The sauna vat is a large bowl made of metal. The inside of the container is lined with wood. The structure can be installed on a special pedestal or suspended on logs. The vat is intended for bathing and steaming. In most cases, the structure is installed outdoors, and you can take baths in the vat all year round.
Regular bathing in a vat helps improve immunity. This is not only an extremely pleasant, but also a useful procedure.
Let's get acquainted with the structure of the bath tub in more detail, and also look at the popular types of baths and procedures that can be practiced in the bowl.
The benefits of a sauna vat
The sauna vat is designed to heat water to 35-45 degrees. The temperature of the liquid can be adjusted independently: it all depends on your personal preferences. During the procedure, muscles relax and the nervous system calms down.
Expert opinion
Lovkachev Boris Petrovich
Bath master who knows everything about steaming
If desired, bathing in hot water can be alternated with a dip in cold water: a bath, river or pond. Due to temperature changes, blood vessels and the cardiac system are strengthened.
The main advantages of a sauna vat are:
- Positive effect on the skin and muscles: the body becomes elastic, the muscles become toned.
- Helps eliminate toxins and waste through increased sweating.
- Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system, helps in the fight against stress and depression.
- Beneficial effects on the musculoskeletal system: relief of symptoms of osteochondrosis and rheumatism.
- Increasing general immunity: helping in the fight against seasonal and colds.
You can increase the effectiveness of the procedures if you add extracts of beneficial plants or sea salt to the vat.
Types of sauna vats
Cast iron or high-carbon steel can be used to make the vat. Each material has its own advantages and characteristics. The comfort and quality of the procedure will depend on your choice.
Cast iron vat
This type of bathtub is heavy. Its main advantages are:
- Long service life.
- Large heat capacity.
- Wall thickness.
A cast iron vat takes a long time to heat up. However, due to the properties of the metal and the large thickness of the walls, it allows you to maintain the water temperature much longer.
Cast iron is a fairly brittle material. That is why it must be protected from strong impacts, falls and sudden temperature changes.
Steel
Such vats are not cast in a single mold, but are assembled from separate parts. That is why, if you want to get pleasure and benefit from bathing, when choosing a product, pay attention to the quality of the seams.
The advantages of the products include:
- Long service life.
- Attractive appearance.
- Relative ease.
- Fast heating.
- Corrosion resistance.
Caring for a steel structure is quite simple: from time to time it must be inspected for the formation of oxides and, if necessary, polished.
Expert opinion
Lovkachev Boris Petrovich
Bath master who knows everything about steaming
When choosing a steel vat, pay attention to the product labeling. Steel marked 430 is classified as technical. With prolonged contact with water, it quickly oxidizes. A vat made of 430 steel requires more complex maintenance.
Salt baths in a sauna vat
A bath tub is an ideal device for taking healing baths. One of the most popular is salt baths. They promote effective relaxation and comprehensive healing of the body.
You can dissolve the salt directly in the vat when the water is completely heated. However, it is much easier to prepare the concentrate in advance.
To prepare a salt bath, you only need sea salt. You can use table food, but it contains much less trace elements and nutrients. There is no point in buying the most expensive salt, since it will provide as much benefit as cheap salt.
The salt concentration is calculated individually in each case. Be sure to read the instructions on the package. For example, medical procedures require a highly concentrated composition. At the same time, take at least 3 kg of salt per 200 liters of water.
Regular salt baths have the following effects:
- Helps calm the nervous system: normalize sleep, eliminate the effects of overwork.
- Cleanse the body: promote the removal of toxins and waste through enlarged pores.
- They tighten the figure: the skin becomes smoother, more elastic, and the severity of cellulite decreases.
- Restores metabolic processes: saturates skin cells with trace elements and minerals, accelerates the process of tissue regeneration, etc.
To prepare concentrate for the vat you need:
- Prepare a basin, bucket or other container with warm water.
- Pour the prepared salt into the container and stir it thoroughly until completely dissolved.
- When the water in the vat warms up to the desired temperature, approximately 40-45 degrees, pour the prepared concentrate into the water.
Thus, you get an impromptu sea on your own site.
To prepare salt baths in a sauna vat, you can use the following types of salt:
- English . Helps combat magnesium deficiency in the body. Helps restore the body during heavy physical activity, excessive stress and overexertion.
- Marine . Considered the most useful. Indispensable for deep skin nutrition.
- Himalayan pink . Rich in iron. Has a positive effect on the skin, helps reduce the severity of cellulite.
It is not recommended to take salt baths if there are open wounds or damage to the epidermis on the skin.
How to take salt baths in a vat
First you need to heat the water in the vat to 37-40 degrees. After this, you need to immerse yourself in water. You can sit in the vat for no more than 25 minutes. After this, you need to rinse and apply moisturizer to your skin.
