How to raise a bathhouse? This question arises when repairing the foundation or in cases where the flood situation changes. It is important to understand the technology of the operation. You can raise a bathhouse with your own hands if it is made in the form of a wooden frame. The task is not easy, but quite doable.

The essence of the problem

Theoretically, almost any structure can be lifted from its foundation without destruction or disassembly, as evidenced by the transfer of even multi-story buildings. Frequently encountered problems:

1. How to raise an old bathhouse onto a foundation? Often, the construction of a small bathhouse is carried out without a foundation, and its base is simply placed on compacted soil and a sand-crushed stone cushion. Over time, such a structure begins to sag (often unevenly), which necessitates the creation of a foundation; the problem arises of how to raise the bathhouse onto the foundation after several years of its operation.
2. How to repair the foundation? It often happens that the frame of a bathhouse can last for many more years, but for some reason the foundation is seriously damaged. This may be a consequence of a violation of technology during construction or natural circumstances. In this case, the possibility of repairing or replacing the foundation is associated with raising the structure itself.
3. How to eliminate distortions in the structure as a result of its uneven subsidence? The bathhouse can receive dangerous deformation in the form of subsidence of a corner or wall, which causes the structure to tilt and the risk of destruction.
4. How to raise the ceiling in a bathhouse? You can raise a building to increase its height. Often at the time of construction, a minimum ceiling height is set, but over time there is a desire to increase comfort. In this case, lifting will help solve the problem.

Rules for lifting a structure

What to do when it’s time to overhaul a bathhouse with distortions and sagging corners? In this case, the bath structure rises above the surface completely or partially. The video shows clearly and in detail how we raise the bathhouse.

The most optimal option for carrying out such an event is the use of high-power jacks. The lift allows access to the foundation and lower crowns of the frame. The lifting procedure is quite complex and requires special care, because... incorrect actions can lead to destruction of the ligaments and the material itself.

Advice! Before lifting the bathhouse on jacks, it is necessary to assess the load on the mechanisms, which will allow you to correctly select the power of the device.

Jacks are installed, as a rule, in the corners of the structure, and 1 device accounts for 1/4 of the entire mass of the structure. Most often, mechanisms with a capacity of at least 4.5-5 tons are used.

Before work begins, a lifting scheme is worked out, which is determined by the purpose of the operation and the type of damage to the structure. Typically, at least 2 jacks are used for work. The exception is cases when only 1 corner of the bathhouse sank. To eliminate deformation, only the sagging corner is raised to the required height. For all other work, jacks are used in pairs, lifting the entire wall, which will preserve the integrity of the corner alignment of the logs.

The operation itself should be carried out smoothly, gradually. Precautions must be observed. When the structure is fully raised, work is carried out in cycles:

• slight rise on one side;
• leveling from the opposite side with supports placed under the raised wall;
• repetition of the cycle.

On a note! The lifting height for 1 cycle should not exceed 5-7 cm to prevent structural destruction and the formation of cracks.

The total height of vertical movement can reach 35-50 cm. Damage is avoided by securely fixing the raised sections of the frame.

The lifting operation must be carried out taking into account further work. In other words, a major foundation repair involves dismantling the previous structure, installing formwork, pouring a new system, i.e. carrying out a complex of works under an overhanging log house. This circumstance requires compliance with all safety requirements, eliminating the risk of subsidence of the bathhouse frame.

Required Tools

When carrying out work with your own hands, you need to prepare the following tool in advance:

• a circular saw;
• Bulgarian;
• milling machine;
• hacksaw;
• electric drill;
• axe;
• chisel;
• sledgehammer;
• hammer;
• tools for laying and leveling concrete;
• plane;
• shovel;
• roulette;
• construction level;
• plumb line

How is the preparation carried out?

The entire operation of raising the bath consists of several stages. First of all, preparatory activities are carried out. Work begins with the dismantling of the external cladding of the basement section of the building. After removing the outer covering, the condition of the logs in the lower crowns can be accurately assessed. The issue of the need to replace or repair them is decided, and the installation points for the jacks are outlined. Zones of active decay and the presence of cracks due to soil movement are especially highlighted.

The next necessary step is to dig a trench around the entire perimeter of the foundation. Inspection of the condition of the entire foundation finally forms the overhaul scheme. If the foundation has significantly collapsed, then in this area it will have to be completely removed and concrete poured again. To reduce the load on the mechanisms, all equipment, furniture, and shelves are removed from the bathhouse. Door panels and glazing from windows are temporarily removed. It is advisable to disassemble the floor covering (even better, the subfloor), but this event is carried out at the discretion of the work contractor.

Selection of jacks and preparatory work for their installation

To carry out the work, it is important to choose the right jacks for lifting the bathhouse body. The estimated parameters of the mechanisms are the load capacity and the stroke of maximum movement. In practical operations, 2 main types of devices can be used - screw and hydraulic jacks. The best hydraulic systems are those that have great power and are reliable in operation. For small wooden baths, you can use cheaper screw varieties.

On a note! Lifting the structure is only possible with reliable support from the jack. If it sinks into the ground under heavy load, the operation will be impossible to carry out.

That is why a solid foundation is built at the site where the equipment is installed.

The installation site is prepared as follows:

1. A total of 8 points are outlined (2 on each side), spaced 45-50 cm from the corner of the building.
2. In these places, holes are dug with the following dimensions: length (along the log) - 90-100 cm, width - 70-75 cm, depth - 50-60 cm. The bottom of the holes is carefully compacted and covered with a layer of crushed stone, on which a solid wooden base is installed beams or metal sheet.
3. Preparation of logs if it is necessary to replace rotten crowns. The diameter of the new logs must exactly match the dimensions of the elements requiring removal. They must first be impregnated with an antifungal composition and fully prepared for installation.

Lifting technology

The video shows clearly and step by step how to raise a bathhouse onto a foundation. You can use 2 options: alternately lifting the walls using 2 mechanisms or simultaneous lifting of the entire building. The second method is used for small wooden baths, when it is enough to use 4 jacks installed on opposite sides. The first option is more popular, allowing the lifting of any structure, and not just wooden ones.

The procedure for carrying out the lifting operation is as follows:

1. Installation of jacks. The mechanisms are fixed in prepared and reinforced holes and rest against the lower crown of the frame. If it is necessary to change the lower crown, then emphasis is placed on the next, undamaged crown.
2. Slow, smooth rise of 4-5 cm or until one crown emerges from the nest in the lower crown.
3. Providing support under the raised frame in the form of concrete or wooden beams or other strong temporary supports.
4. Moving jacks to other points. When lifting a small house, the mechanisms are installed on the opposite wall. If the bathhouse is large, then they are fixed on the adjacent wall. Similar to the previous operation, the raised frame is lifted and secured. This way the entire structure is raised one by one.
5. Return the jacks to their original points and raise the log house another 4-6 cm. Similar actions are performed until the total height is 40-50 cm. After this, reliable support for the raised structure is ensured, taking into account all safety requirements.

Further work is carried out depending on the task:

1. Placement on the foundation. If the bathhouse did not previously have a foundation, then a trench is dug to make one. Sometimes a decision is made to replace columnar supports with a strip foundation, which involves removing the previous supports and carrying out the entire cycle of manufacturing a new type of foundation. Next, the formwork is installed, the reinforcement is laid and the concrete is poured. To fix the lower crown of the frame, vertical rods are installed, rising above the concrete surface. Waterproofing is being installed.
2. Major foundation repairs. If a certain section of the concrete foundation is destroyed, only this part of the foundation must be repaired. In this case, the damaged concrete mass is removed, formwork is installed and new concrete is poured. The condition of the waterproofing layer is carefully checked and its replacement is ensured. The entire surface of the concrete tape is carefully leveled using a building level.
3. Replacing a damaged crown. If the foundation does not require repair, but only the rotten basement logs need to be replaced, then they are removed from the log house and new ones are fixed in their place. Regardless of the condition of the waterproofing, it is recommended to replace it and lay a new one.

Lowering the bath into place is carried out in the reverse order, taking precautions and preventing distortion. The jacks are installed one by one in their holes, and the temporary supports are removed. The operation, just like lifting, is carried out in stages, i.e. for 1 cycle by 4-6 cm. It is important that after completion of the operation the lower crown is positioned strictly horizontally and the walls vertically.

Sometimes, to carry out a major overhaul of a bathhouse, operations with the foundation or the basement of the walls are necessary. In this case, you will have to ensure that the bathhouse is raised, which can be done using jacks. This event is quite complex and time-consuming, but if all rules and recommendations are followed, it can be carried out on your own.

The joy of purchasing a plot for construction is often overshadowed by the presence of holes, slopes and even changes in height. Minor errors can be easily eliminated in the first stages of construction, but uneven terrain requires a more serious approach to solving the problem.

