The roof of the bathhouse is made of blocks. Bathhouse made of aerated blocks: construction technology and work procedure. Construction of bath walls from block concrete

By default, the bathhouse should be warm, comfortable and safe. And if previously a wooden frame was used for the construction of traditional Russian steam rooms, but recently they have begun to actively use frame technologies, then today, due to the rapid increase in prices for building materials, not every person can afford a steam room made of wood.

However, there is always an alternative! You can build your own bathhouse from inexpensive, lightweight and easy-to-install blocks. The material does not contain harmful substances and in terms of performance characteristics it is practically in no way inferior to more expensive and capital analogues, and in some respects it even significantly surpasses them.

Features of block construction

To erect any buildings from blocks you do not need to have any special skills. But familiarize yourself with the key features of this material definitely necessary.

Block Features

The main feature of building blocks is their porous structure. In this case, the size, shape and volume of the pores change chaotically throughout the block. In view of this, the mechanical and thermophysical properties of the blocks are also heterogeneous throughout the entire volume of the building product, so the thermal insulation of the steam room must be of especially high quality. In this case, the bathhouse needs to be insulated both outside and inside.

The blocks absorb moisture like a sponge. And if in the summer there is nothing particularly terrible about this, then in the winter the absorbed moisture will freeze and increase in volume, which can lead to the destruction of the blocks. This problem can be solved by high-quality external and internal waterproofing.

Benefits of blocks

Block building materials have many advantages, namely:

Disadvantages of blocks

Like any other building material, blocks have certain disadvantages, among which the following points deserve special attention:

• blocks absorb moisture, which imposes additional requirements regarding waterproofing;
• Condensation forms and accumulates inside the walls of the blocks. To solve this problem, you need to use high-quality vapor barrier materials.

Relative disadvantages include fragility - when compared with brick and solid concrete blocks- and less environmentally friendly (compared to natural wood).

However, blocks can be forgiven for all their shortcomings, especially when there is not a lot of money to build a bathhouse, deadlines are running out, and there is no opportunity to turn to professional builders.

Construction of the foundation

When performing almost any construction work, the most important and crucial stage is the arrangement of a high-quality and reliable foundation. A block bathhouse is no exception. Prepare immediately necessary equipment, which include:

• furnace hammer;
• plumb line;
• building level;
• rule;
• rubber hammer;
• wash brush;
• sieve;
• trowel;
• scaffold;
• square

The optimal base option for a steam room made of blocks is a strip foundation.

First step. Dig a pit about 60 cm deep. Determine the other dimensions of the pit in accordance with the dimensions of the future bathhouse.

Second step. Place the pins at the corners of the pit, stretch any rope between them and, guided by the stretched string, place intermediate rods every 180-200 cm. This will make it easier for you to further check the evenness of the foundation.

Third step. Fill the bottom of the pit with a layer of sand and gravel. Compact the backfill. For better compaction, you can pour water on the pillow.

Fourth step. Place the reinforcement cage on the compacted backfill. Traditionally, the frame is assembled from rods with a diameter of 12-14 mm. The cell size of the reinforcing mesh is 10-15 cm.

Fifth step. Assemble and place the formwork from the boards.

Sixth step. Fill in concrete mortar, best option– concrete grade M200. It is most convenient to use a ready-made solution.

At the stage of arranging the foundation, think over the issues of water supply to the bathhouse and sewage disposal.

Leave the poured foundation for 3-5 weeks to completely harden. Lay waterproofing on the frozen foundation (usually roofing felt is used) and begin building walls.

There is nothing complicated about building walls from blocks. This is a simple procedure performed in a few steps and requires only strict adherence to the manual and basic recommendations.

First step. Using a building level, determine the highest corner of the foundation. This is where you will start laying out blocks.

Second step. Start laying the blocks. The first row of block masonry is the most critical. To fasten the blocks, use a simple cement-sand composition. Be sure to check the evenness of the blocks at each stage. Place the blocks themselves on edge. Interblock seams should be minimal.

Lay out the first row from building blocks with the highest density.

Lay out the entire first row.

Third step. Continue laying out blocks. Lay the second and subsequent rows of blocks using glue designed for such work. The composition is sold in dry mix format and is prepared directly on the construction site. You just need to mix it with water. Prepare the mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions. A drill with a special attachment will help you with this, or, even better, construction mixer.

Glue is preferable to ordinary cement mortar for the reason that if a special composition is used, the finished walls will have virtually no “cold bridges”. This will have a very good effect on the performance characteristics of the finished bath.

Distribute the glue evenly around the perimeter of the block. Use a rubber hammer to level and compact the blocks.

Lay the blocks in 3 rows. Place fine mesh reinforcing mesh between the rows. Do not forget to leave space for doors and windows in accordance with the design of your bathhouse.

Lay out all the rows of the building in accordance with the chosen project and begin arranging the roof structure.

Roof installation

Pay due attention to the construction of the roof structure, because the reliability of the entire bathhouse largely depends on it.

First step. Install the support beam and floor beams.

Second step. Assemble and install rafters.

Third step. Nail furring boards to the rafters.

Fourth step. WITH inside nail vapor barrier material to the rafters.

Fifth step. On the outside, place insulation in the cells of the sheathing.

Sixth step. Cover the insulation with waterproofing material. Attach the waterproofing to the sheathing using a stapler.

Seventh step. Nail counter battens to the sheathing.

Eighth step. Install the selected roofing. The best option in terms of price and quality is corrugated sheeting.

The pediment needs to be covered with roofing felt. Finish the attic space of the bathhouse at your discretion.

Finishing of a block bath

Building blocks, no matter how high quality they are, still remain vulnerable to moisture, so proper waterproofing is indispensable. Moisture protection must be comprehensive. Thus, the blocks should be impregnated with special water-repellent compounds and additionally covered on the outside with special films (plain polyethylene will also do).

Finishing a bathhouse requires the installation of a vapor barrier layer. The vapor barrier is attached to internal surfaces baths It is best to use high-quality membranes. They will provide the necessary level of air exchange and will not allow moisture to damage the material.

Insulation of walls outside

For external cladding It is best to use modern hinged ventilated panels. Siding works well. Any cladding must be fixed in such a way that it is at a distance of at least 4-5 cm from the wall surface. An ordinary sheathing will allow you to fulfill this requirement.

For interior decoration clapboard is traditionally used. It is best to cover the floors with ceramic tiles.

For the rest, be guided by your preferences. The main thing is that the materials you use can withstand high temperatures and excessive air humidity, while remaining safe for bathhouse visitors and without losing their original aesthetic qualities.

Thus, even without an impressive budget and without the skills of a builder, you can personally build a full-fledged, reliable, safe, comfortable and durable bathhouse from blocks with your own hands. At the same time, the finished building will not be inferior to more expensive structures made of wood, brick and other popular materials. All you need is desire, attentiveness and following the instructions received.

Good luck!

Read the article on our website - do-it-yourself Maslova bathhouse.

Video - DIY bathhouse made from blocks

Building a bathhouse from aerated concrete, expanded clay concrete, gas silicate or wood concrete blocks is cheaper and many times faster than making masonry from brick or logs. But the first and main stage will be the development of the project, taking into account all the wishes of the owners and the capabilities of the material.

Expanded clay concrete blocks are quite often used to build baths. The cheap and durable material can withstand up to 50-75 freezing cycles, is easy to install, as it is very light and does not require a capital foundation. The entire box can be assembled with your own hands and without experience in construction work.

The downside is the straightness of the design (it is impossible to create rooms with elaborate curves) and high hygroscopicity. But the low heat capacity retains heat for quite a long time, and the environmental composition of the material does not cause any harm to health when exposed to high temperatures.

Do-it-yourself bathhouse projects made from blocks using expanded clay concrete in the photo below.

When erected, the structure will look like this.

In the completed version, depending on the type of external cladding, as follows.

Plan for the construction of an expanded clay concrete box with an area of ​​5x5 m.

Aerated concrete bath project

Aerated concrete is cellular concrete with uniformly distributed spherical pores (1-3 mm). The material is quite resistant to mechanical stress and temperature changes, and is not susceptible to microorganisms. Thanks to its low weight it is easy to create necessary designs(4x4, 6x6 and beyond).

Project of a bathhouse made of aerated concrete blocks.

Such a bathhouse will not be inferior in hardness to a brick building or timber, but will cost at least half as much. Gas block is natural material and does not evaporate toxins when heated. The box is not afraid of mold, putrefactive processes and the activity of rodents. Everything you need good waterproofing, since the material is very hygroscopic (quickly absorbs moisture and long time it evaporates).

The bathhouse itself can be one- or two-story, since the density of aerated concrete (350-750 kg/m3) allows it to withstand floors with sufficient weight load. Thermal insulation of the roof wins in this case, the heat-saving functions of aerated concrete blocks are very high, but still the upper part of the box must be strengthened. The façade should have a ventilated structure.

How you can build a 6x6 m bathhouse from aerated concrete with a terrace, example below.

Plan for building a gas silicate bathhouse

Gas silicate is cellular concrete cured in an autoclave. Each block consists of aluminum powder, water, cement, gypsum, lime, and in some cases additives, at the discretion of the manufacturer.

The material is fireproof, frost-resistant, is not afraid of mechanical damage, putrefactive processes, and is quickly and easily installed, as it is light in weight. Has good sound insulation.

A gas silicate bathhouse can be built quite quickly and efficiently with your own hands and without specific skills. The project diagram, as shown below, can be considered universal. Additions at the discretion of the owners.

The appearance of a bathhouse made of gas silicate blocks will look like this, photo below.

But, of course, there is also wood concrete - a fairly inexpensive and practical material. Projects for such structures are not much different from those listed above, but the cheapness and strength of the blocks make it indispensable in budget bathhouse construction.

If you put in the effort and create the project correctly, everything looks just perfect.

Arbolite blocks retain heat well, warm up quickly, and are not susceptible to rotting. Durable and safe for human health. Their degree of fragility is much lower than that of expanded clay concrete, and their sound insulation is many times higher.

When decorating walls both inside and outside, more attention should be paid to waterproofing.

In general, building a bathhouse from blocks of any consistency is much more profitable in material terms: the box parts themselves will not cost so much, you can develop the project yourself, you do not need to involve a specialized team of workers and special equipment, and it will take much less time to build the building.

Today, most often for the construction of private baths, block building materials are used, which have a number of advantages over more expensive lumber or brick. The article will talk about how to build a bathhouse from blocks with your own hands, so that the end result is a comfortable, reliable and safe structure.

Selection of building materials

Naturally, the primary task for the owner of a future bathhouse is the choice of block material. There is no need to talk about the obviousness of this choice, since there are certainly enough varieties of goods in this category on the construction market.

1. Aerated concrete. The main components in the production of these blocks are cement and quartz sand with the addition of a special foaming composition. By combining these components in a form, a material with a structure of small cells is obtained, and then its strength is increased by steaming in a special high-temperature box (autoclave). The optimal brand for this material is considered to be D500, but its cost is also higher (more details: “How to build a bathhouse from aerated concrete with your own hands - step-by-step instruction"). There are blocks that have not been autoclaved, which can only be used as external cladding for insulating a bath. It is strictly forbidden to make load-bearing walls and partitions from such material (read: “How to make partitions in a bathhouse with your own hands - installation options”). A separate variety are gas silicate blocks, in which lime is used instead of cement. However, this material absorbs moisture very strongly, so it is not recommended to use it for building baths and saunas.
2. Foam concrete. The same cellular building material as aerated concrete, but a significant difference can be seen in its low weight and increased thermal insulation characteristics. The material is also produced from sand and cement, but the binder is initially supplied in the form of foam using a special foam generator. The material has a number of positive qualities, the main one, perhaps, is the optimal value of the moisture absorption parameter. The cost of the material is an order of magnitude lower than D500 aerated concrete. A separate variety are cinder blocks, which are made with the addition of porous slag. This type has a minimal cost, but the heat loss when using it is much higher.
3. Expanded clay concrete. A unique construction made of expanded clay, filled with cement mortar. A distinctive feature of this type of blocks is their low thermal conductivity, which allows them to be used as building material for external walls without any insulation.

