Do-it-yourself budget sauna: choosing materials for construction, what to save on

A bathhouse on a personal plot or dacha is the dream of many owners. Such water procedures are not only pleasant, but also useful - they cleanse and strengthen the body, and help improve blood circulation. Friendly communication over a cup of aromatic tea after a steam room can hardly be overestimated. When it comes to choosing a material for building a bathhouse, you need to take into account not only the price factor. This is a specific room with special functions, high humidity and temperature. Therefore, it is important not to get lost among the diversity that the market offers. To choose what to build a bathhouse from, it is recommended to consider different building materials in advance from the point of view of their suitability for the construction of a given building. This will allow you to understand which one will be optimal for your needs and conditions.

Other interesting projects of economy baths

A very unusual, but no less comfortable barrel sauna is a cylindrical wooden structure on two supports, internally divided into 2-3 compartments, the farthest of which is a steam room. The sauna is mobile, takes up little space, is economical and economical (very little fuel is needed to warm up a small steam room).

Barrel sauna

Sectional view of a bathhouse barrel

Turnkey barrel baths cost from 35 to 220 thousand rubles. In practice, to assemble such a bathhouse yourself, it takes half as much money and not a lot of effort and time.

Barrel sauna project

Assembly and disassembly of the bathhouse is possible due to the boards used 45x90 or 50x90 mm with a tongue-and-groove connection. The length of the barrel, depending on the boards used, is 2.5-5 meters. The structure is secured with metal hoops. Additionally, the bathhouse can be equipped with a porch, roof, and canopy.

The water in the barrel bath is drained through holes in the floor. If you plan to install such a bathhouse at your dacha, you should remove the layer of soil, fill it with crushed stone, compact it, and install the bathhouse itself on a pair of stable, massive concrete blocks. The rules for installing a stove and laying electrical wiring are standard for any type of wooden bathhouse, including economy class.

Fastening elements for sauna barrels

Do-it-yourself barrel sauna

Mini-baths: cheap and cheerful

But if you don’t have the funds to build a steam room at all, you shouldn’t despair - today there are many options for building a steam room literally out of nothing. Let's take a closer look.

Barrel sauna

This is the most ordinary wooden barrel, only of a more substantial size. Part of it is covered by a wooden lattice screen, behind which the stove is hidden. There is a small bench in front of the screen. Even three people can steam in such a bathhouse at the same time. But this option is only for summer: they rolled it out onto the site, placed it horizontally, threw firewood into the stove and you can pour water on the stones. But as a low-budget option, it’s nothing at all.

Camping sauna

Such a bathhouse is mainly taken on camping trips, but if there is no other alternative, it can also be used on the site. Such a steam room will be inexpensive, because it is an ordinary tent in which a stove or an electric steam generator is placed. This is no longer the same soft Russian bathhouse, but as a temporary phenomenon it also has a right to exist.

Built-in mini-sauna

A fashion has also appeared to make bath-saunas right in a city apartment, in the bathroom. So, we move the washing machine to the kitchen, and in its place we build something similar to a cabinet. This is a small structure, about 1.5 m high, made of a frame and covered with clapboard. Inside there is one shelf for a seat and a built-in steam generator. The person sits down, closes the door, and turns on the device. But his head remains outside for safety's sake. Using special aromatic oils and other SPA elements is quite a good way to improve your health. We can say that this is the smallest and cheapest bathhouse in the world.

Baths in the car

If you have the opportunity to get hold of a non-working minibus or a car with a body, you can build a small bathhouse right in it. Our website even has detailed master classes on how to do this, and such an undertaking will turn out to be much more profitable than starting the construction of a steam room by pouring the foundation. Experiment!

Economy sauna in the country: we build it with our own hands

To build an economy bath, it is important to choose inexpensive and high-quality material. Possible options include:

Marking

Construction begins with choosing the location where the bathhouse will be built. For marking you will need four stakes and a plumb line:

Frame

A beam of 100*100 or 150*150 cm is used as a frame.

To install a non-leaking floor, you need to use perforated corners and self-tapping screws.

Roof

The installation of the roof is preceded by the installation of the ceiling. For this operation you will need the same boards and fasteners as for installing floor joists. Gable options are suitable for economy baths - they allow you to use the space under the roof as a warehouse.

Project #4 - steam room on a light frame made from improvised materials

The beams for the bathhouse frame can even be made from collected firewood, if desired. The main thing is to choose one without defects and knots, and be sure to treat it with an antiseptic.

So, let’s build a budget sauna from improvised means:

Step 1. We make beams for the frame, process and dry.
Step 2. We build a pile-rubble foundation: we dig up a meter of soil with a drill, put thick pine stakes there and make a backfill of concrete and stones on top. Next, fill the pillars to the top.
Step 4. Assembling the frame.
Step 5. We dig a hole for the drain, insert a barrel with broken bricks and crushed stone inside, and put a drain there. This is a non-insulated summer option, but for winter you can lay insulation or a heating cable.
Step 6. We insulate the floor and ceiling, put a film on top of the insulation. We use Finnish foil paper for saunas on the walls and ceiling.
Step 7. Put on the oven. Take it with a register, because... you need to heat the water for washing - so as not to purchase a boiler separately. So, the Vulcan stove has proven itself well - it’s inexpensive and heats well.

Such a bathhouse lasts a surprisingly long time, the steam makes you happy, and spending time in it is a pleasure. And you can always find disadvantages.

How to correctly plan a bathhouse for a summer residence

When deciding how to build a bathhouse, consider various projects. An important point is the layout inside. This takes into account the number of people who will be in the room at the same time. In the video below you can see how to do the planning yourself.

Practical solutions include a scheme that includes a mini steam room for two people and a compact dressing room.

Compact construction

For a small family, a mini sauna with an area of 3x4 is suitable. In this case, the building must include additional premises. Even a small bathhouse should contain a changing room and a washing room. In the photo you can see miniature buildings, the size of which is 2x3. The construction of spacious premises involves increasing the steam room and shelves.

