Construction of a Russian bath
Russian steam rooms were traditionally built of wood. Their main feature is the temperature up to + 90 Cᵒ indoors.
The Russian bathhouse consists of three rooms.
- The main part of the bathhouse is the steam room. A stove and shelves are placed in the room. On them, visitors enjoy hot steam.
- There is a tub of cold water in the washing room. Here they wash themselves after the steam room.
- At the entrance to the room there is a dressing room. It contains cabinets for things, a table with chairs, a firebox, and firewood.
In a modern Russian bathhouse, additional space is allocated for a swimming pool and shower.
Interior of a Russian bathhouse
The interior of the Russian bathhouse is kept in traditional folk style. The walls are built from solid, cylindrical timber or logs.
Waiting room
At the entrance to the Russian steam bath there is a dressing room. This is where people undress before procedures, get dressed after, and arrange gatherings. Here they set up a long table for a friendly company. There is a samovar and tea accessories on it. A refrigerator and TV are installed in the dressing room.
In winter, the premises are heated by stoves and electric heaters. They spend more time in a warm dressing room than in a steam room. Here they relax after procedures, talk, drink tea and other drinks.
Important! There are dressing rooms without heating; they are equipped with a locker room and storage for firewood.
Shower compartment
The shower room, or wash room, is equipped with plastic shower cabins. To ensure that the interior matches the Russian style, the showers are lined with wooden materials. 20-liter barrels of water are placed nearby, and oak brooms are hung on the walls. Huge tubs are attached to the ceiling and a cord or chain is attached to them. To wash yourself with water, you pull the device and the tub turns over.
The washroom floor is covered with ceramic tiles and equipped with a sewer drain.
Advice! The interior of a modern shower room uses ceramic finishing materials. The tiles do not allow moisture to pass through and are easier to care for.
Wood-heated steam room
The steam room is located behind the main rooms of the bathhouse. The area of the room is 5 -10 m2. Steam quickly fills and warms up the space in a small room. A mandatory attribute of the steam room is shelves and benches. They enjoy the steam.
A heater is placed nearby - a place where hot stones lie. Cold water is poured onto them until steam forms.
The walls of the steam room are covered with wood that does not contain resins: linden, aspen. These materials are safe and do not emit pungent odors or harmful substances when steamed.
The interior of the Russian bathhouse is shown in this photo.
Often the steam room and wash room are combined into one room. This is done to save space. This arrangement is not very convenient, but is acceptable if all temperature and sanitation standards are met.
Russian bathhouse project
When planning the construction of an entertainment complex with a swimming pool, billiards and karaoke, it is taken into account that such a project has little in common with a Russian bathhouse.
Important! Unlike a sauna, a Russian wood-burning bathhouse is a place for water treatments and gatherings with friends over healthy herbal tea.
A real Russian wood-fired sauna
When developing a construction project, they take into account the convenience of the layout, the availability of necessary things, and safety.
Arranging a steam room is the main point in the Russian bathhouse project. The stove is placed in it so that its heat heats all the rooms in the building. Benches are placed near the walls, and deck chairs in several tiers are placed above.
The doors in the steam room are made 1.5 m, the threshold is 30 cm. This limits the access of cold air, the temperature in the room remains high.
Modern steam rooms use electric stoves and other heating means. For a Russian wood-burning bath, a stove with a chimney is installed. Maintaining the air temperature at the same level is more difficult, but a wood stove heats a large room. Traditionally, the Russian bathhouse is identified with a wood-burning stove.
Sauna with Russian steam room
In the Russian bath-sauna project, other rooms are planned, in addition to the dressing room and steam room. A popular option is a separate room with a swimming pool. In modern saunas, 2-level ponds are installed. The temperature in them is contrasting, due to which the body is hardened.
Large health-improving bath complexes house a gym, solarium, and relaxation room. Billiard rooms are popular.
We build any saunas with a stove
Specialists have been working on the construction of bathhouses in Kazan for more than 10 years. We have already built more than 200 bathhouse projects with a stove . In modern projects, most people prefer to install iron stoves. They, in turn, are divided into (homemade). Honestly, both have their pros and cons. So each client himself chooses which stove to put in the bathhouse. In turn, in all our projects we include factory furnaces in the cost. Why?
