How to fill the foundation for a bath stove. The foundation for the furnace in the bath: installation instructions
Furnaces in Russian baths have been used for more than a dozen years. And to put the stove is not on the floor, but on a special foundation. To do this, lower the floor beams and fill them in a specially cut part or at the construction stage. Moreover, the foundation for the sauna stove is used not only as a reliable foundation capable of preventing destruction and cracking, for example, of a brick structure, but also as a fire safety system. We will talk about how to make a foundation for a stove in a bathhouse on your own, what designs are used for a steam room below.
Concrete foundation for a brick wood stove.
The foundation for an iron stove in a bath of timber.
Since there are a lot of heat generators for baths (we have already talked about species), then the basis is selected for each specific type.
So, for metal, a lightweight construction is needed, for a brick, on the contrary, massive. Each type has its own subtleties of assembly and design features.
There is a foundation of red brick or concrete. The second option is more expensive, but its strength is higher. It is cheaper and easier to dismantle from a brick if necessary, but its strength is less. Which option is best decided only by the owner.
Basic design, assembly rules
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The classic base for the stove is assembled from rubble stone with a cement base or monolithic from concrete. In any case, the size of the base must exceed 100-150 mm the width of the furnace. The height is chosen depending on the base of the bath, so for a tape it should be the same.
It is necessary to lay waterproofing on the prepared surface, roofing material and only 2-3 layers are suitable. Tightly red brick is laid on top, dry, and the iron corners are mounted with the release. They are needed to create further fire protection.
It is better when pouring is carried out together with the main platform, so shrinkage will occur evenly. Do not attach the base to an existing foundation, as the furnace may deform during shrinkage.
If the size of the bath is small, then the furnace foundation will be close to the main one, you should not make a bundle between them, but it’s worth to sprinkle with a sand pillow at 0.5 m.
How to determine the dimensions of the base
Choosing the dimensions of the base of the furnace is based on several factors:
Furnace weight and if it is a brick structure, then in a wet and dry state. So, immediately after installation, the brick heat generator has a weight of almost 8 tons, with drying from 4-4.5 tons.
Depth bedding water and view the soil
There will be a stove with a brick pipe or iron. The pipe gives an extra load. If the chimney for the chimney is radical, then it is recommended to fill the foundation with a separate construction under it, so you can avoid uneven shrinkage of the base under the stove.
Determine the depth of the foundation
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Before pouring the base under the future bath furnace, it is necessary to calculate its depth. You need to know the geodesy of the area where the construction of the bath takes place: the strength and heaving of the soil, how deep the soil freezes in winter, how deep the main bath construction is, where the ground water is located and how much it rises in spring, how much the stove will weigh, and . e. It is important to even consider the completed construction of the bathhouse or just going ..
So, for sandy soil, they are laid to a depth of 80 cm, heaving - below freezing, but not less than 1.5 m. When the soil type is determined, the weight of the furnace is calculated. To do this, just look at the number in the technical specifications. Brick is calculated depending on the size and masonry.
Installation of the foundation under the iron stove
The lightweight design of the iron furnace also needs a solid and even foundation. If you install the stove at a small angle, which is not even visible to the eye, it will not work properly, and the service life will be reduced. Mount, as we have said, is necessary depending on the weight of the structure. For example, consider a bathhouse weighing 150 kg under an average oven.
The main stages of work
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Initially, they excavate a pit around the entire perimeter of the future foundation.
The bottom is covered with a 10-15 cm sand pillow. The sand is carefully rammed, after spilling it with water. Then, a pillow of crushed stone of 40–50 cm is poured. It should also be well tamped, so that in the end it turns out 30–35 cm
Perform formwork from bars and boards. A solution of liquid cement is poured on top of crushed stone: 4 parts of sand, 1 part of cement, 5 parts of water. The design should stand for about 1-2 days and dry. The result is a finished sole for the foundation of the furnace.
Next, lay a waterproofing material, a roofing material of two layers is suitable. To do this, spread the material with an overlap of 10-15 cm. A concrete pillow is poured on top of the waterproofing. Concrete can be purchased ready-made or mixed with your own hands: 4 hours of gravel (it is better to take a fine fraction), 2.5 hours of pure sand, 1 hour. waterproof cement and water on the eye. Instead of gravel and sand, you can take a ready-made mixture of ASG, it takes 6 hours. The upper level is leveled using a level and a bar. The finished construction should harden gradually, for this it is covered with polyethylene and moistened for 2-3 days, then opened and allowed to dry completely.