The diagram shows a project for a small 2*3 bathhouse

A bathhouse in combination with a guest house is also popular. Ready-made drawings will help you choose the best project, according to which you can make a structure with your own hands. Turnkey construction can also be ordered. In this case, the price will depend on the materials used and the project option. This could be a mini sauna or a spacious bathhouse with additional rooms.

Combination with guest house

Insulation

Insulating a frame bath is also a very important moment. And about this in more detail. Firstly, what kind of insulation should I use? My opinion is extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex wall). I’ll explain why: easy installation, excellent heat and sound insulation qualities, environmentally friendly, resistant to deformation and, probably the most important thing in this case, they are moisture resistant.

No matter what kind of vapor barrier you make, leakage of steam and moisture still cannot be avoided. Here we can also mention winter condensation, which also cannot be avoided. Imagine if you insulated the walls with mineral wool, but did not do a good vapor barrier. Over time, moisture will appear in it, which means it will lose all its insulating properties. The walls will become open to frost. I don't think this is a very pleasant arrangement.

Therefore, to prevent this from happening, use foam boards or expanded polystyrene. These insulation materials are manufactured in standard sizes: 600mm. width and 1200 mm. length. Based on these data, it is already clear to you why I talked about the pitch of the racks when making the frame.

Simply insert the penoplex into the wall frame and foam it along the entire perimeter on both sides with polyurethane foam. Don't think anything bad about mineral soft insulation. In this case, they are also excellent heat insulators. The main thing is to make a good vapor barrier.

For a better thermos effect, you can use thin foam boards of 30-40 mm, but mount them in two layers, leaving an air gap between them. The entire perimeter of the insulation must also be blown out with foam. What are the disadvantages of this insulation? Here the walls will not be vapor permeable. Which does not have a very good effect on the condition of the wood and the general climate in the steam room. A sauna made of timber or logs is much better in this case...

Having made a good vapor barrier, you can successfully use mineral thermal insulation boards to insulate walls and ceilings. The material is specially designed specifically for baths and saunas. It is available in the form of slabs, very easy to install and practical to use. It already has a foil vapor barrier on it.

The name of this insulation is Rockwool Sauna Butts, but there are alternatives to it. Just don’t forget this point: the pitch of the jumpers in the frame will be shorter by 200 mm, since the size of the mini-slab is smaller than the penoplex by exactly this size.

Another interesting insulation option is possible: use ecowool. But this is a more complex process and I will not describe it in this article. Those who still don’t know what ecowool is and how it is used can read it here. At this point, your frame bathhouse is insulated. Let's move on to the next stage.

Budget technology for building a bathhouse

You can create a budget sauna with your own hands if you use frame or monolithic technology during construction. When building using the first technology, a wooden frame, plywood, OSB, boards or other economical option is used. The second technology requires the purchase of sawdust concrete or polystyrene concrete.

Frame budget sauna

This construction technology has a number of advantages:

But there are also significant drawbacks. The frame turns out to be quite cold and easily ventilated. These problems can be solved by the correct choice of materials. If you make a frame bath using a vapor barrier film, basalt wool and dry wooden boards, the price will be approximately 8,000 rubles per 1 square meter.

The construction of the bathhouse takes place in several stages:

1. The foundation is installed. Since the frame turns out to be light, it would be most appropriate to make a columnar foundation. For its installation, twenty-centimeter wells are drilled. In which asbestos pipes are placed. The cost of one pipe with a diameter of 10 centimeters is approximately 300-400 rubles. Next, the outer and inner spaces of the pipe are filled with concrete.

2. Then the floor is laid. It will consist of several layers, including a subfloor, joists, hydro- and thermal insulation, and a finished floor.

3. Next the walls rise. They can be built directly on the foundation, using strapping, or assembled on the ground and then raised.

4. After this, the rafter system is assembled and the roof is laid. The most inexpensive material with high practical properties will be ondulin. It is easy to install, lightweight, environmentally friendly and durable. The price is approximately 200 rubles per 1 m2.

5. The final stage will be the interior decoration of the bathhouse.

You can make a frame bathhouse in a short time. If there is a large amount of labor, it can be completed in 2-3 weeks.

Monolithic budget sauna

The main advantages of a monolithic sawdust concrete bathhouse include high frost-resistant qualities, light weight, good heat conservation and absolute non-flammability. The stages of its construction are in many ways similar to the construction of a frame bath:

1. First, a columnar foundation is prepared. The construction technology is described above.

2. Extruded polystyrene foam is laid on the floor, over which a mesh is stretched. Next, the floors are filled with sawdust-concrete mortar.

3. Then walls are erected from sawdust concrete blocks or the wall is filled with mortar. The first construction method is similar to building with bricks. When using the second, formwork is erected into which a sawdust-concrete mixture is poured.

4. The wall is insulated and waterproofed. Since sawdust concrete easily absorbs moisture, it is additionally protected from dampness.

5. The roof is being erected.

6. Interior finishing work is being carried out.

The final cost may slightly exceed the price of a frame bath, but it will also not be great.

In both cases, it is most convenient to install the water tank in the attic. But it’s better not to rush with the installation of the shower stall. It is much cheaper to equip a bathhouse with a traditional Russian tub. Moreover, dousing with cold water brings special pleasure to every avid bathhouse attendant.

Even with minimal construction skills and a limited budget, you can build a good budget sauna that will delight the whole family for many years

During construction, it is important not to forget to measure the level so that the walls and walls of the baths are level. A crooked design can lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of shrinkage, cracks and other defects

Operational problems

The negative aspects and difficulties of operation come down to the installation of high-quality thermal insulation and the ability of the building to retain and accumulate heat.

Important!

The main heat losses occur due to poor insulation of the floor, ceiling, cracks in window and door openings, and through improperly installed ventilation! An important factor is roof insulation.

