We are building a bathhouse from laminated veneer lumber. Bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber: construction technology

Wood is the traditional material from which bathhouses are assembled. But progress does not stand still and lumber is constantly being modernized and improved. Thus, profiled and laminated timber appeared, from which it is easier and faster to assemble any structure. But is it possible to build a bathhouse from laminated veneer lumber? Experts and ordinary netizens are actively discussing this issue. We have analyzed most of the reviews on the Internet, and we will also try to answer this question not as sellers trying to advertise their product and show it only from the best side, but as specialists ready to help their readers choose the right material for a bath.

Bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber, turnkey construction.

Glued laminated timber with a cross section of 150x100 mm, made of pine slats.

Glued laminated timber is made from lamellas, which are glued together under a press into finished timber. For gluing, special adhesives are used. The lamellas are folded together in the opposite direction of the fibers, so the material becomes even stronger.

The slats can be made from any type of wood from linden to pine. Pine and spruce are considered the cheapest, the price per cube is from 20,000 rubles. There are mixed types, where several types of wood are used in production. This significantly reduces the cost of the material, and it is hardly distinguishable from expensive materials, such as oak.

Thanks to manufacturing technologies, laminated timber with a smaller cross-section has better thermal insulation. The main advantages that manufacturers emphasize:

Lower thermal conductivity allows you to build baths from links of a smaller cross-section. Thus, profiled 150x150 mm is equivalent in quality to glued 100x100 mm.
No additional insulation required.
No interior or exterior finishing required.
The shrinkage of a glued bathhouse will be minimal, since the lamellas undergo chamber drying before gluing. The material cannot be dried completely, which often happens with a regular section of 150x150 mm.
Due to the smaller cross-section, the material is lighter and it will be easier to assemble the bathhouse.
The structure has less weight, so a lightweight type of foundation is suitable.
Glued laminated timber is a completely environmentally friendly material.

These factors are undeniable, except for environmental friendliness. This is what people mostly argue about on forums.

Is laminated timber environmentally friendly or not?

The slats are made of wood and are undoubtedly environmentally friendly. This cannot be said about the glue that is used in the production process. There are three adhesive compositions for gluing lamellas:

Melamine.
Polyurethane.
Isoacetate.

Production of laminated veneer lumber, the process of gluing lamellas.

Materials with an EPI adhesive composition are better suited for a bathhouse, but such timber is difficult to find in Russia. Our manufacturers prefer to use melamine or polyurethane compounds, but they are unsafe. Thus, when heated, melamine evaporates harmful follmandehyde. Although the companies producing the material say that 5-6 liters of glue are used per 1 cube, but after recalculating how many cubes are needed for a bathhouse, it becomes clear that its quantity is not so small. It’s just that the price of the compounds is lower, which means it’s more profitable to use them in production. Let's consider the characteristics of various adhesive compositions that are used to connect lamellas:

Adhesive composition, name	Melamine	Polyurethane	Isoacetate	EPI
Passed inspections and approved for laminated lumber	+	+	+	+
Contains toluene	—	—	+	—
Contains pholmandehyde	+	—	—	—
Time spent on pressing, min	75	35	45	45
Suitable for use at temperatures up to	+18	+5	+18	+18
Availability of a European image certificate EN301/302 (allows use for beams of load-bearing structures)	+	+	—	+

EPI glue is also distinguished as fast or regular. Conventional EPI compounds are generally prohibited from being used for laminated lumber.

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 veneer lumber:

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.

How to build a proper sauna from laminated timber

Bathhouse 5x6 m made of laminated veneer lumber after assembly.

There are a number of rules, following which you can build a bathhouse from laminated veneer lumber.

Purchase material only from trusted manufacturers who use high-quality adhesives. It is better if the company has been operating in this industry for at least 10 years and has a number of positive feedback from real people. It’s good if the buyer is given the opportunity not only to see ready-made baths in the photo, but will also allow you to communicate with their owners.
After construction, be sure to cover the walls in the steam room with foil thermal material and linden lining. Thus, temperature changes and humidity will interact less with the walls.
Try to purchase timber where the internal slats are made of pine, and the external ones are made of linden or aspen. Such links will cost less than completely fake ones, and in terms of functionality and appearance they are indistinguishable.
Implement a proper ventilation system so that moisture does not accumulate in the bathhouse and the air circulates better.

A similar bathhouse can be seen in the video:

If you take high-quality material, then the bathhouse will turn out no worse than from a profiled one, and in many respects even better. Its shrinkage will be minimal, it will be easier to assemble, and it will hold heat better. True, the price of laminated veneer lumber is almost 2 times higher than profiled timber, but is it worth overpaying? If finishing of the steam room is still needed, and the facade of the bathhouse is made of profiled timber chamber drying looks no worse. Only the buyer can decide this; he needs to be guided by his wallet and the recommendations given above.

The feeling of lightness in the body after a hot steam room and an ice bath cannot be compared with anything. Therefore, many contemporaries of our age of powerful stress are thinking about building, albeit small, their own bathhouse. In our article, we suggest you build a sauna from laminated timber with your own hands.

