A sauna is an indispensable means of relaxation after a hard day, and a great place to meet friends. Use the services construction company It’s convenient, but you’ll have to shell out a large sum.
Many summer residents prefer to build bathhouses with their own hands.
Advantages and disadvantages
Traditionally, Russian baths were built of wood. Nowadays, fire-resistant bricks are increasingly used for such purposes, which are safer and no less environmentally friendly. The construction material easy to use and allows you to implement a bathhouse project of any complexity. Before construction starts brick bath it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of the material itself and the structure made from it.
Fire-resistant brick is more expensive than wood, but it also has many advantages, namely:
- high level of fire safety - brick is significantly superior to wood in terms of fire resistance. Fire-resistant bricks resist fire very well, which cannot be said about wood.
- durability - a bathhouse built of brick can last more than 50 years,
- environmental friendliness - natural raw materials are used in the production of bricks, the material does not pose a danger to human health,
- ease of operation - no special care is required for the brick facade of the bathhouse,
- the use of brick will allow you to build baths of various shapes and sizes, implement even the most complex architectural projects, and use various types of interior and exterior decoration. The strength of the building allows you to experiment with the internal layout and shape of the roof.
The disadvantages of brick baths are as follows:
- high heat capacity - it will take much longer to heat a brick steam room than a similar wooden structure,
- increased hygroscopicity - to avoid the formation of dampness in the room, it is imperative to carry out a complex of hydro-, steam- and heat-insulating works,
- the cost of the building material - fire-resistant brick is quite an expensive material, therefore, the construction of a bathhouse will not be cheap,
- the need to construct a strip, deep foundation and carry out finishing work,
- To ensure heat conservation, greater wall thickness will be required.
Types of structures
When building a brick bathhouse, you can choose a variety of shapes and designs. The quality of a bathhouse largely depends on the correct internal layout. They will help you not to make mistakes ready-made projects. You can build a building exactly according to the presented drawings or use the project as an idea and modify it taking into account personal preferences.
It is worth considering a few of the most popular options, brief instructions on their creation.
One-story bathhouse 6x4 m with a terrace
This project involves the presence of the following three premises:
The layout of the bathhouse can be changed by swapping the doorways. It should be noted that entering directly into the rest room is not a very good option. The fact is that when the doors are opened, the cold will flow inside. A terrace or an attached vestibule will help eliminate this deficiency.
Bathhouse projects with terraces are very popular. The terrace can be equipped at your discretion, install comfortable furniture for meeting with friends, or place a billiard room.
Brick bathhouse: pros and cons
Brick bath - best option, which is characterized by durability, practicality and reliability. What you should pay attention to Special attention when building a brick bathhouse with your own hands. How to choose the right materials for construction? What are the pros and cons of a brick bath? What brick bath projects are in demand?
When starting to build a brick bathhouse, first of all you should choose a brick bathhouse project to your liking. There are a lot of planning options; everyone can choose something in accordance with their financial capabilities and the size of the construction site.
Small brick bathhouse 3x3
A material such as brick is used in construction quite often, because it allows you to save money, and building a bathhouse from brick will be cheaper than from solid timber, so brick bathhouse projects are chosen as the cheapest option.
Selecting ready-made projects
Small bathhouse made of 3x3 bricks (project)
The bathhouse is small and suitable for little ones summer cottage, where high demands are not placed on buildings. Such a project will be easy to implement independently, even for a person without serious experience in construction.
This low-budget project includes:
- Use in the construction of strip foundations. It fits best under brick walls.
- One window in the washing room. In principle, you can do without it - then construction will become even easier.
- You can choose any roofing structure for the bathhouse, but we recommend ondulin material - it is an inexpensive and modern material.
Small project of a 6x4 brick bathhouse
This bathhouse includes three rooms: a relaxation area, a steam room and a shower area.
Bathhouse 6x4 - room footage
Each room has a window, which will save energy during daylight hours. It is recommended to place window openings in the washing room and steam room at the level of a person’s head. When organizing the roof according to the project, you can provide a small canopy, which will be very useful if you like to sit with friends after a bathhouse.
The photo shows a 3D picture of a bathhouse, designed in a special program
Selecting ready-made brick projects for your dacha
What design of a brick bathhouse is the most popular today?
On the Internet today you can easily download any bathhouse designs for free, most of them good quality and made wisely.
Currently, brick baths are built using three technologies:
- When erecting walls, air gaps of 4 to 6 cm are left in them for thermal insulation.
- First, a brick wall is erected, and only then it is lined with insulation from the inside.
- A wall is being erected from two brick rows - external and internal. Thermal insulating material is poured between them.
On the inside, all projects use sauna lining - they line the walls with it.
