Linden for a bath - a heat accumulator that does not burn

The secret of the right steam room

It is a woody plant in the form of large shrubs or trees.
The linden material is homogeneous, with a beautiful shine and an unobtrusive honey aroma. Its conditional density is 400 kg/m3, in a dry state it reaches 495 kg/m3. Linden wood is soft, viscous, light. Its color is white or pale yellow, but there are varieties of pink or light brown. The structure of the linden material is moderately expressed. Knots are found infrequently, and the annual layers are almost invisible. Due to the uniform distribution of moisture, such lumber is less susceptible to warping and cracking. Wear resistance is low, which is why the wood bends easily and can be polished and painted. Rodents do not like linden and do not spoil it. And since it retains heat well, it has always been used for the construction of baths and food warehouses.

Linden wood is an excellent material for interior decoration of a steam room, in which, thanks to it, a healing microclimate is created. It is durable, does not emit harmful substances and resins when heated, and regulates the level of humidity in the steam room. This lining can withstand temperatures up to 120°C, but due to its low thermal conductivity it does not burn the body.

Linden fills the heated air with an aroma that has a healing effect.

The tree is the head of everything

The steam room, let us not be afraid of this pompous phrase, is the heart of a real Russian bath, so decorating the steam room is a very delicate matter, requiring thoughts in the head and skill in the hands. In a Russian steam room, the tree rules the roost and there are many reasons for this:

• Certain types of wood have an optimal ratio of thermal conductivity and heat capacity, which allows, on the one hand, to accumulate and release a significant amount of thermal energy, and on the other hand, not to cause burns to exposed parts of the human body;
• Wood, due to its structure, seems to “breathe”, that is, local gas exchange occurs, which is a very useful quality in conditions of high temperature and humidity;
• Based on the previous point, as a result of local gas exchange, the lining of the steam room works as a kind of generator of odors and aromas, which, in addition to creating a comfortable atmosphere, also causes a certain therapeutic inhalation effect;
• In our country, wood is a fairly affordable option, at least definitely more affordable than the same marble slabs;
• Decorating a steam room in a bathhouse with your own hands does not pose any special problems and is accessible to a person without specific carpentry skills;
• Properly selected types of wood are durable, even in unfavorable conditions of the steam room.

It is clear that it is possible and necessary to use combined types of finishing, when wood is combined with stone, salt blocks and slabs, and marble inserts. However, it is the tree in the Russian steam room that is the core around which the entire decoration of the steam room is tied.

Linden behavior in the bathhouse

In the steam room linden:

• withstands sudden changes in temperature, does not crack, does not deform;
• thanks to its porous structure, it regulates humidity;
• due to its high density, it dries quickly after getting wet;
• It doesn’t heat up too much, so you can’t accidentally get burned on it;
• releases beneficial substances in a hot, humid environment.

Disadvantages of linden lining: its susceptibility to mold and rapid darkening. Because of this, after 6–8 years it must be replaced or requires a thorough renovation.

If the steam room is designed in the manner of a Russian bath, it maintains high humidity at a low temperature - it is necessary to design a high-quality ventilation system.

After bath procedures, the room should be well ventilated. This way the linden material will last longer. Otherwise, the lining will quickly darken and fungus will appear.

Pros and cons compared to other breeds

But in order to understand something, you need to compare it with alternative options. Since a steam room with deciduous wood, most people will call aspen an alternative to linden. So let’s look at the comparative merits of linden or aspen in a bathhouse. And one more - a little less common - comparison of linden or alder for a bathhouse - which is better?

Which is better: linden or aspen?

In another article, where the properties of linden and aspen lining were considered, we already compared the properties of these two types of wood. You can either follow the link and read the entire article, or stay here and see the table on which our conclusions are based, and, in fact, the conclusions themselves.

So here's the table:

From the columns that show the coefficients of shrinkage and swelling , that is, the change in dimensions under the influence of moistening and loss of moisture, we see that aspen is better than linden for a bathhouse. Although the difference here is not so great as to call aspen a clear favorite.

Because it darkens in the bathhouse faster than linden. Otherwise, their properties are very similar. Even if other sources give slightly different densities, they are still fairly close to each other.

Aspen darkens from water

In the store, linden will cost more than aspen, but also not by much. Therefore, go through your priorities - you will have to look for high-quality aspen wood and spend your time on it. If you are ready for this, bet on aspen, and linden will remain for those who prefer the option that is not much worse, but faster, albeit more expensive.