If we compare the heat-shielding properties of glued and solid timber, then the first one wins. This is due to the fact that the glue connecting the lamellas of the product prevents the transfer of heat between them. Therefore, a bathhouse built from laminated timber better maintains the temperature of its premises. In addition to the above, this material has a number of other advantages:

There are virtually no bends, shrinkage or cracks;
Simple and quick installation;
Durability;
Smooth surface;
One hundred percent tightness of connections;
Resistance to mechanical stress - abrasion, shock, etc.;
Excellent moisture resistance due to adhesive impregnation;
A design that does not require additional finishing work - cladding and other things.

Unlike simple wood, laminated timber is not afraid of changes in humidity levels. This is due to the technology of its production: when gluing timber, the wood fibers of its components are directed in opposite directions in relation to each other. This greatly increases the strength of the product and guarantees the preservation of its shape.

Choosing laminated timber for a bath

Regarding the correct choice of laminated veneer lumber for building a bathhouse, experts advise the following:

You should only purchase northern forest from trusted manufacturers.
You can only cooperate with a company that guarantees the treatment of the walls of the building special composition, counteracting the appearance of insects and rot. Such an antiseptic must itself be environmentally friendly, this is important.
When making timber, it is used to connect lamellas. adhesive composition. It is worth paying attention to its brand. The AkzoNobel composition, which has an environmental certificate, has proven itself to be the best.
A high-quality timber includes from 3 to 7 lamellas - no more, no less.
The end part of the beam must be protected from cracking by impregnation with a special solution.
When purchasing, they often give preference to Finnish laminated veneer lumber, which is slightly more expensive than its local counterpart, but is of better quality.

Designing a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber

The methods for constructing buildings from laminated veneer lumber are largely the same. But the construction of a bathhouse has distinctive feature: the need to take into account humidity and exposure to hot air in its premises. Before starting construction, it is necessary to think through all the elements that will make up the building, so that the finished structure does not need to be rebuilt later.

To do this, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the information that can help you choose the best suitable material, or consult with professionals. Can be found various photos graphics and finished projects bathhouses made of laminated veneer lumber, find out what they look like, choose the right size, roof shape and much more.

It is worth paying attention to the location of your future building. The bathhouse must be built on the leeward side of other buildings. Thanks to this placement, it will be closed from slanting rains, which adversely affect the safety wooden structures.

At the planning stage of the upcoming construction work it is necessary to determine:

Types and quantities of tools needed;
Specification and cost of materials for the bath;
Total construction cost.

If you have difficulty doing this work, you need to involve estimate masters. If you have a ready-made project, you can purchase a bathhouse kit for it at the factory in the form of its parts. After their delivery, the bathhouse can be simply assembled. If all the materials are available, a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber can be erected in a month and a half.

Construction of a foundation for a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber

Any structure requires the installation of a foundation. Its type and depth no longer depend on the purpose of the building, but on its weight, as well as on the depth of soil freezing in your region. Many builders like to build strip foundations. There are several reasons for this: endurance, durability and simple installation of the concrete strip without the use of cranes and other construction equipment.

The work on installing a strip foundation can be divided into several stages:

Planning and marking of the site for construction.
Digging trenches with the required depth of soil freezing in winter.
Installation of a sand cushion 150–200 mm thick at the bottom of the trenches.
Assembly and strengthening of formwork for strip foundations.
Production of reinforcing frames and linking them to formwork.
Pouring the resulting structure with concrete to the design level.
Covering the foundation with waterproofing after it has hardened.

The bottom of the foundation should be located 200 mm below the freezing point of the soil to avoid its deformation destruction during the winter-summer cycles.

Less commonly, a pile foundation is used to build a bathhouse. Its installation is advisable on soils with subsidence or at the bottom of a reservoir.

Construction of walls from laminated timber

Log walls are vertical structures made of wooden elements, lying on top of each other and connected at the corners by notches. Each row of such elements is called a “crown”. The frame of a house with such walls is called a “log house”. Wooden structures are connected to each other in many ways: “into the paw”, “into the bowl”, “dovetail” and dozens of others.

To build a wall from laminated veneer lumber, you need to cut a groove at the bottom of each element. This part of the beam is laid on the plane of the previous element with jute insulation 1 cm thick. The lower part of the first crown is isolated from contact with the foundation by built-up waterproofing.

The sauna log house can be made from solid timber. In this case, the elements are connected with dowels with a cross-section of 25x25 mm and a length of 350 mm. They are installed in increments of 2 m. Corners and joints are often assembled “into a tongue” or “into a tongue.”

The length of timber walls should not be more than 6.5 m, otherwise vertical compressions are installed. After installing the timber walls, all grooves are caulked. This procedure must be repeated a year and a half after the final settlement of the walls.

Windows for saunas made of laminated veneer lumber

It is convenient to place the bathhouse windows on wooden slats. To do this, at the ends window frames Special grooves are made to suit the size of the slats. With this design, the windows move freely up and down. Then thermal insulation is laid into the grooves and trims are installed. Do not use softwood materials to make steam room windows. At elevated temperatures, such wood releases resin.

Beams wooden floor The baths are attached to the wall with a reliable notch, adding rigidity to the overall structure.

Special finishing for a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber is not required, this was mentioned above. But if you wish, the walls can be sanded and painted.
For therapeutic effect The steam room is lined with clapboard made of linden, alder or aspen. When heated, these woods release fragrant essential oils, which are very beneficial for health.

