Natural wax and impregnations based on it have been popular for wood processing in the steam room for centuries. Environmental friendliness and excellent antiseptic properties are far from all the advantages of wax compositions. You can treat the surface with them yourself. Content:
- Features of wax impregnation
- Selection of wax for a bath
- Using a wax antiseptic
- Covering the shelves in the bath
- Processing with oil-wax mixture
Special attention is paid to the arrangement of the steam room. The decoration and furniture in this room must be resistant to high temperatures and humidity. Hardwoods, which are traditionally used in steam rooms, are environmentally friendly and have low thermal conductivity. However, the performance of untreated wood deteriorates rapidly. Therefore, the question of the selection of impregnation must be dealt with as soon as the finishing work is completely completed.
Features of wax impregnation for a bath
Waxing wood surfaces is called waxing and has been popular for years due to its distinctive properties:
- Versatility … Suitable for the treatment of all wooden elements in the steam room and auxiliary rooms.
- Environmental friendliness … Does not emit toxic substances under the influence of high temperatures.
- Security … Does not heat up and does not burn the skin.
- Biosecurity … Prevents the appearance of small insects, which is especially important if the bath is not used often.
- Moisture protection … Thanks to this, the tree does not crack, is not affected by mold and mildew, and at the same time "breathes".
- Preservation of the original appearance … The wood does not lose color and structure, it becomes pleasant to the touch and acquires a honey tint. In addition, wax for the bath shelves protects them from scratches.
- Hypoallergic … It does not cause discomfort for allergy sufferers due to its natural origin.
- Simplicity and efficiency of processing … The impregnation process can be carried out independently, and the steam room will be ready for use the very next day.
- Maintaining surface cleanliness … It is easy to care for the tree as it does not absorb dirt.
The ceiling, walls, floor in the steam room and washing room, as well as shelves are treated with different compounds. For the shelves of the steam room, wax is the most popular. It does not create a film on the surface, and therefore does not burn the body at high temperatures. This is its main difference from compositions for walls and ceilings, as well as for auxiliary rooms.
The wax is successfully used for impregnating the floor in the steam room, since it does not make the coating slippery, which is very important in high humidity conditions. They need to process the ceiling very carefully, since it is this surface that is exposed to the strongest temperature effects. Some even wax wooden buckets and tubs in the sink.
Selection of wax for a bath
If desired, you can treat the surface with natural liquid wax or use industrial impregnations based on it, which additionally contain insecticidal and antiseptic components. Experts recommend using the natural composition directly in the steam room (you can additionally use linseed oil).
In the washing department, dressing room and rest room, you can use ready-made wax antiseptics. Some of them become whitish when applied. This will help in the process to distinguish already treated surfaces.
The main thing is to purchase a certified composition from trusted suppliers. Such manufacturers of wax and impregnations based on it for the treatment of wooden surfaces in a bath, such as Belinka, Biofa, Kreidezeit, Bona, Saicos, Caparol, Tikkurila, have proven themselves well on the market. The price for these trains starts from 500 rubles. It is important to choose the wax that is suitable for the wood treatment in the sauna.
The most popular among manufacturers of bath wax-based compositions is the Finnish company Tikkurila. In her arsenal of tools there is a line called Supi Saunavaha. Treatment products contain natural wax, which firmly clogs all cracks and holes, protects the wood surface from decay, fungi and mold.
As for domestic manufacturers, you should pay attention to the OilWax product. It costs an order of magnitude cheaper than imported counterparts, but copes with its tasks just as well. Oil Wax does not contain paraffin and is based on natural beeswax.
It is forbidden to cover the wood in the steam room with varnish compounds, as they are toxic when heated and cause burns to the body.
Use of a wax antiseptic for a bath
This composition is suitable for treating surfaces in the steam room and washing room. Before treating the boards in a bath with impregnation with wax, you need to completely finish the mechanical processing of the wood. However, it is also not worth delaying with this, since the tree will lose its original appearance and darken over time.
We carry out the work in the following sequence:
- Sand the surface thoroughly with a granular sponge P150. It should be completely smooth and even.
- We carry out degreasing of wood. For this, you can use white spirit. Before proceeding with waxing, you need to wait until the degreaser has completely evaporated.
- Dip a rag swab (cotton swab is undesirable because of the villi) in oil-wax for a bath and lightly apply on a completely dry surface in a circular motion along the fibers. Rubbing vigorously does not make sense, because at high temperatures the wax will melt and fill the pores.
- We immediately heat the steam room for the deepest possible penetration, which is achieved thanks to gum turpentine.
- After hardening, polish the surface with a felt cloth and apply a second layer.
It is necessary to apply wax for baths and saunas at temperatures from 10 degrees and humidity up to 80%.
Coating the shelves in the bath with wax impregnation with alcohol
Environmentally friendly and efficient treatment of the benches in the steam room is carried out with a suspension of beeswax and alcohol.
We carry it out in this order:
- Thoroughly mix in equal parts the liquid wax gruel and alcohol until a suspension is formed.
- We clean and dry the surface.
- We put the resulting composition on the shelves and leave it to dry completely.
- We warm up the steam room for the final absorption of the remaining wax grains (65 degrees is enough). If you decide to treat the shelves before installation in the steam room, then after application, you can slightly heat them with a gas burner.
- We polish the surface and rub it with a felt grinding wheel. Make sure that no wax streaks remain on the coating.
- After reheating the steam room, you can repeat the polishing.
Please note that it is imperative to apply the wax-alcohol composition with a thin, even layer.
Rules for processing a bath with an oil-wax mixture
In the old days, this composition was even used for processing painted spoons and plates.
The steam room is processed as follows:
- We put two parts of the butter on the fire. Linseed is considered the best option. However, it must be boiled in a ventilated area. You can also use hemp. But the vegetable is not suitable for these purposes, because at high temperatures it emits a characteristic odor.
- After boiling for 20 minutes, when excess water and odor have been removed, turn off the heat, add one part of beeswax and mix thoroughly.
- At the first impregnation we sand and degrease the surface, with seasonal impregnation we carefully grind it.
- We apply the emulsion with a cloth, felt, cotton cloth or a brush to the wood. For better penetration, you need to use it heated to 80 degrees.
- We heat the steam room and remove the excess with a waffle towel.
- Wipe the shelves again in a circular motion.
Sauna oil-wax can be used to treat all wooden elements both in the steam room and in the auxiliary rooms of the bath. Some manufacturers make it with the addition of colors. It can also be used for external treatment of a wooden steam room. It must be carried out in two layers, but even so, such an impregnation is inferior to many synthetic antiseptics for external use.
How to use bath wax - watch the video:
It is more difficult to treat a bath yourself with a wax composition than to cover it with an antiseptic with a brush. However, this method is one of the most effective and environmentally friendly. Steam waxing should be done periodically. The most suitable time for this is spring-summer. In this case, the wood in the steam room will serve for a long time, retaining its original appearance.
