To organize a healthy holiday and a pleasant pastime with family and friends, a home steam room is often used. Today, the most popular and economical option is a bath in the basement of a country house.
It is easy to turn the basement into a functional and practical room for wellness procedures - it is enough to organize the construction process correctly.
The benefits of a bath in the basement
When deciding on the arrangement of a steam room, the owners of country houses are wondering why a bathhouse in the basement of a private house is more profitable than an independent building erected on a land plot?
The main difference is in the cost of space heating. For a free-standing bath, it is necessary to build its own foundation, which requires additional heating, which ultimately increases the cost of maintaining the building.
A bath in the basement or basement has the following advantages:
- General heating of the premises is carried out at the expense of a single floor slab between the house and the bath.
- The entrance to the steam room is accessible from any room in the house.
- The cost of arranging and maintaining the bath is reduced.
- There is an opportunity to additionally organize a rest room and a dressing room in the basement.
- Joint communications are being laid.
- A part of the land plot is saved, which can be used for other needs - laying out a garden, creating an artificial reservoir, building a gazebo.
Features of arranging a steam room in the basement
The construction of a bath is a technically complex and responsible process that requires proper preparation and compliance with construction technology. Bath and sauna in the basement or basement provides for the use of only high-quality and durable materials.
To develop a project, you can use the services of private design bureaus, do it yourself or see our examples below.
The working draft should contain all the basic data about the finished structure:
- bath dimensions;
- layout plan of functional premises;
- scheme for laying communications;
- calculation of building and finishing materials.
When arranging a bath in the basement, the following technical points should be considered:
- If at the design stage of a residential building data about the bath were entered into the project documentation, then the existing construction scheme will certainly be used to carry out the work.
- If the basement was used for economic or domestic needs, previously conducted communications will have to be replaced or rescheduled.
- For the safe operation of the bath, you will need to install a chimney and drainage equipment.
The technology of building a sauna (bath) in the basement
A bath or sauna in the basement of a private house is a specific functional room, during the arrangement of which it is necessary to follow the sequence of work.
Basement thermal insulation
Do-it-yourself steam room construction in the basement requires reliable surface insulation. To avoid the destruction of the heat-insulating layer, when installing the insulation, it is necessary to observe technological air gaps from 10 to 15 cm. They contribute to the rapid removal of excess moisture and drying of surfaces.
How the basement walls are insulated is shown in the photo.
Important! For the decorative finishing of the bath walls in the basement, natural larch, alder or oak wood is used without additional treatment with protective varnishes.
Arrangement of the ventilation and lighting system
A bath or sauna in the basement requires the mandatory installation of a forced ventilation system, which will reduce dampness and prevent the development of mold and fungi on the walls.
The best ventilation option for a steam room is a deflector connected to a duct-type fan. It is intended to perform the following functions:
- ensuring forced and natural air exchange;
- supply of fresh air in the required volume;
- cooled air supply to heating equipment;
- removal of exhaust gases outside the premises.
For rooms with high humidity, electrical wiring is carried out in the floor. Electric cables are laid in special corrugated channels, which will provide protection from moisture and mechanical damage.
It is not allowed to lay cables under the wooden sheathing on the walls. Also, it is not recommended to install electrical appliances in the steam room - sockets and switches, they are taken out to rooms with optimal operating conditions.
For saunas and baths, special lighting equipment is used - lamps in waterproof shades installed opposite the stove.
Organization of the drainage system
Wellness procedures require water, so the drainage system in a bath or sauna should be thought out at the stage of drawing up a working draft and implemented in accordance with all the rules.
According to experts, the best option is to install a pumping station, which will ensure a reliable discharge of wastewater to the water intake. The station consists of a surface pump for supplying wastewater and collecting water.
A more affordable option is the arrangement of a sewer drain for a bath. Its main purpose is to remove sewage and prevent the appearance of an unpleasant sewer smell in the room.
The arrangement of the drain for the bath is carried out in the following order:
- They dig a vertical shaft with a depth below the freezing level of the soil. The width of the shaft is not more than 55 cm.
- One part of the shaft is brought to the washing room, the other parts - to the steam room.
- The laying of pipes from the drain hole is carried out at a slight slope for the free drainage of drains outside the basement.
Use of drying equipment
A full-fledged bath under the house also provides for the arrangement of an effective system for dehumidifying the premises - a basement or basement, especially if it is planned to build a pool or font.
An air conditioner is used as a dehumidifier, which is a radiator with a built-in fan.
The dehumidifier is designed to solve the main tasks:
- elimination of excess steam with transformation into condensate on the radiator body;
- dry air conditioning;
- supply of dehumidified and heated air into the room.
An alternative option is to install a window monoblock air conditioner to remove excess moisture from the room. Despite its simplicity and affordability, the window dehumidifier has significant drawbacks - low efficiency and high noise level during operation.
Sauna stove installation
The main functional element of any bath is a stove installed under the chimney or next to it.
How to build a sauna stove for a steam room located in the basement? To equip the stationary structure of the furnace, it is necessary to build a separate foundation base. Work is carried out according to the scheme:
- They dig a foundation pit under the foundation, the size of which exceeds the dimensions of the furnace by 30 cm. When arranging the pit, the minimum distance to the wall is observed - 20 cm.
- Crushed stone of a fine fraction is poured at the bottom of the pit, it is rammed and poured with a concrete mixture.
- Installation of furnace equipment is carried out so that the chimney pipe exits through a special hole in the wall, and the furnace compartment into the dressing room.
If the bath is equipped together with a residential building, then organizing a chimney system is not difficult. For an already built building, the arrangement of a chimney requires a different approach.
In this case, the best option for a wood-burning stove is to install a ceramic chimney. This design allows the use of exhaust gases for the safe heating of all rooms in the house.
A bathhouse in the basement of a house is an excellent solution for owners of country houses who want to get a comfortable area for relaxation and healing of the body and at the same time rationally use every free meter of space to good use.
Construction Materials
Petr Kravets
Reading time: 4 minutes
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Do you have a country house with a bath? In this case, you must have encountered one very unpleasant problem. It lies in the difficulty of storing brooms, bath stones, ladles and other utensils.
In winter, on days when you do not use the sauna, they are exposed to low temperatures. And this has a bad effect on their appearance and condition.
As a result, one has to bathe with withered birch parodies of brooms. The ladles darken, the stones work worse. And so I would like to enjoy fresh brooms and extend the life of the utensils. And you have the opportunity for this - the arrangement of the basement under the bath!
Cellar under the bath - what is it for?
This is a rather specific room, not like a cellar on a balcony in an apartment or under a house. His the purpose is to store bath accessories. In a room underground, even in winter, the optimum temperature is maintained. You will be able to maintain the integrity and quality of brooms, ladles, etc.
Remember that you should not store fruits, vegetables and seamings here.. To do this, it is better to use the cellar under the house. The fact is that the bath during use warms up to extremely high temperatures. They will certainly have a negative impact on the quality of products.
In addition, high humidity is created in the bath. The water that you use for washing often seeps into the cellar, especially with poorly equipped waterproofing. And moisture will definitely spoil the products sooner or later.
Important! If you want to combine the storage of food and seamings with the storage of bath utensils, you must provide for a greater depth.
Features of the construction of the cellar in the bath
Building a basement under a bath is a rather complicated operation even for experienced builders. Much easier first, and then, already above it, a bath. But if you have patience, you will succeed!
By the way, there are even whole projects of ready-made baths called “House-bath with a cellar”, but these are options that you can order from construction companies, our task is to build a cellar for a bath with our own hands!
Important! Before starting construction, you should study the soil, conduct engineering and geodetic surveys. Some areas of soil are not suitable for building basements.
For example, areas of gas underground. When they are opened, there is a risk of collapse. And if you are not at all lucky, and you find a large karst failure, the bathhouse, the house, and you can go underground. Therefore, the study of the soil should be treated very carefully. In order not to be mistaken, we recommend contacting the appropriate company.
Pay attention to the depth of groundwater. Professionals do not recommend building a basement directly above them. The minimum height is 50 cm. Otherwise: increased humidity, soil erosion and the risk of wall deformation up to collapse.
It is recommended to use blocks for construction. This is one of the easiest materials to use, combining good technical characteristics and low cost. But remember that the blocks are afraid of moisture, so equip them with high-quality waterproofing. Be sure to have a sand cushion.
remembers e! Even if you are building a basement in a dry climate zone, it is worth doing waterproofing. The risk of prolonged rains, burst pipes, floods, etc. is not ruled out.
Bath with a cellar: the project and its nuances
The most important nuance that was indicated, but not disclosed, is waterproofing. It must be of very high quality, otherwise the service life of the cellar will be relatively short.
Why are you spending extra money on repairs? It is the arrangement of waterproofing that we would like to focus on.
Moisture can penetrate from all sides: from below, through walls or through the ceiling. Even when vapor enters the room, condensation will accumulate, which will lead to the formation of moisture. We get rid of all the factors one by one.
- The entrance to the basement should be optimally equipped. You do not need to do it in a steam room or in the washing department, otherwise moisture will get through it both directly and in the form of steam. It can be arranged on the side, in a rest room or dressing room.
