Cladding sauna walls with metal panels

Abstract

A method for protecting wooden sections of a sauna from environmental conditions, wherein the method comprises: placing panels comprising metal plates over sidewalls of the sauna to cover the sidewalls, wherein the panels include a folded top portion configured to engage with a sauna roof upon covering the sidewalls, arranging the panels such that the folded top portion of each panel is placed over a roof portion thereby forming a circumferential protective rim around a roof periphery, and covering an inner roof portion bounded by the roof periphery with a layer of protective material, to form a protective outer surface of the sauna.

Description

Cladding sauna walls with metal panelsField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of constructing outer walls of a sauna, particularly a method of constructing the outer walls of an outdoor sauna.Background art

[0002] Saunas, sauna rooms or steam rooms are structures typically constructed from wooden sections. The wooden sections may include a wooden frame made mostly from wooden beams and planar structures made of wooden boards, wooden planks, or similar arranged to form walls of the sauna. Constructing saunas from wood is preferred due to desired thermal properties of the wood. Namely, wood is a rather poor heat conductor preventing overheating of surfaces within the sauna which, if overheated, could cause injuries of sauna users coming in contact with the overheated surfaces. In this regard, soft wood types i.e., wood varieties having lower density such as hemlock, ayous, pine, ash and / or cedar are preferred. Additionally, wood does not expand or contract significantly with temperature changes and has anti-septic and antibacterial properties. It should be noted that these properties vary depending on a type of wood used and manufacturing steps performed for processing wood into a product to be used for constructing the sauna e.g., wooden plank or beam or similar.

[0003] Outdoor saunas are a popular choice of saunas as they can be installed outdoors such as in a backyard. This is advantageous as saunas are relatively large structures which when installed indoors within a living unit such as within a house occupy relatively large area of the unit. Additionally, installing indoor saunas represents an additional fire hazard and / or increases risk of damaging inner walls of the living unit by steam or high temperature generated in the sauna. It should be also mentioned that as most saunas include a glass front wall, users of the outdoor sauna may enjoy the outdoor scenery while using the sauna.

[0004] However, wooden sections of the outdoor saunas are susceptible to harmful influence of harsh environmental conditions. Rain and wet weather conditions can accelerate degradation of the wooden sections, shortening significantly life span of the sauna. Furthermore, outdoor saunas are susceptible to mechanical damage caused by hail, strong winds, and similar rough weather conditions.

[0005] WO 2004 / 092494 A2 proposes use of a room-bounding structure which includes a rigid sheet impermeable to moisture, spacer protrusions on the first surface of the sheet at essentially even intervals over the entire area of the sheet, and a rigid surface sheet supported on the spacer protrusions, in such a way that the space between the sheet and the surface sheet forms a network of air channels for ventilating the structure. However, such a room-bounding structure results in expensive saunas having complex constructions.

[0006] It would be desirable to provide a sauna that at least partially overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.Summary of the invention

[0007] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for protecting wooden sections of a sauna from environmental conditions. The method comprises: a. placing panels comprising metal sheets over sidewalls of the sauna to cover the sidewalls, wherein the panels include a folded top portion configured to engage with a sauna roof upon covering the sidewalls; b. arranging the panels such that the folded top portion of each panel is placed over a roof portion thereby forming a circumferential protective rim around a roof periphery; and c. covering an inner roof portion bounded by the roof periphery with a layer of protective material; to form a protective outer surface of the sauna.

[0008] The method according to the present invention efficiently protects the wooden sections such as a wooden frame and planar structures of the sauna. It should be noted that the wooden sections may be entirely composed of wood or alternatively, may comprise wooden fibres such as for example Trespa® panels. Particularly, the method is useful for protecting the wooden sections of outdoor saunas against harsh weather conditions. The protective outer surface may prevent rain penetration towards the wooden sections which would speed up rotting and degradation of the wooden sections. As mentioned, the saunas are preferably made of soft wood. The drawback of this type of wood is that it is susceptible to mechanical damage caused by strong winds, storms and similar. The protective outer surface is configured to enhance robustness of the sidewalls and prevent serious mechanical damages of the wooden sections of the sauna.

[0009] Furthermore, the method allows protecting the wooden sections of the sauna with minimal elements used, in a simple and efficient installation process. Additionally, the protective outer surface may be easily disassembled from the wooden sections at the end of the life span of the sauna and recycled, preventing material waste.

[0010] The sauna comprises a number of walls delimiting an inner chamber of the sauna from an outside environment. The method according to the present invention may be applied only to those walls or wall sections that face the outside environment. In other words, internal walls used to partition the inner chamber do not need to be covered by the protective outer surface.

