Construction material for baths. What material is best to build a bathhouse from? What material can be used to build a bathhouse?

For Russia, a bathhouse is considered a place where you can not only spend time. They have long known: in order to cleanse the spirit and body, you need to take a good steam with a birch or oak broom. But the question arises of how to efficiently and economically build at least a mini-bathhouse on your site.

In this article we will figure out how to do this, what are the best materials to choose, how much does it cost?. Let's consider the main mistakes in construction, time and financial aspects.

What's important at the very beginning?

When deciding to build, you should understand a small but significant thing. A good, small bathhouse needs a project. Many people underestimate the importance of drawings and calculations. And speed, reliability, comfort and cost depend on this.

Advice! Before going to an architect, you need to decide on the material.

Log walls

In Rus' it so happened that wooden baths were built. There are reasons for this. The following breeds are usually chosen:

Pine.
Fir.
Cedar.

A log bathhouse will not rot and is resistant to moisture. There is no need for additional vapor barrier.

Pros:

Natural material, environmentally friendly.
Retains heat well.
“Log” ones are considered the most durable. The quality is superior to frame and stone buildings. By following construction technologies, the service life without repair reaches 70–80 years.
Relatively inexpensive material, it all depends on the region.
Excellent aesthetic appearance.

Minuses:

The disadvantage of this material is that the building must settle by 15–20 cm. After erecting the frame, it is recommended to wait a year.

Construction from timber

Timber is most often used in the construction of baths. It exists in four types:

Planed.
Glued.
Not planed.
Profiled.

It is possible to use any of the listed materials. But the most popular is profiled or planed. Let's look at each separately.

Planed

Special treatment makes it virtually invulnerable to cracks. Timber passed chamber drying, will be more expensive. It all depends on the professionalism of the builders. For example, if you build it yourself, then it is advisable to choose high-quality processing.

It is good to carry out installation from prepared timber. It’s easier this way thanks to the “comb”, which provides light, reliable and tight grip. This allows construction to be carried out with less effort.

The inter-crown areas are protected thanks to a special profile. This also allows long years do without repairs, save the heat of the walls.

Advantages:

Long service life.
Environmentally friendly material.
Low cost.
Easy to install.

Flaws:

Violations in the drying technique lead to deformation and twisting.
“Prone” to cracking even with treatment.
It may darken over time.

Glued

More “difficult” to manufacture. Made from boards and logs. It undergoes high-quality drying and gluing. Thanks to the processing of two or more lamellas, it is considered the most good material for the construction and finishing of baths and saunas. It is chosen by people who are not used to saving.

Pros:

Allows you to erect a building in a month or two.
“Gorgeous” in aesthetic terms.
Practically not subject to shrinkage.
Does not deform.
Thanks to him high-quality processing- does not crack.
Optimal humidity prevents the appearance of fungus and mold.

Minuses:

Expensive material.
Uses adhesive compositions makes it not environmentally friendly.
It is very quick to assemble a panel bath, which is used by commercial enterprises.

Not planed

The most inexpensive and popular of materials. Unplaned timber (sawn) is square or rectangular sections. Production is carried out from spruce or pine. Wood is dried not in chambers, but in the fresh air. This made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of the material.

Pros:

Minimum costs for constructing a frame.
Possibly used as a finishing material.
Does not require highly qualified specialists.

Minuses:

After the box is erected, the building is left to shrink for a year.
It is necessary to additionally insulate and caulk cracks. As the building is used, cracks may appear.
External insulation is required.
Needs additional interior finishing.

Profiled

It got its name thanks to the connecting locks. They can be divided into the following:

Comb.
With one spike.
With two spikes.
Norwegian.
Finnish.

Easy to install. Slots and inter-crown corners are cut at the construction site. Most suitable look material.

Advantages:

High-quality grinding allows it to be used in finishing.
No harmful chemicals are used.
Made from spruce, pine, oak.
Due to its low thermal conductivity, it retains heat well.
Low shrinkage rate – 4–5 cm.
Fast construction with small forces.

