Do-it-yourself village baths

The village bathhouse is a place that has been bringing pleasure to all village residents and their guests for several hundred years. In it you can feel the smells of freshly steamed brooms and the contrast between hot steam and cold water. The bathhouse is a real joy not only for the soul, but also for the body.

It must be said that such a bath is the most useful and accessible spa procedure, and its secrets are passed on from one generation to another. No analogues existing in our time are capable of conveying that unique atmosphere of the Russian steam room.

Exterior view of the building

Advantages of combined objects

Even at the stage of drawing up a design drawing, all the advantages of such a neighborhood are visible.
After all, a bathhouse combined with a summer kitchen will increase the functionality of the entire room, and in skillful hands it will become an original decorative element of a summer cottage. Users often search for:

Bathhouse with a gazebo under one roof
Summer kitchen with gazebo

Besides:

If construction work is carried out on a common foundation and under one roof, the cost of building materials will be reduced. This means that the total cost of the structure will be much cheaper.
A unified heating system for the house and outbuildings saves energy resources several times.
Proper design of a bathhouse with a summer kitchen will reduce the area of the land used.
Such a building can easily be turned into a guest house by providing a lounge there, and a terrace or veranda - into an outdoor kitchen.
If, according to the plan, the building is closely adjacent to the main house, then you do not need to worry about creating paths that would connect the structures to each other.
Possibility of year-round use.
Improving an existing structure and adding other rooms to it will not require significant costs.
The close location to the house will simplify the process of connecting communications.
Independently developing the design of a building will add individuality to the interior and convey the character and passion of its inhabitants. In addition, money is saved on hiring specialists in this field.
A convenient place for receiving guests in the warm season, and if the terrace is glazed, then you can have gatherings with friends even in winter, warming up by the stove or fireplace.

When choosing a place for construction, you need to remember that the entrance to the bathhouse and summer kitchen should be located on the south side, to the recreation room - on the north.

Photo: project of a bathhouse and an open gazebo

Advantages and disadvantages

The obvious advantage of a miniature bath is its small size. You can safely install it even on a small area - and not have any problems. It will be possible to make the most efficient use of all space. A miniature bathhouse is sometimes placed on the roof, in the basement, in the garage, in the attic (attic), or on a glazed loggia. From the point of view of hygiene and health, a small building can be no less functional than a large analogue.

A small building will cost less. The construction period is reduced. Since less building materials are consumed, it will be easier to deliver them to the site. In many cases, improvised materials are used for construction. The miniature building will confidently fit into even the most non-standard landscape design.

Selection of finishing materials

Selecting materials for the construction or final finishing of a bathhouse, terrace and surrounding garden is not too difficult. Each style has its own inherent list of acceptable materials. The most common on this list are:

tree;
a natural stone;
ceramic tile.

Find out also how to build and equip a bathhouse.

When choosing wood, be guided by information about its properties. The supporting pillars of the structures are made of oak. White spruce and linden are used for shelves, benches, ceilings and wall cladding - they absorb moisture and sounds well, and are also pleasant to the body and give a feeling of softness and warmth.

If a building at a private dacha is being erected from stone, it is appropriate to use the experience of ancient Roman builders, who used rubble stone and limestone for the foundation and walls. When using modern brick, it must be covered with ceramic tiles.

Video: DIY bathhouse

The main criterion for the quality of bricks is firing. And if the color shade seems scarlet to you, then you can’t buy it for a bath. This is a brick whose heat treatment time has been reduced. Under the influence of high temperatures and humidity, it will quickly lose its strength, and the wall made from it will become deformed and may fall. The so-called burnt brick - products with a brownish-violet color - is also unsuitable for use. This is a stone with increased thermal conductivity, and you can easily get burned if you touch such a wall. Sand-lime brick is also not suitable for a bathhouse. It is good only where the wall will not be affected by moisture.

To lay a stove-heater, you will need fireclay - a special type of refractory brick that can withstand temperatures up to +1580°C.

Important! To lay a stove or barbecue outside, be sure to invite a master stove maker. This is not an ordinary building, and its implementation requires special knowledge

Do-it-yourself sauna without special expenses: myth or truth?

When building a bathhouse, you need to know exactly what you can and cannot save on. So, let's look at budget options for building a bathhouse with your own hands:

Choose purchased stoves without a remote firebox. The device is inexpensive, and heats up the steam room very quickly, which saves firewood.

Mount the water tank on the chimney.

Make a strip foundation for a light one-story bathhouse. Massive buildings filled with modern devices require a columnar foundation.

Pay attention to insulation. The better the bathhouse is insulated, the more comfortable you will be, and you won’t have to “heat the street.” In winter, cover the windows of the entire bath house with regular packaging film, which will save up to 60% of heat.

The shower can be replaced with a classic tub, into which you can fill with water of any temperature.

Which bathhouse to choose: design and materials

First of all, you will have to choose a bathhouse depending on the material from which the “box” will be built, the type of structure, and also select the optimal heat source. All these parameters are important and are selected individually depending on the needs of the owner and the characteristics of the area where the bathhouse will be installed.

Baths, differing in type of structure

Full bath. A separate building, which is a full-fledged bathhouse with a steam room, washing area and relaxation area. The building can be two-story, with other additional rooms, for example, a bedroom or a billiard room.

Full bathhouse in Russian styleSource market.sakh.com

Built-in bathhouse (joint construction of a bathhouse and a house under one roof). An excellent option for saving space in your garden. The rest room can be combined with the living room, and the washroom can be used as a full bathroom. In other words, to arrange a bathhouse inside the house, it is enough to allocate a space for the steam room; all other rooms are already provided for in any house layout.

Two-story house-bath Source parki48.ru

Bathhouse extension. If the project does not provide for the allocation of premises for a bathhouse inside the dama, you can make a steam room in the extension. If space allows, the extension can accommodate a washing room with a rest room.

One-story house with an attic, a carport and an attached bathhouseSource kedrovydom.ru

Bathhouse trailer. An inexpensive option for a mobile sauna for a summer residence. Having a small size, the trailer is installed directly on the ground or on a prepared low-power foundation. You can take a steam bath in such a bathhouse with no less comfort. The only drawbacks are the small size and the lack of a rest room - you can’t walk around there with a large group.

Bathhouse from a container trailerSource neftzmz.ru

Disposable saunas, or sauna tents. They are a temporary structure - a structure protected from the wind by tent fabric. It is assembled immediately before use and disassembled after. This type of bathhouse is more suitable for outdoor recreation, although it can also be used as a summer cottage option.

A sauna-tent installed on the shore of a lake is an excellent option for outdoor recreation. Source kharkovforum.com

Main heat sources

The air temperature in the steam room must be kept within 100 degrees; both wood-burning, gas and electric stoves can cope with this task.

Wood-burning stoves are the most widespread, as a sign of a traditional Russian stove. They build a red brick stove, leading the firebox into the dressing room so that they can add firewood without entering the steam room. Nowadays, in addition to brick stoves, cast iron and steel stoves are used equally, which are containers with a chimney and a heater.

The most economical and modern are gas stoves. The difficulty in using them lies in certified installation and subsequent connection.

The simplest and most compact option are electric ovens. Temperature regulation occurs automatically according to a given program. The absence of a chimney, quick installation, ease of operation - these are the main advantages of such structures.

Electric heater with temperature controllerSource dekoriko.ru

Types of material for bath construction

The traditional material for baths is wood: logs or profiled timber. Wooden walls retain heat well inside the building, and the resinous aroma has a beneficial effect on well-being. Disadvantages include low fire resistance - wood is treated with special solutions to protect it - and poor sealing of joints, which requires careful caulking of all cracks.

A cheaper material for bathhouse walls is brick or cellular concrete blocks. The advantages of such baths include ease of maintenance, fire resistance, good, but not high enough thermal insulation properties, as a result of which such walls require additional insulation. In addition to additional thermal insulation of the walls, they must be carefully sealed from the inside due to their high moisture absorption capacity.

Brick bathhouseSource karelia-dom.ru

Should traditional approaches be followed completely?

Understanding the principles by which a proper bathhouse was previously created and operated, you can decide which of them should be used today, starting from the design stage and ending with the regular use of the structure. What was the place where our ancestors washed and steamed?

First of all, it was a “black” bathhouse - a log house, which was heated directly by stove smoke. The log structure did not have an outlet pipe, so the combustion products of wood were discharged directly into the room, and then through open window and door openings, and special holes in the walls. During the preparation of the structure for use, from the outside it might seem that a fire had started, however, if certain rules of kindling were observed and proper control was carried out, the process was quite safe.

The smoke heated the wood of the building structures, and most importantly, hundreds of kilograms of stones from the stove, which could maintain the required temperature from a couple to ten hours

It was this secondary heat that was important, since before using the Russian bath, it was thoroughly ventilated, washed and the stove firebox was cleaned of ash. The results of such training had both their positive thermophysical characteristics, healing efficiency, and some negative aspects

Advantages of a black firebox

Uniform distribution of heat due to infrared radiation from black, soot-covered walls and ceilings, the developed surface of a huge mass of hot stones (up to 700⁰C). On the contrary, modern compact ovens create superheated air currents that can burn or dry human mucous membranes.
The favorable temperature and humidity conditions of the air (t=40-70C, φ=90-100%) in a Russian bath are much closer to the natural human environment than in modern saunas (t=90-110C, φ=10-25%), therefore, it has a “mild” shocking effect on the body.
Sterilization of a steam room with substances contained in smoke. Phenols, formaldehydes, acidic components - perfectly disinfect rooms, killing pathogenic microflora, preventing wood rotting. Later, before the start of the procedures, the atmosphere is cleared by ventilation.
A pleasant aroma combining the smell of smoke and steamed wood.

Disadvantages of the “black” firebox

It takes quite a long and troublesome time to prepare Russian black baths for use.
High risk of fire if heating technology is violated.
There is no possibility to automate basic processes.

Despite these shortcomings, today the tradition of steaming “black” has begun to attract more and more fans. Therefore, you have to make a choice - completely follow the classic approach or install a “white” bathhouse (with a chimney), in which there will be no smoked walls, but the unique aroma of steamed wood, birch brooms, herbal infusions and other of its traditional attributes will remain. For the most part, both options differ only in the method of removing flue gases, but otherwise the principles of their construction are similar.

Construction stages

To build a bathhouse on your own site, you will need to perform the following steps:

foundation equipment;
walling;
roof installation;
finishing walls using insulation;
construction of a stove and chimney;
performing finishing works;
installation of plumbing;
placement of furniture.

Foundation

Having decided on the project and location of the bathhouse, they begin to build the foundation.

For a bathhouse, a support-column foundation is used.

Before making the foundation, it is necessary to carefully level the surface.

Then pillars are made from brick, the space is filled with crushed stone and filled with screed.

You can also build on a strip foundation. It is used quite often. Such a foundation can withstand any load from the walls.

To carry it out, a trench is dug, a reinforced mesh is installed and a mixture of cement, sand and water is poured.

Formwork can be used to raise the foundation above the soil level.

Walls

For them it is necessary to choose high-quality and reliable materials. You can use wooden beams, bricks, cinder blocks.

The choice of solution directly depends on the material used.

Wooden beams allow you to install a prefabricated bathhouse.

