Do-it-yourself bathhouse bench

If a variety of building materials are used to build a bathhouse, then accessories and furniture are made of wood. Benches are an important functional and decorative component of the interior of every bathhouse. The benches are located in the recreation room, dressing room, and steam room. You can buy a bench ready-made, or you can build it yourself.

How to make a bench for a bathhouse yourself

Before you build a bench, you need to choose one of the options that is right for you. It’s just that the size and design features of the benches will depend directly on their purpose, location and other individual characteristics.

Main types of shops:

1. Two-tier. These shelves are usually installed in a steam room. The benches are attached to a blank wall. Often several of these structures are built.
2. Three-tiered. Installed in spacious rooms. In this case, a distance of at least 1.3 m must be maintained from the top shelf to the ceiling.
3. Small benches without backrest. Used as footrests.
4. Mobile benches. Most often they are installed in the dressing room.
5. Wide shelf. Ideal option for small spaces.

What does that require

For manufacturing you will need the following materials and tools:

• bars 55x55 mm;
• board 55x650 mm;
• moisture-resistant glue;
• self-tapping screws;
• electric drill;
• saw;
• screwdriver;
• Grinder.

How to choose the right material

Not every type of wood is suitable for bath furniture. It is necessary that the wood has low thermal conductivity, has good density, and is free of cracks. Therefore, benches are usually made of linden, maple, oak, alder and other coniferous and deciduous species. Their characteristics allow the use of wooden products in conditions of elevated temperatures.

Before you start, you need to get acquainted with the different types of wood:

1. Birch. Quite a heavy variety, has a density of 700 kg/cm³. Thanks to this, moisture does not accumulate. Has average thermal conductivity. Due to its good viscosity, it cannot be deformed during temperature fluctuations; the material is easy to process. If the steam room has birch benches, then a good ventilation system will be required.
2. Furniture made from larch can last a very long time, but the cost of the material is quite expensive.
3. Pine. The most affordable. To assemble the shelves, it is advisable to use high-quality timber: without blue stains or resinous pockets. The material has medium density. During prolonged temperature and humidity fluctuations, it cracks and deforms.
4. It is very convenient to work with linden; during heating, this type of wood begins to release useful substances.
5. Meranti. Has a reddish tint, density 650 kg/cm³. Due to its density, wood does not heat up and can withstand sudden temperature changes. The wood is smooth, almost free of knots, and quite easy to process.
6. Oak benches will decorate any bathhouse. This is the best choice for those who can afford to spend a considerable amount on decorating a bath room.Oak products are very attractive and durable.
7. Maple does not crack under the influence of temperature and has low thermal conductivity.
8. Abashi wood retains its texture and color for a long time. This is an ideal material, but quite expensive.
9. Aspen is inexpensive and has an attractive appearance. However, this type of wood has one significant drawback - after a certain time, the beams begin to rot inside.

Attention! The benches in the steam room are usually made of hardwood. At elevated temperatures, needles release resin. For washing, pine needles and alder are considered the best choice, since under the influence of moisture these types of wood only become stronger.

How to take measurements and drawings correctly

The shelf that is located in the steam room most often has two structural parts: the flooring and the frame. Usually the shelves are built multi-level, this is quite convenient, since the hot air rises to the top, so you can choose at what level it is steamed, from above, where the hot air is, or from below, where it is cooler.

The dimensions of the benches are selected taking into account the size of the room.

The most commonly chosen dimensions are:

• shelf width – 70-100 cm;
• the width of the bottom shelf is not less than 45 cm;
• length – 165-190 cm;
• the lower bench must be located at a height from the floor level of no less than 35 cm;
• the upper bench must be located at a distance from the ceiling of no less than 125-130 cm (this distance will allow the steamer to use a broom without the risk of injury);
• the step between the floors of the shelves is 50-70 cm.

Important! Pre-drawn diagrams and drawings can help determine the optimal options for benches and their arrangement.

For example, if the room is quite large, then you can arrange three-tier benches. The upper tier may be slightly longer than the lower one. There may also be removable designs; they are best suited for small spaces.

Shelves should be installed against a wall that does not have openings or ventilation holes. It is imperative to maintain a safe distance between the bench and the stove. Most often, benches are installed opposite each other.

Important! When installing benches, you need to leave some space under them for air circulation and ease of cleaning.

How to assemble a bench: step-by-step instructions

The process of assembling a bench with your own hands is as follows:

1. First you need to cut the beams into the required parts (4 parts of 60 cm for legs, 2 parts of 70 cm for vertical partitions).
2. A U-shaped frame is assembled from the cut elements.
3. Then you need to cut the strip to the required size (for convenient placement on the shelf, it is best to measure the length at least 150 cm).
4. Next, the prepared parts of the beams are stuffed onto the lintels.

When assembling the shelves, be sure to leave 1 cm gaps between the slats; this is required for condensation to drain and the shelves to dry out after completing the procedures. For better stability of the shelves, you can tie them with slats that remain after the construction of the benches.

It is prohibited to treat shelves with any chemical compounds (painting, varnishing), since the use of furniture involves contact of wood with skin at elevated temperatures. There are many photos on the Internet that show various models of bathhouse benches.

Having built your own benches, you can be completely confident in the quality of the material used.At the same time, the dimensions and the chosen design will ideally suit the rest of the bath accessories and fit into the design of any room, since the furniture is made according to our own measurements.