How to build a pool with your hands in a sauna. How to make a pool in a bathhouse? Step-by-step instruction

Building a swimming pool in a bathhouse is more of a nice addition than a necessity. You can build it yourself. To do this, just act step by step and follow the instructions given.

Types of bath pools

Based on the type of structure, the following modifications are distinguished:

1. Collapsible. The cheapest option. They can be mounted/dismantled and transported.
2. Stationary. Made in the form of a concrete bowl. Installed on the surface or dug into the ground. They are distinguished by strength and durability.
3. Hydromassage (SPA). Compact devices for relaxation and hydromassage. Ideal for small baths. The disadvantage is the lack of the ability to swim.

Depending on their location, pools are distinguished:

• Domestic. Bathhouses are installed in the premises. Designed for year-round use.
• External. Installed outdoors. Operated in the warm season.

Stationary pool in the bathhouse

Before starting work, it is necessary to design the pool, determine its size and the shape of the recess. The optimal sizes are: mirror - 2.2 square meters. m; depth - 1.5 m; length (if swimming is intended) - 5.5 m. It is easier, faster and cheaper to build a rectangular structure.

Materials for a stationary pool in a bathhouse

When the project is ready, we purchase building materials. For a stationary pool we will need: W-8 concrete, cement, gravel or medium-fraction crushed stone, ceresite, sand, reinforcing mesh, mosaic or porcelain tiles (from 1.5 thousand rubles per piece).

When constructing a bathhouse inside, it is important that the pool bowl does not come into contact with the walls. During external construction, the distance to the foundation of nearby buildings should reach 0.6–0.8 m.

Installing a stationary pool in a bathhouse step by step

Work on installing a swimming pool in a bathhouse is carried out in the following sequence:

1. We prepare a foundation pit of the required dimensions. It should be 50 cm wider and 40 cm deeper than the planned bowl.
2. We make the bottom sloped. We place the drain pipe (10–12 cm in diameter) at the point of maximum depth and connect it with a pipe to the drainage hole or sewer. They should be placed further than five meters from the future pool.
3. We fill in a layer of sand about 5–7 cm and then compact it with a layer of gravel on top, lining it with a kind of sand and gravel cushion.
4. We hammer pins with a diameter of 1.2–1.4 cm along the walls at intervals of about 30 cm, with an indentation of 5–6 cm.
5. We make a horizontal strapping. The result should be a grid with cells up to 30 sq.cm. It can be welded or tied with wire.
6. Pour a layer of concrete (10–12 cm) and lay the reinforcing mesh. It is better to choose concrete that absorbs as much water as possible.
7. We tie the mesh to the wall reinforcement and fill it again with concrete to a depth of 10–12 cm.
8. Let the bottom dry for 12–16 hours.
9. We lay roofing felt and walking boards so as not to destroy the concrete base.
10. Using bars, we knock down the boards mounted for formwork inside the pit at a distance of 20–25 cm from the walls.
11. Pour a 20 cm layer of concrete. Compact thoroughly and repeat the process until the concrete reaches the top. We do the entire filling at one time.
12. After 48–72 hours we remove the formwork. Let the structure dry for 14–20 days. During the first week, moisten it with water about three times a day.
13. We lay a layer of waterproofing. For this it is better to use PVC film.
14. After complete drying, plaster the bowl. Add ceresite emulsion to the cement-sand mortar.
15. We produce finishing with glass mosaic or porcelain tiles. It is undesirable to use ceramic because of the porous base.
16. After all the work on arranging the pool is completed, we install additional equipment: lighting, heating and filtration devices, pumps.

Note that the construction of a stationary pool in a bathhouse will take 1.5–2 months.

Arrangement of a swimming pool in a prefabricated bathhouse

Such a model will be cheap, and its arrangement will not take much time. To do this you need to follow these instructions:

• Choose thick plastic film.
• We weld the approximate shape of the bowl with an iron.
• We place it in a frame of suitable size and fix it.

The design is considered disposable, but it can be installed in a short time with minimal costs.

Instructions for building a brick pool in a bathhouse

Before you make a brick swimming pool in a bathhouse with your own hands, you should draw up a construction project. This type is suitable for outdoor construction.

Materials for a brick pool in a bathhouse

To build a brick pool, we will need: geotextile membrane, crushed stone, gravel, coarse sand, waterproofing membrane, ribbed reinforcement with a diameter of 12 mm, M400 concrete, solid ceramic red brick, cement, water-repellent additive for mortar, liquid glass, plasticizer, primer, antiseptic, painting mesh, rubber paint, water-repellent glue, finishing material (mosaic, tile), reinforcing metal mesh, polystyrene foam, reinforced tape.

