Not a single country house is complete without a bathhouse with a good steam room and intense heat. And if you don’t have it yet, then you’re probably wondering how to do it all yourself and with minimal loss of time and finances.
In addition, if you have finally decided to build a bathhouse on your site, you will definitely think about how to choose a log house for a bathhouse so that it will last for decades.
Bathhouse made of wooden logs
Note! Without a good Russian bathhouse, a country residence ceases to be so attractive. And in the steam room you can relax with friends, get free relaxation and enjoy the smell of fresh wood.
When choosing a finished log house for your future structure, the first thing you should pay attention to is the type of wood. This is one of the most significant moments in the construction of a bath complex of any size.
What to choose: which one is better? Video
We found a video from the owner of a construction company who shows a bath house that he is building for himself.
There he talks a little about the advantages of the choice he made: Well, a few tips (some of them questionable from our point of view) in this video:
Regarding the benefits of winter wood: we advise you to look through reference books, where numbers prove that the moisture content of coniferous wood in winter is higher than in summer.
*** We invite you to share your opinion with the owners of bathhouses already built from timber - what advantages and disadvantages were discovered during operation? We think this will be of interest to all readers.
Special cases
It probably remains to clarify a couple of points related to special cases - what material is suitable for a log sauna with a second floor, and are there log barrel saunas?
For a bathhouse with a second floor
A two-story wooden bathhouse is often built from logs with a diameter of 20 to 28 cm. We came to this conclusion after reviewing the proposals of a variety of construction companies that build such bathhouses on a turnkey basis. However, the customer is sometimes given the opportunity to choose the diameter of the logs himself.
From this we can conclude that no special requirements for the thickness of logs are provided in the case of a two-story building, but the foundation must be appropriate for the future load. A civil engineer must calculate the foundation.
For a barrel bath
Let's say right away: a log is not used for a barrel bath. In all the options that we saw, it was an edged board. As an option - edged tongue and groove.
But if any of the readers have seen something that proves the opposite, we will be glad to see the proof link
*** If any of the above was useful to you, please tell your friends and acquaintances about our site.
Is it necessary to caulk?
The traditional method of insulation is laying moss during the construction of a log bathhouse. Moss has been used for centuries and remains popular today, despite the variety of new materials on the market.
The installation of inter-crown insulation is carried out after the logs are finally fitted. The stages of its installation are as follows:
- The moss is laid out across the log in a layer of up to 2 cm; there is no need to compact it. The main thing is that there are no unnecessary details in the layer in the form of bumps or knots. The moss should be laid out 5-10 cm wider than the width of the longitudinal groove of the top log. The fibers must be placed in the bowl so that the moss protrudes from it by 5 cm;
- the compactor is laid out so that the joint of the logs is filled evenly;
- after laying the moss, a log is placed on top so that the moss does not move;
- the laid material is tapped for normal shrinkage.
With a good and high-quality fit, 1-12 m of inter-crown connection will require about a standard bag of dry moss.
By the way, you also need to remember that in a year you will need caulking again, since within a year the log house will settle and the moss will settle down.
How to build?
After the foundation has been erected and dried, it is time to build the bathhouse itself.
Please note that some time must pass after the logs are cut down. Only then will they be most suitable for construction
To build a bathhouse with your own hands and do everything correctly, use the following instructions.
One row of logs in a log building is called a crown. The first crown should be as strong as possible and laid evenly, since it bears the rest of the load. Therefore, a frame made of hardwood is chosen: oak or larch. Only such rocks have a sufficient margin of strength to withstand the weight of the entire structure and heat and humidity loads without cracking. For the first crown, it is permissible to use large diameter logs.
Which log house is better for a bathhouse?
Log buildings vary in total area and number of floors. For a bathhouse, they often prefer a small one-story log house with a terrace, the area of one floor is 30–50 m2.
Logs for log houses can be hewn (planed) or galvanized (with the outer layer cut to a given diameter).
In what ways does it lose to hewn:
- cracks appear earlier and larger;
- the log house looks unnatural;
- processing technology removes the densest sapwood;
- wood quality indicators visible on the outer layer are hidden;
- processing technique - with a miter saw, a milling cutter - makes the wood more vulnerable, the log rots and collapses more quickly (an ax and a plane do not saw, but chop, not “shaggy”, but flattening the fibers);
- requires more impregnation consumption;
The main advantage of logs that have gone through a rounding machine is the speed and ease of erecting walls.