- Moisture penetrates from the walls due to burst pipes or rain. In the most neglected cases, groundwater is to blame for the penetration of moisture through the walls. You can get rid of this trouble with the help of high-quality waterproofing.
- From below, water enters the basement due to groundwater. In order not to be mistaken, conduct an experiment. Calculate the maximum depth in the room. At such a depth, dig a small hole next to the bath and watch it for two days. If there was no water in it, you can start building. Otherwise, you should refrain.
- Condensate. This problem is solved with the help of ventilation.
Some builders prefer to use a drainage system to drain groundwater from under the bath. But we do not recommend that you do this, because it has two significant drawbacks.
Firstly, it is expensive, and you have to spend money on electricity every day, even when you are not at home.
Secondly, the soil is washed out along with the water.
As a result - gradual shrinkage, deformation of the walls, destruction.
Possible problems
There are several situations that arise in the cellar under the bath.
- Flooding during floods. This is inevitable for cellars of any type. You need to deal with this problem as it arises.
- Unsuitable soil composition can be a reason for refusing to build.
- Condensation in advanced cases turns into puddles on the floor. This is due to the large temperature difference between the floor and ceiling of the room. This phenomenon is especially relevant during periods of using the bath. And the owner will only have to guess where the leak is. Therefore, the presence of forced ventilation is mandatory.
- The arrangement of the basement under any house is a threat of collapse of the building. Therefore, before starting work, consult with specialists and make accurate calculations.
Important! Finishing is also a rather complicated process. We recommend using putty. If a mistake was made in the arrangement of waterproofing, it will darken, and you can quickly eliminate the defect.
Useful video
Well, now it's time to watch a video about the construction of a cellar under the bath:
Conclusion
Despite the significant number of problems with the construction and operation of the cellar under the bath, it has a lot of advantages. Why do people arrange such premises?
The arrangement of the basement under the bath will be the right solution for any suburban homeowner. This room is great for storing all kinds of utensils: brooms, ladles, stones and many other things that are so necessary for a good time in the bath. The basement or cellar should not be large, it is assigned the function of a warehouse.
If you are building a bath according to the project, it is advisable to provide a basement immediately. In other words, its device must be carried out even at the moment when you build a bath. In a finished building, making a basement will be much more difficult and costly.
Very often, a cellar is equipped under the bath. It's easier than making a cellar in the house.
Additional room under the bath
Many simply do not distinguish between a basement and a cellar, not seeing much difference between these two rooms. However, the cellar serves as a room for storing vegetables, fruits and other provisions. A sufficiently low temperature and a certain humidity regime are constantly maintained there, so it is not very comfortable for a person to stay inside for a long time. The basement is an ordinary room located below ground level. And this room can perform a variety of functions.
The room under a small bath can be used for economic purposes.
The main advantages of arranging a utility room under the bath have already been announced above: convenience, versatility, availability of all necessary things. Among the shortcomings it is difficult to single out something specific, much will depend on the circumstances. For example, the main disadvantage of the basement, which is supposed to be built under the finished structure, will be the financial costs. As an alternative, in this case, it is recommended to consider the construction of an extension. It will be much cheaper.
Construction principles
The first step is to find out everything about the soil where it is planned to build a bath. Because there are areas where it will be difficult to build a building with a basement or a cellar. This occurs in cases where a high level of groundwater is observed on the ground or there is a concentration of subsoil gases underground. To be aware of the situation, you need to ask your neighbors or order geological survey services from specialists. Even 100% monolithic basement walls will not guarantee complete protection against the ingress of moisture or dangerous gases.
When you know the groundwater level on the ground, you need to retreat from it up about 50 cm. This point will become the place where the base of your basement will be located. The best and most democratic solution would be to build a basement under a block bath - this is an inexpensive and easy way to build. But at the same time, special attention must be paid to the waterproofing of the material, because the blocks allow moisture to pass through, and without a waterproofing layer, problems during operation will await you. The cellar and cellar of any type must be carefully isolated from the ingress of water.
In the event that your bathhouse is large, and you want to make a basement under it, which will become a rest room or a bathroom, you will have to consider the option of pouring a monolithic foundation, smoothly turning into the basement of the building.
The principle of construction of a monolithic concrete basement is as follows:
- The base of the bath is marked, a trench is dug, the depth of which is 150-200 cm (its depth will depend on the groundwater level on the ground).
- A wooden formwork is mounted in the trench, which must be filled with a reinforcing cage. In addition, it is required in the future to reinforce the floor of the future basement. Liquid waterproofing materials must be added to the cement mortar. Also, wooden formwork must have special openings designed for engineering communications.