Mounting the base under a brick stove
If the stove is planned from brick, then the base for it must be made more massive and stronger. This is due to the large weight of the furnace and two forces will act on the foundation at once: pressure from the soil from below and upper pressure from the heat generator.
The main stages of work
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The first stage digs a trench, the size of which should be lower than the level of freezing of the soil and 10 cm wide wider than the future foundation (from all sides). So the mobility of the soil will less affect the foundation.
A sand cushion of 30 cm is poured, in several stages: initially 15 cm and watered with water, let stand so that the water comes off. After that, another 15 cm of sand is poured and again spilled with water.
When the water has come down, gravel or red brick is poured, previously crushed. A layer is required at least 20 cm. The resulting layers are tamped and again covered with sand, watered. A stone with sand can be repeated until the sand ceases to leave when poured.
The next step is to make a pillow of crushed stone of a fine fraction of 10 cm. Everyone again tamps and mounts the formwork from timber and boards. The distance between the formwork and the edges of the trench should be 10 cm. A reinforced frame of reinforcement made of wire reinforced from the reinforcement is placed in the formwork. You can use old metal pipes.
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The concrete cushion is poured, so that its upper part is 15 cm below the soil base. Concrete is taken ready, or is made as for the foundation for an iron stove.
They allow the foundation to harden for 2-4 days and remove the formwork boards. The walls of the obtained base should be smeared with bituminous mastic or tar in 2 layers, after melting it.
The resulting distance between the foundation and the trench is covered with sand mixed with large stone or rubble and carefully rammed. The base is covered with asbestos paper in 2 layers and red brick is laid out.
Details of the design can be seen in the video:
Foundation of pile supports and reinforced concrete slab
Figure - diagram of a reinforced concrete slab on the columns for a bath stove.The simplest but most expensive way of laying the foundation for a bath stove is a reinforced concrete slab with a thickness of 150-200 mm. This option is suitable for any type of furnace and soil.
Mount the pile plate on pre-flooded posts or piles. Piles are used if the depth of freezing of the soil is less than 1.5 m, in other cases, columns are suitable. For their installation, they dig several small pits and fill up a sand pillow of 15–20 cm, spill and ram. Then gravel is poured and formwork is done. The reinforced base is inserted and poured with concrete from moisture-resistant cement. After solidification, the formwork is dismantled and around the posts it is covered with coarse sand. Top ruberoid is cut to size and spread in 2 layers. Then the columns of red brick are laid out in 2 rows. Height depending on the main foundation of the bath. A reinforced concrete slab is laid on top of the posts. The foundation is ready.
What design of the foundation for the bath you would not choose, you need to remember that it should not have connections with the main foundation. Only in this way the stove does not warp and it will last a long time.
Interestingly, since ancient times the stove in the Russian hut was placed directly on the floor - for this, the floor beams were simply strengthened or another additional one was laid. But today, a sauna stove without a foundation is nonsense, because for the sake of saving modern builders began to embed floor beams directly into the first crown, and the previous method of installing the stove is no longer suitable. And the foundation for the sauna stove is simply necessary not only because of stability - it is he who will protect it from destruction, cracks and even fire. But for each furnace - its own foundation and its requirements for it, to understand what our article will help.
The traditional foundation for an oven in a bathhouse is made either from a cement-based buta, or from concrete, necessarily 5-10 cm more than the area occupied by the furnace in all directions. Its height should be the same as the height of the foundation of the bath itself. And on top of a ready-made base, waterproofing is laid out from roofing material or two roofing layers, on which bricks are laid dry and outlets are made from metal corners in order to build fire-fighting cuts.
The foundation for the future stove should ideally be designed in advance and implemented at the stage of pouring the common foundation
There are certain taboos in the construction of the foundation for the furnace: it is impossible, for example, to be concreted on a previously laid foundation, otherwise an uneven settlement of the furnace will certainly occur.
Therefore, the foundation for the stove in the bathhouse is also not connected with the foundation of the steam room itself, but if for some reason they are both in close proximity, it is necessary to arrange a sand filling in them half a meter thick between them.