But brick has greater thermal conductivity, so brick bathhouse designs must include good thermal insulation in order to retain the generated heat for as long as possible. It is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the ceiling in the bathhouse, and a warm floor in the bathhouse will also help save heat.
A significant proportion of heat loss often occurs in the window area. Experts do not recommend skimping on the quality of these elements and, when designing, advise thinking through their installation in advance.
Ready-made brick bath projects
We choose projects for a bathhouse: each of them uses one of three popular methods of constructing brick walls. All ready-made brick bath projects can be used for working drawings free of charge.
The phrase “Russian bathhouse” immediately paints in your head a picture of a wooden log house standing on the shore of a reservoir. At the same time, there are other materials that can form the frame of a future structure that do not burn and do not emit harmful substances when heated, for example, brick.
It tolerates high temperatures well and high humidity, its service life is very long, the main thing is to carry out all waterproofing and insulation work correctly.
Project of a bathhouse with a brick garage with a veranda and a barbecue area
Advantages of a brick bath
- It is possible to build structures of any configuration and shape; you can choose ready-made brick bathhouse designs or create a structure yourself.
- A steam room built of brick is more durable than a wooden one; its service life is more than 150 years.
- High fire safety.
- By choosing a 6x6 brick bathhouse project, built from a beautiful facing material, you will not need external decoration; the structure looks great on any site.
In the photo - a brick bathhouse
Flaws
- The construction price will be more expensive than the chopped one.
- Brick has a high heat capacity, so it will take longer to heat the bathhouse. The problem is solved by good thermal insulation of the walls and ceiling of the bathhouse.
- Due to poor vapor conductivity, the material becomes damp and collapses. The solution to the problem is high-quality ventilation and vapor barrier.
Project of a guest house with a brick bathhouse on a country site
We build a bathhouse from bricks
Selecting a location
- The area must be dry - the main thing you must remember. If there is a nearby body of water, it should be located at least 30-50 m from the building to avoid high humidity in the spring or even flooding.
- Fire safety requirements should be taken into account:
- the distance to the neighboring building is 12 m or more, if firewood is used to light the steam room,
- with an electric or gas boiler - up to 5 m.
Advice: attach the bathhouse to a residential building, then you can save materials and it will be easier to install electrical wiring and sewerage for the bathhouse.
Project of a brick bathhouse with a swimming pool in a limited area
The most convenient option is a strip foundation for a bathhouse. Please note that a brick bathhouse is heavy, so the base must be very reliable. It is desirable that its depth be below the freezing point of the soil in a given area, otherwise it must be insulated.
Below are instructions for making it:
- Dig a pit and fill the bottom with sand 150-200 mm thick. Fill it with water and compact it well.
- Use crushed stone for the next layer 100 mm thick. Also fill it with sand on top and compact it.
- Install the formwork, inside which make a reinforcement cage.
- Fill everything with concrete.
- Install roofing felt waterproofing on top after the solution has hardened.
- Make a 1 m wide sloping platform from gravel with sand and rich clay to protect the foundation from rain.
- Install a comprehensive drainage and drainage system for the bathhouse.
Such a base is not cheap, but it is reliable and suitable for any building configuration.
Project of a brick bathhouse with an attic on a summer cottage
Laying walls yourself
How much material is needed
Have you decided to build a sauna with your own hands? Then you must correctly calculate the number of bricks. Pure mathematics:
where H wall is the height of the wall, L wall is the width of the wall, H brick is the height of the brick, L brick is the width of the brick.
Tip: to the result obtained, add 5% of the material and 1 cm to the length and width of the brick, taking into account the adhesive mortar.
Tools
- Trowel,
- Shovel,
- Plumb,
- Building level,
- Rule 1.5-2 m,
- Joining,
- Hammer-pick,
- Roulette,
- Bracket,
- Wedges,
- Square,
- Mooring cord.
The brick should be laid in “one and a half bricks” or “two bricks”. In the first case, the width of the wall will be 380 mm, in the second - 510 mm. It is better to make internal partitions in “half a brick” - 65 mm or in “one brick” - 120 mm.
Types of wall masonry
- With air gaps inside the walls - width up to 60 mm.
- Ring-shaped masonry, when thermal insulation is installed between the inner and outer layers.
- Without internal voids with good insulation on the inside.
The second option is considered the most economical. With small wall thicknesses, thermal performance indicators are the highest. With this type of masonry, special attention is paid to the careful bandaging of the rows and the neatness of the seams.
Masonry technology
The rows below the waterproofing, for example, the basement part of the bathhouse foundation, should be made with solid bricks, and those above it with hollow bricks. Use the following mixture as a solution: sand, water, cement and lime.
