Construction of a Russian bathhouse

Steam + heat is the formula of Russian baths, which promote deep warming of the whole body. The temperature in such rooms is approximately +70 degrees, but the humidity reaches 100%. Such a bath consists of a steam room and a dressing room, as well as a washing compartment, which can be separated from the steam room or combined with it. In the steam room there is a stove with round cobblestones, which, after heating, are watered with special prepared water mixed with medicinal plants.

How to properly take a steam bath in a Russian bath

Steam action

When the body enters an environment with a temperature exceeding 36.6 degrees, it begins to actively secrete sweat, trying to avoid overheating. This feature is also used in the bathhouse. How is this useful? It's simple, a lot of completely unnecessary substances accumulate in the fat under the skin, and with profuse sweating they all come out.

Sweat in the bath

Steam helps open pores and increase blood circulation, which manifests itself through redness of the skin. At the same time, “active processes” occur not only on the outside, but also in the internal organs, as the blood begins to deliver the required volumes of nutrients.

How steam works

Taking all this into account, it can be explained why it is recommended to drink as much liquid as possible during bath procedures. But, not in one gulp, and not chilled sodas, but exclusively fruit drinks, compotes or herbal teas. Such liquid is not removed from the body, but spreads evenly throughout the body and restores lost reserves.

Bath tea party

Here we need to mention the quite popular diving into cold water (wiping with snow, dousing with ice water). This ritual helps to quickly close the pores and the following happens: hot blood from the skin “goes” into the deeper layers of the body, thereby warming them up. The next visit to the steam room activates the body’s work not only on the skin, but also in the internal organs.

Diving into the snow

Swimming in an ice hole

Steam is cold, a combination that cannot be avoided without interruptions. They are needed to restore strength (the load on the heart in the baths is quite large), and to replenish fluid reserves in the body.

We build a Russian bathhouse with our own hands

As a rule, a strip or column foundation is used as a base for a bathhouse. The tape type is considered stronger and more resistant to soil displacement, but the work on its construction is quite labor-intensive and requires a fairly large amount of material. This leads to the fact that the price of construction almost doubles.

The foundation is poured

A columnar foundation will be good for small structures that will not place a large load on the ground. In this case, you will need to place posts at each corner of the structure and in places where the internal and external load-bearing walls will combine.

When laying the foundation, you should also take care of arranging the base for the stove. The location of the stove should be chosen in such a way that it can simultaneously heat the dressing room and washing room, as well as the steam room.

Walling

The best material for building a Russian bathhouse is, of course, wood. It not only retains heat well, but also allows air to pass through well, thereby creating more comfort and coziness in the room.

When using this material, two options are possible:

construction of walls from logs;

Log construction

construction of walls from timber.

log bathhouse. To build it, you will need to select logs with the same diameter and carefully trim them. The walls of such a bathhouse are called crowns; their laying should begin with logs with the largest diameter, gradually reducing this figure;
a bathhouse made of timber, unlike the previous version of the structure, shrinks less, and it is assembled much faster and easier.

Simple design

In both of these cases, you will need to ensure that the lower 5 crowns are treated using an antiseptic. To achieve the best seal, you will need to caulk the gaps between the logs. For these purposes, you can use felt or dry moss.

We caulk the log house

This procedure must be carried out at least 2 times - immediately after construction work and after shrinkage of the walls of the building. Do not forget to pierce all caulked seams with wooden slats.

Floors

The floors in the bathhouse can be made of concrete, clay, or wood. Clay floors will not allow air to pass through, but moisture will stagnate in their cracks, thereby creating a very unpleasant odor in the bathhouse. Wood, on the other hand, quickly absorbs moisture, but does not dry quickly enough, which can lead to the floors rotting and quickly becoming unusable.

Concrete floor

So the best option for you is concrete floors, which you will need to cover with tiles in the future. And to minimize the discomfort of walking on a cold floor, you can cover such floors with wooden sheathing or use cork mats for this purpose.

The order of work is as follows:

To arrange the floor in the bathhouse, you must first prepare the base. To do this, lay a layer of sand no more than 10 cm thick and compact it well. Then pour crushed stone in a 10 cm layer. You will need to compact it and level it;
Spread roofing material on top so that it overlaps the walls, thereby ensuring waterproofing of the floor. It will be possible to put a screed on it, but at the same time, not forgetting about the slope towards the drain;

Alternating layers when arranging the floor

In the washing room and steam room, it is best to cover the floor with tiles, but in the dressing room or relaxation room you can lay simple wooden floors.

Wooden floor

Note! In order for your floors to last a long time, you need to keep them dry at all times. So, when arranging them, you should also take care of good ventilation in the bathhouse complex.

Roof construction

During the construction of the roof of the bathhouse, you should adhere to certain rules, which are contained in the installation instructions.

When arranging the roof of a given room, two types of construction are usually used:

without attic;
attic

The attic roof looks presentable and also has good thermal insulation. Such designs will be indispensable when using a bathhouse in winter.

They divide the roof according to the following indicators:

It is advisable to use non-attic structures when the building is being erected in a country house and it is planned to use the bathhouse only in the summer.

Ceiling

In small buildings, as well as in structures without an attic, floor ceilings are used. In this case, you will have to lay boards on the walls at a distance of 250 cm from each other, and then lay a vapor barrier material on them, as well as insulation.

But such structures have one drawback - they are very difficult to install yourself, but they can be made from leftover building materials. In this regard, such designs can be called the most economical.

Ceiling design

Installation of panel-type ceilings is carried out using panels, which consist of several bars, sheathing, heat and vapor barriers, as well as waterproofing and an external drain.

Panel ceilings

Safety regulations

Vodka and a good snack in between steam rooms - tempting, but dangerous. Such a trip to the bathhouse will not only not bring benefits, but can also lead to multiple problems.

Alcohol in a bathhouse greatly increases blood pressure. It is dangerous to health and even life

The Russian bath does not tolerate if:

the interval between a heavy meal and entering the steam room is less than 2 hours;
the body is saturated with alcohol;
cold liquid is taken in between visits to the steam room;
While relaxing, he smokes a cigarette.

It is strictly forbidden to visit the steam room without first removing any jewelry, cosmetics and putting a hat on your head.

Do not enter the steam room wearing jewelry or without a hat.

In order to avoid heat stroke, you should not wet your hair before visiting the steam room for the first time, but taking a shower without soap is a must.

The amount of time spent in the steam room, which is 10 minutes at a temperature of 90 degrees and a humidity of 10%, should not exceed the time spent in the dressing room.

It is strictly not recommended to use a towel after a steam room or shower, as it will start the sweating process again. Namely, the air will dry the skin during the break.

Subtleties of giving steam in a Russian bath

To have a great steam bath in a Russian bathhouse in St. Petersburg with pleasure and enjoyment, you definitely can’t do it in half an hour. You need at least a couple of hours, but for die-hard amateurs, even four hours is not enough. For the process to be long and comfortable, you need to know how to steam. How to keep the temperature in a Russian bath

The Russian bath is a wet bath. The oven contains stones that are heated to 700-800 degrees. In order for the temperature and steam to fill the entire steam room, water is added to the stones.

The steam rises to the highest shelves and gradually falls, the bath cools down. Proper supply of steam to the steam room ensures long-lasting pleasure from the steaming process.

The correct algorithm of actions in the steam room:

1. Firewood for a bath should be medium-sized, then the heat will be uniform.

2. The upper damper must always be open during combustion.

3. The lower damper can be open (so that the draft is maintained), or you can keep it constantly closed (so that the heat does not escape in vain).

4. When the bathhouse has warmed up thoroughly and the wood has burned out (and this takes at least four hours), you can add hot water to the steamer for the first time to achieve an even higher temperature. This is a basic sanitary necessity - disinfection.

5. Try to pour water over all the stones, and not just one edge.

6. If the water hisses on the stones, it means they have already cooled down. Only in a hot heater does the water on the stones immediately turn into steam.

7. Don’t overdo it with adding water for steam; you can fill the oven like that - and then the bath will end.

8. In order for the steam to be constantly light, and not excessively wet and heavy, on average, one roll of stones with water should be 300-400 ml - an average ladle.

9. As soon as the steam from the stones rises to the top, disperse it with a broom throughout the steam room.

10. Give steam in the steam room often and little by little, in small pellets, with hot water.

Incorrectly supplied steam will become heavy, and you will feel it on your well-being - it will burn your ears. This means that it is necessary to reduce the amount of water poured onto the stones by half.

Delicious steam in the sauna and steam bath

You can supply steam with clean water, or you can make the steam tasty and healing. Today, of course, it is customary to drip essential oils into the water, but you can do it the old fashioned way. There is more hassle, but the benefits are more obvious. Brew your favorite herbal infusions of mint, chamomile, linden flowers or St. John's wort. Be sure to strain (if grass leaves or petals get on the stones, they will burn and smoke) and dilute with clean water: half a ladle of water for 1 glass of decoction.

Brew your favorite herbal infusions of mint, chamomile, linden flowers or St. John's wort. Be sure to strain (if grass leaves or petals get on the stones, they will burn and smoke) and dilute with clean water: half a ladle of water for 1 glass of decoction.

You will find ideal steam rooms, tasty and light steam, correct steam supply and professional temperature maintenance when you visit baths and saunas in St. Petersburg.

Benefits and harms

The bath is a great way to improve your health and get rid of many diseases. Even scientists have proven that the effectiveness of a bath procedure can be compared to a good dosed workout.

Features of visiting the bathhouse

Obvious for

The healing properties of steam have been known since ancient times, and this is evidenced by many ancient structures that used hot heated stones and water. The beneficial properties are based on the alternation of low and high temperatures with constant high humidity. This leads to active sweating and accelerated blood circulation. Properly selected brooms also enhance the effect.

The benefits of a bath

Undoubted advantages

Relaxation after psychological and physical stress. Steam relaxes muscles and restores performance.
Improved blood circulation.
Restoring metabolism by removing waste and toxins through profuse sweating.
A remedy for eliminating excess weight. High temperatures “melt” the fat layer.
Cosmetic effect. Accelerated blood flow eliminates venous congestion, smoothes wrinkles and expands pores, cleansing them.
Treatment of colds - sweat helps remove infections from the body. And if you add a pine broom to your bath procedures, you can strengthen your immune system and neutralize bacteria.
Treatment of radiculitis and back pain by warming up all muscle groups.
Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia - a combination of heat and cold strengthens blood vessels and reduces the symptoms of the disease to nothing.

Bath for beauty and health

The Russian bathhouse is recommended for those who suffer from diseases of the musculoskeletal system, migraines, kidney diseases, high or low blood pressure, and chronic respiratory diseases.

Video - How a bath affects the human body

Contraindications

Unfortunately, there are also diseases for which visiting a Russian bathhouse is strictly prohibited.

This is about:

oncological diseases;
epilepsy;
heart failure (heart defects, heart attack);
acute respiratory diseases (pneumonia or bronchitis);

Children under 4 years of age, elderly people and pregnant women are not allowed to visit the steam room. Otherwise, there are no contraindications.

