How to build a wooden well house yourself: the best ideas and construction procedure

Owners of country houses and seasonal dachas, deprived of a centralized water supply, are forced to resolve the issue of drinking and technical water on their own. It is not surprising that many people prefer to dig a well. But few people will be pleased with a head made of concrete rings or simple bricks - such a structure on a site requires proper design and decoration, don’t you agree?

Therefore, the logical conclusion of such construction is the installation of a house for a well. Which, if desired, you can make yourself. For this you will need the simplest set of tools and materials. Thus, wooden houses are very popular. But to make them you will also need power tools - it is much easier to cut a log with a chainsaw than with a hacksaw.

If you don’t have a chainsaw yet and you definitely want to decorate the well head with wood, then, along with buying logs, boards and timber, you need to immediately buy a saw. The popular rating of chainsaws, which contains the best offers that have been tested by experts and received positive user reviews, will help you not to make a mistake in choosing the best tool.

But if you have the necessary tools and materials, you can safely get to work. We will tell you in detail in our material where to start and what should be taken into account. Let's talk about the intricacies of building a house, give examples of interesting and original designs, and give recommendations on choosing the most suitable option.

Planning the location of the well

Planning the location of the well
The location of the well on the site is determined based on the presence and depth of groundwater, as well as the presence of springs in this area.

Groundwater, according to its type, is classified as:

Verkhovodka - are characterized by a shallow depth and are recharged by water received in the form of precipitation, when snow melts and during floods.

They are distinguished by a low degree of purification, which requires the installation of an additional system for purifying the water used.

Groundwater - lies in the aquifer of the earth and has a certain reserve of its quantity. There is no pressure in the aquifer, the water level in the well corresponds to the level of the aquifer.

The degree of water purification is higher than with perched water.

Artesian - lie deeper and are located, as a rule, between layers of rock.

When installing a water supply system using water of this type, water is poured out under pressure formed in the aquifer.
To determine the specific location of the well, it is necessary to collect information about the presence and nature of groundwater, and also contact specialists in the field of hydrology or use traditional methods. Specialists can use hydrological maps or perform the necessary drilling work (exploration drilling), which will make it possible to draw up a diagram of the presence of hydrological layers in the earth's surface.

Traditional methods consist of using metal wires or wooden rods to determine the place where groundwater is closest to the surface of the earth.

It should be noted that using folk methods, the location is determined fairly roughly; the exact location can only be determined using technical survey methods.

In addition, there are standards regulating the location of the well in relation to other buildings and structures, which are reflected in SNiP 3.05.04-85* “External networks and structures of water supply and sewerage (as amended).”

Wells in a suburban area

This method of water supply in a suburban area is no less popular than simple mine wells. Tube wells are more practical to manufacture and do not take up much space.

Well location diagram on the site

Peculiarities:

This type of well is constructed using drilling rigs.
To improve and strengthen it internally, long plastic or concrete pipes of small diameter are used.
They are installed during the drilling process.
This process is quite painstaking and only professionals can handle it.
One wrong movement during pipe installation can cause the well to fill up.

Wells can be:

On the sand.
On gravel.
Artesian.

Note. The purest and highest quality water is considered to be that obtained from an artesian well. The depth of the aquifer is at least 60-80 m. It all depends on the terrain.

It is also possible to run the required number of pipes from the well to a house or other buildings.

Wood selection

Birch for a well
When using wood to construct a well, various types of raw materials can be used, such as oak, birch, aspen, pine or spruce.

The choice of wood is based on its ability to withstand moisture when framing a well and exposure to sunlight and microorganisms when constructing the above-ground part of a well.

As a rule, a log house is made of oak, aspen, larch, elm or alder, which is due to the ability of these tree species not to rot when left in water for a long time.

To make a house, both the above mentioned types of wood and others - spruce, pine, birch - can be used.

Shaft or tube well: which is better?

There are two types of well structures: shaft and tubular. Tubular ones were usually installed several times per village. They were called columns, and water was drawn from the depths with a hand pump. A tube well is placed in places where the waters are shallow, it is created quickly, but! They don't dig it, they drill it. Accordingly, drilling equipment is needed.

It is impossible to create a tube well without special equipment

We are considering the simplest way to make a well, which means a tubular one will not suit us.

Even one person can build a shaft well

There is only one option left - a mine, which is dug with an ordinary shovel, which every owner has. This is a traditional type of well for the private sector, because it is easiest to create on your own.