Upon completion of the masonry, drive pins into the walls onto which you attach the wall beams. Install the wooden floor beams into special nests directly on the bricks, having previously protected them with roofing felt. Leave their ends open, and fill the gaps between them and the walls with heat-insulating material.
Brick bath project 3 by 3 m
Insulation of a brick bath
The heat capacity of red brick is low, for example, 50 mm of mineral wool replaces 1400 mm of masonry made from it in thickness. Therefore, so that you do not choose, say, bathhouse projects with a brick gazebo or something similar, buildings must be insulated and it is advisable to do this from the outside.
The thickness of the insulation should be at least 100 mm in the southern regions of the country and from 150 mm in others. Then you will be able to save on fuel, on the heating time of the steam room and will be able to retain heat in it for a long time.
You should not use polystyrene foam for this, as it is a very flammable material, it is better to use mineral wool. The top of a brick bathhouse can be covered with siding.
The floor in the structure should be covered with a thick layer of slag or expanded clay. This will prevent the cold from seeping in from below.
What are the types of brick bathhouse projects and how to build them?
7 advantages and disadvantages of brick bathhouse projects [+ PHOTO]
Brick baths: projects
A bathhouse is an almost ideal means for friendly gatherings, a comfortable holiday with family, and relaxation after a busy day at work. And although for most people the most optimal and suitable type of structure is timber structures, there are also other options for bath structures, for example, brick ones. Many people consider them too expensive, but with a reasonable approach and choosing the right project, brick baths will not be too inexpensive.
Advantages of brick baths
To independently build brick steam rooms, you need the most minimal knowledge and skills in bricklaying. But even if there are none, then, if desired, they can be quickly mastered. The main thing in this matter is to learn how to fold the corners correctly, since they play a leading role in the strength and tightness of the building.
The obvious advantages of brick baths include:
- No putrefactive processes,
- High resistance to fungus and diseases,
- Possibility of finishing immediately after completion of construction activities,
- Non-flammability.
Thus, high labor costs are more than compensated by the absence of shrinkage processes, which means that the first visit to the new bath will occur much earlier.
Unfortunately, brick baths also have disadvantages. Firstly, the material is characterized by high heat capacity and thermal conductivity. It draws heat onto itself, preventing the steam room from warming up until it warms up itself. Brick walls require high-quality thermal insulation, otherwise the bathhouse will have to warm up for a very long time.
Another disadvantage of brick is hygroscopicity, that is, absorption of any state of water. The humidity in such a bath will always be increased. But this problem can be solved by organizing a high-quality vapor barrier.
Features of masonry
When constructing a brick bathhouse, it is necessary to carefully monitor the verticality of the walls and corners. Also, the rows must be even in the horizontal direction.
Masonry can be done in two ways: solid and lightweight. In the first case, the bricks are laid out in at least 2 rows, without any voids or gaps. In the second, 2 walls with an intermediate space are built, which are subsequently filled with a suitable thermal insulator.
In most cases, a lightweight version of masonry is used for the construction of baths, which allows reducing the weight of the walls, and therefore the pressure of the structure on the foundation. Another advantage of such masonry is lower brick consumption.
Brick bath projects
Having chosen brick as the main material for building a bathhouse, it is worth thinking about the layout of the structure. There are many designs for brick baths, but most of them are variations of several basic ones.
The structure is divided into 3 main rooms:
- Sink (area 1.75 m2),
- Steam room (4.75 m2),
- Recreation room (10.4 m2).
Fans of bath procedures consider this layout not very successful, since the direct entrance from the street to the relaxation room will lead to the rapid cooling of the bath. There are several ways to fix this problem:
- Adding a vestibule (preferably insulated),
- Organization of a covered veranda,
- Installation of an additional partition, which creates a small vestibule.
A stove heated with wood from the rest room will help ensure maximum functionality of the bathhouse. This moment It is necessary to think about it at the installation stage of the partition, in which a passage is made that is slightly larger than the firebox. Subsequently, the metal casing is covered with a heat insulator, and the remaining empty spaces are filled with brickwork.
A small sauna, perfect for family use. There may be several layouts, but the entrance to the locker room is always from the street. The small parameters of the bathhouse make additional partitioning unprofitable, but they allow you to add a vestibule.
The stove in such projects can be heated both from the steam room and from the dressing room. This point should be thought through before the start of construction work.
A bathhouse project that looks more like a guest house. Consists of several rooms and attached veranda. Approximate parameters of the bath structure:
- Sink – 3.7 m2,
- Relaxation room – 4.4 m2,
- Steam room – 4.8 m2,
- Hallway – 4.8 m2,
- Bathroom – 1 m2,
- Living room – 10.1 m2,
- Veranda – 4.7 m2.
This project contains an unusual stove, the location of which makes it possible to heat almost all rooms. The only room to which heat will reach very little is the hall.
