Water pipes      03/07/2020

Construction of a bathhouse from combined materials. Materials for building a bathhouse: what materials are best to build a bathhouse from? The main disadvantages of this wood can be called

The choice of material for the construction of the bathhouse and interior decoration largely determines the quality and appearance of the bathhouse. As it turned out, in addition to tastes, material capabilities, and traditions, it is necessary to take into account a number of factors that leave their mark on the choice of building material, so in this article we will look at what materials are best used for building a bathhouse.

What material is the bathhouse made of?

The best material for a bathhouse is log walls

Most often, baths are built from wood. Special attention pays attention to the strength and quality of the material: any unevenness or loose fit can cause noticeable heat loss.

We can talk endlessly about the advantages of a log sauna, and the best material for a sauna is:

  • Aesthetics. For many, when choosing between a timber log building, aesthetics is one of the main factors.
  • Environmental friendliness. Wood is an environmentally friendly material, absolutely safe for humans.
  • Low thermal conductivity. Long-term heat retention is ensured due to the low thermal conductivity of wood compared to other materials (brick, concrete, panel). There is no need for additional thermal insulation.
  • Durability. According to this criterion, bathhouses made of timber are significantly superior to panel and frame buildings. Durability depends on many factors - from the selection, harvesting and storage of wood to the care of the building. If you follow the technology of bathhouse construction, proper and timely care, such a bathhouse will last for quite a long time. The estimated period, if all standards are met, is 75 years.
  • Low cost. Planed wood is a relatively inexpensive material, and the cost of construction from it is significantly lower compared to the cost brick bath. Coniferous species are mainly used for the construction of baths - pine, larch. Pine is distinguished by a small number of knots and the greatest straightness of the trunk. Larch is denser than pine and more resistant to decay, resistant to dampness, but its price is higher than pine.

Concerning fire safety wooden bath, here, of course, a lot depends on compliance with construction standards. To increase fire resistance, wood is impregnated with fire retardant compounds, the choice of which is huge.

Building material for a bath - Timber

However, the construction of a bathhouse on summer cottage can be carried out in another way - using not logs, but timber. This type of construction reduces material costs. But, on the other hand, if the owner wants to improve the appearance of the building, he will have to spend money on finishing materials.

If we talk about preferences when choosing between timber and logs, then a log is usually considered a more acceptable material for building a bathhouse. However, it would be wrong to say that a log sauna better than a bath from timber. These materials for the construction of a bathhouse have approximately the same characteristics, so preferences in the choice are quite arbitrary and are determined appearance and cost.

Brick walls for building a bathhouse

Build good bath made of brick and stone is more difficult than made of wood. However, in some cases, when brick and stone are more accessible than wood, it is necessary to build not only the foundation, but also walls from them. Using brick in construction, you can maintain a high temperature in the room throughout the day, but such material will take much longer to warm up. A brick bathhouse is more durable and less fire hazardous. Its main disadvantage is large heat losses due to high thermal conductivity. To reduce it, it is recommended to line the inside of the bathhouse with clapboard, laying a thick layer of steam and thermal insulation between it and the brick wall. Any brickwork absorbs and allows moisture to pass through, so contact of the walls with the ground is not allowed.

Moisture-resistant bath materials include:

  • moisture-resistant plasterboard, used in interior decoration baths and requires the application of additional primer;
  • moisture resistant panels.

Concrete walls for a bath

Microclimate in a brick or concrete bath, of course, it will not be the same as in the wooden one. It is possible to build a bathhouse from foam concrete, but vapor barrier and ventilation from inside the premises in this case require ideal execution, otherwise it is better not to use foam concrete.

When performing masonry work from foam blocks, it is necessary to remember about additional waterproofing of the material. This can be bituminous soil (liquid bitumen) with pre-treatment with deep impregnation soil.

At panel construction baths external walls erected on frame basis from sandwich panels. So far, this option for building a bathhouse is not popular, although it allows you to save on the base for the structure. Due to the lightness of the walls being erected, it will be enough for a panel bath

Currently gaining more and more popularity Canadian technology construction of country houses from OSB sandwich panels. You can build a bathhouse from this material, and such a bathhouse will have a number of advantages:

  • construction time is very short,
  • the sauna does not shrink and is immediately ready for use,
  • the cost of foundation for a bathhouse is minimized due to the lightness of the structure,
  • walls made of OSB panels with 150 mm thick insulation do not freeze in winter and provide quick heating of the interior space, long time keeping warm.
  • and finally, OSB - a panel - is the ideal rough panel for any interior or exterior decoration.