Pine baths in a vat
Another option for preparing baths in a sauna vat. The needles are rich in vitamins, minerals, microelements, tannins, etc. It has a beneficial effect on all body systems: skin, muscles, internal organs.
The positive properties of pine baths include:
- Acceleration of tissue regeneration processes.
- Nourishing cells and saturating them with oxygen.
- Increasing general immunity.
- Normalization of the cardiovascular system.
- Fighting colds and seasonal diseases.
- Removing toxins and waste from the body.
- Normalization of metabolic processes, weight loss, etc.
To prepare pine baths in a vat, you can use liquid or solid extracts, as well as fresh raw materials.
Features of preparing a bath with a volume of 200 liters:
- When using dry extract in tablets, you need to take 1-2 tablets per 200 liters of water.
- When using liquid extract - 100 ml.
- When using fresh raw materials (needles, branches, buds or cones) - 1 kilogram.
When using fresh raw materials, you need to prepare an extract. To do this, you need to pour the required amount of collection with 7-8 liters of water and boil for 30-40 minutes. After this, the workpiece is removed from the heat and left for another 12 hours. After this, the resulting decoction is filtered and used in a bathhouse.
How to take pine baths in a sauna vat
To get only benefit from the procedure, you must:
- Take pine baths at a water temperature no higher than 40-41 degrees.
- Do not sit in the vat for longer than 15-20 minutes.
- Make sure that the water does not cover the heart area.
- After the procedure, take a cool shower.
- Rest after the procedure.
The course of taking pine baths should be 10-15 procedures. You need to take baths 1-2 times a week.
Expert opinion
Lovkachev Boris Petrovich
Bath master who knows everything about steaming
During the procedure, listen to your body. If you feel sick, get out of the water immediately.
Coniferous baths help combat the following problems:
- Neuritis.
- Angina pectoris.
- Atherosclerosis.
- Skin problems.
- Women's diseases, etc.
It is necessary to refuse procedures in favor of others in case of individual intolerance.
Preparation of materials and tools
Materials
Wood is a capricious material, or rather, sensitive to how it was prepared and dried. Therefore, you need to not just take the first board of a suitable species that comes across, but take a closer look at it, and, if possible, measure the humidity.
IMPORTANT! Because a tree that is improperly dried after cutting and cutting will definitely warp - it will “lead”, that is, it will either change its geometry or twist it.
When inspecting boards for carpentry, of course, first of all look at the number of knots. They are known to cause a lot of problems for woodworkers.
Also pay attention to the dimensions. Boards can be very uneven - both due to uneven shrinkage and due to cutting too quickly. The reasons may be different, but you will have to adjust it to the desired size later.
And since we are telling you about benches for a bath, we need to clarify in a separate paragraph which types of wood are best suited for such purposes.
Steam room
Resin leaks
If the bench will be in a steam room, then immediately discard coniferous wood. They begin to secrete resin at temperatures above 40 degrees.
Deciduous ones are fine. For example, you can take aspen, linden, poplar, ash.
Washing
There are no high temperatures in the washing room, but the water flows generously. This is where you can use coniferous species - it is the resins that make them more resistant to high humidity and prevent them from rotting.
Take the same pine - it is the cheapest. All others are also suitable - deciduous ones are also possible if you use water-repellent impregnations.
Rest room and dressing room
There are no restrictions on wood - make it from what you feel like. Humidity will be high here too, but you can freely use both impregnations and varnishes. So the choice is yours.
Required Tools
When making a bench for a bathhouse, you will need the following equipment:
- a miter saw or wort with a reward to cut boards straight or at different angles;
- hammer and construction mallet for assembling parts on dowels;
- a screwdriver or drill with an attachment for drilling slots;
- sandpaper or sanding machine for processing boards;
- measuring tape and square;
- self-tapping screws for fixing the benches to the wall; in the steam room it is better to use stainless steel or at least galvanized fasteners.
Depending on the chosen complexity and qualifications of the master, additional devices may be required.
Means of protection
Of the popular wood species, the most resistant to the effects of water and steam are larch and aspen. This wood does not require any protective agents. Other materials should be treated to prevent damage from rot and mold.
Important! Different impregnations are used to protect benches in saunas and Russian baths. In the first case, the air can heat up to 100–110 degrees, but against the background of low humidity
In the second, the heating temperature does not exceed 60 degrees, but the humidity reaches 50% and higher.
For Russian steam rooms, preference is given to waterproof and water-repellent materials. These include:
- oils – for steam rooms, compositions are produced that are absorbed into the wood and do not form a film;
- oil wax - most often it is a mixture of linseed or hemp oil with wax;
- bleaching - such products contain strong oxidizing agents; such treatment not only protects the wood in the bath, but also prevents darkening.
Some allow the use of special varnish that is resistant to high temperatures. But in practice, experts do not recommend using varnish in a steam room, especially for benches.
What kind of baths can be prepared in a sauna vat?
In addition to pine and salt baths, the following extracts and herbs can be added to the sauna vat:
Sagebrush
Indispensable for excessive physical and mental stress. Has a pronounced antimicrobial effect. Effective during flu and cold season.
Linden
Has a positive effect on diseases of the respiratory system. Promotes the removal of toxins, helps in weight loss.
pharmaceutical camomile
Has a wound healing effect. Helps fight skin diseases. Helps improve overall immunity.
Nettle
Indispensable for skin diseases. Accelerates tissue regeneration.
It is necessary to choose herbs for the vat based on your own preferences and existing problems. It is also necessary to take into account existing contraindications.
Buffet
Canapes with shrimps on wheat toast with pesto sauce Canapes with Prosciutto and melon Canapes with Atlantic herring and Borodino toast Canapes with vegetables Canapes with smoked eel Canapes with grapes and Camembert cheese Canapes with Milano salami and gherkin Canapes with boiled pork and sweet pepper Canapes with veal tongue and creamy horseradish Canapes with Feta cheese and tomatoes Canapes with cheese balls and Jalapeno peppers Canapes with sun-dried tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese Canapes with cherry tomatoes stuffed Mini rolls with salmon and cream cheese Mini rolls with ham and garlic cream Valovan with cod liver Valovan with foie gras Valovan with red caviar Valovan with tuna mousse Valovan with Parma mousse and bechamel sauce Valovan with baked vegetables Valovan with blue cheese mousse Valovan with pike caviar Mini bruschetta with Pikin duck and spiced pear Mini bruschetta with smoked sockeye salmon and soft cheese Mini bruschettas with veal tongue and horseradish Wasabi Mini bruschetta Vitello Tonatto Mini bruschetta with tomato salsa Chocolate fountain Gruyère fondue Fruit canapes
How to steam properly in a sauna vat
Preparing the sauna vat for the procedures is quite simple.
To do this, you must adhere to the following algorithm:
. It all depends on the type of structure installed. It is prohibited to light or heat the container without water!
Fill a container with water and light a fire or hearth under it- Throw the prepared herbs into the water . This must be done simultaneously with lighting the fire. During heating, the water will have time to be enriched with vitamins and microelements. You can choose any herbs. Spruce, pine or juniper branches give an excellent effect.
- Stir it occasionally as the water warms up.. For this purpose, you can use a regular paddle or any other long stick.
For kindling, use only dry wood. The best option is birch, as they provide a lot of heat, but at the same time a minimal amount of smoke.
- The water in the vat should be at chest level . It can stay in the container for 10-20 minutes. After this, you need to get out of the vat, cool down a little, for example, take a dip in a cool pond, and return to the vat.
- To achieve optimal healing effects, the total time spent in the vat should be at least 60 minutes. You can also drink linden or raspberry tea or fruit juice during the procedure.
Making a bathing bowl for a sauna: where to start
Bathing in vats attracts many people. Many people want to buy them. But the best option is to do it yourself. It will cost significantly less. If you decide to make your own, you should carefully consider the following starting points:
- choose the appropriate material. Often preference is given to sheet structural or stainless steel 2-5 mm thick;
- determine the size of the vat-sauna boiler and the method of its installation;
- choose an effective protective coating for metal;
- develop a diagram of seats and footrests.
These preliminary important points do not end there. So, in particular, you need a well-thought-out system for heating and draining water. However, in this regard, there is no point in reinventing the wheel. The best way is to borrow proven industrial circuits.
Bath tub made of steel
Bathing in a cast iron vat is, of course, great. But there is no question of making it yourself. There are quite a few obstacles to this. Therefore, when preparing to make your own, you should only consider a homemade steel bath vat.
The right choice of material for a bath tub: which one is better
In the case of stainless steel, which provides higher durability, you will have to use the services of a professional welder. With your own efforts, it is quite possible to weld only a boiler from completely ordinary steel.
Drawings, dimensions and manufacturing procedures
A homemade vat for a Transcarpathian bath should have dimensions that ensure sufficient ease of maintenance. Traditionally, they have the shape of truncated pyramids with 6 or 8 sides. In other words, the bowl is not round, but polygonal. Below is a drawing of one of these options.
As a rule, the diameter of a bath tub is selected within the range of 220-260 cm, and its depth is 60-80 cm. A multifaceted bath tub has the following advantages:
- It simplifies the edging and welding of individual elements that have straight rather than curved edges.