The types of block materials do not end there, but it is best to choose one of the above options for building baths and saunas. Next, we will consider in more detail the stages of the algorithm according to which you can build a bathhouse from blocks with your own hands in compliance with the standards and various nuances. Read also: “Which bath blocks are best to use during construction - a review of materials.”

Creating a quality foundation

Immediately after choosing the main building material (blocks), you need to start creating a high-quality foundation. Considering that the blocks used in construction are light in weight, it is possible to make a foundation of medium strength, since there will not be excessive loads on it.

If the dimensions of the bathhouse do not exceed 7 meters (on the long side), then a columnar or strip foundation is created. Columnar involves installing concrete supports at the corners of the building and at joints load-bearing walls with partitions. Particularly long sections of the wall can be supported with additional pillars. The strength of this structure is increased by connecting the pillars to each other using a reinforced grillage.

The strip foundation is poured into a trench about 0.5 meters deep and 30-40 centimeters wide. Concrete mortar is poured into the trench with a mesh for reinforcement placed in its structure. Such trenches are dug under all load-bearing walls and partitions, which allows the weight of the building to be evenly distributed on the foundation (soil). Additionally, pile supports can be used if the soil has an unstable structure and can cause the building to become unstable.

Regardless of what type of foundation was chosen, it is necessary to raise it above the ground level by 0.4-0.5 meters. This is necessary to ensure that water from the ground has minimal impact on the lower blocks.

Also, when it comes to how to build a bathhouse from blocks correctly, we must not forget about waterproofing the lower level of the walls. To do this, rolled roofing felt is laid on the base in two layers. We must not forget that holes must be made in the foundation for the installation of sewer pipes.

Construction of walls and roof installation

It is necessary to build a bathhouse on a finished foundation, taking into account the following rules:

• The rows of blocks must be laid in perfect horizontal lines, which is only possible with the constant use of a building level, and the wall itself must be located at right angles to the base, which should be checked using a plumb line.
• After 3-4 rows of blocks, reinforcement must be made by laying welded reinforcing mesh or rod inserts.
• Window openings can be decorated wooden facades, or special long panels.
• Special studs made of durable metal are mounted in the top row of blocks, onto which the wooden Mauerlat beams necessary to create support for the future roof will be attached.
• Then a frame of rafters is mounted, which are beams and boards with a thickness of 2 centimeters. The roof in a bathhouse can be gable (more expensive, but more convenient to use) or single-pitch (cheaper, but it will periodically require removal of snow and laying of waterproofing materials). Use metal tiles, euro slate or any other to create the roof roofing material.

While performing the above steps, it is necessary to take care of the basic communications: electricity, water supply, sewerage, etc. To do this, openings and channels of appropriate sizes must be made in the wall ceilings.

Interior decoration of the bathhouse premises

After making a bathhouse with your own hands from blocks, you need to start interior decoration. Most often, the interior decoration of the bathhouse is done in such a way that thermal insulation characteristics ceilings have been strengthened (for more details: “How to make the interior decoration of a bathhouse - step-by-step instructions”).

At this stage there are also a number of rules:

• Ceilings are insulated on both sides, both in the attic (under the roof) and in the room. This is a priority measure for insulating the room, since convection causes a constant rise warm air to the ceiling. Roof slopes can also be insulated by installing mineral wool panels and covering them with a membrane to protect them from the wind.
• In the case of floors, it is best to fill concrete screed followed by its insulation with expanded clay, foam glass or polystyrene slabs. Boards are laid on top of the thermal insulation material, but always in such a way that liquid drainage occurs.
• A sheathing of wooden beams is mounted on the walls with thermal insulation materials placed between them: basalt wool or any other thermally stable insulation.
• It is imperative to secure foil over the thermal insulation or initially use thermal insulation material with foil layer. Only on foil can you mount a counter-lattice made of thinner slats and attach the lining to it.

The finishing of the premises is carried out in such a way that the installation scheme of the materials is the same, but the thickness of the thermal insulation layer may vary. The thickest section should be in the steam room, where the temperature will reach extreme values.

The outside of the bathhouse needs to be insulated only if the thickness of the walls is formed by one block. In this case, it is necessary to perform additional cladding with gas or foam concrete blocks.

Bottom line

The article describes in detail the process of constructing a bathhouse from block building materials with a description of the positive qualities of the varieties of these same materials. If all work is carried out in compliance with the recommendations from this article, then the construction will be of high quality, reliable and safe for visitors.

Also, the work can be entrusted to specialists who will take responsibility for all stages - from the purchase of blocks and other materials to the execution of construction work and putting the bathhouse into operation.

Expanded clay concrete blocks are rapidly gaining popularity among private developers. The material is excellent for use in self-construction of residential and commercial buildings, including bathhouses of various sizes and configurations.

Briefly about expanded clay concrete blocks

Among the key advantages of expanded clay concrete, one should first of all note its excellent thermal insulation characteristics. For comparison: for blocks this parameter is on average 200-300% higher than the same property for bricks. At the same time, laying the blocks is no more difficult than the brick taken for comparison: due to their low weight, they can be lifted, carried and laid without significant effort, which eliminates the need for the mandatory involvement of additional labor and special equipment. There are also no complex features of the masonry: anyone who has had to “communicate” with brick can build a wall from expanded clay concrete blocks - the key principles are the same.

Comparison of building materials Characteristics of expanded clay concrete blocks

An equally important indicator for residential construction conditions is the absolute environmental Safety expanded clay concrete - the blocks do not contain any harmful chemical impurities. During the heating process, this material, unlike many of its “brothers,” also does not emit anything toxic. Therefore, the blocks are perfect for building a bathhouse.

But not everything is so simple. Expanded clay concrete blocks, like every building material, have their own weaknesses. The leader of the anti-rating is pronounced hygroscopicity. At this moment you could close your eyes, but not in a bathhouse with its high humidity. Yes, saturation of walls with water under normal conditions is not so scary, but at the first frost, the accumulated moisture will freeze and expand, which after some time will inevitably lead to the destruction of the building material.

In terms of frost resistance, expanded clay concrete blocks are also inferior to many available options. According to GOST, the average number of freeze-thaw cycles for blocks is kept at 25-50. For residential construction under normal conditions, this is not the worst indicator. But in a bathhouse, which, for example, is heated 1-2 times a week in the cold season, and then left by the owner to cool, the mentioned number of cycles will be exhausted within a maximum of a couple of years.

To eliminate the above-mentioned risks, walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks must be insulated and provided with moisture and vapor barrier. Proper installation of such protection will eliminate the risk of getting wet and subsequent destruction of materials.

This concludes the brief excursion into the theoretical part. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide to self-construction baths made of expanded clay concrete blocks: from the device supporting structure before installation of the roof and recommendations for the interior arrangement of the premises.

Basics: making a foundation for a block bathhouse

The number of types of supporting structures is impressive: columnar and strip, monolithic and prefabricated, concrete and brick, etc. Choosing suitable foundation characteristics is a matter of paramount importance, because without a reliable foundation one cannot count on the normal service of the building.

It is best to build a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks on a strip or slab concrete base. When choosing a specific option, we focus primarily on the type of soil on the site. The recommendations are shown in the following illustration.

Features of the selection of other key characteristics of the foundation for a block bathhouse are also determined primarily by the properties of the soil on the site.

Firstly, it is necessary to take into account the depth of soil freezing (usually they try to lay foundations at least 20-30 cm below this indicator).

RegionsSoil freezing depth, cm

Vorkuta, Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Salekhard	240
Omsk, Novosibirsk	220
Tobolsk, Petropavlovsk	210
Kurgan, Kostanay	200
Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm	190
Syktyvkar, Ufa, Aktyubinsk, Orenburg	180
Kirov, Izhevsk, Kazan, Ulyanovsk	170
Samara, Uralsk	160
Vologda, Kostroma, Penza, Saratov	150
Voronezh, Perm, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Ryazan, Tambov, Tula, Yaroslavl	140
Volgograd, Kursk, Smolensk	120
Pskov, Astrakhan	110
Belgorod, Kursk, Kaliningrad	100
Rostov	90
Krasnodar	80
Nalchik, Stavropol	60

Secondly, it is necessary to correctly identify the type of soil at the construction site.

Thirdly, the relationship between the level of groundwater flow and the depth of soil freezing must be taken into account.

The tape support structure can be used in conjunction with most existing varieties soils, which is why it is the most common.

Slab structures are not so universal. They can only be used in combination with soils that are not particularly mobile.

Video - Strip foundation

Having chosen the optimal option for the supporting structure, all that remains is to calculate it, after which you can proceed directly to the construction of the foundation. Detailed recommendations regarding each of the mentioned stages were previously provided in the relevant publications on our website.

Helpful advice! Decide in advance optimal sizes and features of the internal layout of the bathhouse. You can develop the project yourself, entrust it to a third-party specialist, or use one of the ready-made solutions. The article discusses projects of bathhouses made of timber - this is not fundamental, the main thing is to choose a suitable internal configuration.

Preparation

Let's start by preparing the required devices. For greater ease of perception, the information is presented in table form.

Table. Set for work

PositionPurpose

	Will be used for shrinking blocks. It is recommended to take a tool weighing about 1 kg. A metal hammer will not work - contact with it can lead to destruction of the blocks.
	No additional introduction is needed.
	Allows you to control the correctness (evenness) of block placement.
	Used for applying masonry mortar. It is most convenient to use a tool with a rectangular platform.
	Use a thin but as strong mooring cord as possible.
	Allows you to correctly mark building elements before sawing into pieces.
	The tool allows you to control the vertical evenness of the masonry.
	Used for cutting expanded clay concrete blocks. This tool also allows you to create grooves for placing reinforcement. Complete with an angle grinder, use cutting wheel with a diameter of 22 cm.
	Using this simple tool, you will load the concrete mixer with the initial components of the masonry mixture and transport the finished solution to the work site.
	Designed for mixing the initial components of mortars. You can do without this device by preparing the mixture manually, but this will lead to an irrational increase in time and labor costs.
	Useful when performing high-altitude work. The best option is to rent a structure from the nearest construction company.

In addition to the above, buy the following:

• blocks directly;
• cement, sand and water or ready-made glue for laying blocks;
• heat and water vapor barrier materials;
• reinforcement (8-10 mm rods are suitable) or reinforcing mesh.

The list can be supplemented with various small things - at this point you will get your bearings as the work progresses.

What should you put the blocks on?

The blocks can be placed on a cement-sand mixture or ready-made glue. Information about available options is given in the table.