Conclusion
It is not necessary to build your dream bathhouse according to a ready-made project - you can always show your imagination and create your own, unusual structure. Some owners equip old brick outbuildings for bathhouses. And this is not surprising, because their service life reaches more than 150 years.
Brick baths: projects
Many people consider them too expensive, but with a reasonable approach and choosing the right project, brick baths will not be too inexpensive.
A brick bathhouse is an opportunity to fit the structure into the exterior of the yard country house. The material is not inferior to the log house when proper insulation and waterproofing of surfaces. The article discusses the pros and cons of the solution. Ready-made projects are presented and guidance is given on self-construction baths on site.
Brick bath
For brick there are fewer restrictions in choosing a place for construction and in implementing the configuration of premises. Fire-resistant material is chosen for the building of the bathhouse.
Brick bathhouse: pros and cons
The advantages of a brick bath include:
- fire safety;
- life time;
- environmental friendliness;
- variety of projects;
- ease of operation.
The clay from which I make bricks is a natural material, so we can talk about its environmental friendliness. At the construction stage of the bathhouse, wood is treated with fire retardants and anti-rot preparations, which carry harmful impurities with them. It is impossible to set the blocks on fire, which is important for the building, since they use solid fuel stoves, in the firebox of which the temperature reaches 600°. A brick bathhouse will last 60 years or more with proper care. A structure made of timber can withstand the same period, but maintenance costs are 2-3 times higher. Rounded or planed timber does not bend, which interferes with the creation of designer buildings. The shape of the block bath wall is made curvilinear if the project requires it.
When choosing a material, consider the disadvantages:
- heat capacity;
- the need for insulation;
- moisture absorption;
- price;
- foundation.
The thermal conductivity of brick is higher than that of wood, so it is necessary to insulate the bathhouse with an insulator. Micropores in the blocks absorb moisture, collapsing from temperature changes and losing strength. A bathhouse project made of brick can be more expensive than one of the same dimensions made of rounded logs. The weight of the structure requires a solid foundation, which also increases costs and creates problems on unstable soils.
Which brick is better to build a bathhouse from?
When constructing the walls of a brick bathhouse, well masonry is used, the peculiarity of which is the presence of an air gap between the planes. This approach allows you to insulate the surface from the inside. The following blocks are used:
- red ceramic brick;
- red porous brick.
Ceramic is suitable for cladding and masonry. Blocks are produced solid or hollow. The former have greater load-bearing capacity, the latter - thermal insulation properties. Solid brick is laid in two rows if bathhouse walls are being built from it. Hollow is not suitable for plinths and chimneys.
Porous blocks are a molded mixture of clay to which sawdust is added. When fired, the latter turn into ash, forming voids, which is important for thermal insulation properties. Thermal conductivity is comparable to that of rounded timber. Advantages: sound insulation, light weight and durability.
Advice! If the walls of the bathhouse are insulated with mineral wool and waterproofing is installed, then sand-lime brick is also suitable for construction.
How to build a brick bathhouse
Before building a brick bathhouse, choose a location on the site in accordance with SNiP standards. She is removed from neighbor's fence by 1 m. In this case, the roof slope must end at the owner’s site. If there is a wooden building on the neighbor’s territory, then the distance from the bathhouse to it should be more than 15 m. The same distance is maintained to open sources drinking water and forest area. A brick bathhouse not adjacent to the house is removed 8 m from the roadway and 5 m from the roadway.
After selecting the territory, a project is determined, which is necessary for calculating the building materials and calculating the supplied communications. The number of blocks for walls is determined by dividing the surface area by the area of the brick. Take into account the thickness of the seam so that there is no excess. Choose the type of pitched or flat roof for a brick bathhouse. The latter is not suitable for areas with heavy snowfall in winter. To reduce the project cost, the roof is covered with a profile sheet. Its quantity is determined by the example with bricks.
Windows and doors for brick baths are made of plastic. They are resistant to moisture and do not deform due to temperature changes. Laminated frames with imitation wood are suitable for red brick. One sash is made openable for ventilation. A small window is placed inside the steam room to reduce heat loss. Entrance door The bathhouse is made of wood or plastic.
Brick bath projects
Above is a project for a brick bathhouse measuring 6 by 4. It is being implemented in small areas in country houses or dachas. The building is divided into three parts. Half is occupied by a relaxation room, which is equipped to suit personal preferences. The furnace furnace for the steam room is brought into it. The washing room is transitional; it is combined with a bathroom to save space inside the bathhouse.
This brick bathhouse project has an attic with a billiard room and a gym. The shower and toilet are separated, there is a guest room that will allow you to receive relatives and friends. The steam room area is enough for 3-4 people who can be inside at the same time. A grill or barbecue is installed on the terrace.
