There were no caves in the garden landscapes of the 18th century. They appeared in 2001 at an exhibition in Chelsea and at Gampton Court. Let's make ... a cave or a grotto in the country?

It is tempting to have your own cave or grotto in the country. They may even have water falling from above into a pool below. The cave featured in the project can be of any size and is not that difficult to build, despite the heaviness of some of the stone slabs.

Location of the cave in the garden

The best place for a cave is a natural shore. But if it is not too high, then the whole structure can sink into the soil, and the entrance to the grotto in the country house will not be high enough. If there is no coast or slope, then the cave can be built against an old brick wall, and stones can be laid out on both sides for greater realism. And the most unfortunate decision will be to build a cave on a flat surface. Such a structure looks especially impressive in a secluded and relatively overgrown area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe garden.

Falling leaves can be a problem if the cave is above a body of water, in which case it will need to be cleaned at least once a year.

Types of stones for building a cave in the garden

It is easier to build from massive rock fragments than to fiddle with many small, rounded stones. Build a cave in the garden like a house, and the more stones in the form of blocks, the better.

You will also need a stone for the jumper. It should be strong enough to comfortably block the entrance.

The foundation for the construction of a grotto in the country

This exceptionally heavy structure must not sag or crack, and the cave and its basin must have a good foundation to ensure the strength of the structure.

The shown cave is installed on a natural slope and goes into the ground by about 45 cm. Therefore, in order to equip it, you will first need to dig out a fair amount of soil, which will be used in a small amount in the future.

The ideal way to create a foundation is to build a concrete platform reinforced with steel reinforcement, which must be lined from the inside with a butyl or PVC film. Since the film will be under a lot of pressure, it must be laid on top of a layer of soft sand and a primer cloth. Inside, an even denser film is laid to protect the concrete base in the form of a pool. Directly under the cave, the pool should have a depth of at least 60 cm, while closer to the front edges it is made a little smaller. On both sides of the pool, make an additional plinth of concrete, concrete blocks, or pieces of stone, held together with lime mortar in position. The plinth should be combined with the stones that will decorate the entrance to the cave. If you lay a long pavement under the concrete, then additional coating with a waterproof mixture will not be necessary.

Construction of the side walls of the cave

The back, walls, and entrance to this cave are built along the edges of the pool on two plinths, with the rocks cemented together with lime mortar so that the joints are not visible when the structure is completed. Remember that the back and side walls of the garden cave should be closely adjacent to the excavated earth slope, and if you are going to build steps on one or both sides, as shown here, they must be formed at the same time as the walls are erected and use the same lumpy cobblestones. Try to make a "flat" stone lining inside the cave and on both sides of the entrance. To do this, you may need to take two stones and apply them "back to back" in particularly thick sections of the foundation. To give the structure a more realistic look, the cobblestones need to be fastened together with lime mortar and lay out the bottom of the pool with them, as well as make several nests for planting.

The water will not rise above the level of the concrete ledge, however it will almost certainly be necessary to place rocks around the front of the pool before entering the cave, especially if the entire structure was set on the ground. This project includes several small terraces or steps leading to the water's edge. Whether these terraces will be filled with earth or stones depends on your desire. Once the walls of the cave have been built to the desired height, the stone slab can be installed by planting it in lime mortar and completing this stage of construction. A cave where there is no water is a temptation for small children. Therefore, for greater safety, the stone floor will need to be installed on a steel plate.

Construction of the roof of the cave in the garden

One of the most simple ways make a roof - temporarily fill the cave with tied plastic bags with compost to a height of about 15 cm from the top of the sides and the stone ceiling. On top of the bags, a plastic film should be placed and completely covered with thin, almost flat stones, from which the rocky roof of the cave will then form. Then, on top of flat stones, pour concrete over the entire 15-cm depth of the cavity, passing steel reinforcement through the center. Concrete should be slightly liquid and spread. Try to fill all the corners with it and capture all the flat stones on the film. Ideally, the inner side of such a roof should be slightly arched upwards.

The rougher the stones around the edges, the better - this will prevent the entire concrete roof from falling down into the pool!

At the end of concreting, the surface must be washed with water, leveled and made smooth so that the upper edges and stone overlap are on top. Once the concrete has hardened, the compost bags should be carefully removed and you will be left with a fully formed cave.

upper basin

Now, at the top along the edges, fix the stones with lime mortar, making a shallow pool.

