The dream of most owners of private and country houses is their own sauna. It’s easier to build a home bath than it seems, but there are also some nuances in this matter. How to create a sauna project and build it on your own site? Important points, materials and stages of construction are presented in the article.
Popular projects
A classic steam room consists of two rooms, however, there are projects that include several more rooms that can make spending more comfortable. Among the owners of private houses, the most popular are such sauna projects:
- A bathhouse attached to a residential building can significantly save space on the site. Its convenience lies in the fact that you do not need to leave the house in order to get inside the steam room, as its door goes into the corridor.
- A bathhouse with a pool, although it seems an expensive project, but in reality there are many bowls for an artificial reservoir at a budget cost. The nuance of such a construction is a more elaborate sewage system, because the pool, like the steam room, shower room, must have a drain.
- A free-standing bath can be made in almost any size. Layout of a 2x2 sauna is the most common option, as it takes up the least space on the site.
The design of the bath, first of all, should be convenient for the owner of the site, since he will have to use this room in the future.
Location on the site
An important moment before starting the construction of the sauna is the choice of a place in the summer cottage. In this case, it is necessary to take into account such factors:
- If there is a lowland on the land, then it is better to equip a sauna there. This is due to the fact that when laying communications in the pipes, stagnation of water will not form.
- A separate bath should be located at a distance of about 15 meters from the house, which is required by the fire safety rules.
- For personal convenience, it is recommended to place the sauna away from neighbors, if possible.
It is very important to consider the location of the bathhouse on the land before the start of construction. You should also outline the layout of the sewage system, which must be equipped with a sauna.
Materials
Building and planning a sauna is not possible without choosing the right materials. They must be moisture resistant, meet fire safety requirements, and also be durable and inexpensive. Among the most popular building materials for the construction of saunas are the following:
- A tree in the form of a bar or logs. The most popular varieties are oak, maple, linden, alder. The material must be pretreated with fire fighting and antiseptic agents. Only after this can construction be started.
- Red brick is the second most popular, as it has a relatively low cost and good thermal conductivity. A separate factor is the fact that brick buildings do not require additional external decoration.
- Foam block, cinder block and aerated concrete are also used in the construction of saunas. This is due to the fact that the construction of a sauna from such materials takes much less time.
Almost any material suitable for this can be used for roof construction. Most often, preference is given to slate or metal tile.
Design features
Sauna is a room with high humidity and temperature, which in the steam room can reach 80-120 degrees. There are such design features of the steam room that you need to know about before starting construction:
- The height of the shelves in the sauna should be at least 40 cm from the floor. At the same time, if it is planned to install shelves in several tiers, then the distance between them should also be about 40 cm.
- Lighting devices should be located in the corners and be moisture resistant.
- It is recommended to choose wood as an internal coating for walls and floors, as it does not heat up and does not leave burns.
- The stove is traditionally placed against the wall next to the door. Around it is recommended to make a low protective fence. It is also recommended that you place a small firewood nearby so that there is no need to leave the steam room for a new portion of firewood. You also need to make sure that there is water if you plan to build a wet bath.
- Entrance and interior doors should be made of wood. An important point is that their handles must also be wooden.
If it is necessary to have a window in the sauna, it is recommended to give preference to a double heat-resistant double-glazed window and a wooden frame.
Zoning space
The layout of the sauna in a private house or standing separately from it begins with determining the size and number of rooms. A small bath can have only two rooms - a steam room and a dressing room. However, most often erected buildings with a large number of rooms, among which may be the following:
- directly steam room;
- dressing room;
- lounge with table and benches;
- restroom;
- shower room.
If there is a second floor, then it traditionally has a recreation area with a sofa, bed and other attributes.
The size of the rooms
The main thing when planning a sauna is the size of the rooms. In addition to the presence of one or other rooms, you also need to determine their size:
- In the steam room are shelves that can accommodate one or more people. In addition, it is important that there is little space for the aisle and furnace. About 1 m per 1 person is enough for a sitting bath, so that there is a place to lie down - 2 m per 1 person. The ceiling height in such a room should be about 2.3 m.
- The shower room basically looks like a small room in which the shower is screwed to a holder on the wall, and there is a drain hole below. Most often, this room is designed for one person. Its minimum dimensions should be 1.5 by 1.5 m or more, taking into account the fact that there will also be shelves for bath accessories.