Factors to consider when building on a slope

The reliability and strength of the entire structure largely depends on the quality of the foundation laid. Firstly, the foundation should not collapse under the influence of groundwater, secondly, the soil should not be allowed to crumble around the base of the house, thirdly, the possibility of soil splitting due to destruction of the foundation should be taken into account.

Based on this, when building a foundation on a site with a slope, the following factors should be taken into account:

What to consider when building on a slope

• The groundwater level is used to determine the method of carrying out waterproofing work.
• The type of soil, depending on which the depth of the foundation of the house and the arrangement of the drainage system are also calculated.
• The angle of inclination is the main parameter according to which the type of foundation is selected.

Features of constructing a foundation on a site with a slope

Construction on a slope is considered one of the complex processes, therefore the choice of the type of foundation and the calculations made should be approached very responsibly.

One of the features of constructing a foundation on a site of any complexity is the creation of a horizontal plane. This problem can be solved on a site with a slope if you smoothly change its height. You can achieve your goal using the following types of foundation:

• Traditional ribbon.
• Tape stepped.
• Pile.

Each type has its own construction features, as well as pros and cons.

At the bottom of the prepared trench, be sure to make a cushion of sand and crushed stone, and each layer is well compacted. The height of the pillow should be about 0.2 meters.

Foundation reinforcement

A strip base on a slope requires a foundation, for the manufacture of which steel rods are used. Neglect of this stage causes deformation of the foundation and, as a consequence, destruction of the entire structure.

Creation of a drainage system

To ensure effective removal of moisture from the foundation and house, you need excellent. However, it is not recommended to carry out this step on your own, as special research is required. Therefore, the creation of a drainage system should be carried out by an experienced specialist.

Pouring concrete

The foundation on a slope must be poured in one go to prevent delamination of the concrete mass during the drying process, which can lead to rapid destruction of the foundation.

The poured concrete solution is carefully compacted using a special device, which allows air bubbles to be removed. The finished foundation is left for about a month so that the solution completely dries and hardens.

Features of the construction of a strip stepped foundation

When building a house on a site with a significant slope, it would be more rational to build a stepped strip foundation.

Unlike a conventional concrete strip, such a foundation does not have an even perimeter, and it is built in several versions:

• With a straight top and steps at the base of the hill.
• With steps at the top and a simple strip foundation at the bottom.
• With steps along the entire length of the foundation.

Another feature of the stepped base is the laying of reinforcement; rods are also laid in steps.

Such a foundation may well be combined with general terracing of the site.

Advantages of a pile foundation on a slope

One of the successful options for foundations on a slope is the use of various types of piles. This foundation has several positive aspects:

• Minimal labor and excavation work.
• There is no threat of soil collapse due to the deepening of the supports to a significant depth.
• Possibility of construction of any types of buildings.

Building a foundation on a slope yourself can cause some difficulties. However, compliance with the rules and construction technology allows you to build a reliable and durable structure in areas with any height difference.

Ideally level sites for building houses are quite rare; a new plot allocated for development may be marked by holes, slopes, and elevation changes. But if relatively minor errors can be leveled out and filled in with a little work and expense, then on a site with a large slope, building a house requires more serious efforts.

Typical columnar-strip foundation built on a slope

The first significant difficulties arise at the stage of laying the foundation. A pedestal for a strong and reliable house must also be solid, not collapse under the influence of groundwater and not be subject to soil shedding. These problems significantly complicate the strengthening of the subwall on slopes.

However, if you correctly calculate your material capabilities, technical characteristics, type of soil and choose the right type of foundation, then a house beautifully built on a hillside will delight the owners with its advantages: beautiful landscapes from the windows; the ability to equip a house, a garage, and a bathhouse in one room; wonderful natural landscape.

To strengthen a building on a slope, the following types of foundation are most often used:

The design of any of these types of pedestals has a number of advantages and disadvantages, so there can be no clear advice on which one to choose. It all depends on the specific location and the capabilities of the owner of the territory.

A slab foundation is not used on a site with a slope, as it requires a very large scale of excavation and strengthening work to level the site.

In this video you can watch step-by-step instructions for building a foundation on a slope.

Strip foundation on a slope

- the most common type of foundation being erected during the construction of buildings, which is constructed independently. It can also be poured on a slope, but the following nuance must be taken into account: the height of the base at its lowest point should not exceed four times its width. The steeper the slope, the higher the base will be, the wider it should be, and the greater the cost of formwork and concreting.

Construction of a foundation structure on a site with a slope

The relative simplicity of constructing this type of subwall can be considered an advantage. At low cost, this type of foundation can be built on a site with a slight slope, for a garage or. With a significant steep slope, such a device will be associated with significant difficulties.

• high costs for formwork and pouring: already a meter high foundation for a house will lead to an almost double increase in construction costs;
• a significant amount of excavation work;
• Shallow structures are very difficult to use, and sometimes simply impossible.

These costs are justified if high poured walls are planned to be used to equip a workshop, garage, or bathhouse in the basement. In this case, space and money are saved for the construction of these or other utility rooms.

Scheme for building a strip foundation on a site with a slope

Features of the construction of a straight strip foundation on a slope:

1. Part of the slope for the top of the subwall is cut off exactly at a right angle and a retaining wall is built, which will be the upper part of the perimeter of the future base.
2. , the lower part of which, by the difference in height, is horizontally leveled with the retaining wall.
3. Laying reinforcement and pouring concrete is no different from a similar process on level ground.
4. About a month is allotted for the foundation to completely harden and shrink, after which a support embankment is built along the slope under the lower wall to level out the difference in heights.

Read also

Repairing and strengthening the foundation of an old house

Stepped foundation on a slope

For buildings on slopes with a significant degree, it is easier and more economical to use a stepped strip foundation.
A stepped foundation, unlike a straight one, does not have an even perimeter, but is arranged in ledges in some variations:

• The upper part is straight, the steps are in the lower part, at the base of the hill;
• The upper part and, accordingly, the walls are mounted in a stepped manner, and the lower part is poured as a simple strip foundation;
• The steps are located along the entire length; the walls of the house will also be stepped.

If the first method is the simplest option and is possible for self-filling, then the second and third have a complex formwork structure and require certain engineering knowledge and skills.


The complexity of a strip stepped foundation is aggravated by the fact that the reinforcement for pouring also needs to be laid in steps, but the cost of formwork and pouring is significantly reduced, and there is much less excavation work compared to direct work. The construction of this type of foundation for a house can be combined with general terracing and landscaping on the site.

It is also possible to place outbuildings in the basement with this type of construction, but only in the lower sectors. The upper part of the house is used more for living quarters.

What associations do you have when you hear the word “bath”? We are accustomed to the fact that baths and saunas, as a rule, are built of wood, but in the modern world, there are materials that are not inferior in characteristics to wood, and in some ways even superior, so you don’t have to limit yourself in choosing them.

More and more people today prefer build baths from expanded clay concrete blocks. Both owners of land plots and owners of saunas and bath complexes prefer this strong, durable and inexpensive material.

In this article we will tell you how to properly insulate a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks, tell you about the features of installing a foundation for a bathhouse, and dispel the myths wandering around this building material.

7 advantages of building a bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks

Everyone knows that expanded clay concrete blocks have an excellent combination of strength and frost resistance characteristics, in addition, they are quite light and warm. But in addition to these qualities, there are also several undoubted advantages*:

• Economical. A bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks will cost much less than a similar one made from logs. A log house for a bathhouse made of timber measuring 6x3 costs on average from 120 thousand rubles. At the same time, a bathhouse box of the same size will cost only 25,650 rubles, which is 4.5 times cheaper!
• Environmental friendliness of the material. Expanded clay (read baked clay), concrete, sand, water - this is the formula of the block.
• Bathhouse you can build it yourself, while saving on the services of masons.
• Durability. Such a bathhouse will serve you for many years due to its good characteristics. The strength grade of a standard 4-hollow block is M50-M75 (depending on the type of block), while its frost resistance is F100.
• Expanded clay concrete blocks give very little shrinkage.
• Moisture resistance. The blocks perfectly resist water ingress.
• Chemical resistance.

*At the same time, there is one caveat: when looking for expanded clay concrete blocks for a bathhouse, be careful when choosing a supplier; there are a considerable number of manufacturers who make blocks in artisanal conditions without following technology.

So, you have decided to build a bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks. Where to start?

Any building material has its pros and cons; they must be especially taken into account when it comes to building a bathhouse.

The choice of building materials must be approached responsibly. If you decide to build a bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks, the first thing you need to do is find out how frost-resistant the material is, therefore, it would be a good idea to check the certificates of conformity and test reports of the blocks. The reliability of the box of the future bath directly depends on frost resistance.

