Projects and construction of a Russian bath

Russian bathhouse is the historical name of a bathhouse, the heating of which is based on direct steam coming from a stove heated with wood. The average air temperature in such a steam room is 60–80 degrees. But for each person you can choose the most comfortable vaping mode. A Russian wood-fired bathhouse is considered very useful for various diseases, and is simply designed to bring joy and pleasure to a person.

Interior design option for a Russian bath

Main differences from other baths:

Temperature conditions. For Turkish it is 40-60 degrees, Finnish - more than 80, for Russian - 60-80;
Type of steam. Dry or wet;
Soaring culture. With brooms, a massage scrub, or just sweat and take a shower;
Design. With heated floors, with stoves made of wood and brick or metal.

When building a Russian bathhouse, it is important not only the stove itself, but the entire structure of the building as a whole. The best option is to build a room from solid logs. Ideally from the so-called wild. There are other types of bathhouse designs, classified based on the materials from which they are constructed.

Frame baths

It is believed that frame baths are the easiest to build. You can even build a structure according to such a project with your own hands.

Project of a Russian bathhouse built using frame construction technology

The technology is based on connected frame panels, which, when installed on a prepared foundation, form load-bearing walls. Next, a ball of insulation is laid. Boards are laid on it. If you do everything according to the drawings, then this construction method will not take much time and labor.

How to take a steam bath correctly

In order for a visit to the bathhouse to bring maximum benefit, you need to be able to steam properly.

The benefits of the steam room. By steaming, you bring undeniable benefits to your body:

Cleanses itself of toxins and impurities.
Reduce the effects of cellulite.
Improve your immunity and vascular condition.

Contraindications:

You should not enter the steam room if there are any rashes or ulcers on your skin.
If you have cardiovascular disease or pulmonary insufficiency, it is better not to enter the steam room.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid using the steam room.

In order for the steam room to bring maximum benefits, you need to use brooms, without which a visit to the steam room becomes pointless.

Aerated concrete baths

Baths made of aerated concrete or foam concrete allow you to save firewood for heating and have high thermal insulation properties.

Example of aerated concrete bath

It is convenient to cover walls made of these materials with self-adhesive foil. Thanks to this, the room quickly warms up and maintains the desired temperature for a long time.

But most often baths are built of wood. These are both cobblestone and log structures. Let's take a closer look at the process of building paired rooms from these materials.

Briefly about the main thing

In order for the steam room in the bathhouse to be comfortable to use and to function effectively, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules when arranging the bathhouse. And, in addition to competent construction of walls, considerable attention will need to be paid to interior decoration.

The main conditions for proper arrangement:

The basis of the building is a reliable foundation. A ribbon or columnar version is perfect for a bathhouse.
It is important to choose a productive and safe stove.
For it, as well as the water tank, you need to choose the right place.
Thermal insulation of the steam room should be of the highest quality.
The room must have good ventilation.
Before construction, it is necessary to make a design and calculate the size of the premises.
We must not forget about the convenience of using the premises.

When arranging a steam room, it is better to adhere to minimalism. In addition to the stove, the room should only have shelves for sitting or lying down when taking hot air procedures. When decorating a room, at least metal should be used. All the main material is high-quality wood with the lowest resin content.

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Bathhouse project

Based on the area, steam rooms can be divided into small, medium and large. The layout of the bathhouse will differ depending on its size.

Little ones

Small bathhouse projects are usually designed for small families and for personal use. Such bathhouses have an average of 16 m2. Their drawing provides for combining a locker room with a rest room. Small buildings are most often built by people with their own hands.

Project of a small bathhouse for a couple of people

Average

The design of such a structure is on average 20 m2. The drawing provides for a steam room, a shower room, a relaxation room, which is also a dressing room, and possibly a small veranda. In a typical project, these rooms are located sequentially next to each other.

Large

The area of large baths varies between 30–40 m2. Here the locker room and rest room are located separately from each other. There is also a spacious veranda. The listed bathhouse projects are usually ordered by people of average income.

For wealthier people, as well as for commercial use, there are designs for more spacious and varied buildings.