The option shown in the drawing is a full-fledged one Vacation home made of brick with a bathhouse inside. It is distinguished from the previous one by its large area and the presence of a font. The last one is filled in cold water for a contrasting effect on the human body. It replaces the pool and is cheaper. There is a separate room for storing firewood, which allows you to avoid cluttering the rest room. The terrace surrounds the brick bathhouse on both sides, expanding the area for outdoor recreation.
Project of a one-story brick bathhouse, in which the bathroom is separated from the shower. To reduce heat loss and store firewood, a vestibule is equipped. The steam room can accommodate 5 people at the same time. In the recreation room there is a corner for the kitchen.
Do-it-yourself brick bath: step-by-step instructions
When the building material is delivered to the site where the brick bathhouse will be built, the area is cleaned. Remove debris, branches and grass, remove the turf layer.
Foundation
The cleared area for the bathhouse is marked out for the foundation according to the selected project. Two pegs are driven into the corners, as shown in the photo above. A fishing line or twine is pulled between them. Control the right angle. To do this according to plan, measure the diagonals and compare them with the actual ones. If something doesn’t fit, then one of the corners is shifted to the middle or outward. The posts are secured so as not to damage them during excavation work.
They dig a pit under the strip foundation of a brick bathhouse. Its depth should be below the freezing point. In areas where the air temperature in winter drops to -35°, they decrease by 1.8 or deeper. This is necessary for strength, so that heaving soil did not squeeze out the structure and did not lead to cracks.
Advice! On unstable soils, a strip foundation is also used for a brick bathhouse, but it is reinforced with screw or bored piles. The latter are lowered below freezing of the soil, and the tape is left on the surface.
The walls of the pit are cleaned and leveled so that they do not crumble. A two-layer cushion is placed at the bottom, which consists of sand and crushed stone. The level of each is 10 cm. The first one is compacted and leveled. So that the surface settles, it is soaked with water. The cake is completed with waterproofing. Use roofing felt or a similar material that will prevent the capillary rise of moisture from the foundation to the brick walls of the bathhouse.
Wooden formwork is installed on top of the trench under the brick bathhouse to a height of 40 cm. The panels are made of moisture-resistant plywood with a laminated coating, which improves the quality of the base, or from boards. The waterproofing material is laid with an overlap so that the solution does not squeeze it out. A metal sheathing made of reinforcement is placed inside the gutters. The boards are reinforced with spacers and jumpers on top.
After pouring the foundation for the brick bathhouse, the concrete is compacted with an internal vibrator, which eliminates cavities and increases the strength of the mixture. The surface is leveled with a trowel to make it easier to maintain it when removing walls. If the tape is poured under a brick bathhouse in the summer, then the structure is wetted once a day and covered with oilcloth so that the surface does not crack due to moisture evaporation.
Walls
Before starting to remove the brick walls of the bathhouse, the surface of the foundation is waterproofed. To do this, it is cleaned and the resulting deposits are knocked down. The top is covered with bitumen mastic, on which roofing felt is laid. An overlap of 15 cm is made between the sheets. Do not use continuous wall masonry, in which the outer and inner planes are located without a gap. This scheme consumes material and requires external insulation.
Metal beacons are placed in the corners of the future bathhouse. They are verified by level in the horizontal and vertical plane. A cord is pulled between the posts to the height of the row, taking into account the thickness of the seam. Laying begins from one of the corners. The string is rearranged as you go. The evenness of the plane is controlled by a plumb line or a line between the beacons. To do this, the latter is moved outside the wall. The base of a brick bath is constructed from blocks without cavities, the walls are erected from hollow ones. If work is carried out in late spring or summer, the bricks are additionally moistened to prevent the mortar from drying out.
Roof and floor
For greater strength, an armored belt is mounted on top, which will prevent the destruction of the brick walls of the bathhouse. Formwork is constructed around the perimeter of the building, metal sheathing is laid and concrete is poured. After 2 days, the shields are removed and the influx is knocked down. After gaining strength, the upper plane is covered with bitumen mastic and roofing felt is laid to protect the roof supports from moisture. A Mauerlat is installed on top of the armored belt. The latter is a wooden beam with a cross-section of 10 by 10 cm. It is attached to the walls of a brick bathhouse anchor bolts or on the studs that were embedded during pouring.
Install rafter system for the roof of a brick bath. It is supported and fixed to the Mauerlat. Ceiling beams the lower part of the trusses protrudes or they are mounted separately. They fasten the sheathing, waterproofing and roofing. From the bathhouse, the rough ceiling is lined with boards and a foil vapor barrier is laid. From the attic, cover the surface with a membrane vapor barrier and place mineral wool between the joists. Cover the insulation with another layer of vapor barrier.