The service life of a panel bath depends on the quality characteristics of the internal finishing materials and averages 25 - 30 years. In operation, a panel bathhouse is no different from bathhouses made of other materials.

Conclusion: what material to build a bathhouse from?

Materials for building a bathhouse, such as brick, foam concrete and sandwich panels, have their advantages, but they are artificial. Best material for the bath - natural wood and it should be given preference when building a bathhouse. You can build with wood at any time of the year, be it cold winter or dry summer. Wood serves as an excellent heat insulator, as it has excellent property accumulate heat and retain it for a long time, which is important when heating a bathhouse. Baths, built from rounded logs, combine long-standing Russian traditions of construction wooden buildings And modern technologies production, which makes them unsurpassably beautiful.

Having your own bathhouse in the courtyard of a private house is the dream of many owners of suburban areas. Everyone knows that a bathhouse serves as a place not only for regular washing, but also for health treatments- healing steam cleanses pores, improves blood circulation and gives vitality. In addition, there is a tradition that this particular building often turns into a kind of “club”, where you can have a great time with friends or loved ones.

Therefore, owners planning to create such a useful “complex” inevitably face the question - what is the best material to build a bathhouse from, so that it can be used at any time of the year and without extra costs create and maintain an optimal microclimate. The choice of material directly influences the creation of a healthy, relaxing sauna atmosphere.

In addition, the correctly selected material is the key to the durability of this structure. It is imperative to take into account that internal surfaces walls will be constantly exposed to moist hot air and temperature changes.

The modern market offers a wide variety of different building materials suitable for the construction of walls of houses, utility, utility and other specific buildings. However, it is worth taking a closer look and figuring out which one is ideal for a bathhouse.

18.05.2016

When making any decision, a person is faced with many questions regarding how to implement his plans. When, thoughts immediately arise about what it should be like. And the most important of these questions is about what to build a bathhouse from to make it durable and cozy. Let's figure out what materials will be the best for its construction.

The first step is to soberly evaluate the subject from the point of view of the relationship between desires and possibilities. If everything is in order with the possibilities, then you can afford any option without worrying, such a wonderful pun! You can buy a ready-made bathhouse, or use finished project to choose from, or give free rein to a flight of fantasy, which will be realized by highly qualified craftsmen. If the possibilities are not limitless, you will have to rack your brains, and even give up something, and, perhaps, work with your hands if there is no money for the services of builders. Someone, on the contrary, will refuse to hire a team because they want to build a bathhouse themselves. And if in any case you have to work, then it is better, if possible, to find the advantages in this and become a creator. Then your bathhouse will be good, and your life in general will be better, you’ll see!

Planning

First you need to plan what the bathhouse will be like, whether there will be shower room, sauna, or just a steam room and washing room. This is the total area of ​​the building. You need to think about how many people the bathhouse should accommodate at the same time. It is advisable that there be at least 5 sq.m. per person. area. Already, based on this, it is calculated in what quantities certain building materials will be required. Is there enough land for construction? To avoid problems in the future, remember the following:

  • The bathhouse must be located at least 10m from other buildings.
  • from artesian wells and wells - at least 20m.
  • at least 2.5m from neighboring areas.

Now that you have decided on the place for construction and the internal layout, it’s time to think about what material to build the bathhouse from. In general, planning and building materials are interconnected things: already at the planning stage it is advisable to imagine what materials are necessary or desirable to use; a list of what and in what quantities will be required can only be compiled after the project has been fully developed. So, if the plan for the bathhouse is ready, you should already know what the walls of the bathhouse will be made of, what the foundation, roofing, exterior and how to insulate will be.

Let's start with the walls

What should a bathhouse be like? Chopped? Wood frame? Brick, concrete? Of course, many are immediately inclined to traditional look– log house But this is also a popular option. What to prefer? let's consider different variants, and let everyone decide for themselves.

