Shelves and backs in the steam bath. Shelves in the bath: dimensions in height and width for different types of baths and design options

It largely depends on the device, the size and location of the shelves. In this article, we will look at the basic dimensions of the benches in the sauna, made for people with a height of 160 to 185 cm. The dimensions of the benches in the steam room of this sauna have been specially selected for maximum convenience and comfort.

To begin with, we will consider the main types of structures and proportions of shelves for a bath. Most often, in traditional Russian baths, located directly on the ground or having a cold, non-insulated floor, there were three levels of shelves. In modern steam rooms or saunas, where the floor is well insulated and does not blow on the legs, there is no need to arrange three levels of shelves. In order to warm up well, two levels of shelves in the steam room are quite enough.

Scheme of the dimensions of the shelves in the bath
(click to open an enlarged version of the scheme in a new window)

New book about the bath! Bath. Essays on ethnography and medicine.

Now let's consider the main dimensions of the shelves for a modern steam room in a bath or sauna. In the example shown, the shelves are made of African Abasha deciduous wood, which has a low density and therefore low heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Therefore, the abash is slowly warming up. At the same time, abashi has no knots, has excellent water resistance, hardness and retains its geometric dimensions with fluctuations in temperature and humidity, which makes it an indispensable material for arranging shelves in baths and saunas. However, a serious disadvantage of abash wood is that this material can cause contact urticaria, allergic rhinitis and even asthma, especially in professional sauna builders dealing with abash wood dust. [Sources of information: Kanerva L, Tuppurainen M, Keskinen H. Contact urticaria caused by obeche wood (Triplochiton scleroxylon). Contact Dermatitis. 1998; 38: 170-171. Estlander T, Jolanki R, Kanerva L. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis eczema caused by obeche and teak dusts. Contact Dermatitis. 1999; 41: 164. & Reijula ​​K, Kujala V, Latvala J. Sauna builder's asthma caused by obeche (Triplochiton scleroxylon) dust. Thorax. 1994; 49: 622-623. ]

The height of the sauna under the ceiling is 208 cm. This height is quite enough for a comfortable stay and movement in the steam room with good heating.		The length of the benches in this sauna is 202 cm. This size of the benches allows you to comfortably sit on the bench while lying down. The length of the shelves can be even longer - if the dimensions of the steam room in the bathhouse or sauna allow. Please note that a gap of 3-4 mm is left between the wall cladding of the steam room and the shelves on each side - a margin for the expansion of the tree when heated or humidified.
The height of the lower level of the shelves from the floor is 45 cm.		The width of the lower row of benches in the sauna is 50 cm. The gap between the boards of the benches is 5 mm (the size of the gap is recommended to be no more than 8-10 mm).
The height of the second (upper) level of the benches is 88 cm from the floor, or 43 cm from the lower level of the steam room benches, or 120 cm from the ceiling of the steam room of a sauna or bath.		The width of the top row of shelves - 70 cm allows one person to lie comfortably on the shelf.
The side shelves serve as a support for bowls, basins or for placing in the steam room in a sitting position. The width of the side shelves is 40 cm.		Dimensions of the articulation area of ​​the L-shaped benches in the sauna. Leave a gap of 3-4 mm between the flooring boards of the shelves on each side.
The approximate dimensions of the area for joining the L-shaped shelves in the bath.		The bevel at the joining of the benches will be repeated on the back of the upper bench of the sauna steam room.
Diagonal abashi planks are used to decorate the look of the sauna.		The main dimensions of the back of the upper level shelves. The dimensions of the back of the shelves are adjusted to the height of people from 160 to 185 cm.
Distance between the fixing rails for the backrests of the benches in the steam room of a sauna or steam bath.		To mount the backs of the shelves, a 2 cm thick abasha rail is used.
General view of the shelves in the steam room of a sauna or bath. See how to sheathe the steam room of a sauna or bath with clapboard.		Read how to make Siberian bath benches from massive semi-logs. Such shelves remain non-hot for a long time, and after heating they retain pleasant warmth for a long time. Special connoisseurs of the bath cover the shelves with sheets, on which they lay hay mown in the morning dew and cover it with small branches of oak and birch. The sensation of floating on such shelves is absolutely fantastic!

A bathhouse in the country is the same integral attribute and a source of pride for our person on vacation, like a barbecue. You can build it yourself, insert windows and doors made with your own hands, put a wooden font there. And the last chord will be the manufacture of bathroom furniture.

Why bathroom furniture is always wooden

The Russian bath has always been built of wood, but now, with a wide variety of materials, it can be any: brick, foam concrete, expanded clay blocks. The main thing is to provide it with good thermal insulation and resistance to moisture. Doors and a font can be made of glass, plastic, concrete, but the furniture is only wooden. Because only this material perceives long jumps in temperature and humidity, without burning the body.

A bathhouse can be built from a variety of materials, but the furniture for it must be wooden

Types of bathroom furniture

Depending on the place of use, different types of furniture are distinguished:

Choosing wood for bathroom furniture

The material should be easy to process and maintain, moisture resistant, not prone to cracking, not emitting resin. And if conifers are suitable for the walls and doors of the Russian steam room, in which the temperature is lower than in the sauna, then only deciduous trees are suitable for benches and a shelf:

• rare exotic woods - Malaysian red meranti, African oak, Canadian hemlock fir, South American sedrella, bamboo, West African ofram - are suitable for a bath, but are rare and expensive, therefore they are most often used for headrests;
• ideal for humid and hot rooms linden - light, elastic, very fragrant material, releases phytohormones, promotes strong perspiration, is easy to process, heats up a little and does not darken from prolonged use;
• aspen - soft and pliable to processing, smells pleasantly of something bitter when exposed to high temperatures, resistant to moisture, does not deform, but has a fibrous structure that cannot be smoothed out with any plane;
• birch is a tree that emits a lot of nutrients, but is inconvenient for processing, does not resist moisture well and cracks, and also heats up and cools slowly, darkens with long use;
• the oak is dense and durable, does not warp or crack, perfectly resists moisture and temperature, but expensive and heats up a lot;
• maple is a dense tree, but needs to be dried for a long time before use;
• poplar is easy to handle, beautiful and inexpensive, but short-lived;
• cedar is a high-quality and useful species of wood, when heated, it oozes little resin due to its high density, highly resistant to mold, but expensive and difficult to process;
• pine is a beautiful soft durable coniferous tree, in the bath it smells pleasantly of essential oil, but when heated it emits resin, although not in such quantities as larch and cedar, therefore it is suitable only for furniture for dressing rooms and rest rooms.

