Bath canopy: what you need to know to do it right

The installation of shelves in a steam room or sauna is a very important point in construction, which will subsequently affect how convenient it will be to use the steam room or sauna. There are clear standards for the manufacture and installation of shelves that must be followed for ease and safety of use. In addition, the shelves (beds) must withstand the harsh microclimate of the steam room, and of course satisfy the wishes of the owners regarding design ( Sauna interior design and finishing styles ).

And owners are sometimes interested not only and not so much in the construction and arrangement of shelves in a sauna or steam room, but in choosing the right material for the shelves, the size of the shelves and the layout of the steam room, taking into account the location of the sun loungers. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the rules and recommendations for the construction and installation of shelves (loungers) for a bath.

Shelves for the steam room should be chosen from those types of wood that do not emit resin, that is, only coniferous trees are prohibited. At your discretion, you can choose any deciduous tree species; a good choice would be to make shelves from linden or abasha for a bathhouse

Features of Russian baths and Finnish saunas

Places for sitting and lying down are usually called “shelves” in the singular, “shelves” - in the plural. At the same time, similar names are used: “canopy” in the singular, “shelves” or “canopies” in the plural. The piece of furniture is a traditional part of a Russian bath and a Finnish sauna, but they have different parameters. This is due to differences in the bath procedures themselves and in the design of steam rooms.

The shelves are the main part of the steam room design; he is responsible for the comfort of guests and the method of warming up. The air temperature in the steam room varies depending on the height above the floor. The hottest air accumulates near the ceiling; This temperature regime is needed in a sauna, but it is not used in a Russian bath. Another difference is that in Russian traditions it is still customary to lie down, while in the sauna people mostly sit.

Therefore, the appearance and location of the shelf depends on whether it is a bathhouse or a sauna; in Russian traditions, the benches are wider (85-110 mm) and are located lower, on one, maximum two levels. Experts advise not to skimp on the width of the canopy in the bathhouse; The best designs are those that are made according to the rules of authentic pairing establishments.

On the lower tier, the sunbeds are usually wider. Source construction.bani.rf

How to care for shelves?

Not only the shelves, but also the entire steam room room must be kept clean, ventilated and dried. It is very good to dry the beds in the sun. And in this sense, it makes more sense to make them removable.

To clean them, you must use only clean warm water. And to dry the shelves as quickly as possible, you should wipe them with a dry, moisture-absorbing cloth and ventilate the sauna room after each use.

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Variety of designs

What form the shelves will take and how they will be installed in the steam room space depends on the size of the room. Structurally, the following options are distinguished:

• Stepped. This device is more typical for a sauna, but it is becoming increasingly popular in a traditional bath (especially in a large steam room). The canopy in the steam room is most often located against one wall and contains two and sometimes three tiers. The step solution is convenient because it allows you to choose a comfortable temperature, and the procedure is of higher quality.
• Angular. One shelf is installed opposite the stove, the second is mounted end-to-end against the adjacent wall. The L-shaped arrangement makes it possible to use the space more efficiently: the long side becomes a full-fledged lounger. If dimensions allow, the short side is often increased from wall to wall.
• L-shaped. Structurally, this is the same corner model, but with a short side part, where there is only enough space for sitting. If it is important that the short side also doubles as a lying area, it is worth considering a footrest.

An example of a compact corner arrangement Source rbany.ru

• Coupe. If the design of the steam room allows, the shelves are installed on opposite walls, imitating the ambience of a compartment. The solution saves space, especially if you install two shelves on one side (the top one can be folded). This option is suitable for large steam rooms.

Preliminary planning and calculations

Calculations and a basic design are prerequisites for a successful result. Draw a preliminary small plan of the room, put down dimensions, mark the location of equipment, window and door openings.

Scheme and principles of placement of regiments

Therefore, owners of steam rooms with windows who decide to independently manufacture comfortable shelves for a bath have a limited choice. They will be able to draw a plan for a future multi-stage structure only along walls without windows and without glazed ventilation vents. Otherwise, the placement schemes are the same for everyone. Shelves can be arranged:

• a single linear object along one wall in one, two or three rows;
• G-shaped design with numerous variations in the number of steps. Two or three along each wall, or the upper and lower benches along the long wall, and the middle one along the adjacent short one, etc.;
• two parallel structures, symmetrical or asymmetrical, installed at opposite walls of the steam room, as in a railway compartment. Or how in the same compartment there are two equal tiers of shelves.