For example, with large or small swimming pools, with several relaxation rooms and steam rooms. Such baths can accommodate a large number of vacationers at the same time.

Preparation for construction: drawings and dimensions

When drawing up a bathhouse design, you should not forget that the steam room and washing room will be used by several people at once. Therefore, the area and dimensions of the bath should be determined without making serious mistakes.

The second version of the bath differs in the arrangement of the shower

In order for each user to be comfortable in the bathhouse, he needs to allocate at least 1.8 m² in the dressing room and 1.5 m² in the steam room. The average total usable area of a bathhouse for a family is 10 m². In this case, the most space should be in the dressing room, and less in the steam room and washing department.

So that people of any height can wash in Russian, the ceiling should be built at a height of 2.4 meters.

When determining the height of the ceiling, it is taken into account that the building will soon settle

At the construction planning stage, it is necessary to reflect in the drawing the area for arranging the vestibule. This room may be needed as a place to block the path of cold air from the street.

For a vestibule, 2.32 square meters is enough. m

Where to build a bathhouse on the site

When choosing a bathhouse project, you should also take into account the location of construction. An excellent option if there is a natural pond nearby. You can also make an artificial lake or pool. Of course, there is such a way out as putting a font or a bucket of cold water, but this will not replace complete immersion after a hot steam room. The soil and surface of the site are of no small importance for construction. Based on these factors, it is determined which foundation and structure is best to use for a Russian wood-burning bathhouse.

What kind of oven should it be?

When describing the arrangement of a steam room, we cannot ignore the issue of the stove. This is also a controversial and painful issue for many. No one will object that a brick stove is optimal for the conditions of a Russian bath, but in practice, not everyone has the opportunity to install one. That's why people are leaning towards a metal stove .

And if it is not lined with stone or brick, then it has all the characteristics tailored for a sauna - fast and powerful heating, quick cooling, difficulties in adjusting the temperature.

But does a stone or brick screen If everything is done correctly, and the stove itself is also cast iron, then the owner can fully count on receiving the conditions of a Russian bath. After all, the main thing in a stove is its ability to simultaneously not overheat the air in the steam room, managing to heat the stones inside the heater to several hundred degrees so that they produce light, fine steam.

There is another option: an electric heater with a steam generator. You get the opportunity to choose a mode at your discretion, including a Russian bath, setting the required degrees and turning on the electric steam generator.

Material selection

The construction of a Russian bathhouse from logs or beams requires the choice of high-quality material. So, the most suitable would be larch, spruce, and pine. All this wood is characterized by longevity and ease of processing.

Larch. A very hard wood. It can last up to 300–400 years. When constructing baths, it is often used only in the lower balls due to the fact that it is quite difficult to process. Bathhouses made from larch logs do not require special protection with antiseptics. Since this breed is quite expensive, it has not been used very often lately;
Pine. A Russian wood-burning bathhouse is most often built from this type of wood. Pine logs are mostly straight, hard and easy to process: trimming, planing, making the necessary notches. The resinous species of this tree have a natural barrier against water;

Pine bathhouse project
Spruce. In the construction of wooden structures it is used less frequently than pine, but is also quite common. It has a slightly loose structure, which has a more favorable effect on thermal insulation. A little more difficult to process than pine;
Other types of wood. When building a bathhouse from logs or timber, you can also use less common wood materials, aspen, for example. The main thing is that the tree is alive and healthy.

Typical mistakes during construction

To avoid problems with the performance of the bathhouse, it is worth considering the most common errors:

Carefully calculate the size of the premises based on the number of people.
Correct ceiling height. You should not make ceilings lower than 2 meters, since it is not comfortable to be in such a room. In a room with ceilings higher than 2.4 m, there is an overconsumption of coolants.
The southern and western walls are allocated for windows, and the southern one for the door.
The windows are not too large - this will help avoid excessive heat loss.
Use energy-saving materials.
Choose quality equipment.

Foundation for a bathhouse

The main task of the foundation is to take the loads of the walls and protect them from excess moisture. A Russian wood-burning bathhouse is often built near a reservoir, so when creating a bathhouse project, you need to calculate a foundation that will be protected from landslides and subsidence.