Be sure to level all surfaces. When building walls, do not forget to make door and window openings.

Often, interior finishing is done using lining. Various materials can be used for external walls.

Roof

You should not choose a roof design that is too complex. The simplest option is enough.

To complete the roof, rafters are installed, a layer of waterproofing is laid, and then the roofing is laid.

The roof can be made single-pitch or gable.

Installation of the first option is simpler and less expensive. However, a gable roof is more often used.

Doors and windows

It is preferable to choose wooden windows and doors

When installing them, it is important to carefully seal all cracks to avoid heat loss.

You should not choose plastic, as it quickly becomes unusable when exposed to high temperatures.

Sometimes doors are made of glass.

Floor

It must be thoroughly insulated. For a more comfortable stay in the bathhouse, you can install a heated floor.

It is worth considering the following nuances:

the foundation is covered with waterproofing and insulation;
water supply pipes and sewerage are located in the washing room floor;
boards are most often laid on top of this.

Finishing

The decoration of the room plays an important role. Wall insulation will help ensure good heat retention. For this, mineral wool or polystyrene foam is often used.

Insulation of internal walls and ceilings is carried out in the following sequence:

fix the waterproofing layer;
attach wooden sheathing;
fix vapor barrier and mineral wool;
surfaces are finished using lining.

The outer surface is painted and lined with bricks or boards.

Arrangement of the bathhouse

In addition to all of the above, it is necessary to supply electricity, water and sewer pipes. Keep in mind that the steam room and washing room have high humidity, so you need to take this into account when installing electrical wiring.

Finally, the necessary furniture is installed.

After reading this article, it becomes clear that building a bathhouse yourself is quite simple. To do this, it is imperative to take into account all the requirements for its construction and choose high-quality materials.

Numerous photos of the inside of the bathhouse will help you decide on the design and layout. If all requirements are met, the bathhouse will serve you for many years. This will be a great place for family holidays and receiving guests.

DIY construction: laying the foundation with photo

The foundation is laid with your own hands in the following order:

Installation of a columnar base to ensure normal air circulation. A monolithic concrete foundation is suitable if the bathhouse is equipped with a relaxation room, sauna or swimming pool.

For marking, the top layer of soil is removed by installing support pillars at a distance of 1 m or more.

Before laying, concrete products are treated with bitumen mastic, which will ensure good stability and protect the base from moisture.

The prepared holes are filled with a sand-cement mixture and compacted well. Then they install reinforced concrete products, sprinkling them with construction waste (rubble). Finally, the pillars are filled with concrete mixture at the base.

That’s it, 6 months are allotted for the shrinkage of such a base, and then the installation of the grillage remains. Before installation, it is recommended to reduce the piles to the same height using a circular saw.

Where to start

Wood has always been considered the most suitable material for building a bathhouse. Wood is absolutely harmless to health, since it is a natural material and does not pose any environmental hazard. Many of the owners of their own country houses value wood for its special unique texture and natural beauty.

A bathhouse can also be built from other materials; for example, for some time it was customary to use bricks or similar block materials instead of wood. This was done because wood is flammable; brick is considered safer in this regard.

In order for a Russian village bathhouse, built independently, to last longer, when looking for a place for it, the following requirements are taken into account:

You should not locate the building close to a body of water - there may be a risk of flooding;
for the location of the bathhouse it is better to choose the backyard of the house;
the ventilation system must be designed more carefully so that the bathhouse does not spoil the rest of people on the site or terrace with unpleasant odors;
It is not recommended to build a bathhouse in front of the house and near the road;
it is better to choose the southern side of the site, and place the windows of the building on the western side;
the bathhouse must be at least 20 meters away from the source of water supply, which could be a well or well.

For a comfortable stay in the bathhouse, the layout should be done carefully. Ordinary village baths are approximately 3.7x3.7 m in size. The building itself should have the following rooms: a steam room, a washing room, a dressing room, which is sometimes also used as a rest room. You can use ready-made drawings and diagrams or make them yourself.

In addition to the general building plan, it is recommended to make an individual drawing for each element. It will be easier for you to work if you prepare in advance diagrams for the roof and base of the building, for the fastenings of the log house, ceiling, floor, and for placing the heating device.

Drawing of a bathhouse on 2 floors

Interior

There are many interesting ideas for decorating the interior of a bathhouse and its exterior decoration.

To begin with, you should pay attention to the characteristics of each style direction, and then decide which one is most suitable for your bathhouse

Russian

One of the most popular finishing options is a traditional Russian-style bathhouse. On the one hand, the interior of such a room can be truly simple, but on the other, truly luxurious. It all depends on the choice of materials and decorative details.

The log walls and wooden floors look very good on their own. Therefore, no additional finishing is needed. Furniture will decorate the room. There is a place for it both in the rest room and in the dressing room. Furniture in the Russian style consists of wooden benches, tables and chairs, decorated with exquisite carvings, or simply made from boards.

In the washing room there is also a place for decor in the Russian style - a watering can used instead of a classic shower, or an original wicker rug. You can experiment with decor in a recreation room or guest room. Here you can put a large table covered with an embroidered tablecloth, display luxurious sets or antique samovars on the shelves.

All kinds of lamps can be used as decoration. Metal or bronze lamps look best in a Russian-style bathhouse. A source of living fire like a real Russian stove would also be appropriate. It can be additionally painted with bright colors or painting in a traditional style.

In such a building there is also room for an original swimming pool. The pond described in old Russian fairy tales is a combination of contrasts. Two round mini-pools are filled with water: one is warm and the other is ice-cold. It’s not a fact that swimming in it will have a rejuvenating effect, but it will definitely improve your health and lift your spirits.

Rustic

This interior decoration option is similar to the previous one. But here everything is much simpler. There is no artificial gilding or luxurious decor. Everything is done as simply as possible - the wooden base is complemented by handmade decorations.

Anything can serve as decor here - from a simple birch broom to a wooden tub or mugs. All kinds of wicker napkins, rugs and other textile products that will fill the room with comfort will also be useful. But all sorts of delights will clearly be superfluous. This applies to both forged decorative parts and modern jewelry.

Modern

If the option of a traditional Russian or simple village bathhouse seems too boring, then you can choose something more modern to decorate the room. For example, a light bathhouse made of high-quality logs, decorated with LEDs around the entire perimeter of the room.

In a modern steam room, it is worth installing not a huge heater, but a metal stove, for example. Furniture can be chosen to be multifunctional and practical. In modern-style log baths, you can experiment a little with the layout, trying new unusual ideas. The dressing room, for example, can be set aside as a stylish locker room, and the washing room can be supplemented with a bathroom.

To decorate the rest room, you can choose all sorts of little things that evoke associations with the sea: shells, starfish, pebbles covering the floor.

7 photos

Shelves in the steam room and sauna stove

There are two types of shelves in the bathhouse: for sitting on them or for lying down. The width of the first ones is 60 cm in length, the beds are 1.9 m. The shelves can be flat or with support under the head, in the form of a bench, etc.

To warm up the bath, modern electric heaters and water or gas heating pipes are used. Often they use the traditional option - a wood-fired sauna.

It is advisable to place the stove in the far corner of the steam room. When doing it yourself, it is recommended to install a heater purchased at a retail outlet, since its manufacture will require special skills.

Features of creating a terrace in a bathhouse

The veranda does not have to have a regular rectangular shape. The extension can be made in the form of an oval, semicircular or triangular structure. It will look beautiful and non-trivial. Such a building will become the highlight of the entire dacha. Conventionally, there are 2 types of bath terraces:

open - a small building with a roof, used only in the warm season;
closed - a full-fledged extension with windows, doors, thermal insulation, in which you can spend time even in winter.

Interior of a steam room in a bathhouse

If you give preference to the second option, it is advisable to make an attic or loggia on top (i.e. on the second floor). This is permissible when the design features of the building allow it (solid foundation, sufficient area, etc.).

Bathhouse interior with shelves

It is not at all necessary to make the veranda from the same material as the bathhouse itself. The combination of brick and timber will look organic. Naturally, the best option is to build a terrace along with a bathhouse. However, if you think about building an additional building later, you will have to carry out the procedure of fastening the two foundations. Then the extension is made frame.

Interior of a bright dressing room with a samovar

An example of an unusual design for a bath veranda. Making railings from bars is not only beautiful, but also cheap. They can be made from the remnants of lumber left over from the main construction.

As for the arrangement, you don’t need to place a lot of furniture on the veranda. It is enough to have a large table and benches (or chairs) on which guests can be seated

Preparing for bath procedures

If you are a lover of Russian heat, then you will need brooms for the bath. You can prepare them yourself. Each individual type of broom is harvested in a special period. As for birch trees, they need to be cut on the 49th day after Easter. At this time, the branches are quite elastic, and the leaves are filled with lush greenery. If Trinity turns out to be rainy, then brooms can be prepared on the first sunny day.

Bath brooms are usually made from weeping birch, because its branches are particularly flexible. They need to be cut closer to the center of the crown, the length should be approximately 50 cm

And in order for your visit to the steam room to be enjoyable, it is important to choose the right stones for the bath. They must have a homogeneous structure, this will prevent the destruction of the material when water enters

The stones must have an equal coefficient of thermal expansion in all directions.

The material must be environmentally friendly, so natural minerals are the best option. Bath stones must also have a certain shape; it must be round and smooth. This promotes efficient air circulation as well as better heating.

Walling

The rim, installed first in the base, should be slightly wider than the rest of the wood. Stability in this case will be at the proper level. In advance, you should decide which angles will be used in construction - into a paw or a bowl.

The second option is more acceptable, since it does not allow the cold to penetrate inside. But the disadvantage of cutting lies in the complexity and sufficiency of experience. It is better to try on logs or beams on the ground, and then strengthen them on the grillage.

Floor joists are immediately installed on the frame, and the subfloor is installed. The next process is to raise the walls to the desired height. The elements are strengthened with dowels - square-shaped wooden pegs in pre-drilled holes.

We must not forget to cover each crown with a compactor - moss, tow, jute. The last one is considered the best.

A simple bathhouse design usually involves the presence of three rooms - a dressing room, a wash room and a steam room. Therefore, when laying wood elements, you should build the walls so that the interfaces of the elements and seams do not remain open - cutting into a bowl will facilitate this.
The last crown should not be fixed - after shrinking, the bathhouse in the village house will be ready for the construction of the rafter system and it will need to be removed without hindrance. Depending on the weight of the structure, material, and the extent of the project, the shrinkage period is determined individually, but not less than six months.

Types of economy baths

An economical bathhouse in the country is an excellent solution for small garden plots, the area of which does not exceed 10 acres. This means that the structure itself must be ergonomic: up to 6 meters in length and 4 meters in width.

Let's consider the main design options that can be advantageously arranged on a small private plot.

Frame

The simplest frame bath is built on a lightweight foundation, has a wear-resistant wooden frame, lined with high-quality materials.

To provide a small frame bath with additional protection from the negative effects of moisture and temperature changes, the structure is insulated and waterproofed.

Dry logs with a cross-section of up to 112 mm are suitable for constructing a bathhouse. To make a compact bathhouse with an area of up to 13 square meters. m, it is necessary to prepare 80 units of lumber. For insulation, you can use mineral wool, tow fiber and tow.

Frame structures do not require additional external finishing. If desired, it can be done, but this will significantly increase the costs of implementing the project.

Monolithic

Another economical design option for construction on a summer cottage. It involves the use of cheap material - wood concrete, which is prepared from sand, cement, chemical additives and filler. Sawdust from coniferous and deciduous trees, hemp and flax bonfires, rice and cotton straw stalks are used as filler.

There are two technologies for constructing a bathhouse: from sawdust blocks, brickwork or monolithic casting. Monolithic technology involves the preliminary installation of removable formwork, followed by filling the walls with the finished mixture.

Mobile

There are more affordable and lightweight designs that are equipped with a small-sized steam unit.

The undoubted advantage of a mini-bath for use in the country is the ease of assembly and installation in any accessible place. Depending on the design features, dimensions and type of bathhouse, it can accommodate from 2 to 5 people.

Ergonomic

The budget barrel sauna is the most popular and sought-after design option, which has almost all the advantages of a stationary building.

This structure is a large barrel made of wood. It is divided by a special partition into two functional areas: a steam room and a shower room - for health and water treatments, and a dressing room - for installing heating equipment. A mobile barrel-shaped sauna can accommodate from 2 to 4 people in one session.

For the construction of walls, edged boards from deciduous trees up to 6 cm thick are used. A mobile economical sauna does not require a foundation, but to increase the stability of the structure it is recommended to use an additional wooden base made of boards up to 5 cm thick.

If the bathhouse is intended to be used not only in summer, but also with the onset of cold weather, then insulation of the structure is a prerequisite. For thermal insulation, frost-resistant and durable materials are used, inert to rotting and the negative effects of external factors.

Useful tips

In order for a visit to a wood-fired bathhouse to bring only benefit and pleasure, you need to follow some rules for taking water procedures, and also keep the room clean. If you decide to build a bathhouse yourself, then you need to approach the choice of construction and finishing materials responsibly.

Do not use fibreboards or particle boards. The resins used in the manufacture of these materials release formaldehyde into the air at high temperatures. This substance is toxic and can poison a person. Many paint and varnish products contain organic solvents, which are also hazardous to health. When purchasing such materials for the interior decoration of a bathhouse, you must carefully study the composition. Polystyrene foam and plastic release harmful substances at high levels of humidity and high temperatures.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the room. In case of formation of mold, mildew or the beginning of the rotting process, the affected areas must be immediately cleaned and treated with antiseptic agents. You should also not forget about regular ventilation of the bathhouse.

When carrying out hygiene procedures, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules for maintaining the temperature regime and the washing process itself. For a comfortable stay in the steam room, the air temperature should not exceed 65 degrees. At temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees, a large load is created on many systems in the human body. Temperatures above 90 degrees are hazardous to health.

The very first time you enter the steam room without brooms for about five minutes, you can first take a warm shower to open the pores on the skin and prepare for the bath procedures. There is no need to wet your head with water, otherwise you may get heatstroke. It must be covered with a dry bath cap to prevent overheating of the brain.

After the first five-minute entry into the steam room, you need to rest in the dressing room or relaxation room for 15 minutes. The second time you can stay in the steam room for 30 minutes. Staying for longer periods of time can place severe stress on the cardiovascular system and harm your health.

If there is a feeling of discomfort in the steam room, you must leave the room and rest in the dressing room. It is allowed to drink large amounts of water to maintain water-salt balance in the body. After each entry into the steam room, you must take a break for at least ten minutes.

When visiting the bathhouse, the following things are strictly prohibited:

Drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol increases the load on the heart and the entire body as a whole. In a state of alcoholic intoxication, the human body can withstand steam much less well.
You should not consume food in large quantities before the bath. Overeating also puts a lot of stress on the body.
You should not steam with brooms while standing or sitting - it is better to take a lying position. This way the steam will be evenly distributed throughout the body.

For a review of the wood-burning sauna, watch the following video.

Peculiarities

The wood-heated steam room is a rustic classic, proven over hundreds of years. This is a traditional type of Finnish and Russian bathhouse. All other types of structures, for example, the Turkish hammam, mainly use other combustion materials (coal or dung).

A bathhouse, as a rule, has one or two main rooms - the steam room itself and the dressing room. The latter is used to undress and dress. In former times, this room was not heated and had no windows; it was equipped only with a bench. Nowadays, people are accustomed to comfort, so dressing rooms not only serve as locker rooms, but also become a full-fledged recreation area - they are made spacious and equipped with tables, shelving and other interior items.

That is why today a wood-burning bathhouse is much more than just a place for taking hygiene procedures, it is a full-fledged room for cozy gatherings with family and friends, as well as an indicator of the status of its owner - not every one of our compatriots can afford a cozy and multifunctional steam room .

This design has many advantages:

The wood-burning sauna is considered part of the culture and traditions of many peoples and nationalities.
The principle of its operation does not require electricity, gas pipelines or other additional utilities.
Wood is considered a cheap and accessible fuel option.

The traditional Russian steam room is the simplest device in a technological sense - since when using, for example, an electric stove, you cannot splash water on hot stones, as is customary in traditional bath complexes.
Wood can be stored for quite a long time, so once you have prepared firewood, you can use it for a very long time.
If the room has a steam room combined with a washing room, then they can be heated from the same stove.
Firewood is more environmentally friendly than fuel oil or coal, since the latter, with prolonged use, begin to smoke and emit an unpleasant odor, which makes staying in the steam room quite unpleasant.

However, nothing ideal has yet been invented, so a wood-burning sauna also has some disadvantages, namely:

A wood-heated bathhouse may not be built everywhere—stove heating is prohibited in many areas.
The Finnish sauna is inferior to an electric heater in terms of ease of use.
Firewood for heating water is less economical than modern gas water heaters.
Wood requires a specially designated place for storage, and in addition, if the woodpile is not sufficiently protected from moisture, the workpieces may begin to rot and collapse.
The air temperature in the steam room is quite difficult to control - it is determined solely by the personal feelings of the person who is preparing the bath for use. For comparison, electric firebox options allow you to set the required temperature with an accuracy of 1 degree and change it as needed.

Device

To get the maximum effect and pleasure from visiting the steam room, it is important to build the building correctly and zone the interior space. A classic country bathhouse is characterized by three functional rooms:

Dressing room - rest room, locker room. There can be a closet for things, a table and benches for visitors to rest here. Often a furnace duct with a firebox is located in the dressing room.
The washing room is an intermediate room in which you can wash yourself before visiting the steam room or rinse your body after bathing procedures. Here you can install a shower stall, a plunge pool, or a swimming pool.
Steam room - a room for bathing procedures. Here a certain temperature regime and humidity level are achieved. The inside is finished with clapboard, and shelves for visitors are installed along the walls.

Additional zones:

An attic is an inferior second floor, inside of which a recreation room or living space is located.
A terrace or veranda is an addition to the main building. Here you can make an additional recreation area or kitchen. To protect against precipitation and cold, the verandas are completely glazed.
Additional room for visitors to relax.

It is recommended to make a small vestibule in front of the dressing room.

Steam room (Photo: Instagram / ideiipodelkidliadachi)

Bathhouse project on a light frame

For the frame, the beams can even be made from collected firewood. The main requirement is that the material does not have knots or defects; in addition, it should be treated with an antiseptic. The first step will be to make beams for the frame, which need to be processed and dried. The building will stand on a pile-rubble foundation, and for its construction it is necessary to level the soil surface with a drill and hammer in thick pine stakes.

The top is backfilled with stone and concrete. At the next stage, the pillars are filled to the top. Now you can start assembling the frame. A hole should be prepared for draining by placing a barrel with crushed stone and broken bricks inside. There is a ladder leading out there. This option cannot be called insulated, so it will be summer. For winter, thermal insulation or heating cable should be laid.

The floor in the bathhouse must be insulated, as well as the ceiling. A film is laid over the insulation. Finnish sauna paper should be placed on the ceiling and walls. The next step is to install the stove. You need to use a model with a register, since you will need to heat the water for washing, so as not to purchase a boiler.

Features of the Russian bath

The Russian bathhouse, which our ancestors built, includes two sections: a dressing room and a steam room. The largest size of this room is 2.3x4 m, the smallest is 5x6 m. Baths with such dimensions are again popular.

1 - dressing room; 2 - steam room and washing room; 3 — shelves; 4 - oven

The construction of a traditional Russian bathhouse implies:

creation of a shallow columnar foundation based on boulders, without a base;
assembly of a log house from selected wild logs, that is, material that has not been subjected to any processing other than removing the bark and drying;
construction without using nails;
plugging cracks with moss and tow;
installation of a flat ceiling;
insulation of floor and ceiling coverings with moss and peat;
waterproofing the structure with resin and shoe polish;
making a sod or shingle roof;
creating a brick oven.

Arrangement of the waiting room

The first thing guests see when entering the bathhouse is the dressing room. This means that the dressing room is the face of the room and its interior decoration should not only be comfortable and practical, but also look aesthetically pleasing.

The dressing room often serves as a locker room and rest room. Decorating the rest room of the bathhouse inside the photo offers different options. The best choice for this part of the bathhouse is a clapboard made of natural timber; it is used to sheathe the walls. The lining allows you to place wooden boards vertically, horizontally, or even lay out an ornament. It is also better to use wood for the floor, as the tiles will be cool and slippery. The use of wood not only creates a beautiful appearance of the room, but also heats well and retains heat for a long time.

To create a greater ambiance, the owners of bathhouses install fireplaces in the rest rooms; it is better to decorate the corner with it from stone; it can also be decorated with fireproof clay.

Furniture for this part of the bathhouse will be wicker and also made of wood.

Why do you need a village bathhouse?

Village residents, unlike city dwellers, often do not have the opportunity to install a water supply to their home and arrange a comfortable bathroom in it, so for hygienic purposes they use baths, known in Rus' since ancient times. In such baths they not only wash, but also steam with brooms, have a massage and relax, warming up with warm water and steam.

Bath procedures performed regularly prolong life, healing many diseases (by increasing blood circulation, strengthening the immune system, improving metabolism and removing toxins from the body). The bathhouse has a particularly strong effect on the psyche: a pleasant warm atmosphere, the smell of wood and hot steam relax and calm frayed nerves, helping to fight chronic stress and its consequences (this is why many city dwellers love the village bathhouse so much).

The construction of an ordinary village bathhouse, as a rule, does not cause much trouble. Natural wood is used as the main building material, which has many useful properties and creates a unique “bath spirit”, imparting a bright and tart woody aroma to the indoor air.

Instructions for carrying out work

The place chosen for the bathhouse is cleared of debris, the soil is prepared for the chosen type of foundation. It is better to use a columnar type of base: here less mortar will be required, and the structure will be quite stable. A strip foundation is also suitable.

To construct the foundation, you need to dig a hole 1 m or 1.5 m and a half deep. A cushion of sand and crushed stone 15 cm thick is placed at the bottom, then a solution prepared from cement, crushed stone and sand is poured onto it.

For the walls, you can purchase a ready-made log house or lay them out yourself. Before erecting walls, materials must be prepared. They are treated using antiseptic agents to prevent damage and rotting of the wood.

Elements in a log house can be connected using the following structures:

“in the paw” - performing the ligament in this way looks like a dovetail;
“into the bowl” - the ends of the logs protrude beyond the walls, which helps protect the building from wind and precipitation;
in the end tongue - a tenon is created in one of the ends of the logs, and a groove is created in the other.

Rafter system for a bath

This type of roof construction is lightweight, so even inexperienced craftsmen can use it:

For construction, a beam is taken, which is sawn so that in the upper part it converges at a certain angle. But the ends of the sawn timber should ideally lie on the Mauerlat.
The pediment is installed with a shield; it is pre-assembled directly on the ground.
The roof will have to be insulated, so the distance between the sheathing elements is about 55-60 cm.
After lathing, the roof is covered with a finishing crown, and the roof is covered with insulation and the selected roofing material, for example, metal tiles or budget slate.

Scheme 6.

Scheme 7.

Advice! A practical gable roof is installed in a classic country bathhouse, ensuring unhindered slope of seasonal rainfall.

How is insulation and waterproofing performed?

The bathhouse is insulated from the roof, and you can choose modern mineral wool or fiberglass as the insulation material. Of course, it is cheaper and more practical to take what is available in abundance on the farm - sawdust or slag, which is placed in the gaps of the sheathing. You can see what it looks like in the diagram:

Scheme 8.

Scheme 9.

Advice! If the bathhouse was built on a light foundation, then the materials for finishing and insulation should not have a significant weight.

For waterproofing, the simplest rubber in rolls, roofing felt, is used, and in winter a film is added here. A classic wooden bathhouse does not need wall insulation, because wood is famous for its excellent heat retention properties. But you can’t do without caulking wooden walls, and here the first place is free moss, which is used to caulk the building outside and inside.

Important! Moss does not disturb air exchange, lacks moisture, but reliably protects the steam room and other rooms of the bath from drafts

Connecting destinies

Village soap shops also served as a special place for weddings. Actually, baths of this kind can be divided into two large groups: a wedding bath for the bride in her father’s house and a joint bath for the newlyweds on the second day of the wedding.

Wedding bath

For the bride, this bathhouse served as a farewell to her native nest. Especially for her, the room was scraped clean, decorated with flowers and wreaths, and covered with fragrant herbs. The solemn procession of the campaign was led by the bride's brother; in the absence of one, in some places of the Russian North he was successfully replaced by a village sorcerer, surrounded by a fishing net. Second, a close friend walked in front of the bride, who “swept the bride’s path” with a new broom, clearing the path of bad and obscene things. The bride herself ritually cried and wailed, saying goodbye to her girlhood.

Here the ritual unbraiding of the braid took place, symbolizing farewell to girlhood.

Bathhouse for newlyweds

It is a mandatory ritual and in the old days, ignoring this procedure caused active public condemnation.

The bathhouse for the newlyweds was heated in the groom's house by a groomsman; in some areas, a matchmaker was allowed to participate in this procedure.

Naturally, the village bathhouse was richly decorated and cleaned for such a special occasion. During the steaming procedure, guests positioned themselves around the room, tapping cast iron and frying pans, thus scaring away unclean and evil spirits

Very often, after the newlyweds, the guests also tried the bathhouse, and what is important, also in pairs - a man and a woman.

A young wife always takes an embroidered towel as a gift to the bannik in order to appease him and enlist support and protection during future childbirth.

A story about a winter bathhouse with a woman

. The sun had not yet risen, but Mishka was already on Badger Forest. There, about three kilometers from the village, stood an empty Serogon house. Mishka made another walk to the village, brought fishing gear and, returning back, covered his tracks with spruce branches.

Now he felt safe, he lit a hot potbelly stove, boiled some potatoes, and ate with appetite.

The sun was already high when he went to the river to set the tops. From the high bank one could see the indescribable beauty of a forest river covered with snow. The bear stood for a long time, enchanted, admiring the sparkling winter world. On the opposite side of the river, on a steep bank, stood a snow-covered, two-story dacha of the former director of the forestry industry, and now a tough businessman and timber merchant. Its windows were decorated with ornate carvings, and a spacious bathhouse was located below the river. The dacha was not yet inhabited. When Mishka left for St. Petersburg, craftsmen from the city built a fireplace in the upper room and were decorating the rooms. Now there was no one here. And Mishka even thought that it would be nice for him to live at this dacha until spring. All the same, until the snow melts, the owners will not get here. But he was immediately frightened by this thought, remembering that the police were supposed to be hunting for him.

He went down to the river, cut the ice across the riverbed with an ax, filled the hole with spruce branches so that the fish could only pass in one place, and cut out a wide wormwood under the top.

Soon he finished his work and went to the hut to rest from his labors. The hut was small and cramped. But there was a special forest comfort in it. Mishka threw spruce branches on the bunk and collapsed in all his clothes on the fragrant, resinous bedding, rejoicing at the peace he had finally found.

Mishka woke up from strange sounds filling the forest. It seemed that a landing force of aliens had landed in Badger Forest, producing incredible, rumbling sounds that shook the hundred-year-old pines. The bear fell off the bunk and stepped outside the hut doors.

- Prostitute, prostitute, prostitute! - thundered and howled in the forest. - Night butterfly, but who is to blame here?

The music came from the direction of the river. The bear carefully walked towards the shore. There were cars parked at the director's dacha, thick smoke rising from the chimneys to the sky, the bathhouse was heating up, doors were slamming, music was blasting at full blast, and every now and then the sound of boisterous girlish laughter could be heard. Mishka's heart began to beat anxiously. He hid behind the bushes and, holding back the excitement that rose in his throat, began to watch what was happening.

He saw a cheerful company descending on the bathhouse. The director of their timber industry enterprise walked heavily ahead, followed by three long-legged girls, stumbling off the beaten path into the snow and squealing, followed by some other large, thoroughbred men. Soon the bathhouse was filled with steam.