Do you need a foundation for the furnace and what dimensions?
The dimensions of the base of the furnace depend more on the characteristics of the soil and the weight of the unit itself: for example, a fresh furnace will weigh about 8 tons, and in the dried state it will already be half as much. Sometimes an independent foundation is created under the main chimney, due to which there is no uneven shrinkage of the furnace.
Pouring the foundation for the future stove - the first stages of work
But how deeply the foundation for the furnace should be laid depends on many factors: the heaving and strength of the soil, the depth of its freezing, steam, the level of groundwater and whether the bathhouse itself was completed at the time of its construction. For example, on sandy and dry soils, the foundation for the furnace in the bathhouse needs to be done at 80 cm depth, and on heaving soils it must be below the freezing depth, i.e. 1 m 50 cm, and no less.
The foundation for a metal stove
Oddly enough, but the foundation for the furnace is necessary even if it is made of ultralight thin steel, and was purchased under a well-known brand in a hardware store. Because if it turns out to be a little skewed during operation, even if it is invisible to the eyes, nothing good will come of it.
So, under a sheet steel furnace, which weighs no more than 150 kg, the foundation must be done as follows:
- Step 1. Dig a pit and fill it well with gravel, ram it. Already rammed this layer should be at least 30 cm.
- Step 2. A cement mortar with an average consistency is poured onto the compacted crushed stone and left like this for a day - to freeze. The ratio is approximately this: one part of cement, four - sand, and water on the eye. This is the sole of the foundation.
- Step 3. Several pieces of roofing material are laid on the dried cement for waterproofing.
- Step 4. Now the pit is filled with concrete made in the following proportion: one part of cement, four parts of fine gravel and 2.5 parts of sand + water.
- Step 5. The horizontalness of the foundation foundation is checked.
How to make a foundation for a brick oven
But if instead of a metal structure heavy brickwork is planned, and the foundation for the oven with your own hands, you also need to do solid:
- Step 1. Digging a pit to a depth below the level of freezing of the soil and a width of 10 cm wider than the foundation itself - this is necessary to exclude all possible influences of soil movements.
- Step 2. At the bottom of the pit sand is poured 15 cm thick and filled with water. As soon as the water comes off, the sand is added again to the desired level, after which it is again filled with water. Only moisture will descend again, beaten brick or stone is put to the bottom - in a 20-centimeter layer. All this is compacted, again filled with sand and filled with water - this procedure is repeated several times until the sand stops settling.
- Step 3. Now a layer of crushed stone is poured into 10 cm, it is well compacted and formwork is made inside the pit so that 10 cm of free distance remains between it and the sides of the foundation, and a reinforced frame is located inside the formwork.
- Step 4. Concrete is laid in the formwork, but so that its height is not lower than 15 cm than the soil surface. As soon as the concrete dries, the formwork is dismantled, and the melted tar is applied in several layers to the sides.
- Step 5. Coarse sand and fine gravel are poured into the resulting free space.
Reinforced concrete slab with pile supports
Another modern way to equip the foundation for a sauna stove is to erect it on a reinforced concrete slab, the thickness of which can vary from 15 to 20 cm. It is installed on pile or columnar supports, depending on how deep the soil freezes.
But in any case, whatever the construction of the foundation of the bathhouse under the furnace, it should be completely independent of the main foundation of the bathhouse - so that the latter does not have any sedimentary effects on it. And then, with love, the stove made will please with a harmonious appearance and soft steam for many more years.
In the distant past, no one specially built the foundation for the stove in the Russian hut, the stove was simply placed on the floor, and so that it could withstand the load, it was simply reinforced floor beams or laid additional ones.
Nowadays, the question of whether it is necessary to ask the foundation at all for the furnace is simply not correct, because a quality foundation is not only stability, but also the protection of the furnace from destruction, cracks, and, of course, fires. Each foundation for a specific furnace has its own specific requirements and criteria, we will consider them in more detail.
Types of grounds
Speaking about what foundation is needed for the furnace, three main options are considered:
- concrete;
- concrete continuous casting;
- supporting pile foundation.
The classic foundation for the furnace is built from cement-based buta, or from concrete. The base itself should be 50-100mm larger than the area of \u200b\u200bthe furnace itself along the entire perimeter. In height, the foundation should be the same as the foundation of the bathhouse itself or the wooden house.
