Ventilation of the bath is divided into general and preservative. We call preservative ventilation the drying of the bath after water procedures. If in the bathroom and shower the main difficulty is drying towels and floor mats, then in bathhouses it is most difficult to dry wood, especially on floors and in cracks.
Drying of bathhouses, bathtubs and showers is carried out using aerodynamic methods - dry ventilation air enters the zone of moistened materials, evaporating the water. Water vapor enters the air. Through exhaust ventilation Humidified air is removed and fresh air comes in. Thus, technological process drying involves several stages and is far from simple.

Let us immediately make a reservation that if we consider the problem broadly, we should not talk about drying, but about normalizing wood. The fact is that in dry, high-temperature saunas, wood sometimes does not get wet, but, on the contrary, becomes overdried, and after the end of the bath procedure it is moistened again due to equilibrium hygroscopicity. In steam and wet baths, wet wood must also be dried not to an absolutely dry state, but to a certain level of humidity. That is, preservative ventilation is not just drying wood, but drying taking into account the specific bathing process, the characteristics of wood, its possible morbidity and possible consequences overdrying (warping, cracking) and underdrying (rotting).

Moisturize - dry

For all its advantages, wood also has many disadvantages, which makes it a problematic material for baths. Fire hazard, low hygiene and the ability to rot quickly - these are the main features of

natural wood, which at one time put an end to the prospect of using wood in urban public baths for hygienic purposes.

In individual baths, wood continues to be used in a periodic (episodic) mode with mandatory subsequent drying, despite the possible chemical treatment of wood.

Wet wood is susceptible to all three types of biological destruction - due to bacteria, fungi and insects, while dry wood is susceptible only to insects. If wood rot is slimy with unpleasant smell- This is most likely bacterial rot. If plaques, stains (spots of foreign color), or mold with an earthy smell form on the wood, these are probably microscopic fungi (fungi, micromycetes). Bacteria and micromycetes are not so dangerous for country individual baths, which will last for many years even with colors. But for executive and apartment baths, micromycetes are the number one scourge, since they spoil appearance finishing. But the most dangerous for baths are macromycetes - large, real mushrooms with characteristic fruit caps, living directly on the wood (like honey mushrooms, tinder fungi, sponges). Many summer residents, surprised to notice brown fan-shaped mushroom caps sticking out of the floor in their bathhouse, best case scenario They will just scrape them off and smear the growing area with vitriol or chromium, not realizing that these caps are only the fruiting bodies of the house wood-destroying fungus. The fungus itself is hidden in the floor, walls, foundation (both in wood and in brick) in the form of a system of branching threads (single GIFs - cords up to 1 cm in diameter), forming a mycelium several meters in size, so the development of the fungus can only be stopped antiseptic treatment large areas. Normal temperature for the development of house mushrooms 8 - 37°C, relative wood humidity 25 - 70%. IN optimal conditions the fungus destroys the bathhouse in one season, forming brown, fissured rot, which breaks up into large prismatic pieces that are easily ground into powder.

It is believed that the development of house fungus stops when the relative humidity of the wood is about 18% or lower. Considering the wood hygroscopicity curves from this point of view, several conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, to maintain wood moisture content of 18% and below at all temperatures for fungal development (5 -40°C), a relative air humidity of no higher than 80% is required. Otherwise, even completely dry (but not treated with water-repellent compounds) wood will become moistened above this level by itself (without contact with room water) due to the absorption of moisture from the air. So in tropical countries there are more problems with wood than in the north. Secondly, considering the hygroscopicity curves of wood in other coordinates (Fig. 1), it can be noted that wood, no matter how strongly moistened at a temperature of 30 ° C and an absolute air humidity above 0.03 kg/m3 (that is, at the calculated relative humidity air 100% and higher relative to the temperature of the wood), dries at a temperature of 40°C to a humidity of 11% (and only up to 11%!), and at a temperature of 80°C to a humidity of 2.5% (and only up to 2.5%! ). All this is extremely unusual: non-porous materials would dry out completely under these conditions. For marble, metal and plastic, only two states are possible: when there is water on them (and no matter how much) and when there is no water on them at all.

In this regard, let us recall how dry wood is moistened. If you splash water on wooden board, it is gradually absorbed deep into the wood: first into the intercellular spaces (vessels, pores between the fibers), then into the dense (dried) cell cavities, then into the cell walls. All these pores are capillaries with wettable walls. Due to the formation of concave menisci of water surfaces, the saturated vapor pressure above the water inside the wood is less than above the water spilled over the surface. Therefore, not only water, moving along wetted surfaces, but also its vapors rush into capillaries (intercellular and cellular), are moistened (and then dry quickly). The water in them is called free; its content in wood can reach 200%. Small capillaries (in the cell walls) are moistened (and then dry out) slowly, the water in them is called bound (hygroscopic), its content in wood reaches up to 30% (this is what is presented in Fig. 1). Thus, a seemingly “dry” board without drops of water can contain 100% or more moisture, and this moisture, during drying, is extracted from the wood in the form of water vapor and can humidify the air. This effect is used not only when drying a bath, it is also used to create a condensation climate in a Russian steam bath, when, due to the high relative humidity of the air near the ceiling (for example, when water is applied to hot stones), the ceiling (preferably a massive log ceiling) is first moistened. Then, during the periods between applications, high absolute humidity is created near the ceiling - above 0.05 kg/m3. Metal ceiling under these conditions, it would not simply “drip” without retaining moisture, it could only create a very specific relative air humidity at its surface, equal to 100%. A wooden ceiling (like any porous one) can, in principle, create only a very specific relative air humidity at its surface, and at a fixed humidity of the wood (due to the massiveness of the walls, for example), the relative air humidity not only at the ceiling, but also in the room can be maintained also practically constant regardless of how the temperature in the room changes. The effect of stabilizing relative air humidity in wooden residential buildings(in brick and plastered ones too) are associated in everyday life with the property of wood to “breathe”, take moisture from the air and release moisture into the air in the form of water vapor. So a plastic bathhouse and a wooden bathhouse, even with the same steam generator, provide different climatic conditions. Indeed, let’s imagine that the sauna is completely dry at a temperature of 20°C and at normal relative air humidity of 60% (that is, at an absolute air humidity of 0.01 kg/m3). According to Fig. 1 the relative humidity of wood under these conditions is 12%. Now let’s hypothetically warm up this sauna (without ventilation and without humidification) to a temperature of 70°C. The bold dotted horizontal arrow in Fig. 1 shows that the absolute air humidity in the sauna jumps to 0.14 kg/m3, just right to steam with a broom! Where did the water come from! The wood began to dry and humidified the air. By the way, it is the water vapor escaping from the wood that “draws” with it the “smells of wood” that are so valued in apartment saunas. This phenomenon serves as another additional reason for the need to ventilate even dry apartment saunas so that they do not unexpectedly become steamy. And if the sauna is ventilated during warming up fresh air the same absolute humidity of 0.01 kg/m3, then the air in the bathhouse will remain dry, and the moisture content of the wood in the bathhouse will decrease and sooner or later drop to 1% (see the vertical thick dotted arrow in Fig. 1), that is, as they say in everyday life, the boards will “dry out.” And then, after finishing the bath procedure, they will be moisturized again due to the sorption of air moisture to a humidity of 12%. In meteorological parlance, “wood tries to keep the relative humidity of the air constant.” Indeed, in the above wooden bath the wood “kept” the relative air humidity in the bathhouse at 60%, which can be achieved in conditions of rising temperatures only by humidifying the air with wood. Nothing like this in plastic bath it cannot be: when it is heated, the absolute humidity of the air remains constant, and the relative humidity drops. It is glass sheet metal and plastic are ideal materials for dry physiotherapy and apartment saunas. And if you use wood, then only thin wood, specially treated to prevent hygroscopic absorption of moisture from the air. Decorative craze wood trim baths (not always justified) leads to the fact that even bath hygrometers are sometimes performed in wooden cases(!), “keeping” the relative humidity inside itself constant, regardless of the temperature and true humidity of the air in the bathhouse. By the way, let us remind you that the measuring thread of the hygrometer, located inside the case, stretches when moistened (like an ordinary woolen thread) and thereby shows how much it has been moistened. And it is moistened hygroscopically (due to its porosity) according to the same laws as wood. That is, the thread is moistened and elongated mainly only when the relative humidity of the air changes. This is the principle of operation of hygrometers with natural filament. By the way, wood fibers stretch and contract only when the relative humidity of the air changes. In rural life, the simplest but very accurate “hygrometers” in the form of a thin, sanded and dried bifurcated wooden branch are well known. A thick mustache (the main branch about 1 cm thick) is cut 10 cm above and below the fork and nailed vertically to the wall (baths, houses, cellars). A thin tendril (a shoot about 0.3 cm thick and 0.5 m long) is directed upward parallel to the wall. In dry weather, the long thin tendril of the branch bends, moves away from the thick one (“protrudes” with an increase in the acute angle of the fork), and if it rains, it approaches the thick one. If you have a certified industrial hygrometer, then this homemade hygrometer can be calibrated with marks on the wall opposite the location of the tip of the thin whisker at different relative humidity levels. The principle of operation of such a hygrometer is that when dried, the underlying wood fibers of the main branch are shortened and pull the shoot down (from the trunk of the main branch).