Example of cinder block masonry

A brick bathhouse will last longer than a wooden one, it is stronger and more reliable because it requires much thicker walls. The thermal conductivity of brick is much higher than similar parameters of wood or foam concrete. This is worth taking into account, despite the fact that in any case you will have to work on the thermal insulation of the room. At the same time, a brick bathhouse, as already mentioned, is more durable and looks good even without exterior finishing. , of course, will not look as aesthetically pleasing. But the thermal conductivity coefficient, depending on the materials from which the blocks are made, can be much lower. Building walls from blocks will take less time than brickwork.

Log house

If you do not have the skills to lay brick walls or any blocks (concrete, gas silicate, etc.), then it is better to build a bathhouse from wood. For a person without experience, the best option is . It is more difficult to build a log house. However, it has its considerable advantages. For example, a log, even factory-rounded, is less susceptible to negative influence atmospheric phenomena than timber. This has several consequences. For example, a log does not deform so much, while a beam can “lead” so much that it becomes unsuitable for building a wall. In addition, timber is more susceptible to cracking, and cracks appear unpredictably, while cracking of logs occurs mainly vertically, which not only does not increase, but, on the contrary, reduces thermal conductivity. Therefore, when purchasing a finished log house, it is better to give preference to the “log option”. In this case, the log house must be allowed to shrink for about a year, and before disassembling and transporting, it is necessary to ensure that the crowns (rows of the log house) are numbered, otherwise, when assembled on site, it may not turn out as good as it was. A log house shrinks by an average of 10-12 cm, and a timber frame shrinks by 6-10 cm.

Often longitudinal grooves and notches for assembling the crown are made using technology on factory equipment, which ensures good density adjustments. Profiled timber is also made from solid logs, hewn from two or four sides. It is easy to make a log house yourself; it is more reliable than buying such a log house, and will allow you to significantly save money. For independent work This - best option. Just take care to treat at least the lower crowns with an antiseptic composition. If it is possible to purchase glued profiled timber, then the process will be even simpler, and the quality of construction will be much better.

Whether you will be cutting a bathhouse from timber or logs, you need to take the choice of material and its preparation seriously. If possible, find out when the wood was cut. It would be desirable for this to be winter time. It is also advisable to dry the wood for at least a month. To do this, it must be laid with bars so that it is ventilated on all sides, and at least a weak semblance of a canopy must be built to protect it from precipitation and sun rays. The wood must be cleared of bark, leaving bands at the ends that protect it from cracking.

Regardless of what the walls are made of, profiled timber will be needed to construct floor joists and ceiling beams.

Alternative

Another option for a wooden bath is. Wooden frame sheathed on the inside and outside decorative board, imitating timber, with clapboard, and all the resulting cavities are filled thermal insulation material. You can buy a ready-made bathhouse, or you can build it yourself, although this is a little more complicated than installing a log house.

There are a lot of advantages. Its walls have the lowest thermal conductivity and are able to retain heat as well as brickwork ten times thicker. A frame bathhouse is easier and simpler to build, and the structure itself is the lightest of all those mentioned here. Plus, it gives greater freedom of internal layout compared to the same log house.

Wood will also be needed for installation. internal partitions, buildings truss structure for roofing, wall and ceiling cladding, flooring, making shelves and deck chairs. For the floor you will need edged board, and for the walls and ceiling - lining. Better use material hardwood, for example, linden or aspen.

But first you need to prepare the foundation on which all the above-described splendor will be erected.

Which foundation to choose?

First, let's look at belt type foundation. It can be either laid out from bricks or blocks, or poured concrete mortar using crushed stone and sand. Strip foundation Suitable for all types of baths. If this is not a heavy brick or concrete structure, and the soil on the site allocated for construction is hard, you can build a columnar foundation. The pillars are installed at the corners of the building and at the junction of external and interior walls. If the bathhouse area is large, additional poles are installed around the perimeter at intervals of one meter. They can be brick, block, even wooden, preferably larch or oak, or combined.

As options for a columnar foundation, with a high location groundwater Bored and pile foundations are made on site or soil instability. Metal or asbestos-cement pipes are installed in the drilled wells, or they are filled with concrete mortar, and again pipes are used. This is a bored foundation. When performing the pile option, concrete piles are driven into the wells. It’s not at all difficult to make them yourself in a formwork constructed specifically for this purpose using at least wire with a diameter of about 5 mm as reinforcement. Apparently, a columnar foundation, no matter what it is made of, will cost much less than a strip foundation.

