It is difficult to imagine an equipped suburban area without a bath. And if it is built from larch or cedar, then such a structure will stand for decades, delighting your guests and loved ones. Today our article will tell you about the construction technology and the features of a real Siberian bath. Content:
- Choice of wood
- Location and design
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Construction of a Siberian bath
- Foundation
- Walls
- Roof and ceiling
- Floor
- Communication systems
- Choosing a stove
- Finishing and arrangement
Siberian and Russian baths are not much different from each other. The difference is that during the construction of the Siberian bath, the harsh conditions of frost, reaching 40-50 degrees, are taken into account. In the distant past, the log layer was internal, and as external protection, black soil or peat sheathed with boards was used. Taiga moss was placed in the grooves between the logs, which served as a heater. To this day, larch and cedar logs are used as materials for the walls of Siberian baths, which perfectly retain heat and have a pleasant smell. Modern technologies have made some adjustments to the traditional construction of such structures.
The choice of wood for the Siberian bath
Today the construction market offers many materials for the construction of baths for every taste and wallet contents. But for the construction of a truly Siberian bath, classic materials of the highest quality are needed. This involves working with wood. Siberian cedar for a bath is ideal. A beautiful and durable wood, it exudes a resinous delicate aroma and has unique healing powers. The procedures in the Siberian cedar bath will be not only pleasant, but also very useful.
Cedars grow in clean air. Therefore, only areas with a decent ecological situation can contain an abundance of these trees. In practice, this means that their wood, harvested for the construction of your bath, will be free of any harmful substances.
Cedar has other advantages, which makes it an excellent material for building a bath:
- Compared to other types of trees that are used for log cabins, cedar has the lowest thermal conductivity. Such a bath heats up quickly and maintains heat for a long time - there is an obvious saving of firewood during its operation.
- Natural antiseptic properties. Without any impregnation, cedar wood is devoid of problems with insects, mold and mildew.
- The wood does not crack, does not deform from temperature changes, does not shrink.
- Cedar hardly absorbs water, therefore it does not rot.
- The appearance of a cedar log house is very attractive even without finishing work. Thanks to the special texture of the logs, the bath will look great on your site.
- Cedar wood has a positive effect on the physical and emotional state of a person.
- The healing effect of the Siberian bath reduces the problems of the respiratory system, digestion, skin and nervous system.
If financial possibilities do not allow building such a bath, use glued laminated timber for its walls. It is very popular in the construction of wooden buildings, it withstands temperature changes well, has biological protection against fungus, mice and insects. Baths from a bar are very durable.
Location and design of the Siberian bath
There are several basic rules to determine the place of construction of a bath building:
- The distance from the bathhouse to the nearest outbuildings should be at least 10 m, and to the fence of the adjacent area - at least 3 m.
- The removal of the bath from wells and wells should be more than 20 m.
- The construction of a bathhouse on a hill of the site will save money on the drainage device.
- The entrance to the bathhouse is planned from the south side, and the location of the windows - with an exit to the west. There are fewer snowdrifts on the south side in winter, and they melt faster in spring. The orientation of the bath windows to the west will save money on lighting it in the evening.
Typical drawings and photos of a Siberian bath for its development can be borrowed on the Internet. Any wooden bathhouse consists of the structures of the foundation, log house, floor, ceiling and roof. For each of them, a separate drawing is carried out, taking into account all its dimensions in the plan, a detailing of the main building units and a bill of materials. A standard family bath usually has an area of 16-18 m22 and includes three rooms - a dressing room, a washing room and a steam room.
At the design stage, methods are selected for insulating the building, isolating it from moisture, finishing, supplying communications and installing a sauna stove. Based on these data, a general estimate of the construction costs is drawn up.
Features of the construction of a Siberian bath
The work on the construction of the bath will include the installation of the foundation, the erection of the walls, the installation of the roof, the laying of the floor, the filing of the ceiling, the installation of the stove and the interior decoration. Now let's talk about everything in order.