If the construction technology was followed and all the nuances were taken into account, it does not matter what technology the construction was used.

Video

To complete the picture, you can watch the user’s opinion; this video will help you draw conclusions.

Making a sauna from boards with your own hands: a cheap and simple option

Features and advantages of a plank bathhouse

A bathhouse made of boards is an inexpensive project that will be a good alternative to buildings made of logs. The presence of a log house is not a prerequisite for the construction of a wooden steam room.

In its manufacture, only flat boards are used - without timber or round timber. The base of the building is a frame that connects the entire structure and rests on the foundation.

The price of the project depends on the method of its use:

A bathhouse made of boards has two main advantages. It does not shrink and provides complete freedom in choosing sizes and layout. The simplicity of the design allows you to quickly complete construction - with a partner, it will take only 2-3 months to build a steam room.

Choosing a site for construction

The location of the building is chosen taking into account its design; if the building is erected on a foundation, its placement in the dacha is determined by SNiP standards. If it is a mobile or ergonomic structure, or a converted shed without a foundation, it can be placed literally anywhere.

General requirements:

it is prohibited to place a bathhouse closer than 5 m from the red line;
if the building is wooden, it should be 10–15 m away from the residential building;
It is better to remove the bathhouse from the reservoir or block - 15 m;
It is recommended to build on a hill.

To save on insulation, choose a place protected from the wind.

The better to sheathe

The bathhouse is lined inside and out, but not always. Sheathing or finishing is vital for the frame and concrete; interior is necessary for brick. Log houses may only need caulking and prevention of cracking with oil, for example, but sometimes they are also insulated and lined from the inside with clapboard (usually not because of a good life). See the section on bath finishing materials.

The inside of the bathhouse is finished in the vast majority of cases with clapboard or regular boards (edged or unedged). So there is only one contender for the title of “best material for a bathhouse” - wood. And we are confident that you will agree with us. Although there are options, more about them here.

Practical interior and exterior decoration of a bathhouse made of foam blocks. How to finish it so that the eye is pleased?
Finishing with unedged boards in the bathhouse
Let's figure out how to line a bathhouse with clapboard
All about covering a steam room: what kind of lining, how to properly cover a steam room in a bathhouse

But with insulation, it’s not so simple.

What insulation to use

Insulation materials come in the form of sheets, rolls or bulk. The first include expanded polystyrene (foam plastic, Penoplex), mineral wool, foamed polyethylene with or without foil, etc. Bulk materials are expanded clay, vermiculite, perlite, ecowool.

Bulk ones are easier to use for floors, but they can also be used for insulating walls. In this case, the bulk material needs voids into which it is poured or blown under pressure. Ecowool has the ability to be applied to the wall while wet.

Sheets and rolls are also used for walls and ceilings.

As for the best, we will say this: it is advisable to use expanded polystyrene in a bathhouse only for insulating the floors of the first floor. They are flammable, harmful and undesirable. However, they are also suitable outside the steam room. But in the steam room this is taboo.

Bulk ones are good for floors, this has already been said.

Basalt wool for baths

In general, we have thought about mineral wool more than once and eventually came to the conclusion that, despite all its shortcomings, it is still the optimal material for insulating a bathhouse. Its disadvantages are known: it becomes saturated with moisture and ceases to insulate, therefore it needs steam and waterproofing (we have written a lot about them, enter these words at the very top of the page in the site search, you will find a lot of materials).

Here we did not take a vote, since different structural parts of the bathhouse (foundation, floor, walls, ceiling, roof) have different requirements for insulation. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with our materials on this topic:

Basalt insulation for a bath or natural? What insulation for a bath is better? Review of the most popular
Which insulation to choose for a bathhouse on the inside walls: with or without foil? And is it even needed inside the bathhouse?
Are we installing a log house or timber? Interventional insulation for a bathhouse: which one to choose, which is better, natural or modern?
Should I insulate the bathhouse ceiling with clay and sawdust or sawdust and cement? Which is better and is there a difference?
Let's look at it in detail: how to insulate a steam room in a bathhouse
Insulating the walls of a frame bath: the right “pie”
Choosing which insulation to use for a bath in a steam room: so that the steam room is hot and environmentally friendly
We insulate a bathhouse from inside blocks: foam blocks, expanded clay concrete, cinder blocks, gas silicate. What do they have in common and what are the differences?
About insulating a bathhouse under the lining
How to insulate a bathhouse from foam blocks: inside and out. Don't let the walls crumble

Exterior finishing

The outside of the bathhouse can be finished in different ways depending on the original wall material. If it is concrete, then you can plaster it. The same goes for brick, but it is usually left “as is”.

You can make siding - this is a broad concept that also includes wood trim, for example, “American” clapboard, which, in general, gave rise to all sidings. The tree can be either an ordinary board, which is sewn in a herringbone pattern, or a plank, which is sewn onto the frame.

In addition, there are sidings made of vinyl and metal, cement, imitating stone and wood. In general, there are many options for covering a bathhouse.

But we believe that metal siding for a bathhouse is unnecessary.

High-quality plastic will not be cheap, although truly high-quality material has such characteristics that it can last for many years. But the bathhouse is a risky structure, and the plastic burns and releases poisons.

As for cement siding, think for yourself. From the set of options for what material is best to cover a bathhouse, this one does not seem very successful. Maybe the basement one - for covering the foundation.

So we vote for wood paneling. What will you vote for?

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Construction stages

To build a bathhouse on your own site, you will need to perform the following steps:

foundation equipment;
walling;
roof installation;
finishing walls using insulation;
construction of a stove and chimney;
performing finishing works;
installation of plumbing;
placement of furniture.

Foundation

Having decided on the project and location of the bathhouse, they begin to build the foundation.

For a bathhouse, a support-column foundation is used.

Before making the foundation, it is necessary to carefully level the surface.

Then pillars are made from brick, the space is filled with crushed stone and filled with screed.

