A simple and reliable do-it-yourself bathhouse bench: drawings, instructions, videos

Whenever it comes to making an item for a bath on your own, we consider it necessary to provide the reader with the most useful information, but we doubt that it is sought by a person who has no practical experience at all in the chosen field.
Because we need to start with mastering the tool and the basics of standard operations, the same fastenings in carpentry... But we are unlikely to be able to help someone who doesn’t know how to do anything yet. There are other resources and books for this. Therefore, let’s say right away: the tips and instructions below are designed for a person who owns a tool in both senses - both in terms of availability and in terms of the ability to use it.

So, where to start for someone who has decided to make a bathhouse bench with their own hands?

Types and purposes

The type of benches and benches in the bathhouse is determined by the purpose of the room where this furniture is used. The steam room can be equipped with single-tier or multi-tier structures, this directly depends on the size of the room. The steam room is characterized by a stepped variety of benches. Simple bench-type seating designs are relevant for a steam room, if there is a need to increase the number of seats - in this case, lightweight portable options are used.

Single-tier

The simplest solution for arranging very compact rooms. A portable or stationary bench in small steam rooms is often designed for sitting. But the individual dimensions of the developer decide everything: if the steam room is at the disposal of one person, then he only needs to increase the width of the bench from 40 cm to 90 to warm up while lying down.

A single-tier bench in a stationary design can be easily built between two walls “by surprise”. If the room allows, an L-shaped version of a single-tier bench in a bathhouse is possible.

Bunk

The larger the volume of the steam room, the wider the arrangement possibilities: you can increase the tiered structure of the bench structure. The lower tier is seated, so the width is about 40 cm, and you can lie down on the upper tier. But then its width must be at least 60 cm.

Access to the second “floor” is possible from the lower bench or a ladder is attached to one edge. A two-tier bench layout is usually stationary, but there are often options when the lower bench is taken out to dry after a bath day. This makes it easier to clean up, ventilate and dry the steam compartment.

Three-tier

A three-level bench model is the best option for large steam rooms. Each participant in the bath ceremony chooses an appropriate level. On the lower bench sit those who do not like or cannot handle overheating. The second and third levels are occupied by those who like to steam while lying down. The third tier is the hottest, and the bench is the widest - up to 90 cm. The length of the upper benches must be at least 180 cm.

The standard scheme of three-tier structures assumes that each upper level will be wider and longer than the lower one. But nothing limits the imagination of the bathhouse owner, so the choice of bench options for the steam room is almost limitless.

Stepped

System for arranging small steam rooms. Usually there are two benches-steps. The upper one, which is longer and wider, is easily accessible by using the lower bench as a step. That is why the model is called stepwise.

Simple shop

An ordinary bench consists of two or three boards on supports, which are made from boards (a lightweight, portable option) or chocks (stationary due to the heaviness). The latter option is preferable for rooms with less humidity, since the base of the seat takes a long time to dry out.

No backrest. Simple Russian-style benches on powerful logs line the walls of the dressing room, where coupled owners and their guests gather for intimate conversation.

Between two benches against the wall there are small tables of the same style. A samovar and honey or beer with fish is a matter of taste. The atmosphere is conducive to complete relaxation, so the wall paneling should be comfortable for you to lean your back on if necessary. This option is more suitable for small baths with a small number of steamers.

With a backrest. If the premises are being prepared to receive a large company, the dressing room is designed as a comfortable rest room, where the table occupies the central part. Benches around the table with comfortable backs so that the body, relaxed in the steam, does not strain in search of support.

Which type of wood to choose

The material for benches in the bathhouse has strict requirements:

• high fiber density, which prevents the wood from splitting and cracking;
• low thermal conductivity, ensuring a comfortable temperature of the wooden flooring;
• resistance to moisture, allowing long-term use of furniture in difficult conditions.

It would seem that coniferous types of wood are suitable for a bathhouse: larch, pine, cedar, but they have a significant drawback that precludes their use for furniture in a steam room. When heated, resin appears on the surface of the boards, such secretions leave burns on the skin, so moisture-resistant coniferous wood is used for benches in the rest room or in the washing room.

Linden has become a favorite among materials for furniture in the steam room: it is easy to process, resistant to water and heat, and smells pleasant. Aspen is also good, but over time the wood begins to rot from the inside. Oak does not cause any complaints - this material has many advantages, but its cost is high. Benches can also be made from other types of wood: maple, poplar, birch.

Before making benches in the bathhouse, you need to find out the requirements for their design.

1. Boards and beams used to make furniture for the bathhouse must undergo thorough sanding of the entire surface with a special machine or sandpaper.
2. The corners of the benches must be rounded to avoid injuries and scratches.
3. Furniture must be durable and reliable, designed for safe use by an adult.
4. For antiseptic impregnation, it is prohibited to use synthetic liquids that release toxins when heated. The material is protected with special compounds based on natural oils.
5. For better drying, the space under the bench is not sewn up.
6. A gap of up to 10 cm must be left between the wall and the installed bench.

Material

Wood is a capricious material, or rather, sensitive to how it was prepared and dried. Therefore, you need to not just take the first board of a suitable species that you come across, but take a closer look at it, and, if possible, measure the humidity.

IMPORTANT! Because a tree that is improperly dried after cutting and cutting will definitely warp—it will “lead,” that is, it will either change its geometry or twist it.

When inspecting boards for carpentry, of course, first of all look at the number of knots. They are known to cause a lot of problems for woodworkers.