Installation instructions for a brick swimming pool for a bathhouse

The construction of a brick structure is carried out in stages:

1. We dig a pit 40 cm deep than the expected depth of the bowl.
2. We install the drain pipe at a slope.
3. We level the bottom and make a slope towards the drain.
4. We lay a layer of geotextile. On non-heaving soil you can do without it.
5. We fill in 20 cm of crushed stone of small and medium fractions. If the groundwater level is high, drainage pipes must be installed along the edges.
6. Compact using a vibropress.
7. We fill in a 10-centimeter layer of sand. We wet it with water for maximum compaction.
8. We lay strips of waterproofing membrane with an overlap of 10 cm. We glue the joints with double-sided construction tape. We put the edges on the walls. It is undesirable to use polyethylene due to its low strength.
9. We reinforce the bottom slab of concrete 20 cm in increments of 2–3 square meters. cm. To do this, we use ribbed reinforcement with a diameter of 1.2 cm. For heaving soils, we make reinforcement in 2 zones.
10. We pour concrete. The M400 type is considered optimal. It has high water-repellent characteristics. Let it dry for 10 days.
11. We dilute the sand-cement mortar with a plasticizer or liquid glass.
12. We make brickwork and reinforce each row with a metal mesh (4–5 mm) or several rods.
13. We install pipes for drainage into the wall.
14. Upon completion of the construction of the walls, we plaster with a water-repellent solution.
15. We prime it and after drying, coat it with an antiseptic.
16. Cover with one layer of paint mesh and re-plaster the surface.
17. We install additional elements - nozzles, drain.
18. We paint the walls with rubber paint to ensure waterproofing.
19. We carry out finishing work. To lay mosaics or tiles, we use hydrophobic adhesive.
20. We provide external waterproofing. For heaving soils, before this process we fill in a reinforcing mesh and plaster with a water-repellent solution.
21. We insulate the outside walls of the pool with a double layer of heat insulation. The optimal material for this is considered to be foamed polystyrene with a density of 35 kg/sq. m.
22. We seal the seams using reinforced tape or hydrophobic mastic.
23. We fill the space between the pit and the wall of the pool. For heaving soils, it is better to backfill with a mixture of gravel and sand.

It is worth noting that the best option for lining a pool is glass mosaic. With its help, you can easily eliminate minimal defects and unevenness of the pool surface.

Features of building a swimming pool for a bath, see the video:

Knowing how to make a swimming pool in a bathhouse yourself, you can save a lot of money. Hiring professionals or buying a ready-made structure is not cheap. With a little effort, you can independently implement any pool project: from the simplest and cheapest option to a luxurious model.

The swimming pool has been known in bathhouse usage since ancient times. Even the ancient Greek baths had them in their arsenal, and the legendary ones brought their use to practical perfection. In the domestic bathhouse tradition, just a few decades ago its presence immediately classified the establishment as elite, and today’s modern technologies make it possible to build a swimming pool in a bathhouse with your own hands quickly and efficiently. How exactly? Now we'll tell you.

Before you build a swimming pool in a bathhouse, you need to understand their typology and find out which design, in a particular case, will be optimal.

Stationary pool

It is a capital structure that has a permanent location, its transfer to another point in the bathhouse is not feasible, and all communications for its functioning are located in stationary technological channels. Such a do-it-yourself sauna pool, built and improved, is carried out with a long-term perspective. That is, redevelopment of the internal bathhouse volume is not planned in principle, and the functioning of the pool is associated with a sufficient area of ​​the washing department and the developed infrastructure of the bathhouse as a whole. A stationary structure has several characteristic features:

1. It can be in the form of a concrete bowl of sufficient area and depth. For other types of pools, which we will consider below, the use of concrete, reinforced concrete, and polymer concrete, in the vast majority of cases, is not typical.
2. As a rule, such structures have the maximum area and the widest range of functions relative to their counterparts.
3. It is stationary structures, although they are the most expensive to construct, but at the same time, they are the most durable and reliable.

Important! Technologies for creating polymer concrete stationary pools have been successfully practiced in the West for quite a long time; in our realities, the limiting factor for their widespread use is the lack of normal domestically produced polymer additives that would guarantee excellent quality throughout the entire life of the facility.

Mobile structures

They are based on a set of elements, which, when assembled in a certain sequence and in compliance with waterproofing techniques, allows you to obtain a completely functional container, albeit somewhat limited in its capabilities, relative to stationary pools. It is for mobile structures that the question of how to make a swimming pool in a bathhouse with your own hands, in most cases, comes down to assembling a ready-made industrial structure. Does such a pool have any clear positive aspects? Undoubtedly. Here they are:

• Even in the most conservative bathhouse, sometimes there is a need for redevelopment. It is precisely such structures that can ensure its implementation almost painlessly, which cannot be said about stationary pools. After all, their dismantling only means destruction and construction of such a structure “from scratch”;
• Such containers are inexpensive, easy to transport and install. Which, in turn, has a beneficial effect on the speed of construction and arrangement of the pool itself. Even today your bathhouse was simple and unpretentious, and next week it already has a swimming pool, and with the onset of the warm season it is already outside, and at sunset it is already indoors again. Miracles? No, absolute reality;
• The cost of prefabricated structures is quite low and is more than offset by their main quality - extreme mobility.

Attention! The main drawback of such products is insufficient rigidity and a large number of mating units, the space of which must be reliably isolated from the external environment in order to prevent leaks. The overall rigidity of the structure imposes an objective limitation on the volume of the accommodating space, and the interfaces guarantee water retention only if the product is a product of a well-known, well-known brand, and not a Chinese misunderstanding, which, even when new, flows like an old well bucket in a godforsaken forest farm.

SPA pools

Such designs stand somewhat apart from the rest, primarily due to the fact that their main function is not ordinary use in bathing, but rather sophisticated and non-trivial procedures. The abundance of functions and the complexity of the design make the question of how to make a pool with your own hands in a bathhouse of this particular type irrelevant. Let's be honest, the price of such complexes is far from social. Although, why be surprised here? The age-old wisdom: “You have to pay for pleasure” never loses its relevance.

Fonts

Something between a stationary object and a mobile one. From the first they inherited the capital arrangement of the base, from the second they inherited low weight, small volume, ease of installation and accessibility. Such pools are great for small-volume baths, such as, for example. The font can be traditional, made of wood, resistant to water, or made in the best trends of modern technology - from reinforced polymer.

Let’s admit honestly that the font will not provide the opportunity to swim in warm water. Its main goal is to quickly and effectively cool the body after a steam room, with a unique effect on the cardiovascular system, which is commonly called “gymnastics for blood vessels.” Fonts, in most cases, do not have a built-in water circulation and purification system. Due to the small internal volume, it is usually replaced completely, as needed, using a submersible pump and water sources, either main or separate, for example, wells and boreholes.

Positioning relative to the floor surface

By and large, the entire variety of pools can be divided into two main types: in-ground and non-in-ground. Recessed structures require the installation of a “bed” - a recess relative to the floor level into which the pool bowl is installed. Non-buried pools are installed with their soles directly on the floor surface.

Here, it is necessary to note the following pattern. The greater the volume of water held in the pool bowl, the deeper it should be positioned relative to the surface level. What is good about the recessed design:

1. Theoretically, the volume of water held in the bowl is limited by its strength, to a much lesser extent, since it is additionally supported by the mass surrounding it.
2. These structures are easy to use, even for people with limited mobility, since the water's edge is below floor level.
3. Such systems can be very well equipped, due to the fact that the equipment can also be placed in hidden cavities, channels and other communication systems. Without bringing them out.
4. Finishing requires a significantly smaller area, since the outer part of the bowl is hidden to varying degrees under the surface.

Non-recessed structures are much easier to install, since they do not require a “bed”. This is especially convenient when the idea that it is worth organizing a pool with your own hands in a bathhouse came after the bathhouse was built and began to function. This quality negates dismantling work in the plane of the floor and excavation work below it.

A word from Experienced! It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to build a deep enough swimming pool in a sauna with your own hands. For example, if the height of the ceilings of the washing room does not exceed 2200 mm, then with a pool depth of even 1500 mm, the free space above the water level in practice will not exceed 500 mm. And this is negligible. These designs are good for outdoor use, especially in conditions of varying terrain. Then, to ensure a convenient approach to the water's edge, it is enough to organize a small podium, and in conditions of a steep fall you can do without it altogether. Obviously, a non-buried pool has a limitation on capacity, since it is determined by the load-bearing capacity and strength of the walls.

We build it ourselves

As we said above, the construction of a swimming pool in a bathhouse, relatively mobile structures and polymer baths, comes down to its installation and hydraulic piping, and in some cases, without it at all. Another thing is how to build a stationary pool in a bathhouse with your own hands. In this case, both the volume of work and the time required to carry it out are assumed to be of a completely different order. However, first things first. We provide the answer to the question of how to make a swimming pool in a bathhouse with your own hands, a step-by-step guide.

Design stage

Designing a bathhouse and designing a swimming pool is the very first and, in many ways, determining stage. The ease of use, long-term and trouble-free operation, and the cost of maintenance and service will depend on the correctness and rationality of the solutions included in the project. At this stage it is determined:

• Type of future pool;
• Its capacity and depth;
• Functionality, including the possibility of water recycling, its purification, method of drainage;
• The locations of the hydraulic piping elements and the method of feeding them are determined;
• Method and technology for constructing the bowl and finishing it;
• Possibility of service maintenance and repair work.

Naturally, we have given only the key reference points of the project, which, under certain circumstances, cannot be an exhaustive list.

Laying a foundation pit

At this stage, the method of excavation work, the total amount of excavated soil and the method of its disposal are determined.

The pit should be wider than the perimeter of the pool by 450 - 550 mm and deeper than the line of its bottom by 250 - 280 mm. The laying of communication pipes, in the absence of a forced drainage mode, should be carried out with a rational slope of 1.75 - 3.5 degrees towards the receiving collector.

Remember! When excavating soil, it is necessary to take into account the coefficient of its loosening. For clays and high-moor loams it is 1.42 - 1.57. That is 10 cubic meters. m in a pillar will mean, on average, 15 cubic meters in a dumped heap.

After the rough excavation, the base of the pit and its walls are worked “clean”, giving it the final designed geometric shape.

A damper layer of sand-crushed stone mixture is laid at the bottom. To do this, 100 mm of sand is laid, spilled with water and carefully compacted, on top of 100 mm of crushed stone of a fraction of 5 - 20 mm, for better clinching of the mass and also carefully compacted.

If the possibility of water circulation is designed, then intake pipes are laid and technological cavities are arranged for mounting screamers and other hydraulic piping.

The final stage is the installation of primary waterproofing, which we talked about at one time.