Table. Binder mixtures for laying expanded clay concrete blocks

MaterialDescription

	Sold as a dry mixture. Preparation is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and boils down to mixing with the specified amount of water (sometimes additional substances are added to the mixture, specified separately in the instructions). To prepare the mixture, it is convenient to use a construction mixer or an electric drill with an appropriate attachment. Adhesive for blocks is characterized by high plasticity and excellent bonding characteristics. The use of the composition makes it possible to obtain seams with a thickness of about 0.5 cm, which provides higher thermal insulation properties of the structure, but increases the cost of its construction. The average glue consumption for laying a cubic meter of blocks ranges from 40-50 kg and varies depending on the thickness of the seams. There are several types of adhesives available for sale for expanded clay concrete blocks: - standard – suitable for working with expanded clay concrete, gas silicate and other blocks. In addition to the main function, it can be used to eliminate minor defects in blocks in the form of minor chips, cracks, etc.; - winter. Designed for masonry in cold weather; - heat-saving. Allows the construction of structures without “cold bridges”, due to which temperature loss rates are significantly reduced. Well suited for the construction of bath walls and partitions. Among the manufacturers that have best proven themselves in the market of binder mixtures and binding components are the brands SARMAT, Ilmax, LISMIX. Helpful advice! Many manufacturers of expanded clay concrete blocks offer adhesives designed specifically for laying the materials they produce. If possible, these formulations should be used.
	In this case, the following materials are taken in the indicated quantities: - cement from M400 – one share; - sand – three shares; - water – 0.7 parts. The components are thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous composition is obtained. Attention! The indicated amount of water is an average and may vary depending on the moisture level of the sand used. As a result, you should get a plastic composition that allows you to extra effort seat the blocks. Along with this, the mixture should not spread. Helpful advice! To increase the elasticity of the mixture, instead of a certain proportion of quarry sand, you can take river material. Prepare the solution in small portions, for approximately 1-2 hours of masonry work. It is better that the composition is constantly mixed in a concrete mixer - this way its plasticity will be maintained at a sufficient level.

Choosing a method of laying walls

There are several methods for laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks. Suitable option is selected taking into account the design features, wall thickness, thermal insulation characteristics and finishing cladding. Information about the main masonry methods is given in the table.

Table. Methods for laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

Methods Descriptions and explanations

Half a block	It is used when laying walls with a thickness equal to the width of the expanded clay concrete block (most often 19 cm). When building a bathhouse, this method can be used only if the building will very rarely be used for its intended purpose. The block is placed with its long side along the partition line. Row - one. Every 3-4 rows the masonry is strengthened with reinforcement. A reinforcing belt up to 200 mm high is erected at the top. For insulation, it is advisable to use polystyrene foam or mineral wool materials. The optimal thickness of the thermal insulation layer is from 50-100 mm.
A whole block wide	In this case, the walls are bandaged, and the butt and spoon rows alternate. The width of such a wall is 39 cm, i.e. by lenght building block. Recommendations regarding reinforcement are the same. Masonry is optimally suited for the construction of residential buildings and private baths. Recommendations regarding insulation and their thickness are similar.
Width 600 mm	This method has much in common with well bricklaying. The blocks are bandaged, leaving voids between them. Thermal insulation material is used to fill the free gaps.
Two walls	Lay out 2 parallel walls in half a block. Metal rods are used for binding. A 5-10 cm thermal insulation layer is placed between the walls. The method guarantees high thermal insulation performance, and therefore is quite suitable for constructing a bathhouse.
With lining	The walls are laid out in half a block or in a whole block. The method differs from the previous one only in that here, instead of a second parallel wall, facing bricks are used.

The choice of the appropriate method remains with the owner - the main points and sequence of actions are preserved, so no problems will arise during the work process.

Important notes about seams

The optimal thickness of the seams is 0.6-0.8 cm (up to 1 cm is possible if necessary). In the case of using ready-made mixtures, the thickness of the joints is often reduced (information on this matter is specified in the manufacturer’s instructions).

Important! The thinner the seams between the blocks are made, the more plastic the solution must be used. Modern plastic mixtures make it possible to reduce the thickness of seams to 3-4 mm.

The seams are filled completely using the “undercut” method; a trowel is used to remove excess mortar. It is also possible to fill the interblock seams “empty” - in this case the seam is left free by about half a centimeter. The second method is usually used if the wall is planned to be finished with plaster. Actually, where they will plaster, they leave a space free from mortar.

Important! Before starting construction, you need to determine the optimal wall thickness. To save you from lengthy calculations, we immediately present suitable value: 400-500 mm for central regions. Residents of other climatic zones the recommended values ​​should be proportionally reduced or increased in accordance with local weather conditions.

Nuances of reinforcement

As noted, walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, as well as structures made from most other block building elements, are reinforced every 3-4 rows. In this section, you are invited to familiarize yourself with the procedure for conducting this event so as not to return to it in the future.

In order for the finished structure to be as stable and reliable as possible, other elements of the building are subject to additional strengthening, namely:

• first row (not always, but very desirable);
• bottom seams window openings. Relevant for cases when the opening dimensions are more than 180 cm. In this case, the space is reinforced to a length of at least 0.5 m on each side of the opening;
• supporting surfaces of door and window lintels - also 50 cm or more in each direction from the opening.

Depending on the characteristics of a particular project, other elements of the structure may be reinforced - this is determined on an individual basis.

Important note! Reinforcement and masonry technologies for most building blocks remain similar. Do not be alarmed if the products presented in the following illustrations look different from the expanded clay concrete blocks you purchased. The provisions of the technological processes relevant.

Reinforcement is carried out using rods with a diameter of 8 mm (in this case, 2 longitudinal grooves measuring 4x4 cm are cut in the center of the blocks along the length of the reinforcement, the remaining space will be filled with mortar), or a mesh (made of wire with a diameter of 3-5 mm, cell sizes - 5x5 cm (when arranging openings - 7x7 cm), the bottom and top are protected from corrosion using a 2-centimeter layer of masonry mortar), or reinforcement frames (paired steel strips connected by wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm, laid on a layer of glue, recessed into it and the top is covered with a second layer of glue/solution).

In the second and third cases, no particular difficulties arise - the technology is clear from the notes in brackets. Reinforcement with steel rods deserves separate consideration.

Table. Reinforcement of block masonry

Work stageDescription

	As noted, two grooves are cut in the center, i.e. at equal distances from the edges of the block and its middle. Recommended groove sizes were indicated earlier. A manual or electric wall chaser will be an excellent assistant in this matter, depending on the availability of electricity at the site. To do the job as efficiently as possible, you can first make markings using suitable available tools, for example, a long straight staff and a marker. You can also lay the slats in the center of the block and simply make cuts along its side edges.
	Dust the inner space of the groove using a sweeping brush or a hair dryer.
	Place the rods into the prepared grooves and cut to length. A grinder will help you with this. If you don’t have one, you can use a hand tool (hacksaw) or other suitable device.
	Having finished fitting and cutting, remove the reinforcement from the grooves and do the following: - fill the recesses with mortar or glue for laying blocks. Use the same binder as for construction; - press the reinforcing bars into the solution; - get rid of excess mixture. Thanks to the solution, the metal will be protected from corrosion.

To create thin seams between blocks, you can use the previously mentioned reinforcing frames. It looks like this.

A diagram of the correct reinforcement of block walls is shown in the image.

Video - Reinforcement of walls from blocks

Wall masonry

So, the foundation is ready and covered with a layer of moisture-proof material in the form of a binder of bitumen + roofing felt, special waterproofing cardboard or other suitable material. You can start building walls. The sequence is described in the table.

Table. Laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

Work stageDescription

	The solution chosen for fastening the expanded clay concrete blocks is laid on top of the foundation waterproofing. Recommended layer thickness in accordance with The parameters of the mixture used were given earlier. A trowel will help you at this stage. You can also use a trowel or a plasterer’s ladle to apply the mixture, followed by leveling with a trowel - whichever is more convenient for you. With the help of this layer, deviations from the level will be leveled. If the surface of your foundation is flat, or you did the alignment before, skip this step.
	The applied leveling layer of mortar requires additional processing, which boils down to pouring cement dust on top of it - this will lead to an increase in the load-bearing capacity of the binder components. In addition, such treatment will eliminate the possibility of the building block being immersed in a relatively soft solution - otherwise the block would sag and there would be no point in applying a leveling layer. Sprinkle a little (literally 1-3 mm) of pure cement on top of the mortar/glue layer. Soon a carrier film forms on the surface.
	One of the most responsible and important stages work. Helpful advice! Before laying, let the blocks soak in cold water for a minute. The material will become saturated with moisture and will not take it away from the solution/glue, thereby worsening the quality of adhesion. Install the first block of expanded clay concrete strictly at the corner of the intersection of the future external walls. Level the product using a level and light tapping with a rubber hammer. Install blocks in the remaining corners of the future bathhouse in a similar way. After this, make sure that the lengths of the diagonals match, just as you did at the stage of arranging the foundation. Stretch guide cords between the corner blocks to mark the future walls of the bathhouse - this will allow you to lay the blocks strictly at the same level. Ignoring this recommendation and attempting to carry out construction “by eye” will soon result in swelling, deformation and destruction of structures.
	Continue laying out the corner in accordance with the technology discussed. On side walls the solution is usually not applied. The exceptions are as follows: - a block connected to the front surface of perpendicularly installed building elements; - sliced ​​products. Having laid out the corner to approximately the same size as in the photo, check the quality of the work done using a building level. Remove any deviations found using a rubber hammer.
	Before you start building walls, it is better to lay out each corner in at least 3 rows. Make sure that each row of blocks is laid evenly. The building level will help you with this.
	Check the verticality of the masonry after arranging each row. A tool called a plumb bob will help you at this stage. Horizontality is controlled by a mason's cord (mooring) and a level. This point will be discussed further.
	Start building the wall after laying several corner rows. To control the verticality of the masonry, use the order. The tool is shown in the photo and is represented by a simple straight bar with marks along the height of the blocks. Important note! Rows of walls are laid out from the corner elements. Having reached the bottom of the opening under the window, the masonry is carried out from the corner in the direction of the nearest wall.
	Don't forget to stretch the tie cord between the corner blocks when laying out each row. With the help of this simple device, it will be easier for you to control the evenness of the laying of building elements in a horizontal plane. The principle is simple: - pulled the cord; - laid the block; - aligned the building element in relation to the rope and other blocks using rubber mallet.

Video - Laying a corner from blocks

Video - Laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

You have become familiar with the technology of laying walls from block building elements. Do not forget to carry out reinforcement in accordance with the previously received recommendations.

Important technological aspects of laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks

To successfully complete the job, you need to understand a number of technological nuances. These points will be discussed further below.

What should be the dressing of expanded clay concrete blocks?

As noted, construction is carried out according to the principle of brickwork: vertical joints between expanded clay concrete blocks V different rows shifted by half a block.

The minimum shift in walls made of full-size expanded clay blocks is 100 mm. A diagram of the correct ligation of full-size blocks is shown in the image.

For cases when the wall is laid out using cut (not full-size) elements, the following dressing scheme is relevant.

How to connect internal and external load-bearing walls?

If possible, build an external load-bearing wall together with the internal one. Make the connection like this:

• lay the first row of the internal load-bearing wall close to the external one. Use the solution;
• when laying the next row, start the block interior wall on the outside by about 100-150 mm. To do this, cut the expanded clay granite block external wall to the specified value;
• insulate the joint with 50 mm layers of polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Thanks to this, the lower thermal insulation properties of the expanded clay concrete block of the internal bath wall will be compensated.

The laying of partitions is carried out after the completion of the construction of load-bearing bath walls. Anchors are first installed in them to ensure subsequent pairing of internal partitions and finished load-bearing walls. The ends of the anchors are placed in the horizontal seams of the outer wall and the seams of the partition. The necessary holes can be made with a drill.

In most situations, constructing walls and partitions from full-size blocks alone is not possible. Cutting of building elements is carried out locally, i.e. in accordance with the dimensions of the empty space left after laying full-size expanded clay concrete blocks. A circular saw or an electromechanical saw is suitable for cutting.

Many craftsmen use a jigsaw for this. It is better to refrain from using an angle grinder: the excessive amount of heat generated can lead to the destruction of the building element. The cutting technology itself consists of 2 stages: mark the block and get rid of the excess.

Helpful advice! When arranging openings, try to use, if possible, not cuttings of building elements, but special additional blocks - reduce the number of cuts and ensure a higher quality of work.