Materials and tools

When making a log house, timber, half-timber or round timber is used; for the construction of a house, edged boards of various thicknesses are used.

The taste of water taken from a well largely depends on the type of wood used to make the frame, as well as its quality and ability to resist rotting.

To finish the outside of the well, you will need paint or varnish, as well as other finishing materials, depending on the style of the house.

In order to make a wooden well with your own hands, you will need the following tool:

Chainsaw, two-handed or bow saw.
Axe.
Wood saw.
Plane.
Carpentry tools.

When to build

The most suitable period of the year for digging a structure is the end of summer and beginning of autumn, when the groundwater level is minimal. In winter, when there is not much water, the work is much more difficult and impractical.

If you are going to drill a well with the involvement of a construction company, then this parameter is irrelevant. The presence of powerful drilling equipment allows work to be carried out at any time of the year.

Types of wells

Construction of a tube well Wells
differ in the type of recess from which water is drawn. They are of the following types:

Mine - construction is carried out by digging a mine. In this case, the work is performed manually, using shovels and other hand tools.
Tubular - construction is carried out using a mechanized method (drilling or punching), followed by the construction of a well.

In addition, wells can be classified according to the type of construction of the water intake part through which water enters the internal space of the mine (well), these are:

Full immersion - water enters through the side walls, and the bottom is mounted on a water-resistant layer.
Imperfect - water enters through the side walls and bottom of a well or well.
Perfect with a sump - a reservoir is installed in the aquifer, which is a water storage tank, into which the frame of the well (shaft, well) is immersed.
With an expanded underwater part that serves to store water.

Construction and operating rules of a well

To ensure the purity of water, it is necessary to prevent debris and high water from entering the mine. You need to cover the well or make a head, which can be designed so that it becomes a decoration for the area. To prevent water from getting inside, it is recommended to make a blind area.

Hereditary well builders insist on building a castle made of compacted clay around the head. This should not be done when using concrete rings. In winter, water located at the surface of the soil will freeze and increase in volume. Since clay is a heaving material, the top ring may rise. In this case, the joints will lose their tightness.

Another myth is the need for a bottom filter. There are many opinions that the bottom of the well must be protected. To do this, it is recommended to use crushed stone, larch boards, and plastic mesh. You don't really need to do anything. There will be no practical benefit from such a filter, and it will complicate cleaning the well from sand or silt.

Water must be taken from the well in such a way that it is never completely pumped out. The most favorable mode is when at least half the volume of water remains. If you pump faster, water will flow into the mine very quickly. At the same time, sand will be drawn into the well, the water will be dirty and unsuitable for use.

The cost of the device will be approximately 4,500 rubles per ring and 1,500 rubles per sealant. Provided proper arrangement and operation, even a budget well in a country house can easily provide water to a small house for almost half a century.

How to build a wooden well

Before starting the construction of a well, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory activities, which include:

Determining the location of the well.
Calculation of daily water requirements, both for cooking and for technical purposes.
Choosing the type and design of the well.
Selection and acquisition of materials required for construction.
Tool preparation.

When the preparatory activities have been completed, you need to think about the technology for performing the work.

The technology must ensure the completion of work in the shortest possible time, with minimal labor costs, as well as ensuring the safety of their implementation.

Assembling a log house

The production and assembly of the log house is carried out on the surface of the earth. The connection of logs is carried out according to the “paw” type, “in the bowl” or with other types of locks (“hook”, Finnish, Swedish or Norwegian lock), and when using timber - “with remainder”, “without remainder”, “straight” tenon, corner tenon or dovetail.

The size of the log house, its height, depends on the depth of groundwater and the required height of the structure rising above the surface of the earth.

The side of the log house, as a rule, is 1.0 meter, but it can be more or less than this size, which depends on the personal wishes of the developer and the buildings located near the well being constructed.

When assembling a log house, the rows are mounted with wooden spikes, which ensure the rigidity and strength of the structure.

The manufactured frame is marked to facilitate further assembly in the well shaft.

Stage three. Well construction

Construction of a well
Let's say right away that we can't do it alone - we need at least one more person.

One of the workers (let’s call him a “miner”) begins digging the earth in a selected location along the diameter of the ring. To destroy heavy soil, he uses a crowbar, and stones that come across the path are also removed.

Digging a well

Construction (digging)
At this time, the second person is located near the mouth of the mine and lifts the selected stones and soil to the surface using a tripod, winch and bucket.

