For a long time, a log bath in Russia was not just a “washing place”, but primarily a means for rest, relaxation and spiritual cleansing. Indeed, what could be better after a long and hard day than a bathhouse with its scalding steam, and with a birch broom spreading a unique aroma around? And from the steam room - straight into the ice-hole or into the pool, or at least a cold shower! The body immediately becomes light, breathing is deep, and the feeling of cleanliness is incomparable to any hot tub. And then sit down in the waiting room behind the samovar and drink tea for a long, long time in the company of loved ones.
Baths are built from various materials - brick, concrete, stone, and blocks of various types. But the best is still a traditional log bath. The price of this material, by the way, is lower than any other. Firstly, wood is an environmentally friendly material, and secondly, it perfectly retains heat, while at the same time, the walls made of it “breathe”, thereby providing natural ventilation to the room. During operation, wood emits phytoncides and essential oils.oil, which is great for the body.
In turn, a wooden building can be made of timber or logs. The construction of a log building is more difficult, but a log bath will last for decades, since the so-called sapwood is preserved during processing - the outer layer of wood, which has an increased density. Log wall junctions outperform timber in terms of water drainage. And, of course, the log sauna looks much more attractive than any other.
After deciding on the construction of a bath, first of all, you need to determine its location. It is believed that the entrance should be from the south, since there are always fewer snowdrifts on this side, but the windows should look to the west, because they bathe in the bath more often in the evening, and the sunset rays will create additional lighting. The distance from the nearest buildings should not be less than 10 meters, and, of course, the bathhouse should be “within walking distance” from a reservoir or well.
The foundation for a bath is no different from ordinary foundations - it is also laid to the depth of soil freezing. Can be made from blocks or be monolithic, tape, pile.
After the foundation is installed, it is necessary to perform waterproofing between the surface of the foundation and the mortgage (that is, the lower) log. It is made from 2-3 layers of roofing material glued to bitumen. The embedded log is also additionally protected at its junction with the foundation.
Logs for a bath are preferable to conifers (pine, spruce, larch). Last underexposure to moisture becomes much stronger, even hammering a nail into it is a problem. The trunks of these trees are usually long and even, which allows you to do without joints.
The construction of the walls of the bath begins with a "mortgage crown". The first two logs are laid on the foundation opposite each other. First, it is necessary to cut out longitudinal semicircular grooves in the logs. The groove can be turned both up and down. It is believed that the lower location of the groove contributes to a better removal of atmospheric water. The next pair of logs fit into the finished grooves perpendicular to the first. The top logs should rise above the bottom ones by 50% of the diameter. The second and subsequent crowns are stacked according to the same principle.
Having completed the walls, you can start caulking. There are many materials for caulking. Traditionally, it is tow, jute, linen. It is necessary to caulk around the perimeter of the entire building due to the possibility of distortion when processing each wall separately.
After installing the log house and erecting the roof, you need to wait a certain time before starting the finishing work - the bath should shrink.
In general, the process of building a bath from a log with an attic is quite complicated and not very fast. But it's worth it - for the next few decades, your log bath will delight you and your loved ones with a light steam.