The size of the relaxation room can be unlimited. It is important that all people who plan to visit the bath house comfortably fit there.
The size of the toilet can be modest - 1 by 1 m. This is enough to put a toilet there. If you plan to install a bidet or washstand, it is recommended to increase the size of the room.
It is important that there is no feeling of crowding in the rooms. This factor must be taken into account when planning a sauna. Therefore, at this stage it is important to determine how many people can use the bath at the same time.
Flooring
After the construction of the sauna has been completed, you should start the interior decoration. It always starts with the floor. It can be wooden or tiled. In the first case, special attention should be paid to treating the floor from excess moisture.
Tile is the most common option, as its cost is relatively low, and the material itself is practical. In this case, it is recommended to choose a tile with a rough surface so that during operation it does not become slippery. Since the tile can heat up, it is necessary to put wooden foot ladders on it.
As glue you need to use moisture-proof and heat-resistant mixtures. It is recommended to choose those that are designed for saunas or for laying tiles on a warm floor.
Furnace selection
A freestanding sauna is most often built of wood. In this case, the optimal solution is to use a brick stove "Kamenka". It must be laid back at the planning stage of the sauna.
In order to properly build a furnace, you need to draw up a drawing of it. To build a good stove, you need to use a brick of the M150 brand. Its amount depends on the desired thermal conductivity of the walls, as well as on the dimensions of the furnace. On average, about 40 bricks are needed per 1 m 2 . A good stove should be bricked on all sides.
There are also two types of firewood bookmarks - open and closed. This directly affects the quality of the smoke. In addition, you should take care of the chimney. In order for the draft in the furnace to be good, and the smoke to go up easily, it is recommended to build a chimney 0.5 m higher than the roof level.
Instead of a classic brick kiln, a compact metal stove can be used. It can be purchased ready-made. Such a furnace will need to be installed in a previously prepared place.
Ventilation organization
When planning a wooden house with a sauna or a separate bath, special attention should be paid to ventilation. The most simple and understandable for the construction is the following scheme:
- For supply air it is necessary to make a hole near the furnace at the bottom of the wall.
- On the opposite wall near the ceiling, it is also necessary to make a hole, which is necessary for air to escape.
In the absence of the possibility of constructing natural ventilation, it is important to force the use of a compressor.
Corrugation can be used as ventilation ducts. It has the ability to stretch and bend in the right places. Also an important factor is the installation of valves on the ventilation ducts. They should be made of wood, as well as the entire interior of the bathhouse.
Power supply
Lighting in the sauna plays an important role, since all gatherings are carried out mainly in the evening, and the building is equipped with a small number of small windows. For the arrangement of electrical wiring in the sauna, it is recommended to abandon the use of any internal ducts made of plastic or metal. Instead, you need to pay attention to the wires in a heat-resistant braid that can withstand temperatures up to 180 degrees.
Lamps are also recommended to use heat-resistant. It is advisable to place them no higher than 35 cm from the ceiling. An interesting option is the placement of lighting partings under the shelves.
All electrical equipment must be connected exclusively through automatic machines that protect the circuit from short circuits. They must be placed in a separate shield on the outer wall of the sauna.
Thermal insulation
During the construction of the sauna, thermal insulation deserves special attention. It is needed in order to keep heat inside the steam room well and to save on fuel for the furnace. For the construction of thermal insulation, basalt mineral wool is used, which is laid between the walls. Mineral wool is also used for thermal insulation of the ceiling, which is then covered with a layer of foil paper.
Fastening is carried out using self-tapping screws with large hats. The foil is also nailed to the frame with nails. It is important to fix it with paper side to mineral wool, and reflecting outward. Joints are important to glue with foil tape.
Interior decoration
When planning a sauna in a country house, it is important to think carefully about the interior decoration. Most often, rooms are simply upholstered with a polished clapboard. It is recommended to choose wood of the highest grade, as it is quite flat and has no knots. It is also important to treat it with fire-fighting and antiseptic agents.
To obtain a flat surface, it is recommended to make grooves on the boards, which will include subsequent wooden elements. Also, you can not hammer nails into the tree, since when the air is heated, the metal will also heat up, and this is fraught with burns if accidentally touched.
Conclusion
The layout of the sauna before construction is easy to do on your own. To do this, draw on paper an approximate plan of the sauna with rooms and an indication of their size. Before you build a steam room, you also need to calculate the amount of building material and make a detailed list.