Set the lower stone above the central part of the ceiling so that the water flows down into the lower pool. By themselves, these stones will not be able to hold water, so the upper pool should be coated with a solution of coarse sand and cement, and the bottom and walls should be additionally treated with waterproof mixtures or fiberglass, which is usually used by specialists in reservoirs and water structures. The pipe from the submersible pump in the main pool should be connected to the upper tank as inconspicuously as possible, and of course you may need a suitable and also concealed power supply for the pump and lighting.

The top pool will look more impressive if it is part of a larger patch of rocks scattered around on the ground.

Conversely, it looks less convincing as an isolated body of water, literally glued to the roof of a cave in a garden.

How to make a cool cave apartment aslan wrote in February 16th, 2017

Angelo Mastropietro, a 37-year-old successful head of a recruiting company, was once diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This event was the impetus for the realization of his dream. He retired from a stressful job, took up a pick and shovel and began to cut down a house in a cave in Worcestershire (UK). After spending thousands of hours of work and a lot of money, he now enjoys peace, quiet, warm floors and even Wi-Fi.

Angelo discovered the cave while cycling with friends while looking for shelter from the rain. Over time, he bought the site and, rolling up his sleeves, began construction.

Cave before renovation

Experts have estimated the age of the cave at 250 million years. About three hundred years ago, the cave was still used as a dwelling.

Construction

Angelo Mastropietro admitted that, by an amazing coincidence, his surname is translated as "lord of stones", so turning them around is in his blood. To turn the dream into reality, the designer had to shovel about 70 tons of stone.

Future bath

Initially, Angelo planned to make a bath, but the idea had to be changed. He realized that he could not constantly heat this amount of water. Now in the house of the "caveman" there is only a shower room.

Living room

All the walls in the house are painted white, and the “cave style” is emphasized by interior items.

Dining room

The owner of the renovated cave wanted a lot of natural sunlight in his house, so it has many transparent doors and large windows.

And here is the shower room. Like under a waterfall in the tropics!

Interior

To get closer to the atmosphere of the "stone man", Angelo used natural materials, for example, he made a wooden sink. He retained the natural texture of the stone and the curved lines of the cave.

It has everything to cook in comfortable conditions: hot water, stove, extractor hood.

The author of the project says that the place where the house is located is very relaxing. Physically, you are a mere kilometer from the nearest supermarket, but in reality you are traveling thousands of kilometers into the past.

Home owner

In an interview, Angelo Mastropietro said that he dreamed of a place where he would live a calm, healthy and happy life. And it looks like he succeeded.

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One of the most original buildings in the garden, which is not often seen in a summer cottage, is a grotto. Usually, a grotto is complemented by monolithic terraces and garden areas with differences in height. The attractiveness of the grotto will inspire you to create this building with your own hands!

Information about the grotto

The grotto is a shallow cave with a vaulted ceiling. The construction in the form of a grotto will make your summer cottage more mysterious and give it an antique character.

In addition to its decorative function, the grotto also serves as a place of solitude, as well as a place to relax and observe the overall picture of the garden.

It doesn't take much to create a grotto Money and special construction skills. It is enough to have bricklaying skills and have creative thinking and imagination that will help to decorate this garden building in an original way.

In order to make a grotto with your own hands, you need to stock up on a considerable amount of natural stone of various shapes and sizes. The most popular stone for creating a grotto is sandstone, dolomite and granite.

Instructions for creating a grotto with your own hands

In order to quickly and efficiently create a grotto, you must follow the following step-by-step instructions:

Step 1 - Choose a place for the grotto

When choosing a place for a grotto, it must be taken into account that the view from the grotto should cover the entire garden plot, and the view of the grotto immediately caught the guests' eyes.

You can also give the garden plot some mystery and hide the grotto in a walking place. Imagine you are enjoying a walk in the garden and suddenly, behind the thickets of a vineyard or other climbing plant, you meet an inconspicuous entrance to the grotto.

If the grotto will serve as a place of solitude, it must also be placed with a view of the entire garden, but in an inconspicuous corner, so that guests would not even suspect its existence.

In general, as you can see, the placement of the grotto in the summer cottage depends solely on the preferences of the owners.

Step 2 - Decide on the shape and size of the grotto

In our example, the grotto located in . The dimensions of the grotto will be slightly larger than the size of the retaining wall - this will give the grotto dominance in the composition. The shape of the grotto is a hemisphere.