Strip foundation. It is considered the most universal type of base for a bath. Can be built on most soils.

When drawing up drawings of such a foundation, the dimensions of the building, slopes, possible subsidence, and water depth are taken into account.
Columnar foundations. Since we are building a Russian bathhouse with our own hands, this is an ideal option for us. It will save money on the purchase of materials. A columnar foundation is ideal for structures made of logs and timber. Rarely used when using heavy materials for construction. Pillars made of metal and concrete are placed at the corners of the building and at the intersections of walls. For small bathhouses, you can also use wooden columns - the so-called chairs. Pile foundations are usually used on loose and flooded soils.
Monolithic foundations. A continuous layer of cement with crushed stone is laid under the area of the entire building. Excellent protection from excess moisture, subsidence, and has high reliability.
Foundation for the stove. We should not forget about the base for our stove. Since it is the basis of a good bathhouse, all elements must be carefully thought out and reliable. Typically, brick and sheet steel are used to build a stove. Depending on this, the foundation for it will be selected. It is preferable to fill the pit under a brick oven with sand, fine gravel, a metal frame and fill it with concrete. The top edges are treated with several layers of tar. If the furnace is metal, then the pit is filled with crushed stone, then there is cement and a ball of roofing felt or other waterproofing material and a concrete pad on top.

Step-by-step construction of an object with your own hands

Construction is taking place in stages:

along the perimeter of the future building and under its load-bearing internal walls, pits are created to form a strip foundation;
sand is poured onto the bottom of the trench, the finished “cushion” is pressed and watered;
the pits are filled with reinforcing bars and liquid concrete, the layer of which is smoothed with cement mortar;
Before pouring concrete, formwork is constructed from boards
the base for a brick kiln is formed from concrete;
several layers of waterproofing material treated with bitumen mastic are placed on the platform;
assemble the frame, connecting the beams using the method “at the corners in a paw, and the ends in half a tree without a trace”, laying insulation between them and installing dowels through each row at a distance of 20 cm from the edge;
The corners are connected in 4 steps, and the ends are connected in 3 steps
prepare a platform for the floor, that is, pour a 10 cm layer of sand, press it, and then cover it with a 10 cm layer of crushed stone;
the crushed stone is covered with sheets of roofing felt, the edges touching several centimeters;
cement is placed on the roofing material, creating a screed with a slope, thereby arranging the flow of waste water towards a sewer pipe built into the ground and leading to a separately dug hole;
a facing material is glued onto the hardened cement screed, and a wooden sheathing is placed on top of it;
Wooden sheathing on the floor prevents your feet from touching the cold floor
floor beams are attached to the upper bars of the walls in a horizontal position;
the installed beams are connected with iron brackets to the rafters - thick beams;
fasten the rafter legs to each other using ridge beams;
the rafters are covered with rolled waterproofing sheets and wooden flooring - the basis for the roofing material;
create a ceiling, that is, lay out boards every 2.5 meters for non-load-bearing walls;
A vapor barrier film is laid on top of the ceilings and thermal insulation material is placed.

Walls

For the construction of a Russian bathhouse from logs or beams, as mentioned above in the article, coniferous types of wood are best suited. Usually they take logs from 200 to 220 mm. The dimensions of the timber are 150 by 150 mm.

This is what a beam for building a bathhouse looks like

It can be edged, glued or profiled.

The Russian wood-burning bathhouse was originally built from chopped logs. Now this material is used either by villagers or by those who strive for everything natural. If you are building a bathhouse with your own hands, then it is most economical to cut down the necessary trees. Or you can order a log house project with installation, and then complete the further details yourself.

The process of building a bathhouse from logs and from timber is somewhat different. It is easier to build a bathhouse yourself using the last mentioned material. The construction of a building from logs requires a lot of knowledge and skill.

Building layout

The steam room itself is a special room. In it, the body warms up as much as possible so that all the pores on the skin open. This allows the body to get rid of harmful and unnecessary accumulated substances. And then these secretions must be washed off along with the dirt.

For this purpose, the construction of a Russian bath means a room next to the steam room for taking water procedures. The area of this room depends entirely on the financial investment. In addition to showers, it can be equipped with a small swimming pool.