A separate item is the installation of the foundation.

Foundation type

Its type depends on the soil where you are going to build. The most common type of foundation in the middle zone is strip. But there are a number of caveats here. Strip foundation is the simplest and most economical solution for areas with dry soil and deep groundwater. Loam requires a special approach, as do places where the ground is deeply frozen. In this case, a more suitable solution is a pile or pile-grillage foundation.

Site preparation

It is necessary to remove foreign objects and level the ground. Here special geodetic instruments will come to your aid, but you can get by with a simple building level, which will tell you how level the site is. Do not neglect the use of a hydraulic level.

Foundation trench

To do this, first of all, you need to mark the ground. Without further ado, pegs and ropes will do the job perfectly. The first ones need to be placed in the corners, and the ropes should be pulled onto the stakes. The angles, of course, are 90 degrees. The average width of a trench for a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks is from 50 cm, if the walls are one block thick. The depth of the trench should be 20 cm below the freezing depth of the soil.

Sand and crushed stone cushion

Under the strip foundation it is necessary to make a so-called cushion of sand and crushed stone. Its thickness should be 20-30 cm. It is better not to spare sand for this.

First, the bottom of the trench must be covered with sand; for better compaction, it is moistened with water. Before proceeding with further actions, you must wait until it dries completely. Crushed stone is laid last. This technology helps:

1. strengthen the foundation;
2. drain water from the base of the foundation during the off-season;
3. increase its shock-absorbing properties.

Installation and reinforcement of the foundation

Install the formwork in the trench so that its edges remain at least 30 cm above ground level. When building bathhouses from blocks, our customers often use film or roofing felt to protect the formwork and to prevent concrete from leaking through the cracks. The film is attached with a regular furniture stapler to the inside of the formwork.

Then the future foundation is reinforced.

Reinforcement of the foundation increases its strength, rigidity and helps to avoid destruction under the influence of environmental factors. Sections of reinforcement are driven vertically into the ground with a margin of 5 cm above the foundation. After that, horizontal reinforcement rods are laid in two rows from below, which are tied in vertical sections with wire.

Advice: when reinforcing the foundation, it is better to fasten the pieces of reinforcement with wire rather than weld them to each other. Since welding joints make the metal brittle at the joints, which can negatively affect the quality of the foundation in the future. The fittings must undergo anti-corrosion treatment.

Don't forget about sewerage and drainage holes. Before the stage of pouring the foundation, it is necessary to make holes to which the drain will be connected.

Having calculated the locations for the technological holes, install the pipes.

Tip: If you are afraid that the pipes may become clogged with concrete, then you can fill them with sand while the foundation is being poured.

Pouring the foundation

To fill the foundation, it is better to use M-500 cement; it is stronger and suitable for construction in climates with cold winters and heavy rainfall; if weather conditions allow, you can resort to using M400 cement.

A stronger foundation is obtained if you use a mixture of sand and cement, which is prepared at a ratio of 2 to 1 (2 parts cement to 1 part sand), but such concrete hardens quickly and requires more labor.

Another technology for preparing a concrete mixture involves adding crushed stone. In this case, for 1 part of cement there are 3 parts of sand and 5 parts of crushed stone. Such a foundation will be slightly less strong, but it hardens more slowly, which makes it possible to cope with its pouring, involving fewer workers. Water is added to the prepared and mixed mixture of any type - 0.5 of the total volume of the mixture

When pouring the foundation, it is important not to violate its integrity, so the expression of haste when catching fleas in this case justifies itself one hundred percent. Wait until the foundation sets when pouring the next layers. Ideally, it is better to fill the foundation at once. If, for some reason, this cannot be done, then remember that each layer of concrete must be at least 20 cm.

The formwork is not removed from three days to a week. You shouldn't rush into this either.

Complete hardening of the foundation occurs after at least three weeks.

Walling

Before starting the construction of a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks, it is necessary to put a waterproofing material on the foundation - this can be roofing felt. For greater reliability, roofing material is laid in 2 layers, after which a reinforcing mesh is placed on it.

Expanded clay concrete blocks are a lightweight and durable material. It's quite easy to build with it. The blocks are stacked one on top of the other from the corners. Don't forget the pockets for the floor joists!

It wouldn’t hurt to additionally install a reinforcing mesh every 2 layers of blocks.

Make sure the seams are even. It is especially important to observe the geometry of the first row of expanded clay concrete blocks; it must be horizontal; a building level will help measure this indicator.

When the walls are erected, it’s time to think about the roof of the future bathhouse. The roof can be single-pitch or gable; its installation will require wooden beams, rafters and sheathing bars.

Rafters are attached to the edges of the walls, beams serve as floors, and slate is attached to the sheathing.

When building a bathhouse, it is important to remember about waterproofing, this also applies to the roof. Before installing slate, be sure to lay a flooring made of moisture-proof waterproofing material.

Let's proceed to the most important part of the construction of a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks - insulation.

When the box is ready and the roof stands proudly on the walls, protecting the room from rain and dampness, you can begin the process of insulating the bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks.

The process of insulating a bathhouse is significantly different from that for a home. The bathhouse needs to be insulated not from the outside, but from the inside!

Wall cleaning

You wouldn’t paint on a stained canvas or eat from a plate with leftover food; insulating a bathhouse shouldn’t start with clean walls either.

Before starting the process, it is necessary to remove all dirt and dust from the walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, after which it makes sense to check how smooth the walls are using a level. If unevenness and roughness are found, they can be eliminated with a primer. This is a preparatory stage before covering the walls with plaster.

Insulation

The plaster is applied in two layers, which provides the walls with protection from moisture, as well as from wind and temperature changes. You can prepare such plaster by mixing cement and sand in a ratio of 1 to 4 (1 part cement to 4 parts sand). The solution should be applied in stages: the first layer is applied, after which you need to wait until the plaster dries, and the next day the walls are covered with a second layer.

The most interesting things are yet to come. After insulation, the wall pie will look like this:

• expanded clay concrete blocks;
• a layer of insulation (it is most reliable to use stone wool);
• vapor barrier (no one came up with anything better than “Izospan FB”)
• ventilation gap
• finishing layer of lining.

The insulation is attached between the wall and wooden blocks, which are sewn onto the wall in advance in increments of 50 cm. The bars can be fixed to the wall using dowels.

Izospan waterproofing is mounted on wooden blocks with the foil side out. This will provide more heat, and for effective vapor and waterproofing, all seams between the isospan sheets are carefully taped, and the sheets themselves are overlapped.

This entire structure is covered with wooden clapboard. It is important to remember that you are building a bathhouse and, therefore, the lining must be impregnated with a special composition for bathhouse surfaces.

1. Restroom

The insulation of the rest room does not have to follow the same pattern.

This place suggests a relaxed pastime, an opportunity to breathe fresh air after a hot steam room. The temperature in this room is not as high as in the bathhouse, and the humidity is lower. For insulation, you can use polystyrene foam, and foil as insulation. Everything is sheathed in the same way as in the bathhouse itself.

• First, a sheathing is made from bars;
• a five-centimeter layer of polystyrene foam is placed under it;
• Aluminum foil is attached on top, the seams are taped;
• Through the foil, bars (counter sheathing) are again nailed to the sheathing to create a ventilation gap;
• everything is covered with clapboard.

The dressing room is ready!

1. Floor and ceiling

The floor and ceiling also need insulation, and besides, look, our bathhouse has not yet acquired a decent floor.

To construct it, a cranial block is sewn to the floor beams. Boards are placed on top to form a rough version of the floor.

The floor in the bathhouse also needs a vapor barrier, which must be laid on the subfloor; a layer of expanded polystyrene is placed on top of this; some use expanded clay for the same purpose. Now it’s time for the reinforcing mesh, which is poured with concrete. Concrete needs time to dry. After all the preparations, the floor is covered with a “blanket” of waterproofing material, again filled with concrete screed and covered with tiles or other finishing material suitable for a bathhouse.

Insulation and improvement of the ceiling occurs according to the following scheme:

• install a vapor barrier;
• fix the insulation;
• sheathe with timber;
• form a ceiling from boards.

Do not forget about lining the bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks.

Unlike houses, bathhouses made of expanded clay concrete blocks do not require serious external insulation, so cladding such a structure is probably the simplest stage of construction.

If desired, you can simply putty and coat the walls with primer. Another option is facade paint.

But if you want to give your new bathhouse an aesthetic, traditional look, then you can use siding stylized as timber for cladding.

Bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks- an excellent solution in any situation, and even more so if you want to save money.