Photo gallery: materials for bathroom furniture

Pine gives off resin, so it is undesirable to make shelves out of it. Cedar oozes a little with resin when heated, but with good processing it can be used to make furniture for a bath, for example, headrests Poplar wood is easy to handle, but short-lived Maple needs high-quality and long-term drying before use. Oak furniture does not warp or crack, but it gets very hot Birch darkens with prolonged use Aspen is resistant to moisture and temperature changes, does not deform Linden is the best material for furniture to be used in humid and hot environments Meranti - wood of deciduous trees from the genus Shorea - beautiful, high-quality, but expensive material

Construction shelf

This type of furniture has many names, for example, benches or benches. It can be high or low, as well as wide or narrow, semicircular, occupying all the walls of the bath or only one.

Design, functions and types of bath shelves

By the number of steps, products can be of two types.

The shelf device is simple. It is made of a frame and narrow smoothly rounded slats - flooring.

Preparation for work

The construction of the shelf includes preliminary calculations, drawing drawings, purchasing wood and accessories, preparing tools.

Calculation of the dimensions of the shelf

There are design traditions that allow you to calculate the minimum shelf size for a person of average height and build. It is accepted to increase the calculated dimensions to comfortable ones.

The width of the furniture also depends on the area of ​​the bath. In a small steam room, often the only way to put a normal shelf is to make it narrow.

The shelf height is variable. It depends on the height of the steam room and your habits. It is calculated from the ceiling, not from the floor: the minimum distance is 110 cm, the average is 120 cm. You will not overheat on the upper tier, you will have enough space to sit and lie with your legs raised, and when working with a broom you will have room for swing. The lower tier is traditionally located no lower than 30 cm from the floor of the steam room. Accordingly, the middle tier (if any) is located in the middle. If the shelves allow you to make many tiers, then their usual height is 40-60 cm.

It is advisable to make the lower tier of the shelf not stationary, but in the form of an ordinary bench. Then you can move it in and out to remove the floor under the structure.

Selection and calculation of material

Since the shelves periodically experience changes in temperature and humidity, linden will be the optimal material for its construction in terms of cost and performance. The supports can be made of pine, and the flooring can only be made of linden. Having determined the height and width of the product, we draw a drawing of the steam room and choose the optimal configuration and location of the shelf. We settled on a simple, narrow, two-tier stepped structure. If necessary, it will be possible to complete a portable bench and use it as a lower tier.

We draw a diagram on graph paper with the specified dimensions and detailing of each board.

Table: dimensions of each shelf part

The width of the linden floorboard should ideally be 4 times the thickness for the board to dry well. But we cannot take a thinner board, it will bend. According to the board thickness of 25 mm, we estimate the number of supports. It turns out that three jumpers will be sufficient. The gaps between linden boards are about 1 cm so that water can drain off and there is good ventilation for timely drying.

Table: materials for building a shelf made of pine and linden

Name	Dimensions, mm	Quantity
Pine beam on the frame of the upper tier.	50x70x3000	4 pieces.
Pine timber for the frame of the lower tier.	30x50x3000	4 pieces.
Specially treated linden board.	25x75x3000	20 pieces.
Measured metal corner from stainless steel.	50x50	A small piece of about 1 meter, we need pieces of about 50 mm.
Self-tapping screws for wood.	50	Not less than 2 kilograms.
	Diameter 10	Not less than 50 pieces.
Pins for fixing the flooring.	Diameter 10	Not less than 50 pieces.
	According to the indicated consumption per m 2.

Tools

For work you will need:

• electric saw or jigsaw;
• grinder with discs for metal;
• plane and jointer;
• drill with drills for metal and wood and a set of grinding attachments;
• screwdriver;
• roulette;
• square;
• pliers;
• a hammer;
• hydro level.

Photo Gallery: Shelf Crafting Tools

It is important to adhere to the dimensions according to the drawing so that the structure is stable and reliable. Circular saw is used to cut sawn timber The hydraulic level with a long hose length will help to control the horizontal and verticality of the fastening of the parts. Holes for fasteners are drilled with a drill An electric planer will help to achieve the required roughness of wooden parts Pliers, square, hammer - tools required for most construction and repair work Using a grinder, the metal corner is cut into parts according to the drawing of the shelf Use a jointer to bring the timber to perfect condition.

Shelf assembly

When the drawings and materials are ready, we get to work:

1. We cut all the harvested lumber and the corner into parts according to the drawing using an electric saw and a grinder.
2. We mount the frame on the corners with self-tapping screws.
3. We process the frame and floorboards with impregnation, let them dry.

   The assembled frame must be treated with impregnation

4. We assemble the flooring, cut it exactly to size. We drill holes in boards and supports.
5. We trim the frame with a linden board according to the drawing using wooden pins. If this is not possible, then the caps of the self-tapping screws must be buried in the board, then closing the holes with wooden plugs, otherwise, during the operation of the furniture, you can get burns.
6. On the legs of the frame, you need to strengthen rubber anti-slip pads. Our shelves are ready.

Video: how to make a simple sauna shelf

Headrest making

These products usually lie on the lower tier or in the dressing room. They are taken with them to the bathhouse and placed under the head like a pillow, and they should not be hot at this moment. The headrests are made from different materials and differ in shape.

Photo gallery: types of headrests for a bath

Anatomical elastic headrest is comfortable for a person Headrests are most often made from linden wood The simplest oak headrest is easy to make yourself Anatomical headrest allows you to lie in the bath with your head elevated A funny pine headrest will make your sauna even more pleasant The use of a cedar massage headrest will help to enhance the beneficial effect of bath procedures. For comfortable lying in the bath, you can use a bamboo wicker headrest

The choice of material and design of the headrest

For headrests, it is better to choose linden - cheap, easy-to-work and high-quality material. Even a beginner will be able to make a lightweight, convenient in shape and easy-to-manufacture model with his own hands. The most difficult action will be cutting curved surfaces with a jigsaw.

The dimensions should be such that the product fits on the shelf with a margin, is small and convenient for placing under the head, for example, 340x353 mm.

Table: headrest materials

Step-by-step instructions for assembling the headrest

For work, you will need the same tools as for making the shelf.

1. We draw the side supports on the scraps of the board and cut them out with a jigsaw according to the scheme.
2. We fix them in a clamp, process them with grinding wheels until they are completely smooth.
3. We cover with impregnation for shelves and walls and dry.
4. Then we cut the planks and process their edges. We also cover them with impregnation for shelves and walls and dry them.

   The planks also need to be coated with shelf and wall impregnation and dried.

5. We prepare the pins. We count and check for smoothness.
6. We make blind holes with a diameter of 6 mm on the underside of the planks with a wood drill.
7. Trying on the strips to the support. We drill the same holes on the upper side of the supports according to the diagram, but not through and through.
8. We insert the pins there, knock them in with a hammer. They must forcefully enter and sit tight.
9. We connect the strips with support on the pins. We start with the center plank to set the correct distance. We knock them on top with a felt hammer so as not to damage the appearance of the tree, or with an ordinary hammer through a rag.
10. The headrest is ready. The connections will not be visible from either the top or bottom.

How to make a bath bench

In the dressing room, you need a complete set of furniture, including benches and benches for sitting and relaxing. But in the bath they have two specific functions: they are used as a lower tier or for sitting next to a shelf. It is very convenient to keep gangs and brooms on the bench.

Photo gallery: product design and drawing

It is not difficult to make a concave bench for a bath yourself The bench frame is easier to make than to make shelves Not the easiest, but interesting version of the bench - a design with a concave seat

Tools and materials

The tools are the same as for the previous products. Additionally, you will need a flexible ruler to draw a curve on the seat supports. The principles of manufacturing and subsequent processing of materials are also the same.

Table: materials for the bench

Name	Size, mm	Quantity
Pine timber for legs.	100x100x3000	1 PC.
Pine board for sitting.	25x100x3000	5 pieces.
Self-tapping screws for wood.	50	1 kg
Wooden plugs for self-tapping screws.	Diameter 10	Not less than 10 pcs.
Impregnation for wood waterproof and pyro-protective oil ecological.	According to the specified consumption per m2

Manufacturing procedure

We start working immediately after preparing all the materials.

1. We cut boards and beams according to the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
2. We draw a curve on all the supports for the seat: we retreat on them from the lower edge of the board 75 mm from the edge and 45 mm in the middle, connect the curve using a flexible plastic ruler.
3. We cut out the supports with a jigsaw.
4. We remove chamfers on boards intended for the seat, lower side bars and a bar.
5. We process all the details with a grinding wheel using a drill.
6. We collect the seat box. We recessed all the screws.
7. We insert the rest of the supports into it and fix them.
8. We mount boards on all six supports. Do not forget to drill holes for deep embedding of the screw caps into the seat. We close the holes with wooden plugs.
9. Then we put legs from a bar into the resulting structure and fix it with self-tapping screws.
10. We strengthen them with lower tsars from four sides, recessed screws. We make it easier for ourselves by placing a piece of wood under each side. The bench is ready.

Video: do-it-yourself bath bench

Admirers of an ecological lifestyle assure that wooden surfaces in the bath are not only unnecessary to be processed, but also harmful: impregnation, paints and varnishes when heated give a pungent chemical smell and emit harmful volatile substances. This is true if you use the usual means. But if you leave the tree in its original form, after a while furniture, headrests, wall and ceiling cladding will darken, become porous, dirt will eat into them, and fungus will grow in micropores and cracks.

In village baths, they used to look after the tree in the same way as the floors in the hut: they regularly scraped with a knife, removing the top, dirty layer. But this is a very time-consuming task that does not give a full-fledged result.

For the modern busy person who does not want to use impregnation, there are only two ways:

If you don't want to treat wood with special impregnations, every two to three years you will have to completely change the cladding of furniture, walls and ceilings.

Application of impregnations

The only full-fledged solution is to use modern compounds that can withstand high temperatures and humidity without harm to humans, even at the construction stage, and protect against fungus and rot. They are different. Those that are suitable for the ceiling may not always be used for furniture.

A lot of such products are produced by manufacturers of varnishes and paints - Senezh, Rogneda, Dulux, Tikkurila, etc. They are of two types: for surfaces that we do not touch with the body (ceiling) and others. The requirements for the latter are much higher, since they should not form a scalding varnish film. For bathroom furniture, agents with water-repellent natural substances (paraffin, wax, oil) are used, which perfectly protect the furniture and are harmless to humans.

Table: purpose and features of impregnation for wood

Name	Manufacturer	The foundation	View	Appointment
Supi laudesuoja	Tikkurila	Oil	Oil	Furniture, walls.
Sauna Natura	Teknos	Oil	Jelly-like consistency	Furniture, walls.
Eurotex Sauna	"Rogneda"	Oil	Aqualak	Furniture, walls.
Supi saunavaha	Tikkurila	Oil	Universal composition	Furniture, ceiling, walls, doors, floor.
Dulux Celco Sauna	Akzo Nobel, Dulux	Varnish	Protective varnish	Ceiling, doors, floor.
Elcon Sauna	Elcon	Silicone	Impregnation	Ceiling, doors, floor.

Specificity of applying protective compounds

The selected product must be used correctly.