Roofing material or 2 roofing layers for waterproofing is laid on the finished foundation, bricks are laid out on the insulation and releases from metal corners are prepared, from which fire-resistant cutting is obtained.
The nuances of the construction
The first nuance is that the foundation for the furnace is not connected with the main foundation of the building. In addition, if they are close enough, then between them without fail lay a sand cushion about a half meter wide.
The second nuance: in no case can the old foundation be concreted, since further installation on the entire furnace structure will cause shrinkage, cracks will go and many other problems will arise.
What depth should be?
The most classic foundation for the furnace is being built with a solid plate. The depth of the base depends on the following factors:
- ground water level;
- soil type;
- soil freezing depth.
To avoid future surprises, before starting the construction of the foundation, it is worth conducting a geological exploration of the entire site, its cost fluctuates around $ 50. Thus, you can get accurate data on the level of groundwater, the type of soil, the depth of freezing of the soil. These data will help you determine exactly how deep the foundation should be chosen.
Depth calculation example:
- sandy and dry soils - 80cm;
- heaving - below the freezing zone, at least 1 meter;
- the weight of the brick furnace is calculated by the formula: 1350xV \u003d P, V - the volume of masonry.
Construction errors and their consequences
If mistakes were made in the design and construction, the following problems may come out in the future:
- through cracks on the furnace and its foundation;
- destruction and collapse of masonry (brick oven);
- violation of the integrity of the chimney;
- subsidence of the base, the stove will be rickety.
The biggest problem is that such failures are not amenable to normal repair. The situation will worsen, and the furnace will collapse.
Furnace location
After the depth of the future foundation for the furnace is determined, its dimensions, it is necessary to choose the right place where the stove will stand. This directly affects the location and outlet of the chimney. An unsuitable place in the future will create a bunch of problems with bypassing the supporting structures and lengthening the chimney pipe, and its output to the street.
Concrete foundation
To build it, we need:
- cement, if the soil is saturated with sulfates, and groundwater is high enough, use sulfate-resistant cement under the brand name SSPTS;
- coarse-grained sand is needed, without inclusions, the best option is mountain, but river and sea are also suitable;
- formwork;
- crushed stone;
- rolled waterproofing material, for example roofing material;
- trough for mixing the solution;
- bayonet and shovel;
- level;
- hammer and nails;
- construction stapler.
In order to build a quality foundation for a furnace that will serve for many years, it is necessary to clearly follow all the instructions. Consider each step in detail.
Foundation pit
Above, we already wrote about the depth of the foundation for the furnace. The pit should be deeper than the level of freezing of the soil, 100mm wider than the foundation itself - this is done in order to exclude the influence of soil movement.
Dry sandy soils - we take a depth of about 80 cm, heaving soils - not less than a meter.
Pillow
At the bottom lay a layer of sand at 15 cm, fill it with water. After the water leaves, we add more sand to the original level, again we pour water. After this, crushed stone and broken brick are laid, the thickness of this layer should be about 20 cm. The layer is compacted, more sand is poured, water is pouring. So we repeat until the sand ceases to settle.
Formwork and fittings
We lay the formwork along the perimeter of the pit, make backups every 50 cm. There should be at least 10 cm of empty space between the formwork and the ground. If your land is very dense and does not crumble, then you can do without formwork.
Reinforcing mesh ordinary, on sale you can find ready-made options.
Pouring concrete
The mixture for pouring the foundation under the furnace is made according to the following recipe:
- 1 part of cement;
- 3 parts of sand;
- 5 parts of crushed stone;
- water.
Everything is mixed, the solution is poured into the formwork. The formwork must first be moistened so that the tree does not absorb water from the concrete mixture. The filling is carried out in layers of 20 cm, each layer must be beaten to remove air from the mixture. Thus they reach the highest point. The top of the foundation is leveled and covered with roofing material or tarpaulin.
An important point: during drying (about 3 weeks), the foundation must be constantly watered and it is advisable to protect it from the sun.
After removing the formwork, voids between the ground and the foundation are covered with fine gravel and coarse sand.
Concrete base
The first step is the marking of the pit, as well as the concrete foundation for the furnace, rubble requires a pit size of 10-15 cm more, in order to avoid the accumulation of soil. A layer of crushed stone of 15 cm is filled up at the bottom, the layer is rammed.
