3 years of operation of the bath from the blocks: all the pros and cons got out

  • Dec 10, 2020
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As a builder, I constantly have to deal with preconceptions about building a bathhouse from blocks. People think in several groups of stereotypes:

  • blocks - this is a bad material that will not survive even a couple of years of operation;
  • traditional Russian bath - always wooden, and the rest of the materials - "from the evil one";
the blocks look cheap and spoil the whole appearance of the bath.

I call all these statements stereotypes because they are not directly related to reality. I had a chance to participate in projects of building a steam room from blocks and today I want to share my experience. The classic structure of a block bath is as follows:

  • the main box of the building is located on a strip foundation and is connected to a two-meter extension;
  • the take-out and the box are covered with a roof, and the space under the take-out acts as a veranda (the veranda rests on flooded posts);
  • the entrance to the bathhouse is marked with an iron door;
  • the recreation room is covered with pine clapboard and separated from the steam room by a brick wall;
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  • the stove is located in the recreation room, and the entrance to the steam room is decorated with a wooden door;
  • all elements of the steam room are lined with linden (except for the floor - it is lined with larch), and the room itself is combined with a sink;
  • the screed is located under the floor;
  • homemade oven, welded from metal plates 9 millimeters thick. Equipped with a hinged water tank. The ash box is not provided in the oven;
  • the furnace tube is made of stainless steel and works by means of a galvanized sandwich.
The facades of block baths are usually not sheathed with additional materials. The blocks are independent - they can stand for decades if properly laid. The walls inside such a steam room do not bulge, even with constant use.

Bath blocks: pros and cons

Separately, I would like to talk about the qualities of the blocks. Of course, it is impossible to talk about all the blocks at once - they are foam concrete, expanded clay concrete, ceramic, etc. All these materials have their own characteristics that must be studied before purchase. But in general terms, the positive properties of blocks consist of the following points:

  • low thermal conductivity, which is comparable to wood;
  • the ability to absorb moisture and subsequently release it - "breathable" material;
  • minimal likelihood of fires - concrete is one of the most refractory materials;
  • high level of tightness (subject to the use of special glue);
  • high construction speed and ease of installation.

Do not take this post as an unambiguous campaign to build baths from blocks. This material has its own vulnerabilities, which it is important to know about before starting construction - in order to prepare for them in advance. The disadvantages of blocks include:

  • poor frost resistance. GOST provides only 35 freezing and thawing cycles without signs of destruction. In the conditions of severe Russian winters, this figure may decline even more;
  • low resistance to fungus formation. To avoid the spread of mycelium, the blocks must be treated with profile impregnations;
  • inhomogeneous thermal conductivity. The good quality of the thermal conductivity of concrete is disturbed by its unevenness. This factor depends on the size of the bubbles that appear after mechanical mixing.