Its construction does not require the involvement of a large amount of labor or even heavy special equipment, and if you follow all the requirements, you will not be disappointed in the quality of the structure - the bathhouse will be warm, reliable and will serve you for many years, giving you warmth and cleanliness.

Since ancient times, bathhouses have been built from wooden materials, using ordinary strip foundations with sand and gravel pads for the base. But modern technologies have suggested the use of expanded clay concrete or FBS blocks for small and light structures instead of monolithic filling of trenches with mortar. And now, building foundations for small buildings with your own hands takes little time and money. But you should first decide what material the base of the bathhouse will be made of.

Selecting material for the foundation of a bathhouse

Building a base for a bathhouse with your own hands involves choosing a material not only based on its cost, but also depending on the soil on which the structure will be built. For the optimal selection of blocks from which the base will be made, it is worth knowing the basic parameters of the materials used.

If the soil in the area where the building will be erected, with a large predominance of sand, is hard and durable, then it is worth using FBS blocks for the foundations. They are heavy and do not require additional time to shrink.

And on those soils that are highly loose or mobile, it is advisable to use fine-grain expanded clay concrete blocks for the foundation. Their weight allows you to quickly and easily build a foundation for a structure due to their good strength and high density.

The use of block foundations is also good because it has high flexibility due to the seams between the blocks, with increased heaving of the soil. This type of soil foundation will not be able to tear or damage during physical impact.

Many owners prefer to make the foundation for the building from foam blocks with their own hands. Such materials have their excellent properties:

1. Resistance to low temperatures.
2. Durability in use.
3. High water-repellent parameters.
4. Light weight and easy installation.
5. Low degree of toxicity.

It is worth noting that foam block foundations are fastest to build when the trench is made slightly wider than the material used. Therefore, all that remains is to lay the blocks with your own hands, one after another, on the prepared pillow and connect them together with a solution. But for better shrinkage of foam blocks, it is worth using additional measures in the form of reinforcement not only with rods, but also with mesh. Therefore, preference is given to a base made of medium-sized expanded clay concrete slabs.

Options for bath foundation types

Since the bathhouse building is a lightweight structure, the load on the foundation will be small. Therefore, you can make the base yourself using the simplest options:

• columnar method - the foundation consists of 4 corner pillars and several additional supports, which are placed at a distance of 2 m from each other. The pillars are connected using the method of tying metal corners or channels. Walls are placed on the resulting structure;
• strip method - the foundation looks like a continuous strip along the entire perimeter of the future building. Expanded clay concrete blocks are laid on a cushion and reinforced on top with rods of medium section.

There are several other types of foundation masonry, but they are very expensive and take a long time to create.

In relation to a small bathhouse, when the building occupies a small area and does not need a basement, the ideal option would be a columnar foundation, which is easy to make with your own hands with a small investment. Here, the consumption of expanded clay concrete materials or foam blocks for the base is minimized. And the work is carried out quickly, which allows you to get a structure in a short period of time.

If the bathhouse is large, with a basement or garage, then you should give preference to a strip-type base made of expanded clay concrete materials or FBS blocks, which can withstand significant loads and have almost no shrinkage after complete drying in the finished foundation. The use of foam blocks in this case is impractical and wasteful.

Having chosen the preferred option, it is worth starting work on the construction of the foundation for the bathhouse, which is often done with your own hands, without the involvement of specialists.

Preliminary work on the foundation

Basically, owners prefer to install a strip-type foundation for a bathhouse with a shallow depth. This allows you to save money, since the cost of foam blocks is considerable, and for a standard depth it will cost a little more. You can, of course, use FBS, but still the consumption of materials at a standard depth will be greater.

To begin any construction operation on the ground, it is worthwhile to carefully mark the future structure. But before that, you should remove the top layer of soil and level the area for the building.

Marking is not difficult and can be done with your own hands, carefully transferring the dimensions from the project drawing to the plot of land. You need to mark not only the corners of the building, but also the partitions, which will then be in the middle of the room. Trenches also need to be laid under the partitions so that the load on the foundation is uniform.

Once all the dimensions have been transferred to the plot of land and marked with stakes, you can begin digging trenches. The width of each trench can be made 15 cm larger than the size of the blocks used for the base. You can go only half a meter deep, although sometimes the depth can be only 40 cm.

It is necessary to calculate the depth of depth depending on the expanded clay concrete materials. The average depth for such a foundation is quite suitable. But for the use of lightweight foam blocks, the depth is 10 cm greater than usual standards.

Trenches for foundations, for which FBS slabs are taken, can be made in standard sizes. Since slabs made of such material are quite heavy, they themselves will compact the soil and cause sufficient deep settlement during the pouring and cooling of the solution.

Stages of work to create a foundation for a bathhouse

When the trenches are ready, construction of the foundation of the building can begin. All construction work is divided into several stages:

1. Laying a sand-gravel or sand-crushed stone cushion.
2. Creation of a waterproofing layer.
3. Construction of the first base layer from FBS or expanded clay concrete blocks.
4. Reinforcement of the foundation with corrugated rods of medium section.
5. Filling trenches with concrete solution.

It is worth remembering that the blocks must be bonded together with a solution before the main pouring. The optimal dimensions of the seams should not be more than 1 cm.

Secondary moisture insulation must be installed after the foundation tape has completely dried. This way there is a greater chance of preserving the foundation from constant dampness.

Expanded clay concrete blocks are rapidly gaining popularity among private developers. The material is excellent for use in self-construction of residential and commercial buildings, including bathhouses of various sizes and configurations.

Briefly about expanded clay concrete blocks

Among the key advantages of expanded clay concrete, one should first of all note its excellent thermal insulation characteristics. For comparison: for blocks this parameter is on average 200-300% higher than the same property for bricks. At the same time, laying the blocks is no more difficult than the brick taken for comparison: due to their low weight, they can be lifted, carried and laid without significant effort, which eliminates the need for the mandatory involvement of additional labor and special equipment. There are also no complex features of the masonry: anyone who has had to “communicate” with brick can build a wall from expanded clay concrete blocks - the key principles are the same.

An equally important indicator for residential construction conditions is the absolute environmental safety of expanded clay concrete - the blocks do not contain any harmful chemical impurities. During the heating process, this material, unlike many of its “brothers,” also does not emit anything toxic. Therefore, the blocks are perfect for building a bathhouse.

Comparative characteristics of materials

But not everything is so simple. Expanded clay concrete blocks, like every building material, have their own weaknesses. The leader of the anti-rating is pronounced hygroscopicity. At this moment you could close your eyes, but not in a bathhouse with its high humidity. Yes, saturation of walls with water under normal conditions is not so scary, but at the first frost, the accumulated moisture will freeze and expand, which after some time will inevitably lead to the destruction of the building material.

Expanded clay concrete is very hygroscopic

In terms of frost resistance, expanded clay concrete blocks are also inferior to many available options. According to GOST, the average number of freeze-thaw cycles for blocks is kept at 25-50. For residential construction under normal conditions, this is not the worst indicator. But in a bathhouse, which, for example, is heated 1-2 times a week in the cold season, and then left by the owner to cool, the mentioned number of cycles will be exhausted within a maximum of a couple of years.

Expanded clay concrete blocks in the photo

To eliminate the above-mentioned risks, walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks must be insulated and provided with moisture and vapor barrier. Proper installation of such protection will eliminate the risk of getting wet and subsequent destruction of materials.

A three-layer wall system is used here - laying expanded clay blocks 40 cm thick, followed by insulation and brick

This concludes the brief excursion into the theoretical part. Next, we offer you a detailed step-by-step guide on how to independently build a bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks: from installing a supporting structure to installing the roof and recommendations for the interior arrangement of the premises.

Basics: making a foundation for a block bathhouse

The number of types of supporting structures is impressive: columnar and strip, monolithic and prefabricated, concrete and brick, etc. Choosing suitable foundation characteristics is a matter of paramount importance, because without a reliable foundation one cannot count on the normal service of the building.

It is best to build a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks on a strip or slab concrete base. When choosing a specific option, we focus primarily on the type of soil on the site. The recommendations are shown in the following illustration.

Choosing a foundation

Features of the selection of other key characteristics of the foundation for a block bathhouse are also determined primarily by the properties of the soil on the site.

Firstly, it is necessary to take into account the depth of soil freezing (usually they try to lay foundations at least 20-30 cm below this indicator).

Vorkuta, Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Salekhard	240
Omsk, Novosibirsk	220
Tobolsk, Petropavlovsk	210
Kurgan, Kostanay	200
Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm	190
Syktyvkar, Ufa, Aktyubinsk, Orenburg	180
Kirov, Izhevsk, Kazan, Ulyanovsk	170
Samara, Uralsk	160
Vologda, Kostroma, Penza, Saratov	150
Voronezh, Perm, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Ryazan, Tambov, Tula, Yaroslavl	140
Volgograd, Kursk, Smolensk	120
Pskov, Astrakhan	110
Belgorod, Kursk, Kaliningrad	100
Rostov	90
Krasnodar	80
Nalchik, Stavropol	60

Secondly, it is necessary to correctly identify the type of soil at the construction site.