IMPORTANT! In a bathhouse, any(!) wood rots, only the conditions and timing vary. If you are dry after the procedures (see the section on ventilation), then linden will last longer than larch for someone who neglects drying.

And so, of course, linden is practically unable to resist rotting, unless you help it with impregnations. But this also applies to aspen. Yes, it gains hardness under the influence of water, but its resistance to rotting is low.

In general, these two species have very similar characteristics, we recommend aspen , but if you have problems with a good aspen or you just like linden, take it.

Linden or alder?

But of this pair, we prefer linden. Alder is best at the harvesting stage, because linden is often discarded during the initial drying - this is when its warping occurs. Dried linden is quite stable and does not create problems. Alder exhibits minimal warping even at the initial drying stage.

But if you are an ordinary buyer, then it is enough to check the moisture content of the purchased lumber and the presence of warping - any differences from the correct geometry, for example, bends or twists.

Otherwise, these are also two types of wood quite similar to each other. Alder is as inelastic, soft, easy to work with and not resistant to rotting as linden.

ATTENTION! Alder and linden are damaged by metal-wood contact in a humid environment. Therefore, it is advisable to protect screw fastenings from moisture, or abandon them in favor of classic carpentry joints.

If you have a choice, then from black and gray alder you should choose black, it has better technical characteristics.

What else could be the basis for choice - alder has reddish shades and looks darker than linden. If you are interested in achieving just such an effect, you can use alder wood. Linden lighter in color and yellow, but there are pinkish and reddish varieties. Linden smells nice , but the smell is weak. Alder is neutral.

As you can see, it all depends on personal preferences, and there are no significant disadvantages or advantages in either breed.

IMPORTANT! Please note that for now we are talking exclusively about wood for the steam room. If there is a desire to use any of the mentioned breeds outside of it, the chances of longevity are increased by the ability to use antiseptics.

Which lining is best for a bathhouse - a review of materials for a bathhouse, dressing room and shower

After erecting a building for a bathhouse on a personal plot, it is necessary to decide on the option of interior decoration. And here many questions arise. The interior design of the bathhouse can be made using various materials. Be it the well-known lining made of various types of wood or a more expensive material (for example, finishing or salt stone).

Of course, you should opt for lining. This natural and environmentally friendly material will be an excellent solution for the interior design of a bathhouse. The attractive design of the bathhouse will delight the eye not only of true connoisseurs, but also of ordinary lovers of taking a steam bath. In order to understand which lining is best for a bathhouse, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics and classification of the future cladding.

As a rule, any bathhouse consists of a dressing room, a steam room, and sometimes a shower room. For each of these premises there are a number of safety and environmental requirements. Therefore, finishing materials must differ in their functionality, appearance and technical characteristics. But the general rule is resistance to water, moisture and high temperatures.

Usage

Is it possible to build an entire log house from linden ? Why not? Nowadays everything is possible. But let’s take a separate look at what it would look like to log a bathhouse made of linden and the option of only finishing the bathhouse with linden in the form of a lining.

Log house

A small bathhouse, practically consisting of (perhaps even combined) a steam room and a washing room plus a tiny dressing room, can be built entirely from linden. Because in this case there will be no need to sheathe the inside of the steam room.

However, such an undertaking will require certain investments in protecting the bathhouse from the outside. The fact is that using linden for construction is not a very good idea - it is of little use as a wall material, since precipitation will quickly lead to the proliferation of fungi on it, which causes rotting.

To prevent this from happening, the outside of the log house will have to be thoroughly and often treated with antiseptics (those antiseptics that are sold for self-coating have an extremely shallow penetration depth - 2-3 mm), or impregnated (industrially impregnated wood) is needed, but this is not a fact. that you will find such a linden tree, and what’s the point - they will process the log there from all sides, but why do you need such happiness in the steam room?

Therefore, independent processing of the outside of the log house is a suitable option, although it will require periodic updating. Treatment inside is also necessary - everywhere except the steam room can also be treated with an antiseptic, and inside the steam room - with oil or oil wax.

ADVICE! The linden log house will have to be protected as a “UNESCO heritage”, so it is more practical to build it from pine, and decorate the steam room with linden clapboard.

Finishing

Wood finishing usually means lining walls and ceilings with clapboard. This is a common practice, and it is used not only in bathhouses made of brick or concrete, or in frame ones - the frame and timber are covered with clapboard. But this is done in two cases:

• when it turned out that the thickness of the log was chosen incorrectly and in winter the bathhouse needs additional insulation;
• when the walls of a steam room are made of coniferous wood and need to be insulated from heat so that the resin does not leak out (or at least does not fall on those steaming).

