How to make a strip foundation for a bath with your own hands – step -by -step instructions

Constructing a bathhouse can be a fulfilling endeavor, providing a private haven for unwinding and wellness advantages. The foundation-laying phase of this process is one of the most important. Because a strip foundation can support the structure evenly and is long-lasting, it is perfect for bathhouses.

Although building a strip foundation may seem difficult, it is completely doable with the right instructions and simple equipment. With this method, you can guarantee the longevity of your bathhouse by creating a stable base through trench digging, formwork construction, and concrete pouring.

We’ll walk you through every stage of creating a strip foundation for your bathhouse in this article. We’ll go over every important detail, from site preparation to concrete curing, to give you the confidence you need to finish this foundational work. Together, let’s begin constructing a sturdy foundation for your bathhouse.

DIY Bath Foundation tape

The bathhouse foundation is a common construction method that consists of a continuous tape made of concrete solution, red brick, or blocks in various configurations. It is placed below ground level to allow groundwater to run through it, but stays above freezing point by at least 20 centimeters.

• If you plan to use the basement for different purposes (as a back room, zones for storing tools, pump, etc.D.)
• If the building is planned to be large and heavy (assembled from rounded logs, bricks)
• When a high level of groundwater is noted

A bathhouse’s strip foundation can support the weight of the entire structure and transfer it to the ground. The plinth’s walls can function as a ground floor or basement while shielding the foundation from the elements and wind. The foundation’s cost is average; it is more than that of a columnar foundation but less than that of a monolithic one. Excellent value for money, particularly if you are setting up a bathhouse’s strip foundation by hand.

Calculating the foundation for a bathhouse

You will most certainly need step-by-step instructions when pouring a bathhouse’s strip foundation by hand.

The foundation cannot be made "by eye" (like any construction work). Preliminary calculations must be made, a diagram must be created, a work plan must be created, a project must be undertaken, and all guidelines must be closely adhered to without sacrificing any material costs.

The weight of the future bathroom, including all floors, interior fixtures, and roofing, the degree of soil layer freezing, and the groundwater flow in the prepared area are all necessary to accurately calculate the foundation. It is possible to accurately determine the depth, width, and height of the bathhouse’s strip foundation by looking at the soil. You can assign the research to experts or handle it yourself.

Drilling wells multiple times across the construction site until water appears is required to carry out the first set of calculations, which looks at the soil freezing boundary and groundwater levels. An appropriate shallow strip foundation for clayey, dense soils with low groundwater levels is 40–60 centimeters in height. A strip foundation that is 1.6–1.8 meters deep (below the soil freezing boundary) is chosen for middle zones.

Approximations of the weight indicators for each bathhouse component are included in special tables that are used to compute the loads on the strip foundation, which ultimately becomes a structure.

Here, a lot is dependent on the design elements and materials employed. To the indicators are added the weight of all the bathhouse equipment and people (the total number of people who can be in the building at once). The tables also determine the soil resistance.

The total load from above, divided by the soil resistance, yields the strip foundation’s dimensions.

Methods of foundation installation

Prior to creating a strip foundation by hand for a bathhouse, it is crucial to determine the structure’s materials and geometry, installation technique, and other crucial factors that influence the foundation parameters.

Brick strip foundation

Red brick is the only material suitable for building a bathhouse because white silicate deteriorates easily in the presence of moisture. Because concrete mortar allows water to pass through, pay close attention to the seams when selecting a brick foundation. They need to be well waterproofed.

If you are building a bathhouse on dry, sandy soil by hand, brick is a great option. In the event that the groundwater table is relatively high, it is preferable to construct a concrete foundation that requires steel rod and screed reinforcement. On a well-compacted cushion of sand and gravel, a sturdy brick foundation is laid. All tasks can be completed independently because bricks are lightweight, easy to lay, and quick to set.

From blocks

You can use reinforced concrete blocks to design a bathhouse’s strip foundation by hand, but you’ll need specialized tools for the task because the blocks are heavy and impossible to lift on your own. 20x20x40 centimeter blocks can be used to create a block foundation for a small building. The blocks should ideally be laid in a checkerboard pattern to imply a cement connection. Installation requires a maximum of one to two days, and the blocks are strictly laid in accordance with the markings on a sand cushion.

From stone

It is also possible to create a high-quality rubble concrete base by hand; it is composed of cement and usually river stone that is flat and of the same size. Assuming that the stone is not being delivered from a great distance, a sturdy, attractive base is produced by carefully layering the stone in the formwork and pouring the concrete mixture over it.

With permanent formwork

Two polystyrene foam slabs are used in a new technology called permanent formwork strip foundation installation for bathhouses. Concrete is poured on top of everything, and steel-reinforced wire strapping is made inside. They are connected by metal pins. The foundation is as strong as any other installation technique and doesn’t require extra insulation or waterproofing.

From concrete

The easiest and least expensive way to build a monolithic foundation is with concrete. It is made by mounting formwork, inserting steel reinforcement (tied and properly positioned on clamps), and then filling it with sturdy concrete. Since the pouring is done all at once, you will need to use a concrete mixer that supplies the solution to the job site or enlist the help of a few more people.

After the first setting, the concrete hardens for 28 days, at which point the formwork is removed and the foundation is prepared for additional building.

You can take on a useful and satisfying DIY project by building a strip foundation for your bathroom. This tutorial deconstructs the procedure into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from organizing and trench excavation to pouring concrete and completing the foundation. A little work and well-written instructions will have you ready to go for your bath with a sturdy base.

