All about sleeper baths

Amateurs and even specialists in construction argue about how possible it is to use sleeper material for full construction projects. It is quite easy to build from it, but aren't all the chemical treatments harmful to humans? Nevertheless, sleeper baths continue to be built, moreover, they are very common. Before proceeding to the construction of such a bath, it is necessary to evaluate its features, advantages and disadvantages.

Many people wonder whether it is harmful to build a bath from sleepers and how to choose the material in this case. Experts believe that untreated raw materials - the best choice in this situation. Large timber is formed from different types of wood, larch, fir, pine, and for construction are ideal.

As for treated sleepers, everything is more complicated here. Do not use damaged sleepers, suitable for the construction of beams that do not have cracks, chips, rot zones. Do not build with sleepers that have been in use for more than 10 years. Before you buy sleepers, tap them with hammers to detect defects hidden from sight. A deafening sound is a reason to be alert. Larch and fir is the best material, pine is better to let for other types of construction, such as a barn.

Note that sleepers are impregnated with a mixture of creosote and phenol, the composition penetrates deep into the wood, respectively, the toxicity remains in the sleeper after many years. As for fir and larch, these varieties have a low ability to absorb, so they are preferred. The less impregnation and life of the material, the more expensive it is.

We can highlight the following advantages of the sleeper raw material:

• Treated beams are very cheap, especially used for more than 7 years;
• the service life of sleeper beams is very long, not less than 20 years;
• sleepers do not rot, bacteria and insects do not breed in them, rodents avoid them.

There are also significant disadvantages:

• low-quality raw materials will release toxic substances, carcinogens when heated;
• The fire resistance of the material is low, impregnation against fire is not possible, and special insulation will make the construction more expensive.

There are quite a few options for projects for the sleeper bath, the choice depends most often on the budget or personal preferences. There are two varieties of sleeper baths: budget and full-fledged.

• Budget. Sleepers are laid on the foundation, and the walls of the room of a small area are formed. The steam room in this version is as small as possible, the second room is the anteroom. In fact, the whole bath consists of these rooms, between which an oven is installed. It is a simple construction, quite reliable, but it will not be easy to heat it in winter, and even for a long time. But you can just take a bath and have a short steam in it without any problems.

• Full-fledged. Comfortable bath from the sleepers can also be built, the only disadvantage is the price of construction, which is higher than the previous option. Here it all depends on the budget and the possible area. In addition to the steam room and the pre-bath, a quality bath includes a washing room, a room for rest, a bathroom. You can equip a terrace or veranda with a barbecue area, a swimming pool. Calculation of the size of the main rooms is based on the number of people who will bathe regularly. In the steam room, at least 1.75 square meters per person is needed, in the recreation room - one and a half times more. As for the washing room and the bathroom, here it is quite possible to do with an individual room for one person, as the procedures in them are more comfortable without witnesses.

A bathhouse made of sleepers can be built with your own hands. The construction of any bath, including a sleeper bath, begins with the laying of the foundation.

For such a construction, the strip type of foundation will be optimal. It is important to create a waterproofing for the bottom of the walls, so the following measures are necessary:

• the formation of vents, that is, holes in the strip of concrete, to drain the moisture;
• the creation of the crown is carried out with the accompanying processing of waterproofing agents, for example, a special mastic;
• it is better to lay the first sleepers on the foundation without removing the treated layer.

If the site is located on land with a high level of groundwater, or it is often waterlogged by rains, it is better to use the pile type of foundation. The box of sleepers is quite heavy in comparison with the frame, so it is necessary to use supports, they are created from half of the sleepers. Sleepers are tied with wire and treated with resin, bitumen. Then they are installed in the excavated pits. Binding is carried out with Ruberoid, sleepers put together.

An important stage of construction is the selection of panel material, its sorting. The walls are erected with the highest quality beams, clean, without irregularities. Also sleepers can be used for cladding in a similar way to planking. As for the excessively treated beams, they are used for laying the base, the crown of the lower type.

Sleeper walls are assembled in the same way as timber, the wreaths are connected after 3 or 4 rows with the help of steel brackets. As for the joints, jute, flax, moss are laid in them, you can additionally cover them with clay for thermal insulation. The corners are cut by the method of "half-tree", where the directions of the opposite plan alternate.

If the structure is of the compact type, the beams of the ceiling are formed together with the last pair of wreaths. The slab itself is created from clean beams, sawn into 2 parts, from pairs make a blank for the intersection of the ceiling. Roof rafters are created below, they are connected, lifted in pairs to the top of the walls, they are cut into the upper wreath. The crate is formed and padded with roofing felt.

In this form, the bath is left for the winter, and only next year, after shrinkage, you can decorate the room and use it for its intended purpose. Before finishing, the floors are laid of planks, packed and embossed connecting areas, for this purpose, the packing is used. Then form the openings of windows and doors, glazed windows, hung doors. After all these works, you can begin decoration inside. Ceiling slabs are lined with simultaneous laying of hydro-and thermal insulation layers.

As for the exterior finish, it is still best to cover the beams with antiseptic agents and solutions of fire-retardant type. To cover the facade uses varnish, stain, olive oil. For cladding use siding, clapboard, house and other materials.

The interior decoration of the bath is traditionally made of wood, using maple, lime and aspen boards. Do not use coniferous boards, as they emit harmful resins. The board must be perfectly flat, the fasteners are hidden, otherwise you can burn yourself on them. Excellent for interior decoration of euro linings, it is very easy to install without adjustment, fixing the simplest, since the slats already have grooves and joints, there is very little metal. It is necessary to lay a layer of insulation - vapor barrier, parchment, foil, put mineral wool in the grooves, on top - linings.

• In fact, a sleeper bath can be finished with any material you like, such as block house.

• A sleeper bath can look quite atmospheric and interesting.

• The bath can be clad with regular board, especially if it is small.

• A small porch can replace a room to rest in the warm season.

• Beautiful neat structure in the classic style.

See the following video for a review of the sleeper bathhouse.