It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the steam room to maintain health, vitality, good mood. The pleasant steam and heat that affect the human body contribute to the removal of toxins and toxins from it, the oak or birch broom provides the highest quality of all types of massage, saturates the body with natural herbal medicinal substances. Such a struggle with various ailments is certainly much nicer than the bitter pills and physiotherapeutic procedures carried out in a hospital physical exercise room. Therefore, almost every owner of a country house seeks to build a bathhouse with a steam room on his plot.

Content

1. The dimensions of the bath house and the layout of the steam room
2. How to heat a steam room video

• we warm floors
• how to properly heat the walls of the steam room
• heat and waterproofing ceilings

1. Do-it-yourself steam room - create a cozy and emotional atmosphere video
2. What should be the door of the steam room
3. Steam oven and decorating
4. Bath furniture video
5. Lighting
6. How to extend the life of the steam room

The dimensions of the bath house and the layout of the steam room

Although the dimensions of the bath can be different, the size of the steam room, the methods of its construction and decoration should fully comply with the canon baths. To build a steam room of an oversized size in the face of rising fuel prices is unlikely to be advisable: it will be quite difficult to maintain an optimal temperature and humidity regime inside a large room.

When calculating, it is recommended to use the following principles for calculating the size of the steam room:

• if several people are supposed to stay in the steam room at the same time, then each of them should provide for the presence of 2-3 sq.m of area
• the ceiling height should be planned on the order of 2.1 m - 2.3 m.

Windows in a steam room should not be done - an unprotected space with a thermal insulation will require an increase in the amount of heat given off by the furnace, and therefore an increase in fuel costs. In addition, a window as a ventilation element, as it was in the old days, is also not required - the room will be heated in white, i.e. soot and smoke will be removed from it through the ventilation ducts.

The layout of the rooms in the bath should be well thought out, it should provide for the possibility of heating this bath house with the help of a stove installed in the steam room. The rational option is the following arrangement of premises:

• the vestibule should be followed by the dressing room,
• further there can be a rest room,
• a door to the washing room should be equipped from it, then to the steam room.

In this case, the steam room will be a room adjacent to the washing room and a lounge.

Experts argue that only such an arrangement of the premises will allow the selection of a profitable model of the heat generator, for example, with an external fuel channel that allows melt the stove from the relaxation room or a portable heat sink that provides the washing unit with hot water.

How to heat a steam room

Although the traditional material for the construction of the bath with the steam room is wood, a brick structure with the correct construction of walls and high-quality thermal insulation can be an excellent alternative to the traditional option. It is quite possible to carry out high-quality installation of the thermal insulation system on your own, while particular attention should be paid to the warming of the most important bathhouse - the steam room. All structural elements will be insulated: walls and ceilings, floors and roof.

we warm floors

Floor insulation is carried out in the same way as in a wooden structure. Under the bath house should be dug a pit with a depth of about half a meter. Sand (5 cm) is poured into it, then foam is laid, the layer thickness is 20 cm. Then the structure is poured with a five-centimeter layer of cement mortar, including polystyrene crumb, then a five-centimeter layer of cement mortar with vermiculite. After laying the reinforcing layer with a 10x10 cm cell, pour a layer of concrete prepared according to the usual recipe. When pouring the last layer, a slope of about 5 degrees should be made to the side where the drain hole for water will be located.

how to properly heat the walls of the steam room

Wall insulation is carried out in two stages - when laying the wall, well masonry is used, there should be a gap of about 15 cm between the rows of bricks. Its filling with expanