Replacing the lower rims of the bath with your own hands - full or partial

A log or rounded timber for a bath is the best material for construction. Wood perfectly retains heat, does not need additional insulation, regulates humidity, does not heat up like a stone at a high temperature in a steam room. However, the log house has a significant drawback: with excessive moisture or accumulation of condensation, the wood rots. All sections have to be repaired: lower crowns, openings, upper ones.

Why does the lower crown rot

The tree begins to rot when it does not cope with the removal of moisture from the room to the outside. This happens when, for some reason, moisture enters this area in large quantities and accumulates.

This is due to the following:

• Incorrectly placed 2nd layer of waterproofing between the lower log and the base. The water is not retained by the roofing material, but rises to the tree.
• Unventilated foundation - in order to ensure the removal of moisture, ventilation must be made in the basement of the bath. Without them, moisture accumulates at the bottom of the walls and floor.
• Lack of ebb - water after the rain stagnates on the roofing felt and penetrates into the tree. They solve the problem by installing a regular ebb on the basement of the bath or by constructing a concrete blind area at an angle around the perimeter of the house.
• Poor treatment of logs with antiseptics may also be the reason. In this case, the tendency to rot in the wood increases.

Damage to the lower rim is caused by improper flooring, poor ventilation in the washroom, floor concreting without additional waterproofing.

Lower Rim Replacement Tools

What exactly is required for replacement depends on the type of repair and the method chosen. The main condition for work is the release of the foundation. The bath must be raised above the base, installed on temporary supports, and then proceeded to replace.

They do it in 2 ways.

1. Lifting with a crane is rarely used, since the repair of the lower crown takes a lot of time. This method is used when the box is removed from the foundation and moved to another area before the end of the work.
2. Lifting on jacks - hydraulic or screw. These devices are placed in the corners of the bath and alternately raise each corner, substituting a temporary support under it. The work requires more time, but the box can be on the supports for as long as you like.

The weight of the building must be accurately calculated in order to determine the lifting capacity of the jacks.

In addition to lifting equipment you need:

• support shields - with their help they distribute the load;
• bars - this way adjusts the height of the jack;
• metal spacers - distribute the load from the moving part of the device.

You also need a shovel, crowbar, carpentry tools to handle the log. If the foundation is also damaged, a cement-sand mortar will be required for its arrangement.

Wood for the lower rims of the log house

For the bath, take a coniferous tree - pine, spruce, larch. However, for the lower part of the hut, it is better to take wood of a higher density and less prone to decay.
The most economical option is larch. It is durable, lightweight, affordable and rot resistant. Larch only hardens under the influence of water. It does not need to be treated with antiseptics.
Another option is oak.Its durability and strength are beyond question. However, a tree is more expensive.

Since the load on the lower rim is high, the diameter of the logs is increased by 15–20% in comparison with the rest.

Rules and features of work

Replacing the lower rims of a log bath is done with your own hands if some signs are detected: deformation of the strapping logs and 3-4 lower rows of the log house, the appearance of cracks, a change in color. Signs are not always indicative of excessive defects, so additional checks are carried out. For example, they tap wood with a hammer: if the sound is muffled, the wood is likely to rot.
If defects are found, the size of the lesion is determined. If the damage is local, only a part needs to be replaced: you do not need to raise the bath for this. If the base of the entire wall has rotted, you will have to replace the whole trim.
Repairs should be carried out as soon as damage is found. However, it is worth considering the following tips:

• if not only the basement is damaged, but also the foundation, it is better to carry out repairs in the fall: concrete sets faster;
• It is better to repair a log house in winter: the moisture content of the logs is minimal at this time;
• in summer, it is best to finish a log building.

In spring, wood shrinks the most. If possible, it is better to postpone the repair.

Partial replacement of the lower rims

How to independently replace the lower log in the bath depends on the scale of the damage. Partial replacement is easier. It is even allowed to simply put a kind of patch made of brick or wood.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Determine the limits of the defect and mark them with a knife.
2. Having retreated 40 cm from the mark in both directions, the screeds are attached. Take for it slats 40 mm thick and 2-3 logs high. Nailed on both sides of 2 pieces.
3. The rotten tree is cut out with a saw. A continuous cut is made alternately on each side, then the sawn part is taken out. To make the joint with the "patch" better, 20 cm cuts are made along the edges of the niche.
4. The second crown is cleaned and aligned from below. All cuts are impregnated with antiseptics.
5. The foundation is waterproofed with 2-3 sheets of roofing material.
6. An insert is made from a log of the same section. The length of the "patch" is 2-3 cm less. The fragment is also impregnated with an antiseptic.
7. Insert a "patch" into the opening, if necessary, drive in with a sledgehammer.
8. The gaps between the inserted block and the edges of the hole are caulked with jute, moss, tow.