Also pay attention to the dimensions. Boards can be very uneven - both due to uneven shrinkage and due to cutting too quickly. The reasons may be different, but you will have to adjust it to the desired size later.

ON A NOTE! The presence of mold, rot and cracks on the purchased material is unacceptable!

And since we are telling you about benches for a bath, we need to clarify in a separate paragraph which types of wood are best suited for such purposes.

Steam room

Resin leaks

If the bench will be in a steam room, then immediately discard coniferous wood. They begin to secrete resin at temperatures above 40 degrees.

Deciduous ones are fine. For example, you can take aspen, linden, poplar, ash.

Washing

There are no high temperatures in the washing room, but the water flows generously. This is where you can use conifers - it’s the resins that make them more resistant to high humidity and prevent them from rotting.

Take the same pine - it is the cheapest. All others are also suitable - deciduous ones are also possible if you use water-repellent impregnations.

Rest room and dressing room

There are no restrictions on wood - make it from what you feel like. Humidity will be high here too, but you can freely use both impregnations and varnishes. So the choice is yours.

Set of furniture for washing room

Furniture for a washing room has its own characteristics. A cozy washroom is usually equipped with a bench with a back, stools and shelves. There must be a place for sitting and storing various items: basins, buckets, tubs, etc.

Everything you need for washing should be at hand. It is worth noting that no washroom is complete without a hanger. It is needed for storing various bath items: washcloths, towels, etc. It is necessary to take into account the distance at which splashes of water cannot reach the hanger.

Recreation room kit

A little about furniture for a bathhouse in a relaxation room. Since this room takes up little space (about 1.3 sq. m.), you need to arrange things as compactly as possible.

There is no need to place heavy and large objects that take up a lot of space.

To ensure maximum comfort, you should use only light and compact objects, such as a wardrobe, bench, stool, chair and bath hanger.

Attention! It is highly recommended to use items covered with artificial materials because they do not absorb dirt and do not deteriorate compared to upholstered furniture. Such products retain their decent appearance for a long time.

Wooden benches: design features

Let's first talk a little about terms. The fact is that we somehow naturally manage to make words interchangeable - “bench”, “bench”, and then “shelves” (some write “canopy”, but in this writing it’s already something like tents over the bed). We still need to differentiate somehow.

Some will say that a bench differs from a bench in the presence of a back. We would venture to say that the benches were originally seats adjacent to the wall, which is why they do not have backs. And a bench - with or without a back - is always autonomous from the walls. If you are interested in benches in particular, take a look at the article about making benches for a bath yourself. A detailed list of sizes and types of structures can be found in this article.

Of course, there are stationary and portable benches. But let's agree that in a bathhouse, a bench is a portable seat, a bench is, well, if not attached to the wall, then at least a seat adjacent to it, and a shelf is a lounger or seat intended for steaming or being steamed exclusively in the steam room. The shelves can be stationary, removable, folding, folding, tiered. Even if a bench or a bench is used as a shelf, if people are steaming on it, we will call it a shelf or shelf.

By and large, there is no difference - I took the shelf outside and it became a bench

Now let's move on from philology to carpentry. The simplest bench is not a board with two wide legs. You need to understand that a board with two legs will not last long. Those sitting will rock it, so sooner or later it will collapse - the fastening is not so large that this will not happen. Therefore, the simplest bench is a seat board, a couple of four legs and braces, or a transverse brace between the legs in the middle of the height of the legs or close to the floor.

The second important point is sustainability. Do it in such a way that the person who sits on the edge does not tip over along with the bench. A heavy structure, low or with a wide seat will not tip over.

ADVICE! However, there is such a nuance: it is better to make such pieces of furniture from not too massive boards, because the more massive the board, the longer it will take to dry after gaining moisture. Take this fact into account!

There is also one rule regarding what a seat in a steam room should be like: gaps must be left between the bars. The optimal gap width is 1-1.5 cm. It is clear that they are needed to drain water and speed up drying.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of how to make things and processes comfortable for humans.
In this case, we are talking about ensuring that the seats in the bathhouse do not cause inconvenience due to their size. Of course, much when choosing sizes will be dictated by the size of the rooms themselves for which you are planning to make benches for a wooden sauna with your own hands. But the height of the seat is a point that is of great importance, but depends little on the size of the room.

It is preferable that the knees of the person sitting are not raised relative to the pelvis, so the seat should not be too low. However, too high is also uncomfortable - your legs will dangle in the air without support, which increases pressure on the vessels under the knees and in the hips. Therefore, we can proceed from the height from the floor to the knee bend of adults.

Various ergonomics manuals advise making the height from 30 to 50 cm. We believe that it is easier to derive the arithmetic average from the measurements of the people who will most often use this bathhouse.

The width of the seat depends on how they will sit on it - if they sit as usual, then 30-40 cm is enough, and if reclining, then 60 cm.

Those benches on which the steamer will lie must be long enough to accommodate him at full height, and also wide enough so that he can freely place his arms along his body. It is also better to measure such things on specific people.

BY THE WAY! Adherents of the Russian bath should remember that the height of the upper shelf on which the steamer lies is about 85 cm, and the shelves cannot be covered with clapboard to the floor, because the steamer’s feet are located under the bench or shelf. Before introducing you to the drawings, We recommend that you take a look at our other material, where all possible types of benches are described in detail.

Important Features

There really aren’t that many varieties of shops, but coupled with other characteristics, there’s still plenty to choose from.