It’s a good idea to prepare a place for the foundation at this stage. future furnace, especially if it's...

Real Russian heater

Although it is advisable to limit yourself to preparation and entrust the actual work to a master stove-maker, especially if your wall laying does not turn out very nicely. That’s where it’s at, but it’s not worth saving on this, otherwise the stingy one will not only pay twice, but will then continue to pay for the rest of his life, or until he resets the stove properly.

Here you will need a brick, at least 30 bricks to heat 1 sq.m. baths You need to choose an ordinary red brick of good firing, correct form, without cracks or other defects. Also suitable for laying out a firebox white brick. Silicate and perforated are definitely not suitable. Listen to the stove maker, he knows what and how much is needed.

After you've thought about the stove, it's time to think about what will hold the heat in the bathhouse, and steam, by the way, too.

How to keep warm?

It is best to insulate walls with mineral and glass wool, which are especially convenient in the form of slabs. It is better to choose ones laminated on one side with foil, just for vapor barrier. It is very convenient to insert such slabs into the cells of the sheathing, which will then be covered with clapboard. Before insulating the walls, they are upholstered waterproofing material: glassine, polyethylene foam, laminated, aluminum foil. You should not use roofing felt for these purposes, especially in a steam room, if you are concerned about your health. In log houses, jute and felt insulation is used, which is placed between the crowns in grooves, as well as hemp to caulk the cracks. The doors in the bathhouse should also be insulated and vapor-insulated, and the outer doors should also be waterproofed.

Windows in the bathhouse should be small and located low from the floor to promote better heat retention. The windows in the bathhouse are not for looking out of them, much less looking in. They serve quite utilitarian purposes: to transmit light and provide ventilation to the room.

The crown of creation

And finally, the roof. The roof can be single- or double-sloped, with or without an attic. The attic is preferable for two main reasons: firstly, this design retains heat better, and secondly, the attic can be used as a room for storing bath accessories and for other household needs.

The rafter structure can be assembled on the ground and ready to be installed on the walls of the bathhouse, or built directly on site. The type of lathing depends on what material will be used to cover the roof. If it's roofing material, flat slate or metal tiles, then the sheathing should be continuous, “panelboard”. Under roofing iron and wave materials it can be with a distance between boards of up to 25cm. Roof waterproofing is carried out in the same way as in the case of walls.

It will not be difficult for a person who knows all of the above to determine for himself what to build a bathhouse from and how much investment it will require. Of course, there are many nuances and little details, for example, various Consumables were not mentioned here, and at the same time, in practice, it is unlikely to be possible to do without them. But if you do not turn the problem into an insurmountable obstacle, but consider it as a question that requires a calm solution, then this problem, then some other questions, and soon all of life as a whole will become pliable, like plasticine.

Initially, “small towns” – wooden chocks – were used as point supports. But over time, any wood rots and requires replacement, so it was replaced by concrete structures.

This type of foundation is good because its construction can smooth out the unevenness of the site: it is enough to deepen a row of foundations to the required level to obtain a level surface. Can be used in the construction of small one-story baths.

Pile gained great popularity, especially due to the fact that screw piles can be installed even in winter. Therefore, construction of other types of baths for which such a base is suitable can begin at any time of the year.

The essence is to twist specially made piles at equal intervals (the distance between them is regulated depending on the massiveness and size of the structure).

Pile foundations also include foundations made from bored piles, about this, as well as about pile foundations We recommend reading it.

What is better to build a bathhouse from: the main question is the walls

The wall material directly determines:

  • type of foundation required;
  • types of insulation and their application (outside or inside).

Therefore, it is so important to understand the walls in the topic “What is the best material to build a bathhouse from.”

Blocks: what material are they made of?

Block baths have won love among builders and buyers for good reason: they are characterized by incredibly short construction times with a relatively low cost. If you have a certain amount of skills, you can independently cope with the construction of a bathhouse from blocks. The most common types of blocks include:

  1. foam concrete;
  2. expanded clay concrete;
  3. aerated concrete;
  4. gas silicate;
  5. cinder blocks.

Block baths require decorative finishing, because... do not differ in special aesthetic qualities in their “pure” form.