The formwork is installed in the same way as in the example with a concrete base.
Further, a layer of large stones is laid on the bottom, but not more than 15 cm in diameter. Crushed stone is poured over to fill the voids between the stones. On top is the laying of a cement-sand mortar, prepared in a ratio of 1 to 3. The cement is taken at least 400 marks.
Each new layer of stones is laid only after a day. If you do not let the layers settle, then in the future this will significantly reduce the service life of the rubble foundation. In general, the fill is completed when about 7 cm remains to the floor level. After that, the building level is taken and the surface is even. If there are deviations, they are removed using a cement-sand mixture.
The leveled foundation is covered with polyethylene and left for a couple of weeks for complete drying. In this case, the solution must be watered daily with water and try to protect it from the sun.
After a couple of weeks, the formwork is removed and waterproofed. Alternatively, molten tar is applied to the foundation. All voids between the foundation of the furnace and the soil are filled with coarse sand and small gravel.
As you can see, the rubble foundation under the furnace is being erected almost in the same way as ordinary concrete.
Support pile foundation for the furnace
This is one of the modern and effective ways to build foundations. This option is perfect for both a bathhouse and a wooden house.
The essence of the method is that a reinforced concrete slab with a thickness of 15-20 cm is installed on piles or columnar supports - this depends on the depth of freezing of the soil.
Installation of such a foundation is extremely simple:
Holes with a diameter of about 20 cm are drilled to the desired depth in the ground. Crushed stone is poured onto the bottom with a thickness of 10-15 cm. The layer is well compacted. Next, tubes made of roofing material are inserted into the pits, they serve as a formwork. Concrete mixture is poured into them. All this is left to dry for a period of 14 days.
As soon as the pillars fully gain strength, a reinforced concrete slab is installed. On the upper edge carry out waterproofing using roofing material. The surface is smeared with hot bitumen or cold mastic; roofing material preheated by the burner is laid on top.
Foundation for a metal furnace
A metal furnace, even if it is made of light thin steel, also requires a separate pedestal. This is due to the fact that if the furnace does not stand level, this can lead to many problems.
Algorithm for building a foundation for a furnace made of metal weighing no more than 150 kg.
- Stage 1. We mark and dig a foundation pit no more than half a meter deep.
- Stage 2. We lay a layer of rubble and ram it. The final layer should be no less than 30 cm thick.
- Stage 3. Concrete mortar is poured, it is left for a day to set.
The solution is done in the following proportion: 1h. Cement, 4 hours Sand, water until the mixture becomes like fat sour cream. At this stage we laid the bottom of the foundation. - Stage 4. When the layer is taken, it is necessary to lay on it a ruberoid for waterproofing.
- Stage 5. The whole remaining part is poured with concrete, but according to a different recipe: 1 hour. Cement, 4 hours Gravel, 3 hours Sand and water.
- Step 6. The top end layer is level. It should be perfectly flat.
The foundation freezes in a few weeks. Do not forget to constantly moisturize it.
In the article we examined what types of foundations for stoves are, how to make such a foundation, at what depth to lay.
We hope our tips will help you in the construction of your stove in a bathhouse or wooden house.
A stove in a bathhouse is an important attribute, on the quality of which the functionality and safety of the entire structure depends. There are special requirements for bath stoves: they must be fireproof and easy to operate. One of the criteria for assessing the quality and safety of the stove in the bath is the presence of the foundation for the stove structure and its proper arrangement.
Types of foundation for the stove in the bath
The foundation for the bath stove is a must. This is because the metal or brick oven has a significant load on the floor in the bath. The lack of a solid base will lead to deformation and destruction of the floor structure and the furnace itself. Therefore, in parallel with the main foundation for the bath, it is necessary to consider the arrangement of the base for the stove.
In most cases, the following types of foundation are used for the sauna stove:
- Monolithic concrete foundation is considered the most popular, poured simultaneously with the main foundation or as a separate structure. The depth of such a foundation for a bath stove should not be large, so in most cases they add sand, gravel or buta.
- The brick base is also a monolithic slab laid out of several rows of bricks. The strength characteristics of such a foundation are at a high level, like a concrete base, but with some advantage. In particular, we are talking about the possibility of dismantling if necessary. However, it should be borne in mind that on problematic soil, prone to seasonal shifts, the integrity of such a foundation may be impaired.
