We put the new brick stove in the bathhouse ourselves. Do-it-yourself brick sauna stove: stages of work, step-by-step instructions

By analogy with the theater, the beginning of the bathhouse is the stove, without which it is simply a room for household needs. It is she who is able to give this room true meaning, after which it can be called a Russian bathhouse. Therefore, the main role is played by the laying of the sauna stove.

There are many types of stove designs for a sauna, for example, a heater stove, where the correct placement of stones in the sauna stove is very important. We will look at the device in which the hot water tank is mounted.

Preliminary work

Choosing a brick

Before putting the stove in the bathhouse, you need to choose a brick, and it must be of high quality. Otherwise, certain problems may arise, for example, if the dimensions do not correspond to the standard, it will be difficult to maintain the dimensions of the stove when laying. In addition, the seams will either be too large or simply different.

Preparing clay

We prepare the clay in advance; the most suitable material is the one mined at a depth of about a meter. It is first purified from impurities that may be present in it.

The clay is soaked in a container of sufficient volume for several days. After soaking it is much easier to work with. Dry clay is difficult to process and therefore requires the use of additional tools.

Preparing sand

The sand is also pre-cleaned of debris; this is easier to do by sifting. It is especially necessary to ensure that pebble crumbs do not get into narrow stove seams.

Mix the solution

In order to prepare a high-quality solution, the clay is kneaded well. Experienced stove makers use a special tool called an oar. But it can also be replaced with any other solid and convenient object.

After the clay is kneaded, water is added to it and, using a puncher with a mixer, the mixture is brought to the state of thick sour cream.

Then prepared sand is added to this mixture, which should be wet. If the clay is too oily, then the sand and clay in the solution should be in a two to one ratio.

Testing the solution is as follows: a clean stick is dipped into the solution, which is considered ready. If a layer of approximately two millimeters remains on the stick, then this is a good mixture. With a smaller layer, clay is added, with a larger layer, sand.

Advice: the solution does not need to be prepared in large volumes; it is best to prepare it in one bucket in one batch. Otherwise, over time, its quality will be worse, and it will be more difficult to lay the brick, and the quality of the masonry itself will be worse.

After the solution is ready, you can begin a process such as laying a sauna stove.

So, let's put on the stove for the bath

A brick stove is an ideal option, but when deciding to take such a step as laying stoves in a bathhouse, you need to understand that a serious level of preparation and decent knowledge is required. Improperly executed masonry for bathhouse stoves will lead to the possibility of heavy, damp steam ().

It turns out that the skill associated with how to put a stove in a bathhouse is a serious science. But it’s especially nice to comprehend it with the help of your own experience, with your own hands, especially since in the end your bathhouse will acquire the most important thing - a stove.

We present to your attention instructions on how to lay masonry for bathhouse stoves.

Laying the foundation

A pit is dug up to 0.7 m deep.
A sand cushion up to 20 cm thick is made at the bottom of the pit. To do this, sand is poured, watered and compacted.
A reinforcement frame is installed in the pit and filled with concrete.
The concrete is covered with waterproofing, then brick or concrete blocks are laid on top to the level of the foundation.

The upper plane is leveled using a solution, making it horizontal, and covered with another one or two layers of waterproofing.

Attention: Roofing felt, roofing felt or waterproofing can be used as waterproofing. Also, tar applied in one or two layers can serve as good insulation.

We carry out the laying of the furnace

For construction, laying diagrams of bathhouse stoves are used.

The construction of the furnace begins with the laying of a protective wall. The laid five rows will reliably protect the lining on the wall from heat. When performing this masonry, a solution of sand and cement is used.

To clarify the outer contour of the stove, it is correlated with the opening in the ceiling. This is where the chimney will exit into the attic. This is done using a plumb line, with the plumb line cable located in the middle of the back side of the opening. The sharp end of the plumb line is located slightly above the level of the first row.

The plumb line shows the line along which the first brick row is located. The bricks must lie as indicated in the order.

When laying the third row, blower doors are installed. In this case, galvanized wire is used for strengthening. Where the doors are located, the bricks above them are sawed off.

After the third row is laid, it is necessary to check the level of all corners of the masonry. An ash pit will be installed in the fourth row.

We install another door for the blower in the sixth row, and install the grate and combustion door in the seventh. When laying the eighth row, a new one appears - this will be a partition, after which the chimney begins. And so on until row fourteen.
An opening is made in the side wall in which the water tank will be located. It is placed in such a way that it will rest on the side walls and touch the channels laid in advance.

The next row is laid out from halves of bricks located at an angle. This is the foundation on which the future separation wall will rest.
Then three rows are laid in the same way as the first, with each next row overlapping the joints of the previous one.
To prevent steam from escaping, a special door is installed. After that, strips made of mild steel are laid, using them to fasten the next two rows. It's time to close the steam door frame and install the water tank.

Tip: All existing doors in the stove, as well as the water container, are wrapped with asbestos, as can be seen from the picture. This is done for thermal insulation purposes.

