly, the inertia of the sauna stove must be present in order to be able to stop the heating and take a steam bath without running around for firewood while constantly maintaining the desired temperature. It is desirable that the heat in the bath was two or three days to dry the premises. And, thirdly, hot water should not boil in the steam room, but is located in the washing compartment in the remote tank.
As I already wrote, the Sochi stove from the Izistim company was chosen with a hinged heat exchanger for heating water.
The heat exchanger is equipped with inlet and outlet pipes with a diameter of one inch. The design is intended for lining with brick, which will simultaneously become a screen from hard infrared radiation emanating from metal and a heat accumulator. Before installation, it is required to heat the oven on the street in a gentle mode to burn the factory paint and eliminate the smell of burning when operating directly in the bath. A heat-resistant cord is laid on the door and blower, which is necessary for sealing. Previously, this was not the case, but the company's managers listen to the recommendations of consumers through communication on the forum and make the necessary changes.
A cast-iron grate is installed inside the combustion chamber. Additional sheets of metal are welded on the sides and at the end of the chamber to reduce the effect of the flame on the walls of the furnace in order to avoid deformation.
For relative thrust, he installed a meter-long pipe and conducted the first tests of a metal sauna stove. The draft, even with such a pipe stub, is quite good, only there is a slight flow of smoke from the door when it is opened and, accordingly, a small amount of soot on the glass.
The foundation for the furnace is connected with the foundation of the bathhouse, reinforcement was carried out during pouring. To start laying, I leveled the surface with cement mortar so as not to damage the waterproofing. I laid a roofing material on the pedestal in two layers, on which I will begin to lay out the brick.
To rise above the floor level, and from the foundation it will be about 18-19 centimeters, we lay out the base under the oven three bricks high. There is a little trick. To save mortar and bricks, we lay out a “well”, and inside we simply place the worst brick and fill the remaining space with sand.
The sand will need to be slightly moistened and compacted so that it does not settle, but this is not necessary, the filling will not go anywhere.
Brick made by Kostroma, worth 24 rubles apiece. The geometry is normal, there are chips at the corners and edges, so you have to choose on the front side of the furnace. It pricks badly, it is better to cut with a grinder. For the solution, the furnace mixture "Makarov's Furnace House" is used. The solution sets quickly, holds the brick perfectly, and is easy to use. Bags of 25 kg, the cost is about 400 rubles per piece. One bag is designed for laying 60 bricks. The solution must be mixed with a powerful drill with a nozzle, it is unlikely that it will be possible to make a homogeneous mass with your hands. The mixture is well dried and water has to be added quite a lot.
I “sealed” the upper row of bricks at the base of the furnace with mortar, I wanted to install the structure on metal nickels - the legs of the furnace, it seemed to me, would push through the brick. But it turned out that in this case the neck with the door rises and a gap appears. Therefore, then he cleaned the solution, refused the lining.
I immediately tried on convection doors that will draw air from the rest room to the steam room for exchange. But, as it turned out later, they cannot be installed in this place, the decorative screen around the firebox will interfere.
The most difficult thing was to drag the stove into the bathhouse and not demolish anything along the way. The design of 130 kg commanded respect, and I had to order two stronger loaders. If for the first time a loader from the category of “legs and a cap” helped me to drag the stove to the bathhouse, then the masters really arrived. They pushed me away and in 10 minutes they hoisted the “piece of iron” to the place of operation.
I put a T-shaped outlet on the furnace to determine the root pipe. The picture shows a rear view, where the “lambs” are located for removing the roof and then cleaning the pipe from soot, although the manufacturers assured me of its absence.
The root pipe will run to the left of the furnace and also stand on a foundation connected to a common belt. We continue laying with the formation of a pipe.
The pipe will be functional only after the entrance of the T-shaped segment, so we make its sides one and a half bricks, and we also fill the internal space with sand.
Inside the steam room in the furnace screen, we install two more convection doors, but of a large size. This is necessary to quickly warm up the room. We do not lay the top of the furnace with bricks, we leave space for stones. With the convection doors open, air is taken from the floor, passes near the furnace body and exits through the stones already heated. The air flow can be adjusted with a damper. Doors are hung from the side convenient for you.
I bought the doors from the Izistim company, they modernized the design by adding a stainless steel box along the width of the brick. Now it has become convenient to install the doors, without additional wire fastening. Small gaps are left along the perimeter (except for the bottom) of the doors, which compensate for the thermal expansion of the metal.
The root pipe, so that it passes between the rafters and does not take up much space, is located in line with the “face” of the stove screen. The T-shaped adapter goes a little to the side. In "Izistim" it was made for me with a margin. But, as it turned out, the size was the most suitable, as they say, do not subtract, do not add. A 4 mm stainless steel product cost 4,500 rubles.
It's time to hang the heat exchanger. I bought galvanized corners, spurs and couplings per inch, attached to the general structure, wrapping the threads with flax treated with a heat-resistant sealant (red in the picture).
Brickwork reached the top of the firebox. We install a support corner of 50 * 50 mm with an approach to a brick of 8-10 cm. Around the firebox there is a thermal gap of about 2 cm.
The front side is almost finished, the convection doors are set higher than planned, but for air exchange it is even more convenient, the air coming from the rest room to the steam room will not overheat. Contact with the heated oven is minimal.
We slowly close the heat exchanger with masonry and make outlets for the pipes for connection to the remote tank. The holes are not very neat and then I will close them with stainless steel discs or other decor that is not afraid of moisture. This is a wall in the washing room, it is planned to lay bricks up to the ceiling.
The facade of the stove is finished, the “fireplace” will go next, so that the hot air from the firebox when it is opened does not go directly to the ceiling, but has some obstacle. Yes, and you can put interior decoration items on a shelf.
The wall in the washing room is finished, the pipe outlets are made. It remains to buy stainless pipes and make connections with a mounted tank.
It's time to blow the pipe. Tying masonry from the steam room. The T-piece is connected to the sleeve through a tee. At the bottom of the tee, a cover is installed that allows you to drain condensate and clean the pipe from soot.
From the side of the steam room, the stove looks like this: the T-shaped adapter is covered with a brick screen from above. A corner 40 * 40 is taken as supports.
I will close the cavity above the stove and the adapter with stones for decoration and evaporation of various incense, there is no other function for these stones. And perhaps I will close the pipe with a sheet of stainless steel iron to avoid hard thermal radiation from a very hot metal.
We continue to build a pipe. In the place where the ceiling passes, we form a fluff in order to maintain fire-prevention distances from the "smoke" to the wooden structures. As expected, the front and side walls of the furnace reached almost to the future ceiling.
According to the calculations, the root pipe should pass in the middle between the ceiling beams. And so it happened. The pipe has "grown" to the roof and it's time to make an opening.
And the "face" of the stove looks like this. Convection doors are located in one row with a pipe cleaning. It is still covered with clay, but it is already possible to understand what I want.
Next, we prepare the roof for the passage of the pipe. From the inside, the roof was drilled at the corners of the future passage with a margin of one centimeter. Bulgarian sawed out a metal tile on the roof. I got a passage almost strictly in the center of the ridge, which is convenient for the subsequent closing of the hole from the rain. And the snow will not put pressure on the brickwork.
First of all, we bring a sleeve from a stainless pipe into the opening, then we begin laying.
You should not be content with only the level, you will have to run down so that the pipe is visually even. "Otter", protection from the rain is made almost half a brick. And now the pipe, not yet cleared of clay, takes its prescribed forms.
The pipe was cleaned of clay and varnished for outdoor work on stone and brick in three layers. Each layer hardens about four parts at a temperature of +200°C. It turns out the effect of a wet stone and sealing the pores. The temperature at the top of the stove will roughly match the outside air, if only a little warmer, so the varnish is frost-resistant, withstanding sudden changes in temperature. We got the effect of a wet stone and sealing the pores on the brick and seams, which will protect the material from washing out.
Around the pipe he covered with material that remained from the manufacture of ebbs. Entry on the brick is about 1 centimeter under the "otter". The first rains showed the effectiveness of the design.
Firstly, clean the furnace from clay. Don't use water. So you will only rub the mortar inside the brick and you will not be able to get rid of the stains. If you do not want to spoil the outer part of the brick, then be patient, rags and brushes. You can use fine sandpaper.
Secondly, cover the oven with heat-resistant varnish, it is enough to use the composition up to 1500 ° C, you will no longer heat up the screen with all your desire.
And thirdly, put an umbrella on the pipe in order to avoid rain getting inside.
A little trick: to prepare the solution, take rainwater, thereby you can avoid salt stains on the bricks when the clay dries.
And, I will be happy to answer all your questions, since the report from the scene is far from complete and you may be interested in some of the nuances. We'll help you take pictures and show you.
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Having your own plot of land gives you an excellent opportunity to acquire your own bath or sauna.
In order for the installation of such a building not to cause problems, we will consider in this article the stages of building a bath with our own hands.
The first step is to choose a place for the future building. If your plot is small, then it’s quite simple: the foundation should be laid where a residential building will not be built.
For a larger area, make your choice based on personal preference. However, compliance with the rules must also be adhered to.
The construction of a bath in stages with your own hands begins with the installation of the foundation. The bath is not a large multi-storey building and does not imply the presence of heavy stationary furniture inside. Therefore, it does not make sense to pour a monolithic reinforced concrete slab and you can get by with a pile or strip foundation.
Although the pile model comes out somewhat cheaper, it is recommended to resort to it only in cases where the terrain for construction is sloping or low-lying.
The best choice would be the implementation of a strip foundation, because it:
Tip: in order to save money, it is allowed to lay a foundation under the inner walls flush with them.
Since they still do not have a bearing load.
Although the price of wood is higher than many modern building materials for a bath, there is no better option. Traditional wood with its warmth, smell and aesthetic appearance cannot be fully replaced with cheap cinder block or foam block.
