Construction of a bath from a log

Recommendation points

• Why is it better to put a log house from rounded logs
• How to choose wood for a log bath
• Where to put the bath on the site
• Do-it-yourself bath from a log
• Laying the foundation
• Preparation of logs
• Walling
• Caulking the walls of a bath from a log

The purpose of the bath is to help a person to heal his body. A regular visit to the steam room allows you to avoid many health problems, cleanse the lymphatic system of toxins, poisons, decay products and improve the functioning of the kidneys and respiratory tract. Of course, in addition to this, in the bathhouse you can take a steam bath and relax with friends, as well as just wash. In order for the bath to successfully fulfill its main functions, it must be made of natural materials. That is why log baths have been built since ancient times. And now they are in great demand..

Most often, the construction of log baths was made from coniferous wood. Pine, spruce, cedar and larch were used for the walls. The interior decoration was made of medicinal types of wood: aspen, linden and sometimes cedar. They fill the room with the pleasant scent of essential oils.

Despite a large selection of modern building materials: bricks, foam blocks and others, the construction of baths from rounded logs continues the ancient tradition of the healing “Russian bath”.

Why is it better to put a log house from rounded logs

A log bathhouse is an absolutely environmentally friendly building made from natural raw materials. Wooden logs have a beautiful natural structure, which makes the sauna aesthetically pleasing and organic. But these are not all the advantages of log baths.

The advantages of a log bath:

1. Walls made of logs allow steam and air to pass outside, while the warmth and healing scent of wood remains inside.
2. The subrust of the planed log, which has a natural structure, protects the wood from rotting, fungi and insects. In this case, additional treatment with special fungicides is optional..
3. To heat the sauna room and keep it warm, much less energy is spent due to the fact that the walls are made of tightly fitted logs, which practically do not release heat outside.
4. A bath made of rounded logs will serve for many years without requiring additional reconstruction.
5. You can build it according to any project, placing the walls at any angle.
6. Practically does not conduct external extraneous sounds, very comfortable.
7. High-quality factory processing of logs and fitting them to size allows you to build such baths in a very short time.

Log baths have no downsides. Any flaws can only arise with improper construction or selection of wood.

Please note that it is better to entrust the construction of a bath from a log to a specialist who knows all the nuances. Otherwise, you risk not getting all of the above benefits. But if you are confident in your abilities or just want to try to build a bathhouse from a log with your own hands, then further information will be useful to you.

How to choose wood for a log bath

Technologies and secrets of building a Russian bathhouse were passed down from generation to generation. In the old days, the material was harvested in advance, it was dried in natural conditions for a long time, so the construction took a lot of time.

Today, the material can be purchased ready-made, processed. Most often, pine is used for the construction of a bath. If you prepare it in the winter, it will have ideal moisture resistance. For the bath, wood with a high density is selected, and the diameter of the logs should be from 180 to 250 mm. The main thing is that the difference between the logs is no more than 30 mm, otherwise they will not fit tightly to each other.

Important! When choosing a material for construction, keep in mind that wood of the same type has a different density level if it is grown in different climatic conditions..

It is better to place log cabins made of rounded logs from northern coniferous wood. A good option would be pine and spruce from the Baltic Sea coast, as well as Canadian spruce. Their dense wood does not change its properties from temperature changes and under the influence of high humidity.

When buying rounded logs, you need to pay attention to the following features:

1. There should be no blue spots on the cut of the log..
2. The core should have a dark, even shade, occupy 3 quarters of the cut.
3. The surface of the log should be light or dark yellow.
4. If there are branches, they should sit without gaps. The opposite means that the core is rotten..
5. The cut must be firm.
6. There should be no resin pockets.

Where to put the bath on the site

The right place for a bath is half the battle. First you need to look around, where the road is, where the neighbors’ plot begins, if there is a fence between you and much more. Decide what you would like to see, leaving the bathhouse with a cup of your favorite tea on the veranda.

If there is a reservoir on the site, it is advisable to build a bathhouse next to it. Exit to the lake or river is a good help. You don’t have to run far. But the distance between the reservoir and the structure should be at least 15 m, so that it does not flood during floods. If there is a swimming pool on the site, then a bathhouse can be built in the immediate vicinity.

It is best to place the sauna away from the road, away from prying eyes and exhaust fumes.

So that the neighbors do not see how you leave the bathhouse steamed, build it with the entrance in the opposite direction. And if neighbors are surrounded on all sides, then enclose the site with a fence or hedge. If you hide the veranda or terrace from prying eyes, it will be nice to go out with a cup of decoction of herbs, sit on a bench or stand on the porch, while not catching glances at yourself.

Do-it-yourself bath from a log

Laying the foundation

The construction of a bath from rounded logs begins with the arrangement of the foundation. And the first thing that needs to be done is to determine what kind of soil is on the site under the bath.

A strip foundation must be built if the soil has the following properties: garden, forest, clay, swampy, loamy, coarse sand or fine gravel.

A pile or screw foundation is necessary if the building will be located on a slope, as well as if the soil tends to heave.

Most often, baths are erected on columnar foundations, if the characteristics of the soil allow. Use stone, brick or concrete. Sometimes the posts are made of wood, but they are short-lived. The pillars are buried 70-100 cm into the ground.

Consider the option of arranging a strip foundation:

1. We dig a trench to the depth of soil freezing.
2. We fill the bottom with a layer of sand about 15–20 cm..
3. Then the same layer of rubble, we also compact it.
4. We weld a frame made of metal reinforcement and lay it 10 cm above the level of rubble.
5. We prepare the formwork 50 cm above the ground.
6. We fill everything with concrete. We are waiting for complete drying.

Preparation of logs

You can buy ready-made logs hewn at the factory. But they have a significant drawback. It is impossible to accurately calculate the layer to be removed for the machine. Therefore, in the industrial production of logs, not only sapwood is removed, but often the protective layer is also.

If you do all the work yourself, with a plane, only the sapwood is removed, and the protective layer remains. Such wood is more resistant to external negative influences.

First, we trim the logs “under the bracket”. In this case, the upper and lower diameters must differ by a maximum of 30 mm. We cut to the length of the wall and complete. Those logs that cannot be equalized in the upper and lower diameters are folded with different ends together in a corner and cut at right angles.

The logs must be joined together with special grooves. Therefore, we cut out the grooves and “paws”. To make a groove, select wood with an ax.

There are two types of paws:

1. In “oblo” (the second name – in the “bowl”) – the most common option. It has three subspecies. One of the subspecies is that the bowl is turned downwards, this protects the wood from rotting.
2. In the “paw” – an economical option. But in the future, the joints of the paws begin to rot. That is why it is more expedient to use the first option.

Left – joining the logs into a “bowl”; on the right – joining the logs into a “paw”

After cutting down the “paws” check the tightness of the logs. If it is insufficient, then moss or tow can be placed on the lower log..

Walling

The modern market allows you to purchase ready-made baths from rounded logs. They are manufactured entirely in the factory, then disassembled into individual parts, packaged and signed. So there is always an opportunity to take a finished product. It will only be necessary to make a foundation for it, and then assemble the log house according to the attached instructions. Or you can invite a specialist who will do everything himself.

The erection of the walls of a bath from a log with your own hands begins with a mortgage crown.

The first two logs are laid on the foundation on opposite sides, parallel to each other. They are used for cutting in the form of “bowls” into which the upper logs will be laid.

The next two logs fit into the ready-made grooves – bowls, perpendicular to the first. The upper logs can only rise above the lower ones by only half of their thickness.

The second crown fits in the same way. Bowls are made on the lower logs, logs are placed on top. All other crowns are performed according to the same algorithm..

After finishing the construction of the walls, you must wait for them to dry. Then you can start caulking the cracks..

Caulking the walls of a bath from a log

In the old days, moss, linseed tow, or wool felt were used to caulk log walls. Modern heaters made of jute and flax do not require double caulking, which is a good help and shortens the construction time.

Caulking is necessary, starting from the lower rims of the log house and moving up. The web of material is spread across the groove and hammered in with a spatula. It is worth paying special attention to the corners of the building, carefully sealing them.

Important! Caulking is possible only along the perimeter. Separately, each wall cannot be processed – a skew may form.

After the walls are caulked, you can proceed with the installation of communications, roofing and interior decoration.

The construction of a log bath will take from two weeks to a month. In addition to being a rewarding and unforgettable experience, you end up with a comfortable, environmentally friendly steam room. You will invite acquaintances, relatives and friends to it in order to have a useful and pleasant time. And do not forget to brag that you have built a bath with your own hands..