You can also build on a strip foundation. It is used quite often. Such a foundation can withstand any load from the walls.

To carry it out, a trench is dug, a reinforced mesh is installed and a mixture of cement, sand and water is poured.

Formwork can be used to raise the foundation above the soil level.

Walls

For them it is necessary to choose high-quality and reliable materials. You can use wooden beams, bricks, cinder blocks.

The choice of solution directly depends on the material used.

Wooden beams allow you to install a prefabricated bathhouse.

Be sure to level all surfaces. When building walls, do not forget to make door and window openings.

Often, interior finishing is done using lining. Various materials can be used for external walls.

Roof

You should not choose a roof design that is too complex. The simplest option is enough.

To complete the roof, rafters are installed, a layer of waterproofing is laid, and then the roofing is laid.

The roof can be made single-pitch or gable.

Installation of the first option is simpler and less expensive. However, a gable roof is more often used.

Doors and windows

It is preferable to choose wooden windows and doors

When installing them, it is important to carefully seal all cracks to avoid heat loss.

You should not choose plastic, as it quickly becomes unusable when exposed to high temperatures.

Sometimes doors are made of glass.

Floor

It must be thoroughly insulated. For a more comfortable stay in the bathhouse, you can install a heated floor.

It is worth considering the following nuances:

the foundation is covered with waterproofing and insulation;
water supply pipes and sewerage are located in the washing room floor;
boards are most often laid on top of this.

Finishing

The decoration of the room plays an important role. Wall insulation will help ensure good heat retention. For this, mineral wool or polystyrene foam is often used.

Insulation of internal walls and ceilings is carried out in the following sequence:

fix the waterproofing layer;
attach wooden sheathing;
fix vapor barrier and mineral wool;
surfaces are finished using lining.

The outer surface is painted and lined with bricks or boards.

Arrangement of the bathhouse

In addition to all of the above, it is necessary to supply electricity, water and sewer pipes. Keep in mind that the steam room and washing room have high humidity, so you need to take this into account when installing electrical wiring.

Finally, the necessary furniture is installed.

After reading this article, it becomes clear that building a bathhouse yourself is quite simple. To do this, it is imperative to take into account all the requirements for its construction and choose high-quality materials.

Numerous photos of the inside of the bathhouse will help you decide on the design and layout. If all requirements are met, the bathhouse will serve you for many years. This will be a great place for family holidays and receiving guests.

Budget options for baths in stages

Minimum costs:
the strapping is 500 mm studs, and the structure itself is 150 × 150 with a frame stand of 2200 mm. Do not forget to treat the material with Neomid 440;
modify the walls while tying, lifting them. The sheathing is made of DSP, so first prepare the holes in the slabs, and then screw them in with self-tapping screws with a semicircular head;
roof - eight-wave slate;
insulation - any inexpensive material suitable for a steam room, for example, Linerock Light;
the stove is inexpensive, if you have the necessary skills, then homemade;
finishing - lining, skirting boards, casings.
From timber:
erect the formwork, leaving an opening for drainage;
lay out the EPS;
tie the reinforcement structure;
fill with concrete and make a slope for drainage;
lay out the log house. Under the initial crown, place boards treated with an antiseptic, which should be covered with roofing felt on three sides;
After erecting the walls, leave for a couple of months to allow shrinkage to take place;
erect a roof frame and do not forget about the hole for the chimney;
make a frame partition between the steam room and the dressing room. Insulate it with mineral wool and trim it with clapboard on both sides;
in the area of the stove, lay the floor with porcelain stoneware;
leave a hole for fresh air ventilation;
remove the chimney;
conduct electricity.

Remember! The most economical bathhouse is one made by yourself.

Insulation options

It is not very wise to use old-fashioned natural insulation. To save heat inside, mostly mineral wool is used. It itself must be covered with waterproofing films. Block buildings are insulated from the outside with foam plastic. In any case, it is advisable to create a frame. From the inside, lining or boards are sewn over the insulation and waterproofing. When using mineral wool:

install brackets (angles);
place the mats themselves;
stick construction tape onto the slab joints;
attach the rolled waterproofing with thin slats.

The steam barrier in the steam room is created strictly from foil or foil fiberglass. The joints of this material are secured with reinforced tape. It is better to use foil insulation - they eliminate the need for an additional vapor barrier. The floor and ceiling must also be insulated. The roof of the steam room is filled with mineral or stone wool.

Other interesting projects of economy baths

Barrel sauna

Sectional view of a bathhouse barrel

Turnkey barrel baths cost from 35 to 220 thousand rubles. In practice, to assemble such a bathhouse yourself, it takes half as much money and not a lot of effort and time.

Barrel sauna project

Fastening elements for sauna barrels

Do-it-yourself barrel sauna

What is prohibited from saving?

When building a bathhouse, you cannot save on some things:

Wiring. You need to choose high-quality cables, switches, sockets, and lamps. The wires must be resistant to heat. They should be covered with corrugation.
Bake. It must be made of durable materials that are resistant to high heat.
Lumber. Saving on their quality can lead to damage to the material and fire. Lumber must be impregnated with products that protect against moisture, the spread of fungus, and mold.

You cannot save on ventilation, installing protective screens around the stove, or assembling the chimney.

Floors

The design of the floor depends on the type of room. In the recreation room, ordinary wooden floors are made. In the wash and steam rooms, the floors are made of two levels:

The first level is made of concrete and has a slope towards the drain hole.
The second level is a finished floor made of boards with gaps for draining water.

If you want to make a floor of porcelain stoneware or tiles, then they are simply laid on the first level at a slope towards the drain hole.

In order to make a concrete floor and drain in a bathhouse you need:

In the center of the steam room and washing room, install plastic pipes with a diameter of 5-10 centimeters with a socket at the end. The pipes should go out through the foundation to the street and connect to the sewer system.
Lay down a layer of waterproofing material.
Spread a layer of gravel 10-15 centimeters thick over the entire area of the rooms.
Make a cement mortar and pour the floor with a slope towards the hole installed on the drain pipe.
Install a screen over the drain hole to prevent debris from entering the drain.