[0011] The panels are understood to be substantially planar surfaces, preferably rectangular, having a thickness dimension at least an order of magnitude smaller than a length and a width dimension, wherein the length and width dimensions define the planar surface. Each panel comprises at least one sheet or layer of at least one material. Note that in the present application terms “sheet” and “layer” are used interchangeably. For example, the panel may be entirely made of metal such an aluminium, or galvanized aluminium, or steel, or any similar material, or any suitable combination of materials.

[0012] Preferably, the panels comprise a plurality of sheets arranged on top of each other. In such case at least an outer sheet, wherein the outer sheet is a sheet configured to face the outside environment, is a metal sheet. More preferably, the panels may be sandwich panels having two external sheets and a core layer therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, the sandwich panelsmay be aluminium composite panels (ACPs). The ACPs are preferred as their external aluminium sheets are water-resistant and do not corrode, while the core layer comprises plastic material which is a good thermal insulator assisting in maintaining the inner temperature of the sauna high when the sauna is in use. Additionally, the ACPs are light in weight which is desired as the panels need to be supported by the wooden sections of the sauna and therefore, using heavy panels would require additional reinforcement of the wooden sections.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the sidewalls are completely covered by the panels. This is desired as it ensures that the wooden sections of the sidewalls are fully protected against the harsh environmental conditions. A first sidewall may include an entrance to the sauna. Additionally, the first sidewall may comprise a transparent section such as a glass section. The transparent section may occupy most of a surface area of the first sidewall. For example, the first sidewall may comprise wooden framing section and a glass wall fixed by the wooden framing section to the rest of the sauna. In the method according to the present invention, the glass section does not need to be covered by the panels but the framing section, if exposed to the outside environment, may be covered by the protective outer surface as it will be explained further below.

[0014] The wooden sections may be arranged into a number of sidewalls, the roof, and a bottom surface of the sauna. The bottom surface is placed on a ground and extends along a first horizontal direction X and a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X and together defining a horizontal plane. The sidewalls erect from the bottom surface in a vertical direction Z, wherein the vertical direction Z is perpendicular to the ground. The roof is supported by the sidewalls and extends vertically above the bottom surface. In a preferred embodiment, the sauna may have a shape of a cuboid having four sidewalls. The roof may be substantially parallel to the bottom surface.

[0015] Each panel may be configured to completely cover one sidewall. In other words, dimensions of the panels may be chosen to agree with dimensions of the sidewalls. Alternatively, each sidewall may be covered by a plurality of panels placed onto the sidewall in a sequence.

[0016] The folded top portion extends along a panel edge configured to engage with the roof. The folded top portion may be formed by bending a portion of the panel around the panel edge. The folded top portion encloses a bending angle with the planar surface of the panel, wherein the bending angle is configured to agree with an edge angle formed between the roof periphery and the sidewall. For example, if the sidewall and the roof periphery enclose the edge angle of 90°, then the bending angle is also 90°. Such example may correspond to a situation wherein saunas have the roof perpendicular to the sidewalls which is generally preferred due to its simple construction. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. The roof periphery may be slated to allow for a water drainage away from the roof periphery. For example, the roof periphery may be inclined towards the inner roof portion to allow for a water drainage towards the inner roof portion. In such embodiments the edge angle may be different from 90° and the bending angle is arranged accordingly.

[0017] A width of the folded top portion may be uniform. The width of the folded top portion is a distance between a free-standing edge of the folded top portion and an edge of the folded topportion in contact with the rest of the panel. A width of the protective rim may correspond to the width of the folded top portion. Additionally, the folded top portions may be arranged to cooperate in order to form the protective rim having a uniform circumferential thickness. The uniform circumferential thickness may correspond to the panel thickness. In other words, the folded top portions forming the protective rim may not overlap along the circumference of the protective rim.

[0018] The panels may be fixed to the sidewalls and / or the roof by thereto suitable permanent and / or non-permanent fixing elements. The fixing elements may include one or more of the following: screws, bolts, glue, silicone, nails, snap-fit locks, and / or similar.

[0019] The roof comprises two portions: the roof periphery and the inner roof portion. The roof periphery is a portion of the roof adjacent to roof edges. The inner roof portion is a portion of the roof encircled by the roof periphery. The roof periphery and the inner roof portion may be integral parts of the roof. Furthermore, the inner roof and the inner roof portion may be clearly distinguishable one from another but this is not required. The roof periphery may also seamlessly transition into the inner roof portion.

[0020] The inner roof portion is covered by the layer of protective material. Preferably, the layer of protective material is a protective rubber and particularly, an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.