For the construction of the sauna body, a wooden beam with a section of 15 cm by 15 cm is best suited.
There are two assembly methods:
During installation, the following nuances are observed:
Tip: for the lower crowns, it makes sense to specifically purchase more durable and reliable tree species, such as oak or larch.
They will be able to more successfully resist the dampness coming from the earth.
Tip: when installing the floor structure, provide a distance of a couple of centimeters between the insulation and the finishing coating for better air ventilation.
Now the phased construction of a bathhouse with your own hands is approaching the arrangement of the ceiling, which has its own characteristics due to the presence of the most aggressive environment. After all, especially during operation in winter, the strongest heat from the whole steam room affects the ceiling from below, and severe frost from above.
The hemmed construction is most consistent with bathing conditions, which is performed as follows:
The roof structure can be used as a double-pitched or single-pitched roof. Shed is of course economical, but also less practical. If you want your bath to serve you for a long time and reliably, it is recommended to install a gable system. Moreover, it will also allow you to equip an attic utility room.
The roof consists of a truss system, lathing and insulating coating material. If you do not have experience in relevant work, then it is advisable to invite a specialist to carry out this stage.
Metal tile is perfect for covering. And if the slopes on one side of the building are taken out half a meter, then you can equip a wonderful woodpile.
At this point, the ceiling and floor are already ready, therefore, the stages of finishing the bath now consist in wall cladding:
Everything, the bath is ready. It remains only to install furniture and a stove, after which you can begin to operate the bath.
Building a bath with your own hands is, of course, troublesome. But the result is worth it. It is not possible to single out the more important ones among all the stages of construction, all of them, one way or another, affect the quality of the future bath.
The video in this article will introduce you to additional materials on this topic. Happy building work!
Not everyone has the desire and ability to invest a lot of money in the construction of a bath. And in most of our country, warming up at times is simply necessary. The only way out is to build a bath inexpensively, with your own hands. There is a sufficient amount of building materials and technologies that can be called budget.
If we talk about the construction of full-fledged, albeit small, but free-standing baths, then the frame and monolithic are considered the most budgetary technologies. Cheap baths are often made on a wooden frame, sheathed with plywood, OSB, boards - whoever has what. Inside, between the two skins, a heater is laid.
One of the options for the frame structure - with board sheathing
In monolithic construction, arbolite is the most popular for the construction of baths - a mixture of cement with sawdust. Sawdust can be generally free or cost very little. Little cement is required in wood concrete, so this type of construction is unlikely to hit hard. A removable formwork is placed along the perimeter of the building, the mixture is loaded into it, and it is rammed. The next batch is being mixed. It's that simple. Flammability is considered a disadvantage of this material, but wooden and frame baths are also combustible. So this is not an argument.
Sawdust concrete or wood concrete is a warm, natural material that consists of sawdust, sand, cement and water. Polystyrene concrete (granular foam mixed with cement and water) is not much more expensive, but not everyone likes the use of “chemistry” - foam plastic - in the construction of a bath. However, in itself, this material allows you to get a cheap and light building, which, with the right finish, will only please the owners.
All three technologies give a combination of low price and good thermal performance, that is, heating such buildings requires little fuel, which in baths is the main indicator of efficiency.
There are regions where timber is still the cheapest material. In them, perhaps, it will be cheaper to put a chopped bath. From round timber or from a bar - this is already optional. The advantage of this solution is a natural material (although it must be impregnated with chemistry in order to maintain its appearance and protect it from diseases and insects). But chopped baths have their drawbacks - you can start steaming no earlier than a year after the walls are erected and the roof is installed. We must wait until the main shrinkage has passed and only then begin the insulation and finishing work. The second disadvantage is that it is necessary to regularly update the protective coating, otherwise the building will become gray and unsightly. But the wooden baths themselves are very good with a special atmosphere.
Inexpensive walling technology is far from everything. Sometimes the construction of the foundation takes almost half of the funds required for the construction of the building as a whole. The technologies listed above are good because you can make lightweight foundations for them. Somewhere it is enough columnar, somewhere pile or pile-grillage. Any of the walls listed above can coexist quite normally with them, leveling their shortcomings (possible uneven shrinkage of different support points).
The foundations listed above may not be implemented on all soils. Sometimes a shallow or normal strip foundation may be required, and on especially heaving or unstable soils, a monolithic slab may be required. On such grounds, building blocks can be added to the wall construction technologies listed above - foam concrete, cinder block, expanded clay concrete. All of them have their own characteristics (basically, thorough protection from high humidity is required), but the construction technology is also inexpensive, although the foundations are required to be more solid.
If in the country you want to build a mini-bath, a very small booth, then you need to take a closer look at the construction technology or. If there is a desire, even an ordinary construction trailer, a barn or a change house can be turned into a more or less normal steam room. It is only important to insulate well and put the right stove. Everything else is not so important.
The initial data are as follows: a bath in terms of no more than 4 * 5 meters, a small budget - no more than $ 200-300 per month. From the initial data - clay heaving soil, 4 meters from the fence - a cliff. Bringing it all together, it was decided to build a frame bath on a columnar foundation.
The bath itself turned out to be 5 * 3 m, plus a terrace 1 meter wide along the long side. Under the bath, it was decided to make pillars from asbestos-cement pipes 34 cm in diameter, under a terrace of 15 cm. In the center of the plan, 4 additional pillars are marked - this is the foundation for a brick oven.
We dig in below the freezing depth - for this region it is 140 cm. By the way, we cut pipes by 20 cm more - the total length is 160 cm, so that the bath is 20 cm above the ground.
Inside each column, a frame of reinforcement 12 mm in diameter is installed. 4 rods are connected, the release from the post is 10-15 cm, so that you can safely weld then the strapping.
Concrete was ordered ready, brand M250. A formwork was put up along the perimeter between the pillars and a boat was immediately poured, which will close the gap between the bath floor and the ground.
A week later, the concrete gained enough strength, work continued. A harness was welded from a corner 70 * 70 mm with a wall thickness of 6 mm (the corner was on the farm). To connect the pillars and metal, we weld the reinforcement outlets to the shelves of the corner.
It must be said right away that in terms of bearing capacity, this foundation is redundant. On it you can build a two-story heavy building, and not a light one-story frame. But, since they did it “for themselves”, and there is also a clay cliff nearby, it was decided to play it safe.
It was decided to make warm floors in the washing and rest room - sometimes you just need to wash yourself, without soaring, and doing it on a warm floor is much more pleasant.
Therefore, a heater (polystyrene foam) was laid on the draft floor, waterproofing, a reinforcing mesh were laid on top, pipes were tied to it, and all this economy was filled with concrete. Under the stove, of course, the warm floor was not poured.
A week later, when the concrete gained enough strength (they didn’t cover it, but watered it regularly), work began on the construction of the frame. For the racks, a beam of 150 * 150 mm was used, spacers - a board of 50 * 150 mm (again, a solid margin of safety, but this is from the desire to build a good bath).
The bathhouse was built mostly alone, therefore a consistent installation method was chosen - the racks are placed first in the corners, then - in those places where door-windows will be installed or piers will adjoin. If, as a result, somewhere there are gaps greater than 1 meter, additional racks are placed. But in this case, since all the racks were made of a very powerful beam, they did not install intermediate ones, and the structure was given rigidity by slopes.
Further, so that when laying the floor it would not drip on the head, they began to manufacture the roof of the bath. It is made the most budgetary - single-sided, with a minimum rise - 15 °. To ensure this slope, the timber for the racks was pre-made in different lengths.
A board of the upper trim is nailed to the racks at the same level, ceiling beams are attached to it. Rafters with the required slope are attached to the same racks. From above, a continuous crate is stuffed under the roofing material.
Shed roof truss system is very easy to manufacture After the roof was ready, the OSB walls were sheathed, and then the floor was laid on the rest of the bath.
The next step is laying the oven. This is a long process - it took a whole month. The stove is stacked with a closed heater. In the zone of formation of the chimney, a cast-iron box is built into which stones are placed. A door leads to the heater, which opens into the steam room.
The stove also has a built-in register that heats water for underfloor heating (outlets on the side of the stove). It is not always necessary to heat the floor, because there are two modes of operation - summer without floor heating, and winter, with the “turning on” of the register heating. Transfer from one mode to another - with the help of a valve.
This is followed by finishing work, and they will be different in different cases. The only thing that will be more or less common is insulation. Mineral wool was used to insulate the walls and ceiling. The thickness of the layer on the walls in "cold rooms" is 100 mm, in the steam room and on the ceiling - 150 mm. The steam room on top of the insulation is also sheathed with foil on kraft paper.
After the insulation, a vapor barrier is attached. In the rest room, the walls are sheathed with OSB, cork is glued on top. In the shower room, tiles are glued on the OSB, the “dry” part is upholstered with clapboard (horizontally).
Washroom - dry area and shower room In the steam room, first, a crate for lining with a clapboard is stuffed, then a wide clapboard. The steam room turned out to be quite small, and the stove also takes up a lot of space. Two are accommodated comfortably, three are already more difficult, but also quite convenient. To regulate the number of seats in the steam room, the shelves were made retractable.
The entire construction process took two years, the work was carried out mainly "in one hand". Assistants were only at the stage of pouring the foundation, and then at the stage of installing the frame - to set up the racks (they should be 100% vertical).
The log for the future bath was prepared and sanded in advance, covered from the rains, it dried for about 5 months. The building will consist of two halves: a steam room and a sink made of logs, and a rest room on a wooden frame. It turns out two rooms 3 * 3 m. Construction began with a markup: in terms of 6 * 3.
The soil is sandy, so we make it shallow. We dig a trench 60 cm deep, expose the formwork. The width of the tape is taken with a good margin - 35 cm.
We make doors - from a frame, on which OSB is stuffed on one side, and lining on the other. About how to do
In this form, we leave to winter - the log house should “sit down”. In the spring, we insulate the frame part of the building, we cover the insulation with a vapor barrier membrane.