Which blocks are best to build a bathhouse from?

Ease of production cinder blocks leads to the development of handicraft production, which cannot maintain product manufacturing standards. However, they undoubtedly have one advantage - low price.

Gas silicate the blocks are highly hygroscopic, require high-quality hydro- and vapor barrier, in addition, it is important not to make a mistake in its types: they all have different parameters for strength and thermal insulation. Use for bathhouse construction is not always justified.

Therefore, answering the question: which blocks are best to build a bathhouse from, we say: they fit well aerated concrete and foam concrete– they are easy to use, light in weight and easy to process. The cellular structure guarantees excellent thermal insulation properties, but also requires high-quality vapor barrier and waterproofing.

Tree

The tree is one of the most traditional materials, which meet all environmental requirements. Today the industry offers different types processed wood:

  1. log(the most thorough material);
  2. timber(processed wood of certain dimensions, for example: 100*100, 200*200);
  3. carriage(a log hewn from two opposite sides - especially popular in Scandinavian countries);
  4. double beam(represents 2 boards with grooves, between which insulation is placed, most often mineral wool or ecowool).

What kind of wood is best to build a bathhouse from?

The main division of wood building material lies in the nature of the logs used: resinous (coniferous) or non-resinous (deciduous) species.

What kind of wood is best to build a bathhouse from? Made from dense and well dried. Aspen is one of the non-resinous species, but such wood is very expensive, and oak is especially expensive. The fundamental difference is that poorly dried coniferous wood will resin for a long time (resin smudges will form).

Therefore, they are most often built from pine and other coniferous species. In addition to a lower price (compared to the same aspen), they have such advantages as:

  1. smooth and straight trunk;
  2. easy processing of logs;
  3. knots do not spread inside the wood (as, for example, in birch);
  4. retain heat excellently (aspen is significantly inferior in this characteristic).

In view of the above, if you chose pine as the answer to the question: what kind of wood is best to build a bathhouse from, then you should give preference to well-dried wood.

From which forest? is it better to build a bathhouse? It would be desirable if this were winter forest (that is, chopped in winter and dried during the summer under cover).

REFERENCE. Dead wood is periodically offered as a building material, and this is to some extent justified, such wood has a high density. But he demands special processing antiseptics, otherwise there is a high chance of damage by rot in places of high humidity.

Timber or log: what to make a bathhouse from?

Each of these materials has its own advantages:

  • log sauna does not require additional thermal insulation, except for inter-crown insulation;
  • timber bathhouse It’s easier to lay than from a log; a minimum qualification is enough to lay the beam with minimal gaps.

Therefore, when choosing a material and what to make a bathhouse from, use additional information from.

Which timber is better to build a bathhouse from?

To build a bathhouse, it is best to use well-dried timber: it will shrink less, and there will also be a lower risk that the timber will begin to bend. High humidity timber reduces its thermal insulation properties.

Which timber is better to build a bathhouse from? For, based on the type of wood from which it is made, you can use the table below:

Wood species Dryness coefficient, % Mechanical strength for wood with 15% humidity, MPa (kgf/cm²)
in the radial direction in tangential direction for compression along the fibers bending chipping
in the radial plane in the tangential plane
Coniferous trees
Pine 0,18 0,33 43,9 79,3 6,9 (68) 7,3 (73)
Spruce 0,14 0,24 42,3 74,4 5,3 (53) 5,2 (52)
Larch 0,22 0,40 51,1 97,3 8,3 (83) 7,2 (72)
Fir 0,9 0,33 33,7 51,9 4,7 (47) 5,3 (53)
Hardwood species
Oak 0,18 0,28 52,0 93,5 8,5 (85) 10,4 (104)
Ash 0,19 0,30 51,0 115 13,8 (138) 13,3 (133)
Birch 0,26 0,31 44,7 99,7 8,5 (85) 11 (110)
Maple 0,21 0,34 54,0 109,7 8,7 (87) 12,4 (124)
Elm 0,22 0,44 48,6 105,7 13,8 (138)
Elm 0,15 0,32 38,9 85,2 7 (70) 7,7 (77)
Soft-leaved tree species
Aspen 0,2 0,32 37,4 76,6 5,7 (57) 7,7 (77)
Linden 0,26 0,39 39 68 7,3 (73) 8 (80)
Black alder 0,16 0,23 36,8 69,2
Black aspen 0,16 0,31 35,1 60 5,8 (58) 7,4 (74)

According to the results of many studies, double timber is ahead of similar indicators ordinary timber, but used as internal insulation mineral wool casts doubt on its use in the construction of a bathhouse.