[0021] The EPDM rubber is a water-resistant and fire-resistant material. As an affordable means, the EPDM rubber is readily used for waterproofing roofs. To protect the roof, a layer of EPDM rubber is placed over the whole area of the roof, up to the roof edges. The EPDM layer is usually glued to the roof to fix two elements together. However, this process often results in appearance of bumps on the surface of the EPDM layer due to air bubbles trapped in between the roof and the EPDM layer and / or due to misalignment between the EPDM layer and the roof leading to puckering of the EPDM layer. The bumps formed around edges of the EPDM layer are particularly problematic as the roof and the EPDM layer are disconnected at those areas forming openings through which the water can penetrate towards the wooden sections of the sauna. To prevent this, securing elements such as fastening bands are placed over the EPDM layer edges to cover them and fix to the roof edges. However, this does not completely solve the problem as the bumps form an uneven contact area for the securing elements resulting in small gaps along the contact area between the EPDM layer and the securing elements though which the water can still penetrate towards the roof.

[0022] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the roof periphery may be vertically elevated from the inner roof portion. In such embodiment, the inner roof portion may have a first height and the elevated roof periphery may have a second height, wherein the first height is smaller than the second height. The first and second heights, and a height in general, may be a vertical distance from the ground up to an uppermost surface of an element such as the inner roof portion and the roof periphery, respectively. Preferably, the inner roof portion is substantially flat and the roof periphery is elevated from the flat inner roof portion. However, the present invention is not limited to flat inner roof portions and / or flat roofs in general.

[0023] Similarly, the elevated roof periphery may be substantially flat but this is not required. For example, the roof periphery may comprise a circumferential step separating the roof periphery intoa first elevated region having the second height and a second elevated region having a third height different from the second height. The first elevated region may extend from an outer edge of the roof periphery up to the vertical step and the second elevated region may extend from the vertical step up to an inner edge of the roof periphery, wherein the outer edge of the roof periphery is the edge of the roof periphery adjacent to or aligned with one of the roof edges and the inner edge of the roof periphery is the edge of the roof periphery adjacent to or aligned with the inner roof portion. In such an embodiment, both the second and third heights are larger than the first height and the vertical step is defined by a height difference between the second and third heights. Alternatively, the roof periphery may be inclined or slated to facilitate water drainage from the roof as previously mentioned. In such embodiment, a height of the elevated roof periphery may continuously change from the outer edge having the second height towards the inner edge having the third height.

[0024] Additionally, a kink may be formed at an interface between the inner roof portion and the roof periphery, wherein the kink is defined by a difference in vertical elevations of the roof periphery and the inner roof portion.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the folded top portion may be configured to extend beyond the roof periphery such that the free-standing edge of the folded top portion is vertically above the inner roof portion. In other words, the width of the folded top portion is larger than a width of the roof periphery. The width of the roof periphery is a horizontal distance between the outer edge of the roof periphery and the inner edge of the roof periphery. This allows for water to drain from the folded top portion towards the inner roof portion covered by the layer of protective material shielding the roof periphery from water damage.

[0026] Additionally, the layer of protective material may extend over at least a portion of the roof periphery. The layer of protective material may be arranged to form a continuous coverage over the inner roof portion and the at least portion of the roof periphery. The continuous coverage may extend over the kink and the inner edge of the roof periphery. Advantageously, the continuous layer protects a portion of the roof around the kink and the inner edge of the roof periphery from water backflow under the folded top portion and towards these areas of the roof.

[0027] The roof may include elements of the frame and a flat roof portion connected thereto to form the roof. The flat roof portion may be in a form of a planar structure formed from interconnected wooden planks and / or bords. The flat roof portion may be mounted to an underside of the elements of the frame such that the elements of the frame are vertically above the flat roof portion, wherein the elements of the frame form the roof periphery and the flat roof portion forms the inner roof portion. In such embodiment, the folded top portion may extend over the elements of the frame such that the free-standing edge of each folded top portion is vertically above the flat roof portion. Additionally, the elements of the frame may be in a form of beams having a stepped profile, for example, arranged by carving out a piece of the beam to form the first and second elevated regions. Alternatively, the roof periphery may include two sets of beams arranged in parallel along the roof periphery, wherein the two sets comprise beams of different heights which when arranged next to each other form the first and second elevated regions.

[0028] In an embodiment, the method may include a step of placing a securing strip along the roof periphery, wherein a thickness of the securing strip is larger than a thickness of the layer of protective material. The securing strip may be placed circumferentially around the roof periphery to form an annular layer around the roof edges. The annular layer may be formed from one securing strip or a plurality of interconnected securing strips forming an uninterrupted annular layer. The securing strip may be a metal strip and preferably, an aluminium strip. Such strips are desired as they form a flat contact area void of bumps and / or puckering with the roof on one side and the panels on the other side.

