Compare beam and log for a bath | What is better

The best material for building a bath is wood. However, the modern building materials industry produces a variety of wood materials, of which two of the most suitable for the construction of a bath can be distinguished — a log and a bar. Our building experts have analyzed the pros and cons of these materials in relation to their use in bath construction to help you choose the best one for you.

First of all, you need to know that each of these materials has several varieties that differ in properties.

bar

In construction practice, the following types of timber are used today:

1. massive unplaned;

2. profiled;

3. glued.

4. Massive unplaned timber

Massive unplaned timber is obtained by sawing logs — sawing from four sides, so that in cross section the products are rectangular or square in shape. The most widespread and used for construction as a wall material are products with a section of 150×150 and 150×200 mm. After sawing, they are dried under natural conditions for a short time to a certain humidity, which can be called «natural». The moisture level of the products then plays an important role in the behavior of the material in the construction of the walls of the erected building. This is due to the fact that walls made of wooden materials with natural moisture shrink, which is why it is necessary to take a long technological break in construction.

Profiled timber

Profiled timber is a product of higher technological processing compared to massive timber. Products are obtained by sawing logs, planing, grinding and subsequent cutting on the upper and lower sides of the recesses, which, when laying the crowns of the walls, will form tongue and groove joints. At the same time, there are several types of profiling for locks: “under insulation”, “with one spike”, “with two spikes”, “comb”. In addition, the sides can be parallel or with a D-shaped outer side, which allows you to simulate the walls of a log cabin. Manufacturers produce profiled timber up to 200 mm high and up to 320 mm wide.

It can be dried, which is carried out in special drying chambers, or natural humidity. The price of dried material significantly exceeds the price of products with natural moisture.

Some manufacturers produce custom-made «house kits» from profiled timber — that is, sets of elements for a specific project, which can only be delivered and assembled on site in accordance with the wiring diagram.

Glued laminated timber

The manufacturing process of glued beams consists of many operations. First, selected wood is dried in drying chambers to a moisture content that corresponds to the moisture content of furniture wood. Then they are cut into lamellas — boards of a certain thickness, they are treated with fire-retardant compounds and glued together with special environmentally friendly glue. After that, the resulting blanks are cut to length, planed and profiled, forming protrusions and recesses for locking joints on the working surfaces. The main advantage of glued beams over other varieties of such products is low humidity, which allows you to build walls without a technological break for wood shrinkage.

Planed log

A planed log is obtained by removing the bark and partially removing the upper protective layer of wood from a natural log using an electric planer. At the same time, such a property of a natural log as slope is preserved — a decrease in the diameter of the trunk in the direction from the butt to the top, which causes difficulties when laying crowns. Violation of the protective layer leads to the fact that the wood becomes more susceptible to adverse factors — moisture, damage by pathogenic microorganisms, so the log after planing must immediately be treated with an antiseptic. At the same time, the wood remains with natural moisture, so the shrinkage of the erected log house is inevitable.

scraped log

A scraped log is obtained by manually removing the upper layer of the bark with a special tool — a scraper, while the protective layer of the wood of the trunk is not damaged. The scraped log is much more durable than other types, although there are disadvantages such as runoff and natural moisture.

rounded log

The rounded log is made by processing on special woodworking machines, resulting in a product that has the same diameter along the entire length. That is, in this case, such a disadvantage as runaway is completely eliminated. At the same time, manufacturers, on request, can produce house kits with products in which bowls for corner locks, grooves and recesses for horizontal joints of crowns are already cut. However, walls made of rounded products are also subject to shrinkage, in addition, the almost complete removal of the protective layer during rounding requires increased measures to protect wood from damage.

Table of advantages and disadvantages

The main differences between materials

The differences between a log and a bar are as follows:

1. cross-sectional shape: the beam is rectangular, the section of the log is round;

2. timber construction is easier, does not require high qualifications. Timber construction requires special carpentry skills;

3. when building from a log, repeated caulking of joints and grinding of logs is necessary, which is not necessary when building from a bar;

4. a log is more expensive than any kind of timber.

How are the materials similar?

The similarity of materials is as follows:

1. both materials are made from natural, environmentally friendly wood, which ensures the creation of a healthy microclimate in the premises;

2. the construction of walls is carried out in a similar way — the successive erection of crowns;

3. walls constructed from both materials are subject to shrinkage (except for walls made of glued beams), which requires a technological break in construction, which can last from six months or more;

4. walls made of wooden materials do not require the construction of a powerful foundation, due to their relatively low weight compared to brick or concrete.

Conclusions: If we compare a log and a beam in terms of suitability for the construction of a bath, then it is impossible to unambiguously answer which material is more suitable. Each of these materials is presented in several varieties, which have their own advantages and disadvantages, while the materials have more similarities than differences. Therefore, the choice should be made based on your own preferences: requirements for appearance, assessment of labor intensity and complexity of work, construction time and financial capabilities.