What material is better to build a bath from. What wall material should be chosen for the bath We build from coniferous wood

For Russia, the bath is considered a place where you can not only spend time. It has long been known: in order to cleanse the spirit and body, you need to take a good steam with a birch or oak broom. But the question arises of how to efficiently and economically build at least a mini-bath on your site.

In this article, we will explain how to do this, what are the best materials to choose, how much does it cost... Let's consider the main mistakes of construction, time and financial aspects.

What is important at the beginning?

Having decided to build, one should understand a small but significant thing. Nice, small bathhouse needs a project. Many people underestimate the importance of drawings and calculations. And speed, reliability, comfort and cost depend on it.

Advice! Before going to the architect, you need to decide on the material.

Log walls

It so happened in Russia that wooden baths were erected. There are reasons for this. The following breeds are usually chosen:

Pine.
Fir.
Cedar.

The log bath will not rot, moisture resistant. No additional vapor barrier required.

Pros:

Natural material, environmentally friendly.
Keeps warm well.
"Log" ones are considered to be the most durable. In terms of quality, they are superior to frame, stone buildings. Observing construction technologies, the service life without repair reaches 70–80 years.
Relatively inexpensive material, it all depends on the region.
Excellent aesthetic appearance.

Minuses:

The disadvantage of this material is the obligatory subsidence of the building by 15–20 cm. After the construction of the frame, it is recommended to wait a year.

Erection from a bar

Most often, timber is used in the construction of baths. There are four types of it:

Planed.
Glued.
Not planed.
Profiled.

It is possible to use any of the listed materials. But the most demanded is profiled or planed. Let's consider each separately.

Planed

The special treatment makes it practically invulnerable to cracking. The timber that has passed the chamber drying will be more expensive. It all depends on the professionalism of the builders. For example, if you build it yourself, then it is advisable to choose high-quality processing.

Install well from a prepared timber. This is easier thanks to the "comb", which provides an easy, reliable and tight grip. That allows construction to be carried out with less effort.

Mezhventsovye areas are protected thanks to a special profile. This also allows you to do without repairs for many years, to preserve the heat of the walls.

Advantages:

Long service life.
Environmentally friendly material.
Low cost.
Easy to assemble.

Disadvantages:

Violations in the drying technique lead to deformation, twisting.
It is "susceptible" to crackling even with processing.
May darken over time.

Glued

More "difficult" to manufacture. Made from planks and logs. It undergoes high-quality drying and gluing. Due to the processing of two or more lamellas, it is considered the best material for the construction and decoration of baths and saunas. It is chosen by people who are not used to saving.

Pros:

Allows to erect a building in a month or two.
"Gorgeous" aesthetically.
Practically not subject to shrinkage.
Does not deform.
Due to its high-quality processing, it does not crack.
Optimum humidity excludes the appearance of mold and mildew.

Minuses:

Expensive material.
The use of adhesives makes it not environmentally friendly.
It is very quick to assemble a panel bath, which is used by commercial enterprises.

Not planed

The most inexpensive and demanded of materials. Not planed timber (sawn) is a square or rectangular section. The production is carried out from spruce or pine. Drying of wood takes place not in chambers, but in the fresh air. This made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of the material.

Pros:

Minimum costs for the construction of the frame.
It is possible to use it as a finishing material.
Doesn't require highly qualified specialists.

Minuses:

After the box has been erected, the building is left to shrink for a year.
It is necessary to additionally insulate, seal the cracks. Cracks may appear during use of the building.
External insulation is required.
Needs additional interior decoration.

Profiled

It got its name from the connecting locks. From can be divided into the following:

Comb.
With one thorn.
With two thorns.
Norwegian.
Finnish.

Easy to install. Slots and mezhventsovye corners are gouged at the construction site. The most suitable type of material.

Advantages:

High-quality grinding allows you to use it in decoration.
Do not use harmful chemicals.
Made from spruce, pine, oak.
Due to its low thermal conductivity, it retains heat well.
A low proportion of shrinkage is 4–5 cm.
Fast erection with small forces.

Disadvantages:

Poor drying will lead to more sinking.
It is necessary to treat yourself with fire-fighting agents.
After construction there will be no possibility of redevelopment.

Nowadays, a barrel-bath made of profiled material is very popular. The price starts from 60 thousand for an already assembled structure, which can be conveniently accommodated even in the smallest dacha plot of six acres. Moreover, the structure is being commissioned. without foundation.

Modern building materials for a bath

Few people know that baths built with bricks and cement will look and function as well as wooden ones. Consider the common options from expanded clay blocks (cinder block) and bricks.

Brick bath

Stone structures have a number of advantages over wooden structures. The advantages include:

resistance to weather conditions,
practicality,
the possibility of redevelopment.

But the cost will rise significantly - this is due to the preparation and installation of the foundation. And also the obligatory interior decoration.

For the construction of brick baths, the services of professional builders of various specialties are required. If only carpenters are needed for wood, then here you will need:

Bricklayers.
Plasterers.
Finishers.
Roofers.

To build quickly on your own will require tremendous knowledge and experience. Incorrect wall laying will lead to the formation of condensation and instability of the structure. You will also need additional thermal insulation of the building facade.

Foam block

This material is more suitable for construction. Although it is considered a "young" material. He had his own fans. They are successfully used in the construction of residential buildings, including baths from foam blocks.

Light weight, excellent thermal conductivity allows you to make a warm building. But just like a brick, a foam block needs a foundation and additional thermal insulation. The main qualities of the stone are its fire resistance. For example: a brick crumbles under the influence of high temperature. This cannot be said about.

It is made from sustainable materials. Easy to handle. The low price allows you to compete with other building materials.

The most expensive materials in construction

Frequent mistakes in construction

In order for the bath to turn out to be of good quality, it is necessary to pay attention to the mistakes that are made by both professionals and amateurs:

The tree should be dense from conifers: spruce, pine.
Incorrectly calculated foundation.
Logs should be from 20 to 25 cm. Too thin will fit only for a village "makeshift", will lead to loss of heat.
To preserve heat, it is necessary to use moisture-resistant wood in the decoration; alder, poplar or aspen can handle this.

Due consideration should be given to oven bricks... First, it must be red fireproof. Secondly, one-piece, you can not use hollow. A window that is too large or too small is considered an error. For a bath, it should be at least 50 * 50.

Which is better - build yourself or use the services of a company?

Building a bath brings with it a number of problems. This is a dilemma: build independently or through a firm. Choosing independent construction, you need to be ready for such processes as:

Responsibility for quality.
It takes a lot of effort and time.
Building experience is needed.
You can forget about the quick completion of construction.
Hire assistants (shabashniki).
Purchase, delivery - materials.
Foundation calculation.

Of course, there are pluses in self-construction. Namely:

Freedom of choice.
Phased construction.
Better control.
Savings in money.

Advantages and disadvantages of the firm:

Hiring a company removes a number of problems with finding workers.
The responsibility for quality lies with the firm.
Assumes the development of the project and supervision of the construction process.
The construction will be done by professionals.
Fast completion of the project. You can even order a project of a bathhouse with a swimming pool.

Cons:

additional financial costs.

Obviously, hiring a company that can carry out turnkey construction is much more profitable than doing such a complex matter alone.

Cost overview

Summary table. The prices for various materials are indicated along with the work:

How to build a budget bath with your own hands: let's go through the main steps

The first step is to decide on the materials and placement, area. And you will also have to face such obstacles as:

calculation and laying of the foundation,
frame erection,
finishing,
will determine the insulation,
vapor barrier,
think over the installation of equipment.

Foundation

To make the base strong and economical, the pile option is suitable for its construction. It is much easier to make than tape.
The next step is markup. Don't forget about partitions indoors.
Then the location of the piles is noted. The distance between them should wash two meters. The piles must be at the intersection of the walls and at each corner.
Wells should be 25-30 cm wide and 1-1.5 meters deep.
The well is half filled with sand, spilled with water, followed by tamping.
After that, you can start immersing the asbestos pipes. Around them, a reinforcing and wooden frame is created for pouring concrete.
Leave such a structure to dry completely - for five days.

Caracas

You will need a well-dried timber.
Before installation, it should be treated with an anti-corrosion compound.
At intersections and corners - reinforced beams are installed (vertically).
Each such pillar should stand every meter from each other, not forgetting to leave openings for the windows.
The whole structure is united by bars, or boards, and fastened with jumpers from a bar.
A frame with a roof is assembled in such an unpretentious manner.

Finishing - insulation

OSB plates are used in the decoration.
Sheets are screwed with wood screws.
The gaps of the joints are filled with polyurethane foam.
Inside, the decoration takes place according to the same principle with one difference: insulation and vapor barrier are inserted before stitching.

Completion

After sheathing and insulation, you can start arranging furniture and additional equipment.

Important! Furniture should be made of moisture resistant wood. Purchased electric ones can be used as a stove.

Outcomes

It is building on your own that is a long, nervous and seasonal process. The fastest way to assemble a bathhouse on the site is from foam concrete or a ready-made dried log house. If you work in four or more hands, then one season will be enough for the construction of the foundation, walls and roof. Well, the external and internal components of the cladding are a secondary issue.

