Do-it-yourself bathhouse bench. Do-it-yourself bathhouse bench: 8 design options

If you can use a variety of materials to build a private bath, then it is better to make bath furniture, household items and accessories from wood.

A bench or bench for a bath is an important decorative and functional part of the interior. It is used in the steam room, washing room, relaxation room and even in the dressing room. The bench can be purchased ready-made or made independently from available material.

Bath bench: design features

The bench in the bathhouse is somewhat different from the usual one.
Firstly, its width and length are determined by the number of bathhouse users, their height and build. Secondly, such products involve the arrangement of several tiers, which is unusual for ordinary benches. Important! Hot air and steam in the steam room accumulate under the ceiling. On a 3rd tier sun lounger it will be noticeably hotter than on the lowest one. This point should be taken into account when planning the steam room and arranging benches.

There are 2 options for sauna benches - sitting and lying. The dimensions of the sauna bench depend on the purpose and the position that the steamers prefer to use:

the minimum seat width is 30–40 cm for a sitting bench, for a more comfortable position 60 cm is recommended, and 80–90 cm is required for a lying bench; the value in the latter case may be greater: this is the width that a person occupies while lying down and placing his hands freely;
the width of the step of the lower bench must be at least 40 cm;
the distance between tiers is from 40 to 60 cm. As practice shows, the optimal range is 45 cm, the minimum distance from the floor of the bathhouse to the desired tier is 40 cm;
a bench for a bathhouse is made with your own hands of a certain length, and the size is determined by the preferred position: in a sitting steam room, the length of the bench is equal to the width - at least 40 cm for each user, a 60 cm long option is more convenient; for sitting with bent knees, 90 cm is required, and for lying down, but with bent knees - at least 150 cm; The length of the bench for lying is 180–210 cm and is calculated according to the height of the tallest user of the steam room.

The size of the bathhouse benches depends on the location. If the benches are straight and placed along opposite walls, all of the above factors are relevant when determining the size. But with an L-shaped arrangement of benches, you can save on space.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of how to make things and processes comfortable for humans. In this case, we are talking about ensuring that the seats in the bathhouse do not cause inconvenience due to their size.

Of course, much when choosing sizes will be dictated by the size of the rooms themselves for which you are planning to make benches for a wooden sauna with your own hands. But the height of the seat is a point that is of great importance, but depends little on the size of the room.

It is preferable that the seated person's knees are not raised relative to the pelvis, so the seat should not be too low. However, too high is also uncomfortable - your legs will dangle in the air without support, which increases pressure on the vessels under the knees and in the hips. Therefore, we can proceed from the height from the floor to the knee bend of adults.

Various ergonomics manuals advise making the height from 30 to 50 cm. We believe that it is easier to derive the arithmetic average from the measurements of the people who will most often use this bathhouse.

The width of the seat depends on how they will sit on it - if they sit as usual, then 30-40 cm is enough, and if reclining, then 60 cm.

Those benches on which the steamer will lie must be long enough to accommodate him at full height, and also wide enough so that he can freely place his arms along his body. It is also better to measure such things on specific people.

BY THE WAY! Adherents of the Russian bath should remember that the height of the upper shelf on which the steamer lies is about 85 cm, and the shelves cannot be covered with clapboard to the floor, because the steamer’s feet are located under the bench or shelf.

Before introducing you to the drawings, we recommend that you take a look at our other material, which describes in detail all possible types of benches.

Important Features

There really aren’t that many varieties of shops, but coupled with other characteristics, there’s still plenty to choose from.

Bench shape

The shape is a combination of the already mentioned shape of the seat with the shape of the support.

Wooden bath bench

IMPORTANT! The presence of gaps in the seat is important if you intend to place the bench in a steam room or washing room. In other rooms it can be a solid panel. The support should be comfortable - a triangular one allows access to the floor under the bench, the legs do not get in the way

In addition, there is no need to protect your feet from water on the floor. But this is good where the seat is not covered with clapboard to the floor, for example

The support should be comfortable - a triangular one allows access to the floor under the bench, the legs do not get in the way. In addition, there is no need to protect your feet from water on the floor. But this is good where the seat is not covered to the floor with clapboard, for example.

Size

The length is determined by the dimensions of the room, the wishes of the owner or the designer’s project. There are no restrictions here.

ADVICE! Do not forget to increase the number of supports if you are designing a large length of the bench in the bathhouse.