Draw out several options from which you can choose the best. Only for competent planning and calculation of costs for the purchase of lumber, you will also need the exact dimensions of multi-stage or single-stage shelves for a bathhouse.

Dimensions of bath seats or beds

To begin with, we list the traditional sizes of places for receiving bath procedures in a lying and sitting position:

• 1.5 m of length is needed in order to lie on a shelf with legs bent at the knees;
• 1.8 m in length will allow the average majority not to bend their legs when lying down. But according to this parameter, everything is purely individual, sometimes 2.00 m is not enough;
• 0.4 m is the minimum width of the shelf, most often the lower one, used primarily as a stand under the feet of a bathhouse attendant wielding a broom. It will be quite comfortable to stand on such a step, and you can also sit down to refresh yourself and cool down;
• 0.6 m is the most common size for the width of a sauna bench, although not very conducive to lying down;
• The 0.9 m width will allow you to sit across the shelf with your legs tucked in, and people with any physiological characteristics will be able to lie down.

Variations are acceptable, but bath attendants do not recommend doing less than the minimum limits.

Let's figure out the height of bath furniture

In terms of height, the principles of arranging shelves in a bathhouse are radically different from standard designs. All calculations begin with determining the height of the upper bench. In order to be able to sit on it and, when waving a broom, treat the back of a lying person, and not the bath floor, the plane of the upper shelf is located at a distance of 1.10 - 1.20 m from the ceiling. There is another reference point - the level of the steam door of the heating equipment. It is up to the owner to decide whether to adhere to it.

The height of the sauna benches varies from 0.4 m to 0.6 m. A “run-up” of 20 cm will allow you to slightly raise or lower the lines of the benches in the drawing so that the steam room has the required number of steps. The main thing is that the lower tier is at least 0.3 m above the floor surface.

Key regiment parameters

The dimensions of the bath canopy are determined by the size of the steam room and ease of use. Therefore, like any furniture, benches are made within medium sizes, adjusted for personal preferences. There are only four significant parameters: width, length, height and thickness of the product. It is also important to take into account the distance, the distance from the oven to the bench; it should not be less than half a meter.

Width

The width of the top and bottom shelves is usually slightly different. If the dimensions of the steam room allow you to design the upper shelf, then it is designed so that it is comfortable to lie on. At the same time, it should be comfortable enough to sit leaning against the wall. In practice, for most people, a comfortable width is 60-65 cm; it allows you not to worry about the risk of falling off if you move awkwardly or try to roll over.

Designs with different methods of use Source falconhunt.ru

Visitors usually sit on the lower level. The width of the canopy in the bathhouse on the lower tier does not exceed 40-45 cm, although, if the dimensions of the building allow, the seat is made wider. A width of 40 cm allows you to sit with a straight back, while 60 cm is enough to enjoy the procedure while leaning back. Lying comfortably with a minimum width of 75-85 cm; you will be able to relax, and your hand will not fall off.

Length

Even in a small steam room, they try to make at least one bench long enough so that you can lie down on it without resting your feet against the wall. The length of the structure lies in the range of 200-250 cm.

Thickness

In a sauna, the thickness of the bench in almost all cases does not exceed 5 cm. However, for a Russian bath, experts advise purchasing lumber 6-8 cm thick. This is explained simply: the thicker the seat, the more heat it accumulates, and the longer it takes to give it to a person. In other words, a thick seat promotes uniform heating of the body, which increases the healing effect of the procedure.

Design drawing of three levels Source falconhunt.ru

Height

The height of the shelf depends on the height of the steam room and the number of levels. If you designed a steam room with a ceiling of 2.2 m, then there will be enough space for two tiers. With higher ceilings, you can install a third tier. The distance between tiers is chosen at 45-50 cm; in this case, the distance from the last (upper) level to the ceiling should be at least 110-120 cm. If the ceiling is closer, the hot air will be above the person, and it will not be possible to steam well.

On the other hand, it is necessary to take into account the comfort of the person who will perform the duties of a bathhouse attendant. As a rule, they work with a broom while standing, and this is extremely inconvenient to do if you have to bend over or hold your hands too high. In an uncomfortable position, fatigue quickly accumulates, and the work turns out to be of poor quality.