- The column foundation can be called a rarity, it is erected in the case when the above options are not suitable.
The height of the foundation under the stove in the bath
The foundation for the sauna stove can have three heights:
- Above the floor.
- At floor level.
- Below floor level.
The first two options are used very often, so questions about them practically do not arise. As for the third option, it is used for two reasons:
- Firstly, air intake to maintain the combustion process is carried out from the underground space. Consequently, the burning of oxygen in the dressing room or rest room does not occur. A prerequisite in this case is the presence of ventilation holes that will ensure the flow of air.
- Secondly, due to the enhanced air circulation in the subfloor, the floor in the bath warms up much faster. This applies to both concrete and wooden floors.
It should be noted that air intake from the subfloor can be arranged for a metal furnace on a foundation made at or above floor level. For this, a metal pipe with a shutter is welded into the side of the structure.
Foundation device for an iron bath furnace
The technology for creating the foundation for a metal stove in a bath involves the following actions:
- First of all, you need to dig a pit. Its length and width should slightly exceed the parameters of the stove. As for the depth, it depends on the characteristics of the soil. Most often, the bottom of the foundation of the sauna stove is located below the level of freezing of the soil, about 0.5 meters.
- The bottom of the pit is well leveled and tamped.
- The crushed stone is poured with a layer of about 30 cm, it is also leveled and compacted manually or mechanically. Read more.
- Prepare a solution of 1 part cement, 4 parts sand and water. The resulting mixture is poured over a layer of crushed stone, the thickness of the cement-sand mortar can be several centimeters.
- The cement screed must be left for some time until the cement gains the necessary strength.
- Next, perform the waterproofing of the screed, using for this purpose strips of roofing material (read in more detail,). Such protection from the negative effects of moisture will extend the life of the base of the sauna stove. As a result of these actions, a peculiar pillow is formed under the foundation, which softens the destructive effect of heaving soil on it.
- To create the main foundation, a concrete solution is prepared, which contains 1 part of cement, 4 parts of crushed stone and 2.5 parts of sand (we also have a detailed article about that). All components are mixed dry and water is added in small portions. The solution should have a uniform consistency of medium density.
- The concrete mass is poured on top of the roofing material, the surface is well leveled and checked for horizontalness using the building level.
It should be noted that the finished base for the bath stove is located below the floor by 0.3-0.4 meters. To raise the foundation to the level of the floor or above it, use refractory brick. On top of the concrete base, 3-4 rows of masonry are made of refractory bricks, and the masonry is performed over the entire area, and not along the contour of the stove.
Foundation for a brick sauna stove
A brick furnace is a rather massive construction; it puts a load on the foundation 4-5 times more than an iron furnace with similar parameters. Therefore, the foundation for such a structure should be more solid and solid.
Foundation for a brick stove
The foundation for the brick stove is formed according to the following technology:
- Initially dig a pit, its depth should be at least 0.7 meters. As for the width and length of the pit, it is important here that they exceed the parameters of the main structure by about 0.2 meters.
- The bottom of the finished pit is leveled and carefully tamped.
- Then sand is poured with a layer of up to 0.2 meters, it is well moistened and compacted with a vibrating plate or other device.
- On top of the sand layer, it is necessary to pour broken bricks, rubble or stones. The height of this layer should be at least 0.2 meters. The rubble material is well leveled, covered with a small amount of sand, spilled with water and thoroughly compacted. The sand should fill all the voids in the rubble layer, so it is added until the material remains on the surface.
- On top of the compacted layer of rubble material and sand, rubble of medium fraction is poured to a height of up to 0.1 meters, it should also be tamped with the help of special devices.
- On the formed pillow, formwork from wooden boards is arranged. If the pit in length and width exceeds the furnace by 0.1 meters on each side, then the dimensions of the formwork must fully correspond to the length and width of the sauna stove. Above the ground, wooden formwork should rise by about 15-20 cm.
- A reinforcing cage is placed inside the formwork structure, steel rods with a diameter of 12 mm are used for its manufacture.