Let's start finishing the ceiling. It was decided to make a budget filing of the ceiling - to fill short boards between the rafters. They can be bought quite cheaply. We process, cut the desired length. We fill the supporting bars on the rafters, to which we knock the boards cut to size from below.
Outside, the yuan was sheathed with siding - both the frame part and the log house. It turned out to be far from ideal. And between the siding and the wall there is a ventilation gap, so there are no problems with removing moisture.
Do-it-yourself budget bath - another inexpensive solution - siding Started on interior trim. We stuff the crate, lining on it.
Inside the rest room sheathed clapboard We turn to the finishing of the steam room. First, cover everything with foil. The room itself will consist of a steam room zone, separated by a glass door, and a “washing” zone. In the washing wall, we will sheathe it with moisture-resistant drywall, on which we will then glue the tiles, and in the steam room - with clapboard.
We sheathe the steam room area with clapboard and We cut an opening in the wall for the installation of the furnace. She will be heated from the rest room, and her “body” will be in the steam room. We lay a brick base under the oven, install it. We cover the fuel outlet with fireclay bricks.
We tile the sink.
Everything about the main work, the decor and all sorts of things remained - buckets, ladles, thermometers and the rest of the “stuffing.
You can build a Russian bathhouse with your own hands from beginning to end, mount windows and doors on your own, put up your own assembled wooden font, furniture. But first you need to competently raise the log house, lay the floor, sew up the ceiling, build a stove. Studying step-by-step instructions and professional advice will help with this.
The temperature of the human body does not exceed 40 °, because he sweats, due to which he gives off excess heat to the surrounding air with the release of excess fluid. This is the principle of operation of any type of bath. The differences are only in the ratio of temperature and humidity.
In the Turkish bath (hammam), the humidity reaches 100%, and the temperature of the air, stone floor and benches does not exceed 40 °. In the sauna (Finnish bath), this ratio is completely opposite. At 120° humidity is only 40%.
But the combination of temperature and humidity that is optimal for health (and there will be no negative consequences from such a procedure) can only be maintained in a Russian bath, but only if it is correctly designed and built.
A bath cannot be called a cheap pleasure. If you order its construction on a turnkey basis, the amount may be unbearable. With average prices for materials and work of specialists, you will have to pay from 7 to 22 thousand dollars. The simplest bath can be built independently, significantly saving money.
Russian baths, as close as possible to traditional ones, are returning to fashion. They have their own characteristics:
All this creates a lot of unnecessary difficulties, the bath itself is generally combustible and short-lived. But there is every opportunity to independently build a bath with the same qualities, but much more practical, modern. It is recommended to make a sauna house not only with a steam room, but also with a washing room, where there is a font, a tub for dipping or a shower, and a dressing room.
They undress in it, store towels, sheets, bowls and brooms, rest between visits to the steam room, drink tea. This room serves as a barrier to cold air. There is a window (for security reasons, and for beauty).
It has a heater with a water tank, beds or shelves for lying. The furnace provides uniform strong heating and exposure to superheated steam without convective air mixing. The steam room may have a small window for ventilation, which will help to avoid waterlogging (one or two ventilation holes can be made for the same purpose).
The heat in this room comes from the rear wall of the furnace. After visiting the steam room, you need to cool off in the font or in the shower, due to which toxins and toxins are removed from the body. At the same time, sweating does not stop, but due to high humidity it also intensifies. Washing according to the principle of action resembles a hammam.
On a small plot, you can build a small bathhouse, which can comfortably accommodate three to four people.
If the area is small, then you don’t have to choose much. But if it is spacious, then there is an opportunity to use all the possible advantages.
The simplest and cheapest foundation can be limited if the site has good solid soil and deep groundwater. The bath should not be close to a well, as it is considered a source of pollution, a house (so that moisture from the drain does not damage the foundation), a toilet and a compost pit (so as not to wash out their contents).
Although a bathhouse can now be built from anything, for example, from brick, polystyrene concrete, aerated concrete, expanded clay or foam blocks, there are physical laws that confirm the appropriateness of the conservative practice of our ancestors. And all due to the fact that it heats up a lot, and then cools down, high humidity is created in it, and after airing the rooms dry quickly. Blocks and bricks in this mode should have a special multilayer cladding.
The tree may not have any cladding. In addition, it is this material that, when warmed up, gives an exceptionally healthy and healthy heat. Therefore, for aesthetic and practical reasons, it is recommended to dwell on it.
The intensity of the steam depends on the wood from which the walls of the steam room are made:
What you need to pay attention to when buying wood:
Glued imitations are suitable for any building, except for a bathhouse. The slats from which the beam (or log) is made warp and deform from temperature.
A solid beam can be profiled or ordinary edged. The main disadvantage of the second type is frequent warping as a result of air drying. Profiled timber is expensive, and not everyone is suitable for building a bath, for example, material with notches at the top is not suitable due to the collection of condensate in them.