Bench shape

The shape is a combination of the already mentioned shape of the seat with the shape of the support.

Wooden bath bench

IMPORTANT! The presence of gaps in the seat is important if you intend to place the bench in a steam room or washing room. In other rooms it can be a solid panel. The support should be comfortable - a triangular one allows access to the floor under the bench, the legs do not get in the way

In addition, there is no need to protect your feet from water on the floor. But this is good where the seat is not covered with clapboard to the floor, for example

The support should be comfortable - a triangular one allows access to the floor under the bench, the legs do not get in the way. In addition, there is no need to protect your feet from water on the floor. But this is good where the seat is not covered to the floor with clapboard, for example.

Size

The length is determined by the dimensions of the room, the wishes of the owner or the designer’s project. There are no restrictions here.

ADVICE! Do not forget to increase the number of supports if you are designing a large length of the bench in the bathhouse.

In this case, at the ends the bench is mounted on bars on the wall, but in the middle there is one support

The height of a comfortable seat is on average 45 centimeters. This is due to human anatomy - the height from the floor to the knee bend. Measure it for the main visitors of the bathhouse and take the arithmetic average.

The width depends on whether your bench will only be used for sitting. If yes, then 30-40 cm is enough. And if you are supposed to be in a reclining position, then make it 60 cm wide. Well, if a person is lying on it, then measure the width of the person lying with his arms freely positioned along the body. Only in this case will he be comfortable.

Material: wood

No one will dispute that bath furniture can only be made from wood. But let's figure out which wood is best suited for our purposes.

Since not everyone reads other materials on the site, we repeat: there are nuances associated with the different rooms of the bathhouse in which the bench will be located.

The least requirements for those that you place in the dressing room (hallway) or rest room. Wood can be both expensive and cheap (and even the cheapest, but this is pine after all). There are no restrictions at all regarding impregnation, varnishing, painting - everything is permissible. There are no technological requirements for the presence of cracks for water drainage. In general, complete freedom.

In the washing room the situation changes: there is a lot of water, so the wood will get wet, swell, then crack if dried incorrectly, and may even rot if the conditions are right. Therefore, in the washing room it is recommended to use wood, which by nature is endowed with protection from rot. We are talking about resinous conifers.

ON A NOTE! Resin in nature disinfects tree wounds and closes them from the external environment. There it is released at any temperature. A cut and dried tree releases resin only at high temperatures.

Don't think that conifers don't get wet. Therefore, it would be good to use a special oil impregnation, which is made on the basis of natural oils (linseed or hemp) and beeswax. You can buy this impregnation or make it yourself. We're already talking about benches with the names of trusted companies and home-cooking recipes.

The steam room remains. If it’s a sauna, then it’s very hot, if it’s a Russian bath, then it’s quite tolerable, but we’ll still recommend hardwood. Anything that you have already used to decorate the steam room is suitable - linden, aspen, alder, beech, ash, larch (the only conifer that does not ooze resin). African abash will also work if the budget allows. If you have a modest budget, take aspen or linden, but keep in mind that they may rot in the coming years.

Design

There is no particular difference between a bench for a sauna or a Russian bath. Of course, if shelves are not meant. And even there the difference is insignificant: a sauna can be identified by the fact that its shelves are sewn up to the very floor, because there they do not hover one another, but simply sit and sweat on their own. Therefore, there is no need to provide convenience for the sailor.

We have already stated above that the most advantageous design for a pair is a triangular support. If you want to see the drawings, follow this link.

You can choose the seat covering yourself, taking into account the humidity of the room, of course.

Blueprints

Below we present several drawings that we found on the vastness of the worldwide computer network. We do not claim authorship and do not know their authors, therefore we cannot provide links to primary sources (see appeal to copyright holders). We have taken the liberty of adding some explanations to these drawings.

Not the easiest bench. Please note that instead of timber for the legs, boards were used, mounted with both glue and screws. The connection of the legs with the spacer is done in a quarter. The long side of the bench is sheathed with boards according to exactly the same principle as the short side (see the blue blocks and their fastening - the same is perpendicular). The seat is also attached to the finished frame with self-tapping screws - you can make it simpler, only from bars, without an end strip on both sides (if you make one, then with a tongue-and-groove connection).

But this drawing is easier to implement. Please note that the legs are attached to the seat using a dovetail joint, which is additionally secured with pairs of plugs. A massive spacer will not allow the structure to wobble. It is noteworthy that the authors did not do without metal fastening - in the middle of the spacer it is supposed to drill a hole for a long self-tapping screw, which will fasten the spacer to the seat.

Here is a variation of the first drawing. This is no longer just a bench, but a whole sun lounger. First, a seat is prepared from polished boards 50x100 mm, which are fastened with two transverse bars. The legs are attached to the bars, and instead of the usual spacer or jib, the frame is sheathed on top (immediately under the seat) with a 25x150 mm board around the perimeter.

A small portable “banquette” can also be useful in a bathhouse. It is made extremely simply: the frame on which the seat slats are placed is attached to the U-shaped legs. By the way, the design is quite flimsy; it would be strengthened from below with a brace either in the form of a frame “O” (rectangle) or “I” (Latin “I” with transverse dashes). Everything is self-tapping.

Quite a simple model on dowels. The drawing shows that the authors considered a pair of dowels sufficient for attaching each side panel to the seat, and the transverse beam is attached with a tongue-and-groove connection, and the tenon, it seems, is machined from the beam itself. And in the sidewalls a hole of the appropriate diameter is drilled for the tenon. Such connections are mounted on glue.