Flaws:

Poor drying will lead to greater sagging.
It is necessary to treat it yourself with fire-fighting agents.
After construction there will be no possibility of redevelopment.

Nowadays, a barrel sauna made of profiled material is very popular. The price starts from 60 thousand for an already assembled structure, which is convenient to accommodate even in the most small area dachas of six acres. Moreover, the design is put into operation without foundation.

Modern building materials for baths

Few people know that bathhouses built with brick and cement will look and function no worse than wooden ones. Let's consider common options made from expanded clay blocks (cinder blocks) and bricks.

Brick bath

Stone buildings have a number of advantages over wooden structures. The advantages include:

weather resistance,
practicality,
possibility of redevelopment.

But the cost will increase significantly - this is due to the preparation and installation of the foundation. And also mandatory interior decoration.

Services required for the construction of brick baths professional builders different specialties. If only carpenters are needed for a wooden structure, then here you will need:

Masons.
Plasterers.
Finishers.
Roofers.

To build it yourself quickly will require enormous knowledge and experience. Improper wall laying will lead to condensation and structural instability. You will also need additional thermal insulation of the building facade.

Foam block

This material is more suitable for construction. Although it is considered “young” material. He has his own fans. They are successfully used in the construction of residential buildings, including bathhouses made of foam blocks.

Light weight and excellent thermal conductivity make it possible to create a warm building. But just like brick, foam block needs a foundation and additional thermal insulation. One of the main qualities of stone is its fire resistance. For example: a brick crumbles under the influence of high temperature. The same cannot be said about.

It is made from environmentally friendly materials. Easy to process. Low price allows you to compete with other building materials.

The most expensive materials in construction

Common mistakes in construction

In order for the bath to turn out well, it is necessary to pay attention to the mistakes that are made by both professionals and amateurs:

The wood must be dense coniferous species: fur tree, pine tree.
Incorrectly calculated foundation.
The logs should be from 20 to 25 cm. Too thin will only be suitable for a rustic “temporary shed” and will lead to heat loss.
To preserve heat, it is necessary to use moisture-resistant wood in finishing; Alder, poplar or aspen can handle this.

Due attention should be given bricks for the stove. First, it must be red fireproof. Secondly, solid ones cannot be used hollow ones. An error is considered to be a window that is too large or small. For a bath it should be at least 50*50.

What is better - to build it yourself or use the services of a company?

The construction of a bathhouse brings with it a number of problems. This is a dilemma: build on your own or through a company. When choosing independent construction, you need to be prepared for processes such as:

Responsibility for quality.
It takes a lot of effort and time.
Construction experience required.
You can forget about the quick completion of construction.
Hire assistants (shabashniks).
Purchase, delivery of materials.
Foundation calculation.

Of course, in self-construction there are advantages. Namely:

Freedom of choice.
Phased construction.
Better control.
Money savings.

Advantages and disadvantages of the company:

Hiring a company eliminates a number of problems with finding workers.
Responsibility for quality lies with the company.
Takes upon itself the development of the project and supervision of the construction process.
The construction will be done by professionals.
Fast project completion. You can even order a project for a bathhouse with a swimming pool.

Of the minuses:

additional financial costs.

Obviously, hiring a company capable of carrying out turnkey construction is much more profitable than tackling such a complex task alone.

Cost overview

Pivot table. Prices indicated for various materials along with work:

How to build a budget sauna with your own hands: let's go through the basic steps

The first step is to decide on the materials, placement, and area. You will also have to face obstacles such as:

calculation and laying of the foundation,
construction of the frame,
finishing,
decide on insulation,
vapor barrier,
think about equipment installation.

Foundation

To make the base strong and economical, a pile option is suitable for its construction. It is much easier to make than tape.
The next step will be marking. Don't forget about indoor partitions.
Then the location of the piles is noted. The distance between them should be two meters. The piles must be located at the intersection of the walls and at each corner.
The wells should be 25–30 cm wide and 1–1.5 meters deep.
The well is half filled with sand, spilled with water and then compacted.
After this you can start diving asbestos pipes. A reinforcement and wooden frame is created around them for pouring concrete.
Leave this structure until completely dry - about five days.