Tripod from which a hand chain hoist is suspended
It is recommended to acquire a third assistant who will replace the “slaughterman”, say, every half hour.
It is important that the slaughterer be provided with the most comfortable working environment possible. To do this, the mine must be ventilated - with a mechanized pumping device or with an ordinary umbrella.

We perform all actions in this sequence.

Step 1. Lay the first concrete ring in place of the future shaft. The “cutter” digs through the walls of the ring, and as it gets deeper, it sinks deeper and deeper. It is advisable to use a product with pins or cone-shaped points for the first ring to facilitate downward movement.

Installation of concrete rings

Step 2. After the top edge of the ring reaches the same level with the ground, place another one on top and continue working. The weight of each ring is approximately 600-700 kg.

Step 3. Two people are enough to roll the ring to the place of work. But if it is possible to use a crane, then it is better not to neglect it, because with the help of such special equipment you can more accurately lower the ring into the seat.

If the soil is dry and strong, then you can go deep 2-3 meters, and after that, use a crane to install several rings in a row.

Digging a well

Step 4. We continue the procedure in a similar way until the aquifer is reached. As practice shows, in a standard work shift (8 hours) 3 concrete rings can be laid.

Note! The proximity of the aquifer can be seen by the small springs gushing from the walls and the rapidly decreasing temperature.

After the fontanelles appear, we go deeper a few meters, after which we cover the bottom with a “cushion” of crushed stone (it will serve as a water filter).

Step 5. The mine is pumped with a submersible drainage pump. The more water is pumped out of the well, the greater its debit will be.

Well drainage pump

How to install a well

Installing a well
There are several technologies for installing a shaft-type well using a wooden frame, which determine the possibility of performing such work with different levels of groundwater.

Installation can be done in the following ways:

Gradual assembly.

With this method of performing work, a pit (shaft) is dug, at the bottom of which the manufactured log house is assembled. This construction method is suitable when the groundwater is not deep, the soil is dense and there is no water recharge from the lateral layers of this soil.

Submersible construction.

This method of performing work is carried out when groundwater is deep. Initially, a pit is dug, 5.0 - 6.0 meters deep, into which the manufactured frame is installed, after which soil is removed from under the lower crowns of the frame. As the structure sinks, the crowns located in the upper part of the frame are installed.

Extension of the log house downwards.

This technology is used in the construction of deep wells. The peculiarity of this method of performing work is that the crowns are added from below to the mounted frame.

The installation of a log house is carried out in the following sequence: a pit is dug to the possible permissible depth, after which the log house is assembled, and the height of its assembly is determined by the height of the dug shaft.

The installation of the crowns is carried out in such a way that the upper rows of the manufactured log house are located in the required plane above the ground surface.

The lower crowns are laid on pads, after which the earth is sampled both in the vertical plane (deepening the bottom of the well) and in the horizontal.

Excavation of soil in a horizontal plane is necessary so that it is possible to install supports or jacks that ensure the hanging of the assembled structure.

When the log house is hung and the required amount of soil is removed, the next crown (or several crowns) is installed, after which the supports (jacks) are removed, the installed rows are attached to the previously mounted one.

After the installation of the log house, the soil is backfilled and compacted from the outside, as well as the construction and finishing of the well house.

Details

Construction Features

It is better to dig a well with an assistant. One will do the work in the mine, the second on the surface, removing containers with soil. To make it easier to lift the container, you need to equip a winch or a tripod installation with a hoist.

Safety precautions should be followed:

1. a worker inside the mine must have a helmet on his head.

2.ropes with ropes must be strong.

3. if a worker is unwell in the mine, determine the level of gas contamination in the mine using a candle. When the candle goes out, use a fan to remove gas contamination.

Tools for manual work:
1. large and small size shovels.
2.buckets.
3. the chain is thick.
4. winch.
5. rope ladder.

In the process of constructing a well, you should check the strength of the equipment: ropes, fastenings, with the help of which the earth is lifted from the pit. The dimensions of the hole for the well depend on the selected ring size. The optimal diameter is considered to be concrete rings of one meter. To install these rings, no additional equipment will be required. The height of the rings should be such as to suit the owner’s parameters.

Attention! Before digging a mine, the area for work should be marked.

When the height of the pit reaches one meter, the first ring of concrete should be inserted. By digging out the earth from the bottom of the pit and placing more rings on top, they will lower themselves under their own weight. The rings are placed evenly on top of each other, fastened with metal staples.