The optimal combination according to the conditional "Price-quality" characteristic concerns:

Dry log buildings (medium diameter);
Baths made of red brick (subject to normal interior decoration). Resistant to fire;
Premises made of timber 15 X 15, 20 X 20, preferably dry.

Advice! When planning the purchase, plan and time of year for construction, do not rush to calculate the area. A 4 by 4 meter log house or masonry is enough for a whole family, where even a washroom can fit.

For your information, barrel-baths do not count, because it is a prefabricated structure, a kind of temporary option for several years.

The best video about building a bath with your own hands

Sergey Zhornachuk's material has deservedly gained more than 200 thousand views, thousands of likes and approving comments. An excellently edited, informative, sensible video about the construction of a bath with his own hand.

Many people thought about creating a small cozy bathhouse on their own summer cottage. With its help, you can take quality water treatments and recharge your batteries, as well as relieve stress.

But at the stage of design and installation of structures, most face serious problems. One of the most common of these is choosing the right building material.

To help you figure it out, we will consider this issue in detail, as well as determine the main advantages and disadvantages of all kinds of building solutions when building a bath.

Basic requirements for a summer cottage

The arrangement of the bath, like other structures, provides for the implementation of general architectural norms and building rules. However, our case is complicated by the need to comply with general fire safety rules during construction.

Did you know?The bathhouse has its roots in the 6th millennium BC. NS. During this period, special steam rooms appeared everywhere in Ancient Egypt, available to all segments of the population.

So, in order to equip a bathhouse at a summer cottage correctly, you must comply with the following requirements:

Compliance with architectural norms: The most successful place for a bath is the site as far as possible from all kinds of structures. However, in modern conditions, it will not be easy to achieve a complete absence of building structures near the bath. Therefore, such a structure should be at a distance of at least 8 meters from a residential building, not closer than 8 meters to a neighboring site and at least 12 meters from a well. In addition, the place for the building must be leveled with respect to the entire site, since on a hill the bathhouse will be on an excessive view, and in the lowland it will suffer annually from spring flooding.
Compliance with sanitary standards: the structure must be equipped with ventilation, and also equipped with a water drain system. Otherwise, this will lead to stagnation of air and moisture, and with this - to the development of fungus and other pathogens.
Compliance with fire safety standards: all parts of the structure that are subject to heating must be made of non-combustible materials. The part of the building in which the heating furnace is installed must be additionally protected with insulating materials that prevent the structure from igniting.
Environmental friendliness of building material: a bath is a place with high temperature and humidity, therefore materials for its construction should be made to the maximum of natural and non-toxic components, without adding any synthetic compounds.

Video: fire requirements for the bath

Important!If the proximity to a neighboring site does not allow equipping a bath, the distance of the structure to it can be reduced to 1 meter, but this must be agreed with the neighbors, and their permission is certified in writing by lawyers.

Advantages and disadvantages of a wooden bath

Most often, a bathhouse is constructed of wood. Wood is quite easy to process, so almost any part of the structure can be created from it, both load-bearing elements and cladding.

Such structures are characterized by strength, and their shrinkage on the ground is uniform, without cracks and faults. In addition, wood is resistant to fluctuations in moisture and temperature, and also has high thermal insulation qualities, which makes this material almost ideal.

However, it also has many disadvantages, first of all, these are:

fragility;
baths made of wood require particularly careful observance of fire safety standards;
shrinkage lasts a long time and can be more than 10 cm;
a bath made of wood needs at least 2 years to dry thoroughly;
after drying, wooden structures must be digested.

Did you know?Finland is the leader in the number of steam rooms per capita. In a country with a population of about 5 million, there are more than 2 million of them.

This is the most common wood in construction, so it is not surprising that baths are often built from this material.

Pine has many benefits:

the tree grows in almost any conditions, so it is one of the cheapest and most common materials;
pine has a smooth and even trunk, which makes it easier to handle;
this wood is light, but strong, rarely cracks, therefore such structures are reliable and give little shrinkage;
pine contains a huge amount of aromatic resins, therefore, water procedures in such baths are especially beneficial for general human health.

Pine has few minuses, but they are still there. First of all, this is an increased release of resin by wood, so often in such baths the resin from the walls will have to be cleaned over the next several years.

Also, pine is not resistant to all kinds of atmospheric manifestations, fungi and insects, therefore such a tree requires additional costs for processing with protective agents.

Spruce

Baths made of no less quality than pine, but less common. Like the coniferous species described above, spruce is also quite easy to process, practical and has a low price.

In addition, this material, like pine, is enriched with many resinous compounds that can saturate the bathhouse with aromas useful for the respiratory system.

However, structures made of spruce are not common in our open spaces, since, in addition to the above-described disadvantages, this coniferous species is less resistant to various atmospheric manifestations and fungi, and also shrinks more than pine. Therefore, such structures require not only constant treatment with protective equipment, but also short-lived.