Video - Cutting blocks

Non-full-size building elements must be embedded in the masonry. It is better to do this at the maximum distance from the slopes of the openings being constructed and the corners of the structure being erected. The displacement of vertical joints when laying non-full-size blocks is at least 40 mm.

Important! Vertical seams between solid and cut blocks must be filled with mortar.

How to arrange vertical seams?

In most areas, vertical joints are not filled with mortar. The following places are exceptions:

• connections of solid and cut blocks;
• connection of external walls with internal partitions– highly desirable;
• connections of corner blocks.

How to drill holes in block walls?

Holes for water supply pipes, sockets and other similar things are prepared with a drill with a simple or core drill.

Important note! When drilling with a drill, switch it to non-impact mode.

How to make grooves in block walls?

Grooves for electrical wires are made as follows:

• 2 parallel cuts are prepared in the wall. A circular saw is used for this;
• expanded clay concrete between the prepared cuts is removed with a chisel and a metal hammer;
• the furrow is cleared of dust and used for its intended purpose.

If you wish, you can purchase or rent a tool specially designed for such work - a furrower.

Important! According to the technology, before constructing furrows, it is necessary to perform appropriate calculations for strength indicators. Without them, it is only allowed to make recesses whose dimensions do not exceed the parameters indicated in the following table.

There are a number of significant notes regarding the above information.

Firstly, the maximum channel depth parameter should be considered relevant for any hole created during the preparation of a niche/channel.

Secondly, if the vertical channel rises higher than a third of the room in relation to the ceiling, it can be made 8 cm deep and 12 cm wide, provided that the wall thickness is at least 22.5 cm.

Thirdly, the distance between the furrows and recesses should be 22.5 cm.

Fourthly, if the niches are located on the same wall, you need to maintain a gap between them that is at least 2 times the width of the larger niche.

Fifthly, to determine the maximum permissible total width of grooves and recesses, you need to multiply the length of the wall by a factor of 0.13.

Helpful advice! Making oblique and horizontal canals is not recommended. If they must be present, a distance equal to at least 1/8 of the height of the room must be maintained between them and the floor/ceiling. Without performing additional calculations, channels can be made with a depth not exceeding the values ​​​​from the table.

How to make lintels over openings?

There are quite a few ways to arrange lintels over window/door openings; for example, they can be made from specially shaped blocks or ordinary bricks. We offer you the simplest, fastest and most convenient method to implement, which involves the use of ready-made ordinary jumpers. Suitable for use on both interior and exterior walls. The number of lintels varies depending on the thickness of the wall and its functional purpose.

The depth of embedding of the lintel in the wall is selected taking into account the width of the opening. The minimum acceptable value is 125 mm. The principle is simple: the lintels are laid over the opening, a portion of the material is cut out of the blocks according to the shape and size of the lintel, and the laying of the walls continues to the required height.

With its smaller side, the jumper is installed on a 1.2-centimeter layer of cement mortar. In case of use similar products Temporary mounting supports are generally not used.

The technology for laying the lintel is demonstrated in the photo.

The same photo shows the thermal insulation liner. It can be made from mineral wool. The recommended layer thickness is 80-120 mm. After installing a set of jumper beams, tie them tightly with binding wire. She will provide correct position structural elements until the installation of the overlying row.

The mounted jumpers immediately begin to perform a load-bearing function. Products are available for sale whose height corresponds to the height of the blocks, which allows minimizing the number of trimmings. In this case, the wall surface and the lintel will form a single, even base, which will allow subsequent finishing to be carried out with the highest possible quality, for example, using plaster.

If you cannot find suitable jumpers on sale, you can make them yourself, for example, based on corners, following the recommendations from the following video.

Video - Installing jumpers over openings with your own hands

You have become familiar with all the technological aspects of laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks. If you wish, you can use the same guide when working with blocks from other materials - construction is carried out according to the same principles.

Instructions for arranging floors

As a rule, in addition to the lower tier, the bathhouse has at least an attic mezzanine, and at most 1 or more additional upper floors. To delimit the tiers, floors are installed. Both interfloor and attic floors can be done following the provisions of the same technology.

With instructions for self-installation You are invited to familiarize yourself with this design element below.

One of the most popular options interfloor covering – reinforced concrete slab. But we will refuse this option. Firstly, the financial, labor and time costs of its arrangement will be unreasonably high. Secondly, you will have to perform many calculations to determine the load created by the ceiling and understand whether the walls and foundation of the bathhouse can withstand operation in such conditions.

In such conditions, it is much more expedient to resort to the use of wooden floors. The structure is relatively simple to install and can be erected in less time at relatively low financial costs (if compared with a reinforced concrete slab).

What is the ceiling made of?

For arranging the floor, it is best to use dry coniferous wood, designed specifically for use in such conditions (the material must comply with the standards of the construction industry - check with the seller for the availability of accompanying documents confirming this fact).

Helpful advice! If you wish, you can spend additional funds and make floors with minimum wages. Construction experts often call such structures “skeletons.” The products are characterized by high strength and load-bearing capacity, provide effective fastening of parts of the structure and are available in lengths of up to 12 m. Due to the fact that in most cases it is recommended to make the ceiling transverse to the structure, i.e. lay the ends on the long sides of the building (so that there is less sagging), the specified length, since we are talking about a bathhouse, will be sufficient in the vast majority of cases.

With characteristics different breeds wood you can find in the following table.

The interfloor ceiling is simultaneously the ceiling beams of the lower tier and the floor joists of the upper floor.

Before using the timber for its intended purpose, it must be impregnated with an antiseptic and fire retardant. These products increase the resistance of the material to rot and fire. Sections of beams resting on walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks must be tarred and wrapped with roofing felt to ensure effective protection from the harmful effects of moisture - without such treatment, the wood will simply rot and the structure will last very little.

Attach roofing felt using any in a suitable way. Fasten with a stapler or nails with a wide head. Please note that for waterproofing two layers of roofing material are used, and the length of the insulation layer must be at least 25 cm, and the roofing material must protrude 3 cm beyond the inner border of the wall.

Thermal insulation of floors separating rooms with approximately the same temperature may not be necessary. The part of the structure that separates, for example, the steam room and the room above or the heated floor and the attic must be insulated.

Waterproofing of floors is carried out in areas covering rooms with an increased level of humidity: washing room, steam room, etc. Recommendations regarding the arrangement of insulation, waterproofing and other protective layers were previously given in the corresponding material on our website. The instructions are devoted to the construction of the ceiling, but for wooden floors the recommendations remain the same.

Important! When choosing a beam section for arranging a floor, take into account, first of all, the size of the span: the section of the beam must correspond to at least a sixteenth of the mentioned indicator. Additionally, the load must be taken into account. Recommendations regarding these nuances are given in the table.

Having decided on the optimal type of wood and the necessary operational and technical characteristics of the timber, proceed directly to the stage of arranging the floor.

We offer the simplest option for placing floor beams. Many experts recommend pre-cutting openings for timber in the blocks of the top row of the wall, but this is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It is much easier to do as in the image below.

Here the beams are made of knocked down boards, but the meaning remains the same. Elementary technology:

• Beams with pre-selected characteristics and spacing are laid on the top row of expanded clay concrete blocks. The minimum overlap of the beam on the block is 50 mm. In practice, they usually stick to 100-150 mm. The previously mentioned waterproofing is visible in the photo;
• the space between the beams is filled with expanded clay concrete blocks, pre-cut to the required parameters. The height of full-size blocks in most cases is 190 mm. If the beam has smaller parameters, the problem will be solved by cutting off the excess part from the block. If the block is lower than the beam used (which is extremely rare), the disadvantage is leveled out with the help of additional elements or a cut of the same expanded clay concrete block;
• then the walls of the upper floor continue to be laid out in accordance with standard technology.

The image shows intermediate beams intended to strengthen the structure. Used when necessary. Conclusions about the advisability of their use are made at the stage of drawing up project documentation. The parameters of the beams, with the exception of length, usually correspond to the characteristics of the main elements. The fastening is carried out in a suitable manner. In the example presented, these are metal corners and screws.

You can obtain detailed information about the further arrangement of floors in the corresponding publication on our website. The information is focused on the ceiling, but its relevance in the case of wooden floors from timber is preserved.

The floors between other floors and the attic are made in a similar sequence.

Video - Wooden interfloor slab

What to do next?

“Pushing the box” is completed. What are the next steps?

1. First, you need to make a roof.
2. Secondly, it is necessary to complete the steps associated with the internal arrangement of the bathhouse.

Video - Bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks

How to assemble a sauna from gas silicate blocks with your own hands

A bathhouse made from gas silicate blocks can be assembled with your own hands quite quickly.

They are always trying to make the construction of a bathhouse cheaper, since they start it after the main one. Among the most inexpensive materials can be distinguished: aerated concrete and gas silicate blocks. If you recalculate the estimates, installation is almost cheaper than frame construction. And if you do all the work yourself, the bathhouse will generally cost from 5,000 rubles/m². We will tell our readers how to build a bathhouse from gas silicate blocks with our own hands, step by step from the foundation to the roof.

Why is it profitable to build from gas silicate?

Gas silicate blocks have a porous texture.

Gas silicate blocks are produced from a mixture of materials: lime, gypsum, cement and aluminum powder. They are made under high pressure and hardened at temperatures up to 180°C.

Since gas particles remain in the material, it has high thermal insulation properties. It is often used not only as the main building material, but also as insulation. The density of various grades of gas silicate starts from 250 kg/m³. For the bath, use dense grade D500 with a density of up to 500 kg/m³. Among the main advantages of the bath material are:

1. High heat resistance.
2. Environmental friendliness.
3. Not susceptible to rotting and fungal infection.
4. Durable and easy to cut.
5. A structure of up to 3 floors is permissible.

1. Absorbs moisture and releases it for a long time.
2. Breaks due to mechanical stress.
3. Durability has not been tested.

With the right approach, you can build a bathhouse from gas silicate blocks with your own hands, especially since the material is lightweight and you can handle the work without additional help.

Bath installation stages

The construction of a bathhouse from gas silicate blocks is easy to do with your own hands. Installation is carried out in several successive stages:

1. Planning and budgeting.
2. Foundation installation.
3. Wall masonry.
4. Roof installation.
5. Interior and façade finishing.

Any of the stages should be examined in more detail.

Bathhouse planning

Plan of a bathhouse made of gas silicate blocks.

You need to plan a gas silicate bathhouse just like any other. We determine where it is best to place it on the site and select a project. You can take a standard one from the Internet; many construction sites have a calculator with which you can calculate the required amount of materials. For construction with your own hands, choose a small bathhouse of the correct shape, for example 3x3 or 4x4 m. It is easy to accommodate a steam room of 4 m², a relaxation room of 10-12 m², a dressing room and a shower room.

Even at the planning stage, the finishing of the bathhouse is thought out, since it will have to be done on both sides, and a lot of money will be required.

It is not worth making a thick layer of thermal insulation, since gas silicate blocks in one row maintain the temperature of 3 rows of brickwork.

When the bathhouse is planned, you can begin purchasing materials and installing the foundation.

Foundation installation

The strip foundation is optimally suited for a bathhouse made of gas silicate blocks.

The foundation for a bathhouse made of blocks can be strip or monolithic. Other types of material are not suitable, despite its light weight. Although the blocks are quite dense and strong, they do not withstand loads at the corners of the building. Therefore, bathhouses from it are not built higher than one-story or with an attic.

To install a strip foundation, it is necessary to mark and dig a trench to a depth below freezing of the soil. A 10-15 cm sand cushion is poured onto the bottom and compacted. Then formwork is made from non- edged boards and bars. The formwork must rise above the soil by at least 50 cm.