The space inside the foundation of a brick bathhouse is filled with sand and compacted. At the base level, a wooden beam is laid, which serves as the basis for the floor. Use a log with a section of 25 or 15 by 10. It is fixed with anchor bolts to the foundation or corners to the wall. Boards are placed underneath to hold the insulation. Cover the surface with waterproofing and lay mineral wool. Another layer of waterproofing is placed on top and the subfloor in the bathhouse is laid.
Exterior and interior decoration
After installing the subfloor and ceiling, they begin the interior and exterior finishing of the brick bathhouse. In the steam room, the walls are covered with aluminum foil, which acts as a vapor barrier. A sheathing of timber with a section of 5 by 5 cm is stuffed on top. It is pulled through the corrugation. electrical cable and draw conclusions for the lamps. A lining made of larch or oak is mounted on the frame, and shelves are attached.
Information! A separate brick foundation is built under the stove in the steam room of the bathhouse. The perimeter walls are protected with stainless steel sheets or stripped of insulation and finishing. Pay attention to the node where the chimney passes through the ceiling so that rainwater did not flow down it into the bathhouse.
The rest room and dressing room are sheathed with wooden clapboard or block house, having previously assembled the frame. In the washing room of a brick bathhouse, wood is used on the ceiling. The walls and floor are laid with ceramic or porcelain tiles.
If the walls of the bathhouse were laid using the well method with insulation inside, then external finishing is not required, since it is replaced facing brick. In other cases, the walls are insulated with mineral wool, secured with glue and plastic dowels. After this, a metal or wood sheathing is installed and the bathhouse is sheathed with a block house, clapboard or siding.
Turnkey brick bathhouse
If the bathhouse is not used seasonally, it will be equipped with heating. This is necessary to maintain the same temperature so that the wood finish does not suffer from changes, and brickwork did not gain moisture. Install a solid fuel or gas boiler if the heating is water. Install radiators under the windows or a heated floor circuit. In the latter option, the floor in a brick bathhouse, after compacting the sand, is filled with a concrete screed, waterproofing is laid, insulation is insulated, and a pipe is laid. Only after this the finishing is applied.
Advice! As electric heating for a brick bath, infrared film or mats are used, which are mounted under the tiles.
They provide supply and exhaust ventilation, which accelerates the exchange of moisture inside the bath with environment. At the junction of the channels with the steam room, a valve is installed that blocks the flow of hot air into the relaxation room. The backlight is made from LED chandeliers and tapes to reduce consumption and make construction economical.
Brick bathhouse: photo
The photo shows an example of a bathhouse with 1.5 bricks. The insulation is done inside the wall, so no external finishing is required. There is a window only in the rest room to reduce heat loss. Metal tiles were chosen for the roof, which are more expensive than corrugated sheets, but are visually superior.
A small brick bathhouse, the walls of which are lined with a well method. There is a dressing room for outerwear and firewood storage.
Brick bathhouse with terrace. In the summer, the latter is used as a place to relax, installing garden furniture and a barbecue.
A completed bathhouse project in which the area of the relaxation room was expanded with a bay window. The advantage is good natural lighting.
Brick bath with a pitched roof is suitable for areas where in winter there are strong winds but little precipitation. The advantage is that the roof is cheaper, the disadvantage is that it is impossible to equip an attic.
In the steam room of a brick bath, a metal stove is installed or it is laid out from fireclay bricks. The space behind it is left open so as not to spoil the finish.
If necessary, install two heaters. One is made of bricks, the second is electric. Power is calculated based on the volume of the steam room in the bathhouse.
If the masonry inside the brick bath was done for jointing, then installation of the lining is not required. At the same time, they think about vapor barrier of surfaces.
When laying a wooden floor in the recreation room of a brick bathhouse, make a recess under the firebox window. It is decorated with tiles or metal sheets.
Conclusion
A brick bathhouse is a structure that will delight you with its service life and health benefits. The project may cost more than a wooden bathhouse, but its main advantage is fire resistance. The rest room is decorated with pine materials. The latter are not suitable for steam rooms, because when heated they release resin that can burn the skin. Aspen is suitable for shelves, because it is heat-intensive and does not deform from temperature and humidity. Below is a video with an overview of one of the brick baths.
The traditional material for constructing a bathhouse is wood. Such a bathhouse warms up well and releases heat slowly, which determines its functional efficiency. However, other materials, such as brick, are also effective.
Advantages
- High strength and reliability. Brick stronger than wood, and can withstand heavy loads. From this material you can build a bathhouse that would be difficult to build from wood (three-story, for example).
- Variety of projects. Brick is used to build structures of any complexity and any geometric shape.