Therefore, the height of the canopy in the bathhouse is set within 70-90 cm from the floor. Sometimes, if the shelves are designed high enough, it is worth providing a low bench that can be conveniently hidden under the first tier.

Set of two tiers with a bench Source o-vannoy.ru

How to make shelves in a steam room. Installation Guide

Based not only on practicality, but also on considerations of universal installation of shelves, for the installation example we will use as few parts as possible of different sizes and types, i.e. so that their size is universal. Therefore, we will focus on a design in which the maximum number of meter-long bar blanks is possible. Universal size. The height of the top shelf (from the floor level) is 1 meter, the total width of all shelves including the top 60 cm and the bottom 40 cm is also 1 meter. The height of the first, low shelf is 50 cm, which is half a meter block. Almost all parts can be made from meter-long pieces. To construct the shelves we will use a 50mm*70mm block. With such dimensions, the distance to the ceiling from the top shelf is 125 cm, which is even very good for a steam room - there is room to wave a broom over your head.

In order to more clearly visualize the structure of the shelves in the figure, similar parts of the same type are depicted below in the same color: • green - length 60 cm; • blue – length 100 cm; • yellow – length 100 cm; • red - length 50 cm, 16 pieces of meter bars, 4 pieces of bars 50 cm long, 6 pieces of bars 60 cm long. In total, 22 meters of bars are needed for the frame.

The method of cutting the connections between the frame bars of the shelves is also of the same type and makes it possible to mass-produce these parts. For ease of perception of the picture, the parts that play the role of backs are not shown.

For installation, an ordinary planed spruce block is used. Before installation, it is recommended to lower the lower ends of the bars that will stand on the floor into a container with an antiseptic no deeper than 1 cm for 1 minute. This is the most vulnerable point of the shelf frame. This is especially important in the case of leaky wet floors.

The shelves themselves are usually made of low-density hardwood. The most affordable wood is linden. But in comparison with traditional building materials, the price of high-quality raw materials is much higher.

Those who like to have a good steam bath believe that the size of the shelf should be such that you can lie down with your arm extended forward and the width should be 80-90 cm. This size can be achieved in small steam rooms only if you do not use the bottom shelf for the seat, but only as a step. Or is it better then not to make a step at all, but to make the height of the top shelf such that it would be convenient for the one who carries out the procedures with a broom. This applies more to the professional use of steam rooms.

If you noticed, the frame is made in such a way that it is in no way attached to the frame. This is due to the fact that the log house shrinks and the structure may become deformed or prevent normal shrinkage. The greatest danger is the through fastening of the frame to the crowns through a layer of lining and foil wool for decorative cladding of the steam room. They are most easily destroyed when the log house moves.

Suitable wood types

Shelves differ not only in design and size, but also in the material they are made of, and this has its own subtleties and limitations. The right type of wood will make the use of the steam room convenient and safe.

For the manufacture of benches (as well as for finishing the steam room), softwood lumber is not used, although almost any tree can be used for the supporting frame of the benches. Pine, larch or spruce wood contains natural resin. Under the influence of high temperature, it begins to melt and protrude on the surface, not only where the knots are located, but also anywhere on the board (due to the resin veins).

Therefore, the board for the canopy in the bathhouse is chosen exclusively from hardwood. A material that is resistant to sudden changes in temperature and high humidity is suitable; Low thermal conductivity is also important. Wood of several species has these properties.

Hardwood is chosen for bath furniture Source banya-expert.com

See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in the design and construction of baths of any complexity

Oak

Oak wood is an example of strength, density and durability, so oak furniture successfully withstands the extreme loads of bath procedures. An additional plus is resistance to mold and wood-boring beetles. The wood has an attractive texture and a noble color palette. Among the disadvantages, the cost of the material, weight and processing complexity are important.

Alder

The alder canopy in the steam room has an important property: it does not overheat, which reduces the likelihood of burns to zero. In addition to its low thermal conductivity, the wood has a pleasant reddish hue and aroma, and it itself is ideally preserved in the changing conditions of the steam room. The downside is the rather high price of alder wood, and it is also quite difficult to choose even, high-quality lumber.