Step 3 - Create the frame of the grotto

In order to move on to creating a grotto with your own hands, you must first make its frame. For this, it is recommended to use cut boards or sheets of plywood. It is necessary that the frame of the grotto be able to withstand the weight of the stone that will be laid on top. You should also pay attention to the fact that the inner wall of the frame is the wall of the future cave, so it is desirable that the walls be more or less of the appropriate shape. After the frame is built, a foundation (preferably a tape one) is poured along its perimeter, on which the stone structure will later rest.

Step 4 - Laying the Stone

After the foundation has completely hardened, we proceed to laying the stone. To do this, we prepare a cement mortar (grade M500), the viscosity of which should resemble the consistency of sour cream. Before applying the solution, the stone must be moistened. Stone laying should be carried out at a rate of no more than 4 rows per day, so that the structure hardens well and does not deform under the weight of the overlying rows.

It should be noted that the design of the grotto is a stone laying in several layers. After laying the first layer, a mesh or reinforcement is laid on it and smeared with mortar. For complete solidification of the structure, it is necessary to take a break of 3-4 days.

After the solution hardens, we proceed to laying the next layer of stones. This layer is external (facing), so try to make its outlines beautiful.

As soon as the structure of the grotto is laid out, we leave it alone for 3-4 days so that the mortar completely hardens, after which we knock down the wooden frame inside and level the walls of the cave (if there are projections of the mortar, we cut them off).

Step 5 - Decorate the Grotto

In order for the grotto to attract the attention of guests with its design, it is necessary to decorate it decoratively. For this, it is recommended to use plants, flowerpots standing nearby, various garden figurines and other small architectural forms.

Inside the grotto, you can decorate the walls using a mosaic of colored glass or stone.

If the grotto is located in the bowels of the soil on a slope, you can build an alpine slide on the surface of the building or implement another garden idea that you like.

The bottom of the grotto can be covered with pebbles or rubble, and the front part can be equipped with a wooden door.

In general, at this stage you should use your imagination and creative thinking as efficiently as possible.

On this, the construction of the grotto with your own hands is considered completed. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this process.

Salt from Artemovsk, Altai salt, overseas Himalayan salt... Today, many have heard about salt rooms, or halochambers. They are usually mounted in sanatoriums, in offices of reputable companies and even in expensive restaurants. Not against contractors to work with the private sector. But the cost of a halochamber sometimes turns out to be more expensive than the house itself. In our material, we will tell you how to make a salt cave with your own hands - and at the same time not go broke.

Before starting construction, let's figure it out: why do we need a halochamber in the house at all and will it not do more harm than good?

Let's start with the fact that salt in the amount of 0.9% is found both in the blood and in tissue fluids. It has been proven that without this mineral a person can live no more than 10-11 days.

But the main purpose of halochambers is, of course, not to replenish salt reserves in the body, but to treat and prevent the organs of the respiratory tract. Salt aerosol, which, in fact, is the air located there, effectively destroys the harmful microflora, and at the same time cleans up the resulting sputum. Therefore, if you suffer from bronchitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, or even just caught a common cold, feel free to go for salt procedures.

Among other things, halotherapy polishes burnt skin tissue, thereby contributing to its rejuvenation.

Finally, another benefit of salt air is its ability to minimize nicotine addiction. So everyone who wants to quit cigarettes, read on carefully!

Now about the imaginary harm. There is an opinion that salt is deposited in the joints, kidneys and other organs, being the root cause of unpleasant diseases. We declare - these are tales. Calcium uric acid and calcium oxalate, phosphates and urethrates act as stones and deposits, and the NaCl compound has nothing to do with them.

If we have convinced you of the need to have your own salt room, you can get to work.

Room selection

First of all, the mine needs a room. It would be nice, of course, to build a whole structure, but you can get by with a separate room.

The following requirements must be met.
For a salt mine, a basement or semi-basement is ideal. At least the first floor.
The room must be dry, initially devoid of water, electricity and sewer communications. If they are, they will have to be dismantled.
The floor must be concrete. If there is none, the boards must be disassembled and a full-fledged screed made. Salt is a heavy thing, it will crush any other coating.
The height of the room is in the range of 2.4-3 m.

Material selection

Before delving into the features of a particular salt, a few words about the technologies for its use. So, the walls in the halochamber can be made of salt blocks or simply “plastered” with it. The second method, it would seem, is not so troublesome, but in fact it is short-lived. Such a salt finish will require an annual and rather expensive restoration, so we will not consider this option.