The dressing room is often expanded into a rest room. In addition to a place for changing clothes, you can place comfortable chairs and sunbeds there. It will be nice to relax on them after steaming. If space allows, then set up a small table to drink tea between visits to the steam room.

Relaxation room in the bathhouse Source almode.ru

See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in the design and construction of baths of any complexity

Project and calculation

The dimensions of the steam room itself must be calculated in advance. You need to decide how many people will take the hot procedure at the same time. There is a minimum area requirement for a comfortable location in a steam room for one visitor. It is equal to 0.7 m2.

The ceiling height in the steam room should be minimal. Because hot air masses will accumulate at the very top. If there is a large distance from the shelves to the ceiling, then the beneficial effect of steam will be insufficient. And all the heat will be wasted.

The optimal height is 2 meters 20 centimeters. But it is necessary to take into account two factors during construction. Firstly, due to the installation of a layer of insulation on the ceiling, it will drop significantly. Secondly, you need to take into account the height of the tallest family member. For a comfortable stay in the steam room, it is necessary that there is still 20 cm of free space above the person’s head.

The arrangement of the steam room in the bathhouse is also influenced by the location of the shelves. If they are implemented in the form of sun loungers, then you need to again focus on the tallest visitor. And also add 20 cm to the length of the walls. When arranging only seating, it becomes possible to make the steam room more compact.

Project of a bathhouse with a swimming pool Source par-torg.com

Oven space

If the heating device uses solid fuel, then for ease of removal of combustion products it is installed to an external wall. This allows for a more economical implementation of the chimney by making it go directly to the street. A more complex option is to install a vertical pipe through the attic. But it is also considered traditional.

We should not forget that a stone stove requires a separate foundation. You also need to look into SNiP. Regulation 41-01-2003 says that any heating device should be located no closer than 32 cm from wooden structures. But if the wall is sheathed with non-combustible material, then the distance can be reduced to 26 cm.

The exception is for stoves whose firebox is located in the washing room. For such heating devices, it is necessary to be guided by other provisions of SNiP. And the implementation of such a project has undeniable benefits.

Advantages of a stove with a firebox in the dressing room:

The washing room or rest room is additionally heated.
The stove in the steam room can be protected with a protective screen.
No one will interfere with adding firewood to the firebox.
The space occupied by the open firebox door is freed up.
The steam room remains clean.
The steam will be lighter and free of foreign odors.

A stove with a firebox from the dressing room Source dekoriko.ru
If the bathhouse is heated with coal, then the last two circumstances will be especially relevant. There is much more dirt from such fuel. And combustion products are extremely harmful to breathing.

Water tank location

Hot water is necessary for proper body washing. In modern conditions, an electric boiler is installed in the shower room. But if such a powerful heating element as a stove is at hand, its use is extremely unprofitable. After all, a steam room can independently heat almost any amount of water.

Moreover, the traditional Russian steam room implies higher humidity in the room. And the water tank installed in it will increase it. And in the classic version it was mounted directly into the oven. But at the same time, ease of use suffered. After all, you need to scoop hot water from the tank into another container with a ladle and take it to the washing room.

Therefore, it is more practical to place the metal tank separately above the stove. And supply it with a heat exchanger. This will allow the faucet to be brought into the washing room. True, at a height of no more than one and a half meters, since the water heated by the heat exchanger will not rise higher by gravity. But if the tank is well insulated and installed in the attic, then it becomes possible to take a comfortable shower.

Bathhouse made of logs

Initially, you need to select the required material. The lower and upper diameters should not differ by more than three centimeters. The wood should not have any cracks, large knots, or blue stains.

Log sauna project

The construction process itself involves laying logs on logs, with notches made at the ends to fit tightly. This design is called a crown. Where the window is planned, five crowns are made at the bottom and two at the top. On the door sections there are two at the bottom, five at the top. The crowns are fastened together with wooden brackets approximately every 1.5 meters. The bottom ball of the logs is called the frame. The hardest and best types of wood are chosen for it.

Often, to protect against getting wet, a gasket is made from a board, which is treated with various antiseptics or wrapped in several layers of roofing felt.