- Fire safety. A bathhouse is a place where there is a stove with an open flame. Despite the fact that there is also a lot of water there, fires in bathhouses are not uncommon. Since the brick does not burn, the safety of the structure is increased and the risk of damage due to an improperly lit stove is reduced.
- Resistant to water. Systematic exposure to moisture spoils brick, but not as quickly as wood.
- Resistance to microorganisms. The conditions in the bathhouse (not in the steam room, of course) are comfortable for fungi and other microorganisms. And a tree can also be a breeding ground for them. Brick is not like that.
- Environmental Safety. No less than a tree.
- Long service life with minimal maintenance. The service life of baths of this type is significantly higher than wooden ones. At the same time, wood requires constant care, but brick does not.
Very attractive properties, but if you need a brick bathhouse, the pros and cons should be considered fully. Let's pay attention to the negative traits.
Flaws
- High load on the ground. Hence the higher requirements for the design stage and the need to arrange a complex foundation. The drainage system also becomes more complicated. Adding excavation and pouring work to construction concrete base will increase the cost of construction and the duration of work.
- A high price, which consists of the price of the material, the price of masonry and the cost of additional work that would not be required when using wood.
- "Wet" process. The log bathhouse is assembled like a construction set. Strip foundation and brickwork require working with mortar, which not only complicates the process, but also leaves a lot of debris.
- Interior decoration. The premises in the bathhouse are rarely left with brick walls - you will still have to finish them with clapboard or boards (or even tiles). This is extra time and extra expenses, since a wooden bathhouse does not need finishing, although no one forbids doing it there.
- Qualification requirements. You can build the simplest wooden building yourself. The simplest brick one is also possible, but a higher level of qualification is required. We will not say anything about complex bathhouse projects, since in both cases professionals are needed.
Conclusion
We have disassembled a brick bathhouse, the pros and cons characteristic of this approach. Is it possible to build a bathhouse out of brick? Yes, and in terms of performance properties it will be no worse than wood. But the construction process is more complex and more expensive, and therefore is recommended for projects designed for a large number of visitors.
A bathhouse can be built not only from wood, but also from other materials. Although this is somewhat out of the traditional concept, the use of alternative materials can be quite justified.
It is especially interesting to see what will happen if you use a material that is traditional in another area to build a bathhouse.
Briefly about brick
This material is used for the construction of houses, industrial facilities and auxiliary buildings. Information about the first use of brick by man has been lost for centuries. This material gained its popularity due to its excellent characteristics:
- Strength;
- Durability;
- Thermal resistance;
- Attractive appearance;
- Simplicity of construction technology;
- Good thermal insulation (in hollow versions).
Brick can be of several types: silicate, ceramic (traditional red), fireproof, hollow and solid. Since red brick is the most affordable and popular, we will consider a bathhouse made from it for its pros and cons.
Strengths of a brick bath
- Strength and higher load bearing capacity. The brick is resistant to various types mechanical impact. It can be used to build large baths of several floors. Wood is also possible, but this is more risky.
- Brick provides ample opportunities for the use of various structural and design solutions. Bricks are used to build complex architectural forms that are highly reliable.
- Design. This material is characterized by excellent appearance, which allows you to do without external finishing.
- Fire resistance. Even ordinary brick is a non-combustible material (if exposed to excessive heat, it is destroyed, but does not burn), unlike wood. In the event of a fire (which is not uncommon in bathhouses, since they use wood-burning stoves), the wooden bathhouse will not have to be completely rebuilt.
- Brick does not require treatment with various antiseptics and fire retardants.
- Durability. The service life of brick is higher than that of wood materials. In addition, brick does not require special care during operation.
Weaknesses of brick baths
- The need for a solid foundation. Brick walls are heavier than wood, so they require a more substantial foundation.
- In most cases. A brick bathhouse requires interior finishing (upholstery with clapboard or boards).
- Expensive. Brick is not the cheapest material in itself, plus more complex foundation work, plus interior decoration. As a result, a brick sauna can be 1.5 - 3 times more expensive than its wooden counterpart.
- Low construction speed. A log house for a bathhouse can be purchased ready-made. This is not done with brick.
- High heat capacity of brick. The bathhouse will take a long time to warm up (but also take a long time to cool down). This problem can be solved by using internal insulation with reflective properties. However, this additional work and additional costs.
Conclusion
The construction of a brick bathhouse is advisable in several cases.
It is traditionally believed that the best bathhouse is made of classic wood, but today it is increasingly giving way to more alternative option- brick steam room. This trend is dictated by the many advantages of brick, which make it very attractive for building a bathhouse. But, of course, there are also disadvantages that must be taken into account. That is why, if you decide to build a steam room out of brick with your own hands, it will definitely not be superfluous for you to learn the features of the material, as well as get acquainted with the step-by-step construction technology and photos - all this will help you implement your own bathhouse project as successfully as possible.