1. The first application is carried out immediately after the manufacture of furniture on a dry and clean surface or even on wooden blanks.
2. Spread the product evenly with a sponge, soft cloth or brush. Due to the thick consistency, the spray gun will not work.
3. After the first layer has dried, those places that will be exposed to maximum stress - seats, head restraints, walls in the shelf area - need to be processed again.
The habitable dressing room makes the bath cozy Furniture for a simple rustic log bathhouse is easy to make with your own hands A large bathhouse for a lot of people is equipped with three-tier shelves Curved lines make bathroom furniture stylish and original For convenience, you can equip the shelves with lighting Polati in the Russian bath can be made of any width

You can make bath furniture with your own hands. The described recommendations and instructions will make the process quick and easy.

When building a sauna with your own hands, without using the service of professional builders of saunas and baths, you may be faced with the question: "But how to assemble a structure under the shelves ?!" After all, sunbeds must be durable and reliable, withstand a lot of weight.

We recommend using planed, dry material for the construction.
Shelves, and this is exactly the material on which they sit or lie, choose from the correct types of wood: cedar, linden, abash. Why exactly are they?
The wood of these species has a low thermal conductivity, thanks to which you and your guests will feel comfortable in the sauna without burning your body against the boards. Fasten the shelves with self-tapping screws in a hidden way, from the inside. We do not recommend using nails for collection, yet they are not strong enough and in the future it will be more difficult to disassemble the structure, and you may need this when replacing the shelves.

Required tools and fasteners

You will need the following tool:

1. Roulette.
2. Level.
3. Square.
4. Hacksaw for wood.
5. Cordless screwdriver with cross bits.
6. Electric drill.
7. A set of drills for wood.
8. Crosshead screwdriver.
9. Wooden hammer (mallet).
10. A hammer.
11. Pencil and ruler.
12. Abrasive paper for coarse and fine finishing.
13. Self-tapping screws "Chipboard" for wood 4.0x40,4.5x70, 5.0x90.

Below is the frame of the shelves with digital signage corresponding to the assembly order.

1. We make markings for the rear pillars 1 and securely fix them to the walls of the steam room. We pre-fix rubber gaskets in the lower ends of the racks.
2. We make preliminary installation of the upper beams 3 and 4, fixing them to the posts 1 and the walls of the steam room.
3. We lightly screw the upper side beams 5 and 6 to the rear pillars 1 and the upper wall beams 3 and 4.
4. Holding the front outer pillars 2, we fix the side beams 5 and 6 to them.
5. We install the front support beams 7 and 8, we assemble the upper frame.
6. Using a level, a square and a tape measure, we take measurements of the frame, set right angles and its horizontal level. We bait self-tapping screws.
7. Similarly, we assemble the lower frames from structural elements 9-15.
8. We check the correctness of the assembly of the frame of the shelves, finally we expose all the elements, maintaining the required dimensions, angles, horizontals and verticals.
9. We fix the jumpers 16, 17 from 18.
10. We tighten all the screws all the way.

The design of the shelf and its dimensions depend on the area of ​​the steam room. With high ceilings, three tiers of seating can be performed. For comfortable vaping, the distance from the uppermost shelf to the ceiling should be 30-40 cm from the head of a seated person.

We devote this page entirely to the analysis of a single practical question: what dimensions should we make in the baths? And, as usual, we will not be able to give you universal numbers, because the dimensions of the shelves in the bath usually depend on three things: the type of bath, its size and, say, the height of the bather. But knowledge of the patterns is enough to select the optimal dimensions for a particular steam room.

Listen to the article

About terminology

However, you will have to start by clarifying exactly how the places for sitting and lying in the steam room are called. In the singular we say “shelves”, not “canopy” and not “shelf”, but in the plural we say “shelves” (emphasis on “and” - regiment), not “shelves” and not “canopy”.

IMPORTANT! What do you call a yacht ... Google will give you such an answer to your request. Ask illiterate - get materials written by illiterate people who, most likely, do not understand the subject at all.

Differences for Russian baths and saunas

We have said so many times that in any national bath everything is thought out to the smallest detail, more precisely, that there are no trifles at all. Temperature, humidity, air exchange rate- the quantities are so strongly related to each other that a change in one leads to a violation of conditions as a whole. How are the shelves related to this?

Yes, directly. At different heights from the floor, the temperature will be different, under the very ceiling - the hottest, the hottest air and steam from stones accumulate there, if the owner practices a Russian bath. But do you need to make shelves under the ceiling? But to whom how - the Finns will be in the subject, but the Russians have no need.

Therefore, the way it should be the height of the benches in the bath depends on their number, and the quantity depends on whether it is a bath or a sauna.

The simplest option is when the dimensions of the shelves in the steam room of a Russian bath are determined by their single-tier arrangement, that is, these are one or two loungers (the latter is possible only in a spacious steam room), on which it is convenient to lie down in full growth, and this is somewhere 2.0-2.2 m with shelves 90 cm wide and 75-90 cm high from the floor.

ATTENTION! The height of the shelves in the bath from the floor when choosing a single-tier option is determined either as the height of the upper edge of the stove + 10 cm, or according to the height of the bath attendant, who will most often steam - measured from the knuckle of the thumb to the floor.

This shelf may be accompanied by a movable footstool, which has a height of, say, 40-45 cm, that is, about half the height of the shelf. With such a bench, the structure becomes conditionally two-tier, because it allows those who wish to sit on the bench as on the lower tier.

In general, from what has been said it is clear that For a Russian bath, the most important thing is to have a reclining place, convenient for the soaring and steaming.

The steam room itself should be arranged in such a way that the steaming broom freely picks up the steam accumulated under the ceiling and lowers it onto the body of the steamer.

Maybe, if the ceiling is high make the structure two-tier, that is, so that the bather with a broom stands on the lower tier (in the structure described above, he stands on the floor).

Sauna differs from the Russian bath in the high (90-100 degrees) temperature of dry air (humidity 5-15%), which is the main means of heating the body - in the Russian bath it is heated with steam ... People come to the sauna to sweat. And it happens better where there is less humidity and higher temperature, that is higher from the floor.

BY THE WAY! It is better to sweat while sitting, so the Finnish shelves are narrow and three-tiered.

In general, it is clear that Russian shelves are wide and with minimal tiers, and Finnish ones are narrow and up to the ceiling 🙂

What are the optimal sizes they should be in a Russian steam room and a Finnish sauna?

If you yourself have decided what type of steam room you have, and want to know what are the optimal dimensions of the shelf in a bath of this type, then for you we have divided the information for baths and saunas.

Height in the steam room of the Russian bath

Above, we have already said a little about the fact that for a single-tier shelf, the optimal height is 75-90 cm... Two conventional tiers are obtained by adding a mobile bench. But much more often the choice is stopped on a stationary structure consisting of two tiers.

For clarity of the description, we suggest considering the picture below:

You can see rather narrow shelves in the bath, the height of which differs from the one recommended above: top 95 cm, bottom 40 cm... The steamer has two options here - either to stand behind the lower shelf and steer the one lying on the upper without approaching, or stand with your feet on the lower shelf in order to get closer to the steamed one. Well, it's hard to say if it will be convenient for everyone. And 70 cm is, however, neither ours nor yours - you will have to sit more deviated, lie - a little more comfortable than 60 cm 🙂

IMPORTANT! Still, we insist that the height of the benches in the bathhouse in the steam room should have an anatomical correspondence to people who most often steam others. That is, do it to the knuckles of his hand.

What should be the height in the sauna

But here there is much more freedom in choosing the height of the shelves: the dimensions are determined only by the comfort of the seat, and ergonomically, this value is determined by measuring the distance from the floor to the bend of the leg of a seated person.

Thus, you can first take measurements, say, for adult family members, then decide whether this will be the maximum value or the arithmetic mean, and then simply make the desired number of tiers with a step by the selected value.

Example: if you get a figure in the area 45 cm, then the first shelf will be 45 cm, second 90, the third 135. However, doubts arise about the third: it is worth taking into account the advice that it would be nice to keep the distance from the ceiling to the upper shelf 120 cm or so. But then we will have a ceiling 135+120=255 cm, and this is not applicable to all saunas.

Well, 220 cm - this is a more real ceiling.

What width should be in the bath

This is not an idle question either. because it matters how far behind the back is the support- in one case, we sit comfortably, in the other - the angle of inclination of the body is no longer what we need.

For those who are lying down, the width of the shelves in the steam room is also of great importance - when the shelves are wide, there are no problems, and when it is too narrow, it turns out that there is nowhere to put your hands.

Therefore, what the width of the shelf in the bath should be, again, depends on the main use of the shelf - lying or sitting.

Since here we are talking about a Russian bath, for a shelf in a bath, the optimal size in width will be 90 cm.

IMPORTANT! At the same time, it should be understood that you cannot sit leaning back, with such a width. A possible sitting position is either by pulling up the legs on the shelves, or reclining with support on the back.

Sauna steam room width

In the sauna, it is enough to make shelves in the bath with a width of 40 cm for sitting with a straight back or 60 cm for a comfortable reclining seat.

IMPORTANT! Those who make the dimensions of the shelves in the steam room of the bath the same as mentioned above will not be able to steam on them while lying down. Therefore, this option can only be recommended to lovers of a classic sauna, or to those who soar themselves, sitting on a shelf.

Length

It goes without saying that the main determinant of length is the size of the particular steam room. Most often, owners do construction from one wall to another using the walls as an attachment point for the support bar. The latter is not considered correct, but it is practiced quite often (the danger lies in the decay of the contact point).

However, in fact, there is also a choice in length. Pay attention to the picture below: it shows dimensions that can be interpreted as the relationship between body position and shelf length.

Distance between shelves of different designs

There is one on our website, which describes in detail what kind of shelf designs can be used in the bath. Here we will restrict ourselves to telling briefly about the principle of the device of a particular design, and how it affects the occupied space.

Corner

By placing the shelves in the shape of the letter L, you can more rational use of the space of a small steam room... This corner design is suitable for both baths and saunas.

The length of each shoulder can vary as desired, but a fairly common option is one where the long side is a full-fledged lounger, where you can stretch to full height, while the short side is a more compact place where you can sit half-sitting. However, it all depends on the size of the steam room - the short side is also often pulled from wall to wall.

If at the same time there is a desire to make a reclining place on the short side, then it is worth considering option with footrest which allows you to draw them out. The options are shown in the picture above.

How are the tiers of the corner benches for the baths arranged? There are no fundamental differences in the device of the corner shelf from the direct one. All recommendations for length and width given above apply to it.... The distance between the shelves is calculated here only vertically. You need to focus on the height from the popliteal fold to the floor - this is the distance between the tiers.

Direct

In this case, a parallel arrangement of benches along two walls is assumed (variation is a U-shaped construct). Such a choice is possible only in sufficiently spacious steam rooms, if an arrangement in two or three tiers is also assumed. However, the single-tier version is also suitable for a medium-sized steam room.

The distance between two shelves at opposite walls will depend both on the length of the wall separating them and on how wide each of them is. But during the design, it should be assumed that the space between the shelves should be sufficient. to move two people... This is a quantity of the order of 80 cm.

Folding and removable

The hinged design does not differ in size from the stationary one. It's just way to save space, or freeing it for cleaning.

It is worth noting that the choice of it removes the restrictions for steam rooms with a minimum area. Of course, in this case, the wide shelf should be made folding upwards, if there is still a tier under it.

Removable ones differ from folding ones in that only the flooring is removed - this is done for the convenience of drying and cleaning. But the frame is often made stationary, so there is no reduction in the occupied space. The dimensions of this variety, again, will depend on the area of ​​the room and the type of bath.