Cedar

They are not found in every region, therefore, baths from this wood are erected exclusively in Siberia, in the Urals. This material has the same positive qualities as the above-described conifers, however, it has a number of advantages.

First of all, it is a more aesthetic appearance of the structure. Cedar wood - with a pinkish-red middle and a golden-pink tint of the outer layers, this gives the bath a more interesting look.

In addition, cedar is highly resistant to all kinds of fungi and other microorganisms, as well as to high humidity conditions, so such structures are more durable and less costly to maintain than pine or spruce.

The main disadvantages of this wood are:

excessive resin production during the first few years after construction;
high material cost.

Larch

It belongs to a rather rare species, therefore, this tree is rarely found as a building material. But, despite this, relative to coniferous counterparts, this wood has a number of advantages:

The main disadvantage of larch is the high price, therefore, baths made of this tree can be found only in the zone of mass tree plantations. In addition, this wood has an overly dense structure and is not easy to work with.

Oak

It is rightfully considered a unique material. Such wood has a noble shade and cut pattern, has high strength, resistance to moisture, temperature, fungus and decay for decades.

However, this material is considered not the easiest to process, as it has an overly dense structure. In addition, oak is a rather weighty material, so such structures give serious shrinkage. Do not forget about the high cost of oak, so such a bath is possible only in the case of an unlimited budget for its construction.

Aspen

Less popular material for construction, since the price-quality ratio of this wood is inferior to the above types of wood. It is not easy to create a structure from aspen, each individual tree has its own size and shape, therefore, structures from this wood are possible only after careful processing.

Do not forget that aspen is not resistant to various atmospheric manifestations and pests, so the tree will darken in a few years, and the building itself will become unusable in a few decades. But aspen also has its advantages: the tree perfectly absorbs varnishes and paints, therefore, such a building can be given external aesthetics without even having special skills.

Did you know?In Ancient Russia, aspen was the most common material for the construction of baths, since conifers as a building material could only afford to know only.

Blocks for building a bath

Block buildings are a great and inexpensive alternative to wood for setting up a steam room on your own plot. This material makes it possible to quickly create a durable structure that will last more than one year. In addition, all kinds of block structures are particularly easy to create, as well as to maintain, because every year they are gaining more and more popularity.

The main advantages of the blocks:

cheapness. Structures of even the most expensive types of blocks are much cheaper than structures made of any other material;
low weight of structures, which contributes to the minimum shrinkage of the entire structure;
ease and speed of installation, therefore, steam rooms from blocks can be created with your own hands, without having specialized knowledge.

But this material has its drawbacks. First of all, these are:

insufficient resistance to high humidity and sudden changes in temperature, which reduces the durability of the blocks at times;
the material does not differ in low thermal conductivity, therefore such structures must be insulated;
block buildings require a solid foundation, at least 70 cm deep (in the northern regions - at least 1 meter);
both internal and external walls of such a room require mandatory finishing.

Aerated concrete is a cellular concrete material made of cement, quartz sand and special foaming agents. The dry components of aerated concrete are thoroughly mixed, and then poured into special forms and water is added.

Under its influence, an active chemical reaction occurs, as a result of which the necessary structure of the material is created. To improve the strength, some brands of gas blocks are treated with steam in special autoclave machines.

Today on the market there are a large number of types of aerated concrete, differing in both their quality and conditions of use. The best option for a bath will be D500 blocks. They have the necessary strength to create durable one-story structures.
This material has many advantages: ease of installation, low weight, strength, high fire safety. But there are also no less minuses: significant hygroscopicity, a rather high price (relative to other types of building blocks), the need for a special expensive glue for laying blocks.

Important!When choosing aerated concrete, preference should be given to material pretreated with high steam in autoclaves, since only in this case the blocks will have the necessary strength and moisture resistance.

Main technical characteristics of aerated concrete:

strength, kg / cm2 - 5-20;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.15-0.3;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 200-600;
frost resistance (number of cycles) - 50-75;
shrinkage, mm / m - 1.5;
water absorption,% - 45.

Video: aerated concrete bath

Gas silicate

Gas silicate can be called a more profitable analogue of aerated concrete. This material is made according to the same principle as the previous one, but it contains quartz sand and a small amount of lime as a binder.

Unlike aerated concrete, in order to obtain high-quality gas silicate, the blocks are necessarily treated with high pressure steam. The material has the same advantages and disadvantages as aerated concrete, but from a technical point of view it loses to it.

Since lime is a part of the gas silicate, this block quickly absorbs moisture and rapidly collapses under its influence. Therefore, such surfaces require careful waterproofing and all the additional costs associated with this.