Forming a concrete bowl

The key operation in solving the problem of how to make a pool in a bathhouse. The durability and functionality of the pool will directly depend on the quality and manufacturability of the work performed. So, step by step:

1. The base of the pool is filled with high-grade concrete, prepared at the rate of: 1 part sand to 1 part Portland cement, grade not lower than 400. For such work, it is better to use enriched quartz sand, however, it should be remembered that it is necessary to work with it very quickly, since such concrete is very quickly “deposits” water. Constant mixing of the mass is necessary, right up to the moment of immediate installation.
2. A reinforcing mesh is laid on top of the first, “root” layer of concrete, so that it completely covers the plane of the pool’s base. It is worth noting that the installation of the reinforcing frame must be done together with the walls, so that by installing the formwork in one operation, it is possible to form the walls of the bowl.
3. After laying the reinforcing mesh, the next “covering” layer is poured, which should completely hide the reinforcement.
4. After the base of the bowl is formed, its walls are poured. It is worth noting that by this time it is necessary to take care of the continuous supply of concrete into the formwork space, avoiding interruption of the operation until the mixture sets. Phased pouring of concrete over time can lead to the formation of so-called “links”, that is, places where fresh mortar lies on top of already reacted and set one. This phenomenon negatively affects the overall strength of the structure, and in the case of using a concrete bowl as a full-flowing pool, strength requirements are fundamental. Continuous preparation and placement of ready-mixed concrete can be ensured by means of mechanization of the process, which can be either a concrete mixer, at the stage of preparation on your own, or a concrete pump, in the case of using ready-mixed concrete produced at the facilities of an industrial concrete unit. If the laying process could not be completed in one day, then at the junction of the old and new layers, before starting a new pour, it is necessary to drill holes with a diameter of 15 - 20 mm, to a depth of 100 - 120 mm. The concrete mixture that gets into them will allow you to obtain higher and better adhesion between the old and new layers of concrete. When pouring the bowl, it is necessary to ensure that no voids form in the concrete mass. They are well suppressed by the use of tampers, both mechanical and primitive manual. Upon completion of the work, it should be remembered that the brand strength of concrete is manifested only at the time of its full maturation, which ends 21 days from the moment of its laying.
5. After the concrete has set and acquired primary structural strength, the formwork is dismantled and waterproofing work begins. The choice of waterproofing material directly depends on the chosen type and type of finishing of the interior of the pool bowl. If tiles are used as finishing finishing, then the rational choice should be considered the use of liquid, flowing waterproofing materials. We have already talked about the choice in detail, however, when solving the problem of how to make a pool in a bathhouse, you should remember that it is possible to use finishing materials with a zero or close to zero water absorption coefficient. The most optimal option should be considered the use of so-called porcelain tiles and glass mosaics. When using polyvinyl chloride film as a finishing layer, preference should be given to a material whose thickness is at least 3 mm.

By the way! When using PVC film, you should carefully evaluate its frictional qualities. A surface that is too slippery can not only cause discomfort during use, but also become a source of injury, in particular ankle sprains.

The use of heating systems should be considered only in conjunction with measures for thermal insulation of the bowl, otherwise the energy efficiency of such a hydraulic structure will be extremely low.

Conclusion

Concluding this review material, I would like to note several key points that determine the quality of solving the problem of how to build a pool in a bathhouse. If your bathhouse is small, built a long time ago, and its design does not provide for large-scale excavation work below the level of the floor and foundation, then, of course, you should give preference to simpler, although less functional, structures. With some work, it is possible to do without deepening the pool bowl or font. The following pattern has been developed practically. If the depth of the water tank does not exceed 0.75 m, then it can be installed without deepening at all. If this figure increases to 1.25 m, then the depth of the structure must be at least 50% of this value. If the depth reaches 1.5 m or more, then the bowl must be 100% buried. Naturally, as we said above, non-recessed or partially recessed structures located indoors must correspond to the height of the ceilings so that their use does not cause problems and difficulties. For the rest, it is worth recognizing that arranging a full-fledged swimming pool in a bathhouse is not an easy task, requiring balanced technical calculations and qualified execution. And maintaining a complex hydraulic system is an expensive and costly task. However, its presence makes relaxation in the bathhouse not only rich and enjoyable, but also more systematic and comprehensive, and the status of the bathhouse itself rises to a much more significant and presentable level.

Your own well-equipped bathhouse will be a wonderful place to relax with your family, a cheerful group of friends, and even alone, especially if you equip the steam room with a swimming pool. You can do the arrangement of a swimming pool in a sauna or bathhouse yourself - there is nothing super complicated in this event, you just need to read the manual, remember a few important nuances and do everything according to the instructions.

There are several types of sauna pools.

Stationary

Considered the most reliable. The base of such a pool is represented by a reinforced concrete bowl. Work on arranging such a structure requires preliminary digging of a pit and pouring the foundation. The pool can have a wide variety of dimensions, depth and shape - it all depends on the preferences of the owner and the area of ​​his bathhouse.

Collapsible

Very convenient mobile designs. The advantage is that, if necessary, such a pool can be disassembled, moved and assembled in a new location. The design is based on polyvinyl chloride.

Prefabricated structures are extremely easy to install, can have different sizes and are sold at an affordable price.

Among the disadvantages, it should be noted less reliability and lower strength compared to stationary pools.

Hydromassage

They are often installed in various spa salons and simple bath complexes. They have small dimensions - you won’t be able to swim in such a pool even if you want, but you can plunge into it after a steam room and additionally relax under the influence of hydromassage.

SPA pools are sold ready-made and do not require separate installation.

When choosing a specific type of pool, be guided by the dimensions of your bathhouse and personal preferences. This guide will discuss the procedure for arranging a full-fledged stationary structure.

What needs to be done before starting the main work?

Before you start building a pool, choose the size and shape of the structure that suits you, and also select a convenient place to place the reservoir.

When choosing a place, be guided by personal preferences; there are no special recommendations at this point. The main thing is that the bottom of the pool is at a distance of at least 50-100 cm from groundwater.

It is to protect against groundwater and generally increase the reliability of the structure that the pool must be built on a separate foundation.

Prepare in advance all the necessary equipment for arranging the pool. The list of tools and materials will vary depending on the hot tub configuration you choose.

In general, you will need standard construction set, which includes the following devices:

• shovels;
• level;
• boards for formwork;
• ready-made concrete or container and components for its preparation;
• various types of steel structures (channels, angles, etc.);
• waterproofing material. A polyethylene film with a thickness of about 0.7 mm is perfect. Use acrylic-coated film - this material is resistant to chlorine and eliminates the possibility of algae formation. If you wish, you can choose a more modern and expensive material.

Decide in advance whether you will buy concrete or prepare it yourself. Professionals recommend using concrete with a high water absorption rate. The best option is W8 concrete. This material has a dense structure and absorbs a minimal amount of moisture.

Prepare your pool design in advance. It is better if the construction of the pool was initially included in the bathhouse design. However, even in a ready-made steam room, you can arrange an artificial pond without any problems.

Design is a very important stage, the quality and correct execution of which directly determine the main characteristics of the finished pool.

When drawing up a project you need to do the following:

• solve architectural issues. Consider whether the pool of your sauna should be equipped with various additions such as artificial waterfalls, slides, etc.;
• design individual elements of the pool bowl;
• calculate load-bearing structures.

If you do not have design skills, entrust the drawing up of drawings to qualified specialists, or find all the necessary documentation in open sources. The drawings will allow you to cope with the arrangement of the pool in the shortest possible time.

With the help of a well-designed project, you can solve the following problems:

• calculate the main parameters of the bowl of an artificial reservoir;
• select equipment for arranging a swimming pool;
• plan engineering communications;
• provide for the installation of embedded elements;
• take into account the basic and additional nuances of convenient and safe use of the pool;
• calculate the required amount of materials for construction and finishing;
• calculate the approximate cost of arranging a sauna pool.

It is better that the drawings include a detailed explanatory note indicating such points as:

• installed equipment;
• methods of water purification and replacement;
• reagents used;
• other subtleties and important nuances of the arrangement of the pool and its further operation.

The work on independently arranging a sauna pool is carried out in several stages.

1. water supply
2. drain pipe (overflow)
3. water drain pipe
4. wooden boards
5. drainage mixture
6. pit (side walls)
7. wedges for fixation
8. metal plates
9. stairs
10. platform
11. inner part of the wooden panel
12. outer part of the wooden panel
13. block
14. fastenings (nails, bolts)
15. rail for clamping
16. Insulation film(PVC)

First step. Dig a pit. Select the depth and dimensions of the pit in accordance with the design data. The depth of the pit should be approximately 15 cm greater than the depth of the future pool.

Second step.

Third step.

Fourth step. Lay the reinforcing mesh.

Fifth step. Pour the second layer of concrete.

Sixth step.

Seventh step. Fill the walls with concrete. In this case, the bowl must be filled in one go, since pouring the walls in several stages will lead to a significant decrease in the reliability of the structure.

After pouring, the concrete must be properly treated to remove excess air. It is best to use a vibrating hammer for this operation.

If this is not available, simply pierce the concrete with a reinforcement rod in several places. In the future, the voids will need to be carefully filled with solution.

Level the fill and leave it to dry for about a month. Water the concrete periodically to prevent cracking.

If you don't have time to wait, instead of a concrete bowl, you can build a prefabricated structure from caissons. These products are metal plates. Concrete is poured between them. Finally, the seams are welded.

The option with caissons has a big drawback - the seams can become depressurized. Therefore, preference should be given to this method only as a last resort.

Eighth step. Waterproof the dried concrete. There are several options for arranging moisture protection. The fastest and most cost-effective method is to simply lay polyethylene film. It is enough to simply cover the inner surface of the concrete bowl with film.

A more modern, reliable and high-quality method of waterproofing is coating concrete with special compounds such as osmosis. Such products are applied in a double layer to a pre-moistened surface. A third layer of a special adhesive composition with a latex additive is applied on top. The result is the most reliable and high-quality protection against moisture.

Finishing options

Finally, all you have to do is finish lining the pool bowl. For this you can use various materials.

Tile

Special porcelain tiles are used for lining pools. This material has a higher density and a much lower water absorption rate compared to its popular ceramic counterpart. Such tiles are quite expensive.