The following series provides. Its length is selected based on the height of the bath.
Based on the design of the furnace, the design of the pipe is determined. If the stove is large and massive, then the pipe must match it.

Attention: The walls of the chimney and furnace should not be less than half a brick. This can lead to destruction and, accordingly, to deterioration in the operation of the stove or to smoke.

The final stage is its plastering or, if ordinary bricks for stoves were used, then the stove in the bathhouse must be lined with a special facing brick. After this, the oven is ready and you can heat it little by little so that it dries out quickly.

Conclusion

Having understood the nuances of laying a stove, it will become clear that it is not so difficult. If all conditions are met and recommendations are followed, a good stove will be built that you can be proud of, especially since its price will be very low. The video in this article is detailed information that will be useful to you (

The bathhouse is a real source of health. This has been known since time immemorial. The most popular steam rooms are in the Russian bathhouse and the Finnish sauna.

General information

The sauna is characterized by the following temperature regime - +60-120 degrees, as well as dry steam and humidity, which does not exceed 25%. In a Russian bath they steam at temperatures up to 50-80 degrees. In this case, the humidity level can reach 100%. In most cases, owners of country houses and cottages decide to build their own bathhouse, and, of course, pay special attention to a brick oven.

Features of the arrangement

Laying a brick stove in a bathhouse is a very important process. The materials used, as well as their physical properties, play a big role in this matter. The design of a brick stove for a bathhouse is no less important. Different materials are used for construction. In this case, the brick is considered ideal. This is due to the fact that such material is able to warm up evenly and slowly. Thanks to this, the optimal air temperature is maintained in the steam room. It is also worth noting that there is no overheating of the room.

Necessary Requirements

A simple brick stove for a bathhouse is quite suitable. However, the structure must meet a number of specific requirements. The drawing of a brick oven is made taking into account the total area of the room. The structure must be folded according to all the rules. Such a stove should behave the same at -20 and +20 degrees. Thus, during the summer, the brick oven should be heated first. Only then comes the turn of the room itself. If poorly heated stones come into contact with a heated room, heavy damp steam will form. It, in turn, does not have any healing effect, but only harms.

How to fix the situation?

It should be noted that not everyone can afford a brick stove for a Russian bath. In some cases, metal structures already exist. Their heating occurs unevenly. To correct the situation, the structure is covered with bricks. Which is undoubtedly a fairly economical option. However, this is not the best brick stove for a sauna. Nevertheless, structures of this kind are quite popular. Next, we will look at how such a simple brick stove for a bath is made.

Some nuances of the construction

The masonry must be made in half a brick. The recommended distance from the metal structure is 15 cm.
It is necessary to equip the structure so that it is possible to add water, as well as regulate the heating of the steam room premises. To do this, openings must be made in the brickwork.
Doors for warming up must be located at the top and bottom (in pairs). The lower openings allow air to be drawn in, and the upper ones allow it to flow back into the steam room.

Of course, this option is not ideal. However, it is advisable to use it if there is no other option.

Do-it-yourself brick stove for a sauna: diagram

The structure consists of the following elements:

Firebox.
Kamenka.
Ash pits with chimney.

There are mounted (placed directly on the stove) and main (autonomous, adjacent to the overall structure) pipes.

Main settings

The pipe must rise above the roof surface. The minimum height is 0.5 m. A brick stove for a bathhouse with your own hands can be built with a pipe. The otter must be made where the structure exits through the roof. Its main task is to protect the formed gap from precipitation. The expansion of the pipe, the diameter of which is equal to a whole brick or half of it, is made where it passes directly through the ceiling. This ensures that the wooden elements of the ceiling are protected from fire. The construction of the pipe within the attic, as well as above the roof, is done using cement mortar. In the first case, among other things, the structure needs to be sanded down and whitewashed. Thanks to such manipulations, you can determine how tightly the brick stove for a bathhouse is built with your own hands. Soot on the whitewash will indicate this.

Brick stove for sauna "heater"

This is a relatively simple structure. The chimney in such heating structures is asbestos-cement or metal pipes. These building materials have their drawbacks. In case of strong cooling, condensation may appear on asbestos cement or metal. At the same time, it flows into the oven. The occurrence of such a situation is very undesirable. In order to avoid this, the pipe must be hidden in a heat-insulating fireproof case. In this case, it is also permissible to cover the structure with brick.

Main advantages

A brick stove for a sauna "heater" has many advantages:

The inner walls of the pipe are smooth. In addition, they are smoke-proof. The pipe itself has a circular cross-section.
Cheap bricks can be used, the quality of which is relatively low.
Construction is relatively easy. The fact is that the asbestos-cement pipe is a kind of guide.

Features of the structure

A brick stove for a bath, assembled with your own hands according to this principle, has the ability to perfectly accumulate heat. There is a chamber located directly above the firebox. Stones are placed in it. In order to generate steam, not only cobblestones can be used. Cast iron ingots are also widely used. They are located on the cracked arch of the firebox. Flue gases travel quite a long way. First they pass through the cracks of the vault, and then through cobblestones and ingots. After this, the gases end up in separate side smoke channels. Only then do they come out through the pipe. A special window is used to allow water to be poured onto the stones. Through it, the generated steam enters the steam room.

Calculations

Laying the furnace involves observing the following proportions: 80% stones and 20% ingots (60 kg per 1 m 3). For large families, a project with a water tank is best suited. It is located on the side. For periodic structures, the calculation of the required mass of stones is different - up to 40 kg per 1 m 3. As a result, their number even in a small area turns out to be very large. Continuous ovens do not require as much. For them, the average is 80-200 kg. This is due to the fact that in this case the additional use of firewood ensures constant heat maintenance.

Features of the construction process

Next, we’ll take a closer look at how to assemble a brick stove for a sauna with your own hands. Its design includes a piece of metal pipe. It will be used as a vault. Recommended parameters: diameter - up to 400 mm, length - up to 600 mm. According to the diagram, the water heating tank is located on the side. The steel support leaves must be welded to the arch. With their help, the pipe is laid into the structure itself. The vault needs tightness. To do this, the ends of the tube must be additionally scalded using a special sheet. In this case, the masonry is adjacent to the metal. There should also be a small barrier to prevent hot air from escaping into the chimney. To do this, you need to weld a metal sheet to the arch. This design is also called a "screen". The water heating tank, which corresponds to this scheme, has the following parameters: capacity - up to 45 liters. It must be built into the side wall. The material from which such a tank is made is sheet steel. Its thickness can reach 10 mm. It should be in the place where the tank is adjacent directly to the firebox. A section of chimney pipe must be installed on the inside of the side wall of the structure. It must be equipped with a damper. The chimney is secured to the brickwork using wire clamps. In this case, its lower end should rest against the metal tank.

Basis of the structure

The upper part of the brick oven is covered with stones. In total, up to 200 kg may be required. The top of the heater is closed with a lid. It is made of galvanized sheet. The lid is removed only to allow steam to escape. There is a hole on the side that is designed to supply water to the stones. Recommended parameters: 200x250 mm. This design is suitable for continuous operation. It can also be used periodically. Stoves heated during bathing procedures must be loaded with stones (up to 150 kg).

Materials

The following building materials will be required:

Sheet of steel.
Grate.
Galvanized sheet.
Water pipe.
Firebox doors.
Asbestos cement pipe.
Blower doors.
Metal pipe.
Reinforcing bar.
Clay.
Sand.
Ordinary brick.

Important information

To lay a brick kiln, a good foundation must be provided. This is due to the fact that the weight of this structure is enormous. It can reach 1250 kg. The foundation is laid before the floor is laid. As for the location of the future structure, it should be no closer than 50 cm to the walls of the room. The required size of the foundation is approximately 5 cm larger than the stove itself. Its edge must be located below the floor level.

additional information

It is necessary to follow a certain sequence when building a brick stove for a bathhouse with your own hands. In this case, order is necessary. This is done so as not to get confused later during the assembly process. Each level has its own specific parameters. Only in this way will an effective and reliable structure be erected. The number of rows depends on the height of the room. The countdown must begin from the lowest. It is continuous. This series should be given special attention. The diagonal of the foundation is measured very carefully. You should also pay attention to the outer bricks. They must be of high quality and have smooth edges. Depending on the design of the furnace, the required number of continuous rows is calculated. In some cases, only one is enough, and in others, two or more. The masonry of the furnace body is aligned with a plumb line along the first row. It is recommended to choose the same bricks. There is no need to mix regular red with fireproof. Depending on the heating rate, their degree of expansion varies. If the combination is unsuccessful, then cracks may appear in the structure.

Brick kilns are considered traditional. Firewood and coal can serve as fuel for them. Birch is best suited for heaters. Such firewood does not “shoot” or spark. At the same time, they provide a sufficient amount of heat. If coniferous wood is used, it produces smoke and smoke during combustion. However, this can be avoided. You need to add some potato peelings or aspen cones to the oven. This is done at the end of the firebox.

What to fill the chamber with?

In this case, you should remember that there are special bath stones. They undergo special processing. It is also necessary to take precautions to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. It is necessary to separate the backfill from the chimney and combustion chamber. It is best to choose heavy, dense and intact stones. In addition, you should give preference to natural options. In this case, the only exception is sandstone. This stone can clog steam channels. In addition, it very quickly becomes unusable. The recommended diameter of the stones is at least 10 cm. After the first fire has been carried out, they must be checked. They should not expand from exposure to temperature or crack. It is best if the selected stones have a round shape and a smooth surface. It is not recommended to give preference to spicy options. When water gets on them, they can start to "shoot". It is recommended to choose pebbles, boulders or granite.

Before placing stones in the oven, they must be thoroughly washed. Thus, the dirt that has accumulated on their surface will not end up in the steam room. The bottom layer should consist of larger stones. Accordingly, small ones remain at the top. The strongest stones should be laid out on the sides. In some cases it is necessary to increase the heating rate. To do this, cast iron pigs must be stacked vertically. The recommended diameter of the stones placed in the bottom row is at least 15 cm. They must be placed directly on the grate. In the case of a heat storage furnace, the masonry should overlap the holes of the latter to a minimum. All elements that crack within one year of use must be replaced with new ones.

