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How is a log sauna treated? How would you like your sauna to look? Natural wood, understated light, or dramatically dark – you choose how your building looks!
The appearance of a log sauna can be significantly influenced by surface treatment. In addition, the look is affected by factors such as the style and size of the windows, and whether you choose a modern mono-pitch roof or a traditional gable roof for your sauna.
The log sauna can be treated with an opaque paint, a translucent stain, or a colourless protective finish. Match the style of the log sauna to the tones of your house or log cabin, for example.
In this article, we have a few key tips for you to find suitable products and succeed.
Article content:
The importance of treating the walls of a log sauna
Treating the walls of a log sauna affects the building's appearance and minimises the effects of weather and sun on the wood's surface.
Untreated wooden surfaces are very susceptible to changes caused by UV radiation and rain, as well as various surface moulds and fungi. Therefore, log saunas should be treated immediately after they are built. Rain and moisture have their quickest effect in autumn.
The primers soak into the wood and protect it from the elements, reducing the effects of moisture and fungi. Wooden surfaces, especially outdoors, quickly start to turn grey if they are not treated.
The interior surfaces also yellow and get dirty quickly. When it comes to a sauna, the wooden surfaces are subject to heavy wear and tear. Therefore, it is also advisable to treat the interior surfaces as soon as possible.
The steam room floor The condition needs to be monitored regularly. The floor is subject to the greatest moisture and dirt load, so the treatment needs to be renewed frequently. For example, an oil treatment is recommended for renewal even once a year.
If the floor is Heat-treated pine, the surface does not require immediate treatment. If you still wish to treat the floor, choose a surface treatment agent suitable for heat-treated wood.
Can a log sauna be left untreated?
A completely untreated timber surface is not a very common solution nowadays. However, a log sauna can also be left untreated on the outside, as long as one understands its effects on the wood:
- The deer's greying (due to the effect of the sun's UV rays and rain).
- The phenomenon is natural and does not inherently harm the log.
- If a structure or any part of it is constantly exposed to moisture, the building's lifespan can be shortened.
- Long eaves, adequate plinth height and good drainage are particularly important when constructing an untreated log sauna.
- Achieving a consistent grey colour takes years. And in the meantime, the surface colour can be very uneven. If this is acceptable, the advantage of an untreated surface is its low maintenance.
- Untreated wood surfaces are more susceptible to cracking and uneven wear.
- If you wish to treat the surface later on, the work is challenging and the end result uncertain compared to treating the building for the first time immediately after its completion.
Options for treating the exterior surfaces of a log sauna
For log walls, a thin, breathable and optionally tinted glaze or protective coating is recommended. It's important that the substance does not contain plastic and does not form a thick, impermeable film, so that the natural breathability of the log wall is preserved.
- Protective coversWood protection is an alternative to traditional paint and the result is a completely opaque and effective protection against the weather. However, wood protection forms a thinner film than traditional paint and leaves the wood's grain more visible.
- GlazesA tinted wood stain, such as Tikkurila Valtti Color or Teknos, provides a very natural finish, leaving the wood's own surface visible. The stain is very breathable but effectively protects the wood from UV radiation and greying.
Choices for log buildings based on long experience:
- Pre-processing: Tikkurila Valtti Primer This is a high-quality, colourless impregnating wood preservative that makes the surface water-repellent and protects against mould and blue stain. The primer is easy to apply to wood surfaces and also improves the adhesion and cleanliness of the topcoat. The colourless primer does not protect the wood surface from sunlight, so it is advisable to finish the surface treatment as soon as possible.
- Surface treatmentTikkurila's Valtti stains protect wood from weather damage, slowing the effects of moisture and sunlight.
- Popular colour dark for the exterior walls Piki -wood essence. The natural black log sauna building is atmospheric and blends beautifully with nature.
- You can find the colour chart for Valtti tinted wood preservatives here. >>
Treatment of the interior walls of a log sauna
It's a matter of taste what you want your own building to look like. A log house looks beautiful as natural as possible. If you want the walls not to turn grey, you should at least apply a colourless protective treatment.