- Next, prepare the concrete mortar according to classical technology and pour it into the formwork with a reinforcing layer. Before pouring concrete, the walls of the formwork are moistened to prevent the absorption of moisture from the concrete mixture. The solution is poured in layers of 0.2 meters until the upper level of the wooden formwork is reached, the surface is well leveled and left for 21 days to set concrete with the necessary strength. During this time, the foundation should be protected from drying out.
- After that, the wooden structure is dismantled.
- Between the walls of the pit and the finished foundation, a space of 10 cm was formed on each side under the brick sauna stove, which allows waterproofing the base. For this purpose, use melted tar, which covers the side surfaces of the foundation in 2-3 layers.
- Then the free space is filled with fine gravel or coarse-grained sand. A unique drainage layer is created from these materials.
The need to warm the foundation of the sauna stove
The question whether or not to insulate the foundation of the stove in the bath worries almost every host. However, the decision is made in each case individually. Before making a positive or negative decision on this issue, it is necessary to understand the purpose of thermal insulation of the foundation.
Firstly, the absence of a layer of insulation leads to the formation of condensate on the inner walls of the foundation in the winter during the heating of the sauna stove, since in this case the temperature difference is quite large. The presence of moisture helps to reduce the life of the foundation and reduces its strength characteristics.
Secondly, the heat-insulating layer compensates for seasonal movements of the soil, reducing the degree of destructive effect of heaving forces on the foundation of the stove in the bath.
Thirdly, the warmed foundation does not thaw in the winter when the furnace is burning, therefore, the probability of its destruction is reduced.
In any case, thermal insulation of the foundation of the bathhouse furnace allows to reduce fuel consumption.
In general, the technology of manufacturing the foundation for a bath stove is not particularly difficult, independent work execution can significantly save material resources. However, to create a solid and reliable foundation, a sequence of actions is required. Otherwise, deformation of the structure and, as a consequence, further destruction are not excluded.
When planning a bath, you need to think about many nuances, since there simply cannot be petty issues here. Even at the stage of drawing up the plan, you need to worry about the foundation for the stove in the bath, because it plays the most basic role here. The sauna stove, according to accepted building codes, should only be on a solid and reliable foundation.
Why do we need a foundation for an oven in a bathhouse?
Starting to build a bath, you need to think not only about how to finish the steam room, or from what material the walls should be laid. It is also important whether you need a foundation for a stove in a bathhouse, or can you do without it? Indeed, for its arrangement, additional building materials will be needed. And this will necessarily lead to unnecessary financial costs. It will take some effort to fill such a foundation. Naturally, the first visit to the steam room with a birch broom will have to be postponed for a certain time.
This is not such a petty question, because the foundation will have to be concreted. It’s not very easy to do such work yourself. In addition, in order to be able to carry out further work, it will be necessary to wait about a couple of weeks until the concrete foundation for the furnace in the bath is completely dry. It is important to consider one thing: the lack of a reliable base for the furnace can lead to the fact that it will collapse faster.
Helpful advice! If we are talking about a stove weighing from 200 to 700 kg, you can not worry about the foundation for it. Only a strong floor will be enough here. But we must not forget about the fire safety requirements.
What to consider?
So, you need to solve all the questions regarding the foundation for the furnace only after it becomes known what it should be:
- classic brick;
- steel;
- cast iron.
And whether it will be wood, gas or electric - this is a secondary question. Here, its weight plays a very important role. It is from this indicator that it is necessary to build on the construction of the bath.
The foundation issue for a metal or cast-iron furnace is much easier to solve. It will be enough to make a reliable floor. For example, concrete it, and then lay the tiles on top. Then you can safely put almost any metal furnace. As for the brick heating units, their weight can vary greatly, starting from 500-600 kg, and ending with several tons. In the most common private saunas, which are built on an individual basis, the weight of a brick kiln is usually 1.2 - 1.5 tons. So an individual base for the oven in the bath should be mandatory if it will weigh from 700 kg.
The foundation for the furnace is needed for several reasons:
If you lay a brick oven directly on the floor, this will lead to tragic consequences. Even if the floor is reliably concreted, and its layer is between 15 and even up to 20 cm, this will increase the load on the foundation of the entire bath. As a result of uneven loading, especially when the furnace is not built in the center of the bath, the entire structure is skewed.
The base for the furnace has several requirements. And two of them can be distinguished as the most important:
- It must be strong and reliable.