Marking

You must learn how to mark the territory before you can pour the bathhouse’s strip foundation correctly. Marking all of the future walls’ internal and external boundaries is part of the marking that is in line with the project.

You will need a cord, a square, a plumb line, regular pegs, and a large tape measure to perform external marking.

The initial stake is inserted into the ground at the location of any intended building corner (with required vertical level control). The remaining corner stakes are also driven into the ground, and the structure’s perimeter diagonals are examined. The height of the foundation is then indicated by the horizontal level of a cord that is pulled between the stakes. Use a level to check the cord’s levelness.

Next, identify the locations of the partitions by marking the inner walls around the perimeter. Next, move back from the outer edge to a width that matches the strip foundation, insert the stakes, extend the cord, and label the partition locations. Everything needs to be level here as well, so a construction square, plumb line, and tape measure are essential.

Excavation work

The kind of soil that the foundation is built on directly affects its depth. To ensure the base is even, a trench is dug along the designated elements, and the ditch bottom is tamped by hand or with a vibrating plate. Sand that is between seven and forty centimeters thick should then be added, depending on the kind of foundation.

• 7 centimeters – shallow foundation
• 7-15 centimeters – deep foundation
• 15-40 centimeters – if a floating foundation is laid

Sand is applied in a horizontal layer, moistened, and compacted. When adding a layer of crushed stone or laying a large amount of sand, the work is done in layers of five to seven centimeters. After two to three days, when the cushion has completely dried, more work is permitted.

Formwork for concrete screed

Formwork is made from slate, fiberboard, any kind of board, plywood panels, and other materials for a strip foundation for a bathhouse. You can even rent collapsible plastic or metal structures. The material is placed inside the trenches after being wrapped in polyethylene, and its exterior is immobilely supported by lumber and stakes.

The formwork’s walls must be separated by transverse struts, and metal studs must be fastened every 50 centimeters. By doing this, the chance of the solution’s mass escaping through the divided seams will be completely eliminated. The shields are secured with self-tapping screws or a stapler, and 20-centimeter nails are used to anchor them to the ground.

Communication pipe holes are pre-drilled into the panels so that you won’t have to drill into the concrete later on, which would weaken it. In addition to preserving the panels, covering the formwork with film or parchment will stop moisture from penetrating the wood, which is why concrete frequently cracks.

Reinforcement

Without reinforcement, a bathhouse’s foundation base cannot be built. Select reinforcement with a cross-section of 6–8 millimeters for perpendicular and vertical laying, and 12 millimeters for longitudinal laying, in order to strengthen. The following supplies are needed for reinforcement: wire, steel rods, tape measure, grinder, and welding machine (if welding the frame instead of knitting it).

Four or more rods arranged in three planes—vertical, perpendicular, and longitudinal—make up the structure. The completed frame has extra reinforcement at the corners and rises at least five centimeters above the ground. If the armored belt section is either square or rectangle-shaped, the work is done correctly.

• Measuring the perimeter, cutting the reinforcement to the required length.
• Laying out the reinforcement on the ground, tying with wire – longitudinal rods are laid with an overlap of 30 centimeters, tied. There should be a step of maximum 50 centimeters between the vertical and perpendicular rods. To lay a foundation wider than 120 centimeters, a frame is made from a larger number of rods.
• Strengthening the foundation in the upper part with special clamps in the shape of the letter P.
• Adding steel rods to the frame, which are laid at an angle of 45 degrees in relation to the horizontal rods.

Pouring the tape

The bath foundation should ideally be poured all at once in a single day to ensure the structure’s strength and dependability. In this case, a concrete mixer is essential, but if you don’t have one, you can order the necessary amount of cement mortar.

• Clean sand – 2.5-3 parts
• Cement grade M400 at least – part
• Clean crushed stone – 4-5 parts
• Water – in sufficient quantity to obtain a mixture of medium consistency

Using shovels or trowels, each layer of the solution is leveled after it has been poured in 20 centimeter increments. Next, tamp the formwork’s walls by tapping or piercing them with a vibrating drill. It is preferable to cover the foundation with polyethylene film at night if the work is finished by the evening. For the first 10 to 12 days, you must mist the surface with water during the day. After that, take down the formwork, give it 28 days to fully strengthen, apply an insulation layer, and carry on with your work.

Step	Description
1	Plan and mark the foundation area based on your bath"s dimensions.
2	Excavate the trench where the strip foundation will be laid. Ensure it"s deep enough for your foundation"s requirements.
3	Place a layer of gravel at the bottom of the trench for drainage.
4	Build the formwork using wooden planks to shape the foundation.
5	Install reinforcement bars (rebar) within the formwork for added strength.
6	Pour concrete into the formwork, ensuring it"s evenly distributed and free of air pockets.
7	Level and smooth the surface of the poured concrete.
8	Allow the concrete to cure properly, following recommended curing times.
9	Remove the formwork once the concrete has set and hardened.

Creating a strip foundation for your bathroom is a worthwhile project that raises the functionality and value of your home. You can guarantee a strong and long-lasting foundation by adhering to the detailed instructions.

Always remember to make a thorough plan, acquire all required supplies and equipment, and adhere to safety precautions at all times. A good result can be achieved by taking your time and being meticulous.

You can build a solid and dependable foundation that will support your bath for many years to come with perseverance and hard work. Experience the joy of finishing a project by hand and knowing that you have created a sturdy foundation for your comfort and relaxation.

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