A trim crown is placed on the gasket, which is pressed together from below to make the fit tighter. Crushed stone or bricks are placed under another log, which naturally stands a little higher, thereby eliminating the gap above the ground. Next, the crowns are laid one after another. On the upper logs the joints are made oblique.

An example of laying logs for a bathhouse

After the walls are erected, they are caulked. This can be done in two stages. The first time was when the frame was built, and the second time after drying and shrinking the logs - about a year and a half later. Caulking a house is laying insulation made of fibrous material - tow, moss - between round pieces. The insulation is driven in using special tools so that its edges protrude at least 50 mm on both sides of the wall.

Finishing

Finishing work begins after the structure has settled. First of all, all surfaces inside the bathhouse are coated with an antiseptic composition.

Interior finishing involves performing tasks such as:

installation of sheathing directly on walls and ceilings;
laying insulation and vapor barrier material into the gaps of the sheathing;
flooring of lining or other facing material.

Lining is laid on the ceiling and wall

If the most popular construction raw material for the interior decoration of a bathhouse has become only lining, then many materials are in demand for cladding the external walls of a building:

vinyl or metal siding;
plastic lining;
block house imitating the appearance of a log house;
edged or unedged boards, characterized by a low price.

The material extends the service life of the structure

Finding stones for a sauna room

It is customary to use igneous rocks in the steam room. Formed during a volcanic eruption, they are resistant to extreme heat. Igneous rocks that have a positive effect on human energy include:

polished or chipped jadeite, the main feature of which is beauty;
talc chloride, capable of absorbing moisture and, evaporating it, creating the desired steam in the bath;
basalt that can withstand high temperatures.

In addition to benefits, this stone gives aesthetic pleasure

Metamorphic rocks can be placed on the stove, which tend to normalize blood composition and improve well-being. We are talking about stones such as:

white quartz, called hot ice, which releases ozone when cooled rapidly;
crimson quartzite, the second name of which is the royal stone.

This stone goes perfectly with brickwork

To create steam in a bathhouse, you can use fully crystalline rocks, for example:

dunit;
serpentinite

These stones are able to regenerate cells of the nervous system, increase immune strength and have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland.

The length of such a stone is about 20 cm

If you want to break away from tradition, then it is better to use cast iron stones - balls produced by industry - as steam generators in the bathhouse. They instantly heat the room and retain heat for many hours. True, cast iron stones are subject to rust after a short service life and carry no useful properties for humans.

You definitely cannot place sedimentary and siliceous rocks on the stove. Their structure is porous, which means that when they cool sharply, they become covered with cracks and small particles scatter in an area of one meter.

Exploitation

The main requirement for using a bath concerns the creation of the desired temperature. In the steam room, this physical quantity should be within 55–77 degrees. The temperature indicator is selected individually, that is, it depends on the preferences of the bathhouse owner. It is customary to heat the washing room to 40°, and the rest room to 20°.

In order for the bathhouse to serve for a long time and properly, you need to use it according to the rules:

put exclusively any dry fuel into the firebox, except for firewood made from coniferous wood;
keep the combustion chamber door closed, thereby avoiding the escape of hot sparks;
do not let the chimney heat up until it turns red;
do not touch hot surfaces, including the walls of the water heating tank;
monitor the cleanliness of bathhouses;
ventilate the sauna sectors after each fire for four hours;
try not to splash water on glass surfaces indoors (windows and doors);
Clean and inspect the chimney for holes at least once a quarter.

The owner of the bathhouse will have to carefully care for wooden surfaces. Elements inside the bathhouse made of wood should be coated with special products twice a year to protect against fungi and rot. External treatment of the wooden walls of a building is recommended after two years of operation. To do this, it is better to use antiseptics that contain wax.

Wood deteriorates over time and therefore needs careful care

In order for a Russian bathhouse stove to provide the required amount of heat, you must be able to regulate the draft force. To do this, open the chamber door more or less to accumulate ash. Excessive draft will cause the furnace to heat up too much, and this will speed up the time of equipment failure. If the force forcing air into the firebox is normalized, then the stones in the bathhouse warm up to a standard temperature.