The foundation for the Siberian bath
There are two main types of it:
- Columnar … It is used on rocky soils with admixtures of sand. The pillars are placed at the corners of the bath and at the joints of the outer and inner walls. Additional pillars are laid at a distance of more than two meters between adjacent pillars. Laying depth - not less than one and a half meters. The columnar foundation is made of construction rubble, poured with cement mortar, piles, pipes, etc. The use of reinforcement strengthens the structure. The upper part of the pillars is laid out in 2 bricks. The overhead part of the pillars should be 0.3-0.4 m.
- Tape … It is used on sandy soils with clay impurities. A trench with a depth of 0.4 m is dug on the soil surface previously cleared for building purposes. A sand cushion, a layer of gravel is poured onto its bottom, a formwork is installed and a reinforcing cage is laid. Then the formwork is poured with concrete up to the design level. The width of the foundation is 25-50 cm and depends on the area of the bath.
An additional foundation for the furnace is made if its weight is more than 500 kg. In appearance, it can be columnar, monolithic or concrete cushion.
The erection of the walls of the Siberian bath
The Siberian larch bath is not much inferior to the cedar log. Over time, the special hardness and strength of its wood only increases. This effect is provided by podzol and resinous substances, which are contained in large quantities in the structure of the tree. During the shrinkage of the frame, they harden. From the influence of moisture in the air and soil, larch wood acquires the strength of a stone. Therefore, it is better to make the lower crown of a cedar log from larch.
After that, the salary is arranged, and the rest of the crowns fit. The most common way to erect a log house is to collect it "in a bowl". During the installation of logs, you need to take care of sealing the walls. This is done with felt, building moss, linen tow or modern compactors, which are convenient to use due to their tape shape of different widths.
Roof and ceiling for a Siberian bath
After assembling the log house, you can proceed with the roofing. The gable roof has the support of the lower ends of the rafters on the wall, and the connection of their upper ends in pairs forms the ridge of the roof. A crate of boards is attached to the rafter system. The choice of external roofing materials depends on the desire and financial capabilities. Tiles, slate, roofing iron, roll materials and others are usually used. The attic space is equipped with ventilation.
For a bath, there are three types of ceilings:
- Deck ceiling … Its device is recommended with a span of less than 2.5 m for small baths. Planks with a thickness of 25-50 mm are laid on their walls, joint to joint. On top of this shield, a vapor barrier layer and insulation are laid in layers. For the vapor barrier layer, roofing paper, foil or roofing material is used. Then a soft insulation is poured (peat, for example). It is covered with a croaker, which is nailed to the ceiling beams. The disadvantage of this method is the limitation of walking in the attic space. It can damage the ceiling.
- Panel ceiling … For its installation, it is necessary to prepare in advance the panels, consisting of a pair of load-bearing bars, inner cladding, layer-by-layer insulation and an external ladder, which is located on the side of the attic. The shields, tightly packed to each other, are separated by an elastic pad made of waterproof insulation. This is to prevent heat leakage through the cracks between the shields. The main advantage of a panel ceiling is its low cost, since panel boxes are made from sawn timber scraps. The disadvantage of such a ceiling is the significant weight of the finished panels.
- False ceiling … For its device, the ceiling beams are sheathed with clapboard. Then they are laid on it in sequence: a vapor barrier layer, insulation and waterproofing. After laying the latter, the entire ceiling from the side of the attic space is sheathed with boards. Such an overlap is ideal for saunas with attic rooms, since all the insulation in it is reliably closed on both sides with wooden flooring. One person can handle this job.
Floor installation in a Siberian bath
The bottom layer of the bath floor can be earthen, clay, concrete or wood. The optimal solution for flooring is tiles. It is moisture resistant, undemanding to care for and durable. It is especially suitable for the washing section of a bath. In the steam room, many people prefer to lay wooden demountable floors.
It should be noted that the floor levels in the bath sections are different. In the steam room, the floor is higher than in the wash compartment - this keeps you warm. In the washroom, the floor is lower than in the dressing room - this prevents water from flowing.
