Shelves in a steam room: how to make sunbeds and benches in a steam room with your own hands, width and height of the structure along the walls of the sauna

The acquisition of an empty plot of land opens up excellent prospects for its development. You can build a house, a bathhouse, a garage and a greenhouse.

But you have to start with one thing.

Photo of a bathhouse with a floor

A bathhouse with floors will be a great choice for the first construction, because it:

Design elements of bath shelves

The bath shelf has another name - a bench. The benches come in different heights and are arranged according to a certain pattern.

They consist of two main elements:

Frame , which is the base to which the flooring boards are attached. The flooring can be fixed or dismountable. The most common is a frame made of support posts that resemble bench legs, connected by wooden crosspieces. There is also another option, when the frame is made as a stair stringer, to which the steps of the shelves are attached. Sometimes the frame is built in the likeness of the frames in a sauna. In this case, there are no supports, and the frame looks like a railway shelf fixed to the walls of the steam room.
Flooring made of well-polished linden or aspen planks. There should be a small distance of 1-2 cm between the planks. The flooring is either fixed to the frame or consists of separate elements. Loose flooring can be taken outside to dry. It can also be used as a seat, a couch or a podium for the bath attendant. In the same way as the flooring, the backs and sides of the shelves, headrests, and devices allowing you to lie down so that your legs are located at head level or higher are made. You can make a headrest for a bathhouse with your own hands, drawings are available.

As a rule, a steam room is small in size, since it is easier, faster and more economical to heat a small room to the desired temperature, so the shelves have a simple rectangular shape (read: “What are the optimal sizes of a steam room”). Usually the shelves in a steam room look like a staircase with 2-3 degrees. Such steps can be similar to chaise lounges or corner sofas with a rounded shape. However, something like this can only be done in a large steam room.

If there is not enough space in the steam room to build a rectangular lower bench, it can be made in the shape of a right triangle. It is located as follows: one leg should fit loosely against the wall, and the other against the shelf adjacent to it.

How to make shelves in a bathhouse with your own hands

The most common fasteners for wooden shelves (canopies, palati, floors) are screws. The use of nails is not recommended by professionals as they do not provide adequate strength. If it is necessary to disassemble the shelves, difficulties arise, since removing them without mechanical damage is very difficult. Disassembly is easy when using screws. You can easily remove them to update or replace them with new ones.

If possible, you need to fasten the boards from the inside of the shelf . This installation method allows you to completely hide the screws, which helps eliminate the risk of getting burned on hot metal while steaming. If such a fastening cannot be formed, you must first make a hole for the head of the fastening element.

After installation, close the screw with a wooden pin and then rub it with abrasive sandpaper.

To create a frame, a simple algorithm of work is used:

Markings are made for the outermost post. Rubber pads must be placed and strengthened on the racks.
The two topmost beams are pre-installed. They must be fastened to the wall and racks.
The top beams, which are placed on both sides of the structure, need to be attached to the posts and top beams.
The front vertical posts must be placed and held. The outer side beams are attached to them.
The front beams, which close the structure and give the overall appearance like a frame, need to be installed by fastening them to the nearest vertical and adjacent beams.
It is necessary to check the correct, even position of the frame. To do this, use a level and a tape measure.
The lower frame is assembled in the same way as the upper one, the correct location of the beams is controlled.
It is necessary to check compliance with the measurements, once again inspect all corners and jumpers using a level. After making sure that the work is done correctly, the developer can attach lintels made of thin beams to the frames.
All screw fastenings must be tightened until they stop.

Correct installation of shelves is very important for convenience when vaping and maintaining the steam room. If the cladding is made on both the side and front sides, then access to the floor will be completely closed, which complicates cleaning the room. It is recommended to do partial covering so that hygiene standards can be easily observed.

All parts must be checked for damage , the defect is immediately postponed. All elements must be attached from the inside. It can be difficult to install horizontal boards. You should try to secure as many boards as possible from the inside in order to make a minimum number of fastenings using plugs with pins.

In some cases, a convenient option is to initially sheathe the horizontal side with boards, after which all the rest are attached.

Making a shelf (shelf) for a bathhouse with your own hands.

Schemes and drawings of shelves (canopies) in the bathhouse for self-production.

Do-it-yourself brick bathhouse. You will learn how to build it by reading this article. And this article talks about the construction of baths from foam blocks.

The reason for the multi-stage shelves in the bathhouse

According to all known laws of physics, steam and hot air rise to the ceiling. After some time, the air flow at the top cools down. Some of it goes through the ventilation of the steam room, and some goes down to the floor. For this reason, it is much hotter at the top than at the base of the bath shelves.

Multi-stage operation allows a person to independently choose the best temperature regime for him. Therefore, in order to be able to steam both at the maximum temperature in the steam room and at a more gentle one, you should make shelves in the sauna with your own hands in the likeness of steps. In a Russian bathhouse, two shelves are most often built, but three can be made, but there must be enough space for them. This means that space should be left for people in the steam room to move without getting injured.

How to arrange shelves

To build a shelf in a bathhouse with your own hands, you will need drawings, and you should also make all the necessary calculations. A small plan of the room is drawn, dimensions are indicated, equipment installation locations, the location of windows and doors are noted.

It is very important to remember that you cannot place shelves near walls with glazed windows. Under the influence of hot steam, the glass may burst and fragments may fall on people. Therefore, in steam rooms with windows there are not many options for arranging shelves in the bathhouse. They can only be placed along walls where there are no windows or glazed ventilation vents.

There are several shelf layouts:

Along one wall in 1-3 rows, placing shelves on top of each other.
Design in the form of the letter G with various options for the number of degrees. For example, 2-3 along each wall, the top and bottom shelves along the long wall, and the middle one along the adjacent short one.
Two parallel structures located along opposite walls, similar to a compartment in a train carriage. Structures can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical.

Before making shelves in the steam room on paper, you should draw several options and choose the most suitable one from them. In order to plan everything correctly and calculate the required amount of lumber, you need to know the exact dimensions of the shelves for the bathhouse.

Features of shelves for a bath or steam room

As a rule, these designs are not distinguished by any special decorative delights, so if you have certain carpentry skills, you can make them yourself. However, in order for these products to be truly convenient and functional, it is first recommended to carefully study their main design features and varieties.

It is also necessary to take a very responsible approach to the choice of the material used, since the wood used must be very resistant to both extremely high temperatures and significantly increased humidity.

Device

All bath shelves usually have a very simple structure. Most often they are a wooden bench placed along one or several blank walls of the steam room. The main frame is usually made of a narrow wooden deck with small vertical supports and horizontal lintels.

In modern baths, as in saunas, the shelves can be multi-tiered. In this case, they are usually installed according to the principle of a stair stringer or simply like benches with legs one above the other. The lower shelves are usually used for sitting, while the upper ones are mainly used for lying down.

Requirements for shelves

Making shelves for a bathhouse is a simple process, but there are special requirements for these products.

Requirements that must be taken into account when creating a design:

To avoid injury, all wood decking must have slightly rounded corners.
The supporting frame must be as strong as possible. It must withstand fairly high weight loads.
To prevent accidental burns, the surface of the shelves must be completely free of metal parts.

As a rule, shelves in steam rooms are not mounted flush against the walls. To ensure water drainage and uniform circulation of hot steam, it is necessary to provide a small gap of approximately 10 cm.

The requirements for the wood used deserve special attention:

First of all, it must be of very high quality. Be sure to choose cleanly planed and carefully sanded boards without any defects.
Suitable wood must withstand both high humidity and constant exposure to hot steam. It should also be very resistant to deformation and rot.
To avoid burns, choose a decking material with very low thermal conductivity.

In extreme bath conditions, it is prohibited to use boards with a paint coating. To protect wood, only special water-repellent and natural-based antifungal preparations can be used. The use of artificial synthetic drugs is extremely undesirable, since under the influence of hot steam they can emit fumes that are harmful to health.

Dimensions of bath shelves

Based on a person of average height and configuration, the following sizes of shelves in the bathhouse have been developed for receiving steam procedures in a sitting or lying position:

The length of the shelf so that you can lie with your knees bent is 1.5 m.
To lie on a shelf at full height without bending your legs, the length should be 1.8 m. But in this case, everything is individual, since all people are of different heights and it may be that 2 m is not enough (read: “What is the size of shelves in you need to make a steam room - practical advice").
The minimum width of the shelf is 40 cm. Most often this is the bottom shelf, which is used mainly as a stand for the bath attendant’s feet. You can not only stand on such a stand, but also sit if you want to cool down a little.
The most common bath benches are 60 cm wide. However, they are not very convenient for steaming in a lying position. If you make benches for a bathhouse with your own hands, you need to focus on the people who will use the bathhouse, taking into account their height and physique.
The width of the shelves is 90 cm, allowing a person of any size to sit crosswise with their legs tucked in and lie down.

The minimum dimensions are given, but no one forbids making larger shelves. But there is no point in building smaller bath benches - they will simply not be comfortable.

Height of bath furniture

Regarding the height of the shelf in the bathhouse, completely different principles apply; there are no standard values. First, the height of the top shelf is determined. 1.10 - 1.20 m is measured from the ceiling and the top shelf is installed at this level. This will allow you to sit on it, and gives you enough room to swing the broom to whip the person's back rather than the ceiling. But in order to be able to do this while holding the broom in an unbent hand, you should leave more space, about 1.5 m.

Sometimes the top shelf is installed opposite the steam door. This will allow you to get more benefits from the steam. However, it is not necessary to adhere to such a scheme.

The height of the bath shelves can be 40 - 60 cm. The lower bench should be at least 30 cm from the floor. The height of the shelves depends on their number.

As a rule, the lower part of the structure is not fixed. This allows you to wash and dry the floor underneath. For a fairly heavy lower step, special skids are made that move along rubber guides.

Dimensions

Depending on the total area of the room, the dimensions of the bath shelves may vary. Ideally, these products should be selected in full accordance with the dimensions of the room. To do this, you need to measure the length and width of the area where you plan to install the bath “furniture”.

Height

The height of the shelves in the steam room usually depends on the height of the ceilings in the room. It is considered the most convenient and comfortable to place the lowest bench at a height of approximately 50-60 cm from the floor. For comfortable placement of steamers, it is recommended to install the uppermost structures approximately 120 cm from the ceiling surface.

Lenght and width

The length and width of the structure being built is of no small importance.

When choosing the width, you need to focus on the main parameters:

The standard width of a regular sitting bench is at least 40 cm.
The most comfortable beds usually have a width of at least 100 cm.
The width of the topmost shelf must be about 90 cm.

The length of the shelves most often varies from 2.1 to 2.4 meters, however, in small steam rooms, sun loungers and benches are quite often erected along the entire length of the steam room, that is, from one wall to the other.

Rules for creating shelves for a steam room

To guarantee the comfort of steaming, safety and long service life of bath decorations and furniture, you should adhere to the recommendations below, which explain how to properly make shelves in a steam room:

Shelves should not fit tightly against the walls . A gap of approximately 10 cm should be left between them; it is necessary for ventilation. To ensure such a gap, sections of timber should first be secured to the wall. The frame elements are attached to it using self-tapping screws, and the heads of the screws should be recessed into the wood.
To build the frame, it is recommended to take 50x70 mm timber. In order for the wood to dry completely, the thickness of the board should be 4 times less than its width.
Depending on the thickness of the planks, the required number of supports is determined. If the board is 22 cm thick, then the supports are installed at a distance of 60 cm from each other.
To give the structure stability , the frame supports should be connected along the entire length with a board from the bottom and top.
Rubber pads should be nailed to all legs of bath furniture
To fasten the boards, it is recommended to use wooden nails or pins, which are driven into the holes drilled for them. If there are only self-tapping screws, then they should be screwed in from the reverse side so that you cannot get burned on them. If there is no other option but to fasten it from the outside, then the metal caps need to be buried in the wood.
The planks of the shelves should be located at a distance of at least 1 cm from each other.

Methods for fastening boards

Fixation of various structural elements is most often carried out using nails or oak wedges. Of course, the second option is more preferable, since any metal fasteners during operation can cause unpleasant thermal burns.

When fastening wooden flooring with metal parts, the fastener heads must be attached to the wrong side of the structure. It is also recommended to slightly recess them into the wood by about 5-6 mm.

Technology for creating a simple shelf

Here's a step-by-step guide for building simple shelves in a bathhouse with your own hands:

The length of the flange is measured. There should be a gap between the wall and the shelf.
The shelf frame is fastened with galvanized corners.
The frame should be adjusted to the required length.
The frames are attached to the wall with screws, and you should use a level.
Next, right and left frames are installed at the same level.
To ensure ventilation between the wall and the shelf, pieces of plywood are placed on the outside of the frames.
Flooring is made for the upper shelf measuring 60 cm, for the lower shelf – 40 cm.
The shelf frames are attached to the walls with screws.
Finished shelves should be cut to the length of the frame. Then they are placed in their place and secured.
The backrest is made to the required size and fastened in place.

There is nothing complicated about how to make shelves in a steam room. It is important to follow the recommendations given above on how to properly make shelves in a steam room, and to approach construction responsibly.

The Finnish sauna has a high temperature - from 90° C to 110° C, humidity 10-25%. Lovers of Russian baths prefer lower temperatures from 40° C to 70° C, combined with high humidity 60-80%.

A Russian bath differs from a Finnish sauna not only in terms of temperature and humidity in the steam room. The fundamental difference between them is the different speed of movement of the heated air flow, the use of birch and oak brooms in the Russian steam room.

How to make shelves for a bathhouse with your own hands

Patting the steam bather lying on the shelf of a Russian steam room with a broom, the bathhouse attendant occasionally increases the temperature by pouring water on the hot stones of the heater. Burning wet steam, escaping from the slightly open door of the heater, quickly rises to the ceiling and, slowly cooling, settles and gradually fills the steam room.

High moisture content slows down the process of movement of air masses in a Russian bath, which determines the nuances in the arrangement of shelves:

large distances between the boards of the beds are required;
the seats are tilted to drain water;
to make cleaning the bathhouse floor easier, the side walls are not sewn up or are removable;
you need a wide indentation of the bench from the wall of the steam room.

Differences in the basic dimensions, height and structure of the shelves also add features to the soaring process itself.

IMPORTANT: in a Russian steam room it is necessary to maintain the ratio of the height of the shelf device and the distance to the ceiling.

The height of the upper bench is made so that there is a distance of one meter between the top of the head of the person sitting on the upper bench and the ceiling - for the normal arm span of the bathhouse attendant with a broom gaining temperature in a cloud of steam.

Drawing of bath shelves for a Russian steam room

The length of the shelves is regulated, which must be at least 220 cm, since it is advisable to take the bath procedure while lying down, exposing the body to massaging blows and stroking with a birch broom.

A traditional Russian bathhouse has only one or two steps of shelves located along one of the walls of the steam room; the steamer lies on a wide (at least 90 cm) upper bench.

IMPORTANT: benches in a Finnish steam room must be equipped with backs made of boards so that the person sitting does not burn his body on the hot wall cladding.

In a Finnish sauna, people often sit rather than lie on the benches, so the distance to the ceiling is shorter and the length of the loungers is not so critical.

Drawing of sauna shelves

You can often see special foot rests on the walls of a sauna, usually raised above the level of the body of a person lying on the upper bench.

Since the air in the sauna must warm up quickly, the size of the steam room is usually small, so the sauna shelves occupy the entire free perimeter of the walls, except for the wall with the door and heater.

Design, manufacturing and equipment

To begin with, after all, a little theory and even linguistics. It’s not a fact that you will read all the materials about shelves, so let’s repeat:

The structure of a shelf can be described as a wooden platform, a lounger or even a conditional perch, consisting of one or several tiers, which, in turn, can consist of separate parts , or can form a monolithic stationary structure.

Moreover, parts can be either individual tiers or their components. In the latter case, we are talking about a solid frame and removable flooring .

The simplest shelf is a high lounger with a step for ease of climbing onto it. An excellent solution for lovers of Russian baths, who are frequented by professional steamers.

But the prevalence of the sauna in Russia has led to the fact that the shelves in the bathhouse and steam room began to be multi-tiered, under the ceiling, and the vertical parts of the “steps” were sewn up tightly. All this is correct and appropriate, but only for a Finnish bath.

This is not the place or time to discuss the winning (or losing) of the bathhouse option, in which the owner is trying to combine two modes ; for this, you can read something from the section on stoves, where a lot was said about the modes and their compatibility. But, as a fact, many make shelves in the bathhouse with their own hands for both types.

Of course, the difference between a lounger and a seat is only in width. You can’t lie on a narrow shelf; on a shelf that’s too wide, it’s uncomfortable to lean on the backrest; it’s too far away.

Arrangement of shelves in a bathhouse: this is more comfortable to lie on

And sit on these

As for how to build shelves in a bathhouse with your own hands, more on this a little later, but now we can say that the work is not too difficult, especially if you don’t bother , put everything on screws with a screwdriver and don’t worry too much about the future, in which the metal joints in the wood will definitely become loose.

Types of bath shelves

Example of a simple bath shelf

Bath shelves can be of several types:

compartment - when the beds in a small sauna are placed one above the other;
complex bath shelves - with a retractable bottom shelf or a folding top shelf;
in the shape of the letter “L”, when the bath seats are placed on two adjacent walls;
Stepped shelves for spacious steam rooms have two or three steps, on which several steam lovers can comfortably sit.

Shelf shapes

Everything is clear with the sizes of bath shelves, now let's study in more detail the most common shapes. Among the most popular are several types of structures.

Stepped

They are a simple wooden structure, made in the form of medium-sized steps. The top bunks are usually the widest as they are most often used for lying down. Lower shelves usually play the role of steps or are used to accommodate bathhouse attendants primarily in a sitting position.

L-shaped or angular

This design involves placing shelves perpendicular to each other on two adjacent walls. The height of L-shaped shelves is usually selected depending on the individual characteristics of the room. As a rule, this option is the most optimal solution for a small bathhouse or sauna.

Coupe shelves

Complex compartment structures are located strictly parallel to each other at different heights of one wall. However, in some cases they can also be placed parallel to each other on two opposite wall surfaces.

For more significant savings in square meters, the topmost shelves are equipped with special folding elements, which, if necessary, allow you to compactly fold the upper beds. As a rule, this solution is ideal for a small steam room.

Multistage

Very convenient multi-stage designs are deservedly one of the most common. Such shelves are usually similar to ordinary stairs with several fairly wide steps. This type of bath furniture is considered one of the most comfortable, as it allows you to select the most comfortable temperature conditions.

Tree species used for making stands, bath chairs, backrests

Wood characteristics table

Wood plays an important role in the interior and design of the bathhouse. Different types of wood behave completely differently at high temperatures and high humidity. Therefore, you should carefully choose the material for making shelves.

Wood	Photo	Description
Pine and spruce

Pine and spruce give a special coniferous aroma, which has a beneficial effect on the general condition of a person. The rather high price of other types of wood forces many steam lovers to give preference to wall coverings made from inexpensive pine boards - clapboards, bath shelves, and backrests.

IMPORTANT: the only condition is the absence of knots or cracks on the surface of the boards, good quality of drying of the material, carefully processed surface of the planks.

Thermoabash - thermally treated abashi wood

Abash shelf texture

Loungers made from it do not burn the human body, since the material has low thermal conductivity and heats up very slowly. A successful advertising campaign made abash the most purchased wood for making bath shelves and saunas in the homes of wealthy nouveau riche.

Combination of several types of wood at the same time

Prices for edged boards

Choosing the right material

Experts recommend making shelves and benches from hardwood . This is explained by the ability of the material not to release resins when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, bathhouse visitors will be protected from burns, and their skin will remain clean.

To make shelves with your own hands, you should choose a tree of certain species that can well withstand exposure to high temperatures and moisture . This will guarantee long service life of the shelves. However, first of all you need to pay attention to the heat-conducting properties of materials. Wood with low thermal conductivity is ideal for the shelf, then it will not overheat and people will not get burned. This will allow it to lie directly on the bare boards without using a sheet as a backing.

Most often, shelves are made from such affordable wood species as aspen, linden and African abash oak.

Aspen is the most affordable material

This breed is valued not only because of its low price, but also for its healing properties. Since ancient times, aspen was credited with the ability to absorb negative energy. At the same time, this material is quite practical , so shelves made from aspen can last for years. But this only applies to high-quality lumber, so before making a shelf, make sure that the aspen does not show signs of internal rot.

Linden - the best price-quality ratio

It is this breed that experts recommend using for making shelves and benches. They give the following reasons as an explanation:

Linden is easy to process, has an aesthetic appearance, and when exposed to high temperatures it emits a light, pleasant aroma, maintaining a healthy microclimate in the steam room.
Aspen shelves are completely safe because they will not leave burns even at high temperatures. It is also a very practical material, as it does not stain from sweat.
Linden is chosen for making shelves, among other reasons, because of its high durability. The material can serve for years without cracking and demonstrating resistance to rotting. The only thing that can overshadow it is the appearance of dark areas.

Abash is good, but expensive

The material perfectly withstands the effects of temperature and moisture and can withstand various loads. Abash has low thermal conductivity, so it heats up very slowly. This means that you can lie on the African oak shelf for hours without feeling the slightest discomfort.

Some manufacturers offer African Abache oak in light and dark woods. But regardless of the shade, the material can retain its original appearance for years, but for this it will have to be pre-treated with protective compounds. Unfortunately, abash oak is not available to everyone due to its high price.

Stages of manufacturing a bath shelf

You can make a bath shelf yourself

You can make bath shelves yourself if you follow a simple sequence of installing beams and boards, carefully process the material, and securely fasten the structural parts together.

IMPORTANT: the top boards of the couch must be attached to the supporting beams using oak wedges driven into pre-drilled holes in the parts. The use of metal nails or screws to assemble the deck chair is unacceptable. Hot steel caps can cause serious burns to the surface of the body.

Shelf installation diagram

Installation of racks

The racks on which the bath lounger is located must ensure the stability and strength of the entire structure. Typically, for the manufacture of the top row of beds, 4 to 6 racks are used, 1.05-1.15 m long, with a cross-section of 50x100 mm or 100x100 mm each, depending on the length of the shelf.

Start of installation of shelves

Support beam for shelves

Fastening the support bars

Frame of bath shelves (one of the options)

The racks are connected to each other along the perimeter by rectangular bars 50X100 mm, onto which the load-bearing bars and boards of the bench are subsequently attached. The racks are attached to the wall with long (20 cm) dowel screws.

The timber for the upper seat posts can be used unpolished, without cracks or chips. A gap of 0.1 m is made between the wall and the adjacent rack - inserting pieces of thick boards for better circulation of hot air and improved ventilation of the shelf.

Making a frame for bathhouse shelves

Assembling the load-bearing structure of the shelf

The supporting structure of the upper shelf must withstand the weight of the planks of the couch plus the mass of the people on top, so it is better to use a supporting beam with a cross-section of 50x100 mm or 50x120 mm.

Bath shelf frame

The top row of supporting beams with a cross-section of 50x50 mm is attached across the length of the upper plane of the shelf every 0.5-0.6 m, depending on the thickness of the upper boards. The thinner the board, the more often the supporting bars should be located so that the boards do not sag under the weight of people sitting on them.

IMPORTANT: the bars must be attached with a slight slope (1-2°) from the wall towards the steam room, for better drainage of moisture from the wooden surface of the bath lounger.

The top shelf is covered with boards

The width of the top shelf is ideally made 0.9 meters for the convenience of steamers, but the size can be reduced to 0.6 m.

Fastening can be done either using nails or self-tapping screws.

Upper bed arrangement

Smoothly planed and polished boards of the bench, from 3 cm to 6 cm thick and from 0.1 m to 0.24 m wide each, are laid on the supporting bars at intervals of 1-2 cm, ensuring the free passage of hot air.

The boards must be fastened to the supporting structure using wooden (oak) wedges in pre-drilled holes.

Boards arranged along the length of the bed look more aesthetically pleasing, but you can attach the boards of the top row across the bed. In this case, material is saved, since there is no need to pierce the load-bearing bars.

IMPORTANT: do not fasten the boards of the bench with nails or screws, leaving the caps on the surface of the benches. Only by recessing the metal parts of the fasteners 5-10 mm deep into the board can the steamer be protected from possible burns.

Bottom shelf arrangement

When the height of the upper bath seat is 1.1 meters above the floor surface, for the convenience of the bath attendant working with a broom, the lower bench is lowered by 0.7 m.

The bottom shelf should be made at a distance of at least 0.3 meters from the floor - if it is used not only as a step for the bath attendant, but also as a full-fledged bath bench.

In the photo there are three tiers of shelves, each of which is suitable for a lying position

Most often in a Russian bath, the bottom step is made in the form of an attached bench on legs, which is removed while the steam room is being cleaned. But the installation of a fixed lower shelf is quite acceptable.

To do this, it is necessary to attach four load-bearing wooden beams with a cross-section of 50x100 mm to the posts of the upper bench at a height of 0.4 m from the floor surface, making a kind of rectangle out of them - the frame of the lower bench. This is done so that one part of the load-bearing rectangle protrudes beyond the surface of the upper shelf to a length of 0.4-0.6 m.