When firing the stove, you should monitor the operation of the chimney. The consumption of firewood can be minimized, and the efficiency of heat supply can be increased, just by not completely covering the chimney damper. But this is allowed to be done only after the ash chamber is completely closed.

Video: building a bathhouse from scratch

You can get true joy from building a Russian bathhouse. It is clear that this work is impossible without skills and labor, but the result evokes pride. This feeling is even stronger if the object was built on its own.

Author: Ksenia Zubkova
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Bathhouse made of beams

Again, we initially select good material. The timber should not have wormholes or traces of being eaten by beetles, it should look perfectly even and smooth. The easiest way to build is to order a ready-made project with detailed drawings and numbered beams. It will be a little harder to do it with your own hands, but the joy from constructing the structure will be greater. The foundation, as in the version with logs, must be finished with various waterproofing materials.

Slats are laid on it, the purpose of which is to protect the base from subsidence and the timber from rotting. The space between the foundation and the tree is filled with foam. After this, the first crown is laid. For it you need to choose the thickest and most reliable materials. So, if our main beam measures 150 mm by 150 mm, then it is better to take 200 x 200 mm for the lining. The following crowns are stacked one on top of the other, strictly maintaining a horizontal level. There are three ways to fasten the beams together:

Nails without heads;
Wooden quarter-deck;
A spring unit called “Strength”.

The top balls of the crowns are not attached, since they will need to be removed to lay the floor. If desired, each level can be caulked for better heat retention.

Manufacturing process

Selection of materials

The construction process of a Russian bathhouse made of timber or logs requires the selection of high quality materials. So, the most suitable ones would be spruce, larch and pine. All wood will be characterized by ease of processing and longevity.

Larch is one of the hardest types of wood and can last up to 350 years. When constructing a personal bath complex, it is often used only in the lower balls due to the fact that it is very difficult to process. Baths made from larch logs do not require separate treatment with antiseptics. Since this breed is extremely expensive, it has not been used very often lately.
Pine - Russian bath complexes are very often built from just such wood, and pine logs are mostly hard, straight and easy to process (planing, trimming, and also making the required notches). The resinous type of this wood has natural protection against water or moisture.
Spruce - in the construction of wooden buildings is used less often than pine, but also often. Such wood has a slightly loose structure, which will have a beneficial effect on thermal insulation, but is a little more difficult to process than pine.
Other types of wood, finishing with linden, cedar, and alder is excellent. When building a log bathhouse or a structure made of timber, you can also use less popular materials in the form of wood, for example, aspen. The main thing is that the tree is healthy and alive.

It's worth talking about the foundation.

Bath base

The main task of the foundation is to accept wall loads and protect them from excess moisture. Projects for a Russian log bath are quite often placed near a reservoir, and therefore, when creating them, it is necessary to calculate a foundation that will be protected from subsidence and landslides.

Strip base - considered a universal type of bath base, and can be erected on a large number of soils. When drawing up drawings of this type of foundation, it is necessary to take into account the size of the building, slopes, the likelihood of subsidence and the depth of water.
Columnar-type foundations - since you are planning to build a Russian bathhouse with your own hands, this will be an ideal option for us. It will provide an opportunity to save money when purchasing materials. The columnar base is ideal for buildings made of timber and logs. The material is rarely used when using heavy material for construction. Metal pillars and concrete are installed at the corners of the building and at wall intersections. For small bathhouses, you can also use wooden columns - so-called chairs. Pile foundations are usually used on flooded and loose soils.
Monolithic types of foundations - a continuous cement layer with crushed stone is laid under the area of the building as a whole. It perfectly protects against excess moisture, subsidence, and also has a high degree of reliability.
Base for the stove - don’t forget about the base for our stove, and since it is an excellent main bath, all the elements as a whole should be well thought out and reliable. Typically, sheet steel and bricks are used for the furnace construction process. Depending on this, the foundation for it will be selected. Under a brick stove, the pit should be filled with sand, fine gravel, a metal frame and filled with concrete. The top edges are treated with several layers of tar. If the stove is made of metal, then the pit is filled with crushed stone, followed by cement and a roofing felt ball or other waterproofing material and a concrete cushion on top. The choice of stove and chimney is also important; we advise you to trust stove professionals.