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The boy Denis with his mother and sister visited the washing block and washed with the women. Here he first experienced male pleasure.
Denis woke up from rather sharp and strong pushes on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw the dissatisfied face of his older sister Anya. “How long can you sleep,” she said reproachfully. “Mom woke you up an hour ago, and you went back to sleep.” Denis turned away from his sister, defiantly closed his eyes and began to snore. “Mom, he doesn’t listen to me,” Anka shouted lazily and deliberately loudly, turning towards the kitchen and, sitting down in an old leather chair, she picked up a book with a smart look. The mother entered the room, trying to change her facial expression from relatively tired to very stern. “Denis, you don’t have a father. Get up immediately. The sooner we leave, the fewer people we will find. Or do you want to wait in line? Of course, you can walk around unwashed for years. But Anya and I hate to look at you. Get up, you unwashed couch potato." Denis silently obeyed. Lately he hasn't had much of an argument with his mother. And when her father left for the North on a long-term business trip, she almost burst into tears. Today they had to go wash in the washing block, which had been equipped for two days at the school, where Denis was in the sixth grade, Anka in the tenth, and his mother taught physics. In the city, there has been no normal supply of water to residential buildings for three weeks now. And last week, washing units were opened in some institutions, which were provided with water on certain days. For school No. 47, such days were Saturday and Sunday. The washing block was intended only for school employees and their children. By decision of the school director, Saturday was declared a “women’s” day. At breakfast, devouring a cheese sandwich, Denis decided that they had disturbed him in vain. It is unlikely that a 12-year-old boy will be allowed to wash with women. His mother told him yesterday that he should try to show up at school early, when either no one would be there or they wouldn’t be too much of a quarrel. After finishing breakfast, they dressed warmly and took the tram to school. On the tram, Denis first looked at the houses and advertising stands running past, and then at his own shoes. Very quickly they found themselves at the school - a dull gray building standing on the corner of Lesnaya and Karetnaya streets. Having walked around the building, they entered the school yard and headed towards the washing unit, which was equipped at the school boiler room. Entering the block, Denis saw a plywood wall with a door and a small window, through which one could see the sly, wrinkled face of cloakroom attendant Ivan Lukich. This plywood partition was installed to separate the locker room and the washing block in general from the boiler room workers, who upon entering could immediately turn left and begin their work activities without interfering with those washing. “And Margarita Sergeevna and the children came to take a steam bath,” the cloakroom attendant addressed his mother in a polite hoarse voice. “And how old is your youngest, huh? Big kid." Denis looked at the piece of paper pasted by the window, which said in black and white that “Children of the opposite sex over 10 years old are not allowed to wash!” The mother, straightening her hair (Denis knew that this involuntary movement occurred in her when she was telling a lie), replied, “Yes, in a week she will turn 10.” Ivan Lukich bared his dense rows of iron teeth, “Well, once in a week, then come in,” and opened the door. They ended up in a locker room or a waiting room, you couldn’t tell right away. Lukich was sitting on a chair half-turn to the window, half-turn to the room. Next to him lay several yellowed newspapers and a pack of Belomor. There were two large benches in the room and about two dozen hooks were driven into the walls. Five or six of them already had things hanging on them. Denis was especially struck by the women's underwear of quite a respectable size on one of them. “Get comfortable Margarita Sergeevna, take off your clothes. If you don’t have soap or towels, then the management gave me a few spare ones,” Lukich said in a hoarse patter. Then he put on his glasses and began to read the newspaper with false interest, continuing to sit half-turned. Denis noticed how his mother and Anka looked at each other with displeasure. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable with the presence of this 70-year-old man. “Yes,” thought Denis, “well, the school gives. And they’ll put Aunt Lena, the cleaning lady, with the men.” Mother took off her coat. “Well, stand there and take off your clothes,” she joked to the children. Denis slowly took off his jacket. He still did not believe that he would now wash with his mother and sister. He tried to remember the last time his mother bathed him, and came to the conclusion that he was about seven years old then. After that, his father bathed him or took him to the bathhouse. Denis had never seen his mother naked. She usually wore a shirt or robe when she washed him, standing in a tin basin. He saw Anka naked a long time ago, about seven years ago, when his parents last bathed them together. She was nine years old then, he was five. “Why are you standing like an idol,” his mother abruptly interrupted the course of his memories. Denis turned around. His mother looked at him angrily, standing in an unbuttoned blouse and half-unbuttoned skirt. Anya, timidly looking towards the cloakroom attendant who was “immersed in reading,” took off her leggings from under her skirt. Denis quickly took off his sweater, T-shirt and unfastened his belt. He saw Lukich take his eyes off the newspaper for a moment, glance in Anka’s direction, and again plunge into reading. Denis sat down on the bench and began to unlace his shoes. He looked up. The mother was already standing in only a bra and woolen tights. She was a tall, slightly plump brunette, 36 years old, with sad brown eyes. She stood with her back to Denis and took out the hairpins from her neatly styled hair. Denis took off his trousers and, left in only his “family” panties, looked towards his sister. Anya caught his gaze, frowned, and blushed slightly. She sat opposite him in a bra and woolen panties. She was 16. She was as tall as her mother. Slightly overweight. Nice rounded shapes. The same as his mother's, jet black hair. Just a shorter haircut. Anya was quite an appetizing girl. And pleasant on the face. But she didn't love her body. The reason for this was freckles. Despite her black hair, scatterings of these golden, orange, and brownish hemp of various sizes were scattered all over her body. Shoulders, arms, back, chest and even legs fell victim to them. There were only a few of them on the face. And for this Anya was grateful to nature. “So there is soap, there are washcloths, there are towels,” the mother said, taking things out of her bag. “I wonder if there’s somewhere to hang a towel,” she asked loudly, as if to herself. “Unfortunately, no,” Lukich responded right then and there, tenaciously looking his mother up and down. “Leave it here. Here you will dry yourself. “They left everything here for you,” he pointed to the towels hanging on the hooks. And again he plunged into reading. “Okay, let’s leave it here,” the mother squeezed out in a displeased and embarrassed voice. “Well, sit there. Take off your underwear too.” And deciding to set an example, she turned her back to them and took off her bra. Denis looked at his mother’s white, slightly loose back, at the reddish marks from the bra. For the first time he saw the naked back of an adult woman in front of him. Margarita Sergeevna lowered her tights, revealing her pink cleft with curly hair for a split second, revealing her full white buttocks. Denis blushed slightly from excitement, excitement and shame combined. He could not take his eyes off the dark brown mole the size of a penny on his mother’s right buttock. The mother turned around, involuntarily covering her private area with washcloths, but exposing her magnificent breasts, strewn with many small moles, for everyone to see. “I told who,” she hissed so as not to attract unnecessary attention from Lukich. There was nothing to do. Denis took off his panties. “It’s both embarrassing and pleasant,” flashed through his head. He looked at Anka. She was already red as a lobster. But obeying, she stood up and shyly turned away from Denis. Slowly and hesitantly, she unclasped her bra and hung it on the hook. Then she quickly pulled off her panties. Denis saw her soft, well-fed, freckled body and smiled. Freckles were everywhere. Even on the butt. She turned around, trying not to look at Denis, took a washcloth from her mother, and covered with it the furry triangle on her pubic area, which Denis still managed to see. She was confused and was breathing quickly. This made the ripe melons of her breasts sway cutely. “Well, let’s go,” the mother said unnaturally cheerfully and headed towards the door to the washroom. Anya trotted after her. Denis completed the procession. Finally, he looked at Lukich. The old brat openly stared at the naked female bodies leaving. He winked meaningfully at Denis, bared his teeth unpleasantly, and spat. “Old goat,” Denis thought and entered the washroom. Closing the door behind him, Denis found himself surrounded by clouds of steam emanating from different ends of the small room. Right next to the door, boiling water flowed from a hot tap and crashed noisily on the cement. Not far away stood two medium-sized gangs. “Probably the last ones,” he thought and looked into the depths of the room. There, at a short distance from each other, five naked female figures oohed, aahed, groaned, soaped themselves, talked, doused themselves with hot water from the gangs and had not yet noticed the arrival of new people. At that moment when he was trying to examine and identify this naked, flushed female mass, he heard a voice that made him shudder. “Margarita for bringing the children.” Right next to him, with a basin in his hands, in which his mother gave birth, stood a small, fat, strong 50-year-old woman with saggy giant breasts and a belly the size of a small barrel. This was biologist Nadezhda Karpovna Kulish. “Well, Nadezhda Karpovna, they also need to wash themselves. “Otherwise, mine over there will soon have fleas,” the mother quickly babbled. Many young teachers were afraid of the biological scientist, since enough people had suffered from her black mouth. “Did you read the announcement at the entrance, Margarita?” Nadezhda Karpovna continued mockingly. “Denis is yours in the sixth grade, he’s taking botany from me now.” The mother looked confusedly at Denis, then at the biological scientist, and said with false cheerfulness: “Yes, he’s still small.” Nadezhda Karpov looked Denis up and down, slightly holding his gaze below the waist, and in an arrogant voice defuses the situation, “I’m kidding Ritochka. You really have it: small.” “What a viper,” Denis got angry. He was irritated by this red and sweaty fat woman with matted grayish-colorless hair, folds on her stomach, a double chin, and warts on her neck. At that moment, the biological scientist turned her back to Denis and began pouring boiling water into a basin, putting her huge ass on display for everyone to see, on which she could safely place the TV and not be afraid that it would fall. At this time, the mother handed over all the bath accessories to Anya and, taking both no-one’s gangs, began to wait for Nadezhda Karpovna to finish collecting water.