The floors in the bathhouse can be made of wood on joists with mandatory ventilation in the underground space. Insulation and insulation of ceilings is carried out basalt mats, plastic film and aluminum foil. Non-flammable materials are good for roofing: metal tiles, profiled flooring, slate or ondulin.

Construction of a roof for a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber

For private wooden baths, they are usually used gable roofs. They are quite reliable and easy to manufacture. They consist of a rafter system, sheathing, vapor barrier, insulation and finishing material. Roof rafters There are two types - inclined and hanging. Inclined rafters can span a span of up to 7 m without intermediate supports. For larger spans, hanging rafters are used. After installing the entire system, you can install the cornice flooring and trim the gable.

Then a sheathing of boards is installed on the supporting structure. We will attach the roofing material to it. Each of its types has its pros and cons, let’s consider each of them:

Shingles, for example, although durable, are heavy. To support it, powerful rafters and lathing are required. Therefore, tiled roofing is more suitable for a home than a bathhouse.
A slate roof is lighter, but it will last about 15 years, no more. For a bathhouse, this is a completely acceptable option, because the slate can then be replaced. When installing such a roof, the overlap of one sheet on another follows the length of one wave.
The lightest covering is metal flooring. Its sheets are fixed to the sheathing using special metal strips, which are located in the places where the sheet is closed and in its middle.

Don't forget to provide the roof of your bathhouse with drainpipes, eaves and gutters so that when it rains or melts snow, water does not flow down the walls.

Engineering communications in a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber

A modern bathhouse should be suitable for visiting and even living at any time of the year. Water supply, sewerage, electricity, ventilation and heating networks must be present in it.

During installation engineering communications The following recommendations should be taken into account:

The power supply of saunas and baths is considered a high-risk facility. Therefore, materials and devices used for electrical installation must meet electrical and fire safety requirements.
Wiring is laid on wooden walls only in a metal sleeve.
In the steam room, the electrical wiring must be behind a vapor barrier and be adapted to work at elevated temperatures.
Lamps for baths are made in explosion-proof design.
Sockets and switches are not installed in rooms with high humidity.

For work ventilation system it is necessary to calculate the air exchange of bath rooms, lay air ducts, install ventilation grilles and valves in the technological windows of the boxes.

By and large, building bathhouses from laminated veneer lumber is not a particularly difficult task. Many stages of the work can be completed independently. You can always involve professionals in a matter that is unfamiliar to you. But you always need to learn, experience is priceless!

Building sauna walls from laminated veneer lumber is an excellent option. In addition to the fact that the building turns out to be warm and environmentally friendly due to the minimal glue content (much less than that of OSB boards or chipboard), there are many other advantages of using laminated veneer lumber for construction, namely:

the appearance of the bathhouse will be aesthetic even without finishing. If simple timber If you can find defects in the form of knots or small cracks, then the glued material is different high quality and a smooth, uniform surface;
if desired, you can produce Finishing work immediately after construction, because the shrinkage percentage does not exceed two percent. For comparison, a rounded log shrinks up to 20%, that is, the height of the ceilings within 2-5 years will change, for example, from 3 meters to 240 centimeters, and in a building made of laminated veneer lumber, the height of the walls will remain almost unchanged;
Glued laminated timber - photo
the material is relatively light (1 cubic meter weighs approximately 430 to 480 kg with a maximum humidity of 12%), specific gravity much less bricks or blocks, so a bathhouse made of timber does not require an overly massive monolithic slab foundation, columnar, pile and strip foundations will cope with their task;
Glued laminated timber does not dry out or crack. Accordingly, some time after construction there will be no need to putty or caulk;
Another important advantage is that you can build a bathhouse of any configuration from laminated timber, with the desired number of rooms, bay windows, arched elements (used bent beam), a balcony on the second floor, a veranda or terrace, etc.;
and the last but not least important point - in a steam bath made of laminated timber there will certainly be a pleasant atmosphere, light steam and a pleasant aroma of fresh wood. The timber is distinguished by its ability to absorb or evaporate moisture from its surface, due to which the microclimate is regulated;
The timber itself is a fairly warm material; provided the construction technology is followed, the bathhouse will not have to be additionally insulated with mineral wool or other insulator, which will save a lot of money.

Glued laminated timber is made from Siberian cedar, larch, pine, spruce. The debarked wood is sawn into boards, which are sorted and rejected, and subsequently glued together in a special way and milled.

Also at the factory, bowls or other connection units are cut out, which means that the future owner of the bathhouse will only need to draw up a detailed project, estimate, and then order the timber from production.

To connect the lamellas they are used different types glue: resorcinol, melamine, polyurethane, and others. Before purchasing timber, it is recommended to clarify the strength class of the product and the marking of the glue used:

D3 – carpentry,
D4 - waterproof,
D4+++ – waterproof adhesive with improved properties.

It is better not to use timber with D3 class glue for a bathhouse.

Prices for laminated veneer lumber

laminated veneer lumber

Video - The production process of laminated veneer lumber

In addition to regular laminated veneer lumber, you can see an insulated analogue or thermal lumber on sale. This material is used for the construction of residential buildings, but for a bathhouse it is not so relevant, of course, if the bathhouse is not built in the far north.