As a result, the owner receives a beautiful log bathhouse, which does not require additional wall cladding.
But the performance qualities of a log house are much higher if the cambium of individual logs is manually trimmed (the layer immediately under the bark, hygroscopic and attractive to bugs).
In this case, only 1-2 annual rings of the sapwood (the layer between the core and the cambium) should be captured, and the surface should be well sanded.
Information. The plane removes too thick a layer of wood. A scraper is a more gentle tool designed specifically for this operation.
Processing logs for logs
The basic rule for building a log house is to process it exclusively with hand tools. It is clear that this rule is not always possible to follow. Nowadays, log houses are mostly not cut, but “sawing”. Not only the preparation of wood, but also the selection of a longitudinal groove and the processing of corners is done with a chainsaw. And this is understandable, the speed of construction should be as high as possible, and labor costs lower.
When processed with hand tools - an axe, chisels, scrapers, planes and jointers, the wood capillary tubes become clogged and can no longer take in and accumulate water. As a result, the log house retains heat better and suffers significantly less. Modern craftsmen choose the best of two technologies - they save their time and labor by working with power tools and a chainsaw, but leave a few centimeters to the marks.
Modern wood materials have many advantages. Calibrated (rounded) logs, profiled and laminated veneer lumber have valuable advantages and excellent appearance. But they lack one unique property compared to a solid log. During processing, the integrity of the tree is violated, the resistant outer layers are removed and the looser inner layers are exposed.
Subsequently, in order to achieve the necessary resistance to external factors, wood is periodically treated with biostability compounds, which does not make the wood more environmentally friendly, on the contrary. However, there are also folk safe and useful methods and means of processing; the only negative factor is the time factor.
A special unique property of coated wood is its high resistance to diseases.
Frame or timber: which is better?
The maximum length of a timber element is 6 m. Construction of a more spacious bathhouse from timber (8 × 8 m, for example), there is a need to make cuts (connecting the wall in one plane with the addition of a perpendicular internal partition or pier), and this means additional labor costs for execution and insulation. The maximum length of laminated veneer lumber is 2 times longer (the lamellas are spliced onto a micro-tenon).
Drying solid wooden building parts can lead to the formation of surface cracks.
Inaccurate execution of the beam geometry affects the density of the crown joints in response to fluctuations in temperature and air humidity outside and inside the bathhouse.
A wall made of timber must be three times the thickness of mineral wool (one of the frame insulation) so that the thermal conductivity of both walls becomes commensurate.
In turn, a frame bath, sealed with a vapor barrier, is not able to absorb excess steam and remove it outside.
Installation
We adjusted the crown and marked the centers of the holes for the dowels. Using a drill or a drill, we drilled holes in the three upper rims and drove in the dowel. And so on until the very top crown.
If inter-crown insulation is installed during installation, it will wrap around the drill during drilling. To prevent this from happening, make a gap in the insulation where the drill will go through. During the final caulking of the bathhouse frame, this place can be sealed.
After the last crown has been laid, you can proceed to the following actions: install the lower and upper floors, make door and window openings in the walls, truss the roof and erect internal partitions.
Let's start with the foundation
It is precisely the foundation that least of all depends on the personal aesthetic preferences of the owner.
The combined mass of walls, ceilings and roof presses on it from above, and soil tries to push it out from below. What are the conclusions from this? To choose a suitable foundation (see here about their types), you must already know what kind of walls and roof you want to build. Some varieties will be light, others heavy.
For example: a brick bathhouse, made of foam blocks, a two-story bathhouse, made of thick logs, with ceramic tiles - there is no chance of getting by with a shallow columnar or strip foundation.
But this is on the one hand. On the other side we have soil. With its heaving (frost heaving is when water expands when it freezes, the soil increases in volume and begins to press and squeeze out everything that is in the ground, for example, the foundation), freezing depth (for critical buildings, the depth of laying the foundation should be lower than the freezing depth of the soil ), groundwater level (it is always desirable that the foundation be above their level, otherwise - drain).