Next we will talk about walls and how to build them.

Walls

To build a Russian bathhouse from timber or logs, as mentioned in the article above, coniferous wood varieties are best suited. As a rule, logs are from 20 to 22 cm. The dimensions of the timber are usually 15*15 cm. It can be edged, profiled or glued. Russian wood-burning bathhouses were initially built from chopped logs, and now such material is used either by village residents or by those who try to use everything natural. If the bathhouse is built with your own hands, then you need to cut down the trees sparingly. But you can simply order a log house project with installation, and complete the remaining elements yourself. The process of building a bathhouse from logs is slightly different from a timber structure. It will be easiest to build a bathhouse yourself using the last mentioned material. Constructing a log building requires a large number of buildings as well as skills. Everyone is tired of the lining, so make the trim from thick wood. Correct lining is the key to the longevity of the bathhouse. Proper cake of the walls and ceiling is important so that steam does not escape into the walls and ceiling. The choice of bath design and ergonomics of the steam room for steaming with a broom is also important.

Log sauna

First you need to select the right material, and the upper and lower diameters should not differ by more than 3 cm. There should be no cracks, large knots or blue formations on the wood. The construction process itself involves laying one log on top of another, with notches made at the ends so that they fit tightly. This design is called the crown.

So, where you plan to make a window, you need to make 5 crowns at the bottom and 2 at the top. In place of the door there are 2 crowns on the bottom and 5 on top. They are fastened together with wooden brackets approximately every 1.5 meters, and the lower log ball is called the frame. The best and hardest types of wood are chosen for it. Often, to protect against getting wet, gaskets are made from boards, which will be treated with various antiseptics or wrapped in several layers of roofing material. A trim crown is placed on the gasket, which will be hewn from below to form a tight fit. Bricks or crushed stone are placed under the second log, which will stand a little higher, thereby eliminating the gap above the ground. Then comes the installation of the crowns; on the upper logs the joints should be oblique.

After the walls are erected, they need to be caulked. This can be done in 2 stages. The first time when laying the log house, and the second time after drying and shrinking of the logs - approximately 1-1.5 years later. House caulking is the placement of insulating material made of fibrous materials, for example, moss and tow, between rounds of insulating material. The insulation material is hammered in using special tools so that the edges protrude at least 5 cm on both wall sides.

Unusual bath design

Sauna building made of beams

To build a Russian bathhouse, you must first select good material. There should be no wormholes or traces of beetles on the timber, it should look perfectly smooth and even. The simplest construction method would be to order a finished project with detailed sketches and numbered bars. It will be more difficult to do this with your own hands, but the joy from building it will be greater. The base, as with the option with logs, must be finished with different materials for waterproofing. Slats are laid on it, the purpose of which is to protect the foundation from subsidence, and the timber itself from rotting. The space between the wood and the base is filled with polyurethane foam. This is followed by laying the first crown. To do this, choose the most reliable and thick materials. So, if the main beam has a size of 15*15 cm, then it is better to take material with a cross-section of 20*20 cm for the lining. The remaining crowns are laid on top of each other, with a strict horizontal level. You can attach the bars to each other using 3 different methods:

A spring unit called “Strength”.
Decks made of wood.
Carnations without caps.

The top crown balls are not attached because they will need to be removed to lay the floor. If desired, all levels can be caulked for ideal thermal preservation.

Roof

The same types of roofs are suitable for a Russian bathhouse, and they can be made of different materials:
Roof tiles.
Turf.
Slate sheets.
Sheet steel.
Rolled.
The rest.

Types of finishing for a steam room + Photo

And remember! It doesn’t matter what materials the bathhouse will be built from, what project is chosen, everything was done with our own hands according to the drawings or ordered from a construction team. The main thing is that the Russian wood-burning sauna brings joy when using it and improves health.