The lining can be sewn onto both “bare” walls (of course, through lathing and with film insulation), and on walls with insulation.

Often foil is stuffed under the lining as a heat-reflecting and vapor barrier layer . But this only makes sense in a steam room.

CONCLUSION! So, it is beneficial to use linden lining only in a steam room - it does not emit resin, it smells nice, it is light, and the price is reasonable. In other rooms, the decoration can be made of anything.

Boards

Linden shelf, Extra grade

Linden boards for baths can be purchased in several versions:

• regular edged and unedged;
• profiled = lining;
• planken for regiments.

Conventional cladding can be used (and in this capacity, unedged is used in a bathhouse even more than edged), as well as lining.

Planken is mainly used for sheathing shelves.

The dimensions of the boards can be standard or have the dimensions and profiles that a particular manufacturer prefers.

You can read about finishing with unedged boards here.

The sizes and types of shelf boards are described here.

A comparison of linden and aspen lining is given in this article.

Types of lining profiles

In addition to the fact that different wood is used in manufacturing, the lining may also differ in type of execution:

• Eurolining for a bathhouse is a popular type with recesses that emphasize the structure of the wall due to deep seams.
• Seamless lining forms a continuous wall due to very narrow seams.
• Imitation timber creates the illusion of a flat log wall.
• The blockhouse, due to its convex shape, creates a classic wall of semicircular logs.

Products

The fact that wood can be used as a wall or finishing material will be discussed further, but you can also find certain linden products What are they? These are mainly shelves, windows and doors, and it can also be dishes, but we won’t talk about them.

Linden doors

Doors (as well as windows) made of linden have become widespread due to the observation that they do not warp or swell after intense moisture during bath procedures. This property is in great demand in the bathhouse, because many have to deal with the problem of doors that do not want to fit into doorways. Or the doors dry out, forming cracks and crevices. And the most unpleasant option is when there is a bend.

However, the coefficients of shrinkage and swelling (you saw them above in the table) do not differ significantly, and in some ways they are even inferior to other breeds. From this we can conclude that if linden is suitable for bath doors, then this also applies to other types of wood with similar or better shrinkage and swelling characteristics.

ADVICE! If you choose a door, take it from a solid wood panel, from a furniture panel. But it must be well dried and with the correct geometry. During operation, problems may only get worse, but not appear.

We wrote in detail about fake doors in this article.

Shelves

Shelves, of course, are difficult to buy ready-made - they are designed for the dimensions of the room in which they will be placed, but since this is a piece of furniture, we considered it possible to classify it as a product.

Shelves can be made independently or to order. It is best to purchase stronger wood for the frame, such as pine. And then cover it with linden boards.

In the photo: the shelves are mounted on pine bars and metal pipes

Linden for bathhouse shelves is sold in the form of a board with rounded edges. Usually this is a plank with a thickness of 20 mm and a width of 80-90 mm. However, different manufacturers may cut the wood differently and give the resulting board different names. We came across boards called “shelves”. There are boards that are thicker, almost timber (in thickness).

In general, linden is good for shelves, except for one thing - the shelves are exposed to water, so they need especially careful drying in order for them to serve you as long as possible. In addition, impregnation with water-repellent compounds will extend the service life, but not everyone likes to use them in the steam room, especially on shelves.

A detailed article about linden shelves is here.

Double-glazed and plain windows

Let's start with the fact that nowadays they don't install windows in a bathhouse at all without double-glazed windows. Well, maybe someone does, but it’s not advisable. Because heat loss from windows is the greatest, and their area is usually included in the formula for calculating the power of your stove. There, the area is multiplied by a certain coefficient, and the product is added to the power calculated by cubic capacity.

IMPORTANT! Therefore, if you do not want to increase the power of the furnace, install windows with double-glazed windows; a layer of air or inert gas, or vacuum between the glasses serves as a heat insulator.

The number of glasses in the package may vary, it all depends on your climate. The colder the winter, the more glass there is. But they usually don’t put more than 4.

Now about the frame. You need to know that internal and external frames can be made of different materials because they are exposed to different influences. The conditions in the steam room are different, and the conditions outside are different. The linden frame can only be placed inside.

The combination options are varied - a double frame (each can have a double-glazed window), and the material can be any: inside, of course, we choose wood, outside - another tree, aluminum, plastic.

You will find detailed material about wooden windows in the bathhouse at this link. Everything that is said about the tree applies specifically to the linden tree.