At the second stage, wooden floors are made:

Install wooden logs in all rooms of the bathhouse. Make the distance between the logs 30-40 centimeters. As logs you can use bars with a section of 3x5 cm or 4x6 cm.
Nail boards with a section of 2x15 cm or 5x20 cm onto the logs.
In rooms where water is expected to drain, leave gaps of 0.5-1 cm between the boards.

Do not forget, before installing wooden floors, to treat all parts with wood impregnation. When making floors, keep in mind that they should be higher, or at the level of the upper edge of the foundation.

Construction of a building

The process of building a bathhouse can be divided into several separate stages. Each of them has certain characteristics.

Foundation and floor

Under a wooden bathhouse you need to make a strip foundation. It is suitable for different types of soil and can withstand the weight of a two-story building. Construction of the foundation:

Mark the boundaries of future construction and trenches.
Remove all trash from the designated area, cut down trees, and uproot stumps. If possible, remove the fertile layer.
Dig trenches. Their depth depends on the freezing point of the soil. The suitable range is from 50 to 80 cm.
Place a 20 cm layer of sand at the bottom of the dug trenches, pour water over it, and tamp it down.
Assemble wooden panels from boards and bars. Cover the inner sides of the boards with thick polyethylene film. It is needed to prevent the cement from leaking out.
Put together the panels into a single formwork and install them along the boundaries of the trenches. Spread with bars.
Tie a reinforcing frame from reinforcement and install it inside the trenches.
Pour cement mortar. Stretch it evenly over the entire base. Tamp the solution so that air bubbles come out.

The foundation will take about 30 days to dry. After this, you can dismantle the formwork, level out the unevenness, and begin further work.

Construction of a strip foundation (Photo: Instagram / artem_pososhkov)

Walls

Construction of walls:

Before laying the crowns, you need to cover the concrete base with liquid mastic and lay out 2 layers of roofing material.
It is recommended to cover the beams for the first crown with used motor oil to protect them from rotting, the spread of fungus, and mold.
The assembly of the crowns occurs through choppers, which are driven into the drilled holes. It is necessary to lay out jute or flax between the crowns.
The rounded timber is placed in special grooves, which are located in the corner joints.

A frame house is assembled differently. A strapping crown is fixed on top of the foundation. Vertical racks with braces are installed on top of it. The entire structure is connected by an upper strapping crown.

Windows and doors

The arrangement of window and door openings can be done in two ways:

Cut openings in the finished log house using a chainsaw.
Designate the location of doors and windows in advance. Lay out the timber in a certain sequence.

The ends of window and door openings need to be reinforced with metal corners.

Windows for a bathhouse (Photo: Instagram / tovary_dlya_bani_)

Ceilings and roof

Arrangement of the roof, ceilings:

Ceiling beams are fixed on top of the last crown at intervals of 60 cm from each other.
Identical pieces of boards are placed on top of the ceiling beams, which will be the rough ceiling.
Separate sections of the rafter system are assembled on the ground, installed on top of the ceiling beams, and assembled into a single system using lathing.
A vapor barrier wire is secured to the sheathing with a construction stapler.
A counter lath is placed on top.

The last stage is the installation of roofing material.

Communications

Communications are an important stage in the construction of any private house or bathhouse. If you do not lay a water supply pipeline or install a sewer system before starting interior finishing, problems with dismantling may arise.

Electricity

Wires can be laid over the finishing material, closing them in special protective boxes. You can also hide them inside the walls if you pass them through corrugations made of non-combustible material.

Sewerage

Sewage drains in summer cottages are carried out to drainage wells or septic tanks. They are assembled from large-diameter plastic pipes, since this material is cheap and more resistant to chemicals and liquids.

Septic tank (Photo: Instagram / aqua_search.ru)

Water supply

To assemble a pipeline for supplying technical and drinking water, it is better to use plastic pipes. The system needs to have a drain point so that liquid can be removed before the onset of winter.

When laying a pipeline along the street, it is important to protect it from the effects of cold with a special protective casing

Wall treatment

When treating wooden surfaces in the steam room, you cannot use chemical antiseptics or fire retardants. Surfaces can be impregnated with special oils or wax for saunas and baths.

Thermal and waterproofing

Thermal and waterproofing consists of several layers - a vapor barrier film, a wooden frame made of bars, insulation, foil film, slats, and finishing material.

When purchasing insulation, you need to consider what zone it will be used for. For the dressing room, you can use mineral wool. For a washing room or steam room, it is better to choose foam glass.

Bathhouse-dugout

Moving away from the purchased option, we can recommend the optimal price-quality ratio in the form of a dugout bathhouse. Such structures are built, or more precisely, swarmed on their own. Hence the first point of saving. The work of hired craftsmen is assessed not in favor of the bathhouse owner.

The second point of savings can be considered an independent basis. That is, a foundation for a dugout bathhouse is not needed. The third point will be to reduce costs for wall materials. The disadvantage is the difficulty of preparing the pit.

Even one person can build such a bathhouse, but in this case the work will drag on for months. Bringing in equipment will speed up the process, but will affect the pricing policy. If time constraints do not bother you, then this option is the most profitable. Unlike a mobile structure, a dugout bathhouse will have a permanent registration, so its location must be decided in advance.

Water supply and drainage

The costs of building a miniature bathhouse can be minimized if you arrange a compact and efficient drainage system. To create it, it is necessary to carry out excavation work and dig a small hole with a volume of 100 liters at some distance from the structure. Inside it should be installed a barrel that does not have a bottom. Thanks to it, the walls of the pit will be prevented from collapsing.