Brighten up your space with light, create atmosphere with dark
Treatment of the sauna room There isn't one right solution. Many people use dark colours, as they can create a warm, intimate atmosphere for sauna experiences. On the other hand, natural wood is beautiful as it is, without any tint. A modern and spacious atmosphere can be achieved with light colours.
With hundreds of saunas under our belt, we've seen and implemented many different, yet successful, solutions: light and dark are also mixed (e.g. light wood-coloured benches and dark walls), which creates an exciting contrast, highlighting the sauna's different elements.
Light colours are preferred in the sauna room.
If a building has a changing room or a sauna lounge, light colours should at least be carefully considered.
White or light-bleached ceiling Create an impression of height and increase the brightness of a small space.
Also Light colours are often used on walls Sauté to a covering white, space-expanding treatment. In the image below, the changing room walls it is processing With Technos' translucent interior paint (3036), which is mixed To the Uulan Ilona glaze paint.
This treatment leaves the timber naturally beautiful, but removes yellow tones. To achieve a smooth and long-lasting finish, two coats of treatment are also required indoors.
Treating sauna benches with moderation
Never paint sauna benches with ordinary paint, as they will overheat and can also become sticky. Many surface treatments also release chemicals into the sauna's breathing air when heated.
The benches can be left their natural colour and simply oiled with paraffin oil. If you desire colour or contrast in the sauna, Tikkurila's Supi Sauna Wax is an excellent choice for the benches too. Apply the wax thinly, only as much as the wood absorbs.
Protect the log sauna floor immediately
The floor in log buildings is often made of pine, and its natural properties include yellowing over time. A wax treatment is recommended for the surface of a sauna cabin. Tikkurila's Supi Sauna wax can also be used for this purpose. The completely colourless wax protects the floor, but does not prevent yellowing. The colour change can be prevented with a dedicated treatment agent if desired.
All surfaces of the sauna room below, down to the floor, have been treated Tikkurila's Supi Sauna Wax in Bird Cherry Blossom -toned.
In the steam room, it is also often used these days Heat-treated pine, ..., which is slightly darker in tone and doesn't yellow. Heat treatment provides natural protection for the floor against moisture and dirt, meaning a surface treatment may not be necessary at all.
Log sauna treatment – step-by-step instructions
Choosing the right cleaning agent
Different substances can affect the natural properties of wood, so this must be taken into account when choosing a treatment agent. The log surface should be treated with a plastic-free and breathable agent. Hardware stores and other entities selling paints and treatment agents will surely be able to recommend various options suitable for logs:
- Living room floor Recommended to be treated with wax or an indoor oil.
- The steam room floor The oil treatment needs to be repeated regularly.
- To the toilets Suitable for paraffin oil or any other spa oil of your choice.
- A good alternative is Tikkurila Supi A bench protector which is a paraffin oil that protects against moisture and soiling. It is absorbed into the wood, leaving a natural surface and enhancing the bench's own tone.
Before starting the painting:
- Protect Windows Yes listat carefully using for example tape and plastics or cardboard.
- If you are using painter's tape, remove the tape as soon as the paint has dried, as the adhesive surface can dry and stick firmly to the wood, leaving unsightly glue marks.
- If the sauna has already been used, it is advisable to wash it lightly before treatment.
- Then, especially coloured treatments, carefully before starting and also during the treatment.
- Spread the substance puny parallel one hair at a time, end to end.
- To get a level surface, the building requires two painting session. The first coat is a little slower to apply, but the second coat goes on more quickly.
- If you are using the popular Supi Sauna Wax, it's easy to apply with a foam brush. It's recommended to apply the sauna wax once, following the grain of the wood, and only apply as much as the wood absorbs in a single application.
The log sauna ready in the evening can be chosen treated or untreated
A wide array of ready-made surface treatment options is available, from protective treatments that leave the natural surface exposed to a rough, dark finish and various light shades. If you wish, you can also treat the sauna yourself.
The authentic log sauna floor is made of thermally treated pine, which can also do without treatment.
