Wooden, concrete, plastic fonts differ not only in the material for their manufacture, but also in the method of installation. Each type of hot tub is considered optimal for certain conditions and requires the installer to follow all important instructions. Content:
- Font, what is it
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What are the fonts
- By placement method
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By type of material
- Metallic
- Concrete
- Plastic
- Composite
- Wooden
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Installing a hot tub in a bath
- Plastic tank
- Concrete hot tub
- Fonts made of wood
A traditional visit to a bath or sauna should be accompanied by a dip in cold water after the heat of the steam room. At the same time, not every owner of a suburban area can afford to build one near a lake or pond. An alternative in this case would be a pool or hot tub. If the first option is often expensive and irrational, then the second is much easier. It is easy to make a hot tub with your own hands or buy a blank for installation in a specialty store.
Bath tub concept
Initially, the baptismal font was a vessel located in a temple or cathedral, used during the sacrament of baptism. Over time, the meaning of the word has changed. Today, contemporaries call this a container with cold water intended for a sauna or bath.
Most of the typical fixtures of this kind are small in size, which means they can easily fit even in a small room. Often, the font is located on the street directly next to the building. It harmoniously fits into the picture of the personal plot and allows you to enjoy all the pleasures of visiting a Russian bath.
What are the bath tubs
Basically, the bath tub is represented by three different types of fixtures, made of five different material options. The open-plan wooden baptismal font is considered classic, but other types are also very popular.
Types of hot tubs by placement method
The choice of a certain type of font should be taken extremely responsibly, since its functional features depend on the method of placement. All existing options can be divided into three categories: in-depth, open and doused. They differ both in design and in the method of installation:
- Recessed font … Swimming pool of small length and width with great depth, equipped with a ladder. Such a construction is planned at the design stage of the bath. The ideal place for a deep font is a dressing room or any other room in the room. At this time, the mini-pool promises to be very durable. It is also allowed to locate a deep font on the street, near the porch.
- Drench type hot tub … A structure neatly built into the ceiling or wall of the bath. The mechanism allows you to pour a bucket of water over yourself by pulling a rope or lever. The tub turns over, pouring out water, then returns to its original position and refills. This type of hot tub is the easiest to install, small in size and economical in terms of mechanism and materials.
- Open font … A tank located on the ground (or on the floor of a room), connected to a sewerage and water supply system. An open font for a bath with their own hands is made in the event that there is no time or opportunity for the installation of a more complex structure. Dozens of manufacturing companies offer potential buyers various options for blanks made of plastic, wood or iron, which can only be installed in a designated place (at the stage of construction of a bathhouse or after its completion).
Types of hot tubs by material of manufacture
For the manufacture of the font, five options for building materials are used. If we talk about a deep font, concrete is considered suitable. For the open, metal, some types of wood, plastic and composite material are more suitable. The douche type mechanism includes several materials at the same time. Plastic and composite products are the most affordable and primitive to care for. Wooden ones require special manipulations during operation, but at the same time have a positive effect on health. Recessed concrete fonts are a durable and durable option.
1. Metal fonts
The bath accessories market provides hundreds of hot tub options made of durable metal. They can hardly be called popular, since their transportation and installation is a lot of hassle. Moreover, the design of the product rarely supports the basic interior solution of the bath, which significantly degrades the appearance of the room. Perhaps the only positive point is the ability of metal products to keep water cold.
2. Concrete hot tubs
The most common option is a concrete bath tub: the size and shape can be planned at your discretion even at the stage of construction. A simple concrete structure is capable of maintaining the required water temperature for a long period of time. At the same time, the font itself made of such material will certainly be strong and durable. The only drawback in installing a concrete pool is the huge labor costs.
3. Plastic bath tubs
The plastic hot tub, unlike the previous one, heats up quickly. But ready-made fonts of various shapes and colors have other equally important positive qualities:
- They are not expensive and widespread;
- Such products are sold disassembled, which facilitates easy transportation and quick assembly just before installation;
- Plastic hot tubs are easy to install without having a particularly deep knowledge in the field of construction and repair work;
- The strength and durability of the containers is high enough for long-term trouble-free operation.