Alder board Source kronbalt.com

Linden

A popular material for baths or saunas. The wood has a uniform texture and a pinkish tint; Linden products do not crack or deform during use, which is important for the manufacture of bath furniture. It is believed that linden secretes healing phytoncides that have a positive effect on well-being. Linden wood is soft and easy to work with, but it changes color over time.

Aspen

Aspen lumber is a budget option. They are affordable, resistant to a combination of high humidity and temperature, and do not dry out for a long time. The wood is soft, easy to process, and you will not be bothered by resinous discharge. The advantages are balanced by the disadvantages: products made from aspen lose their original color over time and become darker.

Linden wood copes well with the bathhouse microclimate Source stroyday.ru

Abashi

Exotic wood, whose second name is African oak, has a pleasant yellowish-cream tint. Its distinctive properties: strength, durability and, unlike our oak, lightness. It is equally important that the material does not overheat and remains pleasant to the touch at the highest temperatures. The wood is high-quality, smooth, with a minimum number of knots; the only negative is the price, which can hardly be called budget.

Standard design of steam room shelves

It’s not for nothing that a bath shelf is often simply called a bench. Yes, these are benches of different heights, arranged according to a special pattern. Their design includes two main elements:

• A frame that serves as the basis for attaching planks to a stationary deck or as a support for a dismountable deck system. Most often, the frame is constructed from support posts, reminiscent of bench legs, and connected by transverse jumper boards. Less commonly, the frame is made according to the principle of a stair stringer, to which the steps of the bath shelves are mounted. Using technology borrowed from Finnish dry steam lovers, the frame is sometimes built without supports in the form of a railway shelf attached to the walls of the steam room.
• The flooring is made of linden or aspen boards, carefully sanded with gaps of 1.0-2.0 cm. As already mentioned, it is either attached to the frame or individual components are knocked together, like floor ladders. It is more convenient to remove and ventilate loose flooring outside the walls of the steam room. It serves as a seat, a bed, and a podium for the tireless bathhouse attendant, who treats the mortal bodies of his clients with a fragrant broom. According to the principle of constructing the flooring, they also knock together: seat backs, sides of shelves, special “bath pillows” and devices for taking a relaxed “lying” pose with the legs positioned at head level or higher.

Since the steam room is usually small in size, since a small room is easier, more economical and quicker to bring to the required condition, the furniture for its arrangement has an extremely simple rectangular geometry in plan, profile and frontal view. The imagination of craftsmen usually justifiably draws the semblance of a staircase with two or three large steps. True, these steps may resemble chaise lounges or corner sofas with a rounded shape. But such delights are indulged mainly by the owners of bathhouses with large steam rooms, who do not mind taking up space with their personal quirks.

Why are the bath shelves multi-stage?

According to the laws of physics familiar from school, steam and heated air tend to rush upward. Having given off the healing hot power and cooled under the ceiling, the air flow is partially expelled by the ventilation system of the steam room, and partially returns down, reflected from the upper ceiling by a special ceiling system. That’s why it’s much hotter at the top than at the bottom of the sauna “pyramid.”

Multi-stage functionality allows users to independently choose the optimal steaming mode for them with the appropriate temperature background. Craftsmen who decide to build shelves in a bathhouse with their own hands will have to adhere to the traditional “staircase” configuration in order to ensure the opportunity to both enjoy the most intense steam and a gentle microclimate.

In Russian steam rooms, two regiments were most often arranged. But no one forbids making three, as long as there is enough space to install them. In the sense that there is space left for the movement of people receiving bath procedures without traumatic consequences.

How to choose the right material

Whatever wood you decide to use to make shelves, there are general criteria that determine the quality of the material. The quality is affected by the general type of raw materials, the number of knots, defects and damage. According to quality indicators, lumber is divided into the following classes:

• Extra (sometimes class “A” or premium). Best quality. The wood is uniform in color, there are absolutely no stains, chips or cracks.
• Class “A” (in another classification, class “B”). The raw material has a uniform color, and the use of a core is also unacceptable. GOST allows the presence of one knot per 1.5 linear meters.

Materials of the two highest classes are suitable for the manufacture of shelves Source ranchoulinia.pl

• Class "B" (or "C"). 3-4 knots are considered acceptable, color changes of no more than 10 cm2 in size for every one and a half linear meters
• Class "C" ("D"). Not only knots and stains are possible on the surface, but also chips and cracks.