This work must be done before a layer of soil with water appears. This method of installing rings is considered the safest. In some cases, a hole is completely dug, then rings are placed in it. This technology is dangerous because there is a risk of the earth collapsing on the worker inside the pit, which threatens his life.

The water that appears in the mine will initially be cloudy, with admixtures of sand and earth. After installing the filter, the liquid will become lighter in color and can be consumed. Before installing the filter, water is removed from the bottom of the pit. Next, they remove one twenty-centimeter level of soil, compare the bottom, removing dirt.

The bottom is covered with sand with large particles in a layer of thirty centimeters, gravel and crushed stone are poured onto it in a layer of up to twenty-five centimeters. The top layer of the filter consists of coarse gravel, it is equal to twenty centimeters, no more. Before pouring, the gravel should be washed in a chlorine solution with water. If there is a large influx of liquid into the shaft, first a floor is built from boards, holes are left in it, and a filter is placed on it.

All water from the pit is completely pumped out for two weeks. Water can be used to water the garden and wash the car. Over time, the water will clear.

Attention! Clarified water from the mine should be tested in a laboratory for its composition in order to protect yourself and your loved ones. If a well is used on a neighbor’s property, then this procedure is not necessary.

Clay castle

To prevent surface water from penetrating inside the well and clogging it with debris and dirt, a clay castle is built around the perimeter of the device. Around the well you need to dig a trench one meter deep, and clay should be compacted into it. A clay mound should form on top so that water coming from the well structure can drain from it. A concrete blind area is placed on top of the castle.

Safety rules when digging a well

In order to avoid emergency situations and to prevent accidents, when performing well digging work, it is necessary to comply with the requirements of safety rules, which are:

The site where excavation work is carried out must be fenced, for which a fence or other enclosing structures are installed.

The excavation site is fenced along its perimeter, at a distance of at least 1.0 meters from its completion.

There should be no heavy objects or structures at the work site that could slide into the pit (shaft) during their manufacture.
When performing work, you must use proper tools and personal protective equipment.
Ropes or cables used during work must be tested for strength.
When using devices equipped with an electric drive, they must be equipped with an automatic stopping or braking device.

A well is a rather complex technical structure, the construction of which is best entrusted to professionals with experience in performing such work. However, if there is a desire and compliance with safety requirements, as well as with certain knowledge, every owner of a country plot or summer resident can carry out the work of constructing a well on his own.

Choosing a place for a well

When choosing a site for a well, the determining factor is the quality and quantity of groundwater. We’ve already written about how to find places with the best water, so let’s look at a few more points that are worth considering.

It is allowed to dig a well only away from various sources of household pollution entering the soil. Those. there should be at least 30 meters from the toilet, animal walking areas and manure heaps.
If you have an autonomous sewer system that does not have a bottom, then you will either have to redo it, making it completely sealed (or better yet, install a factory-made plastic container!), or refuse to build any wells with your own hands. Groundwater will certainly carry household wastewater into the source, and your water will not only become tasteless, but also smelly and unsafe.
To avoid the appearance of runoff from neighbors, it is better to place the well in a high place, where, according to physical laws, liquid simply will not flow.
If you keep animals (cows, pigs, etc.) that need to be watered daily, then place the well at approximately an equal distance between the house and the barns. For domestic needs, wells are placed closer to the house (but not right next to each other, but keeping at least 5 meters from the building).

Before you start making a well, wait for the right season, i.e. autumn or winter, when groundwater is at its maximum depth. If you start work in the spring, then there is so much water in the ground at that time that in 90% of cases you will end up on it. Then in the summer your well will constantly dry up.

Construction details

Wood for felling

In order for the well shaft to last as long as possible, it must be reinforced with a frame made of logs. Moreover, both the service life of the structure and the quality of water depend on the choice of wood.

Oak is a reliable, durable, but expensive material

You can compare the available options in the table below:

Wood	Service life, years		Tendency to rot	Adding flavor
Wood	Underwater part	Surface part	Tendency to rot	Adding flavor
Birch	10	5	With periodic moisturizing
Elm	20	5	With periodic moisturizing
Oak	25 or more	20-25	Bitterish, disappears over time
Stained oak	50 or more	50 or more
Larch	25	20
Aspen	20	5
Alder	15	5	With periodic moisturizing
Pine	15	5	Bitterish, disappears over time

As you can see, oak is an ideal option. However, this wood is quite difficult to process with your own hands, and its cost is quite high. That is why well frames are often made from more affordable and easy-to-work aspen, alder or birch.