Types and types of brooms

Birch broom is the most popular and famous broom, which has anti-inflammatory and disinfecting properties. Birch broom is especially useful for heavy smokers, because it helps remove toxins and waste from the lungs.
An oak broom is useful for people with oily skin. Oak leaves contain tannins, which dry out the skin, removing its top oily layer. An oak broom helps normalize blood pressure and eliminates excessive sweating.
Linden broom is useful for colds and inflammatory diseases. Linden leaves contain substances that can normalize sleep and improve skin condition.
Bird cherry broom. The leaves of this broom contain a substance that promotes the healing of minor abrasions and wounds. A steamed bird cherry broom spreads a pleasant and healing aroma into the steam room. This option is especially popular with women who combine a visit to the steam room with an aromatherapy procedure.
Walnut broom is recommended for use by people suffering from diabetes.
Juniper broom has a positive effect on the nervous system and normalizes the emotional state.
A fir broom removes waste and toxins from the body and reduces swelling of the face and legs. It also relieves an attack of radiculitis well and relieves insomnia.
Eucalyptus broom cures colds and eliminates allergies.

When going to the bathhouse, in addition to a broom, you should take with you the following items:

Terry robe and towel.
Rubber flip-flops.
Felt hat.
A hard mitten and a washcloth.
Clean sheets and linen.
Drinks include herbal teas, still drinking water, and kvass.

You can order the finishing of a Russian bath or Finnish sauna on our website or by calling: 8 (499) 110-97-56.

Dressing room (locker room)

Here visitors leave their clothes, brooms and firewood are stored here. The dressing room performs a number of functions:

is a zone with a buffer function that equalizes the temperature transition from the climate outside to the temperature inside the bathhouse;
serves as a place for drying firewood;
often also serves as a room in which to rest.
The dressing room door should open outward.

Choosing a place to build a bathhouse

It is worth considering some nuances:

The correct place for a bath should be at some distance from other objects;
between the bathhouse and the fence of the neighboring area - 1 m or more;
from any wooden building - from 15 m;
be away from the garage, wells, swimming pools, children's areas;
the optimal place to build a bathhouse is the backyard;
you should decide in advance: the bathhouse is a separate building or an extension to the house;
when designing, it is necessary to provide for ventilation and wastewater disposal;
It is necessary to take into account climatic conditions and soil. The surface for construction is chosen to be flat;
in general, the place must comply with the requirements of regulations and legislation.

FAQ

Is frequent visits to the bath dangerous for people with dry and sensitive skin?

Frequent visits are definitely dangerous. Experts advise protecting such skin from sudden changes in temperature and from stressful situations, which result in the release of sweat. And the bathhouse is one of those things. But it is worth keeping in mind that a Russian or Turkish bath, the steam of which is saturated with moisture, is less harmful to dry and sensitive skin than a Finnish sauna that burns with dry air.

What happens if you don’t remove your makeup before visiting the bathhouse?

Nothing good! If we are talking about eye makeup, then it will simply inevitably “float” and you will look accordingly when leaving the steam room. But powder and foundation left on the face can be even more dangerous, since they seriously disrupt the natural processes of air exchange and sweating of the skin, leading to clogged pores. Just lipstick won't hurt. It will even help protect your lips from drying out.

Is it true that you need to sing and scream in the bathhouse to warm your throat?

It's not about warming up, but about emotional release. Of course, you can scream in the forest, but in a bathhouse it will be a hundred times more effective. We forbid ourselves from shouting in life: it is uncivilized, indecent. Why not express your feelings in the bathhouse!

If after a bath there are only branches left on the brooms, is that good or bad?

One of two things: either the broom was bad, or they hovered too vigorously. It’s bad when leaves from a broom fall into the heater: then you have to breathe in the fumes of burnt leaves.

Is it possible to take children to the bathhouse?

Children's age is not an obvious contraindication for a bath, but everything is individual and it is worth consulting with a pediatrician. Children under 3 years old should not be taken to the bathhouse, since they are not yet able to regulate their own body temperature and describe their own sensations, and this is very dangerous. The standard recommendation for older children is the minimum time for visiting the steam room (a few minutes, no more than five). As for the temperature regime, the “classic” Russian bath, 50-65 ˚C with a humidity of up to 65%, is tolerated normally by the child’s body.