We build a bath with our own hands: how to make shelves in a steam room

Recommendation points

• Material selection
• Dimensions and location of the shelf in the steam room
• Sequence of construction of regiments
• Caring for the shelf during operation

A bath is a real pleasure for a person. You can make shelves in the steam room with your own hands. For their device, it is necessary to choose the right material, sizes of parts and take into account all the rules for the construction of regiments, not forgetting about the invaluable experience of our ancestors.

Material selection

A steam room is a room with a high level of humidity and temperature, therefore, all materials must comply with the requirements of these operating conditions. These properties include:

• low thermal conductivity;
• no resins in wood;
• moisture resistance;
• strength.

The shelf is made of hardwood. These include linden, birch and aspen. This choice is based on the absence of resins in them, in contrast to conifers. Resin exposed at high temperatures can burn the skin.

Linden board

More and more recently, African abasha wood has been used for the construction of shelves. It has a very low thermal conductivity and moisture resistance. It is an environmentally friendly material that does not emit harmful substances.

Abasha board

To increase the moisture resistance and biostability (rot, mold, bacteria) of wooden shelf parts, special impregnations for wood based on natural oils have been created. They will perfectly protect the surface of the shelf and will not harm your health. From folk remedies, you can choose linseed oil, which is inexpensive, impregnates wood well and reliably protects against moisture.

Dimensions and location of the shelf in the steam room

The Russian steam room differs in that the air temperature in it is not the same in height. For every 30 cm, the temperature rises by about 10 ° C. In order for the body to heat up evenly, it is better to steam while lying down. Taking these features into account, the shelf in the Russian steam room is made in several tiers. The number of shelves depends on the height and size of the room. Each level has its own temperature and, dropping lower or rising one tier higher, you can adjust the temperature of body heating.

The lower tier is a leg support. They also wash on it while sitting. Most often, the shelves are placed along the wall to a height of no more than three tiers. If the height of the room does not allow three levels to be installed along one wall, then they are installed along two adjacent ones. In this case, the lower and upper shelves are made along one side, and the middle along the other.

The width of the shelves of the tier should be chosen based on convenience: in a lying position, since the procedure requires a relaxed state. It ranges from 400 mm for the lower shelves and up to 1500 mm for the upper ones. Length is taken at least 2000 m in accordance with the height of the person.

The figure shows how to choose the height from the stand to the ceiling so as not to hit it with a broom. Sometimes, for convenience in a sitting position, a bench about 300 mm wide is attached to the lower tier.

Sequence of construction of regiments

Having decided on the design of the shelves, it is necessary to select all the elements of the frame, flooring and side cladding. For this, it is advisable to make a drawing of the entire structure to scale. This will make it much easier to calculate the number and size of each structural element. In fact, this will be the project of the future regiment. The more detailed and more accurate the drawing on paper, the easier and better the process of manufacturing the structure as a whole..

Next, it is necessary to complete the preparation of all frame parts from a bar of 50×70 mm in size. Then the design of the shelf is marked on the walls and floor of the steam room, observing the vertical and horizontal installation of the parts. The installation sequence depends on the chosen design. This can be at first a preliminary assembly of individual parts, and then their installation already in a given shelf space or installation of elements immediately on site.

Below are several options for the structure of the frame. It must be rigid and capable of supporting the weight of an adult. The presence of diagonal struts and jibs in the construction contributes to this. It is important when constructing shelves to take into account the possibility of access to the floor under them. This is necessary to keep the steam room clean..

Shelf flooring is installed on the finished frame structure. It should be even and smooth without sharp corners and scuffs for the safety of human skin. Most often, a board with rounded edges 80 mm wide is used. They are laid with a gap of 10–20 mm to drain water and free air convection. The thickness of the board depends on the distance between its supports (L):

• 22 mm for L = 600 mm;
• 25 mm for L = 900 mm;
• 44 mm for L = 1200 mm;
• 63 mm for L = 1800 mm.

In this case, the width of the strip should not exceed the thickness by more than 4 times. This is necessary to prevent the wood from warping. For the back, you can attach a board with a width of 200-250 mm, or several narrower slats.

Metal fasteners must be sunk into the wood and closed from above with a wooden pin or decorative caps so as not to burn the skin.

Fastening the planks from below will also keep the skin safe in high temperatures. You can apply the mount using oak pins (dowels).

The shelf in the steam room should be durable, not squeak and have an attractive appearance. It is better to make it open at the bottom for ventilation and for easy cleaning of the floor underneath..

Caring for the shelf during operation

To ensure the normal operation of not only the internal equipment, but also the steam room itself, it is very important to have good ventilation in the room. This will significantly extend the service life of all wooden elements of the steam room..

Do not use chemical agents to wash off dirt from the shelves in the steam room. To do this, you can use a simple laundry soap. Heavy dirt can be rubbed with a not very hard brush.

Comfortable, safe and beautiful shelves in the steam room will add to the pleasure of the bath procedure. In Russia, it was believed that the bath not only cleanses the body, but also frees the soul from the sorrows and hardships of life. “The bathhouse will wash away all sins,” says one of the Russian proverbs..