A reinforced bundle of reinforcement and binding wire is placed into the structure. Everything is filled with concrete. To save money, you can make concrete yourself using a concrete mixer. For this you will need: cement, ASG or sand and crushed stone, water. You can mix everything by hand, but it’s more difficult. The foundation is poured in layers, but it is better to complete the work in one day. Next, the foundation is allowed to mature. To do this, cover it with cellophane and moisten it once a day, opening it slightly. After 2 weeks, open completely and allow to dry.

The monolithic foundation is poured with a single reinforced structure. It will cost more, but even with severe heaving of the soil, the bathhouse will stand reliably. In addition, you will not have to install a separate foundation under the stove, as in the first case.

In any case, the height above the ground level should be at least 50-60 cm, since gas silicate blocks absorb moisture and it is better to raise them as high above the ground as possible.

After the foundation hardens and stands, you can begin laying the walls.

You can assemble a box of large gas silicate blocks in 1-2 weeks, even alone. The main thing is to observe some subtleties:

1. The load-bearing qualities of the blocks are good and according to the rules it is enough to lay a wall of 38 cm, but our climate dictates its own conditions. The bathhouse must be warm, so the optimal wall thickness is at least 53.5 - 59 cm.
2. Since the blocks do not tolerate moisture well, it is recommended to lay the first 2-4 rows with red hardened brick. It is more resistant to moisture and the bathhouse will last longer.
3. The blocks are placed in a checkerboard pattern, constantly checking with a level the evenness of the masonry. They are fastened together not with cement, but with a special adhesive composition. This way the thermal insulation of the bathhouse will be better. The seam thickness will be less. The adhesive composition is diluted according to the instructions on the bag from each manufacturer.
4. To increase the strength of the structure, a reinforced masonry mesh or steel rods with a cross-section of at least 8 mm are laid every 2-3 rows. They are also used in areas of future door and window openings.
5. The upper rows are reinforced with a special reinforced tie made of anchors and wire. Anchors also need to be installed in the places where the Mauerlat will be attached. They will be linked to. The design can be seen in more detail in the photo.

Roof installation

The roof is made of the simplest design.

The roof structure for a bathhouse made of blocks is chosen to be a simple gable or single-pitch roof. The lean-to is supported on one side by the mauerlat. The angle of inclination is made small, so the roof will be better protected from winds. Roofing felt is laid on top and the selected roof is laid: slate, ondulin, corrugated sheeting. You can read how to construct a gable roof in one of the previous articles.

Since the wall material is afraid of moisture, it is necessary to waterproof the roof and insulate the ceilings. To do this, it is better to use a new membrane waterproofer; it will prevent water from penetrating inside and release steam, preventing condensation from forming.

Installation of external and internal finishing

Finishing the inside of the bath with linden clapboard will create a natural woody smell.

The bathhouse box must be protected from the effects of steam and moisture, not only from the inside, but also from the outside. To do this, the first step is to lay vapor and waterproofing inside and outside. It is difficult to attach the material to the cellular structure, so lathing is necessary. It is attached to the walls using special gas silicate dowels. For the steam room, a foil membrane is used. A clapboard, linden or aspen, is mounted on top of the sheathing.

It is better to insulate a bathhouse from the outside, using a ventilated façade design. The pie system is selected: lathing or cross lathing. The second is more complicated, but there will be no cold bridges left and the bathhouse will quickly heat up. The structure is covered from above with siding or imitation timber.

Bath communications

Floors can be made of poured or wooden. In any case, it is necessary to lay them at an angle and organize drainage. Water should not be drained under the foundation, as in winter it will fall on the blocks and freeze and destroy them. It is better to construct a separate septic tank from two wells.

The electrical system is carried out from the central one, observing all safety rules. Since the material absorbs water well and releases it for a long time, all wires must be laid in a special corrugated tube. It will protect owners from short circuits and fires. All switches and sockets are installed outside the steam room. The lamp in the steam room is covered with a special heat-resistant and sealed lampshade.

Water is carried out from a central pipe, from a well or a well. On garden plots You can leave the bathhouse without water supply; before heating it, you can fill it with buckets, the old fashioned way. For convenience, you can install an outdoor shower by installing a barrel made of dark iron and leading the shower to the washing compartment.

Building a bathhouse from gas silicate blocks with your own hands, complete with finishing and insulation, is not as cheap as it might seem at first glance. But if you follow all the rules, it will last no less than a wooden one. And the speed of assembly and slight shrinkage will make it possible to start using the bathhouse immediately after finishing. And the photo and video materials in this article will give a complete picture of the work, even for novice builders.

We build a bathhouse with our own hands from foam blocks - the secrets of modern construction

As many already know, the fastest and most economical way to build a real Russian bathhouse is to construct it from foam blocks. This miracle material is made from environmentally friendly cellular concrete - a durable, fireproof and lightweight building material.

It is made from ordinary quartz sand, with the addition of water, cement and special foam, which, when hardened, leaves small air cavities. So, building a bathhouse with your own hands from a foam block is a fairly simple solution to your problems!

Construction of a bathhouse

The only thing you need to take care of before starting construction is excellent vapor barrier and protection of bricks from water, because due to its porosity, foam concrete does not have the highest moisture resistance. But let's consider phased construction do-it-yourself foam block baths in order.

Construction of a foundation for a foam block bathhouse

As has already become clear to many from the above, a solid and powerful foundation for this type of bathhouse is not required - the material for constructing walls and partitions is too light. That is why you can easily limit yourself to a simple strip foundation for a bathhouse with an ordinary sand base.

Attention! You should not forget about high-quality waterproofing of the foundation, which experts recommend using mastic or ordinary roofing felt.

So, in order to properly fill the foundation, you will need to dig a pit in the form of a narrow closed (rectangular) strip around the entire perimeter future construction. The average depth is at least 60 cm, while a width of 30 cm will be quite enough.

The next step is to use a level, pins and rope to make (and check) the markings. To do this, you will need to insert pins in the corners and along the entire perimeter so that the average distance between them does not exceed two meters. Then, we stretch the rope between all the pins and check the evenness of the pins in the corners.

Now we proceed to the reinforced frame, which should be knitted from reinforcement with a diameter of 12 mm and the construction of formwork panels, which are assembled from plywood or boards. After successful installation and fastening, the formwork is filled with concrete, and a receiver and sewage system should be laid in the center of the foundation of the washing room.

Don’t forget to lay a mesh on top of the resulting structure and put a screed on top of it, about 4-5 cm thick. Now all you have to do is waterproofing and the foundation is ready.

We build walls

As was said earlier, building a bathhouse with your own hands from a foam block is done in record time: according to reviews from experienced summer residents, this type of structure can be easily erected in 2-3 weeks! And this takes into account the fact that only one person will work. As for the crew, construction will go much faster.

According to experts, foam blocks for the construction of walls should be purchased with a density of D700 and grade M25.

Attention! Pay special attention to the fact that foam blocks should not be laid flat, but on an edge. Each laid layer must be checked with a level, both vertically and horizontally.

Let's start with the fact that the first row of blocks should be laid on a regular sand-cement mortar. Whatever the first row turns out to be, the rest of the masonry will turn out that way (meaning the evenness of the walls).

That is why it is at this stage of work that you cannot do without a rubber hammer and level. Also, you will need a rope that will be stretched between the corners of the future bathhouse.

If the question is how to build a bathhouse from foam blocks with your own hands, and not a garage or utility room, then starting from the second row, the blocks should be laid with special glue. You can easily find it in any hardware store, and it is diluted like a simple dry building mixture - with water.

To prepare the mixture, you will need a small container or an electric drill with a whisk attachment, with which you can prepare a high-quality adhesive mass in a matter of minutes.

Attention! You should not spread a thick layer of glue on the rows - only 0.5 cm of solution will be enough for the block to lie flat on the row below.

Without this glue, you are unlikely to have a normal bathhouse: judging by the reviews, this substance does not require preliminary setting or a maturation period - it turns out that the structure will have dense and strong walls that have no joints between all structural elements. And if the installation instructions for the bathhouse are fully followed, then you can easily build such a structure with your own hands, even alone.

It should also be taken into account that every three rows of blocks, a layer of metal mesh should be laid between them - reinforcement will significantly increase the strength of the structure.

As for the ceilings for door and window openings, they are made by pouring concrete and installing formwork. In some cases, special additional elements can be used.

Vapor barrier of walls - how to do it right

Before you start building your bathhouse, you should seriously think about how the walls will be insulated from the all-destructive steam. Judging by world experience, it is much more expedient to do this with the help of polymer vapor-tight membranes, which should be installed in the remaining gap between the wall and the cladding.

Also, I would like to note that for foam blocks you do not need to use special fasteners that are applicable to other types of walls (moths, screws, dowels, nails, etc.). In other words, you will need regular fasteners for walls made of foam blocks, because the porous structure of the material to some extent even complicates the finishing work.

But as for hidden electrical wiring– it is much easier to do it in a foam concrete wall than in the same brick or concrete, and additional insulation is not even required! As for window openings, doors and ceilings, the work is no different (in comparison with other types of buildings).

Features of roof construction

If we consider many projects, it immediately becomes clear that the best option for a bathhouse would be a gable rafter roof.

You can build it according to the following scheme:

• Let's start by laying the mauerlat on the longitudinal walls, and the timber should be at least 18 cm thick. It is attached to special anchor bolts;
• On the ground, we begin assembling the rafter template. To do this, take a couple of boards and connect them with their edges so that you get “scissors” fastened together with nails. The free edges should be placed on the base and a suitable roof slope should be selected - then the edges should be fastened together cross bar. The entire resulting structure is securely scrolled with self-tapping screws in order to avoid breaking the angle;
• Next, you should attach the finished template to the beams measuring 15x50 cm and mark with a pencil where exactly the corner should be cut;
• After all the above procedures, you can safely begin cutting out the rafters, fastening them together with self-tapping screws, and at the crossing points, 3 to 5 screws are screwed in for strength;
• Now, we lift the finished rafter frame onto the roof and install it. Connections to the Mauerlat should be marked by notches, metal brackets or overlays;
• In exactly the same way we make the next rafter frame and install it in place. After this, we stretch the cord between the frames, secure the trusses with special supports and place them at an angle;
• Using the same scheme, we install all the frames and fasten them to the roof in increments of 50 cm, checking the distance with a regular cord;
• Next, we prepare the sheathing - for this we will need 10x40 cm boards, which you can easily fasten to the rafters with nails or self-tapping screws. Moreover, the step must be taken so that the insulation does not fall between the boards;
• Now we start making the rough ceiling of the bathhouse - we take 25 mm boards (thick) and fasten them between the rafters. We lay foam plastic (about 19 cm thick) on top of them and cover the top with the finished floor of the attic. At the same time, do not forget to install ventilation in the ceiling by making two small holes;
• The final stage is to lay roofing material on the roof of the bathhouse and nail the ridge part. Don't forget about the galvanized collar that goes around the chimney.

Interior and exterior finishing

So, now we have come to the final step of our work, namely, the external and internal decoration of the structure. If this is not done, then the foam block walls will quickly lose their attractive appearance and will last even less than 10 years!

If you start with exterior finishing, then here you just have a lot of options - siding, house blocks and even decorative plaster, which will create the effect of a fur coat. But the most acceptable option for this kind of baths is hinged ventilated facades. It is thanks to them that you can remove excess moisture from the walls into the atmosphere without any barriers, thereby protecting the facade from destruction.

As for the interior decoration, it all depends on your preferences and financial capabilities: the walls can be painted with polymer paint, tiled with ceramic tiles or covered with wood (see also the article “Insulating a bathhouse from the inside: the most common technologies”).

Conclusion

We hope you now understand how to build a foam block bathhouse with your own hands. In the photo you will see some stages of the work performed, which are more complex in execution. Remember that the price for this type of building is quite low (even taking into account the external and internal decoration), so almost every resident of Russia can afford such a bathhouse without any problems.