Thirdly, the relationship between the level of groundwater flow and the depth of soil freezing must be taken into account.

The strip support structure can be used in combination with most existing types of soil, which is why it is the most common.

Strip foundations

Slab structures are not so universal. They can only be used in combination with soils that are not particularly mobile.

Slab foundation

Video - Strip foundation

Having chosen the optimal option for the supporting structure, all that remains is to calculate it, after which you can proceed directly to the construction of the foundation. Detailed recommendations regarding each of the mentioned stages were previously provided in the relevant publications on our website.

Helpful advice! Decide in advance on the optimal dimensions and features of the internal layout of the bathhouse. You can develop the project yourself, entrust it to a third-party specialist, or use one of the ready-made solutions. The article discusses projects of bathhouses made of timber - this is not fundamental, the main thing is to choose a suitable internal configuration.

Construction of a bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks

Construction of a bathhouse from expanded clay concrete blocks

Preparation

Let's start by preparing the required devices. For greater ease of perception, the information is presented in table form.

Table. Set for work

Rubber hammer	Will be used for shrinking blocks. It is recommended to take a tool weighing about 1 kg. A metal hammer will not work - contact with it can lead to destruction of the blocks.
	No additional introduction is needed.
Building level	Allows you to control the correctness (evenness) of block placement.
	Used for applying masonry mortar. It is most convenient to use a tool with a rectangular platform.
	Use a thin but as strong mooring cord as possible.
Square	Allows you to correctly mark building elements before sawing into pieces.
	The tool allows you to control the vertical evenness of the masonry.
Bulgarian	Used for cutting expanded clay concrete blocks. This tool also allows you to create grooves for placing reinforcement. Complete with a grinder, use a cutting wheel with a diameter of 22 cm.
	Using this simple tool, you will load the concrete mixer with the initial components of the masonry mixture and transport the finished solution to the work site.
Concrete mixer	Designed for mixing the initial components of mortars. You can do without this device by preparing the mixture manually, but this will lead to an irrational increase in time and labor costs.
	Useful when performing high-altitude work. The best option is to rent a structure from the nearest construction company.

In addition to the above, buy the following:

• blocks directly;
• cement, sand and water or ready-made glue for laying blocks;
• heat and water vapor barrier materials;
• reinforcement (8-10 mm rods are suitable) or reinforcing mesh.

The list can be supplemented with various small things - at this point you will get your bearings as the work progresses.

What should you put the blocks on?

The blocks can be placed on a cement-sand mixture or ready-made glue. Information about the available options is given in the table.

Table. Binder mixtures for laying expanded clay concrete blocks

Ready glue	Sold as a dry mixture. Preparation is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and boils down to mixing with the specified amount of water (sometimes additional substances are added to the mixture, specified separately in the instructions). To prepare the mixture, it is convenient to use a construction mixer or an electric drill with an appropriate attachment. Adhesive for blocks is characterized by high plasticity and excellent bonding characteristics. The use of the composition makes it possible to obtain seams with a thickness of about 0.5 cm, which provides higher thermal insulation properties of the structure, but increases the cost of its construction. The average glue consumption for laying a cubic meter of blocks ranges from 40-50 kg and varies depending on the thickness of the seams. There are several types of adhesives available for sale for expanded clay concrete blocks: Standard – suitable for working with expanded clay concrete, gas silicate and other blocks. In addition to the main function, it can be used to eliminate minor defects in blocks in the form of minor chips, cracks, etc.; Winter. Designed for masonry in cold weather; Heat saving. Allows the construction of structures without “cold bridges”, due to which temperature loss rates are significantly reduced. Well suited for the construction of bath walls and partitions. Among the manufacturers that have best proven themselves in the market of binder mixtures and binding components are the brands SARMAT, Ilmax, LISMIX. Helpful advice! Many manufacturers of expanded clay concrete blocks offer adhesives designed specifically for laying the materials they produce. If possible, these formulations should be used.
Cement-sand mixture	In this case, the following materials are taken in the indicated quantities: Cement from M400 – one share; Sand - three shares; Water – 0.7 parts. The components are thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous composition is obtained. Attention! The indicated amount of water is an average and may vary depending on the moisture level of the sand used. As a result, you should get a plastic composition that allows you to shrink the blocks without any extra effort. Along with this, the mixture should not spread. Helpful advice! To increase the elasticity of the mixture, instead of a certain proportion of quarry sand, you can take river material. Prepare the solution in small portions, for approximately 1-2 hours of masonry work. It is better that the composition is constantly mixed in a concrete mixer - this way its plasticity will be maintained at a sufficient level.

Adhesive for expanded clay concrete blocks

Choosing a method of laying walls

There are several methods for laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks. The appropriate option is selected taking into account the design features, wall thickness, thermal insulation characteristics and finishing cladding. Information about the main masonry methods is given in the table.

Table. Methods for laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

Half a block	It is used when laying walls with a thickness equal to the width of the expanded clay concrete block (most often 19 cm). When building a bathhouse, this method can be used only if the building will very rarely be used for its intended purpose. The block is placed with its long side along the partition line. Row - one. Every 3-4 rows the masonry is strengthened with reinforcement. A reinforcing belt up to 200 mm high is erected at the top. For insulation, it is advisable to use polystyrene foam or mineral wool materials. The optimal thickness of the thermal insulation layer is from 50-100 mm.
A whole block wide	In this case, the walls are bandaged, and the butt and spoon rows alternate. The width of such a wall is 39 cm, i.e. along the length of the building block.
Width 600 mm	This method has much in common with well bricklaying. The blocks are bandaged, leaving voids between them. Thermal insulation material is used to fill the free gaps.
Two walls	Lay out 2 parallel walls in half a block. Metal rods are used for binding. A 5-10 cm thermal insulation layer is placed between the walls. The method guarantees high thermal insulation performance, and therefore is quite suitable for constructing a bathhouse.
With lining	The walls are laid out in half a block or in a whole block. The method differs from the previous one only in that here, instead of a second parallel wall, facing bricks are used.

The choice of the appropriate method remains with the owner - the main points and sequence of actions are preserved, so no problems will arise during the work process.

Important notes about seams

Scheme of laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks

The optimal thickness of the seams is 0.6-0.8 cm (up to 1 cm is possible if necessary). In the case of using ready-made mixtures, the thickness of the joints is often reduced (information on this matter is specified in the manufacturer’s instructions).

Important! The thinner the seams between the blocks are made, the more plastic the solution must be used. Modern plastic mixtures make it possible to reduce the thickness of seams to 3-4 mm.

The seams are filled completely using the “undercut” method; a trowel is used to remove excess mortar. It is also possible to fill the interblock seams “empty” - in this case the seam is left free by about half a centimeter. The second method is usually used if the wall is planned to be finished with plaster. Actually, where they will plaster, they leave a space free from mortar.

Types of seams

1. Before laying the first row of the wall, the foundation is covered with waterproofing material. The scheme is simple: a layer of molten bitumen is applied over the base, roofing felt is laid on top, smoothed and pressed to the surface. Repeat again. The resulting two-layer waterproofing will be of very high quality. It may be necessary to pre-level the base surface. A screed up to 3 cm thick will be sufficient.

   Foundation waterproofing

2. Use quality blocks. The use of questionable material with a geometry deviating from approved standards will lead to an increase in the consumption of binder material and, in general, a decrease in the operational, technical and quality characteristics of the finished structure.

   Expanded clay concrete blocks

   Dimensions of expanded clay concrete blocks

3. Before laying the block on the mortar, lay out the row “dry” for the so-called. "trying on".
4. Adjust the blocks only with a rubber hammer. It is forbidden to hit it hard - the building product may crack and break.

   The photo shows a rubber hammer for adjusting blocks

5. To cut blocks, especially if you have no previous experience in breaking them, use a grinder.

   Photo - cutting a block with a grinder

6. Choose materials for laying different sections of the building. Thus, it is customary to build external walls from blocks measuring 19x18.8x39 cm. Internal partitions can be laid from blocks measuring 19x9x39 cm or 12x19x39 cm.

Important! Before starting construction, you need to determine the optimal wall thickness. To save you from lengthy calculations, we immediately present the appropriate value: 400-500 mm for the central regions. Residents of other climatic zones should proportionally reduce or increase the recommended values ​​in accordance with the weather conditions in the area.