In this case, at the ends the bench is mounted on bars on the wall, but in the middle there is one support

The height of a comfortable seat is on average 45 centimeters. This is due to human anatomy - the height from the floor to the knee bend. Measure it for the main visitors of the bathhouse and take the arithmetic average.

The width depends on whether your bench will only be used for sitting. If yes, then 30-40 cm is enough. And if you are supposed to be in a reclining position, then make it 60 cm wide. Well, if a person is lying on it, then measure the width of the person lying with his arms freely positioned along the body. Only in this case will he be comfortable.

Material: wood

No one will dispute that bath furniture can only be made from wood. But let's figure out which wood is best suited for our purposes.

Since not everyone reads other materials on the site, we repeat: there are nuances associated with the different rooms of the bathhouse in which the bench will be located.

The least requirements for those that you place in the dressing room (hallway) or rest room. Wood can be both expensive and cheap (and even the cheapest, but this is pine after all). There are no restrictions at all regarding impregnation, varnishing, painting - everything is permissible. There are no technological requirements for the presence of cracks for water drainage. In general, complete freedom.

In the washing room the situation changes: there is a lot of water, so the wood will get wet, swell, then crack if dried incorrectly, and may even rot if the conditions are right. Therefore, in the washing room it is recommended to use wood, which by nature is endowed with protection from rot. We are talking about resinous conifers.

ON A NOTE! Resin in nature disinfects tree wounds and closes them from the external environment. There it is released at any temperature. A cut and dried tree releases resin only at high temperatures.

Don't think that conifers don't get wet. Therefore, it would be good to use a special oil impregnation, which is made on the basis of natural oils (linseed or hemp) and beeswax. You can buy this impregnation or make it yourself. We're already talking about benches with the names of trusted companies and home-cooking recipes.

The steam room remains. If it’s a sauna, then it’s very hot, if it’s a Russian bath, then it’s quite tolerable, but we’ll still recommend hardwood. Anything that you have already used to decorate the steam room is suitable - linden, aspen, alder, beech, ash, larch (the only conifer that does not ooze resin). African abash will also work if the budget allows. If you have a modest budget, take aspen or linden, but keep in mind that they may rot in the coming years.

Design

There is no particular difference between a bench for a sauna or a Russian bath. Of course, if shelves are not meant. And even there the difference is insignificant: a sauna can be identified by the fact that its shelves are sewn up to the very floor, because there they do not hover one another, but simply sit and sweat on their own. Therefore, there is no need to provide convenience for the sailor.

We have already stated above that the most advantageous design for a pair is a triangular support. If you want to see the drawings, follow this link.

You can choose the seat covering yourself, taking into account the humidity of the room, of course.

Types and purposes

The type of benches and benches in the bathhouse is determined by the purpose of the room where this furniture is used. The steam room can be equipped with single-tier or multi-tier structures, this directly depends on the size of the room. The steam room is characterized by a stepped variety of benches. Simple bench-type seating designs are relevant for a steam room, if there is a need to increase the number of seats - in this case, lightweight portable options are used.

Stepped design

It is intended for use in small-sized bathhouses. The top of the bench is long and wide enough to accommodate an adult in a lying position. The small lower part is used for sitting or as a platform for climbing onto the upper shelf.

Three-tier

A three-level bench model is the best option for large steam rooms. Each participant in the bath ceremony chooses an appropriate level. On the lower bench sit those who do not like or cannot handle overheating. The second and third levels are occupied by those who like to steam while lying down. The third tier is the hottest, and the bench is the widest - up to 90 cm. The length of the upper benches must be at least 180 cm.

The standard scheme of three-tier structures assumes that each upper level will be wider and longer than the lower one. But nothing limits the imagination of the bathhouse owner, so the choice of bench options for the steam room is almost limitless.

Two-tier bench

Two-tier stepped bench

Increasing the tiering of benches increases the functionality of bath furniture. A person can lie at a higher height, then go down and sit on a bench. The width of the benches remains the same as for a single-tier structure.

Two-tier benches are usually made stationary. The support frame is attached to the wall, and the side posts are connected with cross members. There is an option to make the lower part portable so that you can put it away to dry after use. Access to the second level is made from a bench on the first floor or a staircase is provided at one end.

Single-tier structures

Such benches are designed for small-sized steam rooms and washing rooms. The best option is mobile structures that can be quickly installed in any room. They are simple and easy to use and easy to maintain.

Simple shop

An ordinary bench consists of two or three boards on supports, which are made from boards (a lightweight, portable option) or chocks (stationary due to the heaviness). The latter option is preferable for rooms with less humidity, since the base of the seat takes a long time to dry out.

No backrest. Simple Russian-style benches on powerful logs line the walls of the dressing room, where coupled owners and their guests gather for intimate conversation.

Between two benches against the wall there are small tables of the same style. A samovar and honey or beer with fish is a matter of taste. The atmosphere is conducive to complete relaxation, so the wall paneling should be comfortable for you to lean your back on if necessary. This option is more suitable for small baths with a small number of steamers.

With a backrest. If the premises are being prepared to receive a large company, the dressing room is designed as a comfortable rest room, where the table occupies the central part. Benches around the table with comfortable backs so that the body, relaxed in the steam, does not strain in search of support.

Means of protection

Many people believe that it is only necessary to protect the wood of a bench if it is not in a steam room. In fact, it is in the steam room that the tree needs protection most of all, but previously we had to abandon this idea, because at high temperatures any chemical tends to become volatile and poison the air that those steaming breathe.

But progress is progress - the Finns have plenty of compounds that are suitable even for their hot sauna, not to mention the much “cooler” Russian bath. Such impregnations can protect wood from water, darkening, rot, etc. In this case, the surface will not feel greasy to the touch.

IMPORTANT! Varnishes should not be used in a steam room - this is a fact.

But in all other rooms, except for the steam room, you are completely free to use any composition that can protect the wood from the action of water, bacteria, fungi, insects and rodents. If desired, you can also coat it with fire retardants - compounds that make the wood non-flammable.

Why it is necessary to protect wood in a washing room - it’s clear, water flows there. But the rest of the bath rooms are not entirely dry either. Be that as it may, the humidity in the bathhouse is high everywhere. So saturate and varnish with whatever you see fit.

Types of wood used for benches

Corner bench for steam room

Raw wood immediately after cutting and cutting will warp under the influence of high temperature, the products will change geometry and become distorted. The moisture content of the material at the time of manufacture should not be higher than 15%.

When choosing a board, lumber with fallen, knots, and darkened areas is rejected. The number of knots also plays a role in smooth wood processing. The purchased boards should be free of rot, mold, and microcracks.

The type of wood is selected based on its thermal conductivity, the moisture resistance of the species is taken into account, and attention is paid to the strength and hardness of the material.

Linden

Linden wood has antiseptic properties

One of the classic wood options for furniture in a steam room, heated linden releases a pleasant honey aroma. Pliable rock belongs to the category of soft materials, and therefore requires pre-treatment to remove moisture. Linden spirit is considered a natural antiseptic.

Wood does not conduct heat well, so at high temperatures you can lean against it without the risk of getting burned. The products breathe, that is, they allow steam to pass through. Linden wood can increase the secretion of sweat, which is important for a bathhouse. The disadvantage is the ability of the material to darken over time.

Birch

It belongs to the group of medium-density rocks, does not heat up when heated, and resists moisture absorption. Durable material is well suited for benches. Requires ventilation from time to time, so it is preferable to make small wooden benches. Old tree trunks are more difficult to process.

There are about a hundred species of the species; pubescent and silver birch are used for the bath interior. The beautiful color varies from light brown to light yellow, sometimes with reddish colors. The aroma has antibacterial properties; the tree does not emit resinous components.

Pine

Pine releases a pine aroma at high temperatures

Available and inexpensive material of medium density. A bath bench made of pine wood is not built in the steam room, but is placed in the locker room and dressing room, since it releases resinous substances at temperatures above +40°.

The temperature in the washing room and shower is not high, so the resins in the wood prevent moisture saturation and prevent rot and mold from developing. Thermal conductivity is low, wood maintains an acceptable level of comfort when touched. It is easy to saw, plan, joint, glue well, and join with nails and screws. For finishing, stain is used to reveal the design.

Exotic wood varieties

Meranti. Wood color - red, density 610 kg/cm3. Due to the heavy and dense wood, meranti does not heat up and can withstand temperature and humidity changes well. The wood is smooth, non-fibrous, practically free of knots, and easy to process.

Wooden furniture: what to look for when choosing

If you decide to purchase a ready-made bench, first of all you should pay attention to its dimensions. It would be worthwhile to first measure the room where the purchase will be located and decide what the minimum and maximum dimensions of the furniture that you intend to purchase may be.

BY THE WAY! It is not necessary for the bench to be a long monolith - sometimes it is possible to create the required length from shorter counterparts.

The second important point is the quality of workmanship. In general, buying furniture is not at all the same as making it for yourself. Therefore, it also happens that people take ready-made ones, and dismantle their houses, adjust them to suit themselves, and then reassemble them. But you have to have an inclination for something like this, of course.

Quality - absence of distortions and other signs of warping, fasteners designed for bath humidity (stainless steel or hidden with putty), ease of design during inspection, absence of knots .

The material also matters, but this was discussed above. Remember that linden, for example, is soft, it can be easily damaged even during transportation, so the packaging should be normal, and not just plastic film and that’s it. Hard rocks are not afraid of this.

IMPORTANT! Don't forget that conifers are suitable everywhere except in the steam room.

Which type of wood to choose

The material for benches in the bathhouse has strict requirements:

high fiber density, which prevents the wood from splitting and cracking;
low thermal conductivity, ensuring a comfortable temperature of the wooden flooring;
resistance to moisture, allowing long-term use of furniture in difficult conditions.

It would seem that coniferous types of wood are suitable for a bathhouse: larch, pine, cedar, but they have a significant drawback that precludes their use for furniture in a steam room. When heated, resin appears on the surface of the boards, such secretions leave burns on the skin, so moisture-resistant coniferous wood is used for benches in the rest room or in the washing room.

Linden has become a favorite among materials for furniture in the steam room: it is easy to process, resistant to water and heat, and smells pleasant. Aspen is also good, but over time the wood begins to rot from the inside. Oak does not cause any complaints - this material has many advantages, but its cost is high. Benches can also be made from other types of wood: maple, poplar, birch.

Before making benches in the bathhouse, you need to find out the requirements for their design.

Boards and beams used to make furniture for the bathhouse must undergo thorough sanding of the entire surface with a special machine or sandpaper.
The corners of the benches must be rounded to avoid injuries and scratches.
Furniture must be durable and reliable, designed for safe use by an adult.
For antiseptic impregnation, it is prohibited to use synthetic liquids that release toxins when heated. The material is protected with special compounds based on natural oils.
For better drying, the space under the bench is not sewn up.
A gap of up to 10 cm must be left between the wall and the installed bench.

Material

Before assembling a sauna bench yourself, you need to choose the material for the future design. It is better to choose wood for making furniture. Suitable wood species:

Linden. Has high density. When heated strongly, linden releases beneficial substances. It is easy to handle.
Birch. Heavy wood. It has an average thermal conductivity, but is suitable for assembling furniture into a steam room. Processed with different tools.
Meranti. A rare type of red wood. It has a high specific gravity and high density. Easy to process, does not contain knots.
Pine. It is used for finishing bath rooms inside and out, assembling bath furniture. Releases resin during use. Has low density.
Oak. Resistant to temperature changes and moisture. It has high strength, which protects it from various mechanical damage.
Abash. Low heat, resistant to aggressive factors. It is difficult to buy high-quality abash because of its rarity and high price.

Requirements for bath benches

There are basic requirements that apply to such products installed in baths and saunas.

A bench for a bathhouse, assembled with your own hands, should not be covered with varnishes or paints. To protect the product from the negative effects of moisture and temperature, special antiseptics are used.
Built-in and mobile structures are installed only against blank walls without ventilation and windows, at a safe distance from heating equipment. During installation, a small technological gap is maintained between the wall and the bench.

Processing methods

Wooden structures for baths are impregnated with special natural-based products. The use of oil-based varnishes and paints is unacceptable, since when heated they will smell unpleasant and release toxins. The following compounds will help protect benches from mold, fire, and rotting:

Oils. The products protect wooden products in the steam room from moisture and do not form a film on the surface.
Oil wax. Made from natural ingredients, used in washing and steam rooms. The composition does not emit toxic substances when heated strongly.
Bleaches. Contain oxidizing agents that prevent the formation of a dark shade.
Fire retardants. They are relevant if the sauna bench is installed next to an open fire or is operated at elevated temperatures. Such means prevent accidental fire of the product.

Master classes on making simple benches for the garden with your own hands

Before processing, the surface of the bench is thoroughly sanded and polished. The layers of wood are removed slowly and not too deeply. After this, the products are applied in 1–2 layers, and the bench is allowed to dry completely. It is recommended to carry out all procedures strictly according to the attached instructions.

Oils

Oil wax

Bleaches

Fire retardants

Blueprints

Below we present several drawings that we found on the vastness of the worldwide computer network. We do not claim authorship and do not know their authors, therefore we cannot provide links to primary sources (see appeal to copyright holders). We have taken the liberty of adding some explanations to these drawings.

Not the easiest bench. Please note that instead of timber for the legs, boards were used, mounted with both glue and screws. The connection of the legs with the spacer is done in a quarter. The long side of the bench is sheathed with boards according to exactly the same principle as the short side (see the blue blocks and their fastening - the same is perpendicular). The seat is also attached to the finished frame with self-tapping screws - you can make it simpler, only from bars, without an end strip on both sides (if you make one, then with a tongue-and-groove connection).

But this drawing is easier to implement. Please note that the legs are attached to the seat using a dovetail joint, which is additionally secured with pairs of plugs. A massive spacer will not allow the structure to wobble. It is noteworthy that the authors did not do without metal fastening - in the middle of the spacer it is supposed to drill a hole for a long self-tapping screw, which will fasten the spacer to the seat.

Here is a variation of the first drawing. This is no longer just a bench, but a whole sun lounger. First, a seat is prepared from polished boards 50x100 mm, which are fastened with two transverse bars. The legs are attached to the bars, and instead of the usual spacer or jib, the frame is sheathed on top (immediately under the seat) with a 25x150 mm board around the perimeter.

A small portable “banquette” can also be useful in a bathhouse. It is made extremely simply: the frame on which the seat slats are placed is attached to the U-shaped legs. By the way, the design is quite flimsy; it would be strengthened from below with a brace either in the form of a frame “O” (rectangle) or “I” (Latin “I” with transverse dashes). Everything is self-tapping.

Quite a simple model on dowels. The drawing shows that the authors considered a pair of dowels sufficient for attaching each side panel to the seat, and the transverse beam is attached with a tongue-and-groove connection, and the tenon, it seems, is machined from the beam itself. And in the sidewalls a hole of the appropriate diameter is drilled for the tenon. Such connections are mounted on glue.

In this design, it is not entirely clear why make a groove in the sidewall, if anyway the crossbar will then be attached to it using self-tapping screws? (Which will then have to be masked with putty.) The seat is secured to the frame using dowels.

But the option is generally the simplest and even hacky, which can even be made from moisture-resistant plywood. Of course, you can’t put such a bench in a steam room, but it may well fit somewhere in a waiting room. Since the fastening is not shown in the drawing, we dare to suggest fastening the structure with ordinary corners.

A simple and reliable bench with dowels and screws. All the details can be seen in the figure; in total you will need 8 dowels and 12 screws. Please note that the leg extensions (replacing the jibs) are attached to the legs with self-tapping screws through the grooves on top. And this construct is attached to the seat from the reverse side.

Variation on the theme of the cross beam. Judging by the appearance, everything was done using a board of the same thickness - 38 mm, that is, a sanded “magpie”. The fastening is not shown in the drawing, but it can be assumed that it can be fastened with self-tapping screws.

ATTENTION! Do not forget that it is best to install stainless steel fixtures in the bathhouse.

An interesting option, say, for a relaxation room. X-shaped legs look beautiful, and the way to make them is to make notches half the width of the board on both “legs.” Fasteners - glue and self-tapping screws.

How to make a bench with your own hands for a bathhouse

To make a regular portable bench for a bathhouse, there is no need to assemble a special frame. This design option is distinguished by its simplicity and ease of use.

The first stage is preparatory

At the first stage:

measurements are taken of the premises in which the bench is supposed to be installed;
a drawing of the bench is made, broken down by detail - the product is simple, so there are no excuses for lack of thought and approximateness, everything must be strictly defined at the level of the drawing, including the fasteners used;
The wood is prepared according to type and quality.

Here is a comprehensive drawing of a bench for a bathhouse - it practically eliminates all questions about the need for such help as instructions for making and assembling it yourself

Material selection

Only a certain type of wood is used to make bath benches. Due to the high resin content in pine, which begins to actively release under the influence of high temperatures, this type of material loses its relevance. Iron hornbeam is also not used, although it has a high level of resistance to water and moisture. Its significant disadvantage is the strong heating, which leads to burns on the skin.

Among all types of wood, it is better to give preference to:

Linden. It practically does not heat up even in a sauna and is resistant to steam. The material has a pleasant smell, but after a while it begins to darken.
Aspen. Its resistance to steam and water is an order of magnitude higher than that of linden, but it is inferior in smell. This variety is the most mediocre in terms of attractive appearance. Aspen is valued for its resistance to mold.
Larch. It is noteworthy that wood under the influence of steam and water only becomes stronger and can last for ten years without changing color or texture. The disadvantage of the material is its high cost.
Cedar. This representative of coniferous species releases resin in minimal quantities when heated. It is chosen for finishing steam rooms and making benches due to its positive effect on the lungs and the entire human respiratory system. Cedar is especially useful for people suffering from asthma, bronchitis, and lung diseases.
Oak. This type of wood has proven itself well when used as a material for making bathhouse benches. Oak has increased resistance to water and steam, and has high decorative qualities, but products made from it are best used for dressing room equipment. Given its density, it gets very hot in the steam room.
Birch. It is used to make benches for bathhouses because of the medicinal tar released when heated. Thanks to its healing properties, it is possible to treat even the most contagious skin diseases.

To make a bench you will need:

wooden beam with a section of 6×7 cm;
slats 2-2.5 cm thick and 6 cm wide (for the seat structure) in the amount of 9 pieces;
fasteners made of wood or metal.

When decorating a bathhouse, it is not necessary to use the same material for finishing the walls and making the bench. But the option in one style looks more impressive, although playing in contrast also has its own originality.

Required Tools

To carry out the work you need to prepare the following set of tools:

saw;
hammer, mallet;
pliers;
screwdriver;
sander;
roulette;
level.

Advice! It is important to prepare all the tools in advance so that you don’t get distracted when making a bath bench.

Bench manufacturing technology

Step-by-step instructions for a do-it-yourself wooden bench for a bath include the following steps:

Cutting the timber into 4 fragments, each 40 cm long.
Assembling U-shaped racks. Two pieces of timber 60 cm long need to be knocked down to form transverse jumpers.
Cutting according to the specific length of slats for making a seat. It is optimal to use slats with a length of 160-170 cm.
Assembling the bench. The prepared slats need to be stuffed onto the jumpers, avoiding a gap of less than 1 cm between them. This is necessary to remove excess moisture and to expand/contract the natural material when exposed to temperature changes and high humidity. In addition, it is recommended to retreat 20 cm from the edge in order to achieve increased stability of the structure.
Bench strapping. To create a strong bench, the legs and stands need to be connected using the remaining slats, 10-15 cm away from the floor. Special corners are also suitable for these purposes, but it is advisable to attach them from the inside of the product, otherwise a burn will appear on the skin at the point of contact. That is why it is advisable to recess the fittings used in the manufacture of the bench by 2-3 mm.

Finishing and decor

The finished bath bench must be treated with a natural-based antiseptic composition. If you want to make it in country style, then you need to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

Sand the surface along the grain with a brush.
Clean with a grinder until a relief pattern is formed.
Apply translucent glaze in two batches.
Wipe the surface with a dry sponge; when it dries, remove the glaze.
Cover the bench with varnish.

Making and giving the bench the desired appearance is quite simple if you follow all the recommendations regarding assembly and finishing.

Homemade portable bench design

A portable bench without a back is the simplest and most affordable option for homemade bath furniture. It does not require installation to a special frame and can be used in a steam room, washing room and dressing room. Surely many will be interested in how to make a bench for a bathhouse out of wood with your own hands.

When making a sauna bench, an important step is the selection of a working drawing and assembly diagram.

You can develop drawings and diagrams yourself or look at our ready-made examples. They indicate the length, height and width of individual structural elements.

To assemble a sauna bench yourself, you need to prepare the following materials:

bars for legs with a cross section of 5 cm - 4 pcs.;
bars for struts and crossbars;
wooden board 5 cm thick of the required length and width - 1 pc.;
metal or wooden fastening fittings.

All work is performed in the following order:

In the blanks for the legs, mortises are made on the inside to fix the crossbars made of timber.
A crossbar is attached to each of the prepared legs using self-tapping screws.
A seating board is mounted on top of the resulting structure.
The struts are fixed to the crossbars and the seat with self-tapping screws.

Now the portable bench for the bath, which we assembled with our own hands, is ready for use. After assembly, the product is treated with a protective antiseptic composition.

Knowing how to make a bench for a bathhouse, anyone can show ingenuity and imagination in order to make a practical and functional product without much effort.

Photo

Steam room interior

Creative furniture

Circular shelves

Bath furniture

Abashi shelves

Steam room shelves

If you are the owner of your own bathhouse or sauna, this is happiness

But no less important is what kind of furniture your oasis of healthy life will be furnished with.

Of course, wooden furniture is preferable. However, prices for ready-made furniture for steam rooms and recreation areas are steep. But don't despair.

Benches, benches, tables and even shelves can be made with your own hands. You just need to use the drawings and assembly diagrams presented in this article. And to consolidate the result, you need to watch the training video.

How to make beautiful and reliable benches in a steam room

In the steam room there are constantly sharp changes in temperature - from about 10 to 100 degrees. The wood is also exposed to hot steam. Not every natural material can withstand such tests, so it is recommended to select wood for a steam room based on its density, humidity and thermal conductivity.

A material with low density does not accumulate thermal potential and does not heat up even at maximum temperatures. Heat is absorbed by the fibers and the surface of the wood does not overheat. It is impossible to get burned on such furniture.

Finishing

There is absolutely no need for splinters during bath procedures! To eliminate this danger, I sanded both ends of the seat using sanding discs. Then, with a brush, I applied a layer of tinted antiseptic (with oregano pigment) to all surfaces of the bench. Moreover, he did not bother with the uniform distribution of impregnation throughout the wood. For rough and massive furniture this is not required at all. I hope that in conditions of high humidity the laminated board will not lose its appearance and will last a long time.

For the third year now, two simple and stable benches made of laminated boards have served us faithfully. The color matches the floor perfectly and looks great next to the stove against the background of clapboard walls. In my opinion, the benches I made with my own hands brought a special coziness and comfort to the dressing room. And natural wood will never go out of fashion.

Attention

Wood products in the dressing room are exposed to difficult conditions. Under the influence of sudden and intense changes in temperature and humidity, furniture boards or boards may warp, darken or become covered with fungus. Therefore, the surface of wooden benches or cabinets must be carefully protected.

Antiseptics for bath rooms must be chosen with special care. And not only in color: the product should be intended only for interior work. Double protection of wooden surfaces is fully justified: the first layer is a colorless (primer) coating, and after it dries, a tinted antiseptic is applied.

The author of MK is Vladimir Mezherovsky.

Manufacturing technology for a bench without a back

The simplest bench without a back consists of a seat and legs and is made as follows:

Develop a drawing of a bench for a bathhouse, in which you indicate the dimensions of the component elements.

Make legs from 50x50 mm bars.

On the inside of the legs, make grooves for the cross beam.

Install cross bars into the grooves and secure with self-tapping screws. Sink the fasteners into the wood.

Connect the legs with long beams, which are attached to the top of the legs using self-tapping screws. Boards will lie on the beams.

Lay the boards on horizontal beams and secure with dowels or screws. Provide gaps between the boards so that water does not accumulate at the joints and flows freely.

Make places for the dowels in increments of 30-40 cm, then hammer the boards into place.

If metal fasteners are used for fastening, recess the head into the board. Mask the hole on top with a mixture of PVA and sawdust.

Sand and sand the bench. This requires special attachments. Use coarse grits first, then fine grits. Work carefully, removing small layers of wood.

Remove splinters and sharp corners from the structure using sanding discs.

Treat the bench with a protective compound intended for baths, for example, special oil. Apply 1-2 layers of oil.

Leave the bench to dry for the period specified in the instructions for the product.

Do not use drying oil or varnishes; they emit unpleasant fumes when heated.

Finishing

Colonial Rec Room Bench

If the appearance of the bench is not very good, you can change it and improve it. To do this, decide on the processing style and buy decorative materials. Go to visit your friends and take a photo of the benches in the bathhouse, and then choose a processing method. The colonial style allows you to make the bench noticeable and expensive.

The work is performed in the following sequence. Brush the bench elements with a wire brush and apply a layer of white glaze to the surface of the wood. Wait until dry and re-brush the wood with a wire brush. The furniture will be bleached with grooved brush marks. Apply a layer of varnish to the surface; after drying, the furniture can be used.