The next step is to install a pipeline, which should go directly from the steam compartment. If the bathhouse will be used in winter, then the plastic pipe should be deepened to a depth of 1 m. To ensure that there is always hot water in the bathhouse, you need to spend money on purchasing an electric heating element.

It can be used to easily heat a small volume of water. This will significantly save time on lighting the stove in the mini-bath. The water container should be placed higher. In this case, it will be possible to use it without swapping. Some owners of such structures additionally install a mixer to control water flow.

The drain installed in the mini-bath can, if desired, be connected to the sewer system of the garden house. This option makes it possible to reduce the costs of installing this system. Communications should be located at a slight slope. This will prevent liquid from stagnating in them. At the bottom of the pit into which the used water will flow, it is worth laying a layer of expanded clay or coarse crushed stone. It is necessary to install an insulation structure on top so that the pit does not freeze over in winter. For this, laying a layer of soil and clay will be quite sufficient.

Interior decoration for a small bath

A bathhouse at the dacha with your own hands, drawings, must be sheathed from nutria with proven materials. Wooden lining, FBA spruce plywood, etc. are perfect for this. Avoid materials that may release toxins when exposed to heat.

Material like plastic lining is acceptable, however, the material is questionable. Before sheathing the ceiling in the bathhouse, you need to install a vapor barrier. Spilled floors are very suitable for frame baths. They combine quite harmoniously with the raised structure. Regular wood floors deteriorate very quickly in a constantly humid indoor environment.

A frame bathhouse is an excellent choice for the whole family; this bathhouse will provide a good time, and, unlike its expensive analogues, will save a considerable amount of money. For the interior, you can use metal stoves, which have very affordable prices, this will make it possible to save even more money. You can understand the above in more detail using the video for this article.

Common mistakes in construction

In order for the bath to turn out well, it is necessary to pay attention to the mistakes that are made by both professionals and amateurs:

The tree must be dense coniferous species: spruce, pine.
Incorrectly calculated foundation.
The logs should be from 20 to 25 cm. Too thin will only be suitable for a rustic “temporary shed” and will lead to heat loss.
To preserve heat, it is necessary to use moisture-resistant wood in finishing; Alder, poplar or aspen can handle this.

Due attention should be paid to the bricks for the stove. Firstly, it must be red fireproof

Secondly, solid ones cannot be used hollow ones. An error is considered to be a window that is too large or small. For a bath it should be at least 50*50.

What to build warm, neat walls from

The time-honored material for the Russian bath is rounded logs. Warm, reliable, solid. If you promptly treat the lower crowns with an antiseptic and monitor the condition of the gaps between the logs, such a construction will survive your grandchildren. However, there are other materials for bath walls.

Sauna made of rounded logs

Profiled timber. It turns out elegant, but using timber is associated with some problems. It can “lead” under the influence of rain, it can crack. Brick

Like wood, brick does not require external finishing, but has higher thermal conductivity, so special attention will have to be paid to the insulation of such walls. Foam blocks. The most affordable and lightweight material

A bathhouse made of foam blocks is erected in record time, but cannot boast of external aesthetics and will force you to fork out for finishing. For lathing under the insulation, you will need a frame made of a plasterboard profile.

Criterias of choice

Which bathhouse is better to build, frame or timber - everyone decides for himself. However, there are rational selection criteria for each option.

A sauna on a frame is better suited in the following circumstances:

It is necessary to complete construction as quickly as possible.
When there is no time to wait for the material to shrink before finishing.
There is no need to create a permanent structure.
There is no possibility of attracting special equipment and complex equipment.
There are no conditions for the formation of a full-fledged foundation.

It is better to build a structure made of timber under the following conditions:

It is necessary to build a traditional Russian bathhouse in a classical design.
The steam room will be used for health and therapeutic procedures.
Lifting equipment and a construction team will be available during construction.
The supplier is ready to provide properly prepared and dried timber.
There is a time and place to build a solid foundation.
The finishing of the premises and façade can be completed by next season.

Advice! Before you decide what kind of bathhouse, frame or beam it will be, and begin its construction, you need to carefully consider the budget of the entire enterprise. As a rule, only a third of its volume is spent on the main material. The rest is spent on finishing, insulation and hiring a team with equipment.

Ventilation in the bath

There are two types:

natural;
forced.

Two windows will serve as a natural one. Fresh cold air will enter through one window, and heated moist air will exit through the second.

Forced - these are built-in wall fans that are powered by electricity and provide constant air circulation indoors. They don't cost much.

A modern alternative is automatic ventilation systems. Using the control panel, the required level of humidity and temperature in the room is set. They are more expensive, but much more convenient and efficient to use.

The recommended range of air renewal in the bathhouse is 2-3 times per hour. Ventilation is installed not only in the steam room, but also in other rooms. This is especially true for the shower room, where there is high humidity.

You can do the construction of a small frame bathhouse with your own hands, but it is better to undertake the construction of a massive structure made of bricks or blocks if you have experience in masonry

When choosing materials for a bathhouse, it is important to take into account the style of the house and yard itself, because the finished structure must fit harmoniously into the architecture of the site and be combined with other buildings

Communications

It is necessary to design the location of communications at the initial stage of developing a mini-bath. The wiring must be hidden under the casing, and it is laid in special metal sleeves. The cable should be taken with double braid. It is also necessary to make grounding. For lighting, choose sealed lamps. They can be mounted both on the ceiling and on the wall.

Ventilation is an important element in the design of every bathhouse.

It is more logical to use a tank in which the water will be heated from the heat of the stove. An important point is the arrangement of ventilation; for this purpose, ventilation grilles are made in the ceiling with exits under the roof slope. Don't forget to build a drainage hole where the water will flow. It should be of unusual size; a porous stone is poured inside, which serves as a certain filter.

More information about insulation

Cheap modifications cannot be called useless; a budget DIY sauna will be quite warm and airtight with such materials

When choosing a specific manufacturer, you need to pay attention to permission to use such a component for buildings of this type.