Retractable and movable

In the article mentioned above, we already talked about the fact that creating a convenient retractable structure in a bath is quite problematic due to the tendency of the tree to swell (if guides are made from it). In this regard we tended to prefer movable benches, which can be used as the lower tier, and the rest of the time stored pushed under the upper shelf.

Height benches can range from 20 cm (they are usually used as a riser or footrest) to a standard height 40-50 cm like a normal seat. The width is still the same - 40-60 cm (no more, because it is unlikely to be used as a sunbed). The length is arbitrary, the maximum is slightly less than the top tier, so that you can easily slide under it.

For those interested in self-manufacturing and protection

Now that we have figured out what sizes are the shelves in the bath, it is worth mentioning that on our website you can read other materials, with drawings and instructions, in which we cover the following topics in detail:

• on how to make shelves yourself (to be written).

Useful video

Finally, we suggest watching a video, which dynamically tells about everything related to correct shelves Along the way, mentioning the most common mistakes when implementing them:

That's all for now. Write, if you have any questions, comment - we are pleased to receive responses, but we will still try to accumulate for you the most useful information about everything related to the bath.

In contact with

What does a person who enters the steam room see, in addition to the beautiful decoration, correctly assembled by the attentive and economic owner of the bath? First of all, his attention is presented to the stove, which is the "heart" of any steam room, as well as shelves on which one can comfortably (or not very well, if something is done wrong) to sit down during the bath procedures. It is the last point of the above list that will be discussed below.

For an uninformed person, the shelves in the bathhouse represent an elementary structure, consisting of 1-3 wooden benches. In practice, everything is much more serious and interesting. Did you know that different materials can be used to make shelves? At the same time, the configuration and dimensions of the structures may also differ. You are invited to familiarize yourself with all the mentioned nuances, as well as instructions for self-production of shelves for a bath, while studying the information below.

First of all, you need to pay maximum attention to the choice of material for the manufacture of bath shelves. In the process of determining the optimal option, it is necessary to take into account the extreme temperature and moisture conditions in which it will be used. Traditionally, shelves are made of wood - the use of any kind of synthetic materials should be completely excluded.

It is also important to understand the fact that not every type of wood is equally well suited for the manufacture of the considered elements of the bath environment. You can use only those materials that fully comply with the following requirements:

• have low thermal conductivity;
• do not contain resins or include them in a minimum amount;
• are characterized by high fiber density;
• normally tolerate operation in conditions of high humidity and temperature extremes.

For a long time in Russia, bath benches were made of aspen and linden wood, sometimes poplar and birch were used for this. Relatively recently, the list of suitable materials was replenished by a guest from distant Africa - an abashi tree. The listed materials fully comply with the above-mentioned requirements for wood suitable for the manufacture of sauna shelves. Moreover, each of them has both a set of strengths and weaknesses.

Important! It is impossible to make shelves from coniferous wood - the resin released when heated is unlikely to give a pleasant sensation to the visitors of the bath.

You can find information on the most commonly used materials for the manufacture of bath shelves in the following table.

Table. Materials for the manufacture of shelves in the bath

Material	Description
	Almost perfect material: - there are practically no knots; - processing is easy and fast; - the material heats up slowly and dries quickly; - wood does not crack; - no unsightly sweat marks remain on the surface of the finish; - in the process of heating the wood gives off a pleasant light odor; - the material has been famous for its healing properties since ancient times; - linden is relatively inexpensive. Many advantages and only one disadvantage - a fairly rapid darkening in the temperature and humidity conditions of the steam room - make linden wood an excellent material for the manufacture of bath shelves.
	Aspen is the most budgetary representative of the category of materials, the properties of which allow them to be used in the temperature and humidity conditions of the steam room. In addition, aspen is famous for its rather serious durability, insignificant inclusion of knots, as well as its amazing ability to absorb all negative energy, "cleansing" a person and improving his well-being. There are no complaints about the appearance of aspen - the material is quite attractive. Along with this, a huge nuisance characteristic of aspen can be hidden under the beautiful "cover" - the material is prone to rotting from the inside. If you decide to make aspen bath shelves, if possible, be sure to saw at least a couple of boards from the batch in order to check the material for the mentioned flaw.
	The abasha tree grows in hot and humid climates. The origin of the material allows him to “feel” perfectly in the conditions typical for a steam room. Abashi firmly endures operation in the temperature and humidity conditions of the bath, retaining its original characteristics and appearance for the longest possible time. At the same time, the external properties of abasha are at a height - the material is presented in the widest variety of shades, from yellowish to pleasant cream. The subjective disadvantage of this wood is only its high cost when compared with the options discussed above.

In addition to choosing the material for the manufacture of bath shelves, it is also necessary to select the optimal composition that will ensure the longest possible service life of the wood, reducing the intensity of the detrimental effect of high humidity and extreme temperature changes on it.

The conditions typical for the bath make it impossible to use the usual drying oil and oil paints as protective compounds - such materials, firstly, will not be able to ensure the safety of wood in the steam room, and secondly, when heated, they will emit substances and compounds harmful to human health.

The best option is to use special oil-based impregnations. After applying such, the surface of the wood is covered with a kind of protective film that is resistant to high temperatures and excessive moisture and is harmless to humans.

Wood impregnation prices

impregnation for wood

Video - Protection of wood in the bath

Sauna shelves design

According to the principle of use, the bath shelf is a regular bench, a wide comfortable seat, assembled and installed in the steam room in compliance with the provisions of the relevant technology.

The main structural elements of the bath shelves are, firstly, the frame, and secondly, the flooring.

The frame serves as a kind of support, the base to which the boards of the stationary flooring are attached or the construction of a disassembled flooring system is carried out. For the manufacture of the frame, a wooden beam is used, the section of which is selected individually, taking into account the characteristics of the system being equipped and the expected value of the loads (most often material is used with dimensions of 5x5 cm).

The support legs are installed in a vertical position and are held together with crossbars - this is the most popular method. There is also a method for arranging a frame like a stair stringer. And an even more rarely used option for the device of bath shelves is their installation in accordance with Finnish technology, when choosing which the frame is fixed without supports, and the seats and loungers look like a shelf attached to the wall, similar to those found in train carriages.