The article will tell you about the advantages, disadvantages and types of brick stoves for baths, and introduce you to the types of foundations and chimneys.

The features of choosing materials are described in detail, it is shown what preparation for building a bathhouse involves, and how to make a good and simple stove that will serve you for many years.

Benefits brick ovens are:

Durability and aesthetic appearance
Fire safety
Environmental friendliness.

Disadvantages brick kiln are:

Longer burning time
Larger footprint
The need to build a foundation.

Types of brick kilns

Sauna stoves They differ in the method of heating water, mode of use, design of the heater closed or open, heating features, type of fuel.

In Russia now the most common heater stoves, they are also called wood-burning stoves, which exclude contact of wood combustion products with the interior of the bathhouse.

Also common Kuznetsov furnaces, which contain two hoods in one oven. The cap is a brick vault, either closed or open, with holes for smoke to escape.

Sauna stove project

You need to start preparing for construction with a choice furnace project. In this case, two circumstances cannot be avoided: the choice of the type of foundation and the type of chimney.

There are ready-made blueprints ovens, you should study them during preparation. They can be both simple and more complex. For novice stove makers, we recommend starting with laying the simplest, small stoves.

Foundation for a sauna stove

Stoves weighing up to 750 kg do not require a capital foundation.

Its role will be played by a sheet of asbestos, covered with a sheet of soft roofing iron and laid on a clay mortar. The dimensions of such a base are selected larger than the dimensions of the future furnace for 25 cm from each side.

For the heaviest furnaces it is necessary.

Unacceptable bandage (connect) foundations of the bathhouse and stove, since the pressure of a massive brick stove on one point of the base of the bathhouse will lead to uneven settlement and create an additional risk of destruction of both structures.

If the bath is installed on slab foundation, then a separate oven base is not needed. When choosing the depth of the furnace foundation, you should focus on the depth of the bathhouse foundation.

Chimney for sauna stove

There are different ones classifications:

Depending on the material: brick and metal
By method installations: internal and external.

The place where the chimney pipe exits the roof is needed isolate heat-resistant materials and protect the chimney from moisture with a visor.

Advice! A good choice is a chimney sandwich. It is easy to install and protected from condensation.

It is almost impossible to find the desired stove design in finished form. Ordering is expensive. To save money, you can choose a suitable project and to correct its order.

Detailed ordering scheme- this is an accurate description of the place of each brick in the masonry. It is recommended to show the corrected project to specialists.

Tools for building a sauna stove

For comfortable work you need tool two categories:

worker;
measuring.

Tools:

Bayonet shovel
Container for preparing masonry mortar. It is better if it is wide with low sides
Shovel
Hammer and hacksaw for the production of formwork
Special construction or durable household sieves with cells 1×1 and 2×2 mm for sifting clay, sand and cement
Trowel (trowel) for distributing the mortar throughout the masonry and removing excess mortar from it
Hammer-pick, used for the purpose of dividing a whole brick into smaller pieces and trimming them
Joining, which seals masonry joints and gives them the desired shape
Scouring. It is a rubber plate with a handle. The tool is used to clean the internal surfaces of masonry from excess mortar and seal hard-to-reach seams
Grinder saw. It is useful for precise cutting and fitting of bricks.

Required measuring tools:

Bubble level
Plumb
Hydraulic level
Square
Rule
Roulette.

Materials for the construction of a sauna stove

For the construction of a rubble concrete foundation required:

cement and sand for preparing a solution
filler(coarse gravel, crushed stone, broken bricks and other construction waste)
lumber for formwork
waterproofing products(bitumen, special mastic)

Materials for stove masonry:

red (fireproof) brick for laying a stove and chimney;
natural stone as a heat accumulator;
fireclay (refractory) brick for lining the firebox;
clay and sand for preparing a solution;
furnace casting(doors, stove valves, grate);
asbestos cord for sealing joints between casting and masonry;
wire for fastening castings;
waterproofing material (roofing felt), for insulating the first row of masonry;
cast iron stove 18 mm thick;
water container.

Required for the oven bricks of two different types: for laying the outer part of the furnace and the firebox. You should also decide on the size of the oven.

They can be quite large and mini ovens. The amount of bricks and other materials and the costs of these materials depend on the size of the oven. A small oven will require much less materials.

Selection of bricks for walls and fireboxes

What kind of brick to line the stove with?

Most of the furnace mass is laid out from ordinary clay (red) brick. Sand-lime or hollow bricks are not suitable.

If you plan to cladding around the stove with ceramic tiles or plastering, you can use brick of the brand M 150. It's not perfect in appearance, but it's affordable.

Most often, it is used for plastering White color. People use such names as whitewashing the stove, or “white stove”. If the stove is left without finishing, you need to use bricks of type M 200 and higher.