The video in this article will cover in more detail all the issues related to this topic. Good luck in your endeavors!

Expanded clay concrete blocks are rapidly gaining popularity among private developers. The material is excellent for use in self-construction of residential and commercial buildings, including bathhouses of various sizes and configurations.

Bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks - construction photos

Among the key advantages of expanded clay concrete, one should first of all note its excellent thermal insulation characteristics. For comparison: for blocks this parameter is on average 200-300% higher than the same property for bricks. At the same time, laying the blocks is no more difficult than the brick taken for comparison: due to their low weight, they can be lifted, carried and laid without significant effort, which eliminates the need for the mandatory involvement of additional labor and special equipment. There are also no complex features of the masonry: anyone who has had to “communicate” with brick can build a wall from expanded clay concrete blocks - the key principles are the same.

Comparison of building materials
Characteristics of expanded clay concrete blocks

An equally important indicator for residential construction conditions is the absolute environmental safety of expanded clay concrete - the blocks do not contain any harmful chemical impurities. During the heating process, this material, unlike many of its “brothers,” also does not emit anything toxic. Therefore, the blocks are perfect for building a bathhouse.

But not everything is so simple. Expanded clay concrete blocks, like every building material, have their own weaknesses. The leader of the anti-rating is pronounced hygroscopicity. At this moment you could close your eyes, but not in a bathhouse with its high humidity. Yes, saturation of walls with water under normal conditions is not so scary, but at the first frost, the accumulated moisture will freeze and expand, which after some time will inevitably lead to the destruction of the building material.

In terms of frost resistance, expanded clay concrete blocks are also inferior to many available options. According to GOST, the average number of freeze-thaw cycles for blocks is kept at 25-50. For residential construction under normal conditions, this is not the worst indicator. But in a bathhouse, which, for example, is heated 1-2 times a week in the cold season, and then left by the owner to cool, the mentioned number of cycles will be exhausted within a maximum of a couple of years.

To eliminate the above-mentioned risks, walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks must be insulated and provided with moisture and vapor barrier. Proper installation of such protection will eliminate the risk of getting wet and subsequent destruction of materials.

This concludes the brief excursion into the theoretical part. Next, we offer you a detailed step-by-step guide on how to independently build a bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks: from installing a supporting structure to installing the roof and recommendations for the interior arrangement of the premises.

Prices for expanded clay concrete blocks

expanded clay concrete blocks

Basics: making a foundation for a block bathhouse

The number of types of supporting structures is impressive: columnar and strip, monolithic and prefabricated, concrete and brick, etc. Choosing suitable foundation characteristics is a matter of paramount importance, because without a reliable foundation one cannot count on the normal service of the building.

It is best to build a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks on a strip or slab concrete base. When choosing a specific option, we focus primarily on the type of soil on the site. The recommendations are shown in the following illustration.

Features of the selection of other key characteristics of the foundation for a block bathhouse are also determined primarily by the properties of the soil on the site.

Firstly, it is necessary to take into account the depth of soil freezing (usually they try to lay foundations at least 20-30 cm below this indicator).

Regions	Soil freezing depth, cm
Vorkuta, Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Salekhard	240
Omsk, Novosibirsk	220
Tobolsk, Petropavlovsk	210
Kurgan, Kostanay	200
Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm	190
Syktyvkar, Ufa, Aktyubinsk, Orenburg	180
Kirov, Izhevsk, Kazan, Ulyanovsk	170
Samara, Uralsk	160
Vologda, Kostroma, Penza, Saratov	150
Voronezh, Perm, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Ryazan, Tambov, Tula, Yaroslavl	140
Volgograd, Kursk, Smolensk	120
Pskov, Astrakhan	110
Belgorod, Kursk, Kaliningrad	100
Rostov	90
Krasnodar	80
Nalchik, Stavropol	60

Secondly, it is necessary to correctly identify the type of soil at the construction site.

Thirdly, the relationship between the level of groundwater flow and the depth of soil freezing must be taken into account.

The strip support structure can be used in combination with most existing types of soil, which is why it is the most common.

Slab structures are not so universal. They can only be used in combination with soils that are not particularly mobile.

Video - Strip foundation

Having chosen the optimal version of the supporting structure, only that will remain, after which you can proceed directly to. Detailed recommendations regarding each of the mentioned stages were previously provided in the relevant publications on our website.

Helpful advice! Decide in advance on the optimal dimensions and features of the internal layout of the bathhouse. You can develop the project yourself, entrust it to a third-party specialist, or use one of the. The article discusses projects of bathhouses made of timber - this is not fundamental, the main thing is to choose a suitable internal configuration.

Preparation

Let's start by preparing the required devices. For greater ease of perception, the information is presented in table form.

Table. Set for work

Position	Purpose
	Will be used for shrinking blocks. It is recommended to take a tool weighing about 1 kg. A metal hammer will not work - contact with it can lead to destruction of the blocks.
	No additional introduction is needed.
	Allows you to control the correctness (evenness) of block placement.
	Used for applying masonry mortar. It is most convenient to use a tool with a rectangular platform.
	Use a thin but as strong mooring cord as possible.
	Allows you to correctly mark building elements before sawing into pieces.
	The tool allows you to control the vertical evenness of the masonry.
	Used for cutting expanded clay concrete blocks. This tool also allows you to create grooves for placing reinforcement. Complete with a grinder, use a cutting wheel with a diameter of 22 cm.
	Using this simple tool, you will load the concrete mixer with the initial components of the masonry mixture and transport the finished solution to the work site.
	Designed for mixing the initial components of mortars. You can do without this device by preparing the mixture manually, but this will lead to an irrational increase in time and labor costs.
	Useful when performing high-altitude work. The best option is to rent a structure from the nearest construction company.

In addition to the above, buy the following:

• blocks directly;
• cement, sand and water or ready-made glue for laying blocks;
• heat and water vapor barrier materials;
• reinforcement (8-10 mm rods are suitable) or reinforcing mesh.

The list can be supplemented with various small things - at this point you will get your bearings as the work progresses.

What should you put the blocks on?

The blocks can be placed on a cement-sand mixture or ready-made glue. Information about the available options is given in the table.

Table. Binder mixtures for laying expanded clay concrete blocks

Material	Description
	Sold as a dry mixture. Preparation is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and boils down to mixing with the specified amount of water (sometimes additional substances are added to the mixture, specified separately in the instructions). To prepare the mixture, it is convenient to use a construction mixer or an electric drill with an appropriate attachment. Adhesive for blocks is characterized by high plasticity and excellent bonding characteristics. The use of the composition makes it possible to obtain seams with a thickness of about 0.5 cm, which provides higher thermal insulation properties of the structure, but increases the cost of its construction. The average glue consumption for laying a cubic meter of blocks ranges from 40-50 kg and varies depending on the thickness of the seams. There are several types of adhesives available for sale for expanded clay concrete blocks: Standard – suitable for working with expanded clay concrete, gas silicate and other blocks. In addition to the main function, it can be used to eliminate minor defects in blocks in the form of minor chips, cracks, etc.; Winter. Designed for masonry in cold weather; Heat saving. Allows the construction of structures without “cold bridges”, due to which temperature loss rates are significantly reduced. Well suited for the construction of bath walls and partitions. Among the manufacturers that have best proven themselves in the market of binder mixtures and binding components are the brands SARMAT, Ilmax, LISMIX. Helpful advice! Many manufacturers of expanded clay concrete blocks offer adhesives designed specifically for laying the materials they produce. If possible, these formulations should be used.
	In this case, the following materials are taken in the indicated quantities: Cement from M400 – one share; Sand - three shares; Water – 0.7 parts. The components are thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous composition is obtained. Attention! The indicated amount of water is an average and may vary depending on the moisture level of the sand used. As a result, you should get a plastic composition that allows you to shrink the blocks without any extra effort. Along with this, the mixture should not spread. Helpful advice! To increase the elasticity of the mixture, instead of a certain proportion of quarry sand, you can take river material. Prepare the solution in small portions, for approximately 1-2 hours of masonry work. It is better that the composition is constantly mixed in a concrete mixer - this way its plasticity will be maintained at a sufficient level.

Choosing a method of laying walls

There are several methods for laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks. The appropriate option is selected taking into account the design features, wall thickness, thermal insulation characteristics and finishing cladding. Information about the main masonry methods is given in the table.

Table. Methods for laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

Methods	Descriptions and explanations
Half a block	It is used when laying walls with a thickness equal to the width of the expanded clay concrete block (most often 19 cm). When building a bathhouse, this method can be used only if the building will very rarely be used for its intended purpose. The block is placed with its long side along the partition line. Row - one. Every 3-4 rows the masonry is strengthened with reinforcement. A reinforcing belt up to 200 mm high is erected at the top. For insulation, it is advisable to use polystyrene foam or mineral wool materials. The optimal thickness of the thermal insulation layer is from 50-100 mm.
A whole block wide	In this case, the walls are bandaged, and the butt and spoon rows alternate. The width of such a wall is 39 cm, i.e. along the length of the building block.
Width 600 mm	This method has much in common with well bricklaying. The blocks are bandaged, leaving voids between them. Thermal insulation material is used to fill the free gaps.
Two walls	Lay out 2 parallel walls in half a block. Metal rods are used for binding. A 5-10 cm thermal insulation layer is placed between the walls. The method guarantees high thermal insulation performance, and therefore is quite suitable for constructing a bathhouse.
With lining	The walls are laid out in half a block or in a whole block. The method differs from the previous one only in that here, instead of a second parallel wall, facing bricks are used.

The choice of the appropriate method remains with the owner - the main points and sequence of actions are preserved, so no problems will arise during the work process.

Important notes about seams

The optimal thickness of the seams is 0.6-0.8 cm (up to 1 cm is possible if necessary). In the case of using ready-made mixtures, the thickness of the joints is often reduced (information on this matter is specified in the manufacturer’s instructions).

Important! The thinner the seams between the blocks are made, the more plastic the solution must be used. Modern plastic mixtures make it possible to reduce the thickness of seams to 3-4 mm.

The seams are filled completely using the “undercut” method; a trowel is used to remove excess mortar. It is also possible to fill the interblock seams “empty” - in this case the seam is left free by about half a centimeter. The second method is usually used if the wall is planned to be finished with plaster. Actually, where they will plaster, they leave a space free from mortar.

1. Before laying the first row of the wall, the foundation is covered with waterproofing material. The scheme is simple: a layer of molten bitumen is applied over the base, roofing felt is laid on top, smoothed and pressed to the surface. Repeat again. The resulting two-layer waterproofing will be of very high quality. It may be necessary to pre-level the base surface. A screed up to 3 cm thick will be sufficient.

   

2. Use quality blocks. The use of questionable material with a geometry deviating from approved standards will lead to an increase in the consumption of binder material and, in general, a decrease in the operational, technical and quality characteristics of the finished structure.

   

   

3. Before laying the block on the mortar, lay out the row “dry” for the so-called. "trying on".
4. Adjust the blocks only with a rubber hammer. It is forbidden to hit it hard - the building product may crack and break.

   

5. To cut blocks, especially if you have no previous experience in breaking them, use a grinder.

   

   Photo - sawing a block with a grinder

6. Choose materials for laying different sections of the building. Thus, it is customary to build external walls from blocks measuring 19x18.8x39 cm. Internal partitions can be laid from blocks measuring 19x9x39 cm or 12x19x39 cm.

Important! Before starting construction, you need to determine the optimal wall thickness. To save you from lengthy calculations, we immediately present the appropriate value: 400-500 mm for the central regions. Residents of other climatic zones should proportionally reduce or increase the recommended values ​​in accordance with the weather conditions in the area.