Thus, the processes of moistening and drying wood occur in the bath not only on the floors due to compact water and are associated not only with bath procedures. If wood can be moistened with both compact water and water vapor, then it can be dried only by removing water vapor from it. The drying process occurs in several stages. First, water evaporates on the surface of the wood, then free water in the large capillaries of the intercellular and intracellular spaces, then water in the small capillaries of the cell walls. The latter, as we established above, determines the hygroscopic moisture content of wood, which exists and changes even in a dry, unheated bath. Therefore, the drying of cell walls can actually be controlled in greenhouse conditions dry built-in saunas, although bound water can, in principle, support the processes of wood decay, especially, as we noted, in warm and humid climatic conditions.

The step-by-step drying process is also typical for other porous materials, including brick, plaster and soil (earth). Drying them is also important for the bath, if they are part of it. In this regard, let us recall the fundamental, although only indirectly related to the topic of the article, question of mechanical deformation of porous bodies during the initial removal of bound water from them. It is known that warping and cracking of freshly cut wood occurs during the drying process, mainly in the last The final stage when removing hygroscopic moisture from cell walls. If during initial drying the board is nailed or clamped in a vice, it will retain the shape given to it (for example, arcs), and the better the wood is dried, the better. Under conditions of primary natural atmospheric drying at 20 - 30°C, wood is dried only to a moisture content of 10 -15% (after 2-3 years of drying), and with high-temperature stone drying at 100 - 150°C (including in a bathhouse ) can be dried to a moisture content of 1 - 2 96. With such significant dehydration, especially in conditions high temperatures, irreversible changes occur in the cell walls, and the wood actually ceases to be wood and begins to exhibit the properties of a non-living material. Similarly, clay soaked in water, when dried and heat treated, first loses its plasticity, then cracks, and then becomes a brick, which subsequently does not change its shape and properties when in contact with water, especially good results are achieved by primary drying of wood with superheated water steam, as well as by immersion in a hot anhydrous coolant (paraffin, petroleum products).

The mechanism of primary drying of freshly cut wood is distinguished by the fact that the walls of its cells have not yet been destroyed, the vapor and water permeability of the membranes is low and the wood dries for a long time, deforming during the destruction of the integrity of the membranes of the cell walls (and they, in fact, are wood - a combination of cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses). During subsequent drying, the wood dries faster and behaves as if it were “lifeless”, since the cell walls have already been torn. At the same time, dry wood, as a porous material, has specific features that distinguish it from other materials, in particular, anisotropy of properties, secondary warping, etc.

Drying dynamics

Water spilled on the surface of wood evaporates in the same way as water poured into a bathtub or swimming pool. Let us recall that there are two opposite modes of evaporation - kinetic and diffusion. In the kinetic mode, the fastest molecules, overcoming the energy barrier equal to the latent heat of evaporation (condensation) 539 cal/g, fly out from the surface of compact (liquid) water and are irrevocably removed. The kinetic regime is realized during evaporation in a vacuum. In view of high speed the primary act of vaporization (the emission of water molecules from the surface of compact water), which at bath temperatures amounts to thousands of kilograms of water per hour per 1 m2, the water is strongly cooled (since only slow molecules remain in it) until it turns into ice, which is used in freeze drying in industry. In the diffusion mode, the primary act of vaporization remains the same and depends just as strongly on temperature. But the escaping water molecules enter the air (a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen molecules) and, as a result of frequent collisions, only very slowly move away (diffuse) from the surface of the water, experiencing strong resistance from the air environment. As a result, the overwhelming number of emitted molecules “fly” back into the water (condenses). Thus, in the diffusion mode, tons of water turn into steam and immediately condense (which is not felt by us at all), and only very a small amount of water (kilograms) completely evaporates. It is this diffusion mode of evaporation that takes place in the bathhouse: both during the evaporation of sweat from the human body, and during the evaporation of water from the shelf. It becomes clear that if the concentration of water vapor molecules is equal everywhere in the bath (including at the surface of the human body), then no evaporation processes are possible (homothermal mode). But at the same time, it becomes clear that if tons of water per hour simultaneously evaporate and condense in a bathhouse, then we can assume that this should manifest itself at some point. Indeed, if the air in the bathhouse is dried, the rate of water evaporation will increase. If the surface of the water is blown with dried air, the evaporation rate will increase even more, since the air flow removes those water vapor molecules that previously condensed. For orientation, we point out that at a relative air humidity of 5096, the rate of water evaporation at a temperature of 30°C is approximately 0.1 kg/m2/hour. When air moves at a speed of 1 m/s, the evaporation rate approximately doubles, however, it should be noted that the air speed in the room is always much greater than directly above the surface of the water, and any quantitative indicators are extremely approximate. For assessments, you can use experimental formulas for swimming pools. In any case, the characteristic drying rate of floors in bathhouses is 0.1-1 mm/hour (0.1-1 kg/m2/hour) and increases with increasing floor temperature and with decreasing air temperature (that is, with decreasing absolute air humidity). So, for example, in open pools at a constant water temperature, evaporation is maximum not during the day, but at night in cold air, as well as in winter. During the day, in hot weather, evaporation may stop, and condensation of water vapor from the air on the surface of the pool may even be observed, just as water condenses on human skin in a condensation-type steam bath in a mode higher than homeothermal. For any pool with a certain water temperature, any floor, wall and ceiling, each bathhouse has its own “homo-thermal” curve, separating the modes of water evaporation and condensation of water vapor, summing up the above-mentioned processes of evaporation and condensation on the surface of the water. Let's call it conditionally condensation. In terms of condensation curves, drying looks like this. In Fig. Figure 2 shows condensation curves for the floor with a temperature of 20°C (curve 1) and for the ceiling of a steam bath with a temperature of 40°C (curve 2). Modes below the curve correspond to the evaporation of water, regimes above the curve correspond to the condensation of water vapor on the surface of a given temperature. Thus, if the air in the bathhouse has a temperature of 40°C and a relative humidity of 6096 (and it does not matter whether the air in the bathhouse is stationary, circulates or comes from outside in the form of ventilation), then in this mode (point 3) the ceiling is dried and the floor is moistened . In other words, air with such parameters transfers water from the ceiling to the floor, but even if the ceiling were dry, the floor would still take moisture from the air, that is, dry it (in this case to a relative humidity of 40%). The floor can be dried only if you reduce either the air temperature or its relative humidity, or better yet both, so that the air characteristics are located below curve 1, for example, if the mode corresponding to point 4 is implemented. The fact of possible air movement (blowing the floor) does not change the qualitative picture, but only affects the rate of evaporation or condensation. By the way, it is precisely this mechanism that works in case of catastrophic moisture in the underground of a residential building, to which a bathhouse with leaking floors is attached. Warm wet air from being poured onto the ground hot water spreads over long distances and releases condensation on cold subfloors and the foundation of the entire residential building.

The main conclusion is that preservative ventilation is not just changing the air in a damp bathhouse. It is necessary to supply air with as low a temperature and relative humidity as possible, or rather with as little absolute humidity as possible. In addition, it is necessary to keep the surfaces to be dried as warm as possible, and the higher the absolute humidity, the high temperature must have a dryable surface. This means that it is necessary to heat not the air, but the floor of the bathhouse, for example, with infrared radiation. And if you still manage to warm up only the air, then it must be dried, as is done in washing and washing machines. dishwashers. Note that the sometimes recommended methods of drying a bathhouse with the release of hot moist air through the floor into the underground only lead to additional moistening of the cold (and therefore the most problematic) elements of the bathhouse. It is better to release hot, humid air through overhead vents where condensation is impossible. In fact, almost all baths use general ventilation for conservative interior drying.