High quality red brick size 25 × 12 × 6.5 cm has no cracks. It has even angles and mass - 3.2 – 3.5 kg. When tapped with a hammer, the brick produces an almost metallic sound, clear and sonorous.

Attention! The characteristics of a brick are most stable in one batch, so you need to buy all the bricks at the same time, without relying on subsequent purchases.

For the lining (protective internal lining) of the firebox, use fireclay bricks of the following brands: SHA, SHAK, SHB, SHUS similar to them. It is resistant to heat and has good thermal conductivity.

Purchasing bricks from a manufacturer will eliminate the risk of purchasing low-quality material.

Selecting a water container

A good choice - stainless steel container. The disadvantage of such a tank is its high price.

An essential characteristic of a bathhouse container is its location. Based on location, water tanks are divided into the following categories:

Remote. They can be installed anywhere in the bathhouse. Water is heated as it moves in a coil built into the oven, which is connected to the container with copper or brass pipes
Built-in. Such tanks are built into the furnace structure and are heated by direct contact with the flame. Their capacity is limited by the size of the oven
Pipe. They are attached to the chimney pipe, providing a high rate of water heating.

To calculate the tank capacity, use the norm 10 liters per person.

Main stages of construction of a sauna stove

Construction of a foundation made of rubble concrete

For laying the base of a sauna stove, the strength of the clay mixture is not enough. A regular mortar based on cement and sand will do. Most common rubble concrete foundation.

Stages of work:

Digging a pit depth 1 – 1.2 m and dimensions exceeding the dimensions of the furnace by 15 – 20 cm
Compact the soil with a suitable piece of timber or logs. Suitable timber size 100×100 mm
Laying crushed stone and compacting it to a thick layer 15 cm
Installation of formwork. Waterproofing of its internal surface is required
Rubble laying 20 – 30 cm. Maximum size of individual rubble stones – no more 15 cm
Filling small fractions with crushed stone voids between the stones
concrete mortar. Concrete must fill all the voids, for which its consistency is chosen to be similar to sour cream. This stage is repeated the required number of times until the desired foundation height
Laying the last layer of stones. Ensuring the level height is at the mark 6 – 7 cm to finished floor
Control horizontal surface
Drying of film-covered concrete for 15 – 30 days
Dismantling formwork
Isolation of side foundation surfaces from water. You can isolate the foundation from water at the stage of its construction by adding special additives to the solution
Filling the space between the foundation and the edges of the pit with sand. There must be a gap of at least 5 cm. It needs to be filled with sand.

How to lay a stove correctly

The furnace is laid in accordance with what was developed at the project stage order.

Before laying bricks on the mortar, they should be laid out dry according to plan. Starting from one of the corners, you should select bricks so that the width of the gaps between them does not exceed 5 mm.

After completing the dry laying, you need to accurately determine the location of the roof for plumbing the chimney. This will eliminate problems during the manufacture of the chimney.

The laying of each row must be completed checking for verticality and horizontality. Even minimal deviations need to be corrected.

If you fold the stove with gaps and deviations, the efficiency of heating and ventilation can significantly decline.

Preparation of mortar for laying the outer part of the furnace and fireclay bricks

Cement mortar is not suitable for stove masonry - it quickly dries out and falls out. The basis of the mortar for laying the furnace is clay.

To prepare the solution, fill the clay with water, stirring 2 – 3 times a day, leave on 2 – 3 days. The clay slurry is then ground through sieves to remove small debris.

Sifted sand is added to this clay solution. The proportions of clay and sand in a good solution are unknown. They are determined empirically. The method for selecting the best proportions is as follows.

Sand and clay in equal proportions mixed into the solution. The resulting composition is divided into several parts. One part remains unchanged, sand is added to all subsequent parts in increasing proportions.

From the resulting portions of the solution, cakes are made, which are allowed to dry.

A minimum of cracks and no deformation of the cake piece indicate the best characteristics of the solution.

To lay fireclay bricks, you need special mixtures, the basis of which is fireclay clay. The heat from burning wood causes the mixture to sinter with the brick, increasing the strength of the structure. You don’t need much of this composition, so it’s easiest to buy.

Masonry of furnace walls

Before laying bricks you need moisten. Then apply the required amount of solution.

The brick fits tightly into place. Brick-extruded mortar deleted.

There is no need to plaster the internal surfaces with clay; excess mortar is unacceptable here. Once dry, it peels off and clogs the chimney duct.

Furnace casting is installed directly during masonry and fixed with wire. To ensure that the doors fit tightly to the masonry, they are wrapped around the perimeter asbestos cord.

The cord will seal the contact points and will not allow the cast iron door, which expands when heated, to destroy the masonry.

Installation of the ash door and grate

On the first row of masonry there is blower door, therefore its lower fastening elements are embedded under the first brick row.

After securing the door, rows are laid sequentially until the top of the door overlaps. Bricks interfering with the ceiling need to be trimmed. There must be a gap between the casting and the brick 10 mm.