It is important that the water absorption coefficient of the cladding is no more than 3%. It is strongly not recommended to use ceramic tiles for finishing swimming pools. This material has a porous structure; it will absorb and accumulate moisture, thereby creating favorable conditions for the proliferation of various harmful microorganisms.

When choosing tiles, give preference to elements with a rough surface - they do not slide as much as their smooth counterparts.

There are several types of mosaics. The best option in terms of quality and cost ratio is mosaic made on the basis of tempered glass. This is a dense and durable material that perfectly withstands moisture.

The main advantage of mosaics is the ability to implement the most interesting and unusual design projects - even real paintings can be laid out from small cladding elements.

At the same time, the mosaic is extremely wear-resistant, reliable and non-porous.

PVC based film

The most affordable material for finishing a pool. It has a thickness of about 1-1.5 mm.

PVC film is characterized by excellent waterproofing qualities. The material consists of 4 layers. A durable synthetic mesh is laid between the 2nd and 3rd layers, which improves the performance characteristics of the film.

This finish withstands a variety of natural and chemical influences. The material is extremely simple and easy to care for.

The top layer of the film has some roughness, which makes the material less slippery and more resistant to various kinds of microorganisms.

A geotextile fabric is preliminarily placed under the film.

Thus, if you have sufficient space in the bathhouse, free time and budget, you can safely begin arranging a full-fledged stationary pool. If you have problems with any of the mentioned parameters, install some small font or barrel instead of a concrete bowl.

Such containers, of course, are not as comfortable and spacious as the previously discussed pool, but they allow you to take a dip after the steam room and cool your body. For the rest, focus on your needs and capabilities, follow the instructions and everything will definitely work out.

Good luck!

Video - Do-it-yourself sauna with a swimming pool

A sauna with a swimming pool is the dream of many: it’s so nice to cool your steamed body in cool water. Lucky, of course, are those who have a river or lake nearby. The rest have to make themselves an artificial pond. Even the smallest pool in a sauna already brings a lot of pleasure. This, by the way, is one of the most economical options. To equip any other reservoir, more significant costs of time, effort, and money will be required. If possible, you can order the construction of a swimming pool from a specialized company.

If the company is chosen correctly, there will be much less hassle, but a lot of money will be spent: the work of good craftsmen is not cheap. There is an option that will be cheaper, but will require a lot of your time and effort: you can make a pool in a bathhouse with your own hands.

Ideally, the pond is planned simultaneously with the bathhouse. Then it can be placed in a specially designated room. If planning and construction are completed, and there is simply no space for a pool, you can locate it outside the bathhouse. They are often located under a canopy, roof, in an extension or in a pavilion.

Pools according to their design can be divided into:

The range of artificial reservoirs is wide. They can be of different sizes and made of different materials. Moreover, there are both very expensive projects with a bunch of all sorts of accessories, devices, operating modes, etc., and affordable ones, but less functional. It can be considered a classic of the genre, a little easier to manufacture. Currently, they are gaining popularity.

Do-it-yourself capital pool for a bathhouse

The construction of a permanent permanent pool requires a project. It requires a pit of appropriate size. The shape and depth are chosen arbitrarily, but it is necessary to carry out calculations that will clearly show whether or not the reservoir you have imagined can be realized. The thing is, water poured even into a small pool weighs at least 10 tons. And calculation is necessary, firstly, in order to understand whether a reservoir of such a shape is in principle possible, and secondly, in order to determine the thickness of the walls capable of holding such a mass. You can try to find ready-made projects, look at the calculations, and if you are lucky and you are satisfied with one of the options, feel free to start building a pool with your own hands in a sauna or bathhouse.

If you are unlucky and the project is not found, you need to take into account a lot of nuances. When planning, you need to take into account the depth of groundwater. There should be at least 1 meter from the bottom to them. It must also be remembered that when building a swimming pool indoors, there must be a distance of at least 30 cm between the walls of the reservoir and the foundation of the bathhouse. It can be filled with compacted sand, or for better heat and moisture insulation, a layer of foam plastic can be laid, and the remaining space can be filled with sand. If a pit is being dug outside for a pool, then the distance to the foundation of any nearby structure should not be less than 60-80 cm.

The foundation pit for the pool needs to be dug 25-35 cm deeper than the required maximum depth and half a meter wider. Drainage pipes are laid along the pit with a slope towards the drainage pit or sewer well. A layer of sand (10 cm in the compacted state) is poured and compacted onto the bottom, a 10 cm gravel bedding is laid and thoroughly compacted. If the pool is planned to be stationary and large in size, at the same stage bottom holes for water intake for filtration and pipes to them are laid, and places are provided in the walls for installing screamers. You also need to think about where to place your water filtration and purification equipment.

To protect the pool from the effects of groundwater, it is advisable to make external waterproofing. To do this, roll waterproofing materials (PVC films, roofing felt or roofing felt) are used, which cover the entire pit. After which the bottom is formed: it is filled with concrete mortar with a layer of 10-15 cm. For the pool, it is recommended to take high-grade cement and take one part of sand for two parts of cement. A metal reinforcing mesh is laid on top of this layer of concrete, which is filled with another layer of mortar of approximately the same thickness.