If you are considering different design options for how to make a canopy for a bathhouse, in any case you should opt for “Extra” or “A” quality raw materials. You shouldn’t skimp on wood for a steam room: moisture accumulates and remains well in knots, and over time, it is in them that destruction will begin. And cracks will grow under the influence of high temperature.

Heat-treated wood is also used for baths. It is used to decorate the walls of bathhouses and saunas, to make floors, and to make shelves from thermal boards. The material is strong, durable and warm, has a pronounced texture, pleasant to the touch surface and woody aroma.

Additional heat treatment increases the material’s resistance to humid and hot air and extends its service life. Universal varieties of heat-treated planken are popular: thermo-alder, thermo-ash, thermo-pine.

Thermal ash board Source yandex.net

Sliding shelf for a bath - video

Removable shelf in the bathhouse and sauna

A removable shelf is a separate shelf surface (sidewall or seat), which is not connected to the frame in any way and can be removed if necessary. The main reasons why owners resort to such a design are the features of the sauna room and layout, ease of cleaning and replacing equipment or lighting under the shelf. The grooves in the frame help fasten and fix the removable shelf , but the main load for holding the removable structure is provided by special fasteners. There are several types of fastenings for a removable shelf - read more - “Removable shelves in baths and saunas”

How to treat shelves in a steam room (sauna)

An important stage in creating a structure is its treatment with special protective agents. If you ignore this point, the wood will soon become unusable, become damp, and the mechanism will have to be reinstalled. Rot and mold are enemies number one, and it is better to prevent their occurrence than to waste energy on the fight in the future.

It is strictly forbidden to use traditional chemicals - varnish and drying oil - to treat shelves in a bathhouse , because in such critical conditions these substances emit a sharp, unpleasant reserve, and contact with the skin of such vapors can provoke a severe allergic reaction.

You should purchase a special impregnation for the bath, which is based on natural oils that create a protective film . These products effectively counteract moisture and protect the surface of the shelf from premature “aging”. It is customary to treat only benches with such impregnation; for floors there are stronger mixtures that do not emit an unpleasant odor or harmful fumes.

Bath shelf care

The issue of hygiene and cleanliness in the bathhouse always remains relevant. And although the temperature in the steam room does its job, killing most bacteria and germs, you need to remember about dirt. Sweat also comes out of our body when taking bath procedures. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically wash it off the surface of the floor and the wooden structure of the shelf with ordinary warm water.

No newfangled detergents should be used to wash benches in the bathhouse. The maximum that can be useful for keeping the room clean is ordinary laundry soap . In case of severe contamination, you can always organize mechanical cleaning of the wood with an abrasive material.

The steam room has always been and will be the heart of the bathhouse. Climbing onto a warm shelf, you will forget about the hustle and bustle and fly away to the heights of pleasure. The shelves seem to have a very simple design. However, wood flooring is not so simple. Follow our tips and recommendations and you will know how to make bath shelves comfortable and reliable.

Accessories for a shelf in a bathhouse

After you have built the shelves in the bathhouse, you can install additional elements that increase the level of comfort. A headrest or pillow looks similar - like a footbox. “Pillows” can also be stationary in the form of a triangle attached to the bench or removable ( headrests ). The space between the levels of benches can be left open, but it is advisable to build backrests.

When a person is lying on a bench, he should raise his legs higher than his head, because this part of the body warms up slowly and additionally requires a temperature “load” to improve the outflow of blood. Stationary supports are beams placed on the wall, on which you should rest your feet. For convenience, they traditionally make a couple of steps. On a shelf in a bathhouse you can often see removable footrests - two wide boards that are connected to each other at an angle of 30-45 degrees. One side with the bench forms a right angle and acts as a support, while the other serves as a ribbed “slide” designed to position the legs.

All sorts of tubs, tubs and gangs will not be superfluous . You can, of course, get by with household plastic or metal containers, but wooden products create a special atmosphere and have a positive effect on the well-being and health of bath-goers. A variety of sauna ladles are also important - they are needed to supply water to the hot stones of the heater. Moreover, their handle must be long - otherwise the cloud of steam will cause a serious burn.

