Today, many owners of suburban areas prefer to build a bath not from an expensive timber or log, but from a cheaper foam block. This material has simply remarkable operational characteristics and is also quite easy to install.
The feasibility of using foam blocks
Baths from this material actually come out usually very inexpensive. In addition, foam blocks have almost all the same advantages as wood: they perfectly pass air (“breathe”), they are very easy to cut, they are not very heavy. Their advantage, in comparison with a bar and a log, is that they absolutely do not burn and do not rot. The disadvantages of the walls of this material include the fact that it is able to absorb moisture, while gradually collapsing. Therefore, bath design from foam blocks should be developed with mandatory consideration for the characteristics of this material, in particular its hygroscopicity.
According to the norms of SNiP, it is forbidden to build baths from foamed cement. However, these rules were invented quite a long time ago. Since then, a huge number of new, modern materials with truly unique properties have appeared on the market. Foam concrete also applies to them. In addition, SNiP standards were developed mainly in relation to public baths. Of course, in this case, the rules must be very strict. A small country bathhouse of foam blocks can become a very convenient construction and quite durable. But of course, only subject to all the rules and technologies of construction.
Advantages of the foam block bath
In addition to cheapness and a rather pleasant microclimate, environmental safety can be attributed to the advantages of such structures. When heated, the foam blocks do not emit absolutely no harmful substances. In addition, they retain heat very well, that is, they will have to heat the bathhouse on a wash day no more than once. Since the foam block is not combustible, when installing the heater, you do not have to follow any special regulations.
And of course, the undoubted advantage of this material is the ease of installation. Assembling a bath from a log or timber is a rather laborious and technologically complicated task. Nowadays, not everyone has the experience of erecting such structures. Probably, any owner of a suburban area will be able to lay out block walls.
Projects of baths from foam blocks can be any, that is, the owners of the site have the opportunity to choose the layout of this structure at their discretion. The material is easily cut even with a conventional hacksaw.
The disadvantages of the foam block bath
The cons of the foam block baths are primarily the damping and destruction of the walls, in particular the saturation of blocks with water is dangerous in the winter. In a heated bath, vapors easily penetrate into the porous material. After cooling, the steam water freezes and, expanding, simply breaks the concrete. Therefore, when building a bath from foam blocks, special measures should be taken to waterproof the walls. In addition, the building will also have to be insulated. In this case, the walls will cool longer, and therefore, even if water gets into the material, it may have time to dry before freezing. In addition, much less condensation is collected on the insulated walls.
Experienced owners of suburban areas are also recommended to arrange ventilation in such saunas. This will prevent stagnation of raw air, therefore, extend the life of the walls.
Of course, all these tricks: waterproofing, insulation, ventilation - will cost the owner of the bath a pretty penny. Therefore, structures for this purpose from foam blocks are usually built only in the steppe regions, that is, where it is difficult to get wood, or it is very expensive. In the forest regions of the country, it may be more advisable to build a wooden bathhouse. Most likely, it will cost a little more than paving.
Bath from foam blocks: price
The cost of such a structure will depend, of course, primarily on the layout and size. Wall foam block 60x30x20 costs about 2500 rubles per cubic meter. A small bathhouse measuring 3x4 meters with one partition and a ceiling height of 2 m will take a little more than 6 m 3 . That is, the construction of the actual walls will cost about 16-20 thousand rubles. In this case, about 5 m 3 of mineral wool will be needed. It will cost about 8 thousand rubles. About 2,000 rubles will go to glue solution. Thus, the walls of a small bath of foam blocks with a rough calculation will cost about 30 thousand rubles. Of course, the cost of the foundation, lumber for the floor, ceiling and roof, waterproofing and lining will need to be added to this amount.
A large 6x4 bath from a foam block will cost, of course, more expensive. At such facilities, it has recently become very fashionable to erect attics. This, of course, is very convenient and allows you to save space on the site, but of course, will additionally increase the cost of the structure. About 11 m 3 blocks will go to the walls and partitions of a standard bath of 6x4 m.
Foundation and walls
Building a bath from foam blocks is a simple procedure. Such a structure is being erected in approximately the same way as a brick one. The difference is that the joints in the masonry of foam blocks are very thin, and a special glue is used as a solution for fastening the blocks. When erecting even a small bath from this material, it is desirable to reinforce the walls. To do this, in every fourth row, metal rods are laid in the gutters cut by the grinder. An armored belt must also be placed on top of the masonry.
The foundation for a bath of foam blocks is recommended to be tape and quite powerful. All foam materials are fragile. And therefore, even with small movements of the soil, the walls made of them can crack. For the same reason, blocks should be laid as evenly as possible, using moorings, plumb and level.