Therefore, most often it is a log that is used for the construction of a bath. Raw, or wild, is difficult to buy. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a rounded log: it is well dried, even. It should not have radial cracks, as condensate accumulates in them, and this leads to decay. Similarly, it should not have cuts in the upper part. For cutting into a bowl, the log must have a so-called lunar groove at the bottom.
In advance, you need to choose the cutting method. There are several options for decorating the ends of logs and collecting them into a structure:
Since the length of the rounded log is 6 meters, it would be logical to take this into account when designing a bath, making its side exactly like that. The building must have a steam room, a washing room, a dressing room and a stove. The height of the bath is usually determined solely by the possibilities, but traditionally from floor to ceiling should be 220 or 230 cm.
This is a key step. Without approval of the project before the start of construction, an already built bathhouse can be demolished due to any complaint from the neighbors, and you will lose the invested labor and money. The project should include the following items:
To carry out the calculation, you need to take into account what diameter the log will have. For a bath, a larger one is better, but it is more expensive. The optimal diameter is 280 mm. The cost of 1 m 3 of such logs with cups is on average about 8 thousand rubles.
Now you need to determine the height of the pediment. To do this, it is recommended to focus on natural conditions. With a large amount of precipitation, the pediment should be high, and the roof should be steep so that the snow does not linger badly on it, and vice versa in strong winds, so as not to create excessive windage. The average height of the pediment is 1.5 m.
Top view and log section parameters 
A drawing of a log house will help in filling in the initial data 
To calculate the amount of material, you must fill in all the initial data 
A special calculator can help with the calculation. 
All values can be entered in a special table
To build a bath with your own hands you need:
Now you can proceed directly to the construction.
All work can be conditionally divided into stages that follow each other. Between some of them it is necessary to make a certain time interval.
First you need to choose its type:
All types of foundations, except for boulders, need waterproofing between. Usually they do it with the help of roofing material or bitumen.
Lathing with thin slats over waterproofing is needed to prevent capillary seepage of moisture into the frame. However, the columnar block foundation does not need it.
This stage takes place immediately after the construction of the foundation, before the construction of the log house, simultaneously with the insulation of the underground.
In the old bathhouses, the drain went straight through the plank floor to the ground, so the building was placed on a natural slope. Now such a drain is prohibited, but you can use the very idea in both the steam room and the washing room. It is recommended to organize a drain through the entire floor or collect it at one point where to install a grate-ladder. But the first option will be more environmentally friendly.
Important! In no case should the bath drain be connected to a common septic tank, it will simply choke due to volley discharges. You need to dig a separate drain hole.
The subfloor is pre-insulated with expanded clay, then a concrete screed is made under a slope. This work can only be done in the summer, as the concrete will not be strong if it is poured in the cold. The cement is mixed with the addition of a water-polymer emulsion (at the rate of 200 ml per 10 liters of concrete). The foundation, which has dried up and already hardened, is coated with bituminous mastic, then it is kept for a week. It is advisable to build a primitive water seal that can eliminate unpleasant odors.
It cannot be rigidly connected with the log house. The ends of the logs, on which the floor with slots is laid, lead into the slots of the lower crown. It is desirable to make logs from "tar". The floor can be with slots or with a ladder. In the vestibule, it is always solid. For the floor, it is recommended to use a grooved board.
It is placed sequentially, each crown is fixed with pins - round dowels (it is advisable to take oak ones). Through the log, through, down, a hole is drilled for fasteners at half the thickness of the previous one. They take it off. They put a caulk. Insert the dowel, piercing the caulk with it. String the top log on the dowel. Repeat in a checkerboard pattern.
Do not forget to take out a piece of log in those places where there should be openings for windows and doors on their upper side.
Caulking is laid between the logs in a stretch, and then the finished log house is caulked with a cord.
Residential buildings are insulated with synthetic waterproofing agents, but this is not suitable for a bath. Jute will replace traditional moss and hemp. It literally grows together with the tree and seals the room perfectly. This caulk is sold in sets (tape and cord).
Do not forget about the so-called technological break. The finished log house is sewn up on top with any auxiliary material up to cardboard, and covered with a film for drying and shrinkage. The process can take from six months to one and a half years. Only after the expiration of this period can construction continue.
The openings are sawn down from the marks left with the obligatory control of the hydraulic level. Scraps will go to the ceiling and furniture. You can immediately make a window frame for the doorway. Since the log house “walks” constantly, the usual door frame will not withstand the changing load. There is a special technology by which only vertical parts are fixed, which levels its deformation. To do this, a hole for the door is marked according to the hydraulic level or plumb line, the tree is removed according to the intended profile. The height of the opening should be 5-7 cm more than the door, so that there is freedom for deformation. It is then recommended to lay this gap with tow, and then close it with a casing. The edges of the logs are hemmed so that the platbands can be fixed.
It is recommended to stay on a false ceiling because of its strength and economy. This design consists of beams connected with a log house, which also serve as rafters. After the construction of the ceiling, it is caulked with jute, covered with roofing material and insulated with mineral wool.