Main technical characteristics of gas silicate:

strength, kg / cm2 - 28-40;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.1-0.2;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 480-720;
shrinkage, mm / m - 0.3;
water absorption,% - 47.

Foam blocks are a fairly inexpensive option for aerated concrete. They are made from a mixture of sand, cement and water, which are additionally enriched with foam from a special generator.

For the construction of a steam room, it is best to choose a material of grade D 600 or higher, since less durable foam concrete is used exclusively as insulation. Foam concrete is quite seriously inferior to the aerated concrete or gas silicate described above with respect to technical characteristics, but their main advantage will be the price.

The main technical characteristics of foam concrete:

strength, kg / cm2 - 10-50;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.2-0.4;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 450-900;
frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 25;
shrinkage, mm / m - 0.6-1.2;
water absorption,% - 52.

Cinder block is a building material that is made on the basis of cement mortars, as well as slag - waste from coal production and other industries. This is a fairly cheap material, since its production often carries one goal - to utilize slag formations to the maximum.

However, a cinder block is not the best choice for building a bath. Such blocks quickly and for a long time absorb moisture, and also do not differ in high strength, especially in conditions of high humidity.
Even with high-quality insulation, such a bath will function no more than 15-20 years, after which serious repairs will be required.

Important!The cinder block is strictly forbidden to be used as a building material immediately after production, since slags have been releasing various toxic substances for quite a long time. Therefore, it must be allowed to sit outdoors for at least 1 year before use.

Sawdust can also be used as the main component in the production of cinder blocks, in which case it is possible to obtain not only cheap, but also environmentally friendly material. To create one-story structures, you will need a material grade of at least M 75, since less durable options are used exclusively as facade insulation.

The main technical characteristics of the cinder block:

strength, kg / cm2 - 25-75;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.3-0.5;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 500-1000;
frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 20;
shrinkage, mm / m - 0;
water absorption,% - 55.

Video: cinder block bath

Expanded clay blocks are almost complete, but better quality analogue of cinder blocks. This material is made from a cement mixture, as well as expanded clay - fine clay fired under special conditions. Expanded clay blocks have a lot of advantages over other cell blocks.

First of all, it is environmental friendliness, low weight, which almost completely eliminates the risk of shrinkage. In addition, this material has a low percentage of water absorption, as well as a low thermal conductivity, which makes it almost ideal for creating a high-quality, but inexpensive steam room.

However, for arranging a bath, blocks of the M100-M150 brand will be required, since the less durable expanded clay concrete is used exclusively as a facade insulation. Basic technical characteristics of expanded clay concrete:

strength, kg / cm2 - 50-150;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.15-0.45;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 700-1500;
frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 50;
shrinkage, mm / m - 0;
odabsorption,% - 12.

Ceramoblock is not so common material in modern construction than the ones listed above, however, you can often see a budget bath from it. Ceramic blocks are quite environmentally friendly, as they only contain cement, sand, ceramic powder and water.

Like the materials described above, such blocks are cheap, easy to lay, lightweight, and durable. The main disadvantage of the material is its higher thermal conductivity.
In addition, one should not forget about the fragility of the material, therefore, when installing a bath from ceramic blocks, be sure that the calculated amount of material will have to be increased by at least 5%. That is why you should not save on the quality of this, the brand should be at least M100.

The main technical characteristics of the ceramic block:

strength, kg / cm2 - 25-175;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.08-0.18;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 650-1000;
frost resistance (number of cycles) - more than 50;
shrinkage, mm / m - 0.3;
water absorption,% - 10-15.

Important!Structures made of blocks provide for additional reinforcement of the masonry with a metal mesh every 2-3 rows, otherwise the durability of the structure is significantly reduced. This feature must be taken into account when creating an estimate.

A brick bath is one of the best alternatives for setting up a steam room at home.
With the help of bricks, you can create a reliable and high-quality structure that will delight its owners for many decades. That is why an increasing number of lovers of life-giving steam give preference to this particular material.

The main advantages of a brick steam room are:

reliability and durability;
low coefficient of water absorption. This contributes not only to the durability of the structure, but also helps to resist the development of fungi and dangerous bacteria on the surface of the walls;
versatility. Brick makes it possible to use it for almost any purpose: from erecting walls to arranging a stove;
exclusivity. With the help of brickwork, it is possible to create a structure of any architectural shape and size;
simplicity. The brick is easy to use and maintain, in addition, it is quite aesthetic and does not require mandatory interior and exterior decoration;
high fire safety. Even at critical temperatures, a brick is not capable of igniting, which makes it an ideal (in terms of fire safety) material;
environmental friendliness. The brick contains the maximum amount of natural ingredients.