If you plan to make the bottom or walls of a heated pool, do not forget to install heating elements, but in this case you will also need another layer of thermal insulation. In this case, probably the best choice is polystyrene foam. It is not afraid of moisture and has excellent thermal insulation properties. And you can protect it from pressure with a layer of geotextile and/or reinforcing mesh. Lay waterproofing on top of them, and only then pour the concrete solution.

Simultaneously with filling the bottom, the walls of the pool must also be erected. To do this, it is advisable to make a reinforcing iron frame around the perimeter and install formwork. The walls must be of the same thickness, and pouring must be done without interruption. So, if the pool area is large, you will need a concrete mixer: if you mix the solution by hand, you will not have time to do everything in one day. Another option is to order a ready-made solution for delivery. This way everything can be filled in a couple of hours, but it will cost more (don’t forget to indicate that the solution must be class W8). When pouring walls, care must be taken to ensure that no voids are formed. To do this, you need to remove all air bubbles from the solution. You can use or take a long metal rod and “pierce” the solution with it to the full depth, many times around the entire perimeter.

After pouring the pool bowl, you need to wait about 30 days until the concrete sets completely. Then you need to plaster and level the walls, and then carry out waterproofing work.

The type of waterproofing depends on how you envision your pool. If you want to tile it, the walls and bottom need to be covered in two layers with penetrating liquid waterproofing. Then lay the tiles on a special hydrophobic composition. When choosing tiles, please note that you cannot use ordinary ceramic tiles for a pool: they have a porous structure, absorb water well and serve as an excellent breeding ground for mold and fungi. Porcelain tiles or glass mosaics are suitable for pools (they cost more, but you simply cannot use ceramics).

When using PVC film as finishing, there is no need for additional waterproofing, but for those who like to play it safe, a one-time treatment with a liquid penetrating compound can be carried out. When purchasing PVC film, do not buy very thin materials. For normal and long-term functioning, their thickness must be at least 3 mm. To prevent slipping in the pool, you can buy a film with a rough surface. There are options with a single color (the most popular is deep blue), some with the effect of mosaic or stone chips, and there are even colored panels depicted on film. In general, PVC films are an affordable and reliable method of finishing a pool.

How to build a permanent pool in a bathhouse with your own hands is generally clear. You can make a pool bowl, but you still need to think about how the water will be supplied, select it, in general, there are still a lot of worries.

Portable swimming pools for saunas

Portable pools consist of a bottom, walls and a PVC cover. Depending on the depth, they can be installed simply on a flat area (depth up to 0.7 m), partially (depth up to 1.2 m) or completely (depth 1.5 m) deep into the ground. Their shape can be any, but round, oval, and figure eight are more common. If such pools are square in shape, then their corners are rounded.

The good thing about these pools is that they are easy to install (especially those that do not need to be deepened) and easy to connect. Their weakness is the tightness of the connecting seams. But if you buy a pool from trusted companies, it can serve properly for many years.

There are also prefabricated plastic pools. They are supplied together with the equipment necessary for work. They can simply be placed in an empty or specially designated bathhouse room, provided with a water source and power supply for water supply/filtration. The only caveat: the floors should not be afraid of water. If the floor is wooden, it should either be covered with porcelain tiles, or simply covered with plastic film. The film is not very convenient, but for some time it copes with its purpose - it protects the floor from inevitably spilling water.

Small pools in the bathhouse

For small bathhouses, large pools are simply unnecessary. Then you can buy a font. Wooden fonts were used by our ancestors. This is a traditional way to cool a steamed body. But cooperage needs to be monitored. They should not dry out or get wet, they need to be looked after. In bathhouses that are visited from time to time, they may lose their tightness. After which they need to be “treated.” From this point of view, plastic fonts are much more practical. Today they are produced in a wide range of different shapes, sizes and types. In addition, in any more or less large locality you can order the production of a swimming pool made to individual sizes.

You can do it in any way: simply place it on a flat area, partially or completely bury it. Any finishing is possible. It all depends on your tastes, imagination, and capabilities. It is easy to care for such a pool: the plastic surface is easy to clean, fungi and mold almost do not grow on it, and it is also 100% waterproofed, because it has no seams or joints.

Conclusion: It’s not easy to build a permanent pool in a bathhouse with your own hands, but it’s possible. In addition, there are at least three options for how to make it quickly and not very expensively: portable prefabricated pools, wooden and plastic swimming pools.

Almost every bathhouse owner dreams of having their own swimming pool, but not everyone decides to buy its equipment, since it is believed that the price for such a pleasure is exorbitant. Of course, there are different pools, and there are very expensive options. But along with them, there are simple projects, thanks to which even an amateur can equip a swimming pool for a sauna with his own hands; we will talk about such projects and about swimming pools in general in this article.

Types of pools

These designs can be of different types, it all depends on your desire, imagination and, of course, financial capabilities.

• Stationary pools for baths are classified as permanent structures. The construction technology involves pouring a monolithic reinforced concrete foundation and walls, followed by moisture resistance. Such designs are designed for long-term operation and are very reliable.