Required wall thickness

Block walls

Nuances of reinforcement

As noted, walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, as well as structures made from most other block building elements, are reinforced every 3-4 rows. In this section, you are invited to familiarize yourself with the procedure for conducting this event so as not to return to it in the future.

How to make reinforcement

In order for the finished structure to be as stable and reliable as possible, other elements of the building are subject to additional strengthening, namely:

• first row (not always, but very desirable);
• bottom seams of window openings. Relevant for cases when the opening dimensions are more than 180 cm. In this case, the space is reinforced to a length of at least 0.5 m on each side of the opening;
• supporting surfaces of door and window lintels - also 50 cm or more in each direction from the opening.

Depending on the characteristics of a particular project, other elements of the structure may be reinforced - this is determined on an individual basis.

Important note! Reinforcement and masonry technologies for most building blocks remain similar. Do not be alarmed if the products presented in the following illustrations look different from the expanded clay concrete blocks you purchased. The provisions of the technological processes under consideration are relevant.

Reinforcement is carried out using rods with a diameter of 8 mm (in this case, 2 longitudinal grooves measuring 4x4 cm are cut in the center of the blocks along the length of the reinforcement, the remaining space will be filled with mortar), or a mesh (made of wire with a diameter of 3-5 mm, cell sizes - 5x5 cm (when arranging openings - 7x7 cm), the bottom and top are protected from corrosion using a 2-centimeter layer of masonry mortar), or reinforcement frames (paired steel strips connected by wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm, laid on a layer of glue, recessed into it and the top is covered with a second layer of glue/solution).

In the second and third cases, no particular difficulties arise - the technology is clear from the notes in brackets. Reinforcement with steel rods deserves separate consideration.

Table. Reinforcement of block masonry

Preparing grooves for laying reinforcement	As noted, two grooves are cut in the center, i.e. at equal distances from the edges of the block and its middle. A manual or electric wall chaser will be an excellent assistant in this matter, depending on the availability of electricity at the site. To do the job as efficiently as possible, you can first make markings using suitable available tools, for example, a long straight staff and a marker. You can also lay the slats in the center of the block and simply make cuts along its side edges.
Cleaning the groove	Dust the inner space of the groove using a sweeping brush or a hair dryer.
Fitting fittings	Place the rods into the prepared grooves and cut to length. A grinder will help you with this. If you don’t have one, you can use a hand tool (hacksaw) or other suitable device.
Final installation of reinforcement	Having finished fitting and cutting, remove the reinforcement from the grooves and do the following: Fill the recesses with mortar or block adhesive. Use the same binder as for construction; Press the reinforcing bars into the mortar; Discard excess mixture. Thanks to the solution, the metal will be protected from corrosion.

To create thin seams between blocks, you can use the previously mentioned reinforcing frames. It looks like this.

Block laying

A diagram of the correct reinforcement of block walls is shown in the image.

Scheme of correct reinforcement of block walls

Video - Reinforcement of walls from blocks

Wall masonry

So, the foundation is ready and covered with a layer of moisture-proof material in the form of a bitumen + roofing felt bond, special waterproofing cardboard or other suitable material. You can start building walls. The sequence is described in the table.

Table. Laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

Applying the first layer of solution	The solution chosen for fastening the expanded clay concrete blocks is laid on top of the foundation waterproofing. Recommended layer thickness in accordance with The parameters of the mixture used were given earlier. A trowel will help you at this stage. You can also use a trowel or a plasterer’s ladle to apply the mixture, followed by leveling with a trowel - whichever is more convenient for you. With the help of this layer, deviations from the level will be leveled. If the surface of your foundation is flat, or you did the alignment before, skip this step.
Subsequent processing of the first layer of solution	The applied leveling layer of mortar requires additional processing, which boils down to pouring cement dust on top of it - this will lead to an increase in the load-bearing capacity of the binder components. In addition, such treatment will eliminate the possibility of the building block being immersed in a relatively soft solution - otherwise the block would sag and there would be no point in applying a leveling layer. Sprinkle a little (literally 1-3 mm) of pure cement on top of the mortar/glue layer. Soon a carrier film forms on the surface.
Installing the first block	One of the most responsible and important stages of work. Helpful advice! Before laying, let the blocks soak in cold water for a minute. The material will become saturated with moisture and will not take it away from the solution/glue, thereby worsening the quality of adhesion. Install the first block of expanded clay concrete strictly at the corner of the intersection of the future external walls. Level the product using a level and light tapping with a rubber hammer. Install blocks in the remaining corners of the future bathhouse in a similar way. After this, make sure that the lengths of the diagonals match, just as you did at the stage of arranging the foundation. Stretch guide cords between the corner blocks to mark the future walls of the bathhouse - this will allow you to lay the blocks strictly at the same level. Ignoring this recommendation and attempting to carry out construction “by eye” will soon result in swelling, deformation and destruction of structures.
Subsequent laying of corners	Continue laying out the corner in accordance with the technology discussed. The solution is usually not applied to the side walls. The exceptions are as follows: A block connecting to the front surface of perpendicularly installed building elements; Sliced ​​products. Having laid out the corner to approximately the same size as in the photo, check the quality of the work done using a building level. Remove any deviations found using a rubber hammer.
Further laying of corners	Before you start building walls, it is better to lay out each corner in at least 3 rows. Make sure that each row of blocks is laid evenly. The building level will help you with this.
Checking the verticality of the masonry	Check the verticality of the masonry after arranging each row. A tool called a plumb bob will help you at this stage. Horizontality is controlled by a mason's cord (mooring) and a level. This point will be discussed further.
Laying walls between corners	Start building the wall after laying several corner rows. To control the verticality of the masonry, use the order. The tool is shown in the photo and is represented by a simple straight bar with marks along the height of the blocks. Important note! Rows of walls are laid out from the corner elements. Having reached the bottom of the opening under the window, the masonry is carried out from the corner in the direction of the nearest wall.
Control of evenness of masonry	Don't forget to stretch the tie cord between the corner blocks when laying out each row. With the help of this simple device, it will be easier for you to control the evenness of the laying of building elements in a horizontal plane. The principle is simple: They pulled the cord; The block was laid; Align the building element in relation to the rope and other blocks using a rubber hammer.

Video - Laying a corner from blocks

Video - Laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks

You have become familiar with the technology of laying walls from block building elements. Do not forget to carry out reinforcement in accordance with the previously received recommendations.

Important technological aspects of laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks

To successfully complete the job, you need to understand a number of technological nuances. These points will be discussed further below.

What should be the dressing of expanded clay concrete blocks?

As noted, construction is carried out according to the principle of brickwork: the vertical joints between expanded clay concrete blocks in different rows are shifted by half the block.

The minimum shift in walls made of full-size expanded clay blocks is 100 mm. A diagram of the correct ligation of full-size blocks is shown in the image.

Scheme for correct ligation of full-size blocks

For cases when the wall is laid out using cut (not full-size) elements, the following dressing scheme is relevant.

Bandaging scheme when the wall is laid out using cut elements

How to connect internal and external load-bearing walls?

If possible, build an external load-bearing wall together with the internal one. Make the connection like this:

• lay the first row of the internal load-bearing wall close to the external one. Use the solution;
• When laying the next row, move the block of the inner wall onto the outer one by about 100-150 mm. To do this, trim the expanded clay granite block of the external wall to the specified value;
• insulate the joint with 50 mm layers of polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Thanks to this, the lower thermal insulation properties of the expanded clay concrete block of the internal bath wall will be compensated.

Insulated connection

How to connect internal and external walls?

The laying of partitions is carried out after the completion of the construction of load-bearing bath walls. Anchors are first installed in them to ensure subsequent pairing of internal partitions and finished load-bearing walls. The ends of the anchors are placed in the horizontal seams of the outer wall and the seams of the partition. The necessary holes can be made with a drill.

How to connect internal and external walls

How to cut blocks?

In most situations, constructing walls and partitions from full-size blocks alone is not possible. Cutting of building elements is carried out locally, i.e. in accordance with the dimensions of the empty space left after laying full-size expanded clay concrete blocks. A circular saw or an electromechanical saw is suitable for cutting.

Electric Diamond Chain Saw

Many craftsmen use a jigsaw for this. It is better to refrain from using an angle grinder: the excessive amount of heat generated can lead to the destruction of the building element. The cutting technology itself consists of 2 stages: mark the block and get rid of the excess.

How to cut blocks

Helpful advice! When arranging openings, try to use, if possible, not cuttings of building elements, but special additional blocks - reduce the number of cuts and ensure a higher quality of work.

Video - Cutting blocks

How to place cut blocks?

Non-full-size building elements must be embedded in the masonry. It is better to do this at the maximum distance from the slopes of the openings being constructed and the corners of the structure being erected. The displacement of vertical joints when laying non-full-size blocks is at least 40 mm.

