From this article you will learn how to build a frame bath with your own hands, and also learn how to properly conduct insulation and insulation from moisture in it. As a result, you get a frame steam room that is in no way inferior to either brick or log counterparts. Mastering the technology of building frame baths with your own hands is much simpler than building timber or brick, since you do not need drawings, nor a solid foundation, or expensive materials.
All work is carried out so simply that even a high school student can handle the entire installation. The main thing is to know how and what to do. Frame baths have a great advantage, as they are very light, do not shrink, but they also have disadvantages. For example, during rain and snow, moisture can penetrate and accumulate in the frame. This problem is recommended to be solved already at the construction stage.
Design
Using frame technology, you can build a small building, but you can make a two-story building - it all depends on your imagination and financial capabilities. In order to make a small frame bath, it is enough to make a columnar or strip foundation. You will also need several bars with a cross section of 20 x 20 cm. An edged board is also required.
If you plan to make at least 3 rooms, then a simple foundation from a beam is unlikely to help - you need to make a more thorough construction. If you want to save on building materials, the dressing room can be installed separately, in this case there will be enough space inside for washing and steam room. Carefully consider the various options for the design of frame baths to choose the best for yourself.
If you make a good foundation, you can build a two-story bath, but in this case it is especially important to choose only high-quality materials. It should also be noted one drawback of frame buildings - they are characterized by low fire safety. Fire covers the building very quickly, so you should carefully install heating and electrical appliances.
Wooden base made of timber
In the event that the structure is planned to be made small (maximum 3 x 4 m), and the roof will be covered with light material, the simplest foundation can be made of timber. It is attached using spears on the sides. This foundation proved to be quite good on clay type soils that are quite mobile and not saturated with moisture.
Column foundation
This type of foundation is ideal for construction in areas where groundwater is too high. It can also be used in construction on heterogeneous soil. Look at the photos of frame baths installed on a simple foundation of this type. In order to do it, you do not need to hire equipment - all the work can be done independently. Of the tools you will need a drill, shovels, pickaxe, etc. Be sure to stock up on plastic or asbestos pipes, sand, cement, gravel.
The work is carried out in several stages:
- First of all, it is necessary to level the area.
- Then you should outline the location of the pillars.
- Next, install the pipes and align them horizontally.
- At the bottom, pour a layer of sand up to 30 cm.
- Install reinforcement inside the pipe.
- Pour the cement slurry into the pipe and leave it to harden.
- Form a grillage - for this, fasten the beam between the posts.
If you plan to save on construction, then use this particular design. But let's look at a few more options.
Block foundation
This design is best used in the construction of light baths. Such a base is strong enough and can withstand a large load, but its construction is allowed only on soils with a freezing depth of up to 1 m.
Pile screw foundation
Often this design is used in complex construction. If you decide to build a massive structure, then such a foundation will be the most suitable option. It is ideal for areas where the depth of soil freezing is quite large.
Four people are enough for the construction. All work is carried out according to the construction plan of the frame bath. Installation instructions for pile-screw base:
- Mark the place of installation of piles.
- Drill holes of the required depth. It should be calculated in advance, taking into account the properties of the soil.
- Install the piles - screw them in like screws.
- Assemble and fasten the harness.
On top of this foundation, construction can begin. But if you cannot afford to establish such a foundation, pay attention to the following construction, tested over the years.
Tape base
This type of foundation can only be used on reliable soils. Let's talk about how to independently build a strip foundation for a frame bath. Step-by-step instructions are presented below:
- At the first stage, mark the selected area - set the stakes, pull the twine between them.
- Dig a trench. Its depth should be about 50 cm, width - 30-40 cm.
- Fill the trench half with sand, half with gravel, then carefully tamper these layers. For better shrinkage, water it.
- Install the formwork, its height should be about 50 cm, and its width - 30 cm.
- For greater strength inside the formwork, install reinforcement - a kind of cage made of metal bars. You can also use pipes.
- Pour concrete. It is best to do this in one go to get a monolithic design.
It is recommended to use a prefabricated strip foundation if a large frame bath is being built. Installing waterproofing in the upper part of the foundation is mandatory. You can use a simple ruberoid, which protects the walls from moisture.
Laying and warming floors
In order to make the floor in the frame bath, it is necessary to nail the bars with a section of 5 x 5 cm to the lower parts in the steam room and the waiting room, then the floor of the so-called draft floor is laid - roofing material, mineral wool or expanded polystyrene are laid.