[0029] The annular layer may be used to form elevated roof periphery. In such case a portion of the roof covered by the annular layer defines the roof periphery and the thickness of the annular layer defines the vertical elevation between the roof periphery and the inner roof portion.

[0030] In an alternative embodiment, the annular layer may be placed along the elevated roof periphery, for example, along the elements of the frame to form the first elevated region and the second elevated region. Preferably, the annular layer may be aligned with the outer edge of the roof periphery.

[0031] In such embodiment, a width of the securing strip may be smaller than a width of the elevated roof periphery. The securing strip (the annular layer) may cover a first portion of the roof periphery to form the first elevated region while the layer of protective material may extend over a second portion of the roof periphery forming the second elevated region, up to the securing strip. The vertical step is then defined by the thickness of the securing strip forming the annular layer. The continuous coverage may include the inner roof portion and the second portion of the roof periphery. Such embodiment is particularly desired as, on one side, the securing strip forms a flat contact area for the folded top portions facilitating fixing of the panels to the sauna while, on the other side, the continuous coverage protects the elevated roof periphery from water backflow under the folded top portion.

[0032] Additionally, the folded top portion may comprise a linear groove adjacent to the freestanding edge, wherein the linear groove is arranged on an underside of the folded top portion configured to face the inner roof portion upon covering the sidewall with the panel. The liner groove is configured prevent backflow of droplets along the underside of the folded top portion and towards the roof periphery.

[0033] The inner roof portion may comprise a drainage hole configured to drain water from the inner roof portion away from the sauna.

[0034] In an embodiment, at least one panel comprises at least one folded longitudinal edge portion. The method may further include placing the at least one folded longitudinal edge portion over an edge portion of a neighbouring sidewall of a sidewall covered by the at least one panel. The neighbouring sidewall is the sidewall sharing a longitudinal edge with the sidewall covered by the at least one panel. The edge portion may be a portion of the sidewall adjacent to the longitudinal edge of the sidewall. Each sidewall may have two neighbouring sidewalls and optionally, the at least one panel includes two folded longitudinal edge portions each configured to cover the edge portion of one of the two neighbouring sidewalls.

[0035] In an embodiment, at least one sidewall may be covered by a plurality of panels. The sidewalls may have large surface area which cannot be efficiently or affordably covered by a single panel. In such embodiment the least one sidewall may be covered by the plurality of panels each covering a portion of the sidewall. A linear gap may be formed in between adjacent panels of the plurality of panels, wherein the linear gap may be bound by the longitudinal edges of the adjacent panels. As the water can penetrate through the linear gap towards the wooden sections of the sauna, the linear gap needs to be sealed. The linear gap may be sealed by introducing a sealing element such as silicone into the linear gap. Additionally or alternatively, an inner panel may be placed under the adjacent panels to seal the linear gap. The inner panel may extend along the whole length of the linear gap. A width of the inner panel may be configured such that the inner panel extends under and is overlapped by both adjacent panels. The inner panel may be firmly coupled to the adjacent panels to form a watertight seal. The coupling may be realized by mechanical means such as by use of mechanical fasteners and / or by chemical means such as by use of a glue.

[0036] In an embodiment, the sauna has the first sidewall comprising the framing section and the transparent section such as the glass section. The framing section may be a part of the frame configured to support the first sidewall. The first sidewall may include the entrance to the sauna. The framing section may comprise two longitudinal framing components extending along the longitudinal edges of the first sidewall and two transversal framing components being perpendicular to the two longitudinal framing components. The method may further include using the folded longitudinal edge portions to cover the longitudinal framing components of the framing section. Additionally, the method may include using an upper folded piece configured to cover an upper transversal framing component and a portion of the roof periphery, and using a lower piece configured to cover a lower transversal framing component of the framing section, wherein the upper transversal framing component is adjacent to the roof edge and the lower transversal framing component is adjacent to the bottom surface of the sauna.

[0037] A width of the panels, wherein the width of the panels is a distance between the longitudinal edges of the panel, may be in a range between 1 m and 3 m, preferably around 2 m.

[0038] The width of the folded top portion may be in a range between 5 cm and 20 cm, and preferably around 12 cm. A width of the securing strip may be in a range between 3 cm and 15 cm, and preferably around 5 cm.

[0039] A thickness of the securing strip may be in a range between 2 mm and 10 mm, preferably around 3 mm, and the thickness of the layer of protective material may be in a range between 1 mm and 10 mm, preferably around 2 mm.

[0040] The protective outer surface of the sauna may be configured to be watertight. This may be achieved by filling gaps between interfaces of abutting elements of the protective outer surface with a sealing element such as silicone.

[0041] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is a roof assembly for a sauna provided. The roof assembly comprises an inner roof portion enclosed by a roof periphery being vertically elevated from the inner roof portion. The roof periphery comprises a first portion extendingcircumferentially along the roof periphery adjacent to an outer edge of the roof periphery and a second portion extending circumferentially along the roof periphery adjacent to an inner edge of the roof periphery, wherein the outer edge of the roof periphery is aligned with roof edges and the inner edge is in contact with the inner roof portion. The first portion and the second portion are separated by a vertical step defined by a height difference between the first and second portions and preferably, wherein a first portion height is larger than a second portion height. The second portion and inner roof portion are covered by a layer of protective material such as a protective rubber having a smaller layer thickness than a height of the vertical step, wherein the layer of protective material extends up to the first portion. The roof assembly further includes a protective metal rim placed along the roof periphery, wherein the protective metal rim has a free-standing edge extending away from the inner edge of the roof periphery and vertically above the inner roof portion.

[0042] The protective metal rim and the layer of protective material may be arranged to form a protective outer layer for protecting wooden sections of the roof assembly from environmental conditions. Particularly, the protective outer layer may be arranged to be watertight.

[0043] In an embodiment, the first portion may comprise a securing strip placed circumferentially thereon to form an annular layer around the roof periphery, wherein the vertical step is defined by a securing strip thickness. The securing strip may be of uniform thickness. Preferably, the securing strip is a metal strip, and more preferably an aluminium strip.

[0044] Alternatively, the roof assembly may comprise wooden beams arranged along roof edges and configured to form the first and second portions of the roof periphery. In such embodiment each of the beams may comprise a stepped-surface configured to form the first and second portions. The stepped-surface may be formed by cutting or carving out a part of the beam along a beam length.

[0045] In yet another embodiment, the roof assembly may include two sets of beams arranged in parallel along the roof periphery. The two sets may comprise beams of different heights which when placed in abutting configuration form the first and second portions.

[0046] Preferably, elements of the roof assembly according to the second aspect of the present invention correspond to like elements used in the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0047] The roof assembly may be obtained using the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0048] Further advantages of the disclosed invention will become evident in the following.Brief description of the drawings

[0049] The present invention will be discussed in more detail below, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0050] Fig. 1 A depicts a perspective view of an outdoor sauna according to the present invention;

[0051] Fig. 1 B depicts in an enlarged view a portion of a roof of the sauna of Fig. 1A;

[0052] Fig. 2 depicts in an explosive view sections of a protective outer surface of the sauna of Fig. 1A;

[0053] Fig. 3 depicts in a perspective view the roof of the sauna Fig. 1A without a circumferential protective rim;

[0054] Fig. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view along a transversal direction of a section of the roof around a roof periphery;

[0055] Fig. 5A depicts an embodiment of a sauna according to the present invention having a plurality of metal panels covering a sidewall of the sauna; and

[0056] Fig. 5B depicts in a schematic view an area around two adjacent metal panels covering the sidewall of Fig. 5A.Description of embodiments

[0057] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to drawings in which illustrative embodiments thereof are shown. The drawings are intended exclusively for illustrative purposes and not as a restriction of the inventive concept which is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is only limited by the definitions presented in the appended claims.

[0058] In the drawings, like numerals designate like elements. Multiple instances of an element may each include separate letters appended to the reference number. For example, two instances of a particular element “20” may be labelled as “20a” and “20b”. The reference number may be used without an appended letter (e.g. “20”) to generally refer to an unspecified instance or to all instances of that element, while the reference number will include an appended letter (e.g. “20a”) to refer to a specific instance of the element.

[0059] Fig. 1A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an outdoor sauna 10 according to the present invention. The sauna 10 may be substantially rectangular having a bottom surface 18, four sidewalls 12a-d elevating in a vertical direction Z from the bottom surface 18, and a sauna roof 14. The sauna roof 14 may be parallel to the bottom surface 18 and extending in a horizontal plane defined by a first horizontal direction X and a second horizontal direction Y. The vertical direction Z, the first horizontal direction X, and the second horizontal direction Y are mutually orthogonal. In this exemplary embodiment, a first sidewall 12a includes a central glass section 22 with an entrance 16 to the sauna 10. Other sidewalls 12b-d, apart from the first sidewall 12a, may be completely cladded by panels 32 to form a protective outer surface 20 protecting inner wooden sections of the sauna 10 (not shown).