The roof is double pitched. Rafters are mounted from a bar.
All work takes place in several steps:
If the log house was correctly raised, it had the bottom time to shrink, then no interior wall decoration would be needed.
These parts can be bought or made independently (from grooved boards with dowels).
Installation must be carried out according to the following plan:
Bath furniture is for a steam room (shelves) and a washing room with a dressing room (benches, table).
Shelves vary in width. It depends on personal preference, although there are some design traditions that allow you to calculate the minimum size that is suitable for a person of average height and build. It is customary to increase the average size to comfortable.
The minimum distance from the shelves to the ceiling should be at least 110 cm. In such a bath, you will not overheat on the upper tier, while there will be enough space to sit or lie with your legs up. There are people who love to swing a broom very actively. Then it makes sense to leave more space at the top (up to 1.5 m). The lower tier is traditionally located no lower than 30 cm from the floor of the steam room.
It would be advisable to make the shelves not from pine, but from linden, since it has a lower thermal conductivity, and besides, it does not emit resin. The frame can be made of timber, then sheathed with prepared boards.
Even at the construction stage, it is necessary to use modern impregnating compounds that can withstand high temperature and humidity without harming human health. So you can protect the building from fungus and rot. Those that are suitable for ceilings cannot always be used to cover furniture.
There are many such products with water-repellent natural substances such as paraffin, wax, oil by manufacturers of varnishes and paints (Senezh, Empils, Rogneda, Dulux, Tikkurila, Nobel, Belinka, Teknos). They are divided into those suitable for external walls, internal surfaces to which a person does not touch the body (ceiling) and furniture.
Pyroprotective and antiseptic impregnation of logs is usually done at the timber processing plant, but it must be done again after construction.
The first application of compositions on furniture is carried out immediately after its manufacture on a dry and clean surface, or even before manufacture (on wooden blanks). The agent must be evenly distributed with a sponge, soft cloth or brush. Due to the thick consistency, the spray gun will not work.
For all sauna stoves, there is a single condition, the fulfillment of which is mandatory - lengthening the combustion channel so that the door is in the dressing room (firewood is put into it in that room).
You can put a metal stove, buying it ready-made, or lay down a brick one yourself (it is much better due to its slower heating and long-term heat release). The most difficult thing in this case will be to correctly remove the chimney through a wooden roof, isolating it with special metal sheets and vermiculite.
Stones must be chosen as carefully as possible. They must have the following qualities:
Stones must be:
If the heater is done correctly, then unforgettable steam moments await you.
Only the steam room provides the healthiest and only correct ratio of humidity and heat. But even there there are extreme values. This is confirmed scientifically. The best feeling at a certain combination of humidity and temperature is graphically expressed by a homothermal curve. Below the first of the curves is the optimal combination of temperature up to 90 ° and humidity up to 80%, which is provided by the Russian steam bath.
While in the steam room, the body is covered with hot moist air, especially when exposed to it with a broom, due to which everything warms up. In this case, there is a constant flow of oxygen to the tissues.
After being in the steam room, you need to plunge into the ice font.
Steam in a Russian bath trains blood vessels, improves immunity, reduces weight and pleases the soul. And if it is also built with your own hands, then the pleasure increases many times over.
If you want to have a good time in the country, then you definitely need a bath. A small do-it-yourself bath built on the site will save both money and square meters if you do not have much free space for building a bath. This article will discuss how to design and how to build a small-sized bath with your own hands.
The size of the bath should be determined depending on the number of people who will regularly visit it at one time. If your family consists of 2-4 people, then you can get by with a budget option for this building. In this case, the length of the bath will be 6 m, height - 2 m, and width 2.2 m. Inside there should be four separate rooms. Each of them will perform its function, and have a certain size. So, for example, each room will have a certain size. The width according to the size of the bath is 2.2 m, and the length:
For the steam room and the shower room, it will be necessary to perform separate calculations for the area, because shelves should be placed in the steam room, and a tray in the shower room.
A small bath should be built in the usual sequence. The construction rules for its construction are no different from those according to which other buildings are being built.
The construction of each building begins with the construction of the foundation. To determine which foundation to lay as the base of the bath, first determine the quality of the soil on which it will be laid. If the soil is hard enough and dry, then you can build a simplified foundation. To do this, lay out flat stones along the intended perimeter. Next, fill the inside of the foundation with similar stones. The cracks should be filled with clay and compacted. Lay a layer of wood beams pre-treated with hot bitumen on top. You can, in fact, not use clay. To do this, you can make a waterproofing layer that will cover the laid out stones.
As a rule, a columnar foundation is predominantly chosen for a bath. For these purposes, you can use stone, ready-made concrete pipes, bricks, or asbestos-concrete pipes, the interior of which is filled with concrete.
Another option is to install the bath on wooden, metal or concrete piles. However, in this scenario, you will need to take care of the thermal insulation of the floor.