Now about the material itself.

The most "promoted" product today is pink Himalayan salt. One brick from it in the construction market costs about 600-700 rubles. In addition, the seller will ask you for another four thousand for each bag of special adhesive mixture. Do you feel the swing?

The truth is that salt will always remain salt. And the mineral mined in the Himalayas will differ from its analogue from the conditional Artemovsk only in price.

It is best to buy salt directly from the manufacturer - the same "Artyomsol", "Bassol", "Iletsksol" or "Tyretsky Salt Mine" - no difference. Contacts of these enterprises are easy to find on the Internet, the problem can only be with the volume of purchases. These giants are used to selling goods in wagons, and you only need 5-10 tons. But here it all depends on your communication skills, you can always agree. If diplomacy is not your forte, buy salt from dealers, there are plenty of ads on the net.

For work, you will need brils no more than half a meter wide, but not less than 15-20 cm, and also salt crumb with a fraction of 1-1.5 mm.

Construction works

It all starts with the preparatory stage: dismantle all the trim, if, of course, there is one. You should get a bare concrete floor and the same brick walls. In this case, the windows should be laid, and the doorway should be expanded upwards by 15-20 cm.

If the walls are cold, they must be insulated. Moreover, it is better to do this from the side of the facade.

The next step is the organization of ventilation ducts. It is desirable to lay them out of brick and place them in the corners of the room. In no case do not use metal pipes or corrugations for ventilation, salt will quickly pick up “keys” to them. Windows in the supply channels are made at a height of one and a half meters from the floor, while the hood should be located under the very ceiling.

Now about waterproofing. Dry mixtures such as CERESIT CR 65 are best suited for work. Clean the walls and floor from dust and moisten them with water. Then dilute the contents of the bag to a creamy mass and apply waterproofing to the surfaces to be treated with a layer of 2 mm using a mop. It is possible to continue work only after it has hardened, that is, not earlier than after 7 days.

After the waterproofing has dried, proceed to the arrangement of the floor. It is laid out from salt bars 15 cm high. If you have more massive stones, you can always cut them to the desired thickness with a grinder. Just take the circle that is on concrete.

The process itself is somewhat reminiscent of laying paving slabs. The blocks are laid on a “carving” of moistened salt. The level of its humidity - you can sculpt "snowballs", but when compressed, water does not protrude. All gaps between the blocks are clogged with the same solution.

It is not necessary to wait until such a base dries. Laid out the floor - and grab the walls. The first row is laid out from the largest jowls with a fraction of 500 × 500 mm. The seat is pre-leveled with moistened salt.

Yes, it's only on the diagram that all the blocks are smooth and even, in fact their shape is far from ideal. To give them a working look, you will have to work hard with a chisel and a grinder.

Before laying the next row, re-level the seat with a salt cutter and lay the blocks, but of a smaller fraction. Select minerals in such a way that a slope of 80-60 ° is formed. The higher the ceiling, the greater the slope.

Starting from the second row, the brick wall with salt should be tied up with wooden crutches. This is done with a meter step, and the dressing should be laid at different angles in both the horizontal and vertical planes.

Do not forget that all masonry joints are rammed with wet salt. Very soon, it will crystallize and bind the entire chamber into one solid monolith.

If in the process of work it was not possible to close the brick somewhere, it's okay. The "cave" does not have to be 100% salt. Bare areas can be lined with the same sandstone, it will be very beautiful. We also suggest not to “salt” the ceiling. The spray is short-lived, so it is much easier to hem it with a wooden clapboard. Just use copper nails in your work, metal ones will not last long here.

And the last nuance. All work should be carried out at a temperature of 26-28 ° C (useful for the speedy crystallization of salt). Therefore, you will need a heat gun or a good heater.

In the end, it should look something like this.

There is very little left. Install ventilation in the finished shafts, sprinkle a 3-5 cm layer of salt on the floor and place comfortable sunbeds around the room. We remind you: only forced ventilation should be turned on during the procedures. Complete air replacement is done after the session.

As you can see, there is nothing in the creation of a halochamber for which one could pay a million. All processes are quite realistic to perform on your own. Most importantly, remember to protect yourself. When working with salt, you must wear gloves, a respirator and goggles.

Well, now it's time to test the salt mine. Turn on some nice music and enjoy!