Among environmentally friendly thermal insulation solutions, it is worth noting basal wool and penofol. The properties of both materials have proven themselves quite well, and the price will be affordable for every average family.

Thanks to convenient rolls and a wide selection of product thicknesses, you can easily choose the right option at an affordable price.

Finishing facilities

For exterior finishing, plastering and painting would be an excellent option. For plastering, a solution of cement and sand is prepared in a ratio of 1:4.

The walls are plastered twice and then rubbed down. After the plaster has completely dried, acrylic paint is applied to its surface. The choice of colors depends on your taste preferences.

When starting interior decoration, it is necessary, first of all, to insulate the walls. At intervals of 50 centimeters, beams are fixed to the walls. Next, insulation is placed in the gaps.

A vapor barrier membrane or foil is attached to the insulation. Foil is often used as such a membrane, and indeed recommended. The sheathing is attached on top of the foil. The facing material is fixed to it.

Wood is most often used as a facing material for a bathhouse. For long-term use, the wood must be treated with water-repellent impregnation.

Construction of a bathhouse from boards step by step

The wooden steam room is distinguished not only by its affordable price, but also by its ease of construction. To cope with the task you need to strictly follow the instructions:

1. Build a foundation - columnar or strip (at the owner’s choice). The foundation is waterproofed using mastic or roofing felt;

2. Place a strapping beam on the foundation. Make a base frame from boards (i.e. the floor) using the herringbone technology, which involves an end connection.

3. Insulate the floor according to the following scheme: lay out the subfloor from an unedged board, put insulation on it (if it is penoizol). If mineral wool is used, it is placed according to the “film-insulation-film” principle;

4. Cover the floor with a screed, build a slope to drain liquid under the steam room and washing area, lay a pourable finishing floor on top and treat it with an antiseptic;

5. Lay out the external and interior walls according to the frame scheme - put together according to the existing design and cover with a protective substance. The inside walls of the bathhouse are lined with clapboard;

6. Carry out cladding and other work on heat, steam and waterproofing. Foil taped with metallic tape is suitable as a vapor barrier in a steam room. For waterproofing, a membrane or perforated polyethylene film is used;

7. Lay the roof with slings over a lightweight structure (the same boards are used as during the construction of the bathhouse itself), carry out insulation work and cover it with roofing material (such as corrugated sheeting);

8. Make a deck ceiling under the finished roof - place the boards on the framing beams and insulate them with ecowool on top.

Foundations

The construction of any building begins with the construction of a foundation, a bathhouse is no exception.
Choosing the right foundation for a bathhouse is the key to the stability of the entire building. The design of the support for the building is selected taking into account several conditions:

The composition of the soil on the land plot is carefully studied. The highest groundwater level at the development site is determined. It is important to determine the depth of soil freezing in winter. The foundation is selected taking into account the weight of the designed walls and roof of the bathhouse.

Strip foundation for a bath

The simplest foundation for a bathhouse is considered to be a monolithic strip foundation, which can be easily erected with your own hands. Such a foundation can only be erected in strong and dry soils, which are characterized by a shallow freezing depth in winter.

For clay soils, the most suitable foundations for a bathhouse are a monolithic slab or screw piles. These foundation supports are most stable during winter heaving of the soil, and also prevent the destruction of the bathhouse during uneven precipitation in the spring, when the soil begins to thaw.

The monolithic slab is erected in a pit dug on the building site. The foundation support is strengthened using a spatial reinforcement frame and then concreted. The construction of a monolithic slab is not particularly difficult if you carefully follow the construction technology.

The easiest way to install a bathhouse foundation is from screw piles, which are produced by manufacturers completely ready for screwing into the ground. The work can be done by only 2 people, screwing the piles into the soil manually. Screw supports can be extended to a certain length so that the sharp tip reaches a solid base. It is worth noting that screw piles have a fairly high cost.

Examples of country baths

In photo No. 1 we see a simple bathhouse, reminiscent of Diogenes’ barrel. You can only take a steam bath in it. You won't be able to wash yourself here because there is no sewage system in the building. However, if desired, it is not difficult to do. To do this, you need to install a standard shower tray in the corner of the bathhouse and lead the drain pipe into the septic tank.

Photo No. 1 Build such a “barrel sauna” at your dacha and steam to your heart’s content

An important advantage of this design is its low weight, allowing it to be placed on a plank terrace. The construction of the simplest bathhouse from the container category is shown in photo No. 2

The construction of the simplest bathhouse from the container category is shown in photo No. 2.

Photo No. 2 Option for a container country bath

It consists of one steam room. For washing, the owner needs to attach a canopy with a summer shower or add a sewerage system to the room, and the stove - a tank for heating water.

Photo No. 3

Improvising on the theme of a barrel-shaped bath, let's turn our attention to cellular polycarbonate. You can quickly and easily assemble an original design from it

In order for it to retain heat well, you will need two large sheets of this material and a frame made of metal or wooden blocks. A mineral wool insulation 10 cm thick is laid between them.

Photo No. 4

The ends of the building can be made from boards, stuffed onto an insulated wooden frame. Place such a bathhouse anywhere: at your dacha, on a polar ice floe or on the top of Everest and you will always be comfortable in its steam room (photo No. 5).

Photo No. 5 Simple barrel-shaped bathhouse

A small Russian bathhouse, made from scraps of timber, can be installed on oak posts. We see an example of such a structure in photograph No. 6.

Photo No. 6 Oak posts are an excellent support for a small wooden bathhouse

Larger structures require their own foundation. There are three possible options here:

Rubble concrete tape.
Brick columns.
Piles made of asbestos cement pipes.

Do not forget that the type of foundation affects the choice of material and wall design. Pile and columnar foundations are used to install a wooden frame, as well as for bathhouses made of timber or logs (photos No. 7 and No. 8).