Pros and cons of a brick bath
You just can’t decide whether you should build a steam room out of brick or not? The advantages and disadvantages of this material will help you determine.
- brick is highly fire-resistant, therefore much more fireproof than classic bathhouse materials;
- using brick, you can bring to life an architectural project of almost any configuration, so if you want to build a non-standard steam room, the material will allow you to realize your plans;
- The brick is very durable, so the bathhouse will last you for several decades.
Country bathhouse made of bricks
- Brick is characterized by a high heat capacity, which is why such a bathhouse takes longer to melt than a wooden one;
- the material has low vapor conductivity, therefore, if you do not take care of high-quality vapor barrier, it will absorb moisture and become damp;
- good brick It’s not cheap, so building such a dacha will be more expensive than building a traditional wooden steam room.
If for you the advantages of a brick bath outweigh its disadvantages, let's start construction.
Laying the foundation
The foundation for a brick bath is laid according to following diagram:
- Dig pegs around the perimeter of the future steam room - they will be your guidelines in your work.
- Dig a pit at least 1 m deep.
- Fill the hole with sand 20 cm and compact it thoroughly.
- Place a 10-15 cm layer of crushed stone on top of the sand.
Advice. In order for the crushed stone to set well, it can be pre-mixed with a small amount of cement mortar.
- Place another layer of sand, followed by another ball of crushed stone.
- Place the formwork on the resulting “pie” and secure it with a reinforcement cage.
- Fill the pit with cement mortar and level it using the rule.
- When the cement has dried, lay out the base with two or three rows of bricks. In the very top row, leave two holes for ventilation: 15x15 cm in size on two opposite sides. You also need to leave holes for water supply and sewerage.
Laying the foundation
Construction of walls and roof
Red brick should be used to build walls. The required amount of material is easy to determine: divide the area of the bathhouse box (the total height and total width of the walls multiplied by each other) by the area of the selected brick.
Advice. When calculating, add 5% to the resulting figure in case there are broken bricks in the batch.
There are two ways to lay brick:
- The first one is single-row. The so-called chain system, according to which bricks are alternately laid crosswise and lengthwise. This masonry is quite difficult to execute, but allows you to build very strong walls.
- The second is multi-row. This scheme involves alternating one transverse brick with five longitudinal ones. Its main advantage is significant material savings. But in terms of strength, the multi-row method is inferior to the single-row method.
To bond the bricks, prepare a mortar of cement, lime, sand and water. It should turn out plastic, but not liquid. The optimal thickness of the solution layer is 10 mm.
Construction of bath walls
After the walls, proceed to the construction of the roof:
- lay rafters or joists on the brick walls - the base of the roof;
- place the lath on the base;
- fix on the crate roofing material: corrugated sheeting, metal tiles, slate.
Waterproofing and vapor barrier
When the main construction works completed, proceed to hydro- and vapor barrier. They can be carried out using two methods: painting and pasting.
The painting option involves covering all internal surfaces of the bathhouse with various coating materials: bitumen mastics, acrylic suspensions, epoxy resins, rubber gels - all these compounds can provide a brick building with good protection from moisture.
The pasting method involves covering surfaces with roll or panel insulators. The most commonly used are roofing felt and foil polyethylene foam. They are either glued to the work surface or fixed with wooden slats. Seams and corners are sealed with special aluminum tape.
Important! Before using roll or tile insulators, all cracks in the bathhouse must be covered with bitumen mastic.
You can also combine these two methods - stick roofing felt or polyethylene foam directly onto the coating material.
Bath insulation
After waterproofing, the bathhouse needs to be insulated. Start with the walls:
- stuff the lathing onto the waterproofing layer;
- fill the sheathing spans with thermal plates;
- Use a stapler to secure the fiberglass fabric to the sheathing, and then place foil on top.
Bath insulation
Insulation of the bathhouse floor can be done as follows:
- lay polystyrene foam or penoplex slabs on top of the waterproofing;
- attach a metal mesh to the slabs;
- pour a thin layer of concrete on top.
As for ceiling insulation, you can use both the already mentioned foam boards and mineral wool or foil-coated fiberglass:
- fill the surface of the ceiling with lathing and fill it with insulation;
- cover the insulation with foil and plywood.
Important! Before insulating the ceiling, the sheathing and plywood must be treated with antiseptics.
Now you can start decorating the steam room interior.
Thus, building a brick bathhouse with your own hands requires a lot of time and effort, but this is an absolutely feasible task. Follow the instructions, thinking through each stage of construction, and then you can get a full-fledged steam room even without professional help.
DIY bathhouse foundation: video
Brick bathhouse: photo