Important! Vertical seams between solid and cut blocks must be filled with mortar.

How to lay cut blocks

How to arrange vertical seams?

In most areas, vertical joints are not filled with mortar. The following places are exceptions:

• connections of solid and cut blocks;
• connecting external walls with internal partitions is highly desirable;
• connections of corner blocks.

How to drill holes in block walls?

Holes for water supply pipes, sockets and other similar things are prepared with a drill with a simple or core drill.

Important note! When drilling with a drill, switch it to non-impact mode.

Drilling a hole

How to make grooves in block walls?

Grooves for electrical wires are made as follows:

• 2 parallel cuts are prepared in the wall. A circular saw is used for this;
• expanded clay concrete between the prepared cuts is removed with a chisel and a metal hammer;
• the furrow is cleared of dust and used for its intended purpose.

If you wish, you can purchase or rent a tool specially designed for such work - a furrower.

Important! According to the technology, before constructing furrows, it is necessary to perform appropriate calculations for strength indicators. Without them, it is only allowed to make recesses whose dimensions do not exceed the parameters indicated in the following table.

Table. Acceptable furrow parameters

There are a number of significant notes regarding the above information.

Firstly, the maximum channel depth parameter should be considered relevant for any hole created during the preparation of a niche/channel.

Secondly, if the vertical channel rises higher than a third of the room in relation to the ceiling, it can be made 8 cm deep and 12 cm wide, provided that the wall thickness is at least 22.5 cm.

Thirdly, the distance between the furrows and recesses should be 22.5 cm.

Fourthly, if the niches are located on the same wall, you need to maintain a gap between them that is at least 2 times the width of the larger niche.

Fifthly, to determine the maximum permissible total width of grooves and recesses, you need to multiply the length of the wall by a factor of 0.13.

Helpful advice! Making oblique and horizontal canals is not recommended. If they must be present, a distance equal to at least 1/8 of the height of the room must be maintained between them and the floor/ceiling. Without performing additional calculations, channels can be made with a depth not exceeding the values ​​​​from the table.

Table. Channel depth

How to make lintels over openings?

There are quite a few ways to arrange lintels over window/door openings; for example, they can be made from specially shaped blocks or ordinary bricks. We offer you the simplest, fastest and most convenient method to implement, which involves the use of ready-made ordinary jumpers. Suitable for use on both interior and exterior walls. The number of lintels varies depending on the thickness of the wall and its functional purpose.

The depth of embedding of the lintel in the wall is selected taking into account the width of the opening. The minimum acceptable value is 125 mm. The principle is simple: the lintels are laid over the opening, a portion of the material is cut out of the blocks according to the shape and size of the lintel, and the laying of the walls continues to the required height.

With its smaller side, the jumper is installed on a 1.2-centimeter layer of cement mortar. When using such products, temporary mounting supports are usually not used.

The technology for laying the lintel is demonstrated in the photo.

Lintel laying technology

The same photo shows the thermal insulation liner. It can be made from mineral wool. The recommended layer thickness is 80-120 mm. After installing a set of jumper beams, tie them tightly with binding wire. It will ensure the correct position of the structural elements until the installation of the overlying row.

The mounted jumpers immediately begin to perform a load-bearing function. Products are available for sale whose height corresponds to the height of the blocks, which allows minimizing the number of trimmings. In this case, the wall surface and the lintel will form a single, even base, which will allow subsequent finishing to be carried out with the highest possible quality, for example, using plaster.

If you cannot find suitable jumpers on sale, you can make them yourself, for example, based on corners, following the recommendations from the following video.

Video - Installing jumpers over openings with your own hands

You have become familiar with all the technological aspects of laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks. If you wish, you can use the same guide when working with blocks from other materials - construction is carried out according to the same principles.

An example of jumpers made using corners

Instructions for arranging floors

As a rule, in addition to the lower tier, the bathhouse has at least an attic mezzanine, and at most 1 or more additional upper floors. To delimit the tiers, floors are installed. Both interfloor and attic floors can be made following the provisions of the same technology.

You are invited to read the instructions for self-assembly of this structural element below.

One of the most popular options for interfloor slabs is a reinforced concrete slab. But we will refuse this option. Firstly, the financial, labor and time costs of its arrangement will be unreasonably high. Secondly, you will have to perform many calculations to determine the load created by the ceiling and understand whether the walls and foundation of the bathhouse can withstand operation in such conditions.

In such conditions, it is much more expedient to resort to the use of wooden floors. The structure is relatively simple to install and can be erected in less time at relatively low financial costs (if compared with a reinforced concrete slab).

An example of a floor for an expanded clay concrete building

Floor design made of hollow expanded clay concrete blocks

What is the ceiling made of?

To construct the floor, it is best to use dry coniferous wood, designed specifically for use in such conditions (the material must meet the standards of the construction industry - check with the seller for the availability of accompanying documents confirming this fact).

Helpful advice! If you wish, you can spend additional funds and make floors with minimum wages. Construction experts often call such structures “skeletons.” The products are characterized by high strength and load-bearing capacity, provide effective fastening of parts of the structure and are available in lengths of up to 12 m. Due to the fact that in most cases it is recommended to make the ceiling transverse to the structure, i.e. lay the ends on the long sides of the building (so that there is less sagging), the specified length, since we are talking about a bathhouse, will be sufficient in the vast majority of cases.

You can see the characteristics of different types of wood in the following table.

Table. Properties of wood species

The interfloor ceiling is simultaneously the ceiling beams of the lower tier and the floor joists of the upper floor.

Before using the timber for its intended purpose, it must be impregnated with an antiseptic and fire retardant. These products increase the resistance of the material to rot and fire. Sections of beams resting on walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks must be tarred and wrapped with roofing felt to provide effective protection from the harmful effects of moisture - without such treatment, the wood will simply rot and the structure will last very little.

Attach roofing felt using any suitable method. Fasten with a stapler or nails with a wide head. Please note that for waterproofing two layers of roofing material are used, and the length of the insulation layer must be at least 25 cm, and the roofing material must protrude 3 cm beyond the inner border of the wall.

Waterproofing the ends of floor beams

Ruberoid protrudes beyond the inner boundary of the wall

Thermal insulation of floors separating rooms with approximately the same temperature may not be necessary. The part of the structure that separates, for example, the steam room and the room above or the heated floor and the attic must be insulated.

Waterproofing of floors is carried out in areas covering rooms with an increased level of humidity: washing room, steam room, etc. Recommendations regarding the arrangement of insulation, waterproofing and other protective layers were previously given in the corresponding material on our website. The instructions are devoted to the construction of the ceiling, but for wooden floors the recommendations remain the same.

Important! When choosing a beam section for arranging a floor, take into account, first of all, the size of the span: the section of the beam must correspond to at least a sixteenth of the mentioned indicator. Additionally, the load must be taken into account. Recommendations regarding these nuances are given in the table.

Selection of beam parameters and distance between them depending on the span width

Having decided on the optimal type of wood and the necessary operational and technical characteristics of the timber, proceed directly to the stage of arranging the floor.

Floor arrangement

We offer the simplest option for placing floor beams. Many experts recommend pre-cutting openings for timber in the blocks of the top row of the wall, but this is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It is much easier to do as in the image below.

Floor arrangement

Here the beams are made of knocked down boards, but the meaning remains the same. Elementary technology:

• Beams with pre-selected characteristics and spacing are laid on the top row of expanded clay concrete blocks. The minimum overlap of the beam on the block is 50 mm. In practice, they usually stick to 100-150 mm. The previously mentioned waterproofing is visible in the photo;
• the space between the beams is filled with expanded clay concrete blocks, pre-cut to the required parameters. The height of full-size blocks in most cases is 190 mm. If the beam has smaller parameters, the problem will be solved by cutting off the excess part from the block. If the block is lower than the beam used (which is extremely rare), the disadvantage is leveled out with the help of additional elements or a cut of the same expanded clay concrete block;
• then the walls of the upper floor continue to be laid out in accordance with standard technology.

The image shows intermediate beams intended to strengthen the structure. Used when necessary. Conclusions about the feasibility of their use are made at the stage of drawing up project documentation. The parameters of the beams, with the exception of length, usually correspond to the characteristics of the main elements. The fastening is carried out in a suitable manner. In the example presented, these are metal corners and screws.

You can obtain detailed information about the further arrangement of floors in the corresponding publication on our website. The information is focused on the ceiling, but its relevance in the case of wooden beam floors remains.

The floors between other floors and the attic are made in a similar sequence.

Video - Wooden interfloor slab

What to do next?

“Pushing the box” is completed. What are the next steps?

