Brick ovens create coziness and warmth in the room. They are also remarkable for their durability: such a structure can last up to a century or more. A do-it-yourself brick sauna stove requires masonry skills.
Features of a brick oven for a bath
Brick belongs to fire-resistant environmentally friendly materials, which makes it suitable both for the construction of the bath building itself, and for the construction of a stove. It is durable and resistant to wear and tear, does not rot or damage from moisture.
The brick does not heat up very quickly, but it retains and gives off heat for a long time, therefore, it is often not necessary to heat the stove. This feature allows you to take long bath procedures and serve a larger number of people.
A stone sauna stove requires a solid foundation: this is due to the large mass of the structure.
Types of firebox
The firebox is open (usually in small stoves) and closed. Its design affects the features of operation and the characteristics of the resulting steam.
Furnace types:
- In black - a construction without a chimney. This is the oldest version of the firebox. Its name is associated with the settling of soot and soot on the walls of the room. The air is smoky. The only plus is less firewood consumption than other options.
- Gray - the chimney is present, but due to its configuration, part of the soot still remains on the inner walls of the tube. This creates a fire hazard with the subsequent transfer of fire to the building itself. Because of this, the stove must be monitored until the end of the firewood burning.
- In white - the configuration of the pipe contributes to the complete removal of smoke outside. The stones in these structures are closed with a metal door that is opened only after the firewood has completely burned out.
The black version has a high level of fire hazard. It is definitely not worth giving preference to him. Smoky air significantly reduces the healing effect of bath procedures.
Types of brick heaters
The brick stove can be of different designs. The option is selected in accordance with the dimensions of the bath, the skills and financial capabilities of the owner. The following types of structures can be distinguished:
- Permanent action - they are distinguished by a thin-walled structure and a small number of stones heated to 300-350 degrees. They can work on gas or electricity. The design is equipped with a protective automatic block. Putting it into operation is possible only after receiving permission from the fire inspection.
- Periodic action - they are performed with thick masonry, a lot of stones are used, their heating temperature is much higher. They keep warm well.
- For solid fuel - equipped with a partition that prevents combustion products from entering the room.
- A compact brick stove for a small bathhouse with your own hands can be made in several versions. The easiest way is to make it from a washer oven. Instead of liquid, pebbles are placed in the tank. The firebox thus turns out to be thin-walled. The problem can be solved by lining with bricks.
- Double wall design with water tank. It can be placed on top (on the stove) or below (end part to the firebox).
- You can make a stove without a water heater. In this case, the partition is constructed from a cast iron pot. Stones in this design heat up quickly. The firebox is lined with refractory blocks.
Some designs provide for a tank for heating water, others do not. The choice depends on the availability of hot water and the preferences of the owner
Materials and tools
To build a brick stove for a bath with your own hands, you need to prepare a design drawing. The diagram should show its main components and their dimensions.
It is advisable to prepare 2 types of bricks - refractory for the firebox and ordinary corpulent for the main part. Do not take hollow or white silicate products - they are not sufficiently resistant to high-temperature environments.
For masonry, a clay solution is used. To prevent the bricks from pulling liquid out of it, they should first be held in water for 5 minutes.
Of the tools, you will need ordering and dishes for preparing the solution. You also need a building level and a trowel.
The stove should not be located opposite the door leading to the dressing room. The distance between it and wooden surfaces must be at least 0.4 m. If the chimney and the body are made of metal, the figure increases to one meter. A steel sheet is attached to the wooden floor in front of the firebox. The minimum distance between a brick chimney and parts made of wood is 0.1 m.
Do-it-yourself brick oven for a bath
The foundation is deepened by at least 0.5 m. Its dimensions in diameter should be 1 brick larger than the estimated dimensions of the furnace. In the future, the following actions are performed:
- A monolithic slab of concrete is built on a sand cushion.
- After hardening, it is covered with waterproofing and proceeds to laying the rows of the sauna stove. Evenness is controlled by the building level. You cannot create a ligation of fireclay and simple bricks: they expand at different temperatures. Hewn blocks are laid with the smooth side inward: this part of the structure must be flat.
- Slabs, doors and other similar elements are mounted in parallel with the masonry.
- Then they equip the chimney. Its minimum thickness is from half a brick. Take him out at least 0.5 m from the roof. The pipe is placed in a steel body, and the space between it and the masonry is sealed with mineral wool.
When the oven is dry, a test run is carried out in the presence of fire safety personnel. They need to obtain permission to operate the unit.
You can do without finishing - a brick stove already creates coziness in the room. If desired, it can be painted or tiled.