- Even seasonal soil movements should not affect its design in any way.
At the same time, it is very important to take into account which soil in the area where the bathhouse is being built: black soil, sandy, clay soil, or wetlands.
Good to know! When constructing the foundation for the furnace in the bathhouse, one should also take into account such an indicator as the depth of freezing of the soil. Indications in Russia can be different: from 60 cm (Krasnodar and Stavropol Territory) to 220-240 cm (Omsk, Vorkuta, Nizhnevartovsk).
The following indications indicate how deep the foundation should be for a brick oven in a bathhouse. Soil type taken:
- sand - 50 cm;
- rocky - 25-30 cm;
- clay - 70-80 cm;
- moist soil - 100 cm.
Separately, it is worth considering this option, if there is bulk soil on the site. In this case, the foundation must be built taking into account both the depth of its freezing and the level of dense intact soil.
Important tip! When planning the construction of a foundation for a furnace in a bathhouse, the following formula should be followed: 1350 * V. Here the coefficient V speaks about the volume of the total masonry in cubic meters. The mass of both the used bricks and the masonry mixture should be taken into account.
What can be the basis if the oven in the bath turns out to be no more than 700 kg? In this case, you can do the following:
- on top of the finished floor you need to lay out a solution of clay;
- then an asbestos sheet is laid;
- then you need to put a sheet of metal (you can use roofing iron);
- only now can you install the oven.
In this case, it will be possible to achieve a double goal. Firstly, all fire safety standards will be observed. And secondly, the thermal insulation readings of the floor will increase, i.e. heat from the stove will not go under the floor.
Useful advice: it is necessary to choose a metal sheet so that there is at least 25 cm free space between its ends and the walls of the furnace.
Exactly the same can be the basis for any furnace, even if its weight does not exceed 200 kg. Nevertheless, experienced builders note that such an arrangement cannot be called 100% reliable, therefore it is advised not to do so if the floor in the bathhouse is wooden. It is better to remove the wooden flooring at the installation site of the furnace and make brickwork. But in any case, under the bottom you will need a pillow of sand and gravel.
Classification of stove foundations for a bath
Before making the foundation for the oven in the bathhouse with your own hands, it is necessary to clarify what types it can be. Such designs are classified by the following characteristics:
- by level of penetration;
- by type of construction;
- according to the material of manufacture.
As for the material from which the foundation can be made, concrete, brick or rubble stone are most often used. The latter option can be called not only the simplest, but at the same time budget. A brick can only be used if the furnace is not very heavy and massive. So usually the foundation for a stove in a bathhouse is made of concrete.
But if you take into account the type of foundation construction, then there are more varieties. You can apply this base:
- tape;
- tiled;
- on screw piles;
- columnar construction with base plate.
The most reliable is the tape furnace foundation. If this is a floating tape, then it is only suitable for a small brick oven. But the recessed design is ideal for any massive furnace. But for this option, the foundation will require a lot of labor.
If the soil in the area where the bathhouse is being built is mobile, then it is better to make a tiled base. A concrete slab is made for the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe furnace. But it must be reinforced. Then it will be distinguished by its rigidity and a slight displacement of the soil will not do any harm. After all, the structure moves with the soil. But if strong soil heaving is observed here, then the best option is a columnar foundation for the furnace. The most expensive option can be considered a base made on screw piles.
It's important to know! To build a stove in a bathhouse on only one pillar will not succeed. To achieve the intended goal, you need to wait until the concrete pillars are dry, and then a concrete slab is poured on top.
Important principles, or how to avoid making a mistake?
Each builder of the bath wants her to serve as long as possible. In many respects, it depends on what basis the stove stands on. Therefore, you need to remember about the most basic rule that must be observed: the base for the furnace must be built along with the foundation for the bath. Especially when it comes to strip foundations. It should be borne in mind that the depth of the entire structure should be approximately the same.
But if the bathhouse has already been built (or the old building is being rebuilt under it), then in no case should a strip concrete foundation be made under the furnace. Especially if the oven is heavy. Otherwise, shrinkage, and further destruction of the furnace, cannot be avoided. The only correct solution to this problem is to make a columnar or pile foundation. And on top already make a concrete slab. But in any case, one must not forget that there should be waterproofing between the base and the furnace. How to do all this correctly, can be seen in the video: