A shelf for the bath: design and creation

Steam room is the main room in the bathhouse, and the comfort and mood of the visitors depends on its arrangement. One would like to sit and lie down during hygienic procedures on comfortable shelves with a well-thought-out arrangement. Shelves can be placed in different ways. How to do this and what materials are better to use, tell us in our article.

Shelves in the steam room are called devices for sitting and lying down during bathing procedures. You should not confuse the concept of "shelf" and "canopy", the second name refers to the canopy of fabric over the bed. A shelf looks like a wooden platform, a roost, arranged in one or more tiers. All this may be a monolithic structure assembled on a single frame, or placed separately, in parts. Shelves make collapsible (removable) or hinged. A high product is added to the ledge for a comfortable climbing.

Location of places to sit and lie to some extent depends on whether it is a sauna or a Russian bath. In the sauna prefer to steam sitting and be higher from the floor, in the Russian bath lie on the lower shelves.

But there are recommendations that can ensure safety, comfort and ease of care for the room. The bath has a humid microclimate - so that the wooden structures do not rot, well ventilated and quickly dried out, you need to follow certain rules.

• The room needs good ventilation. The shelves below should be open, this will help air to circulate freely.
• It is better not to attach the construction to the wall, so it is easier to dry.
• The shelves are performed under a slight slope for water drainage.
• It is convenient to have folding, removable benches, they can be taken out into the air and dried.
• Shelves are made from wood of certain species, for their mounting, try not to use metal fasteners, as they get hot in the steam room and can burn visitors.

Most often, steam rooms are arranged in small sizes - so they are easier and faster to warm up. Equip such rooms can be simple rectangular designs, without much frills. The shelves are installed in a single row along the wall without windows or in several tiers. Bath structures can be divided into types.

The most popular layout of shelves, as it allows you to choose a place with different degrees of heating. The structure looks like wide 2-3 steps, on which visitors sit. Heat in the bath rises to the ceiling, so the top shelf is the hottest.

Corner shelf is most often made in one or two tiers. Aesthetically look variants with rounded smooth lines. This type of seating arrangement is quite compact, it can be useful for small rooms.

To accommodate a large family in a compact steam room, build a U-shaped shelf. Two sides have benches on several levels, and the third makes up a separate bed.

Prefabricated structures are among the most convenient types of shelves, because they can be disassembled and taken out of the wet room to dry. In a room freed from the structures, the wooden finish dries easily.

This type of construction is made similar to a compartment shelf on a train. The benches are arranged against one wall in two tiers. The upper, hanging, shelf rises and is fixed to the wall, thus increasing the space of the room.

The dimensions of the shelves depend on the capabilities of the room, they also take into account the dimensions of the largest member of the family.

From the depth of the shelves depends on their purpose: on some you can sit, on others - lie down, and on others - put your feet.

• A small width for benches are considered parameters 30-50 cm. The shelf of 30 cm is sometimes installed on the bottom row, it is convenient to put your feet on it, sitting on the tier above. But you can also sit down on a narrow surface. The width of 40-50 cm allows you to sit more comfortably.
• The depth of 60 cm gives the opportunity not only to sit, but also to lie down. However, people with small dimensions could take advantage of this privilege.
• On the shelf with a depth of 90 cm it is convenient to lie down for people with any build. On a large surface you can sit down with your legs tucked under you. But sitting with your legs down is more comfortable on the narrower models, where you can lean with your back on the wall or the next tier.
• The largest shelves can be 1.5-2 meters wide and are suitable only for large baths. It is very comfortable to lie on such decks.

The height is defined by different distances: between the shelves, from the floor to the lower deck, from the upper tier to the ceiling.

• The distance between the two shelves, located above each other, should be at least 1.1-1.2 m, so that a person sitting on the lower bench does not rest his head on the top. Often the lower bench is made wider than the upper, this allows you to significantly reduce the distance between them.
• As for the staggered layout, the height between the tiers is only 40-60 cm. This arrangement of benches allows you to sit down at any level, putting your feet on the shelf below.
• It is recommended to keep the distance from the floor to the lower deck from 20 to 40 cm.
• Between the upper tier and the ceiling the height should be at least 110-120 cm, then it is convenient not only to sit on the shelf, but also to "work" with a broom.

• The minimum length of the decking is 1.5 m. Several people can sit on it simultaneously, but in order to lie down, you will have to press your legs.
• A bench with the size 1,8-2 m allows lying down freely along the whole length of the body.

The shelves in the bath are built of wood - There is no alternative. The same goes for finishing, hanging functional shelves of any thickness and other bath elements. In the sauna can not be used material from coniferous wood: at high temperatures will be released resin. The exceptions are larch and cedar, even in the conditions of dry and hot sauna lumber from these plants does not release resinous substances.

As for hardwoods, boards made from them exude not only a pleasant, but also healing aroma.

Here is a brief summary of the species whose wood is recommended for use in the bath.

This plant is saturated with essential oils that fill the steam room with a wonderful aroma, improve the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, but it does not release tar. Cedar is resistant to rot, it does not deform and is not subject to cracking under temperature fluctuations, it tolerates humidity well.

Its wood is most often used for the construction of shelves in the bath. It heats up slowly and does not burn the body. Linden almost does not absorb water and dries out quickly. It is more expensive than aspen, but it has a lower thermal conductivity.

The wood resists rotting bacteria thanks to its own antibacterial properties. Everyone knows the healing abilities of this plant: it helps with colds, relieves inflammation. Powerful diaphoretic capabilities of linden help in the bath to cleanse the body even more actively from toxins - they are removed with the sweat. When heated, the linden aroma is firmly felt in the room of the steam room.

The wood of this plant is inexpensive, although some of the material is lost during processing due to problems with the core. The consumer receives a ready sorted board. Aspen is ideal for shelving: it does not absorb moisture, and over time it hardens reliably from it. The material does not rot in the border zones (in the transition from dry to wet), which even larch cannot boast.

Drying out, aspen does not warp or crack, it tolerates temperature fluctuations well. Products made of it are surprisingly resistant to abrasion, strong and durable. Well houses were made of aspen in Rus, and people noticed that the water in them is always fresh and does not stagnate; they attributed these properties to the magic power of the plant. In fact, aspen has strong bactericidal properties which help resist fungi and bacteria.

Alder's popularity is added by its beautiful reddish noble hue. Those who like dark tones can choose black alder material to erect shelves. The texture of the board is even, smooth, has no knotty marks. In terms of cost, the wood of this plant is superior to linden, although it has the same characteristics, but significantly strengthened: it is stronger, durable, resistant to strong shocks and with very low thermal conductivity. It is comfortable to lie on shelves made of alder, they do not overheat at all.

This plant belongs to the expensive, prestigious materials, it has a beautiful texture and presentable appearance in any product. The longer the period of use, the stronger and more reliable the material becomes, over the years it becomes so petrified that it is impossible to saw it. Unlike alder, larch is resilient, has greater density and weight.

This plant is better known in the construction industry as "abach". It has a resilient, dense, but at the same time porous and light structure. Its porosity allows the material to remain warm for a long time and to take body temperature when touched, so it is always pleasant to sit or lie on a shelf made of basswood. African oak wood is endowed with a rich palette of colors: from white to reddish and even chocolate. Its beautiful texture is free of knots.

Maple slabs have an unusually beautiful and varied pattern. As for the color, most species are yellowish, but some species have a creamy-white hue or reddish, rich, turning to brown. The wood itself is dense and at the same time malleable, malleable, suitable for carving.

Sometimes the finish in the bath is carried out of poplar, it has a soft texture, it is easy to handle. In terms of density, poplar is inferior to many species of trees, but, despite this, it is used to build shelves. The material has an unexpressive pattern, characterized by light brown and yellowish hues.

Before you yourself begin to assemble the shelves, you should prepare drawing or diagramto designate the parameters, make an estimate, which will later be used to purchase materials. All this preparatory material will become a manual for construction. The size of the structure itself depends not only on the needs of the owners of the bath, but also on the size of the room.

It is necessary in the steam room to choose a place for the beds, to measure it.

When the preliminary measurements are made, guided by the possibilities of the available space, choose a suitable type of construction. We propose to consider several options for drawings, maybe someone will find them useful.

• The simplest two-stage shelf with a height of 95 cm and a width of 70 cm. It is designed for sitting and lying down. The first step (30 cm wide) is a ledge for your feet, but you can also sit on it.

• Detailed drawing for a three-step construction. Its total depth is 164 cm, the height between the steps - 40 cm, the height of the three sections - 120 cm.

• Full plan of the steam room with the determination of the location of the corner shelf (220x220 cm).

Palati is not only furniture, but also part of the most important bathing ritual, and if everything is not organized correctly in the bathhouse, then the impression of it will not be happy - cramped, there is no place to lie down, waving a broom disturbs others. It is good when the owner with his own hands will be able to properly install comfortable and reliable shelves. In this good deed, we can help, offering a step-by-step guide on how to make it.

With calculations and a sketch in hand, you can proceed to the construction of bath furniture. Start the construction with the frame and proceed step by step to the lining of the decking and finishing work.

At the site of the construction make a marking, then install the columns on which it will be attached. To install the upper decking you will need from 4 to 6 supports with a length of 100-120 cm. Mounting the uprights to the wall is done with dowels and screws.

To ensure that all wooden elements of the structure is well ventilated, between the decking and the wall leave a small gap. Binding of supports (their connection to each other) is made by bars with a diameter of 5 to 10 cm, which are screwed to the posts, the step between the bars - about half a meter.

After the top row of supports is set the second row, which is also tied horizontal bars (make strapping), fix them with screws. To the outer pillars mount the bottom row and again connected by lintels. The frame is ready.

Connecting the elements of the frame can be made with metal corners or do splicing in half-tree.

Arrange the flooring boards can be along the wall, across it and even diagonally - it all depends on the taste of the master. Each board should be carefully processed, rounded, cleaned. Self-tapping screws are best screwed into the inside of the crate, so they do not burn the body, heating from high air temperature. You can do and external fasteners, but in this case, the heads of screws should be deeply sunk into the wood, so there was no contact with them.

Small gaps are usually made between the planks of the flooring. The span between the bottom bench and the floor should not be sewn up, the air must circulate freely, otherwise the design will eventually begin to rot. For convenience, some craftsmen install a headrest.

Wood in a room with a humid microclimate needs to be protected, especially if the shelf is closed or in the bath is not thought of ventilation. Treatment is carried out with special antiseptic compositions.

When buying the treatment means, you should read the accompanying instructions and make sure that the composition is designed for use in baths and saunas, otherwise you can buy a product that when heated emits toxins, and the temperature in the sauna just this contributes. For these purposes, you can not use paint products based on solvents.

If there is a need to change the shade of wood, you can pick up tinting impregnation with antiseptic or use such a compound for accent decor. It is better to treat before installation work, coating each wooden part with antifungal agents, so all surfaces are guaranteed to be protected.

Well-timed care can help to ensure that the flooring stays in its original state for a long time. This is how to take care of the sauna as follows:

• at the end of bathing procedures, the whole room is ventilated intensively, opening windows and doors, periodically collapsible shelves can be taken out for drying in the fresh air;
• to speed up the drying process, the entire structure is wiped with a dry cloth;
• water from containers should be poured out or covered to prevent evaporation;
• soapy and dirty spills should be washed without household chemicals and wiped dry.

About how to make a shelf for the bath with your own hands, see the following video.