Video: brick bath However, a brick bath is not without serious drawbacks:

high price. Even the simplest brick building will be noticeably more expensive than any wooden or block building;
high thermal conductivity. This negatively affects fuel consumption, as well as the overall speed of heating the bath and achieving optimal temperatures.

Traditionally, red brick is used for the construction of a bath in modern construction practice. For the construction of a steam room, several of its types are used: although they carry a common task, they must be used exclusively for highly specialized purposes.

These are the so-called pipe, ceramic and refractory types. Next, we will consider in more detail the need and tasks of each of these materials. .

Important! High-quality fired brick has a uniform shade throughout its volume, and when struck with a hammer, it characteristically "rings". In the absence of these signs, the material must be rejected.

Trumpet (corpulent)

The task of the pipe brick is to remove the gaseous waste arising from the combustion of fuel during the kindling of the sauna stove. This is perhaps one of the few building materials that is able to cope with such a task without being negatively affected by sudden changes in temperature.

It is made from a special clay mixture subject to semi-dry pressing. As a result, it is possible to obtain a product with high hygroscopicity, smooth surface and strict dimensions. This contributes to the creation of an ideal tightness for the removal of combustion derivatives.

Today, there are many varieties of such bricks on the market, but an exceptionally corpulent pipe brick will be the most suitable. Despite the higher price of a relatively hollow material, it is not recommended to use excessively porous materials in conditions of elevated temperatures, as this can cause its destruction.
However, the completeness of the material is not a guarantee of a reliable chimney. In conditions of elevated temperatures, strength plays a decisive role in maintaining the integrity of the structure, therefore, a brick of at least M200 grade would be the best choice.

Main technical characteristics of pipe bricks:

thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.3-0.8;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 1500 - 1900;
heat resistance, ° С - up to 1000;
shrinkage,% - 5;
water absorption,% - 10.

Ceramic (pipe)

Ceramic pipe brick is a type of hollow brick that is used for the construction of buildings no higher than 2-3 floors. It is made from special clay solutions subjected to high-temperature heating in furnaces at a temperature of about 1000 ° C.

This building material is practically no different in composition from solid ceramic bricks and has the same advantages and disadvantages.
The advantageous advantage of such a brick is its low cost. Each of the forms for the production of material has small bulges, which creates artificial cavities in each brick, as a result of which a decrease in the amount of raw materials for production is achieved, and with this, the final unit price.

In addition, the presence of cavities improves the thermal insulation properties of the product, so hollow brick steam rooms heat up much faster than solid brick steam rooms. Such a brick also has many disadvantages.

Did you know?The largest steam room is located in the German town of Sinsheim, with an area of 160 sq. meters.

First of all, it is low strength, as well as the ability to collapse under the influence of high moisture. This leads to an increase in the cost of high-quality finishing and vapor barrier of the material, otherwise the durability of the structure is reduced significantly. The optimal type of hollow ceramic bricks for the construction of a bath will be a brand not lower than M200.
Main technical characteristics of ceramic hollow bricks:

strength, kg / cm2 - 75-300;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.2-0.5;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 1300 - 1500;
frost resistance (number of cycles) - more than 75;
heat resistance, ° С - up to 1000;
shrinkage,% - 5;
water absorption,% - 10.

Did you know?In the old days, in order to determine the quality of bricks, 600 bricks were stacked on a wooden pallet, after which the pallet was raised to a height of about 2 meters, and then they were sharply dropped to the ground. If even one crashed, the whole batch was discarded.

Refractory (fireclay)

Refractory or chamotte bricks are used for both stone and wooden baths as a basis for making a furnace. It is the only building material that can withstand the direct impact of fire.
It is made from a mixture of special refractory clay and various additives (coke, graphite powders, large grains of quartz, etc.), fired at a temperature of 1300 ... 1500 ° C. This makes it possible to obtain a material that is resistant to sudden changes in temperature and durable.

On the modern market there are a lot of all kinds of fireclay bricks (ША, ШБ, ШАК, ШУС, ШВ, PV and PB). For the construction of a home steam room, the most profitable materials will be ShB-5 and ShB-8. This is the so-called class B fireclay brick, capable of withstanding a temperature maximum of 1400 ° C.

These are some of the cheapest types of refractory bricks, but despite this, this choice will be the ideal option in terms of price and quality.

The main technical characteristics of refractory bricks:

strength, kg / cm2 - 100-150;
thermal conductivity, W / (m · K) - 0.6-0.9;
volumetric weight, kg / m3 - 1800-2000;
frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 50;
heat resistance, ° С - up to 1500;
shrinkage,% - 5;
water absorption,% - 5-8.