When water has completely evaporated from the surface of non-porous materials, drying can be considered complete. But when we are dealing with wood, it is also necessary to remove internal water. If wood is treated with water-repellent compounds, then the pore walls are not wetted by water, which means that the water vapor pressure in the pores is greater than on the surface of the wood. This leads to the “evaporation” of water from the pores onto the surface of the wood in the form of droplets, which then evaporate a second time as described above.

Water filling pores with wetted walls, including unimpregnated wood, evaporates in a diffusion mode, and steam removal is extremely difficult. Although wood contains 50 - 90% voids, the tortuosity of the pores means that the actual path of removal of water molecules can be several times greater than the characteristic dimensions (thickness) of the wood product. In this case, possible air flows, even very small ones, can greatly influence the drying speed. The “blowability” of materials is characterized by a parameter called vapor permeability, equal, for example, to mineral wool 8 - 17, for pine along the grain - 10, pine across the grain - 2, brick - 2, concrete - 1 in units of 10"6 kg/m/sec/atm. So, with characteristic differences static pressure due to wind 104 atm. actual drying rates for porous materials 10 cm thick at 20°C are less than 1 g/m2/day for vapor-insulating materials (hydraulic concrete, asbestos cement, extruded polystyrene foam), 1-20 g/m2/day for vapor-permeable materials (wood , brick, plaster), more than 20 g/m2/day for vapor-permeable materials (mineral wool), more than 1000 g/m2 per day for superdiffusive materials (perforated membranes). The drying rate increases with increasing wood temperature and with decreasing temperature and humidity of the blown air, just as in the case of water evaporation from the surface. The required ventilation air flow rate is selected experimentally depending on the degree of humidification and time of year, but temperature has a much greater influence internal elements baths It would be possible to continue analyzing the issues of drying wood and consider the most reasonable solutions for preservative ventilation. But there is no point in deceiving: centuries-old operating experience wooden baths shows that no matter how dry wooden floors are, there are still no guarantees of drying quality, they still rot. Indeed, if 1 m2 of wooden floor absorbs approximately 1 kg of water, then drying it at a rate of 20 g/m2 will last 50 days. Therefore, wood is covered with roofs and canopies wherever possible (and not only in bathhouses), but even in this case it is capable of moisturizing. condensate from the air (for example, under iron roofs) and rot (turn brown, darken, crumble), especially in poorly ventilated places. The presence of vents, that is, holes and cracks larger than 3-5 mm in size, is an indispensable condition for the safety of unheated areas wooden structures. Vents less than 1-3 mm in size, on the contrary, are stagnant, poorly ventilated areas; moisture from them evaporates slowly, which creates conditions for rapid rotting, especially when in contact with vapor-proof materials, and even more so with constantly moistened ones. The question is not about how to properly dry the wood, but about how to eliminate it from the bathhouse altogether or reduce its wetting and reduce the rate of decay. This is typical not only for wood, but also for all porous mineral materials(brick, foam concrete, gypsum) and rusting steel. After all, no one makes floors from foam concrete and then makes incredible efforts to dry it. This is how they paint rusting steel, and don’t try to quickly dry it after every rain. IN modern baths all wood that may come into contact with water must be impregnated with water-repellent compounds (preferably under pressure, as is done in the case of railway sleepers and ship masts), and protected from above with waterproof paint and varnish coatings, as well as shelters, not to mention antiseptic and fire-fighting treatment. Wood in a bathhouse is a problematic material, and the prevailing opinion that the only good thing about a bathhouse is that it is wooden and there should be no “chemistry” in it is absolutely groundless. Of course, in the conditions of a built-in fun sauna, operated in the greenhouse environment of an apartment corridor, unimpregnated wood is permissible even on the floors, but even there only in the form of a removable dryable grate.

CEILING VAPOR PROOF

Methodologically more complex is the issue of ventilation of the wood of the upper parts of the walls and ceiling. The task of preservative ventilation here is to supply dry air to humidified areas to dry them. Therefore, in each specific case, it is necessary to clarify what and how can be humidified, and only then decide where and how to supply ventilation air.

The ceiling (or rather ceiling) can be moistened by precipitation during emergency roof leaks and steam condensation. Previously, humidification due to trivial leaks was predominant, since until the 19th century in cities and until the 20th century in villages there were no bathhouse roofs except wooden ones (board, shingles), thatch and reed roofs. If the roof was faulty, log walls and ceilings could absorb hundreds of liters of water in the rain. Therefore, there was no need to talk about any possibility of periodically drying them after constant leaks, although wooden roof it worked precisely in this mode of constant moistening and drying (as a result of which the wooden roof was made thinner so that it would get wet less). The task was simple: to prevent leaks, but if they happened accidentally, then the walls and ceiling had to be dried sooner or later. This was achieved by constant ventilation attic space, by organizing where possible air vents, gaps and cracks in log and plank structures, that is, the same techniques were used as in the natural drying of firewood in woodpiles, but, of course, preserving the heat-insulating ability of the walls and ceiling.

Currently, individual developers do not take leaks seriously, relying on the reliability of steel and slate roofs, although the issue remains serious, and the consequences are the most dangerous. So what happened, as a result of which everyone around began to talk about the indispensable need for vapor barrier of the walls and ceilings of the bathhouse as the most important thing? After all, previously, for centuries, in log black and then in white steam baths, no vapor barrier was known, and steam humidification is so insignificant compared to leaks that they cannot create a dangerous level of wood moisture content above 18 percent for a long time (especially in dry built-in saunas ).

Let us immediately note that the question of vapor protection of wood and insulation first arose in bathhouses in connection with the appearance of soft waterproofing materials in everyday life. roofing materials(which are also often used inappropriately) direct purpose), and dangerous levels of wood moisture acquired an exclusively local, long-lasting character. However, before moving on to this issue, let's consider general features moisturizing wood with condensing steam.

Usually in the literature the humidification process is described briefly and simply: moist air is filtered through porous wood from the inside out, and where the temperature of the wood drops to the level of the dew point of moist bath air of 40 ° C, local steam condensation occurs and the wood is humidified only at this point. In fact, the process is more complex. Firstly, wood is a wettable porous material, so the released condensate is absorbed by the wood and distributed along the wettable pore walls throughout a large volume of wood (blotter effect). By the way, then l<е самое происходит и в других смачивающихся пористых материалах: кирпичных, гипсовых, пенобетонных. Во-вторых, древесина является непросто смачивающимся пористым материалом, она имеет и мелкопористую составляющую, обуславливающую гигроскопичность материала (способность впитывать пары воды из воздуха). Для таких материалов характерно отсутствие четкой точки конденсации. На рисунке 3 изображена еще раз перестроенная в иных координатах кривая равновесной гигроскопичности древесины в зависимости от температуры. Это фактически график влажности древесины по срезу стены бани, имеющей температуру внутренней поверхности стены - 100°С (справа) и температуру наружной поверхности стены - 0°С (слева), при условии движения влажного воздуха изнутри наружу (справа налево). Мы видим, что при влажности воздуха, например, 0,05 кг/м3 (точка росы 40°С) равновесная влажность древесины на внутренней стороне стены равна 2 процента, затем по мере углубления в стену влажность древесины плавно, но быстро повышается и по мере приближения к точке росы 40°С резко возрастает до бесконечности. Это означает начало конденсации в крупных порах, но вся вода из воздуха в этой точке росы отнюдь не выделяется. Несколько осушившись, воздух продолжает перемещаться влево, непрерывно и постепенно отдавая воду уже при новых пониженных точках росы (например при влажности 0,017 кг/м3. Таким образом, увлажняется довольно протяженная зона, причем находящаяся у внешней стороны стены, которая впоследствии высыхает с выделением водяных паров наружу, но которая отнюдь не прогревается горячим воздухом при сушке интерьера бани. Так что очень большое значение имеет не столько температура воздуха в бане при ее сушке, сколько сухость этого воздуха, а также направление движения воздуха, фильтрующегося через стенку.