Note! Wall beams are certified according to GOST 20850-84 “Glued laminated wood structures”, GOST 24454-80 “Softwood lumber. Dimensions”, and window and door laminated veneer lumber in accordance with GOST 30972-2002 “Glued laminated timber blanks and parts for window and door blocks”.

GOST 20850-84 “Glued wooden structures”. File for download

GOST 24454-80 “Softwood lumber. Dimensions"

GOST 30972-2002 “Glued wooden blanks and parts for window and door blocks”

When choosing a timber, pay attention to its profile, which can be:

Note! Professionals recommend using larch beams for the first two crowns of the bathhouse and Siberian spruce beams for subsequent crowns. It is recommended to choose a German profile, because... it ensures not only a tight connection of the crowns, but also reduces the likelihood of blowing through the corners.

Selection of timber section

Glued laminated timber is produced with square and rectangular cross-sections.

Table. Geometric dimensions of laminated veneer lumber

Table. Dimensions of laminated pine and spruce timber

The cost of a cubic meter of timber ranges from 16 to 35 thousand rubles, depending on the type of wood, grade, brand and other characteristics. To avoid overpaying, we recommend choosing the right size:

So, if the bathhouse will be used only in the warm season of the year, then for construction it is worth purchasing a beam of four lamellas 6 meters long and with a cross-section of 150x150, 160x160, 180x160 or 140x160 mm. The constructed bathhouse will be comfortably operated in the temperature range from -15 to +40°C;
for verandas or terraces, as well as for indoor wall partitions you can buy timber of a smaller cross-section, for example, 100x150 mm;
if the bathhouse will be used year-round (provided that the air temperature does not drop below -25°C), it is better to purchase a beam of five lamellas with four adhesive seams, having a cross-section of 140x200 mm. Such a bathhouse can be combined with a guest house;
It is important to purchase laminated timber 180x200 mm for a bath house or bath complex, which will be visited throughout the year. A beam with the specified cross-section will perfectly retain heat in the room, even if the temperature outside drops to -25 degrees.

Design

Be sure to think through and draw up a plan for your bathhouse. Designate necessary premises: steam room, shower, bathroom, relaxation room, wardrobe, etc. Calculate the area of the entire bathhouse and each room separately, compare the values with the length of the timber that you plan to purchase in order to reduce the number of trims. Be sure to think about the type corner connection and the method of joining the timber along the length in advance. If you want to save money, plan frame rather than timber internal partitions.

Note! You will definitely have to make a scattering plan, which you will submit to the manufacturer. According to the drawn up plan, the cutouts will be precisely made in production. Of course, in order to save money, you can do the cutting yourself, but it will be very difficult to achieve high accuracy and joint density, and if mistakes are made, the timber will be rejected.

Include in the estimate not only wall beams, but also logs, as well as floor boards, floor beams, rafters, door and window boxes with pigtail, roofing material.

Project 1 – façade
Project 1 – side view
Project 1 – side view

Project 1 - rear view
Project 1 – visualization
Project 1 – visualization from the other side

Project 1 – bathhouse plan

Project 2 – left view
Project 2 – left view and partial facade

Project 2 – façade
Project 2 – façade after finishing

Project 2 – bathhouse plan

Project 3 – façade

Project 3 – bathhouse plan

Construction of sauna walls from laminated veneer lumber. Step-by-step instruction

A small digression. At this point it is proposed instructions for assembling the walls of a bathhouse from laminated veneer lumber, made for the project, that is, the case when numbered timber with existing cuttings from production are delivered to a personal plot.

Step one. We output "zero". Using a level, measure the horizontal of the foundation and, if necessary, level the base. The walls of the bathhouse must rest on a perfectly flat surface.

Important recommendation! Be sure to waterproof the foundation. Using a regular mop, remove dust, sand, and dirt from the surface of the foundation. Fix two layers of roofing material with mastic or roll out hydroglass insulation, only then begin building walls. Condensation moisture should not seep from the foundation into the timber.

Prices for hydroglass insulation

hydrostekloizol

Step two. We lay a backing board with a cross-section of 200x60 mm on the waterproofing, and then secure it with studs or anchor bolts. We make sure to check the accuracy of the angles and the horizontality of the laid elements.

The procedure for securing the timber is as follows:

lay the board on the foundation. Temporarily fix it in the corners with two or three nails or self-tapping screws;
We drill at least two holes in each beam at equal distances. We deepen the drill into the foundation by 5-10 cm. We use a drill with a diameter of 10 mm;
take out the nails and screws, remove the board;
We drive a wooden plug into each hole;
return the board to its place;
drive pins or a spike into the holes, tighten the nuts and locknuts.

The backing board is treated with fire-bioprotective impregnation over the entire surface and at the ends.

The arrow shows the leveling board strapping beam horizontally

Video - Laying strapping on a strip foundation

Step three. We assemble a set of laminated veneer lumber. Assembly is carried out according to the planking, the markings of the parts on the drawing correspond to the labels on the ends of the sets of supplied timber.

Video - Laying the first crowns, dowels

Each beam has holes into which pins are inserted. In this way, each row is fixed along the entire height of the walls.

If the holes for the studs and dowels are not made at the factory, you will have to drill them yourself. The order is as follows:

We drill holes for the studs and recesses (top and bottom) for the nuts in the prepared timber. The size of the recesses for the nuts corresponds to the number of the crown, for example, in the first two crowns we drill a recess half a centimeter larger than the size of the nut, in the next ten crowns the recess is 2.5 cm larger than the size of the nut, then for each meter of wall height or for ten crowns we add another 2 cm;
roll out the insulation (the correct material can be selected by studying the features of laminated veneer lumber profiles, information is provided below). In the places where the nuts will be tightened, cut out circles in the insulation. We fasten the insulation with short staples;
insert the screw rods, carefully put the beam in place to avoid horizontal distortion;
put on the washer and tighten the nut. It is convenient to tighten the nuts with a drill-driver with a rubber attachment, bringing its edge to the nut. Tighten the nuts firmly with a wrench. We do a horizontal check ( note: instead of a metal stud with a nut, you can use spring compensators);
We drill holes for wooden birch dowels (note that dowels should be placed in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of no more than 200 cm from each other).

The length of the dowel is equal to the thickness of the timber multiplied by 1.5. The hole for the dowel is another 2 cm longer. That is, if the thickness of the timber is 150 mm, then the hole for the dowel is drilled to 227 mm. For convenience, you can put a mark on the drill itself;
insert the dowel into the hole and hammer it in completely with a mallet. We take a short piece of the dowel and finish off the already hammered rod with a mallet another half a centimeter.

On a note! Already during the process of assembling the walls, holes and grooves are drilled in the beams for laying hidden electrical wiring. A metal hose with a diameter of 24 mm is pulled along the drilled grooves.

Window and door openings can be cut out after the walls are erected or the timber can be immediately trimmed as each row is laid, but this work is excluded when a set of timber is supplied “for the project”. The work is carried out strictly according to the scattering plan. If the window openings are large, it is recommended to secure the beams above the opening with self-tapping screws or metal brackets to prevent sagging.

Important! To maintain the geometry and accuracy of installation in large openings, a mounting beam is used, which is removed after the bath is assembled.

Be sure to cover the surface of the timber with film at the end of each working day to prevent the wood from getting wet.

The beam is covered with film at the end of the working day

Video - Bringing walls under the roof, laying the floor

Step four. We cover the surface of the beams with antiseptic primer for wood.

Today, bathhouses built from laminated veneer lumber are extremely popular. Such rooms do not require additional insulation, since the material has low thermal conductivity. Glued laminated timber is endowed with high durability, so the logs will last a very long time and reliably. Another important point is that the construction of a bathhouse from timber takes about six times less money.

Manufacturing of laminated veneer lumber

The stresses of a bustling metropolis are forcing more and more people to go outdoors. But not everyone is satisfied with day trips to the forest on the weekends. A lot of time is spent on the trip itself, after which you are left with a feeling of fatigue and noise, so such a vacation cannot be called complete.

All more people begins to think about his own home or dacha. Some people purchase ready-made bathhouse projects made from laminated veneer lumber, while others prefer to build the structures themselves. In the latter case, you can be completely confident in the quality of your home. Technologies for constructing country baths from laminated veneer lumber are quite simple. Each person will be able to build their own house.

Many people believe that laminated veneer lumber is an elite material, but this is a big misconception. Glued laminated timber is lower than the log and does not require thick insulation, so you can draw your own conclusions: the cost of a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber is not that high. Another advantage is the high speed of construction.

If laminated timber is impregnated with a special factory impregnation, it will be less flammable compared to other building materials. It is also known that any tree is a source of oils and essential resins, thanks to which the air will be healing.

This material can be made independently. To do this, you need to cut the wood into boards, process it, dry it and carefully sort it. Logs with defects, such as knots or cracks, are best set aside. The boards are then treated with substances that protect them from insects and rot.

With help hydraulic press, the boards are glued together into timber, using a special glue that is very durable. The inner side of the beam is usually made of cedar, which is particularly decorative, and the central boards are best made of pine or spruce. The latter have a low density, but are endowed with excellent thermal insulation characteristics.

Bathhouse design

There are many technologies for constructing buildings from laminated veneer lumber. But in general, there are a number of specific nuances for which the same construction methods are used. Each bathhouse has quite simple design, the elements of which may change depending on the project, but the basis always remains the same. The main premises of the bath, steam room and washing room, are equipped with high humidity and exposure to hot air.

If there is poor ventilation in the bathhouse, the logs may become covered with cracks. In this regard, the durability of laminated timber is so high that even this nuance cannot harm the quality. Try to think through in advance all the elements that will be present in the room, so that in the future you do not have to rebuild what is already ready.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basic information that will help you choose the most suitable construction material. To do this, you can talk to professionals. You can also look at various photos of bathhouses made of laminated veneer lumber, find out what structures made of laminated veneer lumber look like, choose the optimal dimensions, number of windows, roof shape and much more.

Pay attention to the place where your bathhouse will be located. It is better to place such a project at a distance of 15-20 meters from the water, away from the roadway. It is necessary to build baths on the leeward side relative to other buildings. Thanks to this arrangement, the house will be protected from slanting rain, swelling and damage to the wood.

Work planning

At this stage, you need to determine exactly the number of tools that will be used during construction. Also plan to take into account all the materials that you may need when building a bathhouse. Calculate the quantity of each material, their exact cost and the price of a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber.

If you find it difficult to do this work yourself, you can get advice from experienced professionals. You can purchase ready set baths at the factory, which will fully comply with the project you like. Once delivered, you simply need to assemble it.

Before use, it is better to treat the materials with an anti-corrosion compound, which can increase their resistance to moisture. The construction of a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber takes about a month and a half, if all the materials for construction are already ready. You can decorate the house inside or outside, or you can leave everything as is.

Foundation structure

The construction of any structure begins with the installation of a foundation. Most builders prefer the strip version. This type has many advantages compared to others. The tape version supports more weight, lasts longer and is very easy to install. If you intend to build a house from laminated timber, this type of foundation is just right for you.

If you plan to install heavy floors, the strip foundation will great solution. It is located to the depth required for the basement floor. Experts note that the strip foundation should be located 200 millimeters below the freezing point of the soil. So after cold winter the foundation will not receive additional load and collapse. If the strip foundation will be installed in sandy or dry soil, it can be laid above the freezing level of the soil.

It is not recommended to install the foundation on heaving soil or soil that freezes deeply. The technology for building such a foundation is very simple. To begin with, you should mark the site and then dig a pit. In this case, it is necessary to determine in advance the depth and dimensions of the pit.

After this, work is carried out to install a sand cushion. Its thickness should be about 200-600 millimeters. If necessary, crushed stone preparation can be carried out. After this, you can build a foundation for a log house. Next you need to install waterproofing and blocks.

Before laying the blocks, it is necessary to cut off the installation loops from them, and fill the gap between them very carefully cement mortar. This will help prevent water penetration. This option has a very simple technology, but requires a lot of labor. So, the foundation is made on a layer of sand and crushed stone, which should be approximately 10-20 cm thick. The foundation itself is a monolithic reinforced concrete slab, on which waterproofing is laid, a protective layer of concrete and tightening under the floors.

Walling

Log walls are a structure made of horizontally stacked beams, which are connected at the corners by notches. A log house is the frame of a house with such walls, and each row of bars is the crown. How is a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber constructed? Required with bottom side Cut out a groove for each beam, with which the beam is placed on the round plane of the previous one with insulation made of jute and moss, one centimeter thick.

The crown of the logs at the very bottom is isolated from the foundation with a special layer of built-up waterproofing. If you've never built a wall before, you can watch instructional videos or consult with an experienced professional, as is usually done in Canada, where DIY home construction is at a premium.

There are more than fifty different matings of wooden structures. The most common options are the following:

“Into the paw” - the process of cutting a corner without leaving a residue;
"Dovetail";
“Into the bowl” - the procedure for cutting a corner with a remainder;
"In a mustache."

You can make a log house for a bathhouse even from solid timber. To do this, it is necessary to connect the beams on dowels with a cross-section of 25x25 mm and a length of 350 mm, which are placed every 2 meters. Joints and corners with internal walls usually assembled into a tongue or foot. Structures made of timber require a free length of the walls, which should not exceed 6.5 meters.

If it turns out to be larger, it is better to use vertical compressions. The tow is laid between the beams. After installing the walls, the grooves must be caulked. You can also perform final caulking of the wall joints after a year or a year and a half, since the walls will be able to settle completely.

It is very easy to assemble a house and a bathhouse from laminated veneer lumber, since all the parts are prepared in production. Many people compare this assembly with the children's game “construction set”. Glulam beams do not require special finishing or cladding, although you can do this at your discretion. A special profile can provide reliable protection against blowing.

Bath windows

For proper window installation experienced builders they are erected on thin slats, and grooves are made from below and above in accordance with the dimensions of the slats. This way the windows can move up and down freely. Next, you need to insulate the grooves with heat-insulating materials and install the casing. The final installation is carried out after eleven months, when the frame has completed its final shrinkage.

Note! Wood should not be used in the steam room or washing room. coniferous trees for the manufacture of windows, since it tends to release resin at elevated temperatures.
Floor beams need to be installed.

There are two known ways in which beams are attached to walls: the use of metal fastening systems and the process of cutting beams into the wall. For a bathhouse, of course, the second option is suitable. The ceiling must be securely connected to the walls wooden house, giving it additional rigidity.

Bath decoration

As mentioned above, a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber does not require special finishing. You can simply sand and paint the walls on both sides. There are several options for bath floors. The most acceptable is a two-layer floor with concrete insulation made of mineral wool between the layers. Also a good option is wooden floor on bars.

You can beautifully decorate the dressing room, relaxation room and steam room. For this, it is recommended to use alder, linden or aspen lining. This is very practical because when heated, it releases very fragrant and beneficial essential oils for health. The roof sheathing is made of boards. When performing the roof, you can use the most suitable non-combustible material, such as ondulin, slate, corrugated sheets or metal tiles.

Do not forget about the insulation of walls, which is done outside and inside. Internal insulation is performed during the construction of walls. Often, elastic fiberglass mats, penotherms and aluminum foil are used for this. plastic film. These materials are also a vapor barrier. External insulation performed interventional insulation. Remember that the floor and ceiling in the dressing room and attic should be insulated with fibreboards.