- Warranty – factory stoves have a warranty of at least 1 year
- Efficiency - the efficiency factor in such stoves is usually an order of magnitude higher, which means that much less firewood will be consumed with similar heating
- Safety - factory furnaces have a double heating circuit with an air gap, which means that the outer wall of the furnace does not become red-hot and will cause less harm when touched.
- Ease of installation - installing such stoves is not difficult, but certain knowledge of fire safety rules is required.
- Cost-effectiveness - since the plant already has a whole conveyor installed, the price of metal furnaces is at a fairly low level
Russian bath: photo
The traditional Russian bathhouse, heated with wood, has 2 varieties. They differ in the method of combustion: white and black.
There is no chimney in the black baths. All the steam escapes through the open front door and through cracks in the walls. The steam room and washing room are combined. The principle of operation is as follows: as soon as the oven heats up to the limit, close the doors and wait 1.5 hours for the steam to escape. The walls in such baths are heavily smoked, and the air is filled with the smell of wood. The advantage of such a steam room is the sterility of the room and great benefits for the body. Such a bath arrangement is almost never seen nowadays. A classic Russian bathhouse with a traditional black-style steam room has been preserved in remote, remote villages.
The white sauna is a classic steam room heated with wood. The stove is equipped with a chimney through which soot escapes. The classic steam room is found in big cities and small towns. You can enjoy the steam and improve your health at any time.
In such a wood-burning bathhouse, modern technologies are combined with Russian traditions and interior design.
A bathhouse on wheels is a new, exotic type of Russian bathhouse. The room is designed for 3 people, no more. The idea is new and original. A trailed sauna on wheels is mobile and does not take up much space.
Those who like to visit unusual places will enjoy this leisure activity.
Bathhouse with attic or balcony. Such a Russian wood-burning steam room is placed on a personal plot. The building does not take up much space, and its design will fit into any landscape.
Built-in or attached Russian wood-burning sauna. The building is combined with residential premises or outbuildings. Modern waterproofing materials prevent moisture from entering the house. However, the fire inspector will have questions about such an extension.
Types of firewood for a bath
In order for the bathhouse to be used not only for cleansing the skin and relaxation, but also to improve health, you need to choose firewood that has a pleasant and healing aroma.
We recommend reading:
Bathhouse made of aspen: pros and cons. Stages of building a bathhouse from aspen
They affect the quality of the steam, bad firewood only smokes, makes the steam heavier, and it will not be so pleasant to be in such a steam room. In addition, they can even be harmful to the body.
Firewood is made from different types of trees; let’s look at the most popular options.
Birch firewood
The most popular firewood is, of course, birch. Birch produces light and healing steam that has a disinfecting effect. It has a high level of heat transfer; its bark contains birch tar, which improves the combustion process. It is recommended to store birch firewood for no more than two years, after which it loses its healing properties.
Oak firewood
Today they are considered one of the best options. Despite their high cost, such logs are economical to use; they have a dense fiber structure, so they burn for a long time. In terms of heat transfer, they are ahead of even birch logs. The steam from these logs strengthens the body, and is especially valuable for children.
Linden firewood
The linden burns evenly and quite intensely, so the steam room quickly reaches the desired temperature. But this type of firewood is difficult to light. Linden has been known since ancient times for its healing properties; it has a beneficial effect on the respiratory tract, helps with colds and promotes the healing of cuts and wounds on the skin. Like birch logs, linden logs can be stored for no more than two years.
Alder firewood
Their advantage is simple preparation; the logs do not require special conditions for drying. They heat the bath well, hardly smoke when heated, and also emit a pleasant and healthy aroma. An important advantage is that during combustion the logs produce vapors that clean the chimney of soot. It is alder firewood that is most often used to fire black baths.
Aspen firewood
They are inferior in heat transfer to other types of firewood. But this does not mean that they should not be used. Aspen firewood cleans the stove and chimney of soot, so it is recommended to use it as an additional fuel, and not as the main one.
Softwood firewood
They are rarely used to warm up a steam room. A distinctive feature of all coniferous trees is the abundance of resins, which emit a lot of smoke and soot. In addition, when burned, they spark strongly, which requires a more careful approach to the issue of fire safety. They have low thermal conductivity, which increases their consumption. But at the same time, coniferous firewood creates a unique and pleasant aroma that cleanses the respiratory system.
A wood-burning bathhouse has a lot of advantages, the main one of which is that it conveys the atmosphere of an old Russian bathhouse. In such a steam room you will enjoy bath procedures, improve your well-being, and relax both body and soul.
How to build a Russian bathhouse
First, they draw up a project, think through the layout of the rooms, calculate the size of the building and capacity. Determine the choice of materials for the construction of a Russian bath. A convenient room layout is an important condition for creating a wood-burning bathhouse. Classic steam room arrangement: dressing room, steam room and shower. It is important to position the wood-burning Russian stove correctly. As a result, they get a rustic Russian bathhouse.
In modern buildings, compact metal stoves are used. Healing steam is obtained from hot stones. Under the influence of ice water, hot steam is formed due to temperature changes.
Important! The doors in the wood-burning sauna only open outwards. This is a mandatory requirement of fire safety regulations.
Place the bathhouse building away from living quarters and other buildings. A distance of 15 m is maintained. This way, the risk of a fire while firing the stove is minimized.
A Russian wood-fired bathhouse is located on the shore of a natural reservoir, with a convenient descent to the river. The path is decorated with decorative stone and concreted. In steppe areas, an artificial reservoir or swimming pool is built on the territory.
The quality of the soil on the site is the main condition for construction. Their composition, moisture content, and the depth of soil freezing are taken into account. Concrete blocks are installed on a solid foundation - this is the future foundation.
To build a Russian bathhouse with your own hands, choose strong, moisture- and heat-resistant varieties of wood:
- ash;
- Linden;
- aspen;
- oak.
The walls of the steam room are lined with pine and spruce. When heated, conifers release substances beneficial to the human lungs. This has a beneficial effect on health. Coniferous essential oils and the aroma of the forest give additional pleasure from vaping. These tree species do not absorb moisture due to their high resin content and prevent the development of mold and mildew.
The timber is chosen to be solid and straight. Lay it tightly, do not allow the formation of cracks, because because of them the temperature in the room decreases. Seal gaps with natural materials. It is unacceptable to use chemical putty.
Important! It is prohibited to coat the facing material with paint and varnish products. When heated, these products release toxic substances.
A frame log base for a wood-burning sauna is an option for those who want to save money and build a steam room in the shortest possible time. The wooden building looks presentable and is inexpensive. They make a frame bath from environmentally friendly wood and assemble it quickly, without the involvement of outside forces or the use of special knowledge.
Wood-fired sauna: features, advantages and disadvantages
A sauna with a wood-burning stove is a classic, which is still considered the best option today. It has a number of undeniable advantages:
- a special atmosphere: fire, the sound of crackling logs, a woody aroma - in such a bath it is comfortable and cozy, the atmosphere is relaxing and sets the mood for a good rest;
- environmental friendliness. To create a bathhouse, natural materials are used: they make a brick oven with their own hands, which is filled with logs and stones. There are no artificial materials in it;
- no need to obtain permission. Heating units operating on wood can be placed in any place without permission, which greatly simplifies the process of building a bathhouse;
- availability. The wood-burning stove operates autonomously; it can be installed even in places where there are no gas pipes and no electricity. For this reason, many people prefer building a wood-burning bathhouse in their country house;
- efficiency. Despite the fact that a wood-fired sauna requires the use of two consumables (stones and logs), it is cheaper to operate than a gas or electric one.
By the way, at the moment, a wood-burning stove is considered the safest option. When using a gas stove, there is a possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning. An electric oven can cause electric shock. Of course, it cannot be said that a wood-burning stove is absolutely safe, but if you install it in compliance with all standards and requirements, the likelihood of a fire will be minimized.
The disadvantage of a wood-burning bathhouse is the lack of automation. But many consider this an advantage; they like to independently monitor the temperature in the steam room, regulate it by periodically pouring water on the stones.