If the wall material is not finely porous (for example, like mineral wool, which has practically no capillaries) or if the material is treated inside with a water-repellent preparation and is not wetted, then the wood moisture curve will transform into a vertical dotted line at a dew point of 40 ° C, that is, at temperatures above dew point, such a non-hygroscopic material does not absorb moisture from the air at all, and at temperatures equal to the dew point and below, constant condensation of moisture from the air occurs in the same way as described above. However, in the case of non-wetting of the internal surfaces of the porous material, the released condensate cannot be distributed over large volumes of walls (that is, it cannot be absorbed) and inevitably accumulates in certain zones, also forming drops. When using mineral wool, drops of condensation flow in streams onto the lower elements of building structures, for example, onto wooden beams, joists, crowns, greatly moistening them. In any case, in vapor-permeable (air-permeable) walls it is advisable to make ventilation ducts (vents) in areas near the dew point, as well as near load-bearing wooden elements. In particular, a good solution is to upholster the log house of a bathhouse with planks (boards, clapboard, siding) inside and outside so that the gap between the boards and logs plays the role of steam ducts (ventilating facade).

Needless to say, there was always a desire to keep water out of the walls altogether.

Thus, in particular, in stone (brick) city baths the walls remained moist for years, despite ventilation. Therefore, the internal surfaces of the walls, where possible, were protected with ceramic tiles, paint and varnish coatings, and natural stone. Of great importance was the introduction into everyday life of cheap soft roll waterproofing vapor-proof materials, including roofing (first - roofing felt based on wood or coal tar, then - roofing felt and glassine based on bitumen-rubber mastics, synthetic polymer films and metal sheet foil). They began to be widely used in individual rural bathhouses, first for their intended purpose - as roof coverings, and then to protect the outer sides of ceilings and walls from rain and wind, especially frame ones insulated with non-waterproof materials (moss, paper, shavings, wood fiber boards, wood concrete, sectioned wood). straw wetted with glass wool). It is quite natural to want to cover, for example, a layer of shavings lying on top of the ceiling with something non-leakable, or to cover the wooden walls of a bathhouse outside with roofing felt to protect from wind and rain. As a result of this, the shavings, which previously were moistened only during rare leaks, and when moistened under the influence of steam penetrating from the bath, immediately dried out, under a layer of roofing material lost the ability to dry out after any moistening. More precisely, the shavings under the roofing felt can dry only when the moisture is removed back into the bath, which is very difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to make a ventilated gap (vent) between the chips and the roofing felt or make punctures in the roofing felt for ventilation. Instead of roofing felt, special roll materials called windproof materials were developed for these purposes. They do not allow compact water (raindrops) to pass through due to non-wetting, and at the same time they slightly allow air and water vapor to pass through due to porosity or perforation, but protect from gusts of wind. It should be noted that gusts of wind create pressure drops of up to 10 "atm., exceeding pressure drops due to heating the air in the bathhouse of 10 5 atm., so wind pressure certainly plays a major role in drying the walls. It is these pressures that are saved by windproof materials, although the air is passed in a very limited amount. The fact is that the gas-dynamic resistance of the windproof material is much less than the gas-dynamic resistance of the protected wall made of logs. Therefore, the logs practically do not “feel” the windproof material. At the same time, if the wall is not made of logs, but of easily blown insulation , then wind protection plays a decisive role, limiting the speed of air flow through the wall. The simplest windproof option is traditional wall upholstery with clapboards (boards), so upholstery can play not only a purely decorative and hygienic role.

At the same time, windproof materials cannot completely solve the problem of moisture. Indeed, by covering the chips on the ceiling with windproof material, we can only be sure that an accidental leak in the roof will not wet the chips, and if they do get wet (in any way), they will dry out sooner or later. But if the temperature of the windproof layer is below the dew point, then moisture will condense on this layer, which in a liquid state cannot pass through the windbreak. Since moisture enters the windproof material in the form of steam in the air flow from the inside to the outside, it is advisable to protect the ceiling from the inside with a vapor-insulating layer (air-tight film). This sandwich-type structure with three layers (wind protection - insulation - vapor barrier) is the basis of modern enclosing structures. A common technical requirement is to install a vapor barrier in areas with temperatures above the dew point. If the vapor barrier is carried out in the form of wall cladding (plastic, steel, ceramic), then questions about its installation usually do not arise. But what if the vapor-proof film is placed inside the walls? For example, is it necessary to create a gap between the aluminum foil and the decorative paneling? The answer is simple: if there may be compact water there, then a ventilated gap is necessary. For example, it is very difficult to create a gap on the ceiling. And if you open the ceiling of a steam bath after several years of operation, you will see that where there was no water (in the center of the ceiling), the reverse (upper) side of the lining is absolutely fresh. And closer to the walls, where there could be water, there are dark spots of damaged wood.

Vapor barrier prevents steam from penetrating into the wall, but at the same time stops the through blowing of the walls and, thereby, makes it difficult to dry them if the roof leaks. Therefore, having prevented the penetration of steam, it is still desirable to restore the possibility of blowing through the wall by organizing vents along the outside, and better yet, along the inside of the vapor barrier, although the role of preservative ventilation on the inside can be taken on by the general ventilation of the room. In this case, the supply and exhaust openings of the vents should go out onto the street or into the rooms adjacent to the bathhouse (dressing room, vestibule). To estimate the required dimensions of the vents, consider a log bathhouse with a volume of 10 m3 and an area of ​​enclosing structures of 25 m2. Let us take the degree of emergency moisture equal to 20 kg of water. Based on the characteristic vapor permeability of log walls at the level of 20 g/m2 day, the duration of natural drying in diffusion mode at wall temperatures of 10 - 20 ° C will not exceed 40 days (the value is quite large). If there is a vapor barrier on the logs, this duration of wall drying can be achieved at a wall ventilation rate of 1 m3/hour, which is significantly lower than the ventilation rate of the bathhouse premises - 10 m3/hour or more. This speed can be ensured by the supply and exhaust openings of the vents between the logs and the vapor barrier, with a total cross-sectional area of ​​10-50 cm2, that is, in fact, cracks (along the entire perimeter of the bathhouse), less than 1 mm wide, which is ensured by inaccuracies in the mechanical processing of wood and the assembly of structures .

In log walls, wood plays the role of windproof, heat-insulating, and load-bearing material. Modern construction design, including multi-storey buildings, involves the development of insulating materials with highly specialized functions and only sometimes combined functions. So, for example, waterproofing, windproofing, vapor barrier, heat insulating materials are, as a rule, completely different materials. At the same time, specialized film (roll) and tubular (cord) moisture-removing materials that can be placed inside walls and which, playing the role of vents, could remove moisture from hard-to-reach, most critical places in any form (in the form of compact water or in the form of steam). It is these drainage materials that will apparently become the basis for progressive solutions for preservative wall ventilation in the future. Indeed, how to dry (or keep dry) massive brick walls that have been in a damp state for years, the walls of city public baths, laundries, and swimming pools? Neither elevated bath temperatures nor maintaining relative air humidity at 40 to 60 percent in laundries and swimming pools can completely ensure dry walls, even those protected by ceramic tiles. Recently, hollow building materials have become widely used (slit bricks and concrete blocks with cavities, foam materials), but these voids in the walls must somehow be connected to each other and connected to centralized supply and exhaust devices that regulate the speed of preservative ventilation within the required limits. This role will be taken on by new ventilating materials, primarily in ventilated facades and roofs.

One way or another, using ultra-modern or traditional materials and structures, it is necessary to provide vents (ventilation ducts) in all places on the walls and ceilings where compact water may appear. The transverse size of the vents (slots - 1 mm or holes with a diameter of 3 - 10 mm) is not so important, the main thing is that the vents cover all problematic parts of the walls (especially load-bearing structures) and are ventilated exclusively with external air under the influence of wind pressure. If the vents are large, it is advisable to close the ventilation ducts to local supply and exhaust openings, the flow sections of which can be adjusted if necessary. It is not advisable to combine the supply and exhaust ventilation of a bathhouse with a wall ventilation system due to the possible increased humidification of the walls with moist bath air.

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.

General requirements for materials from which bathhouses are built in the country

The construction of bathhouses, like any other objects, is regulated by SNiP standards:

• SNiP 30–02–97, which describes the rules for the development of garden and personal plots;
• SP 11–106–97 - rules for creating a site development project.