• Prefabricated structures, here the name speaks for itself. They are assembled from lightweight modules quite quickly. The price of these designs is quite affordable, moreover, they are also good for their mobility. The prefabricated pool can be quickly dismantled and transported to another location. The only weak point of these structures is that they are not designed for long-term use, that is, they are not durable.
• Pools for SPA treatments. These are relatively small-sized structures, the main purpose of which is hydromassage. They are also associated with the brand name and are called “Jacuzzi”.

Prefabricated and spa structures are installed quite quickly and simply, plus they are always provided with assembly instructions, so we will not dwell on them.

In this article we are interested in instructions or technology for arranging stationary reservoirs for a bathhouse with your own hands.

Installation technology

Arrangement of the foundation and supporting structure

• The first thing you should start with is to decide at what depth your artificial pond will be laid. The fact is that when laying in a foundation pit, groundwater should lie no closer than 0.5 m (optimally 1 m) from the lowest point of the foundation. Otherwise, they will simply erode the foundation over time. Therefore, sometimes it makes sense to go only halfway deep, and then put the walls higher and equip a platform.

• When marking, you should take into account the thickness of the walls and the base of the reservoir. The walls are made about 50 cm, and the bottom slab should be left from 35 to 50 cm, depending on the volume of the reservoir. Mini sauna pools can hold from 10m³ of water.
• When arranging a pit, immediately plan where you will have it. The foundation should not have a large slope to the drainage point. The drain is equipped at the very beginning before laying the foundation; for this, a drain pipe with a diameter of at least 10 mm is fixed at the lowest point.
• When the pit is ready, the first ball is filled with 50 mm sand and compacted. Behind it comes a ball of fine gravel, also tightly compacted; here the thickness should be made slightly more than 100 - 150 mm.
• Next, we advise laying a layer of waterproofing and pouring a primary, rough layer of concrete to a thickness of 100 mm. After it has set to the point where you can walk on it, a reinforcement frame is tied onto it, based on pouring concrete to a thickness of 100 - 150 mm. It is better to take a rod for the frame within 12 mm.
• At this stage, the formwork for the vertical walls is installed and the reinforcement frame is laid in it. Experts advise pouring the entire floor and walls at once.

Important: the geometry of reservoirs can be different, but if you are not a professional builder and decide to do everything yourself, then it is optimal for you to make a pool for a home bath in a classic rectangular shape.

• To prevent a seam from forming between the lower foundation and the reinforced concrete walls, during the pouring process the concrete should be constantly bayoneted at the junction points, plus it is advisable to compact the poured concrete using vibrating machines to remove air from the foundation.

Pool finishing

After pouring the reinforced concrete frame, it should be allowed to harden well. The setting time for such structures is on average about 1 month.

All this time, you need to periodically moisten the surface of the concrete so that it does not begin to crack and peel.

• For people who cannot wait for the concrete to harden in the reservoir bowl, there is an alternative system, the so-called caissons. They are metal plates, between which a special cement mixture is poured according to technology. After this, the seams between the plates should be welded. The price of such a design will be somewhat more expensive, plus the welded structure may come apart in the area of ​​the seams during constant use.
• After the frame has dried, the inside of the pond bath should be plastered. The thickness of the applied layer is about 20 - 25 mm. The mixtures are based on cement with the addition of various polymers, specially designed for constant contact with water.
• Next, the surface is waterproofed. The most budget option is PVC film. The waterproofing layer is initially applied with two balls, the third ball is secured with a latex-based adhesive mixture. Upon completion of the plastering work, the surface is fixed with a ceresite-based emulsion in the proportion of 1 measure of ceresite to 10 measures of water.
• The cement-sand mortar is made of a dough-like consistency; it should be rubbed into the surface of the bowl, after which it is leveled using a trowel and trowel. After applying the cement-sand layer, if you plan to lay tiles or mosaics, we recommend drawing a grid on the surface so that the tiles lie better.

Important: if your pond is not connected to the central sewer and you use a drainage pit, then it should be located at least 5 m from the bathhouse.
Moreover, it is not recommended to use pipes with a diameter of less than 50 - 70 mm for a drain or filter system; they will become clogged.

Facing a pond for a bath

Mini pools for baths can be lined in different ways, but we will only touch on the 3 main, most common lining materials.

1. Tile . This material is quite common; it has a wide range of colors and different reliefs. But the tiles for arranging swimming pools require special ones; ordinary ceramic tiles are not suitable for such structures, since they have a porous structure and are saturated with water. The level of absorption should not exceed 3%; for this purpose, special porcelain tiles have been developed, the price of which is up to $35.
2. Mosaic is the most expensive material, but with its help you can implement almost any design project. The mosaic is made on the basis of colored glass and consists of squares with a side size of 10 to 50 mm. Prices here can range from $25 to $145.
3. PVC film is the most budget material. It is applied in 4 layers, reinforced with a special reinforcing mesh between the two middle layers. Has a thickness of up to 1.5 mm. Its price ranges from $10 to $45 per m². A fastening tape made of metal is mounted on the surface with self-tapping screws, plastic is attached to it, and then the film itself is welded. Geotextiles are first placed under the structure.

Conclusion

Thus, we have determined that, with a strong desire, almost any owner who is familiar with the tool and knows how to mix a solution can build a basic pool for himself and his family. Moreover, the costs of its construction are more than offset by the health benefits of this design.

The video in this article shows some of the intricacies of pool construction.