The tradition of visiting a bathhouse has existed for a long time and in our time it has not been forgotten. Those who have their own home often build a bathhouse or sauna on their property. A national feature of the Russian bath is immersion in cold water after the bath. This procedure invigorates the body. Most often, a nearby body of water is used for this purpose, so the bathhouse is built close to the water. If there is no body of water nearby, then it is better to equip a swimming pool in the yard. What is an outdoor swimming pool, how does it function and what are its features?
Features and types of font designs
The font is an addition to the sauna in the form of a wooden barrel with cold water for traditional dipping after the steam room. In modern conditions, the design is used as a multifunctional device for a set of water procedures outdoors or indoors. Heating is provided by electric or gas equipment, or a solid fuel boiler is used.
Oval font
The following types of fonts are distinguished by shape:
- round and oval;
- rectangular and square;
- polygonal, trapezoidal.
According to the design, heated fonts are divided into 2 categories:
- with a cauldron inside the bowl;
- with heat supplied from a generator outside.
Depending on the volume, there are options for diving one or several people. The outside of the structure is equipped with steps; inside the container there is a ledge used as a bench.
Octagonal font
Materials for production
When deciding how to make a heated font with your own hands, most often they give preference to a stationary design, however, mobile options also have their admirers. Depending on the characteristics of use, the tank for taking water procedures is made of various materials.
Made from concrete
To build a concrete font, formwork with reinforcement is constructed and concrete mortar is poured. It is necessary to provide water supply and drainage and ensure tight connections. For cladding, those types of slabs are used that tolerate contact with water well.
A concrete swimming tank looks like a mini swimming pool, and when built in accordance with regulatory requirements, it will last a long time. The downside is the labor-intensive construction and high time costs, since the time for complete hardening of concrete is about 30 days, depending on environmental conditions.
Made of plastic
Factory plastic models are cast in various shapes and sizes. The polymer font is installed in a recess with preliminary concreting of the perimeter of the walls and the bottom of the pit or sheathed with wood in the case of ground installation. The recessed option provides for insulation. The advantage of a plastic bowl is the speed and ease of installation compared to other types of bathing structures.
Heated plastic hot tub
Metal
Metal bowls are rarely installed in bathhouses; they are mainly used in the form of a steel or cast iron vat suspended on a chain from a tripod. This extreme version of the design is most often found in street versions. The water in the font is heated by a fire under the bottom. There is a pipe at the bottom of the vat for drainage. To prevent burns, the bottom of the bowl is lined with pebbles or other covering.
Wooden
Planks with tongue-and-groove fastening are used; according to the method of connecting the elements, there are adhesive models and options without the use of glue. When choosing a material for assembling a heated font with your own hands, preference is given to bathing rocks with high performance potential.
Outdoor wooden hot tub heated with wood
Oak
The structure of the species is characterized by water-repellent properties, which makes oak effective in conditions of high humidity. The following advantages of the material are also noted:
- high strength coefficient;
- rot resistance;
- spectacular appearance.
The nuances of using an oak font:
- The container should not be mounted on a concrete base; it is necessary to use an insert made of a thick layer of rubber;
- To emphasize the beautiful texture with a characteristic pattern, the outer surface of the oak structure is treated with linseed oil.
The water in the oak bowl is enriched with beneficial substances that are released from the wood when heated.
Cedar
The breed has a dense structure with a rich composition of essential oils. Cedar is valued as a natural healer; the water in the container is saturated with phytoncides and takes on the healing properties of the wood. The only drawback is the high cost of the building material.
Siberian larch
The species is characterized by high biostability; the wood gains strength every year. Larch is considered the most suitable solution for building a font with your own hands, including due to the democratic nature of the material. The beneficial substances contained in coniferous species purify the air, help lower blood pressure, and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Pine
Due to the nature of the rock, the slats of the pine bathtub are not glued together. Otherwise, cracking of the wood and deformation of the structure are observed. It is recommended to burn the surface once every 3 years. Also, to optimize the service life of a pine bowl, it is necessary to treat it with an antiseptic.
Internal oven
The internal furnace is made of high-alloy stainless steel and is located inside the font. It heats the liquid with its entire area and the heat exchanger tubes that are located in it. This means the likelihood of getting burned is significantly reduced.
In order to achieve the result, it is recommended to heat the stove with dry hardwood logs. The liquid in the font, the diameter of which is 1.5 meters, will reach the optimal temperature after 60 minutes. When heating water, you need to use a thermal blanket.
Installation nuances
A heated font can be built for use indoors or outdoors by allocating an appropriate place on the site.
On the street
It is necessary to prepare a flat and solid base for mounting the bowl. This takes into account the weight of the structure when filled with water, along with the weight of the intended users. In order to comfortably take water procedures, the outdoor version of the font is surrounded by decorative plantings overlooking a beautiful garden landscape. It is necessary to build a canopy; if necessary, you can supplement the outdoor bathing complex with a hedge.
