Building a two-story bath is more expensive than building a building with one floor, but it is much more practical. Consider the nuances of the independent construction of two-story baths and the features of using a wooden frame and foam blocks for this. Content:
- Material selection
- Foundation construction
- Walling
- Roof structure
- Interior decoration
- Heating tips
- Bath with an attic
A two-story bathhouse is good because it occupies a small area, but is much more functional than a one-story bathhouse. On the ground floor there is usually a steam room, shower room and swimming pool. The second floor is occupied by a recreation room, a playroom, a bedroom. And some also make a spa on the second floor. In addition, a two-story bath very often replaces a country house, where the whole family can go for the weekend.
The choice of material for a two-story bath
Wood is considered a traditional material for the construction of a bathhouse on its site.
For the construction of a wooden bath, you will need the following material:
- Rounded logs or timber (from 6 thousand rubles per cubic meter);
- Boards for the ceiling and floor (from 200 rubles per square meter);
- Insulation and waterproofing material (from 1500 per cubic meter);
- Cement for the foundation (from 170 rubles per bag).
It is important that the wood is well dried and treated with all the necessary pest control agents, as well as impregnated with fire retardants. If we talk about the convenience of construction, then, for example, two-story baths from foam blocks are built faster and easier. Building material is much lighter, it is faster to lay, and the foundation can be made easier, because the structure is light in general. But a material such as a foam block has one drawback - a large heat transfer, which requires large financial expenditures on insulation material for a bath.
When constructing a bath from foam blocks, prepare:
- Foam block - density D700 (about 2400 rubles per cubic meter);
- Sand (about 250 rubles per ton), cement (from 170 rubles a bag);
- Construction glue (from 35 rubles per kilogram);
- Roofing material for covering the foundation (from 230 rubles per roll);
- Materials for insulation and waterproofing (from 1500 per cubic meter).
Construction of the foundation for a two-story bath
When building a two-story bath from a log or a bar, you must take care of a solid and powerful foundation, since compared to frame baths or buildings made of foam block, a wooden bath is very heavy, and the wood is subject to shrinkage. Therefore, it is recommended to make a strip or columnar foundation.
To build a strip foundation for a two-story bath, follow these instructions:
- The first step is to dig a pit.
- Then, using sand and gravel, we equip a pillow at the bottom of the pit.
- Next, we construct the formwork, which we fill with concrete.
- When the concrete is dry, we remove the formwork.
- After the formwork has been removed, a crevice will appear between the foundation and the ground, which should be covered with fine gravel.
Use roofing material or bitumen as a waterproofing material; these materials will well protect the future structure from moisture. Then the two-story wooden bathhouse will stand for many years.
The procedure for building a columnar foundation for a bath looks like this:
- We drive the support pillars (at the corners of the building and at the joints of the walls) into the ground for about half a meter. If the ground is dense and there is no way to drive the post, then first drill a hole, and then place the post in it.
- Next, fill the entire structure with concrete.
- We carry out waterproofing using the same roofing material or bitumen.
If we talk about the construction of a two-story bath from a foam block, then the foundation scheme there will be somewhat different. We dig a closed trench along the contour of the bath. If, for example, a 3x6 m bath is planned, then the trench should be 50 cm deep and 40 cm wide. We hammer wedges in each corner of the trench, and stretch roofing material around them. In addition, the bottom of the trench should be covered with roofing material. At the end, we fill in the foundation and reinforce the structure with reinforcement. After 10 days (when the foundation has frozen), we divide the foundation into the premises that are planned, lay the mesh and fill it with cement.
Erection of the walls of a two-story bath
Undoubtedly, a bathhouse made of a bar or of rounded logs is not only practical, but also quite attractive and respectable. But, as the projects of two-story baths show, the technology of their construction is quite complicated, and it is easier for professionals to work with them. For those who like to engage in construction on their own, there is a good option - a disassembled bath. This option will not leave you without work - you will have to work hard with your own hands to assemble.
The process of installing a two-story bathhouse from a log house looks like this. When the foundation is ready, the lower strapping of the log house is made. We dug the log house, cover the log house with antiseptic agents. Next, we insert windows and doors, insulate and grind the walls. An important point: the stairs to the second floor must be done indoors. We recommend that it be curly - this will significantly save space.
After the walls are erected and the floor is made, you can proceed with the installation of door and window frames. To mount them, small gaps are pre-made in the walls of the timber. After the blockhouse "settles down", openings are cut out in the right places (according to the project) that correspond to the sizes of windows and doors.