Nuances of reinforcement

As noted, walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, as well as structures made from most other block building elements, are reinforced every 3-4 rows. In this section, you are invited to familiarize yourself with the procedure for conducting this event so as not to return to it in the future.

In order for the finished structure to be as stable and reliable as possible, other elements of the building are subject to additional strengthening, namely:

• first row (not always, but very desirable);
• bottom seams of window openings. Relevant for cases when the opening dimensions are more than 180 cm. In this case, the space is reinforced to a length of at least 0.5 m on each side of the opening;
• supporting surfaces of door and window lintels - also 50 cm or more in each direction from the opening.

Depending on the characteristics of a particular project, other elements of the structure may be reinforced - this is determined on an individual basis.

Important note! Reinforcement and masonry technologies for most building blocks remain similar. Do not be alarmed if the products presented in the following illustrations look different from the expanded clay concrete blocks you purchased. The provisions of the technological processes under consideration are relevant.

Reinforcement is carried out using rods with a diameter of 8 mm (in this case, 2 longitudinal grooves measuring 4x4 cm are cut in the center of the blocks along the length of the reinforcement, the remaining space will be filled with mortar), or a mesh (made of wire with a diameter of 3-5 mm, cell sizes - 5x5 cm (when arranging openings - 7x7 cm), the bottom and top are protected from corrosion using a 2-centimeter layer of masonry mortar), or reinforcement frames (paired steel strips connected by wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm, laid on a layer of glue, recessed into it and the top is covered with a second layer of glue/solution).

In the second and third cases, no particular difficulties arise - the technology is clear from the notes in brackets. Reinforcement with steel rods deserves separate consideration.

Prices for fittings

fittings

Table. Reinforcement of block masonry

Work stage	Description
	As noted, two grooves are cut in the center, i.e. at equal distances from the edges of the block and its middle. A manual or electric wall chaser will be an excellent assistant in this matter, depending on the availability of electricity at the site. To do the job as efficiently as possible, you can first make markings using suitable available tools, for example, a long straight staff and a marker. You can also lay the slats in the center of the block and simply make cuts along its side edges.
	Dust the inner space of the groove using a sweeping brush or a hair dryer.
	Place the rods into the prepared grooves and cut to length. A grinder will help you with this. If you don’t have one, you can use a hand tool (hacksaw) or other suitable device.
	Having finished fitting and cutting, remove the reinforcement from the grooves and do the following: Fill the recesses with mortar or block adhesive. Use the same binder as for construction; Press the reinforcing bars into the mortar; Discard excess mixture. Thanks to the solution, the metal will be protected from corrosion.

To create thin seams between blocks, you can use the previously mentioned reinforcing frames. It looks like this.

A diagram of the correct reinforcement of block walls is shown in the image.

Video - Reinforcement of walls from blocks

Wall masonry

So, the foundation is ready and covered with a layer of moisture-proof material in the form of a bitumen + roofing felt bond, special waterproofing cardboard or other suitable material. You can start building walls. The sequence is described in the table.

Table. Laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

Work stage	Description
	The solution chosen for fastening the expanded clay concrete blocks is laid on top of the foundation waterproofing. Recommended layer thickness in accordance with The parameters of the mixture used were given earlier. A trowel will help you at this stage. You can also use a trowel or a plasterer’s ladle to apply the mixture, followed by leveling with a trowel - whichever is more convenient for you. With the help of this layer, deviations from the level will be leveled. If the surface of your foundation is flat, or you did the alignment before, skip this step.
	The applied leveling layer of mortar requires additional processing, which boils down to pouring cement dust on top of it - this will lead to an increase in the load-bearing capacity of the binder components. In addition, such treatment will eliminate the possibility of the building block being immersed in a relatively soft solution - otherwise the block would sag and there would be no point in applying a leveling layer. Sprinkle a little (literally 1-3 mm) of pure cement on top of the mortar/glue layer. Soon a carrier film forms on the surface.
	One of the most responsible and important stages of work. Helpful advice! Before laying, let the blocks soak in cold water for a minute. The material will become saturated with moisture and will not take it away from the solution/glue, thereby worsening the quality of adhesion. Install the first block of expanded clay concrete strictly at the corner of the intersection of the future external walls. Level the product using a level and light tapping with a rubber hammer. Install blocks in the remaining corners of the future bathhouse in a similar way. After this, make sure that the lengths of the diagonals match, just as you did at the stage of arranging the foundation. Stretch guide cords between the corner blocks to mark the future walls of the bathhouse - this will allow you to lay the blocks strictly at the same level. Ignoring this recommendation and attempting to carry out construction “by eye” will soon result in swelling, deformation and destruction of structures.
	Continue laying out the corner in accordance with the technology discussed. The solution is usually not applied to the side walls. The exceptions are as follows: A block connecting to the front surface of perpendicularly installed building elements; Sliced ​​products. Having laid out the corner to approximately the same size as in the photo, check the quality of the work done using a building level. Remove any deviations found using a rubber hammer.
	Before you start building walls, it is better to lay out each corner in at least 3 rows. Make sure that each row of blocks is laid evenly. The building level will help you with this.
	Check the verticality of the masonry after arranging each row. A tool called a plumb bob will help you at this stage. Horizontality is controlled by a mason's cord (mooring) and a level. This point will be discussed further.
	Start building the wall after laying several corner rows. To control the verticality of the masonry, use the order. The tool is shown in the photo and is represented by a simple straight bar with marks along the height of the blocks. Important note! Rows of walls are laid out from the corner elements. Having reached the bottom of the opening under the window, the masonry is carried out from the corner in the direction of the nearest wall.
	Don't forget to stretch the tie cord between the corner blocks when laying out each row. With the help of this simple device, it will be easier for you to control the evenness of the laying of building elements in a horizontal plane. The principle is simple: They pulled the cord; The block was laid; Align the building element in relation to the rope and other blocks using a rubber hammer.

Video - Laying a corner from blocks

Video - Laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

You have become familiar with the technology of laying walls from block building elements. Do not forget to carry out reinforcement in accordance with the previously received recommendations.

Important technological aspects of laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks

To successfully complete the job, you need to understand a number of technological nuances. These points will be discussed further below.

What should be the dressing of expanded clay concrete blocks?

As noted, construction is carried out according to the principle of brickwork: the vertical joints between expanded clay concrete blocks in different rows are shifted by half the block.

The minimum shift in walls made of full-size expanded clay blocks is 100 mm. A diagram of the correct ligation of full-size blocks is shown in the image.

For cases when the wall is laid out using cut (not full-size) elements, the following dressing scheme is relevant.

How to connect internal and external load-bearing walls?

If possible, build an external load-bearing wall together with the internal one. Make the connection like this:

• lay the first row of the internal load-bearing wall close to the external one. Use the solution;
• When laying the next row, move the block of the inner wall onto the outer one by about 100-150 mm. To do this, trim the expanded clay granite block of the external wall to the specified value;
• insulate the joint with 50 mm layers of polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Thanks to this, the lower thermal insulation properties of the expanded clay concrete block of the internal bath wall will be compensated.

The laying of partitions is carried out after the completion of the construction of load-bearing bath walls. Anchors are first installed in them to ensure subsequent pairing of internal partitions and finished load-bearing walls. The ends of the anchors are placed in the horizontal seams of the outer wall and the seams of the partition. The necessary holes can be made with a drill.

In most situations, constructing walls and partitions from full-size blocks alone is not possible. Cutting of building elements is carried out locally, i.e. in accordance with the dimensions of the empty space left after laying full-size expanded clay concrete blocks. A circular saw or an electromechanical saw is suitable for cutting.

Many craftsmen use a jigsaw for this. It is better to refrain from using an angle grinder: the excessive amount of heat generated can lead to the destruction of the building element. The cutting technology itself consists of 2 stages: mark the block and get rid of the excess.

Helpful advice! When arranging openings, try to use, if possible, not cuttings of building elements, but special additional blocks - reduce the number of cuts and ensure a higher quality of work.

Video - Cutting blocks

Non-full-size building elements must be embedded in the masonry. It is better to do this at the maximum distance from the slopes of the openings being constructed and the corners of the structure being erected. The displacement of vertical joints when laying non-full-size blocks is at least 40 mm.

Important! Vertical seams between solid and cut blocks must be filled with mortar.

How to arrange vertical seams?

In most areas, vertical joints are not filled with mortar. The following places are exceptions:

• connections of solid and cut blocks;
• connecting external walls with internal partitions is highly desirable;
• connections of corner blocks.

How to drill holes in block walls?

Holes for water supply pipes, sockets and other similar things are prepared with a drill with a simple or core drill.

Important note! When drilling with a drill, switch it to non-impact mode.

How to make grooves in block walls?

Grooves for electrical wires are made as follows:

• 2 parallel cuts are prepared in the wall. A circular saw is used for this;
• expanded clay concrete between the prepared cuts is removed with a chisel and a metal hammer;
• the furrow is cleared of dust and used for its intended purpose.

If you wish, you can purchase or rent a tool specially designed for such work - a furrower.

Important! According to the technology, before constructing furrows, it is necessary to perform appropriate calculations for strength indicators. Without them, it is only allowed to make recesses whose dimensions do not exceed the parameters indicated in the following table.

There are a number of significant notes regarding the above information.

Firstly, the maximum channel depth parameter should be considered relevant for any hole created during the preparation of a niche/channel.

Secondly, if the vertical channel rises higher than a third of the room in relation to the ceiling, it can be made 8 cm deep and 12 cm wide, provided that the wall thickness is at least 22.5 cm.

Thirdly, the distance between the furrows and recesses should be 22.5 cm.

Fourthly, if the niches are located on the same wall, you need to maintain a gap between them that is at least 2 times the width of the larger niche.

Fifthly, to determine the maximum permissible total width of grooves and recesses, you need to multiply the length of the wall by a factor of 0.13.

Helpful advice! Making oblique and horizontal canals is not recommended. If they must be present, a distance equal to at least 1/8 of the height of the room must be maintained between them and the floor/ceiling. Without performing additional calculations, channels can be made with a depth not exceeding the values ​​​​from the table.

How to make lintels over openings?

There are quite a few ways to arrange lintels over window/door openings; for example, they can be made from specially shaped blocks or ordinary bricks. We offer you the simplest, fastest and most convenient method to implement, which involves the use of ready-made ordinary jumpers. Suitable for use on both interior and exterior walls. The number of lintels varies depending on the thickness of the wall and its functional purpose.

The depth of embedding of the lintel in the wall is selected taking into account the width of the opening. The minimum acceptable value is 125 mm. The principle is simple: the lintels are laid over the opening, a portion of the material is cut out of the blocks according to the shape and size of the lintel, and the laying of the walls continues to the required height.

With its smaller side, the jumper is installed on a 1.2-centimeter layer of cement mortar. When using such products, temporary mounting supports are usually not used.

The technology for laying the lintel is demonstrated in the photo.

The same photo shows the thermal insulation liner. It can be made from mineral wool. The recommended layer thickness is 80-120 mm. After installing a set of jumper beams, tie them tightly with binding wire. It will ensure the correct position of the structural elements until the installation of the overlying row.

The mounted jumpers immediately begin to perform a load-bearing function. Products are available for sale whose height corresponds to the height of the blocks, which allows minimizing the number of trimmings. In this case, the wall surface and the lintel will form a single, even base, which will allow subsequent finishing to be carried out with the highest possible quality, for example, using plaster.

If you cannot find suitable jumpers on sale, you can make them yourself, for example, based on corners, following the recommendations from the following video.

Video - Installing jumpers over openings with your own hands

You have become familiar with all the technological aspects of laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks. If you wish, you can use the same guide when working with blocks from other materials - construction is carried out according to the same principles.