1. First, you need to make a roof.
2. Secondly, it is necessary to complete the steps associated with the internal arrangement of the bathhouse.

Video - Bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks

Foundation for a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks

The construction of any bathhouse, as usual, begins with the construction of a foundation. What should be the foundation for a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks. What types of foundations are most often used for baths?

Types of foundations for a bathhouse

There is an opinion that a bathhouse and other outbuildings can be installed directly on damp ground, nothing will happen to them. Purely theoretically, this is true, but for such feats you need to have remarkable skill and luck. The last one - because you have to be lucky with the soil, weather, precipitation... There are too many unpredictable variables in this equation. So, what are the types of foundations for a bathhouse:

• Strip foundation - monolithic or made of concrete blocks. The main advantage of this type of base is its unpretentiousness and simplicity of design. When building in constrained financial circumstances, such a foundation can even be laid independently, and in most cases it will be possible to do without renting expensive special equipment;
• Columnar with rand beams (if the bathhouse is small enough). This option is cheaper than the previous one, but more capricious in terms of soil: if the soil is very heaving, you will have to abandon it;
• Screw (on problematic soils). Such a foundation can be installed in literally a couple of days; in addition, it is used on almost any type of soil, from swamps to hilly areas. The only place where even screw piles cannot save you is rock. However, some experts believe that this type of foundation is unreliable, since the pile blades are susceptible to corrosion at the welds;
• Pile-screw with grillage (additional piping);
• Monolithic. when a solid slab of reinforced concrete is laid as the basis for the future ablution place. The use of such a design is justified on heaving soils or with particularly heavy structures. It is difficult to imagine a case where a monolithic foundation is laid for a bathhouse - only if these are Roman baths made of marble five floors...

Expanded clay concrete belongs to the category of lightweight materials, so we immediately dismiss monolithic structures: in the vast majority of cases, for a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks, a shallow strip or columnar foundation will be sufficient. However, if you are unlucky with the soil, you should take a good look at the piles. All the shortcomings of screw solutions are easily eliminated with the help of special processing, which high-quality piles undergo at the manufacturing plant. You just need to not skimp on materials and approach the matter responsibly. In a good situation, such a foundation will not require repair for 100-150 years.

Preliminary work and foundation installation

It is clear that before building a foundation for a bathhouse, you need to prepare the site: remove debris, level the site using a level, mark the location of the future foundation with ropes and pegs. Armed with a skein of twine and a basic knowledge of geometry, draw out the inner perimeter, and then move to the outer, leaving an “allowance” of 10 cm - this is important! It remains to mark the internal partitions, and you can move on to the next stage.

Most often, when building a bathhouse, a strip type of foundation is used.

Please note that if you plan to heat the bathhouse with a stone stove, you will need a separate foundation for it (in the case of a pile-screw foundation, additional piles). Along the marked lines, trenches are dug 20 cm deeper than the soil freezing level in this region (this information can be found on the Internet), the width should also be 20 cm greater than the intended foundation - for formwork. In principle, the foundation for a bathhouse can be laid manually, without the use of expensive special equipment - the scope of work is small. To ensure the stability of the entire structure, a so-called “cushion” is placed at the bottom of the trench - a layer of compacted sand and compacted crushed stone on top. You can’t overdo it in this matter: the better and thicker the pillow, the more reliable the foundation will be.

Then the formwork is assembled from edged boards or other suitable lumber. The panels must protrude at least 30 cm above the ground level so that the structure retains its immobility, the opposite elements should be fastened with spacers, and the flow of concrete through the cracks will be reliably prevented by a plastic film on the inside of the formwork. It's time to use the hydraulic level again and check the horizontality of the resulting structure. If everything is in order, we install the fittings. This is necessary in order to give the concrete foundation some elasticity, otherwise the rigid base will crumble and break from minimal external influences.

First, vertical reinforcement is driven in (5 cm from the formwork walls, 5 cm short of the edge of the foundation), then vertical rods are laid at a height of 10 cm from the bottom. In order for the reinforced belt to last longer, it is recommended to buy high-quality reinforcement from 12 mm in diameter, treated with anti-corrosion compounds. Some developers weld the rods to each other, but such seams are the weak point of any structure; under the influence of aggressive environments they can begin to rust and collapse, so it is better to secure the horizontal layer with wire.

The work is almost finished. Use pipes to remove ventilation and water supply openings, as well as future sewer drains, and you can pour concrete into the prepared gaps. For an expanded clay concrete low-rise building, M400 grade material is sufficient, but if you expect particularly harsh winters and want to play it safe, take M500. It is clear that such work is mainly carried out in the warm season, but if you did not calculate the timing or frosts suddenly hit in the middle of summer, do not forget to add a plasticizer to the solution.

Secrets and tips

We have analyzed the most traditional version of a strip foundation for a bathhouse. but in our special case, instead of concrete mortar, solid expanded clay concrete blocks are often used - taking into account that the structure itself is built from hollow ones.

Since expanded clay absorbs moisture well, it is recommended to include a plinth in the project to minimize the contact of the blocks with melted snow, rain and groundwater.

How much concrete is needed for the foundation of a house measuring 9 by 9

Good afternoon.
I am planning a phased (a question of financing) development of a site with a slope.

1. First, a bathhouse (6x6) with a large sauna (3x6), an attached cold corridor/woodshed (6x2.5) and a terrace 8.5x2.5
2. Then a one-story house (10.5x12.5) with a cellar under the boiler room.

Now the site is empty, only surrounded by a fence.
Topography below.
Priming: the soil-vegetative layer is small (10-25 cm), followed by loam. The groundwater level in the building area is more than 3 m.
“Simple geology” was done, but in a different spot (in a high corner).
When installing the posts under the fence, they drilled 1.5 m deep. I also drilled 6 holes in the building area (I wanted to put up a canopy on metal posts, but then I changed my mind).

Of the standard layout designs for the z500, not one was 100% suitable, so I borrowed some ideas and drew my own version.
I worked with a landscape designer, she made me a design project for the zoning of the site (I couldn’t attach it, I posted it on Google Drive)

In the plans cottage with a cold attic, made of wood concrete blocks or monolithic wood concrete, ceiling of the attic with beams, but regarding the ceiling of the first floor - heavy thoughts. I want floors on the ground, but so far this “puzzle” is not working out for me due to an unresolved (yet) issue regarding the foundation.

Bath: timber 150x100 per edge followed by insulation 50+50 (if necessary) or frame 150+50 (although having seen enough horror stories about mice and ants in the frame, I am more and more inclined towards timber).

Questions about foundations :

1. Home
On the one hand: I would love to make MZFL and “floors on the ground” under the entire house (except for the boiler room, under which there is a cellar).
On the other hand: there is a slope on the site, and perhaps MZFL is not an option on my slope, without backfilling and compaction.
I am very afraid of the house “sliding”, despite the planned drainage and slope from the front of the house to the red line.

Or is MZFL still possible on a given slope (about 3% or 2 degrees)? Do I need “pile anchors” in my case? How to decide?

That is, as I understand it, I need to fundamentally decide on the question: “Should I perform leveling bedding with a tamper before starting construction of the foundation, or can I do without it?” If you make a bedding, is a retaining wall then necessary?

On the one hand, to organize the floors on the ground, I will have to add soil inside the perimeter of the tape anyway. On the other hand, resting the tape on the poured soil seems subjectively somehow less “reliable” than on the “root” one.

Option of a bored columnar foundation with a hanging grillage seems to be the norm (except for the labor intensity of construction), but with it I can’t imagine how you can organize floors on the ground? I really don’t want to make an underground space with a ceiling over beams because of the need to ensure two competing conditions: sufficient ventilation + good thermal insulation (ceilings, grillage and blind areas).

I myself am more inclined towards MZFL, but the bias makes me think.

2. Bath

I plan to use the 9 pieces available for the bathhouse. FBS 600x600x800 on a compacted crushed stone cushion + cast intermediate columns with heels under three-meter spans (also on cushions). Under the FBS, remove the fertile layer, where necessary - go deeper into the slope, then tamp, a cushion of compacted crushed stone 5-20 (there are 2.5 cubes) 10-15 cm thick.

Under the terrace extensions, also cast columns on a crushed stone cushion.

Strapping with impregnated timber 200x200 with a waterproofing gasket on the “pillars”.
The bases of the “pillars” are without insulation, water drainage follows the terrain.

What do you think about this option? Does it have a positive outlook? Or hopeless?

In general, I’m all in doubt. Teach some sense, please.

Among my friends there are no practicing architects. I once worked with someone on an ad - I don’t want to do that again. He drew me a rounded back porch 4 meters wide, justifying it on aesthetic grounds (there is concrete + work worth several tens of rubles)

“Fundamental” gurus - please respond.