BY THE WAY! After winter heaving, the ice melts and the soil begins to draw in, “drown” the foundation. Such are its seasonal fluctuations.
In addition to the above, it (soil) also has a type of soil - it determines whether the building will be stable. There are quicksand sands on which piles are placed, and deeper ones. And there are quite decent clays with decent heaving, which a slab foundation can withstand (it seems to “float” on the soil surface, like a raft on water).
The third factor is terrain. If the height difference in the designated building area is significant, and it cannot be leveled using equipment at a reasonable cost, then the best material for the foundation of a bathhouse in this case will be piles.
The fourth factor is budget. Some types of foundations are expensive, others not so much. Slab will be expensive. Steel piles for great depths also cannot be called cheap. The most budget option is or. They require little material, but the circumstances listed above should be favorable.
Useful links on the topic:
- What is the “bathhouse foundation height” and “laying depth”? What to consider?
- How to make a bathhouse foundation from blocks: what choice do we have and what does it depend on?
- Foundation for a frame bath
- With your own hands: how to make a foundation for a bathhouse? Step by step instructions here
- It's time to make a foundation for a bathhouse: which one is better will be determined by three factors
- Foundation for a bathhouse: how to make? Secrets of correct calculation, marking and creation of foundations of all types
- How to pour the foundation for a bathhouse correctly? Description of all stages of work
Internal angle when cutting in the paw: half-carriage, round timber 45º, half-bowl
We decided to put this article on the main page, because with almost everyone who wants to buy a log bathhouse, we discuss how to cut internal corners. When cutting into a bowl (the remains of the log stick out beyond the dimensions of the building), in 99% of cases a round log remains inside the room. But when cutting with the paw, everything is not so clear.
Semi-carriage
- the most inexpensive option. Let us immediately note that in the old days logs were hewn with an axe. In modern budget wooden architecture, the half-carriage is cut with a saw in continuation of the inner edge of the paw. If the wall is covered with sheathing, then we definitely choose this method of treating the inner surface of the walls. It also looks good if you sand the inside of the wall. In addition, the maximum usable area remains. As a rule, the walls in the steam room are sheathed (with non-coniferous clapboard so that they do not resin when heated) and in the washing compartment (with something waterproof, for example, plastic panels). It’s not hard to find a photo of a semi-carriage, so we’re not publishing it here: just flat walls and a right angle.
Round timber 45º
- for those who want to buy an inexpensive sauna and at the same time leave a round log inside the room. In this case, only the corners of the log cut are adjusted, but the semicircular fit of the corner rims is not made. In addition, it is easier to select logs, since a difference in the diameters of adjacent crowns is allowed up to 4-5 cm, without damaging the structure. During finishing work, the corners are coated with sealant or pierced with hemp rope, which covers the inaccuracy of the fit.
Half bowl
- the most expensive option when cutting corners with a paw. The selection of logs by diameter is the same as when cutting into a bowl. The crowns match each other perfectly from the inside, each one fits each other. Outside there is a traditional warm corner - a paw with a root spike. In terms of complexity, half-bowl cutting is somewhat superior to bowl cutting, but due to the fact that the logs used are shorter, such log houses cost a little less.
Features that require attention when choosing a project and material
A traditional bathhouse is a relatively small room. Just two rooms are enough. It is quite possible to combine a washing room and a steam room; up to 4 people can steam in such a bath.
A 3x3 log bathhouse is most suitable for summer cottages and small families. Of course, the final price will depend on the materials for interior decoration. But, on average, such a turnkey bathhouse will cost from 70 thousand rubles. Before you find out the exact price, how much it costs to log a 3x3 bathhouse, you need to take into account some nuances.
When purchasing a finished log house, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
- timber preparation time;
- the place where the tree grew before it was cut down;
- quality of wood processing.
The best option would be timber harvested in winter, since at this time the sap flow in the trees stops. Such timber will go through the drying stage faster and will not darken in the future.
Trees growing near swamps or areas subject to constant flooding rot much faster than those growing in dry places.
Even a beginner who does not understand this matter is able to determine how clean and smooth the offered bars are. Poorly executed processing leads to the fact that the wood begins to absorb moisture, this causes the appearance of cracks in which insects infest. Treating wood with a special impregnation extends its service life for a longer time.