Caracas

You will need well-dried timber.
Before installation, it should be treated with an anti-corrosion compound.
At intersections and corners, reinforced bars are installed (vertically).
Each such pillar should stand every meter from each other, not forgetting to leave openings for windows.
The entire structure is united by bars or boards, and fastened with timber lintels.
A frame with a roof is assembled in this simple manner.

Finishing - insulation

OSB boards are used for finishing.
The sheets are screwed using wood screws.
The gaps between the joints are filled with polyurethane foam.
Inside, finishing follows the same principle with only one difference: before sewing, insulation and vapor barrier are inserted.

Completion

After sheathing and insulation, you can begin arranging furniture and additional equipment.

Important! Furniture should be made of moisture-resistant wood. You can use purchased electric ones as a stove.

Results

Building on your own is a long, nervous and seasonal process. The fastest way to assemble a bathhouse on site is from foam concrete or a ready-made, dried log house. If you work with four or more hands, then one season is enough to build the foundation, walls and roof. Well, the external and internal components of the cladding are a secondary issue.

The optimal combination according to the conditional characteristic “Price-quality” concerns:

Buildings made of dry logs (medium diameter);
Red brick baths (subject to normal interior decoration). Fire resistance;
Premises made of timber 15 X 15, 20 X 20, preferably dry.

Advice! When planning the purchase, plan and time of year for construction, do not rush to calculate the area. A log house or masonry 4 by 4 meters is enough for a whole family, which can even accommodate a washing room.

For your information, barrel baths do not count, because they are a prefabricated structure, a kind of temporary option for several years.

The best video about building a sauna with your own hands

Sergei Zhornachuk’s material deservedly received more than 200 thousand views, thousands of likes and approving comments. An excellently edited, informative, sensible video about building a bathhouse with your own hands.

Having your own bathhouse in the courtyard of a private house is the dream of many owners of suburban areas. Everyone knows that a bathhouse serves as a place not only for regular washing, but also for wellness treatments - healing steam cleanses pores, improves blood circulation and gives vitality. In addition, there is a tradition that this particular building often turns into a kind of “club”, where you can have a great time with friends or loved ones.

Therefore, owners planning to create such a useful “complex” inevitably face the question - what is the best material to build a bathhouse from, so that it can be used at any time of the year and without extra costs create and maintain an optimal microclimate. The choice of material directly influences the creation of a healthy, relaxing sauna atmosphere.

In addition, the correctly selected material is the key to the durability of this structure. It is imperative to take into account that internal surfaces walls will be constantly exposed to moist hot air and temperature changes.

The modern market offers a wide variety of different building materials suitable for the construction of walls of houses, utility, utility and other specific buildings. However, it is worth taking a closer look and figuring out which one is ideal for a bathhouse.

Relevance healthy image life in modern world increases annually, and against this background, many city dwellers strive to leave polluted cities and settle closer to nature. Low-rise construction is increasing the volume of houses being built and the quality of structures. During the construction of a fairly comfortable country house with the preservation of all the benefits of civilization, in particular engineering communications.

Commitment to tradition

For a Russian person, the construction of a bathhouse on the site is a mandatory condition. Of course, it’s convenient to wash in the shower or in the bathtub, but nothing can compare with a bathhouse: the resinous smell of wood, the fragrant infusion of a steamed birch or oak broom in the steam room, hot and gentle steam, and then an ice-cold shower and strong herbal tea... This is what it looks like the dream of a bathhouse for most of its lovers and connoisseurs. In order for the bathhouse to bring only positive emotions, it is necessary to build it correctly and use it correctly. The easiest way is to order the construction of a bathhouse from professionals who will take into account all the requirements and wishes of the customer. What size to choose for each of the functional rooms, what is best to build a bathhouse from, how to determine its location and even the depth of the foundation. Most owners of a plot of land outside the city prefer to build a bathhouse themselves, which is much more economical from a financial point of view and much more pleasant for self-esteem. In the future, you can brag about the result and share your experience with the air of an expert on the subject.