Important!For laying fireclay bricks, heat-resistant mixtures or refractory clay are used. Simple cement mortars, under the influence of high temperatures, instantly crack and collapse

Stone bath: pros and cons

Stone in construction is the best option for those regions where it is not so easy to acquire wood. In addition, the stone bath looks spectacular and unusual, which will definitely help to create a truly unique steam room.

The stone has a lot of advantages, first of all, these are:

low price;
general availability;
high fire safety;
durability;
low shrinkage factor.

However, despite its advantages, the stone also has many disadvantages, which are the main reason for the low spread of stone baths.

These include:

technological complexity. Due to the unevenness of the size of the stones, it is much more difficult to create a building of the correct shape than from brick or wood;
high cost. Even the most expensive wooden bath will be much cheaper than a stone one, since such a steam room requires a lot of related materials;
high thermal conductivity. The stone is difficult to retain heat, therefore, for a high-quality ignition of a bath, an order of magnitude more fuel is required than for steam rooms made of other materials;
low gas permeability. A stone bath requires a high-quality ventilation system in order to avoid air stagnation;
excessive size of the structure. The walls of a stone bath are built with a thickness of at least 75 cm, which negatively affects the amount of space required for construction.

Video: which bath is better, wooden or stone

The optimal choice

Today, in modern market conditions, it is not so easy to choose the optimal type of material for a home bath, since for the majority of domestic consumers the question of the expediency of the funds spent is not only acute, but also a dominant factor in budget planning.

Let's analyze all of the above and find out why it is best to build a bathhouse, and what materials it is better to refuse. The best quality building is a wooden steam room (pine, spruce).

A wooden bathhouse will perfectly cope with all the duties assigned to it, will give a lot of positive emotions, as well as pleasant sensations. In addition, such a steam room looks very colorful and will last for several decades.

Video: how to choose materials for building a bath

In the absence of extra funds, you can build a bathhouse from building blocks - you should pay attention to expanded clay concrete. This material has not only low thermal conductivity and durability, but also makes it possible to quickly and inexpensively create a full-fledged steam room of any size and number of storeys.

However, in pursuit of cheapness, you should not choose the cheapest materials, since such structures will not only last only a couple of decades, but will also cause a lot of trouble in maintenance. Therefore, a bath of aspen, foam blocks or cinder blocks should not be erected on your site.

In this case, even with a gentle mode, after 10-15 years, your steam room may become completely unusable. A properly equipped bath is the best thing that can please in the cold winter time at your own summer cottage.

Today there are many materials with which in just a few months you can create a full-fledged steam room, even with your own hands. However, if you do not have extra funds in stock, it is best to postpone the construction of a bath until a later time, since a cheap steam room will soon become a serious headache.

Profiled beams are made from coniferous wood. This building material is environmentally friendly. During the production process, the timber is processed on a four-sided planer-milling machine. As a result, its two sides get a thorn-groove profile, the other two sides become smooth. The use of such a building material allows the construction of a bath from a chamber-dried profiled beam without the cost of additional wall decoration. Drying the timber in a special chamber reduces its moisture content from natural 50-60% to a minimum value of 18-20%.

A list of some of the advantages of baths with walls made of chamber-drying timber

Saunas made of kiln-dried timber are characterized by a number of advantages when compared with buildings made of other materials obtained from wood:

the use of environmentally friendly building materials eliminates the possibility of the appearance of toxins when the temperature rises;
shrinkage of a bathhouse made of a chamber-dried profiled bar after construction does not exceed, as a rule, 3%, which makes it possible to complete internal work within a month and a half after the installation of the frame, significantly reducing the time required for all work;
a bath from a chamber-drying bar will last for more than a decade, since the bar is not subject to decay and bio-damage due to the low percentage of moisture;
the weight of the log house is relatively small, which allows it to be installed on the most economical type of foundation - tape;
the walls of the bath made of chamber-drying timber are water-resistant, have a low thermal conductivity, are reliable and durable.

How we carry out the construction of a bath from a chamber-dried timber

We divide the whole process of building a bath into 4 stages:

design;
foundation device;
assembly and installation of a log house;
ceiling insulation and flooring.

To clarify the cost of building a bath from a chamber-drying bar, the customer can at any time call the phones indicated on the website, name the estimated dimensions of the bath and find out the approximate cost of construction. In addition, our consultant will also be able to answer other questions regarding pricing and the work process.

When building a bath, materials must be chosen carefully. They must be completely safe, heat-resistant, have good characteristics, and it is also desirable that they are not afraid of high humidity.