It should be remembered that logs with a diameter of 15-20 cm are not very suitable for building a bathhouse. The most suitable option would be a log house made of logs with a diameter of 25-40 cm. It is worth deciding on cutting the corners. There are many options, but the most common are “paw” and “bowl” cuttings. Cutting the corners “into a bowl” significantly reduces the wind blowing through the corners, but hides a little space in the internal space.
Determining the quality of wood for logs
Thus, most baths are built from coniferous logs - spruce or pine. They are inexpensive and have many advantages. That is why the best wood for a bathhouse is from northern coniferous species, which has a dense structure and does not change its properties due to high humidity or high temperature. Ideal in this regard are pine from the Baltic Sea and Canadian spruce. In second place are high-quality alder, aspen and linden wood. And a self-built bathhouse made from aspen or larch logs will last for 100 years, but it will also cost more - because the logs of this species are very strong, and this strength only grows over time.
By the way, all production of wooden building materials in Russia is concentrated in the northwestern regions, where there is an excellent raw material base. And today, quite a lot of different companies and intermediaries of manufacturers are engaged in the sale of these products - you can even order everything you need via the Internet
It is only important to draw up an agreement with the contractor, which will indicate in black and white the type of wood, its moisture content, length, type of groove and method of drying
And, if you have the opportunity to look at the proposed wood in advance, you should pay attention to the following characteristics that indicate quality:
- Low heat capacity
- Light or dark yellow tint of the log surface
- Pleasant soft smell
- Good sound absorption
- No blue spots on the cut
- Low thermal conductivity
- There are a small number of knots that sit inside without gaps - if there are any, it means the core is rotten.
- Resistance to splitting
- The cut of the log has a hard surface
The core of the log itself should be exactly three-quarters of the cut and at the same time have an even dark shade.
But what if the arriving logs look damp?
The reason for their dampness may be insufficient drying. In this case, it is better not to treat them at all - except with a transport septic tank. If this has not been done in advance, what should be specified in the contract. After that, you need to create a maximum ventilation mode. After all, if this is not done, the entire structure may shrink in the future - and longitudinal cracks will appear.
Peculiarities
Log bathhouse projects have many advantages and disadvantages.
pros
First of all, it is worth noting the advantages of log buildings:
- Structures made from natural wood delight with their environmental friendliness. This is a material that is completely safe for health, thanks to the use of which an ideal microclimate is created in the room. Even the products used to impregnate and protect the facade are non-toxic.
- Wood is an excellent basis for walls also because this material retains heat well in the room. Thanks to this, a fairly comfortable microclimate is created inside the bathhouse.
- Wooden walls not only retain heat inside, but also have good soundproofing properties. But natural wood allows air to pass through, so it’s easy to breathe in such a room.
- Also pleasing is the fact that the construction is strong and durable. Especially if you additionally coat the material with protective agents such as varnish and special impregnations.
- The last plus is the ability to create truly unique and original buildings. Wood is easy to process and sand. In addition, it can be decorated with exquisite carvings. You can even do this yourself, without turning to professionals for help.
Minuses
As for the disadvantages of log baths, there are plenty of them too:
- The most important of them is that wood, unlike metal or stone, is not so durable. Log baths can easily shrink over time and become covered with cracks.
- In addition, the tree periodically begins to rot in conditions of high humidity. And in some cases it is not able to withstand attacks from parasites. To save a log bathhouse from rotting and insects, you need to coat the wood with special antiseptics.
- But it is very difficult to reduce the fire hazard of a wooden bathhouse. The material remains a fire hazard and is highly flammable. Therefore, when installing a stove or heater, you should be careful.
Buildings made of slag, gas and foam blocks
Which blocks are best to build a bathhouse from? Let's try to understand this issue in detail. Is it worth using blocks to build a bathhouse at all?
Foam block
The main advantages of such materials include low cost and speed of construction. But the service life of block buildings is significantly lower than that of wooden or stone ones. A bathhouse made of slag or foam blocks will cost 2 times less than a wooden one.
However, taking into account the finishing, the savings will not be that big. After all, such a building will require additional waterproofing and insulation.
Bathhouse made of cinder blocks
Cinder block building
Bathhouse made of cinder blocks
Cinder blocks are made from pelite, ash or slag. Less commonly, gravel, crushed stone, and sand are used as filler. You can erect a building from large blocks (their standard size is 390x190x188 mm) in a matter of days. Moreover, cinder blocks are often made at home, even in the absence of special equipment. Thus, the final cost of the building will seem to be lower.
But for a bathhouse, it is the finishing that will be the decisive factor - not only internal, but also careful external cladding will be required. Products made from cinder blocks without it will quickly absorb moisture. Therefore, before you start building a bathhouse from blocks, calculate the final cost of not only the foundation, walls, floor, ceiling, but also the finishing.
Building made of aerated concrete blocks
Laying aerated concrete blocks
Building made of aerated concrete blocks
Aerated concrete is concrete that has a cellular structure. In addition to sand and cement, it contains special gas-forming agents that foam the solution. Due to the appearance of air bubbles (pores), the material acquires increased heat-shielding properties.
Aerated concrete is much easier to process than regular concrete. It can be sawed and drilled. A nail can be driven into a wall made of aerated concrete without any effort. A significant drawback of the material, just like cinder concrete, is its rapid destruction when wet. Therefore, buildings made from it require waterproofing.
The weight of the blocks is significant, so the laying will have to be done by two people
You need to work with blocks carefully - they are quite fragile
Distinctive features of buildings made of foam blocks
Production of foam blocks
The composition of foam and gas blocks is quite similar. So what material is it better to build a bathhouse from? If aerated concrete is produced in autoclaves under high pressure, then foam blocks are produced using conventional formwork. During production, the solution is poured not into molds, but into ordinary formwork.
Hardening occurs under natural conditions at low positive temperatures. It takes longer for foam concrete to harden – up to 28 days.
The shape of the foam blocks is far from ideal - the products are loose, with slight deviations in height, length, and width. Naturally, their cost is low. But their strength is lower than that of gas blocks.
Gas cylinder in the country - for a stove, heater and other needs: rules of use (Photo & Video) + Reviews
Preparing a working draft
It is recommended to build a bathhouse 15 meters from a wooden house
Design is carried out taking into account the following parameters.
Placement - the log house is located at least 15 m from the residential building or at least 10 m if the house is concrete or stone. Choose an elevated location, as this makes it easier to remove moisture. It is better if the building is protected from the winds by bushes and trees or a fence. In a small bathhouse they plan only a steam room and a vestibule. The washing room can be combined by arranging a bucket or ladle for dousing, or place it under a canopy
If the space allows, they plan a steam room, a washing room, a locker room, and possibly a guest room. It is important to design effective ventilation. Otherwise, the building will become damp. When planning, take into account the size of the log
It is necessary to calculate where they will be joined, what is the permissible length of the wall, etc.
The use of rounded and planed logs significantly simplifies the design.
Log for building a bathhouse - what is important to know
In terms of its reliability and uniqueness, wood is perhaps the most proven material. The bathhouses, built in the 50s, still stand on some household plots and serve faithfully.
Logs for the bath are selected with the same cross-section and even shapes.
From those who are skeptical, you can hear negative feedback about the insufficient width of the crown groove (the junction of the links). Opinions that a log bathhouse needs to be additionally insulated, in addition to traditional caulking, with moss or flax fiber. Most of the negative reviews are precisely related to the incorrectly chosen diameter of the material and the width of the cut groove. But what cross-section is optimal for building a bathhouse? How to choose the correct groove size and log cross-section? GOSTs will help answer the question.
GOST standards on wood cross-section
You can correctly select the ratio between the width of the groove and the diameter of the material using State Construction Standards (GOST 30974–2002). The document states that the width of the groove should be equal to half the diameter of the material. The regulated size is advisable not only as a maximum for giving the log walls maximum thermal insulation, but also in order to save material consumption. The fact is that when cutting a groove we lose part of the height of the material. By increasing the width of the groove, the cost of building material will increase, that is, more links must be used to assemble the frame. Does this make sense? If you choose the correct section of the log, then no. The optimal ratio of groove width and material height is as follows:
- width ⅔ diameter;
- the height of the log is ¾ of the diameter.