Communication systems for the Siberian bath
After construction, any bathhouse, including the Siberian one, must be equipped with all the necessary communications:
- Sewer system … The waste water drainage system from the bath consists of a drain well, pipes and a sump equipped with a water seal. Sewerage pipes are subject to thermal insulation and can be made of cast iron, ceramics or plastic. To exclude the possibility of freezing, the pit is covered with a lid. The floors of the steam room and the washing department are equipped with receiving ladders for draining waste water into pipes and their further transportation through a pit to a drain well.
- Bath water supply … If there is a centralized water supply on the site, the bath building is connected to its system, and if there is none, a water well is drilled or a well is built. Of these, water is pumped into a storage tank, the capacity of which depends on the average number of people attending the bath at the same time.
- Bath power supply … The "air" method of cable laying is considered the most convenient. A wire of the required section in a protective sheath is attached to a steel cable and led out to the building. The electrical panel and junction boxes are located only outside the premises of the bath. For the steam room, you need to use heat-resistant wiring hidden in a metal sleeve. All switches and sockets are installed in the dressing room. They must be fitted with protective covers to prevent moisture ingress.
Choosing a stove for a Siberian bath
The sauna stove of the steam room is always in the spotlight - it is her heart and soul. Siberian baths are heated "in black" and "white". Therefore, the way in which steam is generated determines the type of oven.
In the smoke sauna, passing between the stones, it comes out naturally through a small opening in the ceiling or wall. This method of heating implies significant savings in firewood, since the room heats up very quickly and keeps the heat for a long time. The disadvantage of this method is the soot that covers the ceiling and tops of the walls. But the correct selection of firewood will help to minimize this disadvantage.
In the bathhouse, in white, smoke comes out through the chimney, for which a special pass-through box with thermal insulation is made in the ceiling and roof, which protects wooden structures from fire. The heat in such a bath is provided by periodic moistening of hot stones located above the furnace chamber.
Finishing and arrangement of the Siberian bath
The steam room of the bath is sheathed with natural materials. The best option is a lining made of cedar, linden or aspen. Coniferous and deciduous woods can be skillfully combined when cladding a room so that the benefits of staying in it are maximized.
The cladding of the walls and ceiling of the steam room is made on a wooden crate fixed to the walls and filled with mineral insulation with a vapor barrier layer of heat-reflecting foil. In this case, an air gap must remain under the skin, which is necessary for the full operation of the foil insulator. When fastening the cladding with nails, their heads need to be slightly sunk into the wood, since at high temperatures they heat up and can burn the skin.
Sauna benches are made from wood only. Their best samples are obtained from hardwood: classic aspen and oak, light birch, fragrant linden and maple. Such a tree does not emit resin, smells good, is easy to clean and durable when used. The benches can be simple without a back, two-tier and stepped. Stools and bath tables are made of the same wood.
Any treatment of bathroom furniture with paints and varnishes is excluded, otherwise the high air temperature and contact of the painted surfaces with the body can lead to unpleasant consequences for the skin - cause it to burns or cause allergies.
Oak or birch brooms, wooden scoops - all this in your bath will not be superfluous.
In the cedar blockhouse of a bath, Siberian resin, which has a number of useful properties, can be obtained by processing its logs. This is a resinous liquid that is released when coniferous trees are injured and protects their wood from fungi, the penetration of bark beetles, etc. It serves as a kind of plaster for the tree, simultaneously healing the wound inflicted on it. Hence the name - "gum". Turpentine balm is made from it, which is rubbed into the skin after using a fir broom in the steam room. This helps to tighten the skin, relieves it of flabbiness and excess fat. The balm stays on the body for 20-30 minutes, and then rinses off with water. How to build a Siberian bath - watch the video:
As a result, we can say with confidence that the Siberian bath is very successfully competing with modern pools, baths and jacuzzis. Wellness steam in a cedar aromatic sauna is a feast for body and soul.