Material selection

At the initial stage, every owner of a future bathhouse has a lot of questions: what to build a bathhouse from, what kind of foundation is best, what roofing materials what bath materials can be used as interior decoration? The owner of the future bathhouse must answer each of these questions independently, depending on preferences and financial capabilities. Modern technologies provide opportunities wide choice building materials and methods of constructing buildings. The following types of materials can be used as a basis:

Each option is pre-calculated to determine the amount of material used and, accordingly, its cost. It is possible to use a combination of materials both for the construction of the main structure and for its finishing.

Preparatory calculations, design

Having decided what is best to build a bathhouse from, we proceed to designing it and planning it on site. At this stage, it is necessary to pay special attention to safe operation measures. The bathhouse should be located at a distance of 5-7.5 m from other buildings. If there is a natural source of water supply (well), the distance of the structure from it should be at least 15-18 meters - this will prevent wastewater from getting into the water, from a river or lake maximum distance is 3-5 meters. must take into account the dimensions and materials for the construction of the bathhouse. The areas of the steam room, dressing room and washing section of the bath are determined depending on the properties of the material used and the number of people who can be in it at the same time. Depending on what materials are used for the bathhouse, the load on the foundation is calculated. Particular attention is paid to drainage and ventilation, which are planned depending on the operating mode and construction materials. The issue of insulating the walls and roof of the bathhouse is carefully considered - the quality of steam, duration and efficiency of use depend on this.

Construction stages

The site for the construction of the structure has been chosen, we begin construction. Before we clear and level the area chosen as the location of the bathhouse.

Foundation - the basis of the structure

We choose the type of foundation - it depends on the weight of the structure and the type of soil. The optimal solution there will be a depth equal to freezing. The least expensive method is to first replace part of the soil (a bed of crushed stone of various fractions and sand). The pillars are located under load-bearing walls and in the corners of the bathhouse. This way you can install this type of foundation around the entire perimeter.

For an area with nearby groundwater The pile option is used. Required condition is the presence of a platform for the stove, which has a large mass (especially modifications with a water tank), and, accordingly, needs solid support, and a separate foundation will ensure fire safety.

The foundation must stand for some time and gain strength. It needs to be processed by special means for protection from external influences. During the foundation construction phase, a drainage system and ventilation vents are installed.

Walls

The construction of walls is carried out in parallel with the process of their insulation. The owner, who has decided on the question of what is best to build a bathhouse from, must take into account the need, quality and quantity of the insulating layer used at the design stage. The final stage of wall construction is the construction internal partitions and dividing the bath space into separate functional rooms. Partitions can be made from the main building material or (which happens most often) made from wooden board different widths. The final stage Before finishing, thoroughly waterproof the walls and ceiling of the bathhouse.

Roofing and finishing

The construction of the roof will be the final stage of the construction of the bathhouse. The design of the roof depends on climatic conditions: the simplest and budget option is a gable roof. The attic will perform the function of retaining heat if it is built correctly, i.e., provides good waterproofing. The choice of material for covering the roof depends on the capabilities of the owner, and the structure of the sheathing also depends on this. Roof with inside sheathed waterproofing material and is additionally insulated. You can begin interior finishing work, which will again return the owner to the question of what is best to build a bathhouse from. The cladding of the walls inside each sector of the bathhouse has several functions: protection from moisture, aesthetics of the room and functionality. It is important to remember about such a concept as “bath spirit” or steam; it directly depends on the material of the interior decoration.

We build bathhouses from timber

For many bathhouse lovers, the question “What to build a bathhouse from?” absolutely not relevant - only wood, there can be no other opinion. This material has been used for many centuries: it is used for the construction of Russian baths everywhere. Baths made of timber of any size are found on every second suburban area. Much has been said about the positive characteristics of wood used as a building material, but the conclusion is clear - this is the best option for a bathhouse. The only one negative point is a short duration of operation, but at the current level of development chemical industry Processing wood against external influences increases the life and quality of service of any structure. The timber must be well dried and processed - only in this case the owner receives not only a magnificent appearance and pleasure from use, but also a great charge of vigor and health. For interior decoration, you can use different types of wood, it all depends on the preferences and capabilities of the owner.