Instructions for arranging floors

As a rule, in addition to the lower tier, the bathhouse has at least an attic mezzanine, and at most 1 or more additional upper floors. To delimit the tiers, floors are installed. Both interfloor and attic floors can be made following the provisions of the same technology.

You are invited to read the instructions for self-assembly of this structural element below.

One of the most popular options for interfloor slabs is a reinforced concrete slab. But we will refuse this option. Firstly, the financial, labor and time costs of its arrangement will be unreasonably high. Secondly, you will have to perform many calculations to determine the load created by the ceiling and understand whether the walls and foundation of the bathhouse can withstand operation in such conditions.

In such conditions, it is much more expedient to resort to the use of wooden floors. The structure is relatively simple to install and can be erected in less time at relatively low financial costs (if compared with a reinforced concrete slab).

What is the ceiling made of?

To construct the floor, it is best to use dry coniferous wood, designed specifically for use in such conditions (the material must meet the standards of the construction industry - check with the seller for the availability of accompanying documents confirming this fact).

Helpful advice! If you wish, you can spend additional funds and make floors with minimum wages. Construction experts often call such structures “skeletons.” The products are characterized by high strength and load-bearing capacity, provide effective fastening of parts of the structure and are available in lengths of up to 12 m. Due to the fact that in most cases it is recommended to make the ceiling transverse to the structure, i.e. lay the ends on the long sides of the building (so that there is less sagging), the specified length, since we are talking about a bathhouse, will be sufficient in the vast majority of cases.

You can see the characteristics of different types of wood in the following table.

The interfloor ceiling is simultaneously the ceiling beams of the lower tier and the floor joists of the upper floor.

Photo - fastening floor beams

Before using the timber for its intended purpose, it must be impregnated with an antiseptic and fire retardant. These products increase the resistance of the material to rot and fire. Sections of beams resting on walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks must be tarred and wrapped with roofing felt to provide effective protection from the harmful effects of moisture - without such treatment, the wood will simply rot and the structure will last very little.

Attach roofing felt using any suitable method. Fasten with a stapler or nails with a wide head. Please note that for waterproofing two layers of roofing material are used, and the length of the insulation layer must be at least 25 cm, and the roofing material must protrude 3 cm beyond the inner border of the wall.

Thermal insulation of floors separating rooms with approximately the same temperature may not be necessary. The part of the structure that separates, for example, the steam room and the room above or the heated floor and the attic must be insulated.

Waterproofing of floors is carried out in areas covering rooms with an increased level of humidity: washing room, steam room, etc. Recommendations regarding this were given earlier in the corresponding material on our website. The instructions are devoted to the construction of the ceiling, but for wooden floors the recommendations remain the same.

Important! When choosing a beam section for arranging a floor, take into account, first of all, the size of the span: the section of the beam must correspond to at least a sixteenth of the mentioned indicator. Additionally, the load must be taken into account. Recommendations regarding these nuances are given in the table.

Having decided on the optimal type of wood and the necessary operational and technical characteristics of the timber, proceed directly to the stage of arranging the floor.

Prices for roofing material

roofing felt

We offer the simplest option for placing floor beams. Many experts recommend pre-cutting openings for timber in the blocks of the top row of the wall, but this is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It is much easier to do as in the image below.

Here the beams are made of knocked down boards, but the meaning remains the same. Elementary technology:

• Beams with pre-selected characteristics and spacing are laid on the top row of expanded clay concrete blocks. The minimum overlap of the beam on the block is 50 mm. In practice, they usually stick to 100-150 mm. The previously mentioned waterproofing is visible in the photo;
• the space between the beams is filled with expanded clay concrete blocks, pre-cut to the required parameters. The height of full-size blocks in most cases is 190 mm. If the beam has smaller parameters, the problem will be solved by cutting off the excess part from the block. If the block is lower than the beam used (which is extremely rare), the disadvantage is leveled out with the help of additional elements or a cut of the same expanded clay concrete block;
• then the walls of the upper floor continue to be laid out in accordance with standard technology.

The image shows intermediate beams intended to strengthen the structure. Used when necessary. Conclusions about the feasibility of their use are made at the stage of drawing up project documentation. The parameters of the beams, with the exception of length, usually correspond to the characteristics of the main elements. The fastening is carried out in a suitable manner. In the example presented, these are metal corners and screws.

You can obtain detailed information about it in the corresponding publication on our website. The information is focused on the ceiling, but its relevance in the case of wooden beam floors remains.

The floors between other floors and the attic are made in a similar sequence.

Video - Wooden interfloor slab

What to do next?

“Pushing the box” is completed. What are the next steps?

1. First of all, you need .
2. Secondly, you need to complete the steps involved.

Video - Bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks

After several years of owning a summer cottage, I decided to build my own bathhouse. The planned dimensions are 5x5.3 m, the height to the ceiling is 2.25 m. The bathhouse is small, family type, with a gable roof and small attic(height from the attic floor to the roof ridge is 1.9 m). I thought about the construction material for a long time and decided to go with gas silicate blocks. The walls of the bathhouse and the gables of the attic were built from them. Inside, the steam room was insulated with a standard “pie” of insulation, vapor barrier and lining. In the rest room and in the attic, gas silicate was lined with lining, in the washing room it was tiled. I’ll tell you about all the stages of construction and internal lining the walls of my bathhouse are made of gas silicate.

Why were gas silicate blocks chosen?

When I just started construction, many neighbors in the dacha community asked me a question about why I chose gas silicate blocks. Somehow everyone got used to either wood or brick. And my arguments are:

• Quick installation. Gas silicate blocks are larger in size than bricks, so the construction of walls from them is much faster.
• High thermal insulation. Gas silicate belongs to cellular concrete, that is, it has many air cells inside. They play the role of heat insulators. Therefore, a bathhouse made of gas silicate blocks, in comparison with a brick one, warms up faster and retains heat longer. In terms of thermal insulation qualities, gas silicate is not inferior to wood.
• Fire resistance. Gas silicate blocks do not burn, unlike wooden structures.
• Impossibility of rotting.
• Low cost compared to brick, timber or logs.

In addition, I have good bricklaying skills, so I decided that I could handle gas silicate blocks.

I'll start in order.

Construction of building walls

The blocks were laid using a ready-made strip foundation, protected by two layers of roofing felt waterproofing. Blocks with dimensions of 200x300x600 mm were used. I laid them on edge, that is, the thickness of the walls turned out to be 200 mm.

The construction of gas silicate walls will be carried out on a strip foundation

For masonry, cement mortar was used, mixed in a 3:1 ratio (ratio of sand to cement).

The work was carried out according to the following plan.

Stage #1 - laying the first row of blocks on the foundation

I started laying from the corner, which (according to the version laser level) was the highest. I applied the solution (about 5 mm) onto the roofing material with a trowel, and pressed the block on top. For better fastening, I tapped the blocks with the handle of a trowel.

The first row is the most important; the remaining rows of blocks will be aligned with it. Therefore, the accuracy of laying the blocks of the first row must be constantly monitored building level in 3 directions.

If necessary, cutting blocks, I used a grinder with diamond blades on concrete. By the way, I once saw workers from a construction crew cutting blocks with a chainsaw. It worked out very quickly. So, whichever of these tools you have, use it.

Stage #2 - erection of walls

Subsequent rows of blocks were laid with an offset of 15 cm. That is, the seams of the overlying blocks were shifted by 15 cm in relation to the underlying ones. Gradually the walls were built to a height of 2.25 m.

The walls of the bathhouse are made of gas silicate blocks and lined to the ceiling

Stage #3 - construction of gables

The gables were built according to the same principle as the walls, to a height of 1.9 m at the ridge. Except there was more hassle with cutting the blocks!

The gables of the bathhouse were also lined with gas silicate

Installation of a “pie” of insulation in a steam room

I would like to see the internal surfaces of the bathhouse in wood finishing. For almost nothing, I managed to buy a machine for cutting aspen boards 20 mm thick and 125 mm wide. I used it for finishing, having previously smoothed the surfaces with a plane and sander. It turned out good!

Despite the good thermal insulation qualities of gas silicate, additional insulation never hurt. Especially in a steam room, where there are temperature changes and high humidity. Without insulation, streams of condensate will flow through the gas silicate. This is not very good for blocks, but generally disastrous for lining. First it will twist, then it will rot.

Therefore, I decided to equip the steam room with the traditional insulation “pie”: insulation - vapor barrier - lining.

The plan was carried out according to the following scheme.

Stage #1 - stuffing slats on the walls and laying insulation

Paroc mineral wool must be laid over gas silicate, inserting mats between the padded slats.

I attached 50x50 mm slats to the walls vertically using wood screws. It turned out that they are easily screwed into gas silicate and are firmly held in it. A 50 mm thick insulation was laid between the slats. I tried to lay it tightly, squeezing the cotton a little before installing it in the slatted “window”. It is important here to avoid any cracks, otherwise cold bridges will negate all thermal insulation.

Laying insulation between slats packed on the wall

Stage #2 - installation of a vapor barrier layer

For vapor barrier, two materials were used - Metaspan film and foil. First, I shot Metaspan onto the slats with an overlap of about 15-20 cm. Then - foil, with the same overlap. The joints of both layers were taped with foil tape. Such a vapor barrier will not only prevent moisture and steam from accessing the Paroc insulation, but will also serve as a kind of continuation of the insulating layer. Foil vapor barrier Metaspan + aluminium foil will serve as a reflective mirror for thermal infrared rays coming from the steam room. The rays will be sent back, and accordingly the quality of thermal insulation will increase.

Fastening the Metaspan foil vapor barrier on top of the insulation

Stage #3 - making lathing for clapboard cladding

To ensure that condensate flows freely over the foil and is not absorbed into the lining, a ventilation gap was made. To do this, the sheathing had to be “pushed away” from the foil using small, 2cm thick bars nailed in advance.

Thus, first I nailed the bars through the foil (to the slats), and then horizontally fixed the sheathing of boards onto them.

The horizontal lathing for fastening the lining is made of boards

Stage #4 - paneling

The clapboard sheathing on the sheathing was done vertically using small nails.

Internal wall cladding with paired aspen lining

At first I thought that I wouldn’t treat the lining in the steam room with anything. But then I decided to play it safe against all kinds of rot and covered the boards with one layer of oil from Tikkurilla “Supi Saunasuoja”. The oil is colorless, but forms a matte film on the wood.

At this point, the design of the walls of the steam room was completed.

Washing tiles

There should not be any significant temperature changes in the washing room, so I decided to do without special waterproofing. Just cover the gas silicate with tiles and that’s it.

Bought ceramic tiles increased strength 8 mm thick. I laid it on frost-resistant, moisture-resistant glue. The glue was spread on the wall in a layer of about 10 mm, and the tile was pressed against it. All rows were controlled horizontally and vertically by the building level.

Cladding the rest room and attic

For the cladding I used the same aspen paneling as in the steam room. I just sewed it onto the slats horizontally. I did not use any vapor or thermal insulation.

First of all, I attached vertical slats (made of boards) to the gas silicate walls. I nailed the clapboard to them with nails.

Vertical slats are mounted on gas silicate blocks using wood screws

The walls of the rest room were covered with aspen paneling horizontally

Upon completion of the work, I covered the lining with antiseptic impregnation “Drevnokhron oak” (Polifarb) in 2 layers. The second layer was applied after the first had dried, that is, the next day.

Results of the work

The cladding I completed does not indicate the presence of gas silicate walls. Entering the bathhouse, it seems that you are in a wooden log house. And what aromas come from the aspen lining when the steam room is heated!

This is what the wall looks like front door in the rest room!

In general, gas silicate blocks are an excellent material for building a bathhouse. Besides, it's inexpensive. Construction of a gas silicate bath, compared to wooden log house, will cost much less.