The strip foundation is the most common and reliable. For its construction, it will be necessary to dig a trench and make a pillow of crushed stone and wet packed sand. After that, the reinforcement should be knitted and poured with concrete mortar. For a waterproofing layer, roofing material can be used.
If sand predominates in the soil, groundwater is very high, then reinforced concrete block-type structures should be used to equip the base of the bath. For a mini-sized bath, it will be enough to use ten such blocks, the dimensions of which are 20 × 20 × 40 cm.
After the foundation is ready, install the frame of the bath house and erect its walls, then the partitions separating the dressing room. The rest room and shower room should be insulated with a mixture of sawdust and expanded clay. The insulation should be covered with sheets of polystyrene, after which the walls should be sheathed with clapboard. To prevent the penetration of rodents into the bath, broken glass can be added to expanded clay. Before laying the lining, it is necessary to carry out heat and vapor barrier, as well as insulate the walls with mineral wool. After that, sheathe them with clapboard.
Walls in the shower room are made of polystyrene or galvanized steel. These materials are more durable than wooden lining, they better tolerate changes in temperature and moisture.
If you are equipping a bathhouse for a summer residence, but you do not have pressure water supply, you can organize a gravity water supply. To do this, it is necessary to build a structure that will consist of:
A tank with hot water in relation to cold water must be installed half a meter lower. Attach one end of the hose to the bottom of the cold water tank, and connect the other end to the top of the hot water tank. Water circulation will be possible due to the temperature difference in the pipes. To organize the supply of water to the shower, the tanks must be connected with a separate pipe. A mixer is installed at the end of the pipe without fail.
To organize the drainage of water, installation of sewer pipes is carried out, which will drain effluents into a drain pit, previously dug and equipped. For quick gravity descent, the pipes must be laid with a sufficient slope.
The water in the bath is heated by the stove, which is located in the steam room. In addition, a heater can be used for this, which can be bought at a specialized store.
If you decide to heat the water with a stove, then install a U-shaped pipe at the hottest point of the stove and go around the base of the chimney with it. The water supply must be on the body, and the outlet must be 5 cm above it.
If you decide to use a heating element to heat water, then install it under the cold water tank, connecting it to the system with stainless steel pipes and hoses.
In a small bath, ventilation is simply arranged. To do this, on the wall opposite the front door, make a hole that will be easy to open and close with a damper.
To organize lighting in a small bath, it will be enough to install several halogen lamps with a heat-resistant housing. Use a small transformer to reduce the voltage from 220V to 12V. Now your little bath is ready!
To assemble a bath for one person, you will need to purchase light insulated panels, which are a frame of beams sheathed with thin boards. The standard frame size is 185 × 60 cm. This will require a beam, the cross section of which is 1–1.5 cm and 3 × 6 cm. To insulate the bath and provide vapor barrier, fill the panels with mineral wool or foam. From the inside, the material is sheathed with a special foil made of aluminum and polyethylene film. As for the outside, it is covered with glassine or roofing felt. The panel can be sewn up with clapboard.
In one of the panels, a door should be made, measuring 160 × 60 cm. Install a small window in it, preferably with double glass. The bath must be airtight, door locks at the bottom and at the top ensure this. At the bottom of one of the panels, on the side where the heater will be installed, make a ventilation hole with a plug.
To build a single bath, you need to assemble the structure and, most importantly, ensure its thermal and waterproofing.
For the construction of a steam room with an area of 1.8 × 1.3 m, you will need 10 panels on the walls and 2 on the roof. Fill the seams with batting and close them with wooden planks on both sides. To protect the ceiling from atmospheric precipitation, cover it from the street with a triple layer of roofing material. If you use the bath in the warm season and only, then the floor should not be insulated. If you plan to use the bath all year round, fill in the strip foundation and insulate it. To heat the steam room up to 90°C, you can use a closed-type electric stove with a power of 3 kW. Place a metal bucket with stones on the stove and turn it on for several hours. Then proceed to the bath procedures.
You can also equip a small steam room in the house, for example, in the bathroom. It is possible to implement this in two ways. In the first case, you will need to install a removable shelf on two bars. From the floor, the height should be no more than one meter. The bars are fixed to the wall with reliable anchors. Above the bath, the height of the shelf should be between 400–600 mm.
To climb the shelf, it will be necessary to make several steps or a ladder, using rubber thrust pads. Tie the ladder to the shelf with twine. The width of the shelf must be 600 mm. Such a steam room is heated by an electric stove. It can be installed on a special stand, for example, above the washbasin. Use a metal basin or bucket as a heater, which should be filled with stones and placed on the stove.
In another option, make a sit-down steam room on the bath. It will be closed with removable wooden shields. The shelf will be used as a seat, and you can lean on strong shields with your feet. To make the room remind you of a bath, sheathe the walls and ceiling above the bathroom with clapboard or install removable shields. They can be installed and removed without much effort. Heating is carried out by an electric stove with a container with hot stones placed on it.
Choose your version of a small bath, plan your actions and get started!
Sauna minimum dimensions built in full size Part 2 \ Sauna is small