Use of frame technologies

When building a bathhouse, the most budget-friendly option is to use frame technology. It is being developed in the vast expanses of our country very quickly, and one of the advantages, in addition to the low cost, is the speed of construction of the bathhouse.

The design is lightweight, does not require a powerful foundation, and the finishing possibilities both inside and outside are unlimited. After the main frame is erected, the walls are lined with insulation and hermetically sealed. The internal microclimate can be created by covering the walls with clapboard of any type of wood. Exterior decoration siding, wood and tiles will give an aesthetic appearance to a structure such as a frame bathhouse (the photo will demonstrate this more clearly). One of the disadvantages of its use is increased level humidity, but with proper use ventilation system With good sealed cladding, this drawback can be eliminated.

Construction of a bathhouse from blocks

Many owners of country real estate, due to limited financial resources, have to save on building a bathhouse, but modern development construction market The issue can be solved simply - we build a bathhouse from blocks. This material has a relatively low cost, is practical, lightweight, has an additional heat-saving function due to its cavities, does not shrink, and construction time is significantly lower than when using other materials.

At the same time, there is a choice of blocks; they are made of sand, cement, clay. There are several made from expanded clay, cinder blocks, foam blocks, and aerated concrete blocks. It is necessary to settle on one of the options, for example, we build bathhouses from foam blocks. Due to qualities of this material cost savings begin at the foundation laying phase, and the lightness of the material reduces the percentage of load on the foundation. Foam blocks are easy to process, which makes it possible to use any finishing materials. TO negative aspects use in construction can include the costs of additional thermal insulation; mortar is used when fastening the blocks; the masonry must be level. The principle of building a bathhouse is the same as when using bricks, but the weight of the structure is much lower and the number of rows of masonry is less. For the steam room, the walls are finished with wood after laying the sealant. Humidity - main enemy foam blocks, because due to the porous structure the block quickly gains moisture, so special attention should be paid to the quality of the foam block and the sealing of the bath.

Bathhouse on personal plot or a dacha - the dream of many owners. Such water procedures are not only pleasant, but also useful - they cleanse and strengthen the body, and help improve blood circulation. Friendly communication over a cup of aromatic tea after a steam room can hardly be overestimated. When it comes to choosing a material for building a bathhouse, you need to take into account not only the price factor. This is a specific room with special functions, high humidity and temperature. Therefore, it is important not to get lost among the diversity that the market offers. To choose what to build a bathhouse from, it is recommended to consider different building materials in advance from the point of view of their suitability for the construction of a given building. This will allow you to understand which one will be optimal for your needs and conditions.

General requirements for materials from which bathhouses are built in the country

The construction of bathhouses, like any other objects, is regulated by SNiP standards:

SNiP 30–02–97, which describes the rules for the development of garden and personal plots;
SP 11–106–97 - rules for creating a site development project.

Many owners are surprised to learn that the requirements for baths are in some aspects even stricter than for residential buildings. This is due primarily to increased fire hazard due to the presence of a stove. In addition, there are technical requirements for building materials. They have to:

provide good thermal insulation;
be resistant to influence high humidity and temperature.

The question of price in this case is last place, although it also matters, other things being equal.

What to build a bathhouse from: advantages and disadvantages of different materials

The market offers us many options:

tree;
aerated concrete;
expanded clay concrete;
brick;
wood concrete;
cinder block

Gas block or foam block

Aerated concrete blocks are made from cement, quartz sand and foaming agents. Material refers to cellular concrete. The resulting blocks are processed in autoclaves to increase strength. They have the right geometric shape and are, in fact, a synthetic stone.