4. Composite hot tubs
Composite hot tubs are sold in one piece or as a collapsible product made from a composite of polymers and fiberglass. The strength of a font made of composite material is several times higher than that of a plastic or concrete one. The connection used in the manufacture is characterized by surprisingly low weight with high reliability. The installation of such a tank is not much different from the installation of a plastic one.
5. Wooden bath tubs
Wood is the best option for reproducing a structure. It is difficult to doubt the environmental friendliness, reliability and essential benefits of natural wood. However, it is rather difficult to create such a reservoir on your own. Basic knowledge is indispensable. Despite the fact that a wooden bath tub is a classic option, its cost is much higher than other options. In most cases, the price is governed by the size of the container and the quality of the wood.
For the manufacture of a font made of wood, use:
- cedar - normalizes the condition of the skin and nervous system;
- oak - improves immunity, strengthens sleep;
- beech - has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system;
- larch - soothes and relaxes.
Despite all the advantages, a wooden font has several disadvantages. Firstly, such a product is difficult to make without prior experience with wood. Secondly, during operation, the tank requires special scrupulous care.
On a note! For self-production, only concrete types of font are recommended. The rest is better to purchase ready-made before installing in the designated place.
Installing a hot tub in a bath
The method of its installation directly depends on the choice of a specific type of font. Thus, concrete tanks must be installed before construction is completed. Douche-type hot tubs can be installed at any stage. And open, respectively, it is better to buy upon completion of all repair work, so as not to miscalculate with the shape, size, color and design.
Installing a plastic tank
Installation of a plastic hot tub is the fastest and most hassle-free. Having decided on the model and making a purchase, you can immediately proceed with the installation. This requires:
- Prepare a place indoors or outdoors.
- Build a wooden frame that matches the size of the finished product.
- Install the hot tub in the frame so that there is free space between the walls of the product and the wooden slats.
- To mask voids, trim the upper end of the frame with slats, in the same way as the side ones.
It will be difficult to distinguish a finished font from a wooden one. The only visual difference is the inside of the plastic tank.
How to make a font for a bath with your own hands from concrete
A concrete hot tub is in many ways similar to a small pool. Its creation does not require special knowledge from the owner. Installation of such a structure consists of several simple processes:
- Prepare a pit with a depth of at least 1.5 m.
- Install fittings. Lay a metal mesh on the bottom at a height of at least 5 cm from the ground. The use of plastic clips is recommended.
- Install the formwork at a height of 5 cm from the reinforcement. The same principle applies to wall formwork. Construct a drain.
- Pour the bottom and walls of the font with concrete at one time (to form a monolithic base).
- Remove the formwork.
- Exterior decoration of the bottom and walls with ceramic tiles or other suitable material.
- Install the ladder and other accessories.
Making a font from wood
It is much more difficult to build a font made of wood on your own than to install a ready-made one. But having a basic understanding of working with such material and understanding how to handle the tool, you can try to make it yourself. The main thing is to follow the instructions and carefully monitor the result at each stage:
- Build the bottom of the structure. Using a clamp, glue the flat strips into an even rectangle. When the workpiece is dry, cut out a round or oval bottom of the required parameters. Attach 2 strips from the lower outer side (to exclude contact of the font with the floor or ground). Cut out a drain hole.
- Make walls. Connect the prepared strips to each other using the side edges. Make a groove at the bottom end of the rails for a tighter connection of the bottom with the sides. Fix the walls with metal tie strips with bolts.
- Finish the inner surfaces with sandpaper.
- Equip stairs, seating and other planned accessories.
On a note! Despite the fact that the above actions seem completely primitive, in fact they take a lot of time and effort. The process of making a wooden font is more complicated if the creator has not previously built similar wood products (vats, barrels, etc.). Watch a video about installing a cascade of wooden fonts:
Finally, to summarize: to create a high-quality bathing tank, it is not enough to read how to make a font for a bath with your own hands. It is important to have an idea of the properties of specific materials, to understand the principle of operation of standard hand and power tools, to have at least the slightest experience in performing construction and repair work.