Installation grates carried out in accordance with the project, strictly horizontally. The grate should not rest against the masonry. This will lead to gradual destruction of the masonry and grate.

Installation of the tank and oven door

The tank at the points of contact with the masonry should be tightly wrapped with a double layer asbestos cord. Fastening the combustion door is similar to fastening the blower door.

The masonry continues to the level of mounting the heating surface (metal plate). The dimensions of the slab should be such that it fits on the brick with a margin of about 25 mm.

Before laying the next rows, the slab must be removed. After the stove bed is completely installed, it is placed in the oven and can no longer be removed.

Drawings of a brick sauna stove of a simple and compact design, which is used to produce steam and heat water.

The figure shows the design of a brick stove, in a cross-section along two sections.

Laying red stove bricks.
Laying refractory (fireclay) bricks.
Fire door.
Blower door.
Grate.
Metal tank for hot water.
Metal bunker for bath stones.
Smoke valve.

A drawing of the furnace showing its overall dimensions.

The firebox inside the furnace is made of refractory heat-resistant brick. The gap between red and refractory bricks is 15...20 (mm). A metal water tank is installed behind the firebox, at the level of the grate. A metal bunker is installed on top of the firebox, into which heaped stones are placed. The presented design with an open heater quickly heats up the steam room, and if the stones have cooled down, you can burn fuel while taking bath procedures.

Material Specification:

red brick, 65 x 120 x 250 (mm) – 181 (pcs.)
refractory refractory brick, 65 x 114 x 230 (mm) – 72 (pcs.)
clay – 60 (kg)
refractory clay – 35 (kg)
sand – 32 (kg)
smoke valve – 140 x 270 (mm)
fire door – 250 x 205 (mm)
blower door – 250 x 135 (mm)
cast iron grate – 250 x 252 (mm)
water tank – 250 x 555 x 760 (mm), stainless steel sheet 3 (mm) thick
stone hopper – 260 x 320 x 350 (mm), stainless steel sheet 3 (mm) thick
square metal mesh, wire diameter 2 (mm), mesh size 15…20 (mm)

Masonry of a heater stove for a bathhouse designed by E.Ya. Kolomakina.

1st row. Solid brick masonry is laid at or above the floor level.
2nd row. They install the ash door, begin laying refractory bricks, and strictly follow the rules for tying the bricks.
3rd row. According to the order.
4th row. Lay the blower door with three bricks, the edges of which are cut at an angle, as shown in the figure.

5th row. Grooves are cut out in refractory bricks and a grate is installed in them.
6th row. Place the firebox door and install a metal tank for hot water.

Reference:
Odd rows of red brick masonry are tied with a strip of welded square metal mesh.
At the corners, the mesh strip is bent at an angle of 90°.
The width of the groove for the grate should be 5...8 (mm) larger than the outer dimensions of the grate.

7th and 8th row. According to the order.
9th row. The firebox door is covered with three bricks, the edges of which are cut at an angle.
10, 11, 12th row. According to the order.

13th row. According to the order.
14th row. Lay a metal tank for hot water and install a metal bunker for stones.

Drawing of a metal bin for stones.

What's a sauna without a stove? This unit is a kind of soul of a real steam room. For many centuries, people have been building brick ovens, using them with great pleasure. There are also masters who dedicated their lives to this art. And, despite all the variety of new building materials that have appeared today, refractory brick is still popular among folk craftsmen, “homemade” ones of various ranks and stripes. Of course, some summer residents now prefer cast iron stoves as an option. Although, unlike a metal stove, a brick stove does not create “cold zones”, equally heating the entire volume, supplying mild steam, which undoubtedly creates a feeling of comfort and does not harm bare skin and breath. Building brick sauna stoves with your own hands is undoubtedly labor-intensive. And without appropriate understanding, there is simply nowhere. However, the example of home-grown experts shows that it is quite possible to build a brick firebox with your own hands. Of course, if you follow the recommendations detailed below.

Brick stove for a bath

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A few words about the advantages of brick itself as a building material.

Firstly, it fits perfectly with any interior solutions when arranging a bathhouse. And from the outside it looks very elegant (as a rule, no additional cladding or plaster is required).
Secondly, brick has a high level of cleanliness in terms of ecology, and when heated to a high temperature, it does not emit chemicals unsafe for humans into the surrounding atmosphere, like some other materials.
The brick provides the necessary consistency of steam, soft and thick, which has a positive effect on the well-being of the steamer and on the general health background for the human body (of course, with the proper regime of visiting the steam room).
Thirdly, with proper care, a brick oven will last for many years – quite well.
And brick is an excellent humidity regulator, so there’s simply no chance for condensation here!
Another plus: different from metal, a stone chimney does not need to be cleaned constantly when using a steam room frequently, and to light a brick stove you can use raw materials that can easily be found on the construction market (waste boards, wood chips, sawn-off edges) or can be assembled with your own hands (twigs, moss, etc.).

Choice: it's not that simple!

