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