In this design, it is not entirely clear why make a groove in the sidewall, if anyway the crossbar will then be attached to it using self-tapping screws? (Which will then have to be masked with putty.) The seat is secured to the frame using dowels.

But the option is generally the simplest and even hacky, which can even be made from moisture-resistant plywood. Of course, you can’t put such a bench in a steam room, but it may well fit somewhere in a waiting room. Since the fastening is not shown in the drawing, we dare to suggest fastening the structure with ordinary corners.

A simple and reliable bench with dowels and screws. All the details can be seen in the figure; in total you will need 8 dowels and 12 screws. Please note that the leg extensions (replacing the jibs) are attached to the legs with self-tapping screws through the grooves on top. And this construct is attached to the seat from the reverse side.

Variation on the theme of the cross beam. Judging by the appearance, everything was done using a board of the same thickness - 38 mm, that is, a sanded “magpie”. The fastening is not shown in the drawing, but it can be assumed that it can be fastened with self-tapping screws.

ATTENTION! Do not forget that it is best to install stainless steel fixtures in the bathhouse.

An interesting option, say, for a relaxation room. X-shaped legs look beautiful, and the way to make them is to make notches half the width of the board on both “legs.” Fasteners - glue and self-tapping screws.

How to make: instructions

After we have shared with you a dozen options for do-it-yourself sauna benches, the drawings of which are given above, let's take a closer look at one of them.

Tools

Let's start with the tools that are needed to make a bathhouse bench with your own hands from wood. It is clear that carpentry has been around much longer than power tools, so the same result can be achieved, say, by choosing a groove with a chisel or milling cutter. However, using a power tool is more difficult because it requires both good skill and adjustment. Therefore, we will present a more “democratic” option with modern hand-held power tools:

• Miter saw;
• electric milling machine;
• screwdriver;
• electric planer.

Material

The entire bench is made of boards of the same width and thickness - 50 by 100 mm.

The total length of the boards used is 9140 mm.

This value needs to be cut into:

• three pieces of 1800 mm each (seat);
• two pieces of 170 mm each (fasteners);
• four pieces of 400 mm each (legs);
• four - 100 mm each (spacers);
• one - 1400 mm (cross member).

For fastening, use stainless steel screws.

And here is what the drawing looks like according to which our bench is made:

Do-it-yourself bathhouse bench: drawing

1. Let's start by putting the boards that have not yet been cut in order - sanding them until even and smooth. This can be done with a plane or sander.
2. Then use a miter saw to cut it into the required lengths.
3. The seat boards need to be smoothed along the edges - see the video below to see how this is done with a router.
4. Next, the seat boards are placed on a plane with the bottom side up, and liners 1 cm wide at both ends are placed between them.
5. A distance of 200 mm is measured from each edge along the long side and 170 mm bars are attached in the middle.
6. We attach a spacer block to each leg at a distance of 150 mm from the floor.
7. We screw each leg to 170 mm bars and to the seat boards.
8. After this, all that remains is to insert the crossbar and secure it.

Here is a video that clearly shows all the steps:

As you can see, there is not much work. All that remains is to finish sanding the ends, smooth out the necessary corners and think about whether impregnation or varnishing will be needed.

And here is the promised video on how to easily smooth corners using a router:

Wood requirements

To make a bench for a bathhouse with your own hands, you need to take a responsible approach to the choice of wood; it must meet the following requirements:

• have a high degree of density, otherwise the product will simply crack during use;
• have a low level of thermal conductivity, otherwise when heated the material will pose a serious danger to the health of the visitor;
• have sufficient resistance to moisture so that the service life of bath furniture is longer.

As for the sauna benches themselves, all wood used (bars, boards) must be carefully sanded. For these purposes, sandpaper of different grain sizes or special machines are used. All existing corners must be rounded. In addition, bath furniture should have high strength characteristics and withstand the weight of several visitors, not just one.

To impregnate wood, it is not advisable to use synthetic-based compounds, which release toxic substances at high temperatures. To treat the bench, it is better to purchase natural impregnations.

To prevent damage to furniture due to high moisture, you should not sew up the space under the bench - this way the quality of drying the material will be much higher. A gap of 10 cm should be maintained from the wall to wooden furniture. It is not recommended to use paints and varnishes for processing interior items.

Linden

High density (500 kg/cm3) allows the material to withstand the effects of elevated temperatures, such furniture does not overheat. During the heating process, this wood releases useful elements into the air. Linden is easy to process; it is pliable. However, it also has disadvantages. You cannot do without pre-processing the wood before making the bench. If you neglect preparation, the material will accumulate moisture and begin to deform, and then completely rot.

Pine

From a price point of view, pine is considered the most profitable material. Select good quality specimens. The wood should be free of various knots, blue stains and resinous pockets. Unfortunately, all the main advantages of the material end at an affordable price. Pine has a low density, so this product will not last long. Changes in temperature and humidity levels will lead to deformation and cracking.

Birch

This is heavy wood with high density (600 kg/cm3), which allows the bench not to react to changes in humidity. The thermal conductivity of birch is at an average level, but there will be no burns when heating the bench. The material has good viscosity and does not deform during operation. It is easy to process: it is malleable. For a steam room with birch benches, it is important to ensure good ventilation.

To make a bench, you can use more outlandish types of wood.

Meranti

Red wood has a high density (610 kg/cm3). This material is dense and heavy, so you will never encounter overheating of the bench. This design will be resistant to temperature changes and humidity levels. This tree has no knots and is characterized by low fiber, making it easy and pleasant to work with.

Abash

This is truly an ideal option for making a bench for a bathhouse. The porous structure of the material has no moisture and no tendency to accumulate. The density of the material is quite small (only 390 kg/cm3), but it does not heat up even with significant heat in the steam room. It is not difficult to guess that such wood is expensive. This is mainly due to the delivery of raw materials from Africa.

Primary requirements

Once again emphasizing comfort and safety as the main requirements for bath interior items, we observe the following principles when making benches with our own hands:

1. Grinding of structural parts, manual or machine, ensures safe contact of the body unprotected by the fabric with the wood.
2. Cut, rounded, and then carefully polished corners of the outer boards of the seat and back, and ends reduce the risk of accidental injury.
3. The thickness of the boards and bars is selected based on the total weight of several adults.
4. The longer the bench, the more important it is to calculate the number of intermediate supports in order to prevent the boards from bending under those sitting.
5. Reliability of fastening, spacer and transverse elements of the structure ensure stability and prevent the bench from loosening.

Finishing of wood is possible only with natural-based compounds, since high-temperature operating conditions provoke the release of toxic substances from conventional paints and varnishes.

Selection of materials and tools

Making even a simple bench without a back requires thorough preparation.

The first step is to draw up a detailed diagram, a drawing of the product, in order to determine the required amount of material. Having settled on a suitable type of wood, they buy boards, bars, planks, slats according to calculations - the set depends on the specific model. The drawings will help you calculate the number of fasteners: screws, nails (metal fasteners made of stainless materials). Experienced craftsmen use wooden fasteners (wedges, nails, pins) so that the steam rooms do not contain metal at all. Finishing will require an antiseptic or impregnation. The choice of composition depends on the purpose of the bench (see paragraph “Antiseptics for bath furniture”).

Tools needed to make a simple bench:

• wood saw or power tool: circular saw, jigsaw, miter saw;
• regular or electric plane;
• a sander with a set of attachments and blades of different grain sizes;
• hammer, mallet (if wooden fasteners are used);
• screwdriver;
• brushes for processing with protective compounds.

Do-it-yourself bathhouse bench: drawings

The design of bath benches is determined by their purpose and quantity. For a sitting steam room, you can build the most ordinary mobile bench with or without a backrest. But since the product is intended for a bath, several recommendations are followed when making it:

• the seat of the bench is made of linden, aspen, cedar boards, the slats for this are selected both narrow - 5-6 cm, and up to 10 cm wide, fastening to the support beam is transverse, a gap of 1-1.5 cm is left between the fasteners;
• the best support option for a single-tier bench in a bathhouse is a triangular shape, with one block fixed to the wall with self-tapping screws, and the other two making an angle of 45 degrees;
• the support parts are fastened together with dowels, the fasteners are duplicated with heat-resistant glue, the presence of metal elements in the seat is not allowed;
• 2-3 similar boards along the entire seat are fixed to the wall of the steam room as the back of a bench, while the screws go deep into the thickness of the board and are covered with wooden plugs.

The design is very simple to manufacture. It is more difficult to arrange a multi-tiered product. However, using the drawings, you can build such a bench for the bathhouse with your own hands.

The basis of the two- or three-tier option is the frame. It is assembled from rectangles reinforced with corner bars. The dimensions of the rectangle are determined by the height of the seat. The vertical bars of the structure are secured to the wall with self-tapping screws. The rectangles are assembled together on dowels. Both the benches and the space between the seats are covered with boards.

Important! For benches in the bathhouse, only polished wood is used. It is important to prevent minor mechanical injuries to the skin.

Footrest

You will need 5 planks 600x70x20 mm, 2 planks 400x70x20 mm and a block 50x50 mm for making the legs.

Step 1. Well-polished planks 600 mm long are laid out in a row on a flat surface. Gaps of 10 mm are left between the slats and aligned along the length.

Step 2. Place two transverse planks on top, placing them along the edges of the planks, flush with the ends. The product is secured with screws.

Step 3. The block is cut into pieces 3-4 cm high; these will be the legs for the stand. They are applied to the transverse strips at the corners and secured with screws. Finally, treat the stand with stain or colorless wood primer.

You can make the stand not with a straight surface, but with a rounded one, which is much more comfortable for the feet. How to do this is detailed in the video.

How to make a bench for a bathhouse with your own hands

It is not difficult to build sun loungers for a bath. Even the construction of a multi-tiered structure will not take much time. It is better to mount the latter on a blank wall.

1. The 30 cm high slats are fixed to the wall with anchors. The step between the elements is 1 m. The frame is then attached to the slats.

2. The bars are cut to length in accordance with the sizes of tiers 1 and 2 in the steam room. Then, supporting U-shaped structures are assembled from them. It is preferable to secure them to dowels. To do this, holes are drilled at the fastening points in the end sides of the bar.

3. Racks can be reinforced with inclined slats and metal corners. The supports secure the wall planks of the bench one by one, first the upper tier, then the lower.

4. Seat boards are laid on the supports. If the slats are fixed with self-tapping screws, then the fasteners must be recessed and covered with wooden plugs.