But it is better to protect relatively cheap pine from constant contact with water. For example, wooden covers for wells or exterior finishing parts can be made from pine boards, but nothing more.

Note! As you can see from the table, over time the wood can rot. Accordingly, at least once every three to four years it is necessary to conduct a full inspection of the walls of the well, promptly strengthening or replacing logs that have begun to rot.

Construction of a log house

Well drawing: main parts and their dimensions

Since our project does not involve the use of other materials, we will make all the parts from the selected wood. Naturally, the most difficult thing to build is a log house, and therefore here we will pay maximum attention to it.

We carry out the work according to the following scheme:

We cut logs with a diameter of 180 - 220 mm to size, remove branches and remove the bark.

Advice! You should try to keep the top layer of wood intact, since it protects the core and largely ensures the longevity of the log.

At the edges of the logs we make holes for joining “in a paw” or “in half a tree”. For more reliable fastening, we form longitudinal recesses along the entire length of the logs and drill holes for installing birch dowels. The inner side of each log can be cut flat.

Before staining, we assemble the frame on the surface

We assemble the log house on the surface, marking each log and marking its location on the diagram.
After this, we disassemble the structure and immerse the wood in running water for 1-2 years.

Important! If this is not possible, this stage can be skipped, but then the service life of the log house will be significantly reduced.

We dry the stained logs in the shade, avoiding direct sunlight - this way we will protect the parts from cracking as much as possible.

Assembly process - three options

Note! The use of chemical impregnations and antiseptics is not allowed.

We use dry logs to build a log house, collecting it either gradually, according to the method given above, or entirely, after digging the well.
To avoid subsidence of the log house on soft ground, we place supports under the lower rims: halves of oak logs or large boulders. In this case, the lower crown in any case should be below the water level in the hottest summer month, otherwise a large amount of clay, sand and silt will get into the water.
The joints between the crowns are not sealed. To compact them, after laying each log, it is settled with blows of a sledgehammer - accordingly, upon completion of the work, the structure itself will be buried relative to the initial level.

In most cases, the outer part of the log house is a continuation of the inner one. As a rule, a structure made of logs itself looks good, but if necessary, it can be sheathed with clapboard on a wooden frame. Since the plank lining will not come into contact with water, antiseptics can be used to protect it from rotting.

Surface finishing

For both concrete and wooden structures, the presence of a blind area around the perimeter will be extremely desirable

After completing the main work, we need to improve our well so that we can use it with maximum comfort.

For this:

In a shallow pit, dug along the perimeter of the log house at the construction stage, we fill the clay with a layer of about 40 - 60 cm. We carefully compact the clay “castle”, forming a waterproof horizon. Now, even if we spill some water from the bucket, it will not fall back into the well, but will flow to the side and be absorbed into the soil there.

Advice! If you do not want to dig a deep pit for a clay castle, then the area around the well can be concreted. A concrete layer 15 -20 cm thick also does an excellent job of drainage.

We cover the clay or concrete blind area with a roll of boards or slabs, laying them in two layers. The concrete area can also be tiled with ceramic tiles.

If we plan to use a well pump, then it is at this stage that we install water-lifting equipment. To protect the water from pollution, we will need a wooden cover for the well - you can make it with your own hands in just a few minutes by cutting a plank board to the shape of a log house and installing a handle on it to open it.

However, a well is also a design object, so even if a pump is used, it should be properly decorated. We do it this way:

Gate diagram

On the sides of the log house we install two wooden beams with a cross-section of at least 100x200 mm. We bury the beams into the ground 50 cm and fix them to the walls of the log house for more reliable fastening.
We make holes in the beams into which we install the axis of the well gate. We make the gate itself from a log, attaching a handle to it for raising and lowering the bucket. We fix the bucket itself on a cable or chain.

Next we need to make the roof.

There is a wide field for imagination here, but two options are considered classic:

The open design involves installing a gable roof on two support pillars. At the same time, access to the log house is provided from all sides, so a lid must be placed on top - it is needed both to protect the water from contamination and for safety reasons.

Photo of open type design

If we are not satisfied with the appearance of the log house, then we can build a small wooden house around the well. On the sides we install two pairs of inclined rafters, resting either on the ground or on the upper logs of the log house. We make the roof itself from boards or from metal tiles, and we cover the gable parts of the “house” with clapboard, leaving a door on one side through which we will gain access to the well.

Closed option

Naturally, in both cases, the structure can be decorated with wood carvings, varnished for exterior use, or simply painted.