Roof installation

After the walls are installed, the roof is installed. To do this it is necessary to build rafter system and arrange roof insulation. There are several options for installing a roof for a bathhouse. It can be gable or single-pitch. Gable roofs often performed when building private baths from laminated veneer lumber with your own hands. This roof is very simple and reliable to manufacture.

You can make an attic as warehouse in the bath - then you can use mansard roof. Any type of roof consists of rafters (supporting structure), roofing and sheathing. Rafters can be hanging or inclined. The inclined option covers a span of up to seven meters without additional supports. The rafters will rest on support beams or on the top row of walls.

When covering a large span without intermediate supports, it is necessary to use hanging rafters. Then you can move on to installing the eaves decking and creating the gable weight sheathing. After this, it is necessary to attach a sheathing of beams and boards to the supporting structure.

The type of sheathing will depend on the roofing material chosen for the roof. Shingles can last a long time, but the material is quite heavy. It is better to choose it for large houses with permanent residence, and not for summer baths. Shingles require very strong sheathing and rafters.

A slate roof weighs much less, but its service life is no more than fifteen years. During construction, the amount of overlap of one sheet on another should be equal to the size of one wave. There are two types of installation: when longitudinal edges along one straight line they coincide and when they do not coincide.

You can also make the flooring from steel sheets, the material is the lightest of all types. Steel sheets it cannot be laid in a continuous layer, since the inner side of the sheet will gradually rust without air. As a rule, two or three sheets are laid, connected to each other. They are attached to the sheathing using special steel strips (clasps), which are installed at a distance of 130-150 centimeters and placed in the middle of the metal sheet and at the closing points.

It is also necessary to make cornices, pipes and gutters so that during rain or snow, water cannot flow down the walls. The bathhouse ceiling can be made of different materials that have high thermal stability and low thermal conductivity. Most the best option is a tree.

Installation of utilities

To install utilities, you can hire specialists or do this work yourself. Water supply and sewerage networks must be present in any modern house. The development and implementation of an autonomous sewer system is a very complex and responsible job. Heating systems also need to be installed for living in cold weather.

The power supply system requires high-quality planning and quality materials, which will meet all the requirements of electrical safety regulations. The power supply of baths and saunas is considered to be high-risk structures. Wires must be laid along wooden walls in a metal hose.

Remember that in a steam room the wires are laid behind a vapor barrier, and they must also be designed for conditions with elevated temperatures. Lamps are usually installed in shades that are insulated from moisture. Sockets and switches are installed exclusively in rooms with normal humidity.

Plumbing communications are a series of water supply systems with pipe distribution for cold and hot water, water supply to the bathroom and sewerage system, water purification equipment, water supply to the radiators of the autonomous heating system.

For the operation of air conditioners and air ventilation, it is necessary to install air ducts and cut technological openings, and then install ventilation grilles. You can also install a smoke removal system. Such actions can only be performed by an experienced professional, so if you do not have experience in installing utility lines, it is better to involve a professional in the matter and remember all his actions.

If you have at least a little knowledge of carpentry, building a bathhouse from laminated veneer lumber will not be difficult. We hope that our recommendations will help you understand self-construction. We wish you to gain valuable experience and complete every stage of construction perfectly!

Traditionally, in most cases, when building a bath or sauna, they try to use only natural wood, such as laminated veneer lumber. This material belongs to the category of new, modernized and improved, which allows it to be used for assembling structures of any type and level of complexity. Such manipulations will require relatively little time, and there is no need to rent special equipment. How often is this material used to build a bathhouse or sauna? And how does this material differ from others?

Features of use

The material itself has the appearance of a tetrahedron, which is formed by gluing together individual elements consisting of pre-dried boards. In this case, there must be full compliance regarding the thickness and length of the elements used. For more durable bonding, it is customary to use a massive press, which is subject to the most stringent requirements, as are the materials used. These indicators include:

strength;
reliability;
high level of environmental friendliness.

For gluing the structure, only waterproof compounds are used that comply international standards. A small percentage of humidity is allowed, which is no more than 10%, which allows gluing of the main parts of the structure. Special chambers are used for drying and, depending on the season, preparation may take from a week to two.

What is

The design has several lamellas, while the thickness of the working element does not exceed eighteen centimeters. Selection based on quality indicators is quite serious. To produce the material, only the best quality lamellas are used, which are perfectly polished. Only in this way can you glue together as tightly and effectively as possible. individual elements. The block cannot exceed a length of twelve meters. To simplify subsequent assembly, special holes and grooves for installation are made in the material, which perfectly match the dimensions of the box.

TO positive qualities include:

He is not afraid of the shrinkage of the building. The level of distortions over time may amount to no more than a few percent, which is unlikely to be noticeable.
The shape of the material is stable and geometrically correct. This allows you to easily connect all the parts.
The strength of the material is excellent, so gluing can be done with different fiber orientations, which is 50% higher than that available solid log indicator.

Thermal insulation characteristics are also at an optimal level, and they are associated exclusively with the natural origin of the raw materials used. This has led to the popularity of this type of material, which is often used for the construction of structures. for various purposes. It is also worth paying attention to the cost of this material, which falls into the affordable category.

Significant disadvantages include:

There are no special guarantees that a sauna made of timber will last for decades. Over time, the adhesive base may dry out and the building will begin to collapse.
The binding elements used do not allow the material to breathe fully. Therefore you will need more quality system ventilation. The level of natural air exchange will be low due to the use of films.