Useful video:

Watch a video explaining the benefits of double timber. It seems reasonable to conclude that the technology is more suitable for homes than for baths.

For good warm bath It is best to use a 200*200 beam; the use of a thinner beam or half-beam (for example, 100*50) will require significant financial costs for external insulation. Although, if the bathhouse is heated only in the summer ( country option), then not thick walls, 10 centimeters, may be enough.

Foam block

As already mentioned, it has a high ability to absorb moisture due to its porous structure, so proper vapor and waterproofing is required. About the benefits and strengths Foam concrete baths can be found in these articles:

  • , and .

Frame baths

They have gained great popularity due to the short construction time, as well as others that make it possible to carry out. You should be careful when choosing insulation for the frame, since a bathhouse is a building with increased temperature conditions use. Therefore, the insulation must be safe and not emit harmful substances when heated. More detailed information you can read in this article: .

Dedicated to choosing the type of foundation for frame baths.

Insulation

It was not for nothing that log bathhouses were so popular, because before there was no such assortment of insulation materials, so everyone made do with simple caulking: plugging cracks and gaps with natural materials: moss, flax, etc.

Bathhouses made of timber already require minor insulation from the outside, especially in areas with cold winters.

But during the construction of block and brick baths You can’t do without insulation at all.

What needs to be insulated in any bathhouse?

In any bathhouse, regardless of what building material it is built from, it is required. This is no accident: after all warm air always strives upward. If you do not insulate the ceiling, then all the heat will go outside. baths Frame baths have insulation already inside the frame, so additional insulation appropriate if you are in an area with extremely cold winters. More .

Floor

Any floor needs insulation, especially if the foundation has not been insulated. Depending on the organization of the floor in your bathhouse (spill or non-spill), the choice of insulation depends. If the floor is torrential, then the insulation must be protected from moisture, otherwise when wet it will lose all its properties. More information .

Roof

Roof insulation will be needed if you organize attic floor, in this case you can use polystyrene foam or mineral wool.

Insulation from inside or outside

Most often, insulation is done from the inside; log bathhouses and saunas, which are used in winter in cold regions, are insulated from the outside. often combined with decorative finishing. provides the effect of a thermos and protects the wall material from damage high temperature. It should be remembered that.

A little about insulation

It is necessary to understand that you cannot purchase a batch of one type of insulation and use it to insulate the entire bath.

This topic is the subject of heated debate, which only flares up more brightly with the advent of the next new product on the insulation market.

What can you use to make a bathhouse quickly and inexpensively?

What can you use to make a bathhouse quickly and inexpensively? Choose one, or build it yourself from timber or. These materials require minimal qualifications and dexterity. Usage natural insulation materials will also reduce the cost of the project.

They are also popular because of their low cost and ease of implementation, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with them.

Conclusion

It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question: what is the best material to build a bathhouse from? As you can see, the choice is huge. It is worth focusing on your personal preferences and budget options. We have tried to provide you with a detailed section of information that will allow you to more easily understand this difficult topic and choose the solution you need.

Building a bathhouse involves investing time, effort and, of course, money. But not everyone can afford to purchase a “turnkey bathhouse” - it’s quite expensive. Therefore, many people prefer to build this useful structure on their site themselves. And here a reasonable question arises for everyone: “What material should I choose for the construction of my future bathhouse?” For its construction you can use the most different materials: brick, adobe, wood and also various types of modern blocks. The simplest and affordable option For many, there will be the construction of a bathhouse from timber or logs.

If a log is sawed or trimmed on two or four sides, the result is a beam, the thickness of which, as a rule, starts from 100 mm. The section of the beam is a rectangle or square with an aspect ratio not exceeding 1:2.

A log, also called a round log, is obtained by cleaning cut trees from knots, bark and branches, sawing it to the required length across the trunk.

