Even the most seasoned bathing professionals may not know all the intricacies of this healthy leisure activity. What can we say about beginners who, most likely, have never held a broom in their hands and have not truly felt how blood can rush to the body.
The Bannik.ru portal has collected the most common questions about bathing skills and answered them. We know what we are talking about, because for more than 15 years we have been successfully introducing residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg to hot couples.
Also in the memo we will give some useful bathing tips for beginners. There will be no self-evident postulates here: don’t overheat, don’t overeat before visiting the steam room, drink plenty of liquids. For example, that alcohol and sauna are an undesirable combination, and metal jewelry is a provocateur of burns. These are long-standing truisms that even people ignorant in the world of bath art know.
- Tip #1: Which steam room should you choose?
- Tip #2: When to go to the bathhouse?
- Tip #3: What to take with you to the bathhouse?
- Tip #4: What is the optimal temperature in a steam room?
- Tip #5: What to do in the bathhouse?
- Tip #6: How long can you spend in the sauna?
- Tip #7: Are brooms necessary?
- Tip #8: Why do you need a bathhouse attendant?
- Tip #9: What to do after a bath?
- Tip #10: What's included in the price?
Important requirements for bathhouse premises
In order for a bathhouse to become a favorite place to relax, you need to take into account a number of certain nuances during its construction.
Steam room
- The size of the steam room should not be large, otherwise it will be difficult to heat it and maintain the desired temperature in it for a long time. It is important to consider the length of the bench - it should be comfortable for each family member. Often the length of the bench is about 2 meters, and the size of the steam room is from 2.5 by 2.5 meters to 3.5 by 3.5 meters.
- The height of the ceiling in the bath should not be lower than 2.5 meters, so that you can raise your arms in the steam room, as well as to maintain the correct volume of the steam layer - otherwise the steam layer will be unstable.
- The entrance door to the steam room should have a threshold 25–30 cm from the level of the threshold of the entrance door to the bathhouse. Or the floor height in the steam room should be 25–30 cm higher than other rooms in the bathhouse. For what? So that the cold air from the dressing room does not “flow” into the steam room. To preserve heat, it is better to make the width of the door to the steam room no more than 60 cm.
- Flowing ventilation must be provided. This could be a window in a steam room, an exhaust vent, or a view in a chimney. The window in the steam room should be no higher than 1 meter from the floor and size 40 by 50 cm
Bath broom Source moydom.media
Bake
If the bathhouse is planned to be heated from only one stove, then all rooms must touch it, or, in other words, be adjacent to the stove.
It is desirable that the furnace firebox opens into the vestibule. This will allow you to avoid dragging dirt, bringing in firewood and removing combustion products, and will also provide an additional flow of oxygen to the stove, the wood will burn better.
Restroom
There must be at least two doors to the relaxation room from the steam room. Otherwise, it will be damp, and the steam from the steam room will cool and settle in this particular room.
Washing and changing room
It is not necessary to have a washing machine in the bathhouse. However, if it is provided for by the project, there must be a window for ventilation. The recommended window size is 60 by 60 cm.
Many bathhouse owners believe that if the relaxation room is furnished with upholstered furniture, then it is worth adding a dressing room with a bench and a hanger. Or you can set up a locker room in the washroom, and drying yourself in it is a matter of taste. If you abandon the locker room, you can increase the area of the rest room.
Tambour and toilet
The vestibule is one of the most controversial places in the bathhouse. Some people don’t need it, while others consider two doors and a micro vestibule between them sufficient. Often its presence is dictated by the habit of steaming in winter. To use the bathhouse in the cold season, it is better to include a vestibule in the plan.
There is also no consensus on how much a toilet is needed in a bathhouse. Much again depends on whether the bathhouse will be used in winter or not, whether it is a separate building or combined with the main house, on the wishes of the homeowners, and also on whether the bathhouse will also serve as a guest house in the winter season.
The ratio of the areas of the relaxation room, washing room and steam room should be 2: 1.5: 1. In other words, if the steam room is planned to be 6 m², the washing room should be 9 m², and the room should be 12 m²
Comfortable rest is the main goal of building a bathhouse Source ru.dreamstime.com
Requirements for the future bathhouse project
There cannot be just one correct bathhouse design. Planning requires an individual approach, since everyone has different preferences.
The most important thing you should pay attention to when choosing a project is that the bathhouse should have as few doors and turns as possible on the path from the steam room to the street. And for fire safety purposes, all doors in the bathhouse from the steam room to the street must open outward during evacuation.