- It makes it easier to replace one of the structural elements if the need arises.
- Greater comfort is guaranteed for those sitting in the font, whose backs rest not on a rounded, but on a flat surface.
Bath tub: contraindications
Despite the enormous benefits, bathing in a bath tub has a number of contraindications.
It is necessary to refuse the procedure if you have the following health problems:
- Increased body temperature.
- Open form of tuberculosis.
- Diabetes.
- Oncology.
- Urolithiasis disease.
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
- Cirrhosis.
- Epilepsy, etc.
Expert opinion
Lovkachev Boris Petrovich
Bath master who knows everything about steaming
You should take a bath with extreme caution during pregnancy.
Bathing in a sauna has great benefits for the body. Regular procedures help improve immunity and improve health. However, before starting the session, you must ensure that there are no contraindications.
For whom is it useful, and who should abstain?
Everyone can splash in warm water; there are no restrictions here. As for restrictions, the list here is approximately the same as for a regular bath or sauna. The sauna vat is contraindicated:
- People who have had a myocardial infarction;
- Anyone with cancer;
- Pregnant;
- Anyone with skin diseases with ulcerative lesions;
- People with tuberculosis;
- Those who have angina pectoris and arrhythmia.
Source
Question answer
Can essential oils be used in a sauna bath?
Yes, you can. They are selected individually, and added to the vat in the same way as herbs, at the very beginning, simultaneously with lighting the wood.
To what temperature can water in a sauna bath be heated?
You can heat the water in the vat to any temperature by regularly tossing logs. However, to carry out the procedures, it is not recommended to heat the water above 45 degrees.
Is it possible for children to visit the sauna?
Yes, you can. If the child is under 3 years old, then heating the water above 37-35 degrees is not recommended. It is also important to monitor the baby’s well-being. Under no circumstances should children be left unattended in the vat.
Is it possible to add different herbs to a sauna vat at the same time?
Yes, you can. However, it is important to pay attention to their compatibility, and also to ensure that the plants used do not cause you allergies.
How to care for a sauna tub?
The sauna vat does not require special care. It is enough to drain the water from time to time and rinse it from the inside with a regular sponge. If you do not use the vat for a long time, cover it with film or other dense and waterproof material.
Turkish bath hammam: velvety warmth. We build with our own hands according to the rules
Hammam, which came from Turkey, is a descendant of ancient Roman baths.
Having elevated cleanliness to a religious dogma, Islam made a weekly trip to the bathhouse obligatory, and the mild climate of Islamic countries, which did not require warming up to the bones, turned the bathing procedure into a pleasure. According to the Russian Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Academy of Sciences / Ed. V. V. Lopatina, O. E. Ivanova. M., 2012, spelling the word “hammam” is considered incorrect, correct: “hammam”.
The classic hammam was built of stone
The main differences between a hammam and other types of baths:
- Gentle temperature;
- Humidity above 70%;
- Separate room for equipment;
- Stone cladding and furniture;
- Heating of floors, walls and sunbeds;
- A massage table
- Domed or arched ceiling;
- Forced ventilation with 4-fold exchange.
Let's consider these features in detail.
Temperature
The hammam differs from the Russian bath and Finnish sauna in its comfortable temperature of 30 to 55 ° C and 100% humidity. The gentle temperature is especially pleasant for people who do not like or cannot be in a steam room with a high temperature.
Humidity
Initially, steam for the hammam was obtained by boiling water in huge vats, and then supplied through pipes to the steam room. Now steam is produced using steam generators, which take up little space. The condition for placing the steam generator is no further than 15 meters from the steam room.
Equipment room
Separate placement of equipment is justified: nothing should interfere with the enjoyment of the procedure and the relaxation of the steamer; safety is also important - the proximity of naked people to boilers of boiling water.
Stone for cladding
Initially, the outline of the hammam premises was made of stone - marble or granite. Since the sun loungers are heated to body temperature or slightly higher, lying on them is comfortable. However, the cost of natural stone and processing is high; stone is replaced with ceramic tiles or mosaics.
Heating of walls, floors and sunbeds
To place a steam room in a hammam, heating of the floor, walls and sun loungers is provided using underfloor heating systems, water, electric or film (infrared).
A massage table
Traditionally, a soap massage is performed in a Turkish bath, which has a relaxing effect. To perform a massage, a massage table for several people is installed, initially also made of stone, heated.
Curved ceiling
A ceiling in the form of a dome or arch is made in the hammam so that condensation from steam settling on the surface of the ceiling does not drip down onto the people lying down, but slowly flows down the walls.
Question: what do a hammam and a regular steam room have in common? The answer: that both there and there visitors enjoy!