About wood protection

Even heat-treated wood needs protection in a bath or sauna. To extend the service life of the material, use antiseptics, special hard primers and oils, wax, natural oil (for example, linseed, ricin). It is strictly not recommended to use oil paint and drying oil; When heated, they begin to release harmful chemicals.

Manufacturers offer special impregnations for shelves. These are environmentally friendly, certified materials based on oil or water emulsion. The compositions are suitable for both untreated and already oiled surfaces; they are deeply absorbed, leaving a water- and dirt-repellent film on the surface. The impregnation is odorless and colorless; it does not change the natural shade of the wood, but makes it more expressive.

It is recommended to use special impregnations for shelves Source gurupola.ru

Not all experts agree with the need to open shelves with complex compounds. Whatever the impregnation made industrially, it contains chemical components. And in the steam room it is important to focus on the naturalness of the decoration, furniture and all coatings; only then can you count on a healing effect. Therefore, many owners limit themselves to linseed oil or even refuse to impregnate hardwood shelves. In the latter case, the surfaces will darken faster, but will create the atmosphere of an authentic bath interior.

Selection of materials for manufacturing

When choosing a material to make shelves in a bathhouse with your own hands, you should immediately forget about metal, plastic, glass and other modern options. Only wood is used, and the requirements for it are quite stringent:

• low thermal conductivity;
• high resistance to the destructive effects of moisture and heat;
• uniform and high density;
• no pungent odor or resin content.

As can be seen from the table below, coniferous wood (cedar, larch, fir, spruce) is quite small - but the high resin content makes them unsuitable for use in a steam room. If you want to enjoy the aroma of cedar or larch boards, they can be used to decorate a relaxation room; in a steam room it is better to use linden shelves for a bath.

The density of wood is usually determined at normal humidity; at elevated humidity it increases, thereby changing thermal conductivity. However, on average, when choosing a material, you can rely on the data in the table.

According to aggregate data - the absence of resins, low thermal conductivity and relatively high density - three “budget” wood options are usually chosen: linden, aspen, alder. The fourth option, African oak (abashi or abash), with other higher parameters, is disappointing with its high price, twice as expensive as linden.

On sale are usually prepared boards for shelves in a bathhouse, already sanded, with rounded corners. Its width is convenient for installing a set-up bed of any width; the length is selected as a multiple of the full length of the bed or its half. When planning to cut boards yourself in order to make a bathhouse shelf with your own hands, you should remember the need for careful processing. To prevent warping and cracking, we take into account: the width of the board should not exceed four times its thickness.

Mandatory rounding of edges and corners, sanding until smooth will help avoid damage during operation and extend the life of the lumber.

How to treat shelves in a steam room

Processing boards (beams) to create a bathhouse environment is not limited to mechanical

It is more important to protect the wood from moisture with a special impregnation. The usual options - drying oil, primers, varnishes, paints - are excluded

The reason is that when heated, the substances begin to emit harmful fumes and unpleasant odors. The lack of constantly running ventilation in the bathhouse and high humidity, combined with high temperature, create a risk of intoxication of the body.

To avoid problems, bath shelves are treated with natural non-toxic impregnations:

• acrylic varnish on a natural basis, designed specifically for baths and saunas. Apply in two or three layers after sanding and washing (drying) the wood surface. Includes antiseptics, available colorless and tinted;
• special impregnations and antiseptics. Depending on the type and capabilities of the manufacturer, they provide a greater or lesser degree of preservation of the wood after processing. They are applied to the prepared surface in two or three layers, have no color, penetrate deeply into the fibers;
• linseed oil, pure or mixed with natural beeswax. Despite the high cost, this composition will protect the tree from rotting, cracking, delamination and swelling as safely as possible for health. Before application, the surface is sanded until smooth; the composition can be applied with a brush, roller or thick cloth (cotton, wool, linen). The proportions of linseed oil and wax are 5:1...2:1, depending on the desired degree of protection. The composition is applied heated to a temperature of 35...45 degrees, this promotes rapid absorption, after application the surface is polished with a thick cloth;
• beeswax, carnauba, special protective waxes with synthetic additives. The method of application and surface preparation are specified by the manufacturer; bee and carnauba are usually used heated to a liquid or semi-liquid state.

