The bathhouse is rightfully considered a health and useful place for rest, cleansing and relaxation. It is possible to build such a «health center» on your own, without resorting to the help of a construction team. The main task is a solid foundation.
In the construction of any structures, the foundation is of no small importance. It is very important to choose the right solid, high-quality foundation with a long service life.
TAPE FOUNDATION UNDER THE BATH 2022 (bath building)
The content of the article
A strip foundation for a bath is a worthy alternative to a pile or columnar base, which is ideal for baths and saunas of any shape. If desired, fill in a place under the stove. This foundation has a good service life, not less than 50 years.
When starting the construction of a bath, first of all, take into account the location of the site and the type of sewage system. For example, for a cesspool and a septic tank, a place is chosen away from a neighboring site, a reservoir. In the case when the drain is connected to the central sewerage, then the bath is erected anywhere on the site. Let’s consider in detail how to make a strip foundation for a bath.
FEATURE BASES
The size of the bath strip foundation can be of any kind. This is influenced by the area of the bath, the material for the walls, the depth of freezing of the earth’s surface. The thickness is taken into account according to the material of the walls. For the strip base under the bath, ventilation holes are required.
A strip foundation for a bath with their own hands is installed only in cases where the surface of the earth is not free-flowing and the groundwater is located deep in the soil.
The main criterion for the tape base is the depth exceeding the level of freezing of the soil. In those regions where the soil freezes at a shallow depth, the strip base may be shallow. This design can be installed for different types of baths: brick, timber, foam blocks, logs.
It is more profitable to carry out this construction process with your own hands, so the price of pouring a frame bath on the strip foundation can take a third of the cost of the entire project. In comparison with other types of bases, the tape base is cheaper than a monolithic structure, but more expensive than a columnar one.
Strip foundation for a bath
Monolithic strip foundation
ADVANTAGES OF THE TAPE FOUNDATION
- High strength. The frame supports a two-story building;
- Low thermal conductivity;
- Allows you to create a cellar or subfloor for future use.
A small drawback is the high cost, which is easily covered by the high quality and durability of the foundation.
Advice! You can save money on a shallow strip foundation for a bath using a smaller volume of concrete screed. Ideally withstand a one-story bath.
TAPE FRAME TYPES:
- Brick foundation. According to its characteristics, the base is a complex technological process that requires attention to the seams.
Brick foundation
- Butter-concrete base. Laying does not need reinforcement. It is replaced with river stone.
- The prefabricated type of frame is considered the most expensive option, using different-sized reinforced concrete blocks.
- Strip foundations with fixed formwork are a little-used process with expanded polystyrene blanks. The middle of the aisle is filled with reinforcement, which is poured with concrete.
- Monolithic structures are an affordable filling option, a fairly durable and easily doable process.
Prefabricated view of the frame
What concrete is needed for the strip foundation of the bath, only those who wish to have this structure can decide for themselves.
STAGES OF ESTABLISHMENT BY ALL RULES
It is worth remembering that for a strip foundation under a do-it-yourself bath, the base must be reliable, because it must withstand the entire weight of the structure from above and clay or sandy soil from below.
For a 6×4 bath, a tape-like foundation is a brick or concrete, rising 15-20 cm above the ground and extending to a depth below the freezing level.
Strip foundation design
Most often, this type of construction is chosen when:
- If the buildings are large and bulky;
- For the use of basement rooms of a technical nature, which allows you to evenly distribute the load.
For the construction of the tape, different types of building materials are used: brick, reinforced concrete blocks, stone, concrete.
When using bricks, only red bricks are taken, since the other type is destroyed by moisture. A brick base is used only on a sandy surface. During work, an important point is considered — waterproofing the joints in order to avoid moisture seepage. If the groundwater is at a high level, create a concrete pad with a reinforced screed.
If the base is reinforced concrete blocks, then blocks (2x2x4 m) are laid out on a sand cushion in a checkerboard pattern, fixing the seams with a concrete solution.
For the southern strip of the Russian Federation, a river stone or quarry is suitable. Smooth and uniform stones in size are required, which are added to the concrete solution to create formwork. This type refers to a more budgetary type of strip foundation.
Concrete foundation is one of the simple and not labor-intensive processes of execution. The prepared formwork is reinforced with reinforcement, after which it is poured with concrete liquid.
Foundation, types of structures
THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE TAPE FOUNDATION UNDER THE BATH
The main stages of how to make a strip foundation for a bath are distinguished.
- Site preparation.
- Angle mark
- Digging a trench
- Create a sand cushion
- Formwork construction
- Pouring concrete
To begin with, they choose a site for construction, which is pre-prepared — they clear it of stones, debris, sticks from trees, remove the grass, and remove about 20-25 cm of the topsoil. Mark the angle by measuring the distance along the length of the wall, leaving a small margin on both sides. Wooden pegs, connected with a rope, separate the area for a place for the foundation.
The depth of the strip foundation for the bath is determined depending on the quality of the soil:
- For soft soil, 1 m is enough;
- For hard rocks — 50 cm
To find out the optimal width of the required trench, add 10 cm (if the ground is dense) and 20 cm (with soft soil) to the width of the future external wall, add 5 cm for allowances. The depth level of the strip foundation for the bath should be 20 cm higher than the freezing point of the soil.
A 10 — 20 cm layer of sand or gravel is poured onto the bottom, tamping it and pouring it with water. This will prevent deformation of the building, cushion pressure, and protect it from moisture as a result of precipitation.
The use of formwork for the bath strip foundation is mandatory. Such a wooden screed can be removable or stationary.
Installation of formwork for strip foundations
Advice! Stationary formwork is suitable for construction under the bathhouse. Plywood or non-edged boards are suitable as formwork, which are fastened with beams every 0.5 m.
The reinforcing frame is able to increase the elasticity and strength of the concrete mixture, thanks to this foundation, no loads are «scary». It is not advisable to weld the grid. The plasticity of the structure is violated.
A structure is made from reinforcement rods connected by wire, it is laid on the bottom of the trench. The final stage is concreting. The brand of concrete for the strip foundation of the bath is suitable for any type — from the factory to the mixed type: from cement and sand, a mixture of sand and crushed stone.
Before pouring concrete, the formwork is watered with water, then with concrete mortar. To avoid a porous surface, the rake passes through the layer several times. The concrete mix should cover all layers, filling all the joints. Therefore, the whole process is recommended to be carried out immediately, without delay.
The foundation is covered with a tarpaulin or polyethylene, leaving it until it solidifies completely. In hot weather, the screed is poured with water so that it does not crack.
After the concrete frame dries up, a layer of waterproofing is applied to it.
When the foundation dries up (1-1.5 months), you can start building a bath, following the recommended instructions.