In room
Often, bathtubs are placed in a bathhouse; if desired, the bowl can be mounted on a veranda, in a garage, or an indoor pool. Indoors, the structure should not be installed close to heating appliances. If you have a heated floor system, it is recommended to equip the podium with insulating materials, for example, plywood with a layer of polystyrene foam and a rubber backing.
Electric heater
On the one hand, the electric heater is attractive due to its ease of control. Heating begins simply by turning on the button. However, installing an electrically heated hot tub is a rather complicated process. In addition to the heater itself, it is necessary to install a circulation pump, a flow filter, inlet and outlet valves, control units, protection units, and power supply. All equipment must be protected from moisture, frost and installed in certain places.
What is attractive about this option is that with the help of such equipment you can program the heating time and not monitor the process itself.
Making a wooden font
An outdoor model of a bathing tank can be designed as a mobile structure on timber stands.
Tools and materials
To make a wooden heated font outdoors with your own hands, you will need the following set of materials and tools:
- boards, slats, beams;
- metal hoops, bolts;
- polypropylene pipe, hose;
- siphon, durable cord, float mechanism;
- stove with a sealed housing of a special design;
- screws, sealant;
- jigsaw;
- grinder with a disc for grinding;
- electric drill;
- mallet;
- building level, tape measure, marker.
The main parts of the structure are made from 120x20 mm boards. The slats are used for the bench, 100x100 mm timber will be needed for the stands.
Drawing
Based on a schematic image with the exact parameters of the designed structure, it is easy to determine the material consumption. It is worth making drawings in different projections in order to correctly perform calculations for the manufacture of the walls of the font and the bottom, stairs, benches and other parts.
Drawing of an oval wooden font
Manufacturing parts for the font
At the initial stage, preparations are made:
- The boards should be cut taking into account the height of the walls of the planned structure plus 120-130 mm. The material must be processed on a milling machine to create a tongue-and-groove system. This is exactly how blanks are made from boards to decorate the bottom.
- On the bottom of the wall planks, you need to mill a square groove with a depth of 1/3 of the board, after marking from the edge 100 mm with the addition of the thickness of the bottom board, which is 20-35 mm.
- Next, you should prepare parts for the bench based on the drawing and make slats for the stairs.
- If the project involves installing a stove inside a container, it is necessary to prepare slats to form a lattice partition.
Thorough sanding of all lumber is mandatory.
Heating system
When arranging a hot tub with internal heating, a special wood-burning stove of a sealed design is used. The door for storing firewood is located at the top of the heat generator. There is a hole on the side for ventilation with an exit to the outside.
Most often, hot tubs are built with a heater on the outside, and the heat exchanger is mounted inside a wooden container.
The principle of processing and joining boards
Installation stages
The assembly of a wooden font involves the following sequence:
- To install the bottom, the blanks are laid out in a row, the tongues are treated with glue, and connected into a shield. Next, the panel needs to be secured with clamps. After the bottom structure has been glued together under pressure, you should draw an oval of the required size with a marker and saw off the excess.
- A stand is constructed from 2 bars, which need to be screwed from below using self-tapping screws.
- To drain: drill a hole and insert a pipe. The siphon is attached to the slats using self-tapping screws. The joints with wood are carefully treated with sealant.
- To form the walls, planks are assembled around the bottom, connecting grooves at the bottom to the perimeter of the base of the structure. To firmly fix the fragments, you must use a mallet.
- The wall panel is tightened with metal clamps and tightened with bolts.
- The inner surfaces of the bowl are carefully sanded before installing the bench. The bench can be stretched along the entire contour of the container or you can make a short version of the seat for one person.
- Part of the space must be fenced off with a slatted grill if you plan to install the stove inside the bowl.
At the final stage, the stairs are installed and the internal and external surfaces of the wooden structure are carefully sanded.
Operating rules
To increase the service life of a wooden hot tub, it is important to take into account the properties of the natural material and adhere to the following recommendations:
- after a session of water procedures, it is necessary to drain the contents of the container;
- To clean and disinfect the bowl, liquid compounds and a soft sponge are used; do not use abrasive agents;
- it is important to build a canopy if the font is installed outdoors, since the wood dries out under the sun;
- to prevent deformation of the wooden font during periods of prolonged inactivity, place a container of water inside the bowl and cover the structure with a sheet of plywood, tarpaulin or thick fabric;
- It is recommended to regularly check the tension level of the hoops; if necessary, tighten the nuts.
Before use after a long period of inactivity, a wooden font should be filled with cold water to soak for a certain period in order to avoid incidents during water procedures.
