When starting the construction of a log house for a steam room, it is important to choose the right timber. The wood for the bath should not be overheated at high air temperatures.
What is important to consider when choosing a tree for a bath
Rocks with a high resin content should not be used for those parts of the steam room that visitors regularly touch: couches, benches, door handles. They can heat up excessively when the stove is fired, which will cause discomfort to the body. They are also not suitable for the ceiling: the resin can begin to drip down, which creates the risk of scalding. It is better to choose a tree for the bath that does not heat up: these are rocks with a low density.
Having decided to build a steam room, it is important to properly organize protection from moisture. For this, water-repellent impregnations are suitable and paints and varnishes are completely unsuitable - in a high-temperature environment they emit harmful substances.
Types of wood for baths and saunas
Wood that is suitable for one room may not be suitable for others. Breeds overview:
- Cedar is a common breed in Siberia, characterized by resistance to moisture and parasites, as well as a unique aroma of essential oils. You can make wall cladding from it.
- Oak is the strongest and most durable species with a beautiful texture. However, due to its high density, it is more difficult to work with it than with others.
- Larch retains its color and attractiveness for a long time, it is resistant to humid air. The disadvantage is low thermal insulation qualities.
- Alder is ideal for a bath due to its reluctance to excessive heat and resistance to high temperatures. The red hue of wood makes the interior of the room more comfortable.
- Linden has a pleasant smell and color, is easy to process. However, as the operation progresses, the surface color will gradually change. The softness of the texture requires care when working with lumber.
- Birch attracts with its budget and affordability, but in terms of performance, lumber from it has a number of disadvantages. They cannot boast of strength and long service life and do not tolerate contact with moisture. It is better to trim dry rooms with birch.
- Aspen is well suited for decorating a bath. Its main advantage is the absence of resins: the surface cannot heat up excessively. In addition, aspen is easy to handle and is quite affordable.
- Conifers - pine, spruce, fir - are often considered as a possible option for decorating a bath. This is due to their availability and low price. However, building materials from them emit a lot of resin and do not tolerate high humidity. It is better to use a Christmas tree and other conifers to decorate the rest room - then it will be warm.
- The wood of the African abasha oak is excellent for use in the bath. It does not contain resins, is durable, does not create discomfort when touching the skin in the steam room. Such wood serves for a long time. The only negative is the high price.
When choosing which tree it is better to build a bath from, you should give preference to a combination of several types of wood. This will create an optimal environment for visitors and at the same time not spend a lot of money.
Internal and external cladding of the building
Different requirements are imposed on the materials used to decorate the building from the outside and from the inside.It is important that the tree tolerates well the conditions of the environment in which it will be used.
Internal cladding
The conditions of the steam room are more demanding in the choice of materials than other rooms (shower and relaxation room). Conifers tend to heat up excessively, and some deciduous ones tend to rot from high humidity. The best options for a steam room are linden, aspen and alder. A fragment of a wall with an area of 1-1.5 m² can be sheathed with cedar - this will allow you to get a pleasant smell in the room. But it is important that visitors do not touch the area with their skin.
In the shower, the temperature is not so high, but there the wood is in direct contact with water. Larch works well due to its moisture resistance. A budget option is to decorate the room with conifers, but then you need to pay special attention to antiseptic impregnation. Pine and spruce are also suitable for dressing rooms and rest rooms. It will be possible to bask in them in the winter, since conifers retain heat well.
Facade finishing
For this purpose, a thick larch lining is suitable. The main criterion for cladding the facade and veranda for summer recreation is moisture resistance. Therefore, any material is treated with an antiseptic with water-repellent properties and varnish.
Choosing wood for floors, doors and furniture
In the steam room and the washing room, it is better to make the wooden floor from larch. If a lot of moisture gets on the surface, it will transfer it better than other rocks. Due to the lower temperature near the floor, the wood will not overheat and release a lot of resin. For other rooms, a regular softwood flooring board is suitable.
For window frames and doors, it is important that the wood changes its volume as little as possible with fluctuations in humidity. From this point of view, the best choices are aspen and linden. The same breeds are suitable for shelves and benches located in the steam room, as they do not burn the skin. Furniture in the dressing room and rest room can be made of any wood.
Sauna is characterized by higher temperature indicators and much lower air humidity. A broom is not used in it. It is especially important here that the wood does not burn the skin and does not emit resin, therefore hardwoods are suitable for it. But the susceptibility to moisture is not as critical here as in the case of the Russian steam room.