Today, a real Russian bath is considered not only a luxury and a tribute to fashion, but also an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. The design for bath procedures can be made of any building material, but it can only become a real health resort from wooden products. The log baths are the classic embodiment of the true Russian tradition, where you can not only relax, but also get a real boost of vitality and health.
Features and advantages of a bath from a log
Today there are many projects of baths from a log, and the price of construction primarily depends on the building material. When building log houses for baths, debarked or rounded logs can be used. The first option is presented by products in which there is no top layer, but the structure is not broken. This is a more durable material. The surface of the rounded logs is leveled to a certain size along the entire length of the factory.
The construction of the bath of logs has a number of advantages:
- walls made of logs easily allow air and steam to pass through, leaving the room warm and unique wood aroma for a long time;
- in the composition of wood there are natural resins, which have a tonic and therapeutic effect for the human body;
- due to the low weight of the logs, there is no need to build a massive foundation;
- log cabin due to the natural layer of the subcortex does not accumulate moisture, does not succumb to rotting, mold and insect damage;
- a log house is a natural, healing and environmentally friendly material that allows the walls of the bath to “breathe”;
- The process of building a bath from a log is quite quick and easy, which has become possible due to high-quality processing of products and fitting them to the required dimensions;
- due to the fact that well-fitted products fit snugly together during the construction of the bath, leaving no significant gaps, the maximum heat retention inside the room is ensured, which saves energy;
- using rounded logs, you can embody any architectural project.
Log baths have disadvantages. However, they are directly dependent on the approach to construction. To build a bath of logs should be exclusively from dried wood. If the products are raw, they will shrink with time, which will cause longitudinal cracks. The construction of a bath from a rounded log should be carried out by a specialist in this field in order to finally get a strong and durable structure with all the above advantages.
For the construction of the bath of logs mainly used pine or spruce, at least – aspen, linden and alder.
Due to the presence of a large amount of resin, pine can not be rotting, cracking during drying. It is easy to handle. The trunk of adult pines is almost even along the entire length, and the branches are located only at the top. Two types of pine are used for construction: resin and a dry saw. The first option is used for the construction of the lower rims, and the second – for the upper.
Spruce? more difficult breed in processing thanks to the knotty. It is not recommended to use for self-construction of the bath. Also, aspen is often used for logs, which grows today in sufficient quantities and resists well the effects of moisture. However, you should choose copies no older than 45 years, in which there is a low probability of decay of the core.
Well-proven linden. However, it is rare and expensive. Often oak is used for lower rims, which is not afraid of moisture and protects this area of the bath from rotting. But this is a very expensive material, and without proper experience in building it is impractical to use. This can lead to significant losses. In this case, it is better to order a turnkey bath from a rounded log.
Helpful advice! For the bath, it is better to choose rounded logs from coniferous wood growing in the northern part. Products have a more dense structure and do not change their natural properties from the increase in humidity and temperature difference.
Log preparation is carried out in the winter months, which allows to obtain the most moisture-resistant building material. The logs are felled, the bark of them is hewn and the branches are chopped with an ax or struga. At this stage, the material is rejected. Products with a high density, with a diameter of at least 25 cm are selected. Logs cannot be used for construction:
- with unnatural color and stains on the cut;
- having too large a core;
- curves or with a sharp thickening;
- knotty with cavities in the locations of the knots.
Rounded logs are manufactured in the factory. The product is aligned in diameter and length. The entire surface of the wood is impregnated with an antiseptic to protect the product from rotting, and the cuts are treated with a special compound.
Rounded logs are produced with grooves for laying, the shape of which can be Finnish, lunar or in the form of a crescent.
When choosing a log, you should pay attention to the following factors:
- the surface of the product should be light or dark yellow;
- branches must be located inside without gaps, which indicates a loose core;
- the cut surface of the log must be solid;
- the core should be a dark, even shade with a diameter of less than three quarters of the cut;
- a non-pereyshennogo product when hitting the surface with an ax ax will make a ringing sound.
Helpful advice! To get the warmest room possible, for the construction of a bath one should choose thick rounded logs with a thickness of at least 250 mm.
There are two main types of logs: “in the rub” and “in the paw.” The first option is easier to perform and the most popular. However, it requires a greater consumption of material due to the fact that the logs on each side protrude by 25 cm per corner. But thanks to this technology, it is possible to create a warmer room and reliably protect its corners from the wind.
Each log before laying in oblo, or a bowl, is adjusted. Here a rounded groove is carved out of at least one third of the thickness of the trunk. The lower the temperature in the region, the deeper the groove should be. Each subsequent log is placed in a previously prepared thicket.
There are several other varieties of this technology. In the “okhlop” log house, the logs are turned upside down, focusing on the below-laid product. This allows precipitation to freely flow from the logs without falling into their thickness. The result is a more reliable and durable structure.
In the Canadian felling, a trapezoid groove with a spike is created in each log at the bottom, and a spike for the spike is made at the top. This technology allows you to create the maximum effect of jamming connections.
The Norwegian log house is made of products with hexagonal processing or an oval cross section. The technology is completely identical to the Canadian felling.
The Swedish log cabin in appearance of the ends significantly differs from other technologies. This is a very laborious and laborious process. The protruding ends of the log and the notches are scaled to the shape of a hexagon. As a result, it is possible to obtain a unique, aesthetically bright structure.
The most economical is the “paw” method. However, it requires great skill performer. The corners in such a house are cold, which requires the creation of additional thermal insulation, and, consequently, the further lining with facing material. After reviewing the photo log cabins, you can choose the most suitable option for construction.
The pledge of the strength of the whole structure is properly selected and equipped foundation. The minimum depth of its laying depends on the depth of soil freezing, to the value of which another minimum of 1 m is added. This value is individual for each region, but on average it is 0.5-1.2 m.
For a bath, you can equip one of three foundations: belt, columnar or pile. It depends on the characteristics of the ground where the structure will be located.
If the soil consists of quartz, rock or fine sand, you can equip any type of foundation. For marshy, garden, forest, clay, loamy soil is better to perform a strip foundation. For this purpose, a trench is being dug of the required depth, into which a layer of sand of about 150-200 mm is poured. Further, a layer of rubble is laid on which the reinforcement is placed and concrete of the grade not lower than M200 is poured.
If the bath will be placed on a slope or on heaving soils, preference should be given to a pile foundation of metal or concrete piles. For small baths, a columnar foundation of concrete blocks, brick or stone is suitable. The depth of the columns can be 0,7-1 m, which are installed around the perimeter of the bath in increments of at least 2 m.
After the foundation is erected, it is necessary to waterproof it with special materials. Further, an additional barrier is arranged for moisture, which the base surface can exude. In its role, backboard size 50×150 mm, made of larch, which are attached with anchor bolts to the concrete.
For overall baths from a log, a photo clearly displays this, on the terrace you can equip a small pool or set up a barbecue. The result will be a convenient, comfortable and versatile place for a family holiday. The price of a log bath from a log of this option will be from 1.2 million rubles. depending on the size and layout of the building.
To create a real health center on your site, you can independently build or order a bath from a turnkey log. Depending on the size of the free area and financial opportunity, you can get a small place for full-fledged bath procedures or a multifunctional structure for a comfortable family holiday.