Many owners are surprised to learn that the requirements for baths are in some aspects even stricter than for residential buildings. This is primarily due to the increased fire hazard due to the presence of a stove. In addition, there are technical requirements for building materials. They have to:

• provide good thermal insulation;
• be resistant to high humidity and temperature.

The issue of price in this case comes in last place, although it also matters, other things being equal.

What to build a bathhouse from: advantages and disadvantages of different materials

The market offers us many options:

• tree;
• aerated concrete;
• expanded clay concrete;
• brick;
• wood concrete;
• cinder block.

Gas block or foam block

Aerated concrete blocks are made from cement, quartz sand and foaming agents. The material belongs to cellular concrete. The resulting blocks are processed in autoclaves to increase strength. They have the correct geometric shape and are, in fact, a synthetic stone.

Advantages of aerated concrete:

1. Fire resistance. This is an important indicator of the material from which the bathhouse will be built.
2. High strength that increases over time.
3. Light weight. Thanks to this, you can save on the foundation.
4. Ease of processing. It is easy to cut with a hacksaw and drill with a drill.

The main disadvantages of this material are its high cost and hygroscopicity (the ability to absorb and accumulate moisture). Therefore, the use of aerated concrete for the construction of a bathhouse requires some measures. To reduce the amount of moisture absorbed, special additives are added to the material.

Additionally, during construction it will be necessary to create vapor and waterproofing.

For a bathhouse, such a material characteristic as its thermal conductivity is important. For aerated concrete it depends on its density. For material of different grades from D300 to D600, the thermal conductivity coefficient ranges from 0.072 to 0.141. The lower the density of gas blocks, the less they conduct heat. At low density, the cells of the material contain a lot of air, which heats up slowly and is an obstacle to heat transfer. It turns out to be a thermos effect. It should be taken into account that the thermal conductivity indicator is given for aerated concrete at zero humidity. When moisture is absorbed, it increases noticeably.

Another feature of building with aerated blocks is that they need to be laid with a special glue that looks like cement mortar. The latter is not recommended to be used, since the blocks absorb moisture from it, thereby reducing the thermal insulation of the room.

Frame bath

Frame baths are gaining more and more popularity due to their advantages:

1. Light weight, thanks to which it can be mounted on a lightweight foundation.
2. High speed of construction. On average, a frame bath can be assembled 3 times faster than a timber or brick one. Construction takes no more than 2–3 weeks.
3. Good thermal insulation. In terms of warmth, it is comparable to log and timber buildings.
4. It can be erected at any time of the year, including in winter at temperatures down to -15 degrees.
5. The material of the walls absorbs and allows air to pass through, allowing them to “breathe”, so this bathhouse has a pleasant microclimate.
6. Natural frame materials are safe for human health.

Such a bathhouse is not without some disadvantages:

1. Shrinkage within 2 years, during which the building can settle by 10 cm. To reduce it, you need to use chamber drying materials.
2. Additional costs for insulation and finishing. The frame itself is cheaper than timber or brick baths, but costs increase due to interior and exterior decoration.
3. Difficulty in choosing effective insulation. Mineral wool or polystyrene foam will not work here. You will have to look for insulation that does not absorb moisture and does not ignite.

A frame bath is considered the best budget option.

Brick

Brick as a material for building a bathhouse has three main advantages:

1. Durability. Brick baths can last more than a hundred years, while the average service life of wooden ones is 15–20 years.
2. Attractive appearance. The brick does not require additional finishing. You can use it to create any design elements of buildings.
3. Fire resistance. Unlike wood, brick does not burn.

There are many more disadvantages of this material in the context of building a bathhouse:

1. The need to create a strip foundation. This is an expensive and time-consuming process.
2. The brick takes longer to warm up. It takes on average no more than 1–1.5 hours to light a wooden bathhouse. To warm up a brick one, you will need much more time and, accordingly, fuel.
3. Poor ventilation. Brick walls “breathe” much worse than wooden or frame walls.
4. High price.
5. Long construction period. You need to wait until the concrete in the foundation dries and gains strength. Laying walls also takes a lot of time and effort.

Due to its long service life and fire safety, many owners prefer brick. A beautiful appearance is an additional incentive. If you also decide to build a bathhouse from it, use some tips:

1. The best option in terms of price and quality is one-and-a-half red bricks. And gas silicate is also often used.
2. In such a bathhouse, you need to think through the ventilation system and leave ventilation gaps.
3. Cement for the solution must be taken at least grade M200. It will ensure the reliability of the seams and good thermal insulation.
4. It is better to insulate a brick bathhouse from the inside so as not to spoil the external appearance.

Expanded clay concrete

This is a monolithic material, naturally cured, which contains cement and expanded clay - foamed and fired clay. Expanded clay concrete has a number of advantages - it is non-toxic, does not absorb moisture well and has low thermal conductivity. In addition, such blocks have low mass. This makes construction easier and the foundation cheaper. A bathhouse made of this material requires less insulation than, for example, one made of aerated concrete or a heat block. Frost resistance, and therefore durability, of expanded clay concrete is 5 times higher than that of aerated concrete blocks, and 2 times higher than that of foam blocks. Another indisputable advantage of the material is zero shrinkage.

Thermal conductivity depends on the filler fraction, therefore it ranges from 0.15 to 0.45. The larger the fraction, the lower it is, but also the lower the density of the material.

To lay walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, you can use ordinary cement-sand mortar or special adhesive mixtures.

cinder block

This is a cheap building material that is obtained by pouring concrete into waste products - combustion products of coal and other materials or sawdust. In the second case, the material is called sawdust concrete (it is absolutely non-flammable).

Cinder blocks come with voids inside and solid ones.

Advantages of the material:

• long service life - up to 50 years;
• fire resistance;
• low cost compared to wood or brick;
• A variety of fillers allows you to choose the material for different needs.

Among the main disadvantages are:

• hygroscopicity - when using the material to build a bathhouse, it will require waterproofing;
• increased thermal conductivity - the bathhouse will have to be additionally insulated.

Cinder blocks have another important feature. Before using them in construction, they must be weathered in the open air for a year. Otherwise, the blocks will release harmful substances. Therefore, the only obvious advantage of this material is its low price. This is not the best option for building a bathhouse.

Tree

A wooden bathhouse is a classic option. Wood comes in different species, and lumber from it also differs in characteristics. Industrial are:

1. Pine. This tree has a natural defense against mold and pests - their resin. Wood has high moisture resistance. Pine is available - there is a lot of it on the market, it has a low cost compared to other species. Its disadvantage as a material for building a bathhouse is its ability to “cry” at high temperatures. Needs additional treatment against rotting.
2. Linden. This type of wood is easy to process. Suitable for building a bathhouse because it has an important property - good heat resistance. However, without additional processing, the linden darkens. She is also afraid of moisture.
3. Aspen. It is not afraid of moisture, has a high density, and becomes even denser over the years. Aspen exhibits low shrinkage. It is durable and practically does not crack when dried. In addition, the wood has a beautiful red color. The disadvantages of aspen are its high price and difficulty of processing due to its high density. And it is also believed that aspen is not suitable for building baths, because it makes you feel worse and causes headaches.
4. Fir. It is rarely used in construction for two reasons - it is susceptible to rotting and has soft and fragile wood.
5. Alder. It is widespread in Russian forests, but still has a fairly high cost. The wood has a beautiful color - from flame to brick. Gives little shrinkage. Practically does not warp. It is easy to process and does not twist, which is important for building a bathhouse. However, it darkens after several years of service and is susceptible to rotting.

Log house

Rounded logs are considered a completely ecological product, unlike laminated veneer lumber. A bathhouse built from it will not need additional external and internal finishing, since the log has a natural, chic appearance. Thanks to minimal gaps on the crowns, log houses made of rounded logs are characterized by increased thermal insulation. The ability to connect logs at any angle allows you to implement unique design solutions in the construction of buildings. The disadvantages of logs are twisting, cracking, and bowing. The material has high shrinkage.

timber

Profiled timber can be solid or glued. In general, it is not subject to deformation, like a log, and has good performance characteristics. It is impregnated with antiseptics and fire retardants to increase resistance to biological factors and fire. Solid profiled timber is considered more environmentally friendly because it does not contain adhesives. At the same time, glued wood is less susceptible to cracking and has increased strength and resistance to deformation.