Using this technology, it is possible to replace the entire lower crown, alternately cutting out the rotten parts and replacing them with new ones.

Replacing the lower rims completely

For such work, the bath must be raised above the foundation.

Preparation:

1. Furniture is being taken out of the building, stoves and shower cubicles are dismantled.
2. They remove windows and doors, including interior doors.
3. If the logs are collected on the lower rim, the floor is dismantled. If higher - leave.
4. Disconnect the chimney from the roof and ceilings. It is better to disassemble the brick.
5. Whole crowns are fixed with strips or bars 40 mm thick. The slats are placed vertically from the inside and outside, 4 on each wall.

If any equipment remains in the bath, it is also secured with boards.

If the building is on a strip base, the step-by-step guidance is as follows:

1. They consider which logs in the dressing belong to the upper ones, and choose the places for mounting the jack, retreating from the corners by 70-100 cm. In these areas, an opening of 40 mm is chosen, and a part of the lower element is cut out opposite it. The niche must be large enough to accommodate the lift.
2. The operation is repeated on both sides of each corner.
3. They put jacks - 2 or 4 pieces at a time. If there are 2 devices, the corners are raised alternately. If 4, you can immediately remove the entire building from the foundation.
4. The bath box is raised by 7–10 cm. The lower logs are pulled out and the supports are placed - concrete or brick blocks, props.
5. Lower the jack and remove the upper strapping elements. They put whole logs and raise the bath again.
6. Temporary supports are removed and lower logs are placed.
7. The lifts are lowered slowly so that the upper elements "sit down" exactly on the lower ones.
8. Caulk the cracks with jute or tow.

Before the repair, the logs should already be completely ready: treated with an antiseptic, with grooves and protrusions for joining.

On a columnar foundation, the repair scheme is simpler.

1. Jacks are placed 2 pieces on the wall in the same way - under the upper harness log. But first, shields of boards or other support are installed under the equipment.
2. Raise the jacks and replace the lower logs. If it is necessary to replace the upper ones, they first put temporary supports, replace the upper ones, and then the lower ones.

The difference lies in the ease of installation of the jack. There is enough space between the posts to place the appliance, and not cut a niche for it and damage the base.

Prevention of rotting of the lower rims

In order for the logs of the lower harness to serve for a long time, the following recommendations should be followed.

• Choose hardwood for the lower crown that is resistant to decay and the action of water - larch, oak.
• Before laying, the logs are treated with antiseptics. They use both folk remedies and special ones.
• The base of the bath is also recommended to be treated with an antiseptic.
• The joints between the foundation and the logs must be carefully waterproofed - at least 2-3 layers of roofing material.
• The lower crown can be protected with a visor. In this capacity, zinc strips are used.

Waste engine oil is often used as an antiseptic. However, this product smells strong and is only used underground.

How to process the lower rims of the bath

Different compositions are used to disinfect logs. Popular folk include:

• copper sulfate solution - it is preferable to soak the log in a bath with the whole solution;
• a mixture of propolis and oil - the log is rubbed with this compound, and then treated with wax;
• composition of 1.5 kg of copper sulfate, 800 g of flour, 400 g of table salt, 1.5 kg of slaked lime and 10 liters of water - the log is still covered with a warm solution in 2 layers.

The wood of the main species can be impregnated with tar or spruce resin.

Ready-made compositions based on drying oil or impregnation are also known:

• Senezh is a fire-retardant composition based on drying oil and varnish.
• Belinka - impregnation based on alkyd resin and biocides has a pronounced antifungal effect.
• Tikkurila - mixtures of Vinha and Valti line are recommended for processing logs.

The lower rims of the bath often deteriorate much earlier than the walls and partitions. They can be repaired and replaced with your own hands without dismantling the building.