5. The finished structure for the bath is treated with impregnation. It is recommended to repeat the procedure.

Benches for the waiting room can be much more intricate in shape. In this case, any kind of metal fastener is allowed.

Required Tools

When making a bench for a bathhouse, you will need the following equipment:

• a miter saw or wort with a reward to cut boards straight or at different angles;
• hammer and construction mallet for assembling parts on dowels;
• a screwdriver or drill with an attachment for drilling slots;
• sandpaper or sanding machine for processing boards;
• measuring tape and square;
• self-tapping screws for fixing the benches to the wall; in the steam room it is better to use stainless steel or at least galvanized fasteners.

Depending on the chosen complexity and qualifications of the master, additional devices may be required.

Material of manufacture

The material for the bench is a suitable tree: linden, aspen, larch, cedar. For benches you will need boards of the following sizes:

• timber 5*6 cm;
• slats 5 cm thick and 10–12 cm long;
• boards or planks for flooring 3–5 cm thick and 7–10 cm wide.

Important! For seated benches and recumbent multi-tiered structures in the bathhouse, bars and boards with the same parameters are used. Only the number of supporting structures varies.

Means of protection

Of the popular wood species, the most resistant to the effects of water and steam are larch and aspen. This wood does not require any protective agents. Other materials should be treated to prevent damage from rot and mold.

Important! Different impregnations are used to protect benches in saunas and Russian baths. In the first case, the air can heat up to 100–110 degrees, but against the background of low humidity. In the second, the heating temperature does not exceed 60 degrees, but the humidity reaches 50% and higher.

For Russian steam rooms, preference is given to waterproof and water-repellent materials. These include:

• oils – for steam rooms, compositions are produced that are absorbed into the wood and do not form a film;
• oil wax - most often it is a mixture of linseed or hemp oil with wax;
• bleaching - such products contain strong oxidizing agents; such treatment not only protects the wood in the bath, but also prevents darkening.

Some allow the use of special varnish that is resistant to high temperatures. But in practice, experts do not recommend using varnish in a steam room, especially for benches.

How to make a bench in a bathhouse: video

Assembling a bench for a bathhouse, although simple, has its own subtleties. You can appreciate the complexity of the work if you once see the whole process.

Bench manufacturing technology

Step-by-step instructions for a do-it-yourself wooden bench for a bath include the following steps:

1. Cutting the timber into 4 fragments, each 40 cm long.

2. Assembling U-shaped racks. Two pieces of timber 60 cm long need to be knocked down to form transverse jumpers.

3. Cutting according to the specific length of slats for making a seat. It is optimal to use slats with a length of 160-170 cm.

4. Assembling the bench. The prepared slats need to be stuffed onto the jumpers, avoiding a gap of less than 1 cm between them. This is necessary to remove excess moisture and to expand/contract the natural material when exposed to temperature changes and high humidity. In addition, it is recommended to retreat 20 cm from the edge in order to achieve increased stability of the structure.

5. Bench strapping. To create a strong bench, the legs and stands need to be connected using the remaining slats, 10-15 cm away from the floor. Special corners are also suitable for these purposes, but it is advisable to attach them from the inside of the product, otherwise a burn will appear on the skin at the point of contact. That is why it is advisable to recess the fittings used in the manufacture of the bench by 2-3 mm.

Finishing and decor

The finished bath bench must be treated with a natural-based antiseptic composition. If you want to make it in country style, then you need to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

• Sand the surface along the grain with a brush.

• Clean with a grinder until a relief pattern is formed.

• Apply translucent glaze in two batches.

• Wipe the surface with a dry sponge; when it dries, remove the glaze.

• Cover the bench with varnish.

Making and giving the bench the desired appearance is quite simple if you follow all the recommendations regarding assembly and finishing.

Preparing for assembly

Before you start working on making a bench. We need to check the availability of tools. You should always have at hand: a hacksaw, a drill. It would be nice if you have a screwdriver. You definitely need a tape measure, a pencil, a square, a hacksaw, wrenches, a brush, and sandpaper.

If you decide to build a wooden bench, then you need to purchase materials:

Boards. Having dimensions of 100X40mm and 100X25 mm, you will need furniture screws with 8 - 10 mm threads, nuts, and self-tapping screws. Wood putty will also come in handy.

Be sure to purchase antibacterial protective impregnation. Once you have chosen the location of the bench, you need to draw up a work plan for its installation.

Select the size of the bench, decide how the back will be attached, plan the placement and fastening of the legs. Dig holes of the required size in the ground, place the legs in them, level them and fill them with cement mortar.

We draw up a drawing of the drawing, indicate the dimensions on it, and get to work.

Processing methods

Wooden structures for baths are impregnated with special natural-based products. The use of oil-based varnishes and paints is unacceptable, since when heated they will smell unpleasant and release toxins. The following compounds will help protect benches from mold, fire, and rotting:

1. Oils. The products protect wooden products in the steam room from moisture and do not form a film on the surface.
2. Oil wax. Made from natural ingredients, used in washing and steam rooms. The composition does not emit toxic substances when heated strongly.
3. Bleaches. Contain oxidizing agents that prevent the formation of a dark shade.
4. Fire retardants. They are relevant if the sauna bench is installed next to an open fire or is operated at elevated temperatures. Such means prevent accidental fire of the product.

How to make a universal bench for your garden with your own hands

Before processing, the surface of the bench is thoroughly sanded and polished. The layers of wood are removed slowly and not too deeply. After this, the products are applied in 1–2 layers, and the bench is allowed to dry completely. It is recommended to carry out all procedures strictly according to the attached instructions.