Photo No. 7 Bathhouse made of SIP panels on screw piles

Photo No. 8 Brick columns - the best option for timber, log and frame structures

The “tape” of rubble concrete is suitable for any walls (made of gas silicate blocks, logs and frames).

Photo No. 9

A cheap, reliable and simple version of a bathhouse is obtained using a technology called “clay mortar”. For such a structure you will need little: a truck of firewood, a cart of straw and a dump truck of clay (photo No. 10).

Photo No. 10

The best shape for a wood burning structure is round. It eliminates the need to reinforce masonry corners and looks aesthetically pleasing and original.

By borrowing from birds the technology of building nests from branches and clay, you can build such a simple and warm bathhouse (photo No. 11).

Photo No. 11 Wicker frame coated with clay - “know-how” of an inexpensive bathhouse design

What material to choose to build a bathhouse (reviews)

Nothing helps you make a choice more than reviews from people who have experienced something themselves.

Before building my own bathhouse, I thought that it had to be made of wood, but wood breathes.
But no matter how much I walked around such baths, no matter how long I stayed inside, I never saw (didn’t feel) this breath. Today I am sure that a bath is the conditions that should be created in a steam room, the optimal ratio of humidity and temperature. The project was born quickly, because I clearly understood what I wanted from it: a steam room and a wash room must be separate, a large and comfortable relaxation room, a firebox must have a fireplace effect and... the opportunity to spend time comfortably in the winter. A bathhouse in winter is a song. That’s why I chose foam blocks for the walls. Konstantin
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/394720/

My steam room/sink is a log house made of aspen d=250\300 and the dressing room is a frame building.
I did not pour concrete under the pouring floors, but welded a frame of 12 reinforcement bars with slopes in the center towards the scupper (aka ladder) and stretched a thick plastic film. I also made “eternal” joists under the floors, fortunately we sell inexpensively used thick-walled timber (76\6 mm), welded strip pads to it along the edges (so as not to spin) and scattered 6 pieces. with an interval of 0.5 m (the ends of the pipes lay on the lower strapping beam, in the places where half-logs are placed near the log house). Another “know-how” is to ensure that the floorboards of the pouring floors are not attached to the joists (you can always lift them to dry, or clean the drain under them) and so that they do not run together and lie at equal intervals. Along the edges of the boards (with an indentation of 10 cm) you drilled and inserted PVC “mushrooms” to attach the insulation to the facades, then you measure 10 mm and cut the mushroom with a hacksaw. The result is a board with spaced chips along the edges, simple and reliable, it won’t rot and holds tightly. Andrey
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/282522/page-2

In fact, from a quality point of view, frame 100 or timber 100, raw, unplaned, and frame 200 are the optimal technologies, respectively, for an unheated and heated bathhouse.
Viant
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/389121/

Good afternoon
The wood concrete material for a bathhouse is not bad, but you need to use it wisely. Namely, it is possible to insulate if the wood concrete is not plastered, it breathes wonderfully, the cake will turn out like this: internal lining (solid wood) ventilation gap 1.5–2 cm, vapor barrier, basalt insulation 5–10 cm, wood concrete, windproof film, ventilation gap 2–5 cm, outer skin. Why is basalt insulation used? Because the thermal conductivity of the insulation is much lower than that of wood concrete, therefore there are fewer losses and faster warming up. If you plaster the outside, then such a structure will not be able to breathe towards the street and will accumulate moisture, and it can even penetrate through the vapor barrier, since small leaks and damage are possible. In terms of vapor permeability, materials must follow each other in order of increasing vapor permeability (from the inside to the outside); there are no plasters comparable in vapor permeability to wood concrete. Tooth
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/100295/

Regarding the construction of a bathhouse from laminated timber.
A definite plus, from my point of view, is minimal shrinkage and understandable behavior of the timber in the future. Of course, provided that the timber is of high quality. Konstantin
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/390466/

What will be the cost of an affordable frame bath?

If you are primarily interested in the price and speed of construction with appropriate quality, then you still need to choose a bathhouse made using frame technology. When ordering a building of this design from a specialized company, the nodal system allows you to install a bathhouse on the site in just 1-3 days.

Turnkey frame bathhouse 2 meters by 4 meters without external processing of wooden structures

At the production site, wall panels are pre-fabricated and delivered ready-made for subsequent assembly on site. Such a bathhouse does not require an expensive foundation; it is installed on concrete blocks measuring 20x20x40.

Under good weather conditions, assembly on site actually takes place within one to three days. The advantage is that such a bath does not require shrinkage, so it can be used immediately after installation.

Turnkey frame bathhouse 2 meters by 4 meters with external finishing

In order to get a little bearing on the price, let’s take, as an example, a frame bathhouse with the following characteristics (photos and diagrams are given above!):

Size: 2 m by 4 m (terrace not provided);
Insulation: 50mm thick stone wool (all walls and ceiling) with a wind-moisture-proof membrane;
Interior and exterior finishing: lining;
Roofing: galvanized corrugated sheeting,
Doors: 2 pcs. (wood), plus an attic hatch;
Windows: 2 pcs. (deaf);
Floor: board 40x150, unrebated;
Foundation: block, 9 blocks (blocks 20x20x40);
Rafter system: timber 50x100 and 50x50mm;
Lathing: board 25x150;
Shelves in the steam room.

The cost of a bathhouse of this design, almost turnkey (including delivery of materials and installation) is 110-130 thousand rubles.

However, the price does not include the stove, external treatment of wooden structures of the building and electrical

It would not be amiss to give another approximate calculation of the cost (price) of materials for the independent construction of a frame-type bathhouse.

Which one is more environmentally friendly?

A bathhouse made from natural logs is always more environmentally friendly. It has a characteristic smell of fresh wood. It's a pleasure to be in it. She “soars and gives health.”

The frame is insulated with insulation containing various artificial materials. Only its supporting structure, the frame itself, will be environmentally friendly.

Glued laminated timber contains chemicals. Obviously, a building made from natural lumber meets these parameters best.