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.
The most important thing in a sauna is the stove
There have always been a lot of true bathhouse connoisseurs in Russia. Since ancient times, it has been the custom that every Russian person loves cleanliness, comfort and warmth. You will find all this in a real Russian bathhouse. But what is the main element in a bath? - Of course, bake! The quality of your bath procedures directly depends on the type of stove you have in your bathhouse.
Did you know that?
In Europe, until the 18th century, it was not customary to wash. All high-ranking lords, counts and even kings washed themselves no more than once a month, when in Russia even the notorious slaves washed themselves at least once a week.
Baths in Rus' were heated “black”, from the 18th century “white”, but steam was always the main thing. When heated, water evaporates and in a hot room envelops the body and cleanses all pores. All dirt comes out through the pores with sweat and steam. After bath procedures, the well-being of any person improves, vitality increases and mood rises.
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.
General information
The main differences from other bath rooms:
- Temperature mode - for a Turkish bath it is +40...+60 degrees, for a Finnish bath it is more than +80 degrees, and for a Russian bath it is from +60...+80 degrees.
- Type of steam (wet or dry).
- Steam culture - with a massage scrub, brooms, or just sweat and take a shower.
- Construction - with heated floors, with a stove made of metal, wood or bricks.
When building a Russian bathhouse, not just the stove itself will be important, but also the structure as a whole. The ideal option is to build a room from solid logs, ideally wild ones. There are other types of bath projects, which are classified based on the materials from which they will be built.
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.
What is a wood stove? Types and design features
The standard design of a wood-burning stove requires the following components:
- firebox It is in this that the logs are placed and lit;
- ash pit. Combustion products enter it;
- heater. Bath stones are placed in it;
- chimney. Through it, smoke is removed from the room.
The oven may also have a water tank. It is heated in it, and then used for rinsing or some household needs.
If you are wondering whether to make a water tank or not, then it is better to add one. It will increase the cost of the stove slightly, but at the same time it can be useful on the farm, especially since fuel consumption will not increase with it.
Sometimes there is no chimney in the bathhouse at all; this feature is typical for a black bathhouse. It received this name because during the fire the floor, walls, and furniture were covered with soot. The consumption of logs in such a steam room is low, since the heat is distributed throughout the room and does not escape through the chimney.
We recommend reading:
Turkish bath hammam: traditions and features
Wood-burning stoves come in different types: you can buy a ready-made one or make it yourself. Ovens can be large and compact, it all depends on the area of the room, budget and personal preferences. They also differ in the material of manufacture.
Stoves can be made of brick and metal. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
A brick oven is a classic option that appeared before the metal one. It provides optimal heating mode and creates light and pleasant steam. This oven maintains a constant temperature for a long time.
The disadvantages are that it has a more complex design. The stove will serve for a long time only if you use high-quality materials for its manufacture and strictly follow the installation rules. It requires a separate solid foundation. All this affects the cost of the stove, which is quite high.
A brick oven takes longer to heat up a room - at least 4 hours, and sometimes more. This also affects the consumption of firewood.
A metal stove is a cheaper option. In addition, you can buy a ready-made one and install it, which takes little time. The installation is quite simple, so you can do it yourself without involving specialists. A metal stove heats up the steam room faster, in about an hour.
A metal stove is an ideal option for a Finnish sauna. It is not entirely suitable for a bathhouse in its pure form, since in a Russian bathhouse the temperature should be at 60-70°C, and a metal stove heats the room more strongly. For the desired effect, you can make a special screen - at a distance of 5-10 cm from the furnace body.
But a metal stove cools down quickly, so the temperature must be constantly maintained, therefore the consumption of logs increases.
A metal stove is made of cast iron or steel; the second option is more popular. Cast iron does not tolerate temperature changes well, so it fails faster. For example, when you pour cold water on hot stones, cracks may form on the stove. But it retains heat better and cools more slowly compared to steel.
A metal stove is the best option for those who do not use a bathhouse all the time, but build it, for example, in their country house. It is also suitable for small spaces because it is more compact in size.
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.
Features of a wood-burning sauna
The main attractions of such a building are the firewood for the bathhouse and the stove running on solid fuel.
Stove-heater
Scheme drawing of the stove
As you can see, the design of such equipment is not anything complicated. Distinctive features are the presence of a firebox, a blower and a chimney. These elements are necessary for high-quality and safe burning of firewood.
Firewood for a bath: which is better? This is a very pressing question for everyone who is going to use this type of fuel.
After all, they differ in price, in heat output, and in the amount of smoke produced:
- Deciduous tree species:
- Ash and oak. They have very high heat transfer, a pleasant smell and a fairly high cost.
Oak firewood
- Linden. Releases healing aromas that prevent colds and flu. The emitted heat is released evenly during the combustion process.
Advice: to obtain the medicinal properties of linden, it is necessary to use it in the first couple of years after harvesting. Because later they disappear.
- Coniferous species. They are distinguished by a large amount of resins that are released during the combustion process. Therefore, despite the large amount of thermal energy released, they are rarely used in baths.
Conifers
- Fruit breeds. They smoke little and emit a lot of heat, but burn very slowly.
Tip: when using fruit wood to fire the stove, it is recommended to first light a certain amount of deciduous wood. This compensates for their slow combustion.
Woodpile
Bathhouse project with woodshed and veranda
If you have chosen wood as a fuel material, then you definitely need a firewood rack for your bathhouse. The main condition is to maintain dryness, since you can’t heat much with wet wood.
The woodpile can be organized in the following ways:
- Purchase and place a small container for firewood inside the building. A simple, aesthetic and economical solution, but very limited in the amount of stored material.
Elegant firewood
- Include a special utility room in the bath plan. A reliable storage method, but it increases the cost of building a bathhouse and reduces its usable area.
- Make an extension to the building. The most common solution that allows you to conveniently save a sufficient amount of firewood without incurring large costs and without using the territory of the bathhouse itself.
Bathhouse with a woodshed equipped under the elongated slopes of its roof
- Build a separate building. During bad weather, you will have to cover some distance, which is not very comfortable. Also, such a building will take up part of the area of the site itself, which could be used for other purposes.