Oils

Oil wax

Bleaches

Fire retardants

Manufacturing algorithm

Wood is a very malleable material: it can be sawn, drilled, planed, and sanded very well, so even a beginner can make furniture of decent quality with his own hands.
The main stages of making a bath bench:

1. Planning. On a sheet of paper you should draw the outlines of the room and arrange the furniture. Assess whether it will be convenient to clean or rearrange a massive bench. Determine the dimensions, components and determine the junction points of the future product. If you have no experience in carpentry, it is better to use ready-made dimensions from reference books or the Internet.
2. Preparation of parts. All parts are sawed to size, planed and sanded. It is better to do this in advance, since after assembling the product, an inaccurate cut or a ground edge will lead to negative results.
3. Assembling large units: composite legs, backrest, seat. Before assembly, it is better to try on the parts and check compliance according to the diagram. The bench must have a rigid deflection, not swing and be resistant to longitudinal loads. To do this, the system can include jibs, additional shelves and drawers. The most reliable components are the cutting. They require high-quality execution and are only available with good tools.
4. Final assembly. This is the connection of the legs and the seat, the fastening of the jib or drawer. The result should be a stable structure consisting of two or more legs, a seat, a backrest and railings as desired.

Means of protection

Many people believe that it is only necessary to protect the wood of a bench if it is not in a steam room. In fact, it is in the steam room that the tree needs protection most of all, but previously we had to abandon this idea, because at high temperatures any chemical tends to become volatile and poison the air that those steaming breathe.

But progress is progress - the Finns have plenty of compounds that are suitable even for their hot sauna, not to mention the much “cooler” Russian bath. Such impregnations can protect wood from water, darkening, rot, etc. In this case, the surface will not feel greasy to the touch.

IMPORTANT! Varnishes should not be used in a steam room - this is a fact.

But in all other rooms, except for the steam room, you are completely free to use any composition that can protect the wood from the action of water, bacteria, fungi, insects and rodents. If desired, you can also coat it with fire retardants - compounds that make the wood non-flammable.

Why it is necessary to protect wood in a washing room - it’s clear, water flows there. But the rest of the bath rooms are not entirely dry either. Be that as it may, the humidity in the bathhouse is high everywhere. So saturate and varnish with whatever you see fit.

Placement of benches

In order to rationally use the space in the bathhouse, you need to think in advance where the benches and other pieces of furniture and accessories will be located. The optimal solution is to place the bench near a blank wall where there are no drafts. Installing a bench close to the stove is undesirable and unsafe.

The most effective option for placing benches in a bathhouse is considered to be a corner one, in the shape of the letter “G”. The upper and lower tier are installed along one wall, and the middle one is installed adjacent to them. There is also the option of placing benches in the form of a “compartment”, like on a train, where one tier is located above the other.

Required Tools

Tools for making a bench
It is better to use electric tools for cutting boards; work with them is easier and faster. You can use a hand saw and plane.

Prepare tools for assembling a bathhouse bench:

• miter saw;
• screwdriver with attachments;
• electric router;
• grinding machine with a set of attachments;
• hammer, mallet (for wooden fasteners);
• tape measure, level, construction square.

Brushes of different sizes, rollers and a ditch are needed for finishing the surface and pre-impregnating the wood.

Bath bench: design features

The bench in the bathhouse is somewhat different from the usual one. Firstly, its width and length are determined by the number of bathhouse users, their height and build. Secondly, such products involve the arrangement of several tiers, which is unusual for ordinary benches.

Important! Hot air and steam in the steam room accumulates under the ceiling. On a 3rd tier sun lounger it will be noticeably hotter than on the lowest one. This point should be taken into account when planning the steam room and arranging benches.

There are 2 options for sauna benches - sitting and lying. The dimensions of the sauna bench depend on the purpose and the position that the steamers prefer to use:

• the minimum seat width is 30–40 cm for a sitting bench, for a more comfortable position 60 cm is recommended, and 80–90 cm is required for a lying bench; the value in the latter case may be greater: this is the width that a person occupies while lying down and placing his hands freely;
• the width of the step of the lower bench must be at least 40 cm;
• the distance between tiers is from 40 to 60 cm. As practice shows, the optimal range is 45 cm, the minimum distance from the floor of the bathhouse to the desired tier is 40 cm;
• a bench for a bathhouse is made with your own hands of a certain length, and the size is determined by the preferred position: in a sitting steam room, the length of the bench is equal to the width - at least 40 cm for each user, a 60 cm long option is more convenient; for sitting with bent knees, 90 cm is required, and for lying down, but with bent knees - at least 150 cm; The length of the bench for lying is 180–210 cm and is calculated according to the height of the tallest user of the steam room.

The size of the bathhouse benches depends on the location. If the benches are straight and placed along opposite walls, all of the above factors are relevant when determining the size. But with an L-shaped arrangement of benches, you can save on space.

What items should a bath furniture set consist of?

You need to focus on individual tastes and financial capabilities, but there is a certain standard minimum.

• Shelves must be made in the steam room of the bath. They can have different shapes and sizes: single-stage or have several steps; located along the walls of the bathhouse or be in the shape of “G”, “P”. Wooden headrests and footrests are often placed in the steam room. Due to the fact that the place where they steam is small, it does not need to be cluttered with unnecessary objects, as they will serve as an obstacle to the movement of air. For convenience, you can add a small bench to place basins and ladles and attach hooks.
  Shelves are the most important component of a bathhouse interior and making them yourself is absolutely simple and inexpensive.