Advantages of aerated concrete:

Fire resistance. This is an important indicator of the material from which the bathhouse will be built.
High strength that increases over time.
Light weight. Thanks to this, you can save on the foundation.
Ease of processing. It is easy to cut with a hacksaw and drill with a drill.

The main disadvantages of this material are its high cost and hygroscopicity (the ability to absorb and accumulate moisture). Therefore, the use of aerated concrete for the construction of a bathhouse requires some measures. To reduce the amount of moisture absorbed, special additives are added to the material.

Additionally, during construction it will be necessary to create vapor and waterproofing.

For a bathhouse, such a material characteristic as its thermal conductivity is important. For aerated concrete it depends on its density. The material different brands from D300 to D600 the thermal conductivity coefficient ranges from 0.072 to 0.141. The lower the density of gas blocks, the less they conduct heat. At low density, the cells of the material contain a lot of air, which heats up slowly and is an obstacle to heat transfer. It turns out to be a thermos effect. It should be taken into account that the thermal conductivity indicator is given for aerated concrete at zero humidity. When moisture is absorbed, it increases noticeably.

Another feature of building from aerated blocks is that they need to be laid on a special glue that looks like cement mortar. The latter is not recommended to be used, since the blocks absorb moisture from it, thereby reducing the thermal insulation of the room.

Frame bath

Frame baths are gaining more and more popularity due to their advantages:

Light weight, thanks to which it can be mounted on a lightweight foundation.
High speed of construction. On average, a frame bath can be assembled 3 times faster than a timber or brick one. Construction takes no more than 2–3 weeks.
Good thermal insulation. In terms of warmth, it is comparable to log and timber buildings.
It can be erected at any time of the year, including in winter at temperatures down to -15 degrees.
The material of the walls absorbs and allows air to pass through, allowing them to “breathe”, so this bathhouse has a pleasant microclimate.
Natural frame materials are safe for human health.

Such a bathhouse is not without some disadvantages:

Shrinkage within 2 years, during which the building can settle by 10 cm. To reduce it, you need to use chamber drying materials.
Additional costs for insulation and finishing. The frame itself is cheaper than timber or brick baths, but costs increase due to interior and exterior decoration.
Difficulty making a choice effective insulation. Mineral wool or polystyrene foam will not work here. You will have to look for insulation that does not absorb moisture and does not ignite.

A frame bath is considered the best budget option.

Brick

Brick as a material for building a bathhouse has three main advantages:

Durability. Brick baths can last more than a hundred years, while the average service life of wooden ones is 15–20 years.
Attractive appearance. The brick does not require additional finishing. From it you can create any design elements buildings.
Fire resistance. Unlike wood, brick does not burn.

There are many more disadvantages of this material in the context of building a bathhouse:

Need to create strip foundation. This is an expensive and time-consuming process.
The brick takes longer to warm up. For kindling wooden bath takes on average no more than 1–1.5 hours. To warm up a brick one, you will need much more time and, accordingly, fuel.
Poor ventilation. Brick walls“breathe” much worse than wooden or frame ones.
High price.
Long construction period. You need to wait until the concrete in the foundation dries and gains strength. Laying walls also takes a lot of time and effort.

In view of long term service and fire safety, many owners prefer brick. A beautiful appearance is an additional incentive. If you also decide to build a bathhouse from it, use some tips:

The best option in terms of price and quality is one-and-a-half red bricks. And gas silicate is also often used.
In such a bathhouse, you need to think through the ventilation system and leave ventilation gaps.
Cement for the solution must be taken at least grade M200. It will ensure the reliability of the seams and good thermal insulation.
Insulate brick bathhouse It is better from the inside so as not to spoil the external appearance.

Expanded clay concrete

This is a monolithic material, naturally cured, which contains cement and expanded clay - foamed and fired clay. Expanded clay concrete has a number of advantages - it is non-toxic, does not absorb moisture well and has low thermal conductivity. In addition, such blocks have low mass. This makes construction easier and the foundation cheaper. A bathhouse made of this material requires less insulation than, for example, one made of aerated concrete or a heat block. Frost resistance, and therefore durability, of expanded clay concrete is 5 times higher than that of aerated concrete blocks, and 2 times higher than that of foam blocks. One more an indisputable advantage The material has zero shrinkage.