First of all, this applies to heaters: all rooms are insulated, and the steam room is so especially careful. And it is in this group that it is very difficult to find material that fully meets all the requirements. So far we know only one: foam glass. It has excellent thermal insulation characteristics, is absolutely chemically neutral, does not absorb and is not afraid of moisture in any of its conditions, it is also a steam and hydro insulator. An excellent combination of qualities, but there is a rather significant disadvantage: the price. Quality material originally from Europe. It costs a lot. There is a cheaper option from Belarus. Quality and price are average. And there is cheap (relatively) foam glass from China with dubious characteristics.

Other heat insulators have disadvantages. It is widespread hygroscopic, but at the same time it is afraid of moisture: in a wet state it loses most of its properties. If in a wet state it freezes, then after thawing it simply crumbles into dust. In addition, produced in the form of rolls, it emits formaldehyde when heated, which is used in production as a binder.

The second, more or less common insulation, can be used for external insulation. Inside, it is used only in cold rooms. Disadvantage: low density, susceptibility to deformation. And one more thing: it does not allow air or vapor to pass through. Therefore, when using such a heater, ventilation must be very effective.

There is another material that has a higher density than foam and also has better thermal conductivity properties. This is extruded polystyrene foam. But its disadvantage is the high price.

Building materials for a bath

Building materials for a bath

Talking about the health benefits of a bath is a stupid business. And so every our compatriot knows perfectly well that regular trips to the bathhouse allow you to remove toxins and salts from the body, stimulate metabolism, increase immunity and simply improve well-being.

Interesting interior of the bath

But if you want the bath to really give you maximum pleasure, it must be built according to all the rules. The most important of these is the correct choice of building material. So what is the best way to build a bathhouse? It is worth giving the most detailed and detailed answer to this question.

The modern market for construction products is quite rich: wood, reinforced concrete, frame construction, and so on. However, not all of this assortment is suitable if you want to build a bathhouse. Moreover, most of the materials listed above are completely unsuitable for construction.

The only material that can be called a really good choice is wood. In this case, you can use wood of different species: some are better for building a bath, while others are slightly worse.

An example of a bath made of wood

But in any case, it is worth changing the tree to some other material only as a last resort. For example, if a log or timber is too expensive or difficult to obtain material in your area. Then you can build a bath from expanded clay concrete blocks, bricks or foam blocks, but the steam room itself will definitely need to be sheathed with wooden boards. And it is worth taking such a step only if there is no alternative to such construction, and you really want to get a bath.

Fortunately, in most regions of our country, wood is not only affordable, but also a very cheap building material, therefore it is best.

Large volumes of harvesting combined with a huge stock of knowledge on the correct preparation of wood make the construction of baths as easy as possible.

You can buy a ready-made kit for building a bath, order the construction of a turnkey bath, and if you have certain skills, build a bath with your own hands by purchasing the required amount of prepared timber or timber.

But still, before starting the construction, it is worth finding out which tree is better to build a bath from. In general, when building, you can use a variety of types of wood, but still some are much better than others. And it's worth knowing about it in order to make the right choice.

We build from coniferous wood

Today it is coniferous wood that is most often used in the construction of baths. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, thanks to natural resin impregnation, these types of wood are less susceptible to decay, which is very important for a bath: high humidity and temperature can have the most negative effect on the material.

Secondly, in the steam room, decorated with coniferous wood, there is always a special aroma that will appeal to any connoisseur of the bath. Finally, some coniferous logs are the cheapest, and therefore the most affordable, which remains one of the most important factors when choosing a building material.

So, what kind of conifers can serve as a source of wood for the construction of a bath? There are several of them:

Spruce. One of the most common and popular building materials. The low weight combined with the softness of the wood makes the processing as easy as possible. This has a positive effect on the cost of building material: almost everyone, if they wish, can save up the required amount to build their own spruce bath. It is also important that for many years of operation the spruce retains its original golden-white color. Alas, this option has one drawback - a high resin content. Of course, this gives a definite advantage: the wood practically does not rot even after prolonged and intensive use. However, at high temperatures, resin is released from the pores of the wood, which can cause serious problems when visiting a bath. Therefore, during the construction of a spruce bath, experts recommend carrying out internal cladding using wood of other species.
Spruce wood example
Even when working in difficult conditions (high humidity), the wood is practically not susceptible to the appearance of mold or mildew. This is due to the fact that it contains a natural antiseptic. Thanks to him, the bathhouse, during the construction of which larch was used, has a general strengthening and healing effect. A regular visit to the bath can prevent the onset and development of diseases of the cardiovascular system. The high hardness and high weight make the processing of larch an extremely difficult process, which affects the final cost of the building material. A larch bath will cost you about 2 times more than a bath made of spruce, pine and other cheap wood species. Well, on the other hand, you can be sure that this bath will serve you, and your children, and your grandchildren.

How to build a sauna professionally and competently.