They not only make it more aesthetic and harmonious, but are also actively used by the inhabitants for games and recreation. In specialized stores of such equipment - mountains. However, they do not always correspond to the design idea, they are quite expensive, and sometimes they also inspire doubts about their safety: the dominance of Chinese crafts cannot guarantee the non-toxicity of materials and processing sufficient to prevent pets from getting hurt. Therefore, literate people prefer to make a grotto for an aquarium with their own hands. In this case, it will fit exactly into the underwater landscape and will be absolutely safe for fish.

A few words about decorations

Starting the construction of "houses", take care of the environmental friendliness of the source materials. To fasten the elements, it is allowed to use only silicone intended for sealing aquariums - the rest can poison the fish.

Harvested in a natural environment, it requires good washing, and better - boiling.

Should not have sharp edges, protrusions or edges. This is especially true of entrances to underwater structures, where the probability of injury in fish is maximum.

The internal dimensions of the premises must be sufficient for the turn of the fish, or else have an "emergency exit" located directly opposite the entrance.

Avoid the use of cements: they contain lime, which can seriously change the acidity of your pet's habitat.

If you are attracted to ceramics for the aquarium, remember that the purchased one needs additional firing. Or take the one that is sold in a special store for shards.

"Hastily"

In some cases, the grotto is needed immediately: for example, you were presented with beginners, and the “pool” turned out to be cramped for them. In anticipation of improving their living conditions, the fish can kill each other. The “fast food” house can save the situation.

A glass bottle of the right size is taken (for example, from ketchup), washed, boiled and dried. Dry aquarium sand is scattered on a newspaper, the container is coated with silicone and rolled in the ground. An hour later, when the silicone grabs firmly enough, the pebbles and pebbles that you like are glued to the adhering sand. They add aesthetics and give the bottle stability. A similar do-it-yourself grotto for an aquarium must dry overnight so that the silicone gains final strength. The next morning it can be placed in a reservoir to the brawlers.

All-stone shelter

It will take time, perseverance and the ability to handle tools to create it. But such a do-it-yourself grotto for an aquarium will be exclusive and eternal. For him, a cobblestone of suitable size and not too high strength is selected. At the same time, it is better to refuse foam and aerated concrete blocks: they are easily processed, but they will release unnecessary chemicals into the aquarium water. With a chisel and a hammer, extra corners and protrusions are beaten off, so that a fancy blank is obtained. In it, with the help of a drill and long drills of the required section, passages and caves are made. They need to be arranged randomly so that an artificial origin is not traced. It is not worth painting or somehow additionally decorating the “rock”: after standing in the water, it will overgrow with plants and take on a natural, natural look.

How to make a pebble aquarium grotto

This version of the scenery is even more painstaking, but at the end it gives real architectural masterpieces. To begin with, you will need to collect (or buy) a sufficient number of smooth pebbles, preferably brighter colored ones. Then it would be nice to sketch a sketch so as not to miscalculate with the dimensions, and your grotto would not remain an exceptional landscape decoration. Then the first row is laid out along the planned open curve. The future entrance is fixed with an object of a suitable section - a plastic bottle for example. Pebbles are selected approximately the same height. Sealant is applied to them and the next row is placed. When the silicone sets, the next chain is brought out, with each row having a slightly smaller internal section in order to get a rounded design.

When it comes to the vault, paper is pushed inside the grotto, and the laying is carried out on top of it. After the final hardening of the silicone, the input fixator and the support paper are pulled out.

If you are not too lazy and lay out several floors, you will get an exclusive castle for an aquarium, in which there is enough space for all the inhabitants. Before installing it in a permanent place, it is better to soak it for several days in an empty container, with a daily change of water.

Wooden tower

From driftwood or a small stump, you can also build a wonderful grotto for an aquarium with your own hands. The main thing is not to take oak, which tints the water and releases unnecessary phytoncides into it. And make sure that the material is not rotten. It is also a good idea to treat the workpiece with special agents that prevent decay. The technology is elementary: in accordance with their ideas of beauty, but taking into account the size of the fish living in the aquarium, passages and halls are cut inside the wood. All the places that the knife has touched are singed with a candle, or this will add naturalness and become additional insurance against injuries.

coconut cave

A very cozy do-it-yourself grotto for an aquarium will turn out from a walnut. Only you need to buy it fresh, so that milk gurgles inside. the coconut is sawn, the pulp is cleaned, entrances and exits are made. "Hair" can be left, can be removed; if the aquarium is small, the shells should be boiled.