Thermal conductivity depends on the filler fraction, therefore it ranges from 0.15 to 0.45. The larger the fraction, the lower it is, but also the lower the density of the material.

For laying walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, you can use ordinary cement-sand mortar or special adhesive mixtures.

cinder block

This is a cheap building material that is obtained by pouring concrete into waste products - combustion products of coal and other materials or sawdust. In the second case, the material is called sawdust concrete (it is absolutely non-flammable).

Cinder blocks come with voids inside and solid ones.

Advantages of the material:

long service life - up to 50 years;
fire resistance;
low cost compared to wood or brick;
A variety of fillers allows you to choose the material for different needs.

Among the main disadvantages are:

hygroscopicity - when using the material to build a bathhouse, it will require waterproofing;
increased thermal conductivity - the bathhouse will have to be additionally insulated.

Cinder blocks have another important feature. Before using them in construction, they must be weathered under open air during a year. Otherwise, the blocks will release harmful substances. Therefore, the only obvious advantage of this material is its low price. This is not the best option for building a bathhouse.

Tree

A wooden bathhouse is classic version. Tree happens different breeds, and lumber made from it also differ in characteristics. Industrial are:

Pine. This tree has a natural defense against mold and pests - their resin. Wood has high moisture resistance. Pine is available - there is a lot of it on the market, it has a low cost compared to other species. Its disadvantage as a material for building a bathhouse is its ability to “cry” when high temperatures. Needs additional treatment against rotting.
Linden. This type of wood is easy to process. Suitable for building a bathhouse because it has an important property - good heat resistance. However, without additional processing, the linden darkens. She is also afraid of moisture.
Aspen. It is not afraid of moisture, has a high density, and becomes even denser over the years. Aspen exhibits low shrinkage. It is durable and practically does not crack when dried. In addition, the wood has a beautiful red color. The disadvantages of aspen are the high price and difficulty of processing due to high density. And it is also believed that aspen is not suitable for building baths, because it makes you feel worse and causes headaches.
Fir. It is rarely used in construction for two reasons - it is susceptible to rotting and has soft and fragile wood.
Alder. It is widespread in Russian forests, but still has a fairly high cost. Wood beautiful color- from fiery to brick. Gives little shrinkage. Practically does not warp. It is easy to process and does not twist, which is important for building a bathhouse. However, it darkens after several years of service and is susceptible to rotting.

Log house

Rounded logs are considered a completely ecological product, unlike laminated veneer lumber. A bathhouse built from it will not need additional external and interior decoration, because the log has a natural chic appearance. Thanks to minimal gaps on the crowns, log houses made of rounded logs are characterized by increased thermal insulation. The ability to connect logs at any angle allows you to realize unique design solutions during the construction of buildings. The disadvantages of logs are twisting, cracking, and bowing. The material has high shrinkage.

timber

Profiled timber can be solid or glued. In general, it is not subject to deformation, like a log, and has good performance indicators. It is impregnated with antiseptics and fire retardants to increase resistance to biological factors and fire. Solid profiled timber is considered more environmentally friendly because it does not contain adhesives. At the same time, glued wood is less susceptible to cracking and has increased strength and resistance to deformation.

Building a wooden bathhouse with your own hands requires certain skills. If you do not have sufficient experience, it is better to hire specialists for this.

Arbolite blocks

This material has been known since the times of the USSR. The blocks consist of 90% wood waste. They are brought to required sizes in a chipper and crusher, then filled with cement with the addition of calcium chloride or liquid soda glass. These additives are needed in order to neutralize resin acids, which destroy wood, and accelerate the hardening of the mass.

Wood concrete as a building material has a number of advantages:

low thermal conductivity;
the ability to maintain a comfortable level of humidity in the room;
environmental friendliness;
low cost.