The supporting frame of the lower step can be attached to the main posts with 12 cm long nails or self-tapping screws. In the corner and in the middle of the frame of the lower bench, four racks with a cross section of 50x100 mm or 100x100 mm resting on the floor are fastened with self-tapping screws or nails.

Every 0.5 m, load-bearing bars with a cross section of 50x50 mm are packed. The boards of the lower shelf are attached to them using wooden wedges driven into pre-drilled holes.

How to make shelves in a bathhouse - types of flooring for shelves

IMPORTANT: the surface of the benches is carefully sanded. The boards should not have sharp corners, chips or cracks.

The boards should not be too wide; the optimal ratio of width to thickness is four. The fifty board should ideally be 0.2 meters wide.

Video - Assembling a bath shelf with your own hands

Processing bath shelves

After the construction of the bath beds is completed, they need to be impregnated with a protective solution, since the negative effects of water, air humidity, and high temperature destroy the structure of the wood quite quickly.

Processing bath shelves

To protect wooden surfaces in the steam room, you must use environmentally friendly products, otherwise you risk your health. Wooden beds of Finnish saunas have long been impregnated with ordinary linseed oil, which perfectly protects against mold and mildew. The shelves of Russian baths were impregnated with a wax solution, which included purified turpentine and beeswax.

Ideally, you should apply the wax solution or linseed oil in two layers. Drying time for one layer is about 8 hours.

Bath loungers do not require preliminary preparation or processing, provided that the boards have been previously sanded with high quality. After applying protective impregnation, all wooden surfaces acquire water-repellent properties and a characteristic matte shine.

Impregnation is designed to protect wood from rotting

In the photo on the left is protected wood, and on the right is without protection

Proper installation of the heater, rational use of steam room space, cozy design of the relaxation room and careful assembly of steam room beds will bring health, joy and satisfaction from bath procedures.

Simple shelves in two tiers for a Russian steam room

Wood impregnation prices

Video - The process of making a bath shelf

Video - DIY steam room shelves

Video – Sauna with sliding shelves

The “furniture” in the bathhouse does not shine with any decorative delights. Its main goal is maximum functionality and providing vacationers with complete comfort. Any benches or shelves in a bathhouse are usually made of natural wood - this is an ideal material for a steam room, which is highly environmentally friendly, easy to process, and has a traditional and very attractive appearance.

You can easily make shelves in a bathhouse with your own hands. Thanks to the simple design of such a unique “furniture”, even a non-professional can make it in a short time with high quality and much cheaper than if the shelves were bought in a store or made to order at a factory.

Peculiarities

It is impossible to imagine a traditional village bathhouse without shelves: often multi-tiered, reminiscent of a wide-step staircase. In another way, such shelves are called canopies. They are an integral part of any steam room.

A shelf, or canopy, is a wooden flooring - a kind of elongated multi-tiered bench located along one or more walls of the room. So that you can relax in the steam room, such shelves are made in such a way that even a large, tall person can calmly lie on them. In addition, multi-tiered shelves allow vacationers to independently choose the most comfortable temperature for them.

Bath shelves can be divided into three types. The most common option is shelves used as benches; They are suitable for both small steam rooms and spacious large rooms. Loungers are not as popular as benches, but they are also found in a variety of bathhouses. And finally, the third type of bath shelves - sun loungers. They are practically no different from beach loungers, and they can be used with equal success both as a bed and as a chair, which makes them very functional, although far from the traditional design of a bathhouse.

The design of the shelf is extremely simple. Decorative elements are not welcome, as they can cause injuries, and they simply stand out from the traditional external design of the steam room. The simplicity and small selection of shelf shapes is easily explained: it is customary to set aside a small room for a bathhouse, which can be easily, quickly and quite economically warmed up without spending extra resources. That is why the most beloved by craftsmen is the ordinary rectangular shape of the shelves.

What is a bathhouse with sheets?

Remember what a standard bathhouse looks like: steam room, washing room, relaxation room. It may have a second floor, attic or attic.

A bathhouse with floorboards differs from traditional buildings in that it does not have a horizontally lined ceiling; only the steam room and washing room have one, and the ceiling is made of floorboards. The resulting space most often houses a bedroom. You can get into it through a staircase located in the rest room or dressing room.

Sometimes they make a place for rest on the floors, and also use a room for storing things.

At the same time, from the outside, a bathhouse with floors looks similar to a bathhouse with an attic.