The choice of natural impregnations allows you to ensure the necessary durability of the sauna shelves and at the same time create a pleasant atmosphere of natural odors in the steam room.

Design and construction of shelves: subtleties of the process

In the process of designing and building shelves, regardless of their own dimensions, it is worth using the following rules:

• Whatever the size of the canopy in the steam room, a gap of 3-5 cm is left between the wall and the seating board. It promotes ventilation of the wooden elements, prevents rotting and increases the service life of the product.
• For the same reasons, the supporting frame should not be allowed to adjoin the wall. The task can be simplified if you choose boards with a thickness of at least 6 cm for sitting - they will not need average support.

Ventilation of a structure is the key to its preservation Source rubibani.ru

• The basis of the structure is a supporting frame; its racks are not attached directly to the wall, but through spacers (intermediate elements). This will help maintain free air exchange in the space between the wall and the shelf.
• The seating boards are attached to the supports only from the inside. A self-tapping screw screwed in from above will heat up more than the wood and will cause, if not a burn, then a very unpleasant sensation.
• Shelves can be made in different heights. If, for example, they are adjacent to each other with the letter “G”, then the short one is needed for warming up, and the long one is considered working. In this case, it is possible to make the height of the short canopy in the steam room higher by a few centimeters.

Pull-out shelves in the steam room (sauna)

A convenient design option is a pull-out type of shelves. It allows you to sit comfortably on the upper tier with your feet on the lower one. Also, the lowest shelf slides in, which frees up the passage and increases the space for movement. Steamers use a pull-out shelf to place a container with water for supply, a steamer with brooms, etc.

To create shelves with a sliding mechanism, place bars on the end walls of the room. The next step is to secure the axes. Attach one end to the block on the wall, and the other to the end of the lounger (from the inside). Then put special wooden strips on the axle, which will act as levers. We make cuts on the upper parts of these planks (at the corners), which will allow the mechanism to work easily and freely.

The thickness of the bars that are fixed in the wall should be the same as the thickness of the end elements of the board. According to the principle of operation, this mechanism resembles the device of a sliding sofa. Therefore, when designing it, be guided by an already familiar scheme. This mechanism allows you to extend the shelf to almost any required distance. The lounger is supported on the legs.

The main condition for installing fasteners is careful camouflage of metal elements. Under no circumstances should any part be placed on the surface of the wood, otherwise there is a risk of burns. Recess the caps of the elements as deep as possible into the surface of the shelves. It is also possible to place the screws on the back side of the wooden device.

The safest (and also environmentally friendly) option is to use special oak wedges. They are hammered into pre-prepared holes. However, this method is difficult to implement and requires strength, dexterity and experience.

It is possible to mount a special backrest on the wall for future shelves. It is made of three boards that are attached to vertical posts. Thanks to this backrest, the risk of skin damage or minor burns in contact with the steam room casing is eliminated.

Assembly

When making a canopy, follow the following procedure:

• First, choose the shape of the structure, depending on the size of the room, operating conditions and personal tastes. More often it is a stepped or L-shaped design.
• Determine the location: the shelves are mounted on a blank (without windows) wall.

The calculation of the required material is done based on the drawing Source cdlandia.ru

Care

Shelves require regular maintenance after each use; that's the only rule. If you neglect to wash it several times, an unpleasant odor will settle in the steam room, which will be much more difficult to remove. Proper care includes the following simple operations:

• After each visit to the bathhouse, the boards are washed or wiped with a damp cotton cloth, rinsing it periodically. It is most convenient to wash the shelves when they are not completely cool.
• If you are treating wood with a preservative, make sure it is completely dry. To speed up the drying process, the doors to the steam room are left open.

Steam room with a classic low ceiling Source bstatic.com

Briefly about the main thing

Shelves are part of both the Finnish sauna and the Russian bath, but in the sauna people sit more often, so there are some differences in size. For example, the length of the lounger is important in a bathhouse, but in a sauna it is not so important. Key design parameters are width, height and length; they are important for a comfortable pastime.

The choice of wood type, its quality, as well as the possibility of processing it, plays a role. When designing shelves, take into account the size of the steam room (including the distance to the ceiling) and personal tastes; You can take drawings from the Internet as a basis, adjusting them to your dimensions. Assembly is carried out in a certain sequence, not forgetting about the features of the room.

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