Floors in the foam block bath
In order for the walls not to be saturated with water from the bottom from the ground, it is worthwhile to arrange special floors in such a structure. They need to be made concrete and slightly inclined to the center. In the middle of the bath, in this case, a receiving tray and a plastic drain are installed. Pipes should be laid underground below the freezing level and held up to the septic tank.
In order to extend the service life of concrete floors, they should be pasted over with tiled rough tiles. The foundation itself should be treated with penetrating waterproofing before laying it. In the future, special wooden grilles are usually installed on top of the tiles. After the adoption of water procedures, they can be taken outside and dried.
Foundation waterproofing
This operation should be performed necessarily. In this case, you get a durable bath of foam blocks. Owners reviews about such buildings are not bad, but only if they are waterproofed according to all the rules. For the foundation of the bath, both vertical and horizontal waterproofing are usually used. When installing the tape on the bottom of the pit, be sure to pour a sufficiently thick layer of sand. After the foundation concrete has gained sufficient strength, its top is glued with two layers of roofing material.
The walls of the base of the bath should be protected from moisture both outside and inside. You can also use roofing material. A very good solution for waterproofing the foundation of the bath are penetrating agents. Sometimes the base walls are coated with bituminous mastic in two layers.
Waterproofing walls
To protect the enclosing structures of the bath from moisture, it is best to use foil vapor insulators. You can take a special isospan or penofol. Today on the market there are foil materials designed specifically for baths. Fix the waterproofing to the wall with bars. Joints should additionally be passed with nails and glued on top with metallic tape. In the future, the lining is attached to the bars.
The ceiling of the bath is usually made of boards. You can protect it from moisture by using an impregnating waterproofing designed specifically for wood. A bath with an attic from the foam block is very convenient. However, when choosing just such a project, it should be borne in mind that in this case, waterproofing from the inside, most likely, will have to be the roof. In the attic of the baths, the microclimate is usually quite humid.
Bath insulation
Next, let's see how to insulate a bath from foam blocks. It is possible to isolate a structure from this material from the cold using both expanded polystyrene and mineral wool. The latter material is considered more preferable. The fact is that polystyrene foam does not pass air too well. When using it, the walls of the bath will not “breathe”. Insulation should be carried out exclusively from the outside. The fact is that when lining from the inside, the so-called dew point moves inside the walls, and they begin to damp.
How is the bath of foam blocks insulated? Owner reviews of such structures are good only if this operation is performed correctly. Foam wall insulation technology usually includes the following steps:
- A crate of timber is packed on the walls.
- Between its elements a heater is installed. Vata can be mounted just by surprise. Expanded polystyrene should be additionally fixed with dowels-fungi.
- The frame with insulation is fitted with waterproofing material.
- The outer skin is installed. It can be a lining, a block house, etc. Baths made of foam concrete, sheathed with a facade vinyl siding imitating stone look very nice.
You can also paste the walls of the bath with very dense mineral wool with additional fastenings - “fungi”, and then finish it using decorative plaster.
How to arrange ventilation in the bath
Thus, you now know how to build a bath from foam blocks, as well as insulate and waterproof it. Next, let's figure out how to make ventilation in this building. The foam block bath should be aired. The ventilation in the bath is arranged as follows:
- In the immediate vicinity of the furnace at a height of not more than 30 cm from the floor, a supply hole is made in the wall. Sometimes it is made in the foundation of the bath. In the latter case, a hole (with a valve) should be made in the floor.
- In the opposite wall at the top, an exhaust hole is hollowed out. A latch is installed on it. If the opposite wall does not go outside, the exhaust outlet should be made in the same wall as the supply air, but from above and in the opposite corner. In the latter case, an exhaust fan should be used to ensure good air flow.
Foam bath: owner reviews
The opinion of the structures of this type among the owners of suburban areas has developed very well. The owners of the foam block baths note primarily that they keep the heat very well. In addition, such buildings do not require any special care: treatment with antiseptic compounds, hemp, etc.
Of course, good reviews of the foam block baths also deserve their low cost. Almost everyone can build such a building on their site. If you sheathe a foam block bath from the inside with a linden lining, it will smell like in a real wooden one. The same goes for the benefits of adopting water procedures. Everything else, in the foam block bath, judging by the reviews of the owners, the smell of dampness never appears. Outside, such a bath can be sheathed with a block house, and then it will look quite traditional.
As you can see, with the exact observance of all the required technologies, a very good bath of foam blocks can be built. Most of the reviews of owners of such facilities are not bad. But only if the bathhouse is equipped with ventilation, and its walls are well insulated and waterproofed.