Diagrams of existing frame structures for bath shelves are presented in the following images.

For the construction of the flooring, boards of aspen or linden are usually used, if there is a sufficient budget and desire, from abasha. Boards are packed with 10-20mm gaps.

Important! The elements of the flooring must be carefully polished, at least from the front side and ends, so that the visitors of the bath do not get hurt and do not drive splinters.

There are 2 main options for flooring:

• stationary, in which the boards are attached to the frame with nails / screws or other suitable fasteners;
• removable - boards are assembled into separate elements, laid on top of the frame without ensuring constant fastening to it.

The main advantage of the second option is that it becomes possible to remove the flooring from the bath and ventilate it outside the premises.

If preference is given to a stationary flooring, the fastening of the elements must be carried out in compliance with the important requirements listed below:

• it is preferable to fix the boards with wooden nails or pins. In the case of using self-tapping screws, they must either be equipped from the inside of the flooring, or buried in the material by 1-2 mm;
• boards are fastened with gaps of 10 mm or more to ensure effective air circulation inside the structure and exclude the likelihood of its destruction due to rotting and other problems that arise in unventilated places with high humidity;

  

  The gap between the boards is 10 mm

  

• the thickness of the boards is selected in accordance with their width: it is optimal when the first indicator is 4 times less than the second;
• all the surfaces of the boards with which the visitor of the bath can come into contact are carefully sanded, and sharp edges and corners are rounded;

  

  The corners of the material for the manufacture of shelves are chamfered or rounded

• sitting / lying boards can be placed longitudinally and transversely with respect to the adjoining wall, backs - longitudinally.

  
  
  

Edged boards prices

edged boards

Sizes and shapes of shelves

In the process of designing shelves for a bath, it is necessary to adhere to established standards and correctly observe the key linear parameters. The values ​​recommended below will allow you to get the most comfortable shelves in use, organically fit into the space of even a small steam room.

Regarding the width of the shelf, the following variations are the most popular:

• 40 cm is a rather narrow seat, the use of which will be advisable in a small steam room. If there is sufficient space, it is recommended to give preference to more impressive values;
• 60 cm - medium shelf;
• 90 cm is a standard and very convenient option. On such a shelf, you can sit comfortably with your legs bent;
• 150 cm - a wide shelf that allows you not only to sit, but also to lie with your legs bent.

If there is sufficient space in the steam room, the size of the shelves can be increased at your discretion.

The width of the top row of shelves - 70 cm allows one person to lie comfortably on the shelf
The width of the lower row of benches in the sauna is 50 cm

The side shelves serve as a support for bowls, basins or for placing in the steam room in a sitting position. Side shelves width - 40 cm

More detailed information regarding the dimensions of the constituent elements of the bath shelves is consecrated in the following image.

With regard to the installation height of the elements, the recommendations are as follows:

• 1.1-1.2 m - professionals advise trying to maintain this distance between the lower step and the second shelf;
• 40-60 cm - the optimal gap between the 1st and 2nd shelves;
• 20 cm - this distance between the floor surface and the lower step is the minimum allowable;
• 1.5-1.8 m is the minimum recommended shelf length.

The following image shows schematically the recommended shelf sizes and distances between different surfaces and elements.

Additionally, bath shelves are classified according to their design features. There are 3 main options, each of which you can see in the following table.

Table. Sauna shelves configuration options

A variety of shelves for a bath	Description
	More common than others. With this design, the shelves are mounted on one wall and are arranged in steps. In this case, on the lower shelf it will be the most "cold", and on the upper shelf it will be hottest - the heated air masses, as you know, are displaced by cold air and rush upward.
	The best option for saving and making the most of the available space. The shelves are arranged in such a way that the upper and lower of them are adjacent to one wall, and the intermediate part of the structure is arranged on an adjacent wall.
	Arrangement of shelves of this configuration allows you to save some space in the steam room. The principle is simple: if it is not needed, the upper tier rises to the wall, like a shelf in a train compartment, and if it becomes necessary to use it, it just as easily lowers back.

The simplest design - straight shelves in several tiers (in this example there are 2 of them, you can do less or more, taking the same guide as a basis) are installed along the wall. As an example, a steam room with a 3 m long wall is taken - one of the most common options. If in your case the length of the wall along which the shelves are installed does not coincide with the one indicated as an example, the differences from the instructions given will consist only in the required amount of raw materials and frame racks.

In order for the erected shelves to be as convenient as possible, a number of important requirements must be met in the process of their design.

Firstly, the seat of the lower tier should rise above the floor level by at least 0.6 m. With more modest indicators, spending time on such a shelf can hardly be called comfortable.

Secondly, the width of the shelves should not be less than 400 mm. If possible, it is better to completely focus on the 600 mm indicator as the minimum. In general, this moment is directly determined by the overall dimensions of the paired room, the available space and the preferences of the owner.

Thirdly, between the seat of the upper tier and the ceiling of the bath, a gap of at least 1.1-1.2 m must be left, otherwise the visitor of the steam room will rest against the overlap with his head, which is not particularly convenient.

To assemble the shelves in a steam room of the sizes mentioned, you will need about 40 m. Of timber with dimensions of 5x5 cm (as much as possible), from which you will make a frame, and approximately as many boards for finishing plating. The optimal dimensions of the boards are as follows: width - 120 mm, thickness - about 30-40 mm.

The process of construction of bath shelves consists of 2 key stages: installation of the frame and arrangement of the flooring. The order of these events can be found in the following table.