[0060] Fig. 1 B shows in an enlarged view a section of the sauna roof 14. The sauna roof 14 includes an inner roof portion 26 bound by a roof periphery 24 which may be vertically elevated from the inner roof portion 26. The roof periphery 24 is covered by a circumferential protective rim 28 and the inner roof portion 26 is covered by a layer of protective material 30. The protective material may be an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. The protective rim 28 and the layer of protective material 30 are parts of the protective outer surface 20 covering the sauna roof 14.

[0061] The protective outer surface 20 may completely cover wooden sections of the sauna 10 protecting them from degrading influence of water such as rain water and mechanical damage caused by harsh weather conditions. A method of forming the protective outer surface 20 is explained further below.

[0062] Fig. 2 shows in an explosive view the sauna 10. Particularly, the figure shows wooden sections 21 of the sauna 10 and elements of the protective outer surface 20. The wooden sections 21 may include a frame 36 and a number of wooden boards 38 forming walls of the sauna. The frame 36 is formed from interconnected wooden beams 40 framing the walls of the sauna 10. The wooden beams 40 may be beams according to the Scandinavian Lumber Standard (SLS) or the Canadian Lumber Standard (CLS). The sidewalls 12b-d of the sauna 10, with exception of the first sidewall 12a, include the wooden boards 38 fixed to the frame 36. The wooden boards 38 may be, for example, oriented strand boards. A section of the frame 36 framing the first sidewall 12a may include two longitudinal wooden beams 46a, 46b and two transversal wooden beams 48a, 48b. The wooden beams 40 framing the first sidewall 12a may have notches therein for inserting edges of the glass section 22 within the notches in order to fix the glass section 22 to the frame 36.

[0063] The protective outer surface 20 may include first and second panels 32b, 32c configured to cover second and third sidewalls 12b, 12c adjacent to the first sidewall 12a, respectively. The protective outer surface 20 may further include a third panel 32d configured to cover a fourth sidewall (not shown) being opposite to the first sidewall 12a and two metal pieces 34a, 34b arranged to cover the two transversal wooden beams 48a, 48b. The first, second and third panels 32 b-d may be aluminium composite panels (ACPs). The two metal pieces 34a-b are also ACPs.

[0064] To form the protective outer surface 20, the first, second and third panels 32b-d may be placed against the second, third and fourth sidewall 12b-d to cover each sidewall, respectively. The first, second and third panels 32b-d may have folded top portions 42b-d which are placed over the roof periphery 24 and arranged to form the protective rim 28, as shown in Fig. 1 A. Additionally, the first and second panels 32b, 32c may have folded longitudinal edge portions 44b, 44c. The folded longitudinal edge portions 44b, 44c are used to cover and protect the longitudinal wooden beams 46a, 46b framing the first sidewall 12a. It is noted that the folded top portions 42b-d and the folded longitudinal edge portions 44b, 44c may be integral parts of the panels 32b-d. An upper metal piece 34a may be folded along its length and arranged to simultaneously cover an upper transversal wooden beam 48a and a portion of the roof periphery 24 adjacent to the upper transversal wooden beam 48b thereby forming a continuous protective rim 28 together with the folded top portions 42b- d. Similarly, a lower metal piece 34a may be placed over a lower transversal wooden beam 48a. In this manner, sidewalls 12a-d of the sauna 10 are completely protected against harsh environmental conditions. The panels 32b-d and the metal pieces 34a, 34b may be screwed to the wooden sections 21 to fix them in place. The bottom surface 18 may comprise a waterproof multiplex or any other suitable waterproofing layer to protect the bottom surface 18 from water damage.

[0065] The proposed method of cladding the sauna 10 is advantageous over the prior art as it allows to completely cover the sidewalls 12a-d of the sauna 10 with minimal number of elements in a fast and efficient manner improving the overall manufacturing process. Additionally, ACPs provide attractive design of the sauna 10.

[0066] Fig. 3 shows in a prospective view an exemplary embodiment of the sauna roof 14 without the panels 32b-d and the metal pieces 34a, 34b. Four securing strips 50a-d may be placed along the roof periphery 24 forming an annular layer 51 covering a first portion 53 of the elevated roofperiphery 24. The securing strips 50a-d may be aluminium strips of a uniform thickness. A second portion 55 of the elevated roof periphery 24 may not be covered by the annular layer 51 forming a stepped surface 57 of the elevated roof periphery 24. The inner roof portion 26 may be covered by the layer of protective material 30 which in the present case is the EPDM rubber. The layer of protective material 30 may also expend over the second portion 55 of the elevated roof periphery 24. The inner roof portion 26 may also include a drainage hole 31 for draining water from the roof 14 via a back sidewall (not shown) away from the sauna 10.

[0067] The EPDM layer is frequently used for protecting roofing structures due to its low price, simple installing process and particularly, its water resistant and fire-resistant properties. The EPDM layer is usually glued to the roof. However, EPDM is known to shrink under high temperature which results in withdrawal of the EPDM layer from roof edges leaving the roof periphery exposed to water damage. To tackle this problem, prior art suggests placing securing elements around the roof periphery to mechanically fix the EPDM layer and prevent withdrawal. It should be noted that a thickness of the EPDM layer itself is generally uniform however as the EPDM layer is glued, often air bubbles are left trapped in between the roof and the EPDM layer. These bubbles result in appearance of bumps and generally uneven outer surface of the EPDM layer. This reduces efficiency of the securing strips as water can penetrate in between the bumps and towards inner wooden sections of a sauna.

[0068] This problem is overcome by the present invention. Fig. 4 shows a cross-section along a second horizontal direction Y of a portion of the roof 14 of the sauna 10 of Fig. 3. Figure shows sections through a wooden beam 40 forming a frame 36 and a wooden board 38 forming the inner roof portion 26. The wooden beam 40 may have a larger beam thickness h2 compared to the board thickness hi such that when a lower board surface S1 and a lower beam surface S2 are horizontally aligned, an upper beam surface S4 is vertically elevated from an upper board surface S3 forming a kink 56 between the inner roof portion 26 and the roof periphery 24. Thus, the upper board surface S3 may form the inner roof portion 26 and the upper beam surface S4 may form the elevated roof periphery 24. The securing strip 50 may be placed directly onto the wooden beam 40 and an outer securing strip edge 54 is aligned with an outer beam edge 52 which coincides with a roof edge. A securing strip width W1 may be smaller than a beam width W2 such that the securing strip 50 does not completely cover the upper beam surface S4. The layer of protective material 30 may be placed onto the wooden sections 21 extending from an inner securing strip edge 58, over the kink 56 and inner roof portion 26. A layer thickness h3 may be smaller than a securing strip thickness h4. This is desired as the securing strip 50 is of uniform thickness and free of bumps on its surface forming a smooth interface for the protective rim 28. The layer thickness h3 may be around 2 mm and the securing strip thickness h4 may be around 3 mm. The protective rim 28 may be placed over the roof periphery 24 such that it covers the securing strip 50 and a portion of the layer of protective material 30. A protective rim width W3 may be larger than the beam width W2 such that a freestanding edge 60 of the protective rim 28 is located vertically above the inner roof portion 26. The protective rim 28 may further include a linear groove 62 adjacent to the free-standing edge 60 which prevents water back-flow from the free-standing edge 60 and towards the securing strip 50.

[0069] The sauna roof assembly as disclosed herein is advantageous over the prior art in that the roof periphery is sufficiently protected from water damage. Rainwater is collected in a vertically lower inner roof portion 26 and it is drained via the drainage hole 31 , as shown in Fig. 3. Thus, a surface of the layer of protective material 30 over the upper beam surface S4 and the securing strip 50 stay dry protecting the wooden sections 21 around the roof periphery 24.

[0070] Abutting interfaces between different elements of the protective outer surface 20 may be filled with silicone in order to make the protective outer surface 20 completely watertight. The connecting interfaces include: abutting interfaces between the folded longitudinal edges 44 and the metal pieces 34, abutting interfaces between longitudinal edges between the first or second panels 32b, 32c and the third panel 32d, abutting interfaces between folded top portions 42 forming the protective rim 28, and so on.

[0071] Figs 5A and 5B show a sauna 110 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a third sidewall 112c may be covered by two panels 132c, 132e. The same may apply to a second sidewall (not shown) opposite to the third sidewall 1 12c. Other elements of the sauna 110 may be identical to the corresponding elements of the sauna 10 shown in Figs 1-4. In this embodiment, however, a third panel 132c and an additional panel 132e may be distanced in the second horizontal direction Y such that a linear gap 166 is formed between the two panels 132c, 132e. Only the third panel 132c may have a folded longitudinal edge portion 144c configured to cover a section of a frame 136 framing a first sidewall 112a. In order to protect wooden sections 121 of the sauna 1 10, an insert 164 may be formed in the wooden sections 121 adjoining the linear gap 166 and an inner panel 168 may be placed within the insert 164. An inner panel width W4 may be larger than the linear gap width W5 such that the inner panel 168 is in contact with portions of the third and additional panels 132c, 132e and tightly fixed thereto forming a watertight connection between these elements.

[0072] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive to the inventive concept. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that alternative and equivalent embodiments of the invention can be conceived and reduced to practice. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular configuration or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.