The comparison below of these two materials will help you decide on what is better to build a bathhouse from: timber or logs:

  • The core of solid logs is protected from weather conditions by the skin of the wooden trunk, but timber does not have such protection.
  • Possible annual shrinkage for a log house is 10-12 cm, and for a log house - 6-10 cm.
  • According to the manufacturing technology, a log house made of timber is much simpler than a log house made of logs.
  • Log house made of timber in finished form It’s better not to order, since some of the log beams may “lead” when dried, i.e. they will serve as a “propeller”, making the assembly of such a log house impossible without replacing unsuitable beams. Logs are less susceptible to hygroscopicity, therefore, a ready-made log house can be purchased without any fear. Just when purchasing, be sure to pay attention to the presence of numbering on all crowns, otherwise when dismantling and transporting the log house, the work on its construction will become seriously complicated.
  • The drying process causes cracking of logs, mainly vertically, although cracks on them can also appear on the sides, but in small quantities. In timber, the direction of cracks is chaotic and unpredictable.

But, nevertheless, it is timber, according to numerous reviews from happy owners of bathhouses, that is the ideal material for the construction of this structure (see Building a bathhouse from timber with your own hands). It is technologically advanced, easily covered with clapboard (along the joists) from the steam room side, and it is easy to attach external insulation elements, such as a ventilation façade, to it. But, probably, the most important thing is that today the market offers already dried timber, therefore, finishing the log house of such a bathhouse can begin immediately.

Judging by the reviews, in the construction of baths, pine timber is often used, trimmed on the inside with boards or lining made of spruce or hardwood, with a mandatory air gap between the walls and the finishing to ensure ventilation.

In general, in the construction of a bathhouse you can use the wood of the most different breeds tree. For example, oak logs are perfect for foundation pillars, floor joists, and the lower crown of a bathhouse frame. And for the third and fourth crowns, larch or pine will be good. The upper crowns, as well as interior lining It is good to make the walls and ceiling of the bathhouse from linden or spruce.

What blocks are best to build a bathhouse from?

Nowadays, bathhouses are increasingly being built from a variety of blocks: expanded clay concrete, foam concrete, gas silicate. The construction material has many significant advantages:

  • High strength and density.
  • Excellent resistance to temperature changes.
  • Ability to withstand a large number of thaw-freeze cycles.
  • High moisture resistance.
  • Shrinkage in a block structure is either completely absent or very small.

Which material is better to choose for building a bathhouse: foam blocks or gas blocks?

Foam concrete blocks, made from cement, sifted sand and foaming agents, are used in the construction of load-bearing walls and partitions. They are laid on a cement solution or special glue. Foam blocks of the M25 brand with a size of 200x300x600 and a density of D700 are perfect for building a bathhouse. (see Bathhouse made of foam blocks - Photo)

The use of such blocks has a number of advantages:

  • The cost of the block is low.
  • The light weight of the block allows for simple and quick construction, since neither additional workers nor special equipment is required.
  • The size of the blocks allows for faster construction of buildings, reducing construction time.
  • The blocks have increased wear resistance and excellent thermal insulation properties.

Aerated blocks are made from sand, a foaming agent and a binder silicate material. They are laid on special glue. But load-bearing walls It is not recommended to build from such blocks. Only partitions can be built from aerated concrete blocks (see Design of a bathhouse made of aerated concrete).

When building a bathhouse from foam blocks or gas blocks, you must follow a few simple rules:

To give additional strength to the masonry and prevent cracking of the walls over time, during their construction, a metal mesh is installed every two layers of stacked blocks.

For a steam room where the humidity is high, steam and waterproofing, as well as external insulation, are required.

Cladding work can begin only after applying plaster to the constructed walls, both inside and outside the building. The facade can be painted, and washing department– lay ceramic tiles.

Brick bathhouse

It is also possible to use stone or brick for the walls of the bathhouse. Such baths will last much longer than wooden ones (see How to build a brick bathhouse with your own hands). But the brick here needs lighter grades that have voids inside. There is one more nuance that you must know: the high thermal conductivity of brick does not allow it to retain heat well, and therefore stone or brick walls after construction will require mandatory wood lining from the inside.

The bathhouse built on the site will become great place rest and relaxation after hard working days, giving new strength, relieving accumulated stress, restoring an optimistic outlook on the world and excellent mood.