The foundation for the bath can be made by hand. The main thing is to know the features and rules for installing a columnar, strip, slab and pile foundation in order to make the right choice. Content:
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Foundation types
- Tape
- Platen
- Columnar
- Pile
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Foundation construction
- Columnar
- Tape
The bathhouse, like any other building, needs a solid foundation. Without a reliable and durable foundation, its practicality and safety are questioned. Since today several different types of foundations are used, it is necessary to choose one of them taking into account the characteristics of the soil, the weight of the building, and the level of groundwater. The decision made will determine the likelihood of deformations, distortions and cracks in the future.
Types of foundations for a bath
To understand what kind of foundation is needed for a bath, and subsequently make the right decision, you need to familiarize yourself with all the options and their specifics. Below is a brief educational program on different types of bases and the method of their installation.
Strip foundation for a bath
The strip foundation is a kind of base in the form of "ribbons" that takes all the pressure from the whole building. To fill it, soil preparation is not necessary, and the process itself does not cause any difficulties. A significant drawback is the need for large labor costs and a significant amount of building materials. Since the strip foundation is ideal for small one- and two-story structures, it may well be used for the construction of a bath.
This type of base can also be divided into two subspecies:
- Prefabricated - created from blocks and structures;
- Monolithic - performed in one stage (pouring) directly on the construction site.
For the installation of the strip foundation, cement, sand, quarry, gravel, crushed stone, broken brick are used.
Slab foundation for a bath
Slab foundation is a type of strip foundation, which is a solid thick reinforced concrete slab, filled with a special solution. As a rule, its thickness reaches 0.5 meters, and its dimensions are 1–1.5 meters larger than the perimeter of the building itself. Either a layer of sand or a poor quality mortar is laid under such a slab.
The slab base is used for the construction of buildings above 2 floors with a large area and a complex configuration. In this case, the building will not undergo cracks and distortions even on heaving soil and its uneven movement.
On a note! The above type of foundation is rightfully considered the most expensive in terms of material used. When building a small bath, it is completely irrelevant.
Column foundation for a bath
A columnar foundation for a bath is a line of pillars immersed in the ground to a certain depth, connected to each other by specific concrete or other beams. Such a foundation requires much less financial and power costs in comparison with the previous option. The columnar foundation is great for building a bath, as it itself is designed for small buildings of 1 or 2 floors with light walls.
For complete reliability and durability, the pillars of the base must be immersed in the ground no higher than the freezing level. To exclude the possibility of rupture of the column in winter frost, it is customary to leave its sides as smooth as possible and reinforce each column with a strong round metal profile.
As a building material for a columnar foundation, they use:
- For heavy buildings of a couple of floors - reinforced concrete;
- For brick buildings with concrete floors - granite or other durable natural stone;
- For a relatively small building with brick walls - concrete, clay brick;
- For light garden buildings, country houses, etc. - oak, pine.
Pile foundation for a bath
The pile foundation is the only type that requires the use of specialized heavy equipment. In most cases, it is used for the construction of massive heavy buildings. Ideal for planting soils or wet soils. Outwardly, it looks like the lines of massive beams driven to a certain depth and connected at the ends with bearing plates.
There are 4 common types of similar designs:
- Screw - with threaded blades at the ends for screwing into the ground with special equipment;
- Pressed - penetrated into the ground by hydraulic machines;
- Hammered - hammered into the ground with a coprom;
- Printed - created by the method of filling wells with the required type of concrete.
On a note! For the construction of a bath, a pile foundation can only be used of a rammed type in the case when a strip or columnar is not suitable. For different buildings, one or another type of material can be applied:
- For large houses on marshy grounds - a combination of reinforced concrete and steel;
- For large buildings on normal ground - steel pipes covered with anti-corrosion material;
- For low buildings of a couple of floors with a relatively low weight - pine wood piles, treated with various types of protective agents.
On a note! According to experts, in addition to the main factors, when choosing a foundation, it is necessary to take into account the depth of the foundation and the specifics of climatic conditions.
The foundation for a bath with your own hands
You can build almost any bath with your own hands. In the same way as the foundation for it. It is important to remember that the final result of the process depends on the quality of materials and vigilance at each stage of installation. Any type of foundation requires a responsible approach, adherence to all the rules and accurate miscalculations.
Installation of a columnar foundation for a bath
Pillars for creating a columnar foundation can be made of various materials: brick, concrete, stone. But today, reinforced concrete is considered the main and most popular. So, for the installation of a columnar base, you must perform the following steps:
- Prepare the site … The top 30 cm soil layer is cut off along with the vegetation. Level the surface.
- Make markup … With the help of pegs and ropes, they mark the territory along the contour of the future foundation.
- Prepare the pits … Manually or with the help of an excavator, they dig holes for posts along the axes. The depth of the pit should be 30 cm higher than the level of the columns, and the width should be several centimeters directly over the width of the column.
- Mount the formwork … As a rule, boards 15 cm wide and 4 cm thick are selected to install the formwork. But instead of them, you can use chipboard, moisture-resistant plywood, metal sheets.
- Reinforce the foundation … This type of base is reinforced with A3 rods in the longitudinal direction. The optimum diameter is 14 mm. The step for horizontal lintels is 20 cm.
- Fill the pillars … The solution is poured into metal pipes, which remain in the foundation at all. Place the concrete evenly using a hand-held vibrator. The thickness of the alternating layers is 25-30 cm.
- Make waterproofing … Roofing material on bitumen, hot or cold mastics and other well-proven materials are used as waterproofing.
- Build a grillage … Often, for greater strength of the columnar foundation, a monolithic belt is made of prefabricated reinforced concrete beams. The lintels are carefully connected to each other with the remnants of the reinforcement, the formwork, the reinforcing cage are mounted, everything is poured with concrete M200. After complete solidification and laying of the waterproofing, the sinuses are covered with soil.
Installation of a strip foundation for a bath
A shallow strip foundation is most often used in the construction of a bath. It doesn't require a lot of materials or human resources. It is easy to do it with your own hands without the help of specialists and all kinds of advice:
- Site preparation … All debris and bushes are removed. The soil is leveled.
- Marking the future foundation … The first column is driven into the location of the intended angle. Next, with the help of a right-angled triangle, the axial lines are pulled. The posts are connected with a non-stretching rope. Then the inner contours are drawn, taking into account the optimal width of the base - 25-35 cm.
- Trench … Usually a trench is dug, bringing it down with a level. The depth can vary from 40 to 70 cm. The width should allow the placement of the formwork. A sand and gravel pillow is laid on the bottom.
- Formwork installation … Reinforcement rods are driven into the entire perimeter of the trench every 2 meters. To install the formwork, take boards with a flat side (which are turned to concrete) and a width of at least 50 cm.
- Reinforcement cage preparation … The reinforcement frame for the bath is knitted on the surface, and not in the trench. It is necessary to install 2 rows of horizontal rods and vertical ones every 35 cm. The frame is knitted with reinforcing wire, the corner reinforcement is bent.
- Pouring the foundation … The purchased or prepared solution is poured, leveling with a shovel and using a vibrating device to remove air bubbles. The formwork is removed in 4–5 days.
We offer you to watch a video about the arrangement of the formwork for the pile-strip foundation for the bath:
Installation of the base of the building is the most important and responsible mission. Having an idea of how to make the foundation for a bath, any owner of a suburban area can build a favorite place for rest and relaxation. Attention to detail, patience and diligence are the keys to success in this kind of business!