From inside she could hear the gasping of a heathen, muffled laughter and groans.

Finally, the doors of the dressing room swung open, and the whole cheerful company spilled out naked into the pure virgin snow. Mishkin's director, shaking his saggy belly, was like a wild boar breaking through the fluffy snow with his steamed pink body, dragging the company to the river, right into the wormwood where Mishkin's top stood.

Three beautiful girls found themselves on the ice, just opposite Mishka’s hiding place. It seemed as if you could stretch out your hand and take out each one. From this proximity and the sight of naked girls’ bodies, Mishka, who lived involuntarily in severe abstinence, became dizzy, and his face glowed with the unbearable heat of shame and unknown forbidden passion.

As if drunk, he stood up and, staggering, wandered to his wretched shelter. And from behind, excitingly girlish laughter and joyful squeals teased and beckoned.

In the hut of the tar smokers, he again lit the stove, drank tea with lingonberry leaves and lay down on his bunk, sighing sadly over his dissolute, worthless life, which now, after the morning statement on the radio, had become completely devoid of any meaning.

Mishka was left without parents early. The mother drowned while rafting, the father became a drunkard. They say that the wrong coil was installed on the moonshine still. It was supposed to be stainless steel, but Bartholomew installed copper. That’s why the moonshine turned out to be poisonous.

No one in this life loved Mishka. After the craft, he walked with the girl and even kissed, and when he went into the army, his love immediately jumped out to marry a coven who had come from Transcarpathia and drove off with him forever.

And after the army there was work in the forest, and drinking on weekends. He was a prominent and kind guy, but there were no girls around, only guys remained in Vyselki, the girls all went to cities. You will inevitably get drunk here! It would be better for him to be born Sanya’s goat! I would sit on the stove and eat peeled potatoes. Look, it’s freezing in his office!

Mishka felt so unbearably sorry for himself that a burning tear boiled in his eyes and fell into the spruce branches.

. At night he left the hut, the same song thundered in the dacha and echoed a hundredfold throughout Badger Forest:

“Prostitute, prostitute, prostitute, Night butterfly, but who is to blame here?”

Centuries-old pines trembled under the blows of decibels and snow sparkling under the light of the moon fell from the tops. The moon shone like a spotlight. In the vast abyss of heaven, radiant stars shone, and the night was as bright as day.

The bear, like a magnet, was drawn again to the dacha, music and fun. And he went there under the pretext of rechecking the top. She could have been knocked down while diving into the ice hole, or even pulled out onto the ice.

The director's dacha sparkled with lights. shore, Mishka saw through the wide windows her fabulous feast, filled with all kinds of dishes. Someone was dancing, someone was already sleeping in a chair. Suddenly the doors of the dacha opened, spilling a flurry of music and electric radiance into the frosty purity of the night.

Mishka saw someone jump out onto the porch in a fiery halo, rush down into the darkness, the steps on the hill creaked, and then in the ghostly moonlight on the ice of the river he saw a girl, one of the three who had been here during the day. She ran up to a blackened hole, in which the icy streams of a waking river curled, and threw herself on her knees in front of it.

Mishka had never seen such beautiful girls in his life. Her hair was loose over her shoulders, her high chest was heaving heavily, and tears were streaming down her beautiful face.

The country doors opened again, and a man came out onto the porch:

- Margot! - he shouted imperiously. - Do you hear? Come back! Apparently, he was calling to the girl who was now kneeling in front of the wormwood. - Malya! - he repeated insistently, - Malka! Get home. I'm tired of waiting.

The girl did not answer. Mishka heard only quiet sobs. The man stomped on the porch, swore and went back. The girl whispered something and made a movement towards the hole.

Mishka felt unbearably sorry for her. He jumped out of the bushes and in an instant found himself next to the girl.

- No need! — he said in a wooden voice. “It’s deep here.” The girl raised her head. - Who are you? - she asked distantly. She smelled of expensive perfume, wine and foreign tobacco. “Teddy bear,” he said worriedly. -Are you local? - I live here. “In the forest,” Mishka answered in the same wooden manner. The girl lowered her head again. - And I'm Margot. Or Malya. Prostitute. - Is this a stripper, or what? -Not really. Prostitute.

Mishka did not know the meaning of this word and decided that prostitute was the girl’s surname.

“You, don’t stand with your knees on the ice,” Mishka warned. “Otherwise you’ll catch a cold.”

The girl suddenly began to cry, and her shoulders trembled slightly. Mishka, suppressing his embarrassment, took her by the elbows and placed her next to him.

“Do you hear, Mishka,” she said suddenly and raised her beautiful eyes full of grief to him. “Take me away from here.” Somewhere. And Mishka suddenly felt that the old Mishka was no longer there, that he was now completely at the mercy of those sorrowful eyes. And that he is ready to do whatever she says.

“My feet are cold,” she said. “Warm my knees.” Mishka crouched down and wrapped his stiff arms around Mali’s elastic knees. Her legs were bare and cold. The bear bent over them and began to warm them with his breath.

“Let’s go,” she said quickly. “Get me out of here quickly.”

— They climbed the path to the hill. Unexpectedly for himself, Mishka easily picked her up in his arms and carried her to his forest winter hut. And she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed herself tightly against Mishka’s chest, clad in a sweatshirt that smelled of smoke and pine, and fell silent. When Mishka reached the hut, the girl was already deeply asleep.

He laid her carefully on the bunk covered with spruce branches and sat by the window, listening to the unknown feelings that had settled in his soul half an hour ago, but had already taken root as if he had lived with these feelings forever and would continue to live just as forever. Malya breathed barely audibly. The night was as bright as day. The moon was shining like a spotlight outside the window.