It has been scientifically proven that the heat-insulating properties of a log are distributed not only across the width, but also along the length
This is why it is so important to take into account the given dimensions. Now let’s determine what diameter is optimal for building a bathhouse
Dimensions, diameters and cutting features
For even laying, it is better to use cylindrical rather than cone-shaped logs. There are three types of barrel processing:
- Rounding,
- Planing,
- Scraping.
The most even log is obtained by rounding. This method is also the most economical
It is important that when processing the wood is dried according to certain rules
With the planed version, you need to adhere to the rule when laying logs: for each linear meter, a change in diameter of 1 centimeter (taper) is allowed. In the scraping version, all the flaws remain. There is no elimination of barrel curvature. You should prefer only the first two processing options when choosing logs for a bathhouse.
The design is directly affected by the uniformity of the logs. Linear dimensions in all cases depend on the overall design and climatic conditions. Thin logs are suitable for a summer bath, but not for an all-season bath.
If the structure is planned to be used all year round, you should choose log diameters in the range of 22-28 centimeters. In cold climates, the recommended diameter of logs is up to 36 centimeters.
There are a large number of ways to cut logs. Most popular:
- Bowl,
- Paw,
- Norwegian and Canadian logging,
- With a tail groove,
- To the gun carriage,
- The ridge is in the groove.
Masters recommend stopping at a cup or paw.
Popular cutting methods and their features
What material to build from?
The choice of material for building a bathhouse is no less important than the design.
You need to proceed from the expected material costs, the type of bathhouse, its location on the site, its size and purpose.
timber
Construction from timber is a fairly economical and to some extent classic option. From timber you can build a bathhouse in white and black.
You need to pay attention to the material itself - there should be no large cracks on it, the surface should be smooth and even, without a large number of knots. The wood must be free of traces of insects
Color provides information about the quality of the material - the presence of a bluish tint indicates the presence of fungus or mold
The wood must be free of traces of insects. Color gives information about the quality of the material - the presence of a bluish tint indicates the presence of fungus or mold.
The roof for a timber bathhouse is preferably gable, with strong rafters. Ventilation is required, otherwise the appearance of fungus and mold is guaranteed. You can use special impregnations, but they will reduce the health properties of the bath.
Log
A log bathhouse can be built in either black or white.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the material. It must withstand high temperatures and high humidity
There are many types of wood from which log houses are built.
A log bathhouse needs a good foundation, the type of which depends on the soil. On heaving soil, the best option would be a shallow foundation.
For a large bathhouse, a strip foundation is optimal. It is deepened depending on the level of soil freezing and laid with waterproofing material. A columnar foundation is suitable for small baths.
Logs for construction are used to be as equal in diameter as possible. The best option would be a diameter of 25 cm. Thicker logs are placed at the bottom of the walls, and thinner ones at the top.
The walls, just like in a timber bathhouse, are caulked, and as the logs dry out and the gap between them increases, they are treated with dry moss or tow.
Brick
A brick bathhouse is more expensive, but at the same time more durable than a wooden one. A brick bathhouse can only be “white” - brick tends to become damp and deteriorate, so it needs good ventilation. The walls of such a bathhouse are lined with clapboard with an insulating layer.
The foundation is built from stone or brick. Construction from reinforced concrete is allowed, but this type is expensive. The brick used is red or silicate, the main masonry is one and a half to two bricks, the partitions are half.
Laying the walls starts from the corners. The first row is laid across, the subsequent rows are laid with lightweight masonry of several half-brick walls. The openings between the walls are filled with light slag or a mixture of sawdust.
Foam blocks
Foam blocks retain heat better than bricks, are not subject to rotting, and do not lose their strength at high temperatures
When choosing blocks, you should pay attention to the water-resistant primer
When building a bathhouse from foam blocks, a high-quality foundation is required. The material for it is concrete with a reinforcement frame. When laying, a sewerage system is provided.
During the construction of walls, you should monitor the thickness of the seams.
The first row of foam blocks is fixed with cement-sand mortar, the subsequent rows with special glue.
From the inside, a bathhouse made of foam blocks needs to be insulated. The insulating material can be foil insulation, mineral wool, jute felt, which are laid on the sheathing.