Features of the structure

Essentially, from ordinary timber glued is practically no different. In addition, the construction technologies are almost identical. For construction small bathhouse with an attic and from a solid log, the sequence of actions is similar. Besides wooden buildings will always have a whole set of advantages over other, less natural materials. First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that, like any other natural material, wood has the property of shrinking and drying out. Such disadvantages do not apply to laminated timber, since it is thoroughly dried before construction.

As for shrinkage, the technology used in its processing completely eliminates this nuance. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that additional cladding is not required. When using a natural log house, after installing it in mandatory caulking and subsequent work aimed at insulation is carried out. Glued laminated timber does not require such manipulations. If all technological aspects of constructing a bathhouse made of laminated veneer lumber are followed, the building will turn out to be quite warm. When constructing a structure from this material, auxiliary work force not required.

What stages of construction will you encounter?

In most cases, standard designs are used for the construction of structures such as a bathhouse. All necessary components are manufactured and assembled by the manufacturer. Such kits include not only the beam itself, but also all the components necessary for it, such as the roof and fasteners. If you purchase a ready-made and numbered kit, the building can be assembled within a week.

The foundation used must be:

resistant to possible impact on the material groundwater, which in some cases (during a certain season) can shift the upper layers of the soil;
excellent indicators of resistance to severe frosts;
durable.

An important indicator when choosing types of foundation will be its cost. The choice should be based on the dimensions of the future building, its weight and other fundamental characteristics. If the bathhouse is small, then you should consider using a columnar or pile foundation. If you have several floors and even a small pool, you should give preference to a ribbon reinforced concrete foundation monolithic design. It is very difficult to decide on the most appropriate type of foundation on your own, so it would be a good idea to get advice from specialists. The groundwater level must also be taken into account. Work aimed at insulating the structure will not be required, but if necessary, you can use a hollow beam that is already equipped with such insulating material as eco or mineral wool. The roof can be equipped attic space, or can be designed without it.

Foundation

Regardless of the type of building chosen, the first stage of construction will be laying out the foundation. Belt type received the most favorable reviews and is often used in the construction of baths. This is due to the fact that this type of foundation has a number of undeniable advantages, which allows you to subsequently withstand significant loads. Buildings with strip foundations will last a long time, and their installation does not require any special skills or abilities in this industry. That is why it is often used in the construction of saunas and baths. When constructing large-scale floors, a strip foundation is installed. It is being built level with ground floor, but do not forget about the level of soil freezing characteristic of the selected region (the difference between the levels should be at least twenty centimeters). This will lead to the fact that the load on the foundation will be significantly reduced, which will prevent early destruction. Above the freezing level, a foundation should be built if the site is dominated by dry or sandy soil. On heaving soils, installing this type of foundation is impossible.

Walls

The log type of walls is a stacked structure, which consists of a number of wooden elements that lie on top of each other and are connected to each other by cuttings located in the corners. Each row is called a crown and there can be many of them. Such a frame is called a log house. The connection can be made using the dovetail principle, in a bowl or in a claw. Each element of the beam must have a special groove (in its lower part). It is this side that the material should be laid on the surface of the working plane of the previous element. It is recommended to use jute insulation, whose thickness will be about a centimeter. Lower crown should be additionally covered with a waterproofing layer. A log house for a bathhouse can be made from massive timber, but it will be very time-consuming. In this case, dowels of a certain cross-section are used as fastening or connecting elements. In this case, the method of assembling corners occurs using tongue or groove technology. The length of such a wall should not exceed 6.5 m. If this figure is exceeded, vertical type clamps are used. After completing the work, all grooves should be caulked. And every few years this procedure must be repeated.

Window

For better fit For windows, it is recommended to pre-install wooden slats. They will require special grooves that are placed at the ends. Similar design will allow you to easily move the window opening down or up. Then you should mount thermal insulation material and install required amount platbands. It is not recommended to use it for arranging windows. conifers wood, which, when heated significantly, begins to release resins. The beams will be fastened directly to the walls by means of a notch, which will add the necessary rigidity to the structure being built.

Making a roof for a bathhouse from laminated veneer lumber

In the case of the construction of a bathhouse or sauna intended for personal or family use, a gable roof is installed. Its reliability level is at the proper level, and installation does not require availability construction crew or experience similar works. The roof will consist of a system of rafters, sheathing, vapor barrier layer, insulation material and finishing elements. The type of rafters can be hanging or inclined. To cover the latter, no intermediate supports will be needed, and the span will be about seven meters long. If the span is planned to be larger, then it will be necessary to install hanging rafters. After graduation installation work You can start laying the roof. Basic structure must be equipped with a lathing, which is made of boards. The selected roofing material will be attached to them. The advantages of each type used:

The category of the lightest roofing materials includes metal decking. The sheets are fastened to the sheathing using special strips, which should be placed in the places where the sheet itself or its middle is closed.
The use of slate is very profitable, based on the cost of this material. Its service life is no more than fifteen years, but for such structures as a bathhouse, this figure is acceptable. If necessary, separate areas subject to replacement. Installation is carried out with an overlap.
Tiles belong to the category of heavy materials. To equip it you will need a powerful system of lathing and rafters.