The technology for erecting the walls of a foam block bath is not much different from a brick building:
- Determine the highest angle of the building using the level. From this corner, the construction of the walls will begin.
- We lay the first row and fasten the foam blocks with a solution.
- We align the first row with a rubber hammer, "plant" the blocks in place. This is a very important point, since the entire future construction depends on it.
- We lay the subsequent rows using special glue. We apply it with a layer of about 5 mm on foam blocks.
- We lay a reinforcing mesh every three rows.
- Do not forget to leave free space for windows and doors.
Baths from foam blocks are built in 2-3 weeks.
Installation of a roof structure for a two-story bath
At the final stage of the construction of a two-story bathhouse from a wooden frame, shrinkage is carried out. It usually lasts about 6 months. After that, you can start installing the roofing structure. The roofs of the two-storey baths can be single-pitched and double-pitched. If the first type is cheaper and suitable for small buildings, then the second is more expensive. A gable roof covers large buildings. This type of roof is perfect for a two-story bathhouse with an attic.
Consider the installation scheme for a gable roof:
- We lay a row of boards (beams) on the upper crowns.
- We mount the rafters on the boards. The step should be 1 m.
- We make a crate on top.
- We close the ridge with galvanized iron.
- Sewing up the roof gables. The material for the gables can be chosen at your discretion and wallet.
Don't forget to insulate the roof. To do this, install the insulation between the rafters. Avoid joint gaps.
Interior decoration of a two-story bath
If your bathhouse is built of foam blocks, then it is imperative to carry out internal wall cladding. Foam concrete will not stand for a long time if moisture protection is not provided. High-quality moisture protection is especially important on the ground floor, where the steam room is located.
The interior decoration of the foam block bath boils down to the following:
- We saturate the foam blocks with a water repellent solution.
- We lay an insulating film.
- We carry out vapor barrier using vapor-tight membranes. We fix them between the wall and the facing material.
- We carry out decorative wall cladding. For this, a wooden lining is ideal.
- You can plaster the walls and open them with polymer paint or tile.
If your bathhouse is made of a log house, then it also needs interior decoration. This will help to reduce the heat consumption, and, accordingly, the heating time.
Features of the interior decoration of the log bath:
- We put foil on top of the walls.
- Cover the top with a layer of insulation.
- The facing layer, as in the previous option, is recommended to be performed using a lining. However, waterproof materials such as gypsum fiber, drywall, PVC, tiles are also suitable for decorative finishes.
For finishing the floor in the bath, concrete, wood or ceramic tiles are used. The ceiling can be sheathed with wood or laid out with PVC panels, drywall. The main condition is that all materials must have increased resistance to moisture.
We choose maple, pine, ash, birch, hornbeam, oak as wood suitable for wall cladding in a bath. Conifers are not suitable for wall decoration in a steam room. But for the dressing room, washing room and the second floor they are perfect.
Heating tips for a two-story bath
To fully heat the first floor of the bath, it is enough to make a brick oven. Warming up, perhaps, will take a certain time, but it is economical, and the heat will spread evenly. You can warm up the second floor in autumn and spring through a chimney. In this case, do not forget about the insulation of the walls. But if you plan to use the second floor of the bathhouse during the winter months, then the stove will not be enough. Therefore, it is recommended to arrange a full-fledged gas heating.
Features of the construction of a two-story bath with an attic
The most attractive feature of the two-story bath is the attic. Some connoisseurs, it happens, only because of her, and build a two-story bath. Many builders and architects consider the attic to be the best solution as a replacement for the second floor for a bath. It does not load the foundation like a full-fledged second floor.
The attic frame is made of horizontal rafters and vertical uprights. They are the basis of the future ceiling and walls. The angle of inclination of the rafters should be within 30-60 degrees. This will provide more usable attic space.
The attic on the bath can be built in different ways:
- On the finished bath, we finish building the walls up.
- We will convert the attic room of the bath into a residential one.
The easiest way is to finish building an attic on a timber bath. The attic can be made with a wooden structure that will weigh a little. It is not recommended to build an attic from foam blocks separately. It is worth considering the project initially in order to calculate the load on the foundation.
Watch the video below about building a two-story bath with your own hands:
A two-story bathhouse with your own hands is ready! If a frame bath can be used immediately, then it will not work with a wooden one. You need to wait about 6 months for the structure to sit down. Then you can safely proceed to the internal refinement of your bathhouse.
