Bath procedures relax, improve the body, have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, and promote healthy sleep. With time and the necessary knowledge, you can build a bathhouse on your summer cottage. This article will help the owner make shelves in a sauna, bathhouse, and arrange the interior of the room.
Content
What is a bath shelf? How to make shelves in a bath with your own hands?
The shelf is a wooden flooring on a rectangular frame made of timber. The material is carefully prepared for work - it is sanded, the corners are ground down, and treated with a special impregnation. The conditions for using wooden structures in a bathhouse can hardly be called favorable. Timely preventive treatment guarantees an increase in the service life of the boards.
The frame is assembled from vertical support posts and crossbars. For additional reliability, the frame is attached to the wall. A flooring of narrow planks is installed on the base. Leave small gaps between the planks for water drainage. A suitable step is 1 cm. For natural ventilation, a gap of 8-10 cm is left between the wall and the shelf. The flooring can be designed as a composite. This type is quite convenient - the elements of the structure can be easily disassembled for washing and subsequent drying outside.
Make calculations, diagrams, drawings of a shelf in a bathhouse or sauna, take into account all the design features, select materials for work, prepare the tool. Let's dwell on each stage in more detail.
Having decided on the size and number of shelves in the steam room, move on to the drawings. A simple way is to take a pencil, a ruler and schematically depict the steam room on a sheet or graph paper in the required scale. Indicate on the diagram the location of the windows, if any, the stove, the doorway. Experts insist: windows in the steam room are an optional element due to large heat losses and the risk of injury.
Recommended dimensions for bath shelves in the steam room
The dimensions of the shelves can differ significantly in two different saunas. The dimensions directly depend on the total area of the steam room. The following dimensions are considered convenient.
- Length – from 150 cm and more (so that you can sit and lie on the shelf comfortably, its length is 180 cm). If your height is above average, the length of the shelf can be increased to 2 meters or more.
- Height – the lower shelf-step should be more than 25-30 cm from the floor. Hot air is lighter than cold air, the greater the distance from the floor to the shelves, the better. Depending on the height of the ceilings in the steam room, the number and dimensions of the shelves are calculated. The distance from the upper tier to the ceiling should be more than 1 m.
- Width – for comfortable sitting – not less than 60 cm. Do you like to steam lying down? The minimum width of the shelf is 90 cm.
Decide on the choice of stove. If the room size allows you to install a brick one, choose it. Such a stove retains heat for a long time, almost eliminates the possibility of accidental burns on its surface, therefore, the shelves can be placed in close proximity.
Choose the shape of the shelves, sketch them. Consider the significant design features – the ratio of the length, height, and width of the shelf. This way you will get the most complete idea of how your personal steam room will look after the work is completed.
Types of bath shelves.
- Compartment – two shelves are located one above the other. This option is ideal when the steam room is small. To save space, the upper tier is equipped with a simple mechanism. If necessary, the shelf is folded, like in a train.
Sliding shelf in the steam room using Finnish technology - Stepped – shelves in the bathhouse are placed along one wall. There can be two or three of them, depending on the height of the ceiling. The lower step will be the coolest, the upper one – for those who like it hotter.
The stepped design of the shelves is good in the steam room of a spacious bathhouse for a large family - "L"-shaped type. The name speaks for itself. The tiers are located on two adjacent walls, forming the letter "L".
L-shaped bench in the steam room
Tools
To assemble the shelf you will need the following tools:
- Roulette
- Screwdriver, drill
- Wood saw, grinder, chisel
- Wooden hammer (mallet), regular hammer
Selection of material
Main criteria.
- Thermal conductivity. The wood must have low thermal conductivity, otherwise it will be impossible to sit on the shelf.
- Durability, practicality.
- High resistance to moisture, high temperatures, no defects.
- Splitting, splitting.
Some types of wood crack more often than others in high humidity conditions. To avoid cracking of sauna shelves when nailing, use screws or pre-drill holes. Give preference to wooden pins.
Remove any burrs or splinters that may appear during the work process, otherwise those who like to steam themselves are guaranteed to get splinters. Do not use soft woods that are particularly susceptible to splitting.
Smell
Use hardwood. If you decide to go with coniferous wood, buy timber harvested in winter and brought from the northern regions of the country. This is a denser material. Fir wood has a beautiful texture, color and no resin pockets, which cannot be said about all types of pine. Wood with a strong aroma, which some types of fir have, will ruin the efforts to improve the steam room. Resinous species will create a wonderful “woody” smell in the sauna, which will promote relaxation. At the same time, keep in mind that if the pine wood has not undergone special treatment (removal of resin), the resin will come out under the influence of hot air. When the work on the steam room is finished, heat the steam room more strongly for an hour, scrape off the resin released from the resin pockets from the shelves. Repeat the action several times.
Brief overview of lumber for saunas and baths
Aspen – affordable cost of the material; does not crack when drying; becomes lighter over time; is not afraid of moisture; does not emit resin. Disadvantages of the material – low resistance to decay, darkens with constant contact with water, emits a bitter aroma when heated.
Larch - wood contains gum, so it is very durable. The material is highly resistant to high temperatures and moisture. It has valuable medicinal properties: throughout the entire period of use, it will emit phytoncides. Beautiful texture, wide range of colors. Disadvantages - high density, many resin pockets, difficult to process, price.
Oak is the best choice of deciduous trees. If your financial situation allows, consider African oak abashi - it has very low thermal conductivity, it is difficult to burn yourself sitting on such a shelf. It attracts with its appearance, porous structure, choice of color, high adaptation of wood for use in a steam room. There is one drawback - the high price.
Linden - has a wonderful smell, low thermal conductivity. The material contains healing essential oils, which helps prevent colds. Easy to process. Occupies a medium price niche. Disadvantages - average strength, quickly darkens, easily rots. Linden shelves must be thoroughly dried.
Canadian cedar (not to be confused with Siberian) is unique in its properties. Cedar flooring does not resinate, does not burn, the wood is easy to process, has a high resistance to rotting and cracking. The therapeutic effect of cedar resins is very useful for the upper respiratory tract. If the boards are not matched by color, you will get a shelf with an amazing play of shades. Disadvantages of the material - price.
When purchasing materials, you should include an additional 15 percent in the estimate for unforeseen expenses - damage, defects, etc.
The listed species have long been favorites of those who build baths and saunas. Such wood is used to make stands, backs for loungers, shelves themselves and many other things that are impossible to do without in a bathhouse. Do not forget - all the interior decoration of the steam room (as recommended by experienced craftsmen) should be made of one type of wood. Then the bathhouse will have a pleasant appearance and will please its owner for many years.