Building a wooden bathhouse with your own hands requires certain skills. If you do not have sufficient experience, it is better to hire specialists for this.

Arbolite blocks

This material has been known since the times of the USSR. The blocks consist of 90% wood waste. They are brought to the required size in a chipper and crusher, then filled with cement with the addition of calcium chloride or liquid soda glass. These additives are needed in order to neutralize resin acids, which destroy wood, and accelerate the hardening of the mass.

Wood concrete as a building material has a number of advantages:

• low thermal conductivity;
• the ability to maintain a comfortable level of humidity in the room;
• environmental friendliness;
• low cost.

Provided you buy high-quality blocks, this material can be called a good option for a bathhouse. Another important feature of wood concrete is its heat capacity, which is higher than that of air. This means that in a bathhouse built from it, the air will warm up first, and then the walls. When using brick, the opposite happens.

Arbolite is suitable only for low-rise construction, since it has low strength and is not able to withstand heavy loads. It is worth considering its high hygroscopicity. You cannot do without waterproofing and a good ventilation system. It is not possible to use ordinary plaster for finishing.

It is best to finish the outside of wood concrete walls with facing bricks, clapboard or moisture-resistant wood. For a bathhouse, lining will be the best option, otherwise the cost of construction will increase, which will defeat the purpose of using this material.

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/

Video: how to choose material for building a steam room

There are many options for building materials for a bathhouse, and each of them is good in its own way. Making a smart choice requires careful consideration of the pros and cons of each. If you know what is your priority - price, appearance, ease and speed of construction, or thermal insulation properties, then you can easily determine the appropriate material for yourself.

The material for the walls of the bathhouse determines the quality, functionality and durability of the future structure. The most environmentally friendly is wood.

The timber walls erected for the bathhouse give the building a solid appearance, it is easy to breathe in, and the steam becomes more intense. Nowadays foam and cinder blocks are becoming more popular for bathhouse walls. The article will tell you what material to choose for construction, what thickness of walls for a bathhouse should be.

What material can be used to build a bathhouse?

What to make walls for a bathhouse from, for its long-term use and attractive appearance?

The best materials for this are:

• Logs.
• timber(see Do-it-yourself bathhouses made of timber: how the interior decoration is done).
• Different blocks.
• Brick.

Each of these materials has advantages and disadvantages.

When constructing the walls of a bathhouse from logs, which have been used for many centuries, the structure receives such advantages as:

• The walls allow steam and air to pass through perfectly.
• The room retains the light aroma that natural wood emits.
• Low thermal conductivity, which allows you to maintain warmth and comfort in the building for a long time even in winter. As a result, heating costs will be minimal.

But wooden walls also have certain disadvantages:

• All wooden buildings are subject to shrinkage, which makes it possible to completely finish the bathhouse only six months after its construction.
• To preserve logs for a long time in an attractive form and special properties, the bathhouse must be well looked after or protected from the harmful effects of harmful environmental influences. In this case, the walls can be lined with brick and other materials.

When constructing walls from timber, they have a number of advantages compared to buildings made from logs:

• Lower price.
• It is easier to build from it, especially with your own hands for a person who does not have professional skills.

A beam is a log cut from two sides or all four.

In this case, the cross section can be:

• Square.
• Rectangular.

Standard material proportions are 2:1.

The walls of the bathhouse give rise to sediment throughout the year:

• From timber - 6 centimeters.
• From logs - 12 centimeters.

Many people have thought about creating a small, cozy bathhouse on their own summer cottage. With its help, you can take quality water treatments and recharge your batteries, as well as relieve stress.

But at the stage of design and installation of structures, most face serious problems. One of the most common ones is choosing the right material for construction.

To help you understand, we will consider this issue in detail, and also determine the main advantages and disadvantages of various construction solutions when constructing a bathhouse.

Basic requirements for a country bath

The arrangement of a bathhouse, like other structures, requires compliance with general architectural standards and building regulations. However, our case is complicated by the need to comply with general fire safety rules during construction.

Did you know?The bathhouse's roots go back to the 6th millennium BC. e. During this period, special steam rooms appeared everywhere in Ancient Egypt, accessible to all segments of the population.

So, in order to arrange a bathhouse at your summer cottage correctly, you must comply with the following requirements:

• Compliance with architectural standards: The best place for a bathhouse is the area that is as far away from all kinds of structures as possible. However, in modern conditions, achieving a complete absence of building structures near the bathhouse will not be easy. Therefore, such a structure must be at a distance of no less than 8 meters from a residential building, no closer than 8 meters to the neighboring plot and no less than 12 meters from the well. In addition, the site for construction must be leveled relative to the entire site, since on a hill the bathhouse will have too much visibility, and in the lowlands it will suffer from spring flooding every year.
• Compliance with sanitary standards: the structure must be equipped with ventilation and also be equipped with a water drainage system. Otherwise, this will lead to stagnation of air and moisture, and with this, to the development of fungus and other pathogens.
• Compliance with fire safety standards: all parts of the structure that are subject to heating must be made of non-combustible materials. The part of the building in which the heating furnace is installed must be additionally protected with insulating materials that prevent the structure from igniting.
• Environmental friendliness of the building material: A bathhouse is a place with high temperature and humidity, so the materials for its construction should be made from natural and non-toxic components to the maximum, without adding any synthetic compounds.

Video: fire requirements for a bathhouse

Important!If the proximity to the neighboring plot does not allow the construction of a bathhouse, the distance of the structure to it can be reduced to 1 meter, but this must be agreed upon with the neighbors, and their permission must be certified in writing by lawyers.

Advantages and disadvantages of a wooden bath

Most often, a bathhouse is constructed of wood. Wood is quite easy to process, so you can use it to create almost any part of the structure, both load-bearing elements and cladding.

Such structures are characterized by strength, and their shrinkage on the ground occurs evenly, without the occurrence of cracks and breaks. In addition, wood is resistant to fluctuations in moisture and temperature, and also has high thermal insulation qualities, which makes this material almost ideal.

However, it also has many disadvantages, first of all these:

• fragility;
• wooden baths require particularly careful compliance with fire safety standards;
• shrinkage continues for a long time and can be more than 10 cm;
• A wooden bathhouse needs at least 2 years to dry thoroughly;
• After drying, wooden structures must be caulked.

Did you know?Finland is the leader in the number of steam rooms per capita. In a country with a population of about 5 million, there are more than 2 million of them.

This is the most common wood in construction, so it is not surprising that bathhouses are often built from this material.

Pine has many advantages:

• wood grows in almost any conditions, so it is one of the cheapest and most common materials;
• pine has a smooth and even trunk, which makes it easier to process;
• this wood is light but durable and rarely cracks, so such structures are reliable and shrink slightly;
• Pine contains a huge amount of aromatic resins, so water procedures in such baths are especially beneficial for general human health.

Pine has few disadvantages, but they still exist. First of all, this is an increased release of resin from the wood, so often in such baths the resin from the walls will have to be cleaned over the next few years.

Also, pine is not resistant to all kinds of atmospheric conditions, fungi and insects, so such a tree requires additional costs for treatment with protective agents.

Spruce

Baths made of no less quality than those made of pine, however, are less common. Like the conifer described above, spruce is also quite easy to process, practical and has a low price.

In addition, this material, like pine, is enriched with many resinous compounds that can saturate the bathhouse with aromas beneficial to the respiratory system.

However, structures made of spruce are rarely found in our open spaces, since, in addition to the disadvantages described above, this coniferous species is less resistant to various atmospheric conditions and fungi, and also shrinks more than pine. Therefore, such structures not only require constant treatment with protective agents, but are also short-lived.

Cedar

They are not found in every region, so bathhouses from this wood are built exclusively in Siberia and the Urals. This material has the same positive qualities as the conifers described above, but has a number of advantages.

First of all, this is a more aesthetic appearance of the structure. Cedar wood has a pinkish-red center and a golden-pink tint to the outer layers, this gives the bathhouse a more interesting look.

In addition, cedar is highly resistant to all kinds of fungi and other microorganisms, as well as to conditions of high humidity, so such structures are more durable and less expensive to maintain than pine or spruce.

The main disadvantages of this wood are:

• excessive release of resin during the first few years after construction;
• high cost of material.