Provided you purchase high-quality blocks, this material can be called good option for a bath. Another important feature of wood concrete is its heat capacity, which is higher than that of air. This means that in a bathhouse built from it, the air will warm up first, and then the walls. When using brick, the opposite happens.

Arbolite is suitable only for low-rise construction, since it has low strength and is not able to withstand heavy loads. It is worth considering its high hygroscopicity. You cannot do without waterproofing and a good ventilation system. It is not possible to use ordinary plaster for finishing.

It is best to finish the outside of wood concrete walls facing bricks, clapboard or moisture-resistant wood. There will be lining for the bathhouse the best option, otherwise the cost of construction will increase, which will defeat the purpose of using this material.

What material to choose to build a bathhouse (reviews)

Nothing helps you make a choice more than reviews from people who have experienced something themselves.

Before building my own bathhouse, I thought that it had to be made of wood, but wood breathes. But no matter how much I walked around such baths, no matter how long I stayed inside, I never saw (didn’t feel) this breath. Today I am sure that a bath is the conditions that should be created in a steam room, the optimal ratio of humidity and temperature. The project was born quickly, because I clearly understood what I wanted from it: a steam room and a wash room must be separate, a large and comfortable relaxation room, a firebox must have a fireplace effect and... the opportunity to spend time comfortably in the winter. A bathhouse in winter is a song. That’s why I chose foam blocks for the walls.
Konstantin
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/394720/

My steam room/sink is a log house made of aspen d=250\300 and the dressing room is a frame building. I did not pour concrete under the pouring floors, but welded a frame of 12 reinforcement bars with slopes in the center towards the scupper (aka ladder) and stretched a thick plastic film. I also made “eternal” joists under the floors, fortunately we sell inexpensively used thick-walled timber (76\6 mm), welded strip pads to it along the edges (so as not to spin) and scattered 6 pieces. with an interval of 0.5 m (the ends of the pipes lay on the lower strapping beam, in the places where half-logs are placed near the log house). Another “know-how” is to ensure that the floorboards of the pouring floors are not attached to the joists (you can always lift them to dry, or clean the drain under them) and so that they do not run together and lie at equal intervals. Along the edges of the boards (with an indentation of 10 cm) you drilled and inserted PVC “mushrooms” to attach the insulation to the facades, then you measure 10 mm and cut the mushroom with a hacksaw. The result is a board with spaced chips along the edges, simple and reliable, it won’t rot and holds tightly.
Andrey
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/282522/page-2

In fact, from a quality point of view, frame 100 or timber 100, raw, unplaned, and frame 200 are the optimal technologies, respectively, for an unheated and heated bathhouse.
Viant
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/389121/

Good afternoon The wood concrete material for a bathhouse is not bad, but you need to use it wisely. Namely, you can insulate, if you don’t plaster the wood concrete, it breathes wonderfully, the cake will turn out like this: interior lining(solid wood) ventilation gap 1.5–2 cm, vapor barrier, basalt insulation 5–10 cm, wood concrete, windproof film, ventilation gap 2–5 cm, outer skin. Why is it used? basalt insulation? Because the thermal conductivity of the insulation is much lower than that of wood concrete, respectively less loss and warms up faster. If you plaster the outside, then such a structure will not be able to breathe towards the street and will accumulate moisture, and it can even penetrate through the vapor barrier, since small leaks and damage are possible. In terms of vapor permeability, materials must follow each other in order of increasing vapor permeability (from the inside to the outside); there are no plasters comparable in vapor permeability to wood concrete.
Tooth
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/100295/

Regarding the construction of a bathhouse from laminated timber. A definite plus, from my point of view, is minimal shrinkage and understandable behavior of the timber in the future. Of course, provided that the timber is of high quality.
Konstantin
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/390466/

Video: how to choose material for building a steam room

There are many options for building materials for a bathhouse, and each of them is good in its own way. Making a smart choice requires careful consideration of the pros and cons of each. If you know what is your priority - price, appearance, ease and speed of construction, or thermal insulation properties, then you can easily determine the appropriate material for yourself.