Frame or timber bathhouse, which is better - pros, cons, construction stages, selection criteria

When collecting material for this article about reviews of timber bathhouses, we were prepared to be faced with a huge number of pages, which were probably worked on by people interested in selling these buildings. Unfortunately, even specialized forums have not fully demonstrated the situation, let alone reviews on the websites of specialized construction companies. Therefore, we approached this issue with skepticism, taking into account the main disadvantages and advantages of bathhouses made of timber.

Frame bathhouse and its features

In deciding whether a frame or timber bath is better, consideration of the key features of each of them is not least important. The main criterion in this is the design differences. So, in the first version, the structure is a set of posts, beams and crossbars connected into a single architectural form.

The frame can have any base - metal, plastic, but often preference is given to wood - boards or bars. The skeleton of the structure is built on a primitive foundation. Then, depending on the required characteristics, it is sheathed on the outside and inside with sheet material - chipboard, plywood and others. If necessary, cavities formed in the walls are filled with inexpensive insulation, for example, polystyrene foam or mineral wool.

Start of construction of a frame bath Source pikabu.ru

The main advantages of such a structure include:

Speed and ease of construction without the use of complex equipment and special equipment.
Light weight and the ability to install without a foundation or with its basic modification.
There is no shrinkage of the walls, which allows for interior and exterior finishing immediately after construction.
Versatility in the choice of building materials.
A wide selection of design projects - by size, interior design, architecture, type of materials, facade.
Sufficient resistance and durability.

At the same time, the frame structure is not without its disadvantages:

The latest heat-insulating materials are quite expensive, despite the fact that the construction of the frame itself can be cheap.
In terms of composition, not all insulation materials are environmentally safe, especially under operating conditions at elevated temperatures and humidity.
The operation of a frame bath in winter is limited or requires significant modification. For use in severe frosts, the structure must be well insulated.

Important! When choosing insulation for a bath, preference should be given to non-flammable compounds. This is especially true in areas of increased fire danger - in places of contact with the chimney, next to the firebox, in the area of the stove.

Small frame bathhouse covered with boards Source okarkasnih.ru
See also: Projects of wooden and frame bathhouses

Disadvantages of the material

However, despite all the positive reviews, almost every one of them has its own negative side and they are, as a rule, due to unscrupulous manufacturers seeking to enrich themselves through the use of low-quality composite materials.

You can verify this by reading the following opinions.

When building a bathhouse or other permanent structure for year-round use, additional insulation may be required. This in turn will hide the original appearance of the building under a layer of thermal insulation.
When purchasing timber, the buyer cannot determine what quality of wood was used for the lamellas inside the log, which can lead to deformation of the entire structure.
Simplifying the construction process only makes sense if you do it yourself. For the developer’s company, this nuance is not of particular importance and does not in any way affect the cost of construction.
Judgments about the durability of buildings made from this type of material are somewhat exaggerated, since it appeared on the market relatively recently and does not have a sufficient service life.
Unfortunately, the environmental component also remains in question, because high-quality branded glue is quite expensive. Manufacturers often, in order to save money, use not the most environmentally friendly product and such a structure, especially one built from handicraft material, can even be toxic.
The same applies to fire safety; cheap and low-quality impregnation used for these purposes can also be very toxic.
The formation of cracks may also be questionable, especially for timber produced in artisanal conditions and without appropriate technologies. The main flaws in the wood can be seen in the following photo.

Bathhouse made of timber - pros and cons

Undoubtedly, in deciding which bathhouse is better from timber or frame, from the point of view of traditions and classics, the first option wins. The structure is based on a log house. It is based on a foundation, strip or other type suitable for the terrain conditions. At the same time, modern technologies for the production of building materials allow the use of 4 main types of timber:

Standard.

It is characterized by low cost, but if not prepared correctly it can shrink, deform and crack, worsening the operational parameters of the structure.

Profiled.

It has a higher price, but makes it possible to create a log house with better strength than in the case described above.

Glued.

Quite an expensive option. Allows you to create a reliable, durable structure.

Combined.

It is characterized by aesthetics, durability and high thermal insulation parameters.

Bathhouse made of timber, attached to the house Source thewalls.ru

Manufacturer reviews

As a rule, manufacturers of this material try to hide negative reviews due to the fact that the product they sell should be characterized only on the positive side. However, alas, this is not always the case, and truly reliable information can only be obtained by visiting one or another construction forum. And to make it easier to navigate, we will try to combine this information in one material.

Criterias of choice

Which bathhouse is better to build, frame or timber - everyone decides for himself. However, there are rational selection criteria for each option.

A sauna on a frame is better suited in the following circumstances:

It is necessary to complete construction as quickly as possible.
When there is no time to wait for the material to shrink before finishing.
There is no need to create a permanent structure.
There is no possibility of attracting special equipment and complex equipment.
There are no conditions for the formation of a full-fledged foundation.

It is better to build a structure made of timber under the following conditions:

It is necessary to build a traditional Russian bathhouse in a classical design.
The steam room will be used for health and therapeutic procedures.
Lifting equipment and a construction team will be available during construction.
The supplier is ready to provide properly prepared and dried timber.
There is a time and place to build a solid foundation.
The finishing of the premises and façade can be completed by next season.

Advice! Before you decide what kind of bathhouse, frame or beam it will be, and begin its construction, you need to carefully consider the budget of the entire enterprise. As a rule, only a third of its volume is spent on the main material. The rest is spent on finishing, insulation and hiring a team with equipment.

Wall and floor equipment

Construction technology involves complete equipment of chopped walls. Such walls are structures consisting of elements located one on top of the other in a vertical position. The constituent elements or glued beams are connected at the corners with special notches.

Each separately constructed row of such timber can be called a crown. A log house is traditionally called the frame of a building built from crowns. The thickness of such a log house is often determined by the width of one laminated veneer lumber.

There are several common ways to connect wooden elements:

The construction of a load-bearing wall must begin by cutting a groove in the lowest element of the structure being built. After this, another beam should be placed in the groove with the need to connect it to the previous one using conventional insulation made of jute, sticks, or moss. The lower beam is combined with the foundation through the installation of a waterproofing layer.

At the corners, the connection can be made into a paw or into a shunt. Often the length of finished walls made of laminated veneer lumber reaches 6.5 meters. When this length becomes above a certain value, it is advisable to equip the vertical elements for compression. After the construction work is completed, each crack and junction of wooden elements will be thoroughly caulked.

At the wall construction stage, you can begin to assemble the floor surface. When installing a drain hole, you need to take into account the need to tilt by about 4-5 degrees. On the finished foundation, you can install special logs on which you can fix the floor covering made of boards.

Errors in construction

The construction team will quickly determine what the bathhouse, timber or frame should be like - what is best to offer to the customer, based on his requirements, suggestions, features and terrain conditions. However, to avoid common mistakes, professionals should consider the following number of factors:

Wood harvesting time. Only winter wood contains a minimum of moisture and does not crack.
The type of material used in construction - when is it better to use traditional, and in which case the newest.
Features of the terrain. The appropriate type of foundation and, accordingly, the possibility of constructing a suitable bathhouse option will depend on this.
Operating time: seasonal, all year round.
Financial capabilities of the customer.

What is profiled timber?

Profiled timber is a building material obtained by mechanical processing of wood. Most often, pine, spruce, cedar or larch are used for its production. The final cost of the product depends on the type of wood.

The front side can be flat, which is most common, but it can also be rounded. It is less common to find another configuration. A tongue-and-groove fastening system is milled on the upper and lower planes, ensuring a reliable connection of the beams to each other.

At the first stage of production, the log is unraveled onto a carriage. The resulting workpiece is sawn in accordance with the specified dimensions, after which tenons and grooves are selected.

Briefly about the main thing

When deciding what kind of bathhouse should be - made of timber or frame, what to choose so as not to go beyond the budget and not infringe on personal preferences, it is necessary to take into account the following series of criteria:

Estimated amount of expenditure.
When will the operation take place - in summer or winter.
What are the terrain conditions?
What are the parameters of the future construction - dimensions, arrangement, design.
When will construction be completed and operation begin?

Frame baths are built easier, cheaper and faster, but safe, good insulation can cost a hefty sum. An analogue made of timber takes longer to build, but it does not require insulation, and it can do without finishing. A favorable healing microclimate is created inside such a bath.

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Why is it not recommended to use laminated lumber for a bathhouse?

A bathhouse is a place where a person comes to relax and improve his health, which means the walls should “breathe.” Extraneous chemicals have no place here! Can the species in question meet these requirements? Here are a number of main reasons why you should not build a bathhouse from laminated timber:

Because of the adhesive film, the walls will stop “breathing”; there will be no air circulation like in a wooden bathhouse.
If you purchase material from an unknown manufacturer, you can get a low-grade material that will quickly crack at high humidity and temperatures. This means that additional insulation and finishing will have to be done.
When heated, the glue can release toxic fumes and you can get poisoned in the baths.
It is too early to talk about the durability of bathhouses made of laminated veneer lumber, since the buildings have been used in Russia for less than 20 years.
The lamellas may delaminate due to temperature changes and the material will lose strength.

These are the main negative reviews about bathhouses already built with glued material. But is everything really that scary? It is definitely difficult to answer this question. If you choose the material carefully and follow a number of rules, then such construction will most likely have a place.