Larch

It is a rather rare species, so this tree is rarely found as a building material. But, despite this, relative to its coniferous counterparts, this wood has a number of advantages:

The main disadvantage of larch is its high price, so bathhouses made of this tree can only be found in areas of massive tree plantings. In addition, this wood has an excessively dense structure and is not easy to process.

Oak

It is rightfully considered a unique material. This wood has a noble shade and cut pattern, is highly durable, resistant to moisture, temperature, fungus and rot for decades.

However, this material is not considered the easiest to process, as it has an overly dense structure. In addition, oak is a rather weighty material, so such structures experience serious shrinkage. We should not forget about the high cost of oak, so such a bathhouse is only possible if there is an unlimited budget for its construction.

Aspen

A less popular material for construction, since the price-quality ratio of this wood is inferior to the above varieties of wood. It is not easy to create a building from aspen; each individual tree has its own size and shape, so structures made from this wood are possible only after careful processing.

We should not forget that aspen is not resistant to various atmospheric conditions and pests, so the tree will darken in a few years, and the building itself will become unusable within a few decades. But aspen also has its advantages: the tree perfectly absorbs varnishes and paints, so such a building can be given external aesthetics without even having special skills.

Did you know?In Ancient Rus', aspen was the most common material for building baths, since only the nobility could afford coniferous wood as a building material.

Blocks for building a bathhouse

Block buildings are an excellent and inexpensive alternative to wood for arranging a steam room on your own site. This material makes it possible to quickly create a durable structure that will last for many years. In addition, all kinds of structures made from blocks are particularly easy to create, as well as maintain, which is why they are gaining more and more popularity every year.

The main advantages of blocks:

• cheapness. Structures made from even the most expensive types of blocks are much cheaper than structures made from any other material;
• low weight of structures, which contributes to minimal shrinkage of the entire structure;
• ease and speed of installation, so steam rooms from blocks can be created with your own hands, without specialized knowledge.

But this material also has its drawbacks. First of all, this:

• insufficient resistance to high humidity and sudden temperature changes, which reduces the durability of the blocks significantly;
• the material does not have low thermal conductivity, so such structures must be insulated;
• buildings made of blocks require a solid foundation, at least 70 cm deep (in the northern regions - at least 1 meter);
• both internal and external walls of such a room require mandatory finishing.

Aerated concrete is a cellular concrete material made from cement, quartz sand and special foaming agents. The dry components of aerated concrete are thoroughly mixed, and then poured into special molds and water is added.

Under its influence, an active chemical reaction occurs, as a result of which the necessary structure of the material is created. To improve strength, some brands of aerated blocks are treated with steam in special autoclave machines.

Today there are a large number of types of aerated concrete on the market, differing both in their quality and conditions of use. The best option for a bathhouse would be D500 brand blocks. They have the necessary strength to create durable one-story structures.
This material has many advantages: ease of installation, light weight, strength, high fire safety. But there are also no less disadvantages: significant hygroscopicity, a fairly high price (relative to other types of building blocks), the need for a special expensive glue for laying blocks.

Important!When choosing aerated concrete, preference should be given to material that has been pre-treated with high steam in autoclaves, since only in this case will the blocks have the necessary strength and moisture resistance.

Main technical characteristics of aerated concrete:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 5-20;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.15-0.3;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 200-600;
• frost resistance (number of cycles) - 50-75;
• shrinkage, mm/m - 1.5;
• water absorption,% - 45.

Video: aerated concrete bathhouse

Gas silicate

Gas silicate can be called a more profitable analogue of aerated concrete. This material is made according to the same principle as the previous one, but it contains quartz sand and a small amount of lime as a binder.

Unlike aerated concrete, in order to obtain high-quality gas silicate, the blocks must be treated with high-pressure steam. The material has the same advantages and disadvantages as aerated concrete, but from a technical point of view it is inferior to it.

Since gas silicate contains lime, this block quickly absorbs moisture and quickly collapses under its influence. Therefore, such surfaces require careful waterproofing and all the associated additional costs.

Main technical characteristics of gas silicate:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 28-40;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.1-0.2;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 480-720;
• shrinkage, mm/m - 0.3;
• water absorption,% - 47.

A fairly inexpensive option for cellular concrete are foam blocks. They are made from a mixture of sand, cement and water, which are additionally enriched with foam from a special generator.

To build a steam room, it is best to choose material grade D 600 or higher, since less durable foam concrete is used exclusively as insulation. Foam concrete is quite seriously inferior to the aerated concrete or gas silicate described above in terms of technical characteristics, but their main advantage will be the price.

Main technical characteristics of foam concrete:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 10-50;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.2-0.4;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 450-900;
• frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 25;
• shrinkage, mm/m - 0.6-1.2;
• water absorption,% - 52.

Cinder block is a building material made from cement mortars, as well as slag - waste from coal production and other industries. This is a fairly cheap material, since its production often has one goal - to utilize slag formations to the maximum.

However, cinder block is not the best choice for building a bathhouse. Such blocks absorb moisture quickly and for a long time, and are also not very durable, especially in conditions of high humidity.
Even with high-quality insulation, such a bathhouse will function for no more than 15-20 years, after which it will require serious repairs.

Important!It is strictly forbidden to use cinder block as a building material immediately after production, since the slag releases various toxic substances for quite a long time. Therefore, before use, it must be left in the open air for at least 1 year.

Sawdust can also be used as the main component in the production of cinder blocks, in which case it is possible to obtain not only a cheap, but also environmentally friendly material. To create one-story structures, you will need a material grade of at least M 75, since less durable options are used exclusively as facade insulation.

Main technical characteristics of cinder block:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 25-75;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.3-0.5;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 500-1000;
• frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 20;
• shrinkage, mm/m - 0;
• water absorption,% - 55.

Video: cinder block bathhouse

Expanded clay concrete blocks are an almost complete, but higher quality analogue of cinder blocks. This material is made from a cement mixture, as well as expanded clay - fine clay fired under special conditions. Expanded clay blocks have a lot of advantages over other cellular blocks.

First of all, it is environmentally friendly, light weight, which almost completely eliminates the risk of shrinkage. In addition, this material has a low percentage of water absorption, as well as low thermal conductivity, which makes it an almost ideal option for creating a high-quality but inexpensive steam room.

However, to equip a bathhouse you will need blocks of the M100-M150 brand, since the less durable expanded clay concrete is used exclusively as facade insulation. Main technical characteristics of expanded clay concrete:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 50-150;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.15-0.45;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 700-1500;
• frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 50;
• shrinkage, mm/m - 0;
• vapor absorption,% - 12.

Ceramic block is a less common material in modern construction than the ones listed above, but you can often see a budget bathhouse made from it. Ceramic blocks are quite environmentally friendly, since they contain only cement, sand, ceramic powder and water.

Like the materials described above, such blocks are characterized by their low cost, ease of installation, low weight, and durability. The main disadvantage of the material is its higher thermal conductivity.
In addition, you should not forget about the fragility of the material, so when installing a bathhouse made of ceramic blocks, be sure that the calculated amount of material will have to be increased by at least 5%. That is why you should not skimp on the quality of this product; the brand should be no lower than M100.

Main technical characteristics of ceramic block:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 25-175;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.08-0.18;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 650-1000;
• frost resistance (number of cycles) - more than 50;
• shrinkage, mm/m - 0.3;
• water absorption,% - 10-15.

Important!Block structures require additional reinforcement of the masonry with metal mesh every 2-3 rows, otherwise the durability of the structure is reduced significantly. This feature must be taken into account when creating an estimate.

A brick sauna is one of the best alternatives to arranging a steam room at home.
Using brick, you can create a reliable and high-quality structure that will delight its owners for many decades. That is why an increasing number of lovers of life-giving steam prefer this material.

The main advantages of a brick steam room are:

• reliability and durability;
• low water absorption coefficient. This not only contributes to the durability of the structure, but also helps to resist the development of fungi and dangerous bacteria on the surface of the walls;
• versatility. Brick makes it possible to use it for almost any purpose: from erecting walls to arranging a stove;
• exclusivity. With the help of brickwork it is possible to create a structure of any architectural shape and size;
• simplicity. Brick is easy to use and maintain; in addition, it is quite aesthetic and does not require mandatory interior and exterior finishing;
• high fire safety. Even at critical temperatures, brick is not flammable, which makes it an ideal (from a fire safety point of view) material;
• environmental friendliness. The brick contains the maximum amount of natural ingredients.