Only after this are boards laid for the final floor. It is advisable to lay parchment under them to make a good vapor barrier.
How does the floor fit?
Let's get back to how a frame sauna is built with your own hands. Step-by-step instructions for making floors in the washing room look like this:
- So that even in the cold season, the floor remains warm and dries as quickly as possible, it is necessary to make a foundation around the perimeter, which should be separated from the main one.
- After this, it is necessary to remove half a meter of soil and pour sand and gravel into the resulting pit. The layer thickness should be approximately 10 cm.
- Logs for this type of construction are best made from asbestos-cement pipes, the diameter of which is 100 mm. They must be laid directly on the foundation and poured with concrete. The solution will avoid displacement of the pipe.
- Now you need to lay a trimmed rounded board in the sink. Its thickness should be no more than 5 cm. It is laid on top of the pipes, the gap between them is 7 mm. It is mandatory to use rubber gaskets, which must be nailed with nails.
- At the last stage, the floor is pressed firmly against the baseboards.
This simple instruction will help you to lay the floor yourself and protect it from moisture, because you should not forget that the presence of water can provoke the appearance of fungus, mold and other not very pleasant organisms.
How to build walls
After the foundation is ready, you can proceed to the construction of walls. There are no difficulties in this, you just need to follow the instructions. Before starting construction, it is important to ensure that all wood is well dried. It is allowed to use any kind of tree; it is impossible to build only from birch, as it rots rather quickly. It is best to build from linden, aspen, larch, since they have a low degree of thermal conductivity and the construction will retain its shape for much longer.
It is preferable to make the inner lining aspen, and the outer - larch or pine. If used in the interior decoration of the lining, it is necessary to cover it with varnish after the final installation, and at least two layers must be applied. It should be remembered that when heated, the varnish emits harmful substances, therefore it is better not to use it in the steam room and sink, in such rooms they use safer impregnation.
The external sides of the walls must be treated with antiseptics.
The erection of walls on the foundation
Best of all, if you make a strapping from a quality beam, a material with a cross section of more than 100 x 100 mm is suitable. In the corners, the beams must be joined and fastened with nails. In order not to move the lower parts of the harness and the racks at the corners, it is necessary to mount steel pins - they need to be walled up in concrete so that approximately 2 cm protrudes. A similar bar is also applicable for the construction of the upper part of the harness.
To make the frame strong enough, braces are installed in the corners. On all walls, install intermediate racks from the timber (the cross section is the same - 100 x 100 mm), only after this you can begin installing the floor lag. For this purpose, you can use a double board with a cross section of 150 x 50 mm. You lay it directly on the waterproofing layer of the foundation.
Rafter system
Rafters and floor beams are best made from boards with a section of 150 x 50 mm. All boards must be installed on the edge and fastened together. It is necessary that the adjacent rafters have the same distance. Beams are produced outside the building by 40-50 cm, the crate is made of boards with a thickness of 25 mm. It is laid starting from the roof ridge (if a gable system is used).
If the mass of the rafter system is not very large, then you can collect it on the ground, and then lift it up. As for the roofing material, it is preferable to use soft tiles - it is light and will not create a large load on the walls and foundation. Please note that in the absence of an attic, roof insulation is mandatory.
Vapor barrier and insulation
Now you can start work inside the bath. Her design is such that a small amount of moisture can cause irreparable harm, for this reason it is important to make high-quality vapor barrier. In the simplest case, this is the installation of a plastic film under the lining from the inside. The steam room needs to be sheathed especially carefully, so it is better to use materials such as glassine, aluminum foil, etc. Do not use mastic on a bitumen basis and roofing material - when heated, they will begin to melt and release toxic fumes.
But let's get back to how to build a frame sauna with your own hands. We are at the stage of warming. This step must be carried out, and only quality materials should be used. Buy them from trusted sellers and never trust suspiciously cheap products - it is possible that these are fakes.
Ursoi rolled material shows itself very well. It is laid in the gap between the uprights, to which the slats are immediately nailed. With proper installation, you should get a wall consisting of the following materials:
- External facing material.
- Pergamine.
- Roll insulation.
- Polyethylene film.
- Inner lining.
One feature must be taken into account - there should be a gap of about 5 mm in the walls. This, of course, does not end the construction of the frame bath. Reviews about stoves and finishing materials should be studied in advance and choose the best options. Only in this case you can build a bath of your dreams.