Placement of benches

In order to rationally use the space in the bathhouse, you need to think in advance where the benches and other pieces of furniture and accessories will be located. The optimal solution is to place the bench near a blank wall where there are no drafts. Installing a bench close to the stove is undesirable and unsafe.

The most effective option for placing benches in a bathhouse is considered to be a corner one, in the shape of the letter “G”. The upper and lower tier are installed along one wall, and the middle one is installed adjacent to them. There is also the option of placing benches in the form of a “compartment”, like on a train, where one tier is located above the other.

How to choose benches for a bath

There are various designs of bathhouse benches - movable, stationary, folding. Benches of various shapes and sizes are made for each room.

Steam room benches

It is customary to lie down in the steam room, rather than sit and warm up; the capacity of the room depends on the number of lying places. Therefore, specially designed benches are often installed in the steam room to increase the number of steamers.

Stationary benches are often installed in this room; they are also called shelves. In large steam rooms, the benches are made two-tiered, with an edge; in small ones, they make do with one wide bench.

Massive products are not placed in the steam room. Before making a bench for the bathhouse, measure the dimensions of the steam room. The minimum dimensions of a bench for a steam room are: length - 1.5 m, width - 40 cm.

Folding benches are installed in small rooms. Their design resembles seats in train cars. For manufacturing, a special mechanism is required, with the help of which the seat is rotated to a vertical position, pressed tightly against the wall and fixed. A folding bench in the bathhouse increases the area of the room.

Benches for the rest room and dressing room

In rooms with minimal humidity, you can install ordinary furniture. The rest room is where people truly relax, so benches should primarily provide comfort to visitors. The design of the shops and their stylization to match the surrounding environment also plays a big role.

When choosing benches for such premises, use the following recommendations:

In the rest room, portable benches with backrests are made.

Furniture for the rest room can be made from any wood, after which treat it with antiseptic agents.

In the relaxation room you can install one of the types of benches - sun loungers.

Benches for the washing department

Benches of the simplest design, without a back, consisting of two legs and a seat, are suitable for washing. They are installed along the walls in one row; shelves for bath accessories are usually attached above them.

The requirements for the shops are also simple. The bench must be strong and stable, able to withstand the weight of a person and a container of water. The legs should be as wide as possible in the transverse direction. The thickness of the bench parts is more than 40 mm.

Ergonomics

Loungers or benches should be ergonomic. Therefore, they are made smaller than the room, or corner. The latter do not take up much space and free up space.

The benches on which they will lie are made long and wide so that a person can sit on them at full height.

Benches without backs

One type of ergonomic compliance is benches without a back. Such benches are placed opposite the wall on which visitors lean, which saves space.

However, such benches cannot be placed in spacious steam rooms. It won't look nice. For spacious steam rooms, benches with backrests or multi-tiered loungers are made.

Benches with backrest

To make a bench with a back for a bathhouse, it is advisable to use a drawing. Additionally, take into account the size of the people who will sit and lean on the back.

The width of such a seat is calculated based on 40 centimeters for the place where they will sit. If you need a person to lie down, then increase it to 70 cm. Take 60 cm for the size of the backrest. These are three boards 15 cm wide and with an opening between them of 5 cm.

Number of benches in the bathhouse

To determine the number of benches in the bathhouse, make a scale drawing of each room and place all the furniture on it, also to scale. Products should not be placed chaotically, they should not interfere with visitors’ ability to move freely. By drawing you can determine the number of benches and their sizes.

It is better to make a drawing before starting construction of the bathhouse, in this case you can use our recommendations:

Place 4 benches in the rest room: 2 pcs. — near the table for sitting, 1 pc. — for folding things, 1 pc. - for lying down.

Place 4 pieces in the washing room: 3 pcs. — for washing while standing, 1 pc. - for washing while sitting.

If the washing room has a shower, washing benches are not needed.

Care instructions

After visiting the bathhouse, all wooden surfaces are wiped to remove moisture.

In the evening, after using the steam room during the day, all rooms of the bathhouse are cleaned. Puddles and leaves from brooms are removed from the floor. To reduce humidity, ventilate the shower room, steam room, and dressing room. The remaining water in the room will prevent the drying of multi-tiered bench structures that cannot be taken out into the fresh air.

Sometimes it is necessary to steam a room without visitors, bringing the temperature to +100°C. This will destroy harmful microorganisms, traces of which are not yet visible on the surface.