- Soil is removed along the perimeter of the room. A compacted pillow is made of sand and gravel (materials are laid sequentially and in layers, the thickness of each layer is 15-20 cm). A frame made of metal reinforcement is laid on the pillow.
- The installed frame is poured with cement mortar and covered with any rolled insulator that is suitable for draining groundwater from the base (modern and traditional waterproofing materials can be used in combination).
- As soon as the base is done (the mortar is completely dry, it may take 2-3 weeks), the walls are constructed from monolithic reinforced concrete. The technology here is the same: a crate is installed, a reinforcing cage is mounted and a concrete mixture is poured.
An example of pouring a monolithic foundation.
Even if the construction is carried out on a dry area, it is necessary to make waterproofing. This is required because moisture can penetrate not only with precipitation, but also with a seasonal rise in the groundwater level.
Waterproofing and ventilation system
The waterproofing layer in the basement must be arranged comprehensively. The costs of all these activities are quite significant, so you will have to take this into account even at the construction stage. If the basement is supposed to be used as a rest room, then the room should be as dry as possible.
Water in the underground room can come from several sources at once:
- through cracks in the material of the walls and base;
- form as a condensate
- from the wet room above.
If the floor is flooded in the basement, then most likely the reason for the penetration of moisture is the high level of groundwater and insufficient waterproofing. If there is no water, but you have certain concerns about its appearance, then you can arrange a small hole at the bottom of the basement. If water collects in it, this will indicate a high level of groundwater.
The solution in this case is the installation of a drainage system. Initially, the arrangement of a well with pumping equipment is enough. The main disadvantage of such a system is the likelihood of land falling into water. In principle, modern filters can cope with this problem. However, this land will be washed out from under the bath. Therefore, it is worth taking care in advance of laying drainage pipes wrapped with geotextile around the perimeter of the room.
Condensation problem
There can be so much condensation on basement walls that it causes puddles on the floor. These puddles are often mistaken for the penetration of groundwater from under the base. Condensation can form on walls for a variety of reasons, so effective insulation is also required to ensure that warm air masses are constantly vented away from cooled walls. In this case, condensation will not form, so you do not have to worry about mold colonies and high humidity. Often, condensation occurs due to a poorly organized ventilation system in the room.
Condensation forms on surfaces when moist air cools.
The ventilation system in rooms of this type must be made forced, because traditional supply and exhaust ventilation often cannot cope with such volumes of air. Installation of air conditioners or split systems is also recommended. Equipment of this level will help to deal with condensate, high humidity, stagnant air. But, of course, not everyone will decide to install an air conditioning system in their basement or cellar.
In addition, in the walls of the basement, rising above the ground (if any), it is necessary to make air ducts, with which it will be easier to ventilate the room if necessary. As a rule, basements under baths are small in size, so a few vents are enough for relatively high-quality ventilation.
The basement or cellar under the bath can be used for different purposes. If you have a large bath, then it is quite suitable for arranging a rest room or one of the main rooms of a traditional bath. In a small cellar, it will be convenient to store not only food, but also low-alcohol drinks for quick access to them.
It is not recommended to make a basement or cellar under the bath if the building was built earlier. Redevelopment of this type of bath should be carried out only by professionals. If you do everything yourself, then there is a high probability of damage to the foundation of the structure, which can lead to unpleasant consequences.
Of course, such ready-made projects must be ordered only from professionals who already have considerable experience in such work and are able to take into account all the nuances of the upcoming construction. Indeed, in such a project, it is necessary to take into account not only modern safety requirements, but also the features of air circulation, as well as the creation of a complete and efficient ventilation system. The fact is that this room makes significant demands on their arrangement. Failure to follow simple rules may not affect its functioning in any way, but it can play and lead to the appearance of dampness, mold and a host of other adverse phenomena. As a result, the benefits and comfort will be simply nullified.
In addition, in the projects of houses with a sauna, it is necessary to accurately calculate the correct dimensions of the steam room (which, in fact, is the main room of the sauna), as well as work out the wall and ceiling insulation system, the location and safe operation of the stove. Reliable and experienced construction companies always have in their arsenal a variety of projects for houses with a sauna, taking into account all the important details and features of building materials for creating this kind of housing. You can also always order the development of an individual project “for yourself”. Its advantages are undeniable, although there is a drawback - the high price of design work, since the documentation will have to be prepared from scratch. However, it is worth it: individual design allows you to realize your ideas and dreams, and not be led by fashion or building trends. The main thing here is to find a common language with the architect and carefully, point by point, explain to the professional what you want to achieve and how you prefer to achieve the goal.