Video: brick bathhouse However, a brick bathhouse is not without serious drawbacks:

• high price. Even the simplest brick structure will be noticeably more expensive than any wooden or block building;
• high thermal conductivity. This negatively affects fuel consumption, as well as the overall speed of heating the bath and achieving optimal temperatures.

Traditionally, red brick is used to build a bathhouse in modern construction practice. To build a steam room, several types are used: although they have a common task, they must be used exclusively for highly specialized purposes.

These are the so-called pipe, ceramic and refractory types. Next, we will consider in more detail the need and tasks of each of these materials. .

Important! A high-quality fired brick has a uniform shade throughout its entire volume, and when struck with a hammer, it characteristically “rings.” If these signs are absent, the material must be rejected.

Pipe (solid)

The purpose of the pipe brick is to remove gaseous waste resulting from the combustion of fuel when lighting a sauna stove. This is perhaps one of the few building materials that can cope with such a task without being negatively affected by sudden temperature changes.

It is made from a special clay mixture subjected to semi-dry pressing. As a result, it is possible to obtain a product with high hygroscopicity, a smooth surface and strict dimensions. This helps create an ideal tightness for removing combustion derivatives.

Today there are many varieties of such bricks on the market, but the most suitable are exclusively solid pipe bricks. Despite the higher price relative to hollow ones, it is not recommended to use excessively porous materials at elevated temperatures, as this may cause its destruction.
However, the completeness of the material is not the key to a reliable chimney. In conditions of elevated temperatures, strength plays a decisive role in preserving the integrity of the structure, so the optimal choice would be a brick of at least grade M200.

Main technical characteristics of bricks for pipes:

• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.3-0.8;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 1500 – 1900;
• heat resistance, °C - up to 1000;
• shrinkage,% - 5;
• water absorption,% - 10.

Ceramic (tube)

Ceramic pipe brick is a type of hollow brick that is used to construct buildings no higher than 2-3 floors. It is made from special clay solutions subjected to high-temperature heating in ovens at a temperature of about 1000 °C.

This building material is practically no different in composition from solid ceramic bricks and has the same advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage of such bricks is their low cost. Each of the molds for the production of the material has small convexities, which creates artificial cavities in each brick, as a result of which a reduction in the amount of raw materials for production is achieved, and with this the final unit price.

In addition, the presence of cavities improves the thermal insulation capabilities of the product, so steam rooms made of hollow bricks heat up much faster than those made of solid bricks. This type of brick also has many disadvantages.

Did you know?The largest steam room is located in the German town of Sinsheim, its area is 160 square meters. meters.

First of all, it is low strength, as well as the ability to collapse under the influence of high moisture. This leads to increased costs for high-quality finishing and vapor barrier of the material, otherwise the durability of the structure is reduced significantly. The optimal type of hollow ceramic brick for building a bathhouse will be a grade of at least M200.
Main technical characteristics of ceramic hollow bricks:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 75-300;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.2-0.5;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 1300 – 1500;
• frost resistance (number of cycles) - more than 75;
• heat resistance, °C - up to 1000;
• shrinkage,% - 5;
• water absorption,% - 10.

Did you know?In the old days, in order to determine the quality of a brick, 600 bricks were placed on a wooden pallet, after which the pallet was raised to a height of about 2 meters, and then abruptly dropped to the ground. If even one broke, the whole batch was rejected.

Fireproof (fireclay)

Refractory or fireclay brick is used for both stone and wooden baths as the basis for making a stove. This is the only building material that can withstand direct exposure to fire.
It is made from a mixture of special refractory clay and various additives (coke, graphite powders, large quartz grains, etc.), fired at a temperature of 1300...1500 °C. This makes it possible to obtain a material that is resistant to sudden temperature changes and durable.

On the modern market there are a lot of different types of fireclay bricks (Sha, ShB, ShAK, ShUS, ShV, PV and PB). For the construction of a home steam room, the most profitable materials will be ShB-5 and ShB-8. This is the so-called class B fireclay brick, capable of withstanding a maximum temperature of 1400 °C.

These are one of the cheapest types of refractory bricks, but despite this, this choice will be an ideal option in terms of price and quality.

Main technical characteristics of refractory bricks:

• strength, kg/cm2 - 100-150;
• thermal conductivity, W/(m K) - 0.6-0.9;
• volumetric weight, kg/m3 - 1800-2000;
• frost resistance (number of cycles) - up to 50;
• heat resistance, °C - up to 1500;
• shrinkage,% - 5;
• water absorption,% - 5-8.

Important!For laying fireclay bricks, heat-resistant mixtures or refractory clay are used. Simple cement mortars instantly crack and collapse when exposed to high temperatures.

Stone bath: pros and cons

Stone in construction is the best option for those regions where acquiring wood is not so easy. In addition, a stone bath looks impressive and unusual, which will definitely help you create a truly unique steam room.

The stone has a lot of advantages, first of all, these are:

• low price;
• general availability;
• high fire safety;
• durability;
• low shrinkage rate.

However, despite its advantages, stone also has many disadvantages, which are the main reason for the low prevalence of stone baths.

These include:

• technological complexity. Due to the uneven size of the stones, it is much more difficult to create a building of the correct shape than from brick or wood;
• high cost. Even the most expensive wooden bath will be much cheaper than a stone one, since such a steam room requires a large amount of related materials;
• high thermal conductivity. Stone is difficult to retain heat, so for high-quality ignition of a bath, an order of magnitude more fuel is required than for steam rooms made of other materials;
• low gas permeability. A stone bath requires a high-quality ventilation system to avoid air stagnation;
• excessive design dimensions. The walls of a stone bath are constructed with a thickness of at least 75 cm, which negatively affects the amount of space required for construction.

Video: which sauna is better, wooden or stone?

Optimal choice

Today, in modern market conditions, choosing the optimal type of material for a home bath is not so simple, since for most domestic consumers the issue of the expediency of the money spent is not only acute, but is also the dominant factor in budget planning.

Let's analyze all of the above and find out what is the best way to build a bathhouse, and what materials are best to abandon. The highest quality structure is a wooden steam room (pine, spruce).

A wooden bathhouse will perfectly cope with all the responsibilities assigned to it and will give a lot of positive emotions, as well as pleasant sensations. In addition, such a steam room looks very colorful and will last for several decades.

Video: how to choose materials for building a bathhouse

If you don’t have extra funds, you can build a bathhouse from building blocks - you should turn your attention to expanded clay concrete. This material not only has low thermal conductivity and durability, but also makes it possible to quickly and inexpensively create a full-fledged steam room of any size and number of floors.

However, in pursuit of cheapness, you should not choose the cheapest materials, since such structures will not only last only a couple of decades, but will also cause a lot of trouble in maintenance. Therefore, you should not build a bathhouse made of aspen, foam blocks or cinder blocks on your site.

In this case, even with a gentle regime, after 10-15 years your steam room may become completely unusable. A properly equipped bathhouse is the best thing that can please you during the cold winter season in your own summer cottage.

Today there are many materials with which you can create a full-fledged steam room in just a few months, even with your own hands. However, if you don’t have extra funds in reserve, it is best to postpone the construction of a bathhouse until a later time, since a cheap steam room will soon become a serious headache.

Having your own bathhouse in the courtyard of a private house is the dream of many owners of suburban areas. Everyone knows that a bathhouse serves as a place not only for regular washing, but also for wellness treatments - healing steam cleanses pores, improves blood circulation and gives vitality. In addition, there is a tradition that this particular building often turns into a kind of “club”, where you can have a great time with friends or loved ones.

Therefore, owners planning to create such a useful “complex” inevitably face the question of what is the best material to build a bathhouse from, so that it can create and maintain an optimal microclimate at any time of the year and at no extra cost. The choice of material directly influences the creation of a healthy, relaxing sauna atmosphere.

In addition, the correctly selected material is the key to the durability of this structure. It is imperative to take into account that the internal surfaces of the walls will be constantly exposed to moist hot air and temperature changes.

The modern market offers a wide variety of different building materials suitable for the construction of walls of houses, utility, utility and other specific buildings. However, it is worth taking a closer look and figuring out which one is ideal for a bathhouse.