What kind of clapboard is better to sheathe a bath? Tips + Videos

Which clapboard is better to sheathe a bath? The choice of the type lining for a bath is a rather important stage in finishing, and this step requires a competent approach. To help you, we offer six varieties of lining, which are ideal for finishing work, and it is up to you to decide which lining is better to sheathe the bath.

Please note that the material that will be used for finishing the steam room must contain a minimum of resins in its structure.

Species of wood

The main factor in the selection of lining in the bath is the species of wood. The fact is that it must necessarily meet at least two requirements:

• Resin content - they should be at a minimum, since due to the high temperature in the room, resins begin to stand out , and this threatens with burns.

• Resistance to moisture - this quality will depend on how durable the material is.

Taking these requirements into account, you can make a choice in favor of one of the following types of wood.

Lipa

We assure you with confidence that the best lining for a bath from the budget options is fake. It is this type of wood that has been used in Russian steam rooms for many centuries. Linden lining for a steam room will never burn the skin, since there is no resin in such wood.

Of the advantages, we highlight:

• Low level of heat conductivity , which means that the wood does not overheat and never burns, but at the same time it heats up quickly enough. Due to this quality, linden has become an excellent option for saunas and baths, which are constantly heated to high temperatures.
• Pleasant scent, because this wood is full of essential resins, due to which the space will be filled with a special scent. By the way, the color of linden lining is light yellow.
• Attractive appearance, as the color of the wood is very beautiful even without coloring.

• Healing properties, because linden has a beneficial effect on human health, and especially soothes the nervous system.
• Reasonable cost, which determines the availability of wood, as well as ease of processing.

There are also disadvantages:

• The linden lining has only one significant drawback, namely susceptibility to rotting. For this reason, when you choose this material, it should be borne in mind that in the near future you will need to replace the interior decoration.
• There is still a possibility that the finish may be damaged by the vital activity of pests.

  Yes, despite the beauty of wood, the material is short-lived, as it will have to be changed over time.

Please note, that there are special antiseptic impregnations on sale, which are intended for impregnation of finishing material for a steam room, for example, EUROTEX-SAUNA or Suр i Sаunаsо jа, which are distinguished by their environmental friendliness. They will greatly help to increase the durability of the lining. The only thing that should be borne in mind is that the instructions for use prohibit the use of formulations in order to process ceilings in a steam room and other parts with which a person will come into contact.

C the cost will largely depend on the variety:

Aspen

Which lining is better to use for a bath, if the linden option did not suit you? Yes, precisely from aspen, since it is also well suited for such premises, and therefore it is used as often as linden. It is also important that aspen cladding will serve many times longer.

Of the merits, we single out:

• Hardness, since aspen is superior to linden in this indicator.
• Moisture resistance, and it is thanks to this quality that aspen lining will never crack or dry out.
• Pleasant aroma.

  Aspen in its structure contains various essential oils, however, there are less of them than oils in linden. In addition, the smell has a characteristic bitterness, and not everyone will like it.

• Low price.

Now disadvantages:

• Aspen lining in many respects is better than linden, although it is, although to a lesser extent, subject to the decay process.
• Another disadvantage - it needs to be chosen very carefully, and if there are resin pockets or small twigs on the surface, a burn cannot be avoided when it comes into contact with the heated surface of the aspen lining.

С the cost will largely depend on the variety:

Alder

An ideal version of the material for a bath, alder lining, which is also sometimes called the "royal tree". It is easy to distinguish it from other breeds by its beautiful pinkish shade and fine pattern. It is important that fungus will never appear on the cladding of walls and other surfaces with alder, since wood has antibacterial properties.

Of the advantages, we single out:

• Low level of heat conductivity, due to which you can completely eliminate the likelihood of skin burns if you come into contact with the finish.

• Low level of hygroscopicity, because wood does not absorb much moisture, and this helps to increase the service life.
• Antibacterial properties, and it is thanks to them that the wood is resistant to the formation of fungus and decay. As a result, alder lining is much better than other types, as it is more durable.
• Healing properties. If you do not know which clapboard is better to sheathe the bath from the inside, feel free to choose alder, as it can have a beneficial effect on health, and also has a pleasant and special "cognac" aroma.

Undoubtedly, a beautiful shade of wood and a unique aroma will add a special charm to the steam room. It turns out that alder lining is one of the most durable materials that meets all the necessary requirements.

Now the disadvantages:

• The main disadvantage of this material is only one - its high cost.
• In addition, it is important to keep in mind that alder is a relatively soft material, which is very similar to linden. For this reason, it will be difficult to fix heavy objects on the surface of the lining, but fortunately, it is easy to handle manually.

In natural light, alder lining will decorate the steam room with a pronounced wood structure.

Cost

In this case, the price is 1.5-2 times higher than for the materials that were described above:

Cedar

Which clapboard is better to sheathe a steam room in a bath without regard to cost? In this case, we offer you cedar.

Advantages :

• Generally not afraid of dampness, due to which the finish is durable even in bath conditions.

• The wood has a pronounced aroma of needles.
• Cedar lining not only looks beautiful, but also strengthens your health due to its healing properties. It has bactericidal properties, and can also have a healing effect on the human body. In particular, it is a way to have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels.
• There is much less resin in the structure of cedar than in pine or spruce, which means that the finish will never burn.

  Such a trick will serve for many years even without special finishing.

• Has a beautiful natural pattern and a golden hue, due to which it looks very beautiful and noble.
• Has high strength characteristics.

But keep in mind that such a sheathing cannot be cheap, since cedar is many times more expensive than linden.

Disadvantages :

• High cost compared to aspen / linden.

• In addition, to perform work on the sheathing of the steam room, only the best grades of lining should be used, where there will definitely not be resinous pockets and knots, since otherwise the material will release hot resin under the influence of high temperature.

It is better to refuse to use cedar lining with knots, as there is a risk of getting burned.

Cost

Cedar lining is a bit cheaper than alder, but still quite expensive:

Abash

In the last ten years, it has become very popular to use exotic woods with unique qualities for decorating baths. In particular, cladding made of tropical timber such as abach, which has a porous structure, is increasingly seen.

Abash's homeland is a tropical zone.

Advantages :

• Low heat conductivity, since due to the porosity of the material, such a lining almost does not heat up.
• Nice looking wood, because the material has a pleasant natural chocolate color.

True, it is worth noting that the natural color of Abasha wood is white or lemon-yellow, but in order to improve the decorative qualities of the material, the lining of this wood is subjected to a thermal treatment. There is even an interesting design move - a combination of dark and white lining.

• High strength, and even despite the fact that the density of the material is low, the lining itself is strong, so it can perfectly withstand shocks and other mechanical loads.
• Resistance to deformation. The finishing material not only cannot be deformed, but also does not shrink.

The use of a lining that has not undergone heat treatment makes it possible to obtain a traditional steam room design. Abash can be used to make not only a practical and beautiful finish, but also comfortable sun loungers and benches.

The low level of thermal conductivity of the sheathing of the abach shelves helps to ensure maximum comfort during your stay in the steam room. So, if you have not decided what kind of clapboard to sheathe the bath, you can safely buy material from abash, but keep in mind that its cost is very high.

Disadvantages :

• High price, and such a disadvantage will be for each type of lining made of exotic wood species.
• Lack of smell, and for the majority of connoisseurs of Russian baths who cannot live without the smell of linden or cedar, this is a matter of principle.

Cost

The price for one bar of an extra variety starts from 400 rubles with a bar size of 1.

2 * 8. 5 * 200 cm. Imagine how much you have to spend to sheathe the whole bath.

Hemlock

Another exotic plant that has become quite popular is hemlock. This type of wood is considered evergreen, and grows along the Pacific coast, as well as in the mountains of Canada and Alaska.

The photo shows the design of the Hemlock lined steam room. Such an interior is expensive both in terms of final cost and appearance.

Advantages :

• Moisture resistance, due to which the material can last for tens or hundreds of years.
• Antibacterial properties. Thanks to this quality, the wood is not exposed to biological influences, and this, in turn, also increases the durability of the finishing coating.

• High strength indicators, since the material has resistance to impacts and other mechanical types of influences.
• Does not emit tar, which eliminates the possibility of burns.
• Has healing properties, as essential oils of hemlock and resin have long been used for medicinal purposes. For this reason, its use in the steam room provides an opportunity to improve health.
• Pleasant aroma.

  Hemlock can be used even in the field of perfumery making, therefore, a pleasant smell in the bath is provided.

Disadvantages :

• It's easy to guess that it's all about cost, since one running meter will cost from 240 rubles. The extra hemlock lining has a perfect surface, since there is not a single crack or knot on it.

To find out which lining for a bath is better, let's look at the types of lining by class.

Varieties of lining

As already mentioned, when choosing a material for finishing, it is worth considering not only the type of wood, but also the variety of lining.

This parameter makes it possible to understand what the quality of the material is.

There are the following types of lining types on sale:

1. Extra. This lining is the best, and "without a hitch, without a hitch" is all about it. There will be no chips or other visible defects on the surface of the lining. It is worth noting that to reduce the cost of material, such a lining is most often made by the splicing method, but for a steam room in a bath it is better to use only solid boards that do not have a drop of glue.

2. Class "A". On such a lining there is a small number of visible effects, that is, the presence of captive and light knots with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm is allowed. Black knots may also occur, but in this case their diameter is no more than 0.7 cm.

   This, sometimes blind cracks come across. In some cases, the "A" class lining is no worse than the extra class, but this happens only because of the confusion in the regulatory documents. Flaws in the form of rot, wormholes and blueness, as well as knots that fall out, are unacceptable. It should be noted that for certain manufacturers, class "A" sometimes corresponds to the highest grade, so please check this when purchasing materials.

3. Class "B".

   Such material can have much more defects, and the following is allowed - small chips, rot (no more than 10%), blue (no more than 10%), wormholes (no more than 3 pieces per 1 running meter), resin pockets, reservoir cracks (without an exit to the end and blind), as well as falling out and black knots (their diameter is not more than 2 cm).

Please note, that the lining for the bath must have a thickness of at least 1.3 cm, otherwise it will start to warp. In this case, it may be difficult to appear even at the installation stage.

The lining of class "C" has a huge number of defects, and in addition to the shortcomings of wood of class "B" it has through cracks and rot.

Yes, although there is such material, it is not suitable for decorating a bath. For a steam room it is better to choose an extra class, and for the rest of the premises class "A" and "B" are suitable. You can save on the recreation area and use lower grade materials, since this part of the room will not have high temperatures and high levels of humidity.

Conclusion

As you can see, all types of lining have their advantages and disadvantages, so there is simply no ideal option. We recommend watching the video to visually assess the quality of all the described types of lining and choose the best one for yourself.