Internal cladding is carried out with clapboard or ceramic tiles.
From foam blocks you can build a sauna, white bath and hammam.
Which wood is better to build a bathhouse from - the pros and cons of different species
Our grandfathers noted in advance the trees for their bathhouse. They were cut in winter, when the wood has the lowest percentage of moisture. Such a log house practically does not shrink, and cracking of the walls will be minimal. But even carefully selected trees must meet a number of characteristics:
- Have increased resistance to moisture.
- Durability.
- Do not carry negative energy.
Let's figure out what features different types have, pros, cons of log houses in the form of a table:
You can assemble a sauna frame from any wood. But for economy, pine wood is more often used. Pine and spruce are available in any region of Russia, but the high resin content does not make it possible to use them for interior decoration of a bathhouse. When heated, the walls and ceiling will begin to release resin, which can cause discomfort during procedures.
A bathhouse made of aspen will last a long time, and any fastidious owner will like its attractive appearance.
Expensive aspen, cedar and larch are optimal for building a log bathhouse. They tolerate moisture well and do not lose their quality characteristics over time. Saunas made of cedar and larch emit antiseptic vapors, and inside the steam room there will be a subtle and healing aroma. But it is not suitable for everyone, so we recommend that before construction you check whether the smell of wood will irritate family members. The price of the material is high and does not allow it to be used for construction.
Larch and aspen are mainly used as the lower crown of a log house. Over the years, the wood becomes stronger, and the bathhouse will last longer.
Linden and birch are available for construction, but we do not recommend building a log house from them. The steam room will not last long and will require repairs within a year.
Finnish sauna - what are its features
For a residential building, the normal difference in maximum and minimum temperatures during the day is 6 °C. In a bathhouse, even if it is heated constantly, the microclimate parameters change in a range that is an order of magnitude larger. Building codes classify a bathhouse as a damp or wet room, the relative humidity of which is greater than 60% at temperatures above 24 °C.
The peculiarity of steaming in a sauna - at relatively low humidity and high temperature - makes the presence of a shower or washing room necessary. It is impossible to combine a steam room with a washing room.
A large group will have to be more crowded in a sauna than in a “Russian bath” with equal energy costs: heating a large room to 100 °C is time-consuming and expensive.
The sauna has the same requirements for building materials and structures as the “Russian bath”. Water vapor inevitably condenses on the walls, tends to moisten the finish, penetrate deep into the enclosing structure, and involuntarily increase its thermal conductivity.
Assembly of the finished log house
The construction of houses and baths from rounded logs can be carried out on the basis of a finished log house. This is faster and more reliable, since a house kit with already numbered logs will be delivered to your site, which makes assembly simple and quick.
Each log house is supplemented with instructions, in accordance with which its creation is carried out. But you still need to follow some rules:
- the casing crown must be trimmed from the bottom side - this is necessary for a tight connection of the first row to the foundation, which must be waterproofed with two layers of roofing material;
- impregnation with fire and bioprotective agents is required in all areas of the log house where the logs will be adjacent to each other;
- the connection of materials is carried out using durable dowels made of hardwood - they must be recessed into the log to a depth of at least 3 cm;
- When laying logs, flax tow or fiber is placed between them.
Protection of log walls
They place a log bathhouse on a shallow strip foundation (with a base half a meter high) or on screw piles.
To protect the logs from getting wet, the foundation is made ventilated - vents are installed on all sides (they are closed for the winter). They don’t skimp on roof overhangs. The larger the overhangs, the better. And the higher the bathhouse, the longer the overhangs will be required.
It is worth remembering that the distances between buildings are the distances between their projections on the ground.
Important! The minimum possible distances between buildings and trees are calculated by specialists and specified in regulations. Their compliance is checked by public services and local authorities. The aspect of fire safety has rightly received special attention. The most important thing is to maintain the distances between wooden structures (or if at least one of them is wooden).
There are distance standards that apply specifically to bathhouses, regardless of the material (for example, from a bathhouse to a poultry house). The maximum of all values must be observed.
A log bathhouse is treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant. The floor, the joists for its flooring, and the lower crown - under the floor - are especially carefully protected.
After using the bathhouse for its intended purpose, it is well ventilated.