Table. The procedure for arranging two-tier bath shelves

Stage of work	Description
	In this example, a two-tier structure is being built. The work is performed in the following sequence: - the frame of the upper tier is being manufactured. To do this, 12 workpieces with a length of 120 cm are cut from a bar. You also need to make 6 workpieces with a length of 60 cm. By connecting the long vertical supports at the top with horizontal jumpers, we get U-shaped racks in the amount of 6 pieces. Their height will be 1.2 m; - we fix the resulting racks on the wall surface with a step of 60 cm. Wood screws are well suited for fastening, while fixing it through wood corks - the presence of such will exclude the possibility of moisture accumulation between the racks and the bath wall. If this rule is not followed, the wood will rot very quickly and the shelves will become unusable; - to make the structure more reliable and rigid, we fasten the far free corners of the frame with a long bar. In this example, the wall has a length of 300 cm, we take the appropriate timber. For fastening wooden elements, we use self-tapping screws or other suitable fasteners; - we are starting to manufacture the frame of the lower bath shelf. To do this, we take a bar and cut it into 6 elements 60 cm long (they will take over the functions of vertical supports) and a similar number of workpieces 120 cm long (will be used as horizontal beams). We fasten the prepared blanks into elements in the form of the letter G, following the above recommendations. Vertical racks should rest against the floor of the steam room. For greater stability, the far free corners of the lower tier of the frame are also fastened with a 3-meter bar. As a result, we got a frame for shelves 3 m long and 60 cm wide.
	Recommendations regarding the selection of the optimal cladding material have been given earlier. Having chosen the wood that is ideal for us, we proceed to the sheathing of the frame. To do this, we prepare the required number of sheathing elements with a length of slightly less than 3 m (about 20-30 mm must be left for the air gap between the walls of the bath and the sheathing of the frame). We sew in turn both the horizontal surfaces of the frame and the gaps between the shelves. It is recommended to use wooden pins for fastening, for example, oak wood. The disadvantage of fastening with screws / nails is that in the conditions of the bath, the metal will heat up quite strongly, and this can lead to burns among the visitors of the steam room. If the use of metal fasteners is the only possible option, their heads must be sunk into the wood by 2-3 mm, and the resulting grooves must be masked with wooden plugs. It is also recommended to leave gaps between the floorboards - centimeter gaps will be sufficient.

Timber prices

Video - Simple do-it-yourself bath shelves

Corner bath benches are constructed in a similar sequence. In fact, when erecting a corner structure, the shelves are simply mounted on two adjacent walls and neatly joined at the corners. To ensure greater reliability and rigidity of the structure, an additional corner support should be installed.

The main feature of the "Finnish" shelves, as noted, is the absence of vertical support legs. The manufacturing technology of the structure is reduced to the assembly of the seat / lounger frame with its subsequent placement on the support frames, pre-attached to the walls of the steam room, and the sheathing.

Recommendations regarding the fasteners used and the necessary clearances remain similar to the previous instructions: where possible - wooden pins, where not - self-tapping screws with a head buried in the wood and installing decorative plugs, gaps - 20-30 mm between the ends of the shelves and walls, 10 mm - between the elements flooring.

Rice. 41. Part of shelves 1 - external screw (brass screws M5-M6 with a semicircular head can be used) Fig. 42. Fastening of shelves located at two walls of the steam room The figure shows the insulation of the steam room, steam room

For the manufacture of supporting beds, it is recommended to use a wooden beam with an increased cross-section, for example, 10x10 cm. A little material will be needed (the length of the bed is determined in accordance with the planned width of the shelf), so you will not incur significant costs for its purchase. The frame can be made from 5x5 cm bars (preferably 10x5 cm) or boards with similar parameters.

Let's get to work.

First step. We measure the length of the wall along which the shelves will be mounted. This will allow us to determine the required length of the frame. Do not forget to subtract 20-30 mm from the obtained value to ensure the gap between the shelves and the walls (a better option is to ensure this gap by laying a smaller amount of sheathing, as in the previous instructions).

We have already determined the length of the product. We select the width ourselves, taking into account the size of the steam room and personal preferences. The width indicator directly depends on how much space will be available to the visitor of the bath for sitting / lying. In the corners we fasten the frame with metal corners and tighten it with bolts / self-tapping screws. It is better to do this from within the structure. We also install intermediate transverse slats from the same timber. The recommended pitch of the cross bars is 50-60 cm.

After assembly, make sure that the frame fits into the available space.

Second step. We fix the supporting frames on the wall with a length corresponding to the width of the shelves to be equipped. Our task is reduced to fixing 2 wooden blocks at the same height. We are convinced of the evenness of fixing the beds with the help of a building level.

We use screws / self-tapping screws to fix the supports. Fastening is carried out at 2-3 points. The last moment depends on the size of the bed - the longer it is, the more fasteners should be. The recommended spacing of the fixing elements is no more than 40 cm.

We fix the lower beds with a ledge in relation to the upper ones. The length of the overhang should match the planned width of the bottom flange.

To provide the necessary ventilation gaps, we put thin plywood strips on the outside of the bed.

Third step. At this stage, our task is reduced to laying the assembled frames on the support frames. To ensure greater reliability and rigidity of the structure, we additionally attach the frames to the wall using screws / self-tapping screws.

Fourth step. We equip the flooring. The boards can be fixed both longitudinally and perpendicularly to the frame of the structure. Recommendations regarding the fasteners used and the gap between the boards have been given earlier.

In this example, the master cuts the finished flooring into elements of the required dimensions. If you wish, you can buy the same one - this moment is completely at your discretion.

We also sew up the space between the lower and upper shelf.

Fifth step. We mount the backrest over the top shelf. To do this, we can use either a ready-made corresponding product, or we can build a backrest ourselves, nailing vertical slats up to 1-2 cm thick to the wall in increments of 40-50 cm, and then fixing the boards on them.

The shelves are ready.

Video - Finnish bath shelves

Useful advice! Taking the same technology as a basis, you can make a sliding shelf. The only difference is that the upper shelf in this case is not placed on a stationary bed, but is mounted by means of a folding bracket capable of withstanding the forthcoming loads.

Now you know what bath shelves can be and how to assemble these products on your own. Choose the option you like and get down to work, following the provisions of the corresponding instructions.

Video - Shelves for a bath with your own hands drawings