[0073] All modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

Claims1. A method for protecting wooden sections of a sauna from environmental conditions, wherein the method comprises: a. placing panels comprising metal plates over sidewalls of the sauna to cover the sidewalls, wherein the panels include a folded top portion configured to engage with a sauna roof upon covering the sidewalls; b. arranging the panels such that the folded top portion of each panel is placed over a roof portion thereby forming a circumferential protective rim around a roof periphery; and c. covering an inner roof portion bounded by the roof periphery with a layer of protective material; to form a protective outer surface of the sauna.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the roof periphery is vertically elevated from the inner roof portion and wherein the folded top portion is configured to extended beyond the roof periphery such that a free-standing edge of the folded top portion is vertically above the inner roof portion.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method further includes a step of: placing a securing strip having a thickness larger than a thickness of the layer of protective material along the roof periphery.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a width of the securing strip is smaller than a width of the vertically elevated roof periphery and the protective material extends partially over the roof periphery and up to the securing strip.

5. The method according to any one claims 2-4, wherein the folded top portion comprises a linear groove adjacent to the free-standing edge and configured to face the inner roof portion upon covering the sidewall with the panel.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one panel comprises at least one folded longitudinal edge, wherein the step a. of claim 1 further includes: placing the at least one folded longitudinal edge portion over an edge portion of a neighbouring sidewall adjacent to a sidewall covered by the at least one panel.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each sidewall has two neighbouring sidewalls and the at least one panel includes two folded longitudinal edge portions each configured to cover the edge portion of the two neighbouring sidewalls.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one sidewall is covered by a plurality of panels, and wherein the method includes a step of: sealing a linear gap formed in between longitudinal edges of adjacent panels of the plurality of panels by an inner panel placed under the adjacent panels.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step b. of claim 1 includes:arranging the folded top portions to cooperate in order to form the protective rim having a uniform circumferential thickness.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sauna has a first sidewall comprising an entrance to the sauna and further including a framing section and a transparent wall such as a glass wall, wherein the method further includes: using the folded longitudinal edge portions configured to cover longitudinal framing components of the framing section; using an upper folded piece configured to cover an upper transversal framing component of the framing section and a portion of the roof periphery; using a lower piece configured to cover a lower transversal framing component of the framing section.1 1 . The method according to any one of claims 3-10, wherein the securing strip is a metal strip and preferably, an aluminium strip.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective material is a protective rubber.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the protective rubber is an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panels are aluminium-composite panels.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a width of the panels is in a range between 1 m and 3 m, preferably around 2 m.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a width of the folded top portion is in a range between 5 cm and 20 cm, and preferably around 12 cm.

17. The method according to any one of claims 3-15, wherein a thickness of the securing strip is in a range between 2 mm and 10 mm, preferably around 3 mm, and the thickness of the layer of protective material is in a range between 1 mm and 10 mm, preferably around 2 mm.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective outer surface of the sauna is configured to be watertight.

19. A roof assembly for a sauna comprising an inner roof portion enclosed by a roof periphery being vertically elevated from the inner roof portion, wherein the roof periphery comprises a first portion adjacent to an outer edge of the roof periphery and a second portion adjacent to an inner edge of the roof periphery, wherein the first portion and the second portion are separated by a vertical step defined by a height difference between the first and second portions; the roof assembly including a layer of protective material such as a protective rubber placed over the inner roof portion and the second portion, wherein the layer has a smaller layer thickness than a height of the vertical step, and wherein the roof assembly further includes a protective metal rim placed circumferentially over the roof periphery and arranged such that a free-standing edge of the protective metal rim isdisplaced away from the inner edge of the roof periphery and located vertically above the inner roof portion.

20. The roof assembly according to claim 19, wherein the roof periphery comprises beams arranged along roof edges and configured to form the first and second portions.21 . The roof assembly according to claim 20, wherein each of the beams comprises a steppedsurface configured to form the first and second portions.

22. The roof assembly according to claim 20, wherein the roof periphery includes two sets of beams arranged in parallel along the roof periphery, wherein the two sets comprise beams of different heights and configured to form the first and second portions.

23. The roof assembly according to claim 20, wherein the first portion comprises a securing strip thereon forming an annular layer around the roof periphery, wherein the vertical step is defined by a securing strip thickness.

24. The roof assembly according to any one of claims 19-23, wherein the layer of protective material extends up to the first portion.

25. The roof assembly according to claim 23, wherein the securing strip is a metal strip, and preferably aluminium strip.

26. The roof assembly according to any one of claims 19-25, wherein the roof assembly is obtained using the method according to any one of claims 1 -18.

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