Every little thing requires a separate place allotted to it, otherwise it tends to disappear somewhere at the right time. This rule also applies to bath trifles - you need shelves in the bath for bath accessories, and for small items in the hallway or rest room. However, in this material we will talk exclusively about shelves in the bathhouse for the washing room . We will tell you what they are like, what they can be made of, and describe their designs and coating options.
How to combine with style
Let's not think too much about this. It is clear that a glass shelf will not be appropriate against the background of a wooden frame, and not every wooden shelf will fit into an interior with mosaic tiles, for example. Therefore, we must proceed from elementary ideas about compatibility . In another material devoted to the independent production of such items, we talked about the fact that most baths will be either in an ethno-style , or without a style a high-tech style , which is more typical of saunas .
Glass shelf Raiber – R50113
ADVICE! The less ethnic your bathhouse is, the more preference you should give to simple forms and correct geometry. The more ethnic, the more fantasy the interior elements can be - the decor is richer, there is more asymmetry, bends, etc.
By the way, do not forget that even the most beautiful object should not be “alone” in the interior - it must be supported by some kind of “rhymes” - other elements in which something is repeated from it, perhaps color or shape . If you approach it this way, the eye will not perceive it as something foreign.
Shape of shelves for bath accessories
In this case, we mean by “shape” design features. Inside the quadrangular room, shelves in the bathhouse for shampoos can be placed either along the wall or in the very corner. In addition, they can vary in support or fastening, because they can not only be screwed to the wall, but hung from the ceiling or made into a floor version (although this is already a bookcase).
Wall mounted soap
Wall-mounted options differ in the presence or absence of a support that evenly distributes the load across the entire width of the shelf. Typically, the support is a bracket - a triangle, one side of which is attached to the wall, the other supports the shelf, and the third transfers the load from the shelf to the wall and imparts rigidity to the structure.
Shelf for shampoos in the bathhouse on brackets
This is a reliable, time-tested option, but for our case it is not so important, because we are talking about shelves in the bathhouse for soap and shampoo, and they have little weight , so the bracket can be omitted, or made decorative.
ON A NOTE! Shelves on brackets are optimal if the shelf itself or the objects standing on it are heavy.
Corner
Corner shelf in a Karelian bathhouse
BY THE WAY! For any shelves, hooks located under the bottom of them can be an additional convenience. You can hang washcloths, rags, etc. on them.
Corner structures are fastened to both walls, which increases the “endurance” of the shelves. You can hang it through regular “ears” on dowels.
Usually the outer edge of such a shelf is rounded , which slightly increases the area of the shelf (if it were not a sector of a circle, but a triangle, there would be significantly less space on it).
ADVICE! When choosing a suitable model, take into account the fact that sides for shelves in the sink are still preferable.
Multi-stage bath shelves: is it worth making them?
The feasibility of organizing a structure that includes two or three tiers is primarily determined by physical laws. When the room warms up, the hot air rises, and in the floor area the temperature rises, but not so much. In the case of installing a multi-stage structure, it becomes possible to select the required temperature regime.
Making a shelf in a bathhouse with your own hands is not so difficult, but constructing a multi-stage canopy takes more time. Of course, everyone independently determines the need for a two-tier or three-tier structure. If the bathhouse will be used only by household members, then you can make simple one-story curtains, supplementing them with benches.
In small baths that suffer from a lack of usable space, the lower floor may be located slightly above floor level. But in this case there are some advantages. For example, this design is well ventilated, which helps the boards dry quickly.
Arranging shelves one above the other allows sauna visitors to independently select the most suitable temperature for them.
Experts recommend that when drawing up a drawing of a bathhouse shelf, you should take into account that the upper floor should be wider than the lower tier. If the dimensions are properly distributed, it becomes possible to use the second floor as a bed.
An example of a wall shelf for a wooden bath
Product elements
The advantage of such homemade bath shelves is their compactness, strength, ergonomics and lightness. Therefore, metal is becoming an increasingly popular material for creating not only shelves for a bathhouse, but also other furniture. The manufacturing process will not be difficult. Experience with power tools will also have a positive impact on the quality and speed of work.
The installation of metal shelves for a bathhouse is no different from the installation of wooden structures, even if we are talking about a corner shelf. You just need to replace the power tool and prepare additional fasteners. After this, mark the metal sheet and then cut out the workpiece. Metal corners are used for the frame of future shelves.
Material
High humidity and bath temperature are the determining factors when choosing materials for its arrangement. Here we are talking about washroom shelves, where the temperatures are low, but the humidity is still high. Therefore, water resistance should be one of the properties of the selected material.
Wooden for shampoos
Wooden shelf for shampoos in the bathhouse
In this sense, wood is the least suitable material , because under the influence of moisture, most types of wood are destroyed, in addition, a humid environment is ideal for the proliferation of various microorganisms, which also render the tree unusable.
And yet we build bathhouses from wood, equipping them with wooden objects. So it's not all that bad. In any case, once it gets wet, it will not immediately fail. In addition, we can protect it - cover it with a compound that will make it more resistant to rot, close the pores and make it water-repellent. The use of such compositions in a washing room is quite acceptable.
Wooden shelves are great for baths in any style. Only the form .
If for the steam room we have always strongly advised not to use conifers , since they emit resin, then in the washing room the temperature allows the use of these particular species. Here their best sides - resistance to rot, water resistance, as well as the low cost of the main conifers - pine, spruce, etc.
In addition, larch and oak only become harder from water.
ADVICE! But we won’t recommend linden and aspen, which are so well suited for a steam room, for a washing room - they have soft wood that is easily affected by rot.
Metal
Metal in the bathhouse is a controversial material. If we use it, then alloys of non-ferrous metals or stainless steels . However, there are also ordinary steels with a coating that prevents them from oxidation - we constantly use similar things in bathrooms, these are chrome-plated plumbing parts.
It is clear that the shelf itself is rarely made directly from metal, but brackets and other types of fastenings - yes, very often are made from one or another alloy, with or without coating.
Wood
The constituent elements of any standard canopy are:
- frame - support post made of beams;
- the surface of sun loungers, seats made of boards;
- backrest for sitting on the top bunk.
All parts of the canopy must be from the same type of wood.
It is not advisable to use material made from coniferous trees, since with constant heating they begin to release resins that will stick to the bodies of vacationers. The minimum resin content of such popular hardwood species in our country:
- Linden - healing properties, homogeneous structure, darkens over time under the influence of steam and humidity.
- Aspen is relatively inexpensive, has a healing effect, is resistant to moisture, and never rots.
- Alder is a dense wood with healing properties.
- Poplar has a uniform texture; after drying, the wood becomes hard.
The wood of these trees tolerates high humidity, frequent temperature changes, and has a low level of thermal conductivity. Despite all these wonderful properties, they are additionally treated with special natural oils to protect against mold. Under no circumstances should it be impregnated with any chemicals or varnished.
Using shelves in a bath
Metal alternatives to cabinets will be an excellent solution for storing things and clothes in the dressing room. Wooden shelves will be indispensable in the steam room itself. They are convenient for storing shampoo, a washcloth, a broom made from branches and other necessary items.
Wall shelves are used as an accessory option for storing small items and scrap materials.
In the case of shelves for a bathhouse, wood has certain advantages, since rust will not form on clothes, towels and other items left on the shelves. Most believe that creating a bathhouse shelf does not require any additional skills. First, you need to choose the right shape and location of the shelf, then its use will not only be convenient, but will also perfectly complement the interior of your home steam room.
Since the bathhouse differs in temperature and humidity, you need a durable frame that will not crack or absorb moisture. To do this you will need wood with low thermal conductivity. Making a shelf for storing hygiene products and shampoo is quite simple.
Methods for fastening boards
Proper fastening of bathhouse shelf boards and other external elements guarantees pleasant use of the shelves and their long service life. To do this, measures should be taken to avoid contact of the human body with the metal of screws or nails.
Most often, when installing shelves for a bathhouse with your own hands, the following fastening methods are used:
- The simplest and most effective fastening option is when the screws are screwed in all the way until the head is sunk into the thickness of the wood.
- Self-tapping screws can be screwed into wood from the back.
- To ensure the maximum level of safety, oak wedges are most often used. Special holes are made for them and hammered in. Although this method of fastening boards is environmentally friendly, it is quite labor-intensive.
- Some owners install a backrest on the wall where the shelves are fixed. It can be made from three boards placed on a vertical stand made of bars. The backrest provides even greater comfort for those sitting on the shelf. Then a person does not have to worry about burning his back when touching the heated lining of the steam room. For safety reasons, the backrest must be made of the same material as the shelves. The boards must be secured with gaps for ventilation.
Advantages and disadvantages of different homemade bath shelves
Wood has aesthetics and complements the interior of the steam room better than metal shelves. In most cases, standard baths are made of wood, so this material is more popular as a base for shelves. As for the disadvantages of wood as the main material for creating shelves in a bathhouse, here are the following:
At the same time, metal cannot be discounted either. Fashionable shelves will serve as an excellent option for storing bath accessories in their place. Such products also have advantages:
The choice of material falls on the shoulders of the bathhouse owner. Here it is necessary to take into account personal tastes, needs, as well as the desired interior style. For an experienced carpenter, creating a shelf from scrap materials is not a problem.
DIY wooden floor shelves
The first step will be the preparation of materials. Take moisture-resistant varnish, tape measure, building level, screws, plugs, sandpaper, glue, square and dowels. The tools you will need are a drill, a screwdriver, a jigsaw or a saw. All parts of the bath shelves must be carefully sanded so that there are no sharp corners or edges left on them, and all edges must be rounded. To create a deep shelf for a bathhouse, glued furniture panels are best suited. It will provide structural strength and easier assembly.
Also, for greater rigidity, it is worth using small bars. They need to be attached along the edges of the product. Cut out the blanks from the beams and mark the dowels according to the diagram. The required parameters for the holes are 5 cm and 20 cm for the side, 2.5 cm and 13 cm for the end. Next, the same procedure should be done on the shelf itself, and then install four dowels in it. Each dowel for wood must first be lubricated with glue.
Now all that remains is to combine all the design details. Take the side pieces and connect them to the shelf with wood dowels using the holes you prepared earlier. Please note that the main load will be placed on the bars acting as the side frame of the shelf. Therefore, special attention should be paid to their fixation.
To complete the manufacture of the floor shelf in the bathhouse, all that remains is to connect the finished frame with the vertical sheathing. To do this, you will need thin boards of the required length. Secure the sheathing to the frame using one self-tapping screw on each side. Once the glue has completely dried, coat the shelf with a layer of varnish and it is ready to use.
Shelf location
The correct placement of the shelves is against the wall. Often the question of how to make shelves in a bathhouse or steam room is decided based on the actual area of the room and its shape: square, rectangular, etc. There are several types of bath benches that may be suitable for a steam room with certain “architecture” features.
Steps . This is the most common and convenient option. This method helps you choose a certain temperature individually - the hottest air is near the ceiling. That is, at first you can choose the lower level, and then try the upper one when the body gets used to it. If someone doesn't handle the heat very well, they can stay downstairs.
Coupe. This is when one shelf is above the other. Compartment shelves can be installed even in a very small bathhouse. The space savings are obvious. You will need a side chair to climb up. But it’s not always comfortable to know that someone is lying above you and, perhaps, heavy. And it’s quite difficult to communicate like that.
L-shaped . You can make a corner shelf in the bathhouse - it also saves space, but it’s more pleasant to talk and it’s more convenient to “use” a broom. And more “seating” places.
The distance from the ceiling surface to the upper tier (if the arrangement is stepped) should be at least 110-120 cm - otherwise only a child will be able to sit on the shelf there. Other parameters: from the floor to the lower tier - 25-40 cm, between adjacent shelves - from 50 cm.
potaskuns
I made the shelves, observing the basic requirements that were presented to them in the book about baths and saunas, namely: the distance between the top shelf and the ceiling (I don’t remember how much now) and the width of the shelves.
In addition, I made the shelves so that you could lie on the top one both against the wall farthest from the stove and with your feet towards it (199 cm in length).
Since the distance from the bottom shelf to the floor was slightly higher than what was comfortable for sitting, I made a small pad from the remains of the boards, which can be moved along the floor like a stool.
You cannot install shelves near windows - if there are openings in the steam room. Glass can easily burst during bath procedures - there is a risk of injury and even serious harm. In general, there is no need for windows, and they also cause heat to escape.
An example of a wall shelf for a wooden bath
A simple wall shelf can also be easily made by hand. Let's look at the process using the example of a shelf for storing shampoo, gel or essential oils with special container holders. Our shelf will also have hooks for towels or clothes.
Main elements of the product:
Choose materials from those available at home or purchase them at any construction supermarket.
| Name | Quantity |
| dowel for furniture | 8×30 – 12 pcs. |
| wood plug | 4 things. |
| self-tapping screws | 35 mm - 8 pcs. |
| suspension | 2 pcs. |
| hangers for clothes or towels | 5 pieces. (you can choose any quantity) |
A furniture panel is also additionally required. The back wall acts as the main rib. All other elements are fixed on it. This is done using wood screws (the heads need to be recessed into the surface and hidden with plugs) and plugs.
In addition, you need the following tools:
The design of the product can be visually studied in the diagram. A detailed drawing of each element makes the process of manufacturing a hanging shelf for a bathhouse as simple as possible.
Stages of work
How to make shelves in a bathhouse with your own hands if the drawing is ready and the materials have been purchased? It is better to prepare in advance a tape measure, a drill, a mallet and a wooden hammer, a chisel, a grinder and a hacksaw for wood, as well as a screwdriver. It makes sense to take wooden pins. Blanks are made according to the drawing, based on the type of shelves (corner, stepped, etc.) and dimensions (width, height) - taking into account the area of the room.
Then the boards are processed - splinters, burrs, and any imperfections are eliminated (otherwise you will have to get the splinters out later). To prevent the wood from cracking during work, screws are used, but you can pre-drill holes. All surfaces of the boards are carefully sanded, and the corners are prepared. The lumber must be coated with a special protective compound to avoid rotting and cracking. You cannot choose varnishes, paints and ordinary chemicals - when heated, substances harmful to health will be released into the air.
Next, the frame is assembled. The frame is fastened at the corners (metal corners may be suitable for this) and tightened with bolts or screws in the inside of the shelves. Then intermediate slats (transverse) are installed every 50-60 cm.
The next step is to install the support frame on the walls, securing two wooden blocks at the same height using a level. Self-tapping screws or self-tapping screws are suitable for fixing the supports - they are attached at two or three points (at a distance of up to 40 cm). There are more fasteners if the bed is long. It is important to secure the lower frames with a protrusion that matches the width of the lower shelf. The frame is installed on the frame and attached to the wall (with self-tapping screws), then the flooring is laid in steps of 1-1.5 cm. The space between the lower and upper shelves is closed. At the end, the backrest for the upper tier is assembled and secured.
Shape of shelves for bath accessories
In this case, we mean by “shape” design features. Inside the quadrangular room, shelves in the bathhouse for shampoos can be placed either along the wall or in the very corner. In addition, they can vary in support or fastening, because they can not only be screwed to the wall, but hung from the ceiling or made into a floor version (although this is already a bookcase).
Wall mounted soap
Wall-mounted options differ in the presence or absence of a support that evenly distributes the load across the entire width of the shelf. Typically, the support is a bracket - a triangle, one side of which is attached to the wall, the other supports the shelf, and the third transfers the load from the shelf to the wall and imparts rigidity to the structure.
Shelf for shampoos in the bathhouse on brackets
This is a reliable, time-tested option, but for our case it is not so important, because we are talking about shelves in the bathhouse for soap and shampoo, and they have little weight , so the bracket can be omitted, or made decorative.
Corner
Corner shelf in a Karelian bathhouse
Corner structures are fastened to both walls, which increases the “endurance” of the shelves. You can hang it through regular “ears” on dowels.
Usually the outer edge of such a shelf is rounded , which slightly increases the area of the shelf (if it were not a sector of a circle, but a triangle, there would be significantly less space on it).
Correct design
And how many people who install a bathhouse in their yard think that the correct design of the shelves is associated primarily with the characteristics of steaming, as well as the moisture and temperature regime characteristic of a particular national bathhouse tradition?
We dare to assure you that everything is exactly like this, so let’s distinguish between the structure of shelves in a bathhouse and a sauna.
For Finnish sauna
Finns steam while sitting . What happens in a dry air bath? Oxygen-saturated cold air is fed down to a red-hot metal stove, where it almost instantly heats up and rises. The ventilation device in the sauna is such that air exchange occurs quite quickly - the entire volume changes up to 5 times per hour! In this case, the hottest air, as it should be, is at the top .
Shelves in the bath: a design typical for a sauna
Steaming in such a sauna occurs without the participation of steam.