  Types and shapes of shelves for baths

• The washing compartment of the bathhouse should be equipped with a shelf, and benches of various configurations and sizes can be made. Details such as stools for tubs, buckets and other bath utensils would be useful here. Place a hanger away from possible splashes.

  Scheme and drawing of a bench for a wooden bath

Do-it-yourself bathhouse benches: photo

Benches in a bathhouse are utilitarian “furniture” and do not offer much variety in design. However, such products can be given individuality. For example, for a seat you can use a non-standard flooring made of slats, and a cut from the trunk. This is a very effective option for a Russian bath.

It is prohibited to paint bench boards. However, the use of colored impregnations allows you to diversify the design.

In classic benches, the seats are arranged lengthwise. This is a standard do-it-yourself bathhouse bench design, which can be seen in many photos.

It is also possible to arrange the bench slats in the bathhouse across. In this case, the bar for the bench is chosen to be narrow - 5 cm.

If the seat must be level, then this requirement does not apply to the rest of the upholstery of the sunbeds and the backrests. Benches with decorative elements look more interesting.

The most impressive bathhouse benches are those with colored lighting, and they are attractive not only in photos, but also in person.

The choice of design should take into account the overall style of the bathhouse. Lighting, for example, is not the best option for a rustic-style bathhouse.

Useful video

Above there were drawings with crossed “legs”, so we decided that it would not be superfluous to show how this is implemented in practice. I found a video where the joint of the legs is generally done using a regular saw and chisel. Well, as it turned out, it just so happened, although in the end the bench turned out to be quite good:

*** That's all, we hope you have a complete understanding of how to make a bench for a bathhouse with your own hands. All that remains is to implement one of the options or come up with your own. We wish you good luck!

Design

The decorative side of the shelves is no less important. Benches made from wood of different shades (dark and light) look interesting.

The choice of lighting color is individual. Red makes the steam room visually even hotter, green – relaxes, blue – gives calmness.

It is allowed to install spotlights on the ceiling directly above the shelves. This will make the room seem larger.

You can approach the decoration of corner seats creatively by designing a carved or wavy backrest.

There are benches that resemble the shape of a chaise lounge or where the upper tier very smoothly transitions into the lower.

Seats with separate backs and corner carved fasteners for hanging towels look good.

If the room allows, then a separate stand for slippers and shelves for soap products are equipped.

By playing with the shape, design of the benches, and their placement, the steam room can be decorated in both antique, high-tech or modern style.

Location

The first problem that needs to be solved is choosing a location for the bench. It affects the material of the structure. For example, for an old garden with large branchy trees, wood products are suitable; for a small area not heavily planted with trees and shrubs, small openwork structures are recommended.

If you look online for examples of photos of benches in the country, you will see that they are often an integral part of gazebos, verandas and summer areas. If you are planning to do something similar, then make sure that all the details are made in the general style.

Choose a place for the bench so that it offers a pleasant view. It’s unlikely that you’ll want to admire your neighbors’ fence or the walls of your barn.

It is advisable that the bench be located in the shade. It is placed under the crowns of large trees or under canopies. Remember that it acts as a place for rest and relaxation.

You can put benches next to the beds. There are several advantages here. Firstly, the owners of the site will be able to monitor the growth of the crop. Secondly, the bench is suitable for taking a few minutes’ rest from physical labor (digging, watering, harvesting).

Don't forget about decorative decorations. Have you made a simple bench with your own hands? Place flowering shrubs around it. Flower beds are also suitable for decoration. They are placed on a raised platform or a special platform is created from bricks, tiles or logs.

Care Tips

To increase the service life of benches in the bathhouse, you should take care of them:

• after each procedure, you need to wipe the seats and backrests with a dry towel;
• also, after using the steam room, it must be well ventilated;
• depending on the type of wood used in the manufacture of benches, it is necessary to periodically treat the products with oil or oil wax;
• if the bench in the bathhouse is dirty, you can wash it with warm water and laundry soap; abrasive or liquid cleaning agents cannot be used: they contain active chemical compounds that evaporate or disintegrate under the influence of temperature, releasing harmful substances;
• If the boards show signs of rot or mold, the affected parts must be immediately removed and replaced with new ones.

Important! Extra oil treatment must be carried out if the bench has been damaged. Sources

• https://grand-haus.ru/strojka-i-remont/lavka-dlya-bani-svoimi-rukami.html
• https://parilochka.com/mebel-dlya-bani/skamejka-svoimi-rukami.html
• https://stroimdom44.ru/lavka-v-banyu-svoimi-rukami-chertezhi/
• https://2proraba.com/banya/lavki-dlya-bani.html
• https://2proraba.com/banya/skamejka-dlya-bani-svoimi-rukami.html

Colonial Rec Room Bench

If the appearance of the bench is not very good, you can change it and improve it. To do this, decide on the processing style and buy decorative materials. Go to visit your friends and take a photo of the benches in the bathhouse, and then choose a processing method. The colonial style allows you to make the bench noticeable and expensive.

The work is performed in the following sequence. Brush the bench elements with a wire brush and apply a layer of white glaze to the surface of the wood. Wait until dry and re-brush the wood with a wire brush. The furniture will be bleached with grooved brush marks. Apply a layer of varnish to the surface; after drying, the furniture can be used.