What is the area of the bathhouse? This is the first question people ask when choosing a project. There is no clear answer. You need to take into account how many people it is designed for, the height of the tallest member of the family, whether you need a veranda, whether you are planning a plunge pool, a swimming pool, whether you want to organize a kitchen in the bathhouse, and maybe a second floor as a bedroom to accommodate guests.
Steam room in a wooden bath Source catalog-plans.ru
What material is best to build a bathhouse from?
Choosing a material for building a bathhouse is an important step both when building it yourself and when ordering a turnkey building.
Most often used for a bath:
- wood (log or timber);
- the familiar brick;
- various blocks (foam blocks, expanded clay concrete blocks).
Wooden buildings have always been the most popular
. A log or beam allows steam to pass through well, heats up quickly and retains heat indoors for a long time, and fills the building with healthy aromas. However, wooden structures are subject to shrinkage. The log house can be used for its intended purpose no earlier than six months after construction.
Brick for building a bathhouse
used no less often than wood. This is due to the low fire hazard of the material and the service life of the building. True, brick buildings are more expensive than wooden ones, and construction will take longer. In addition, brick has a greater heat capacity than logs or timber, which means that it takes a little longer to heat a brick bathhouse.
The modern market offers a large selection of new building materials for baths, including expanded clay concrete and foam concrete blocks
The main advantage of such materials is their lightness, so building from them does not require a strong foundation (unless, of course, the soil allows the use of light foundations). In addition, a building made of blocks can be put into operation immediately after completion of construction. True, such materials require external and internal finishing.
How to choose a developer for a bathhouse
One of the most optimal ways to acquire a bathhouse is to build it on a turnkey basis. You can choose a developer using the advice of friends and acquaintances. Reviews about the company on the Internet are also important. But do not forget that the presence of only positive reviews is alarming, because negative ones can be deleted by the company itself. The downside is that some companies may deliberately spread negative reviews about their competitors. (you can read more about competition in our article: “Unfair competition. What risks does it pose for the consumer?”).
Another way to choose a developer company is to see and touch the actual bathhouse they built. This opportunity is provided by the exhibition “Low-Rise Country”. Having arrived here, you can evaluate the quality of the bathhouse construction and even consult on lending with banks - partners of the exhibition.
Choosing a place
The location for the bathhouse on the site is chosen carefully. There are certain standards according to which buildings must be located at a certain distance from the main residential property. Ideally, a Russian bathhouse should stand alone, but many projects involve its construction very close to the house, even as an extension.
In this option, it is very important to provide for all fire safety requirements. Many people prefer to place a bathhouse next to some body of water: it’s easier to collect water, and you can swim after the steam room. But such a decision is not at all necessary, and such an opportunity is not always available.
Types of bath brooms and their effects on the body
A broom is an indispensable attribute of a Russian bath. Professionals know that each attribute affects the body in its own way and has its own distinct effect. There are several types of bath brooms.
- Birch. It is in greatest demand among lovers of the Russian steam room. Birch leaves contain tannins, vitamins and essential oils. This composition determines the anti-inflammatory, disinfecting and antimicrobial properties of the broom. It is recommended for use in a steam room by heavy smokers and people with lung pathologies. Birch broom also improves the condition of the epidermis: promotes rejuvenation and cleanses the skin.
- Oak. This is the second most popular attribute of the Russian bath. It is recommended for use by people with inflamed and oily epidermis. Broom is useful for hypertensive patients because it stabilizes high blood pressure, but not during an exacerbation. Broom leaves contain tannins, so they relieve a person from excessive sweating.
- Lime. Linden leaves have anti-cold and anti-inflammatory properties. The substances they contain improve the quality and duration of sleep, and also relieve migraines, headaches and improve the condition of the epidermis.
- Cheremukhovy. The leaves contain substances that promote the healing of small wounds on the epidermis. The broom has a pleasant aroma, making a visit to the steam room an aromatherapy session. The bird cherry broom is very soft, so it is in demand among girls and women.
- Juniper. It has a positive effect on the state of the nervous system and normalizes unstable emotional background.
- Walnut. Experts recommend using it for people suffering from diabetes. The broom also improves the condition of varicose veins and ulcerative pathologies.
- Fir. Helps remove excess fluid from the body. Due to this, swelling from the face and limbs disappears. Fir broom has sedative and anti-inflammatory properties. It relieves insomnia and radiculitis.
- Alder. Alder leaves contain adhesive substances, due to which during the procedure they stick to the epidermis and free it from waste and toxins. Broom has a positive effect on the respiratory system.
- Nettle. Helps cure radiculitis and arthritis. Stabilizes high blood pressure and normalizes unstable emotional background.
- Eucalyptus. Helps get rid of colds. A broom also helps eliminate allergies.