In order for a do-it-yourself brick sauna stove to serve for decades without causing problems with its operation, first of all you need to choose the right material for its construction. The usual types of bricks, from which, for example, the walls of a residential building or cottage are built, are not suitable here. A fire-resistant building material is used, the so-called “chamotte”, after the name of the clay “chamotte” from which bricks are made.

Fireclay brick

Such clay bricks are more powerful in characteristics than their “relatives”, however they are also more expensive. By the way, this material cools down quite quickly, because it is designed to withstand high temperatures, but not accumulate heat. Therefore, as a rule, only the firebox space is lined with refractory clay bricks. The remaining parts of the furnace are supplemented with hollow and silicate varieties of building materials.

We recommend using grade M (No. 75 to 150), where frost resistance is not higher than twenty-five cycles. All these characteristics must be found out by asking for documentation and a certificate (which is why it is better to buy refractory bricks in a supermarket, or in a specialty store with a corresponding positive reputation). Make sure that the building material does not have various defects: chips or cracks. It should be symmetrical, with a smooth surface and an even angle. You should not purchase one with a highly porous structure or interspersed with other material. And also: fireclay bricks should have a yellowish, whitish color, not fired - a dull shade.

Types of stoves: “black”, “gray”

Main types of sauna stoves

Actually, there are 4 varieties (you can use them to trace the entire history of the development of masonry). Each, of course, has both disadvantages and advantages; Almost any type requires a personal approach: in construction, in further maintenance.

In a “black” sauna stove there is no separate chimney, and the smoke from the firebox goes through the steam room. Such furnaces began to be built centuries ago. They, of course, lead to a high rate of heating of the room, but can be safely considered obsolete - both morally and technically. The main disadvantage: before using the sauna, you need to wait until all the fuel in the stove has completely burned out. The formation of soot on the internal walls is also likely (to avoid this, they are treated with special means that prevent this manifestation).
A brick stove “in gray” already has a chimney, but again you have to expect complete burnout. But the steam room in the bathhouse heats up faster, leaving less secondary waste.

“Heat a white bathhouse for me...”

A brick kiln “on white” is an environmentally friendly product, however, it is also the most expensive in terms of means and technology for its construction. Here, the process of heating the brick takes quite a long time (up to half a day), and a much larger amount of fuel resources is spent. But: you can actually steam as your soul needs, and the temperature in the firebox (and in the tank) is maintained at a constant level.
In the extreme version of the “on white” sauna stove, the heating of the water tank is “powered” from cast iron plates. To increase the efficiency of the firebox, these tiles are lined with bricks on three sides.

We approve the action plan

The design of a bathhouse stove, even the smallest one, must be clearly thought out and built according to the drawing. A good device, made according to technology in full compliance with fire safety rules, will “plow” for decades, to the delight of the owner. When building a brick sauna stove with your own hands, you should work in stages.

Preparatory stage. We measure the dimensions, draw up (or copy the finished) drawing, think through a clear plan of action and select/purchase the material.
Only after this should you start building a sauna stove. First, pour the foundation and let it settle for a while.
Then comes the laying process. It is necessary to lay out a brick stove for a bath strictly according to the drawings and in accordance with the technology.
We pay the utmost attention to the heating water tank and its installation. It is a mandatory part for a stove built in a bathhouse. It is made of steel, stainless steel. And to avoid overheating and possible fire, an asbestos cord is wound around the iron element. The placement of the tank can be arbitrary, since usually the container is placed according to expediency and convenience.

Possible options

1st step: design

As in any architecture, in the construction of a brick stove for a bathhouse with your own hands, firstly, you need to determine the design of the structure (drawings in variations can be copied from various sources, and not puzzle over their “invention”). In the development we indicate the features of appearance, placement of materials, and other details - the service life of the final product depends on them. There are a certain number of masonry methods. Regardless of the chosen method, the main design elements will be constant:

Firebox. Laid out from refractory material;
Smoke exhaust. It is made of sand-lime brick or ceramics;
Tank. Capacity for heating liquid;
An ash pit, which includes a cast iron stove, stones, a firebox and an oven (bath equipment and related components are stored here).

2nd step: foundation

We often hear that when a bathhouse is built on a monolith, there is no need for a personal foundation for the stove. But in latitudes where there is a constant change in temperature, the carefully paved earth also tends to shift. Therefore, draw your own conclusions. By the way, it is best to determine the location for the stove already at the project stage: it will be difficult to carry out additional work on organizing the chimney afterwards. Please note that the temperature difference between the foundations of the building and the stove is quite significant, so we recommend making the distance between them approximately 0.5 meters.

DIY stove foundation

So, to begin with, we dig a pit (its depth will depend on the looseness of the soil under the bathhouse building). The width of the bottom of the pit should be made wider by one brick than at the top (to increase stability and prevent the occurrence of cracks as a result of soil expansion due to heating). The overall dimensions of the foundation of a sauna stove may ultimately exceed its size by about 100 millimeters. It should be taken into account: for fire safety purposes, it is necessary to leave gaps from the wall of the building to the wall of the stove: in a wooden bathhouse up to 15 centimeters, and in a brick (block) one – up to 7 centimeters.
We fill the bottom of the pit with purified, sifted sand (or sand mixture) to about 15 centimeters, fill it with water.
We lay broken stone (or similar brick) on a layer of sand so that the height of the mixture reaches about 20 centimeters. And pour crushed stone on top of the stones (in a layer of up to 15 centimeters) and compact it tightly.
We install the formwork from boards (they need to be knocked down manually with a hammer). The formwork should be made as rigidly as possible in order to ensure reliable masonry. We also install a metal frame (reinforced rods) here.
Now you can pour the foundation. This is done in such a way that the height of 2 bricks remains to the surface (about 15 centimeters). We order ready-made cement mortar or make it ourselves. Mixture ratio: 1 to 3 to 5 cement M200 (higher possible), purified river sand and crushed stone (screening up to 50 millimeters).
After the solution has completely hardened (in time - from several to 7 days), we dismantle the formwork from the sides and apply a layer of tar. We pour sand and crushed stone (gravel) into the seams and compact them with a hand tamper.
We put roofing felt on top of the made foundation as waterproofing (2-3 layers). The dimensions of the material must be larger than the base area for the sauna stove. We cut off the protruding pieces.

3rd step: laying the “body”

For not very experienced architects, there are special diagrams, “orders”, and they tell in quite detail, step by step, the location of any brick involved in the construction of a sauna stove.

Laying rows of bricks

The ordering begins from the zero level, which is necessary in order to level the area of the foundation and bring the base to the floor level of the building. Experts recommend, by the way, to first build a sauna stove dry, without mortar, in order to avoid inconsistencies. The design must be of the correct geometry, then its operation is guaranteed for many years. And it is recommended to soak all bricks first - then air bubbles come out of the pores, and dehydration of the mortar is also prevented. But you can’t overdo it either: fireclay bricks cannot be immersed in water for a long time, a few seconds are enough. We start the laying from the corner, and lay the 1st row dry, directly on the foundation, without using mortar.

Next, using a trowel, collecting the required amount of cement composition, we cover the place for masonry with it, carefully leveling the mass of the mortar.
We place a brick on top, tap it with a rubber hammer or the handle of a trowel, and compact it. The layer of cement along the rows should not be more than 5 millimeters, and between the segments of each row - more than 2. The smaller the seams, the more stable and stronger the constructed structure will be. In addition to the fastening edge of the brick, its bonded part is also lubricated.

Construction of the stove body

Small tricks

You can first lay a row in the rough without using a solution, making sure that nothing unnecessary sticks out - from the general plan. Then number all the bricks in the row and begin laying them clean.

To prevent too large gaps, it would be useful to prepare halves and quarters of bricks in advance.

Do not make the seams of the next row coincide with the previous seams; each of the bricks moves by approximately 50%.

It is better to cut bricks with a spray grinder.

We continue the construction of the “body” of the furnace. Immediately after the 1st row of masonry we install the blower door. We use galvanized wire (3 mm thick) for fastenings. We screw it into the corners of the door. In places where it touches the stove, we use asbestos as insulation. We fasten the door, ash pan, and firebox with galvanized wire.
As we lay the rows, we check them with a level so that our structure is not built with a slope.
We place the subsequent rows in the same way. And in order for the stove to become reliable and durable, it is necessary to provide reinforcement between the rows. The thickness of metal gratings is up to 3 millimeters.
On top of the firebox compartment we install a cast iron slab on which the stones will be installed (weighing up to fifty kilograms for a regular bath, up to 30 for a sauna).
Don’t forget to wipe the laid rows with damp cloths.
We constantly check the planned diagram: everything is going the right way - then we proceed to install the chimney.

Step 4: chimney

When expanding from elevated temperatures, condensation may form on a metal pipe. Therefore, we recommend building a brick chimney. The walls of the brick pipe must be as smooth as possible, otherwise soot will begin to be deposited, and the shaft may soon become clogged.

The width of the systems connecting the stove firebox and the chimney shaft (pipe) should on average be equal to three quarters of the width of the brick used. It is not recommended to build a chimney wall with less than one brick or “sacrifice” the cross-sectional area.

The shaft must be folded as one piece of material - no halves or quarters! If the height of the chimney is small, then the smoke will not have time to cool down, coming out at high temperatures (the height of the street part of the pipe is at least half a meter).

Smoke exhaust for a sauna stove

Don't forget about fire safety! In the place where the roof and chimney meet, it is better to put another layer of brick and cover it with additional thermal insulation. From the outside, we cover the bathhouse chimney with limestone. Thanks to it, in any case, you can immediately notice a smoke leak - everything will be displayed quite well.

Ready-made sauna stove

It should also be remembered that before you start using the sauna stove, you must wait until the solution of sand and cement has completely dried. During this time, the “body” of the structure and its chimney will become a single monolith. Usually it doesn’t take that long: 2-3 weeks. After this we carry out a test fire. We hope that using our advice, building a sauna stove will not be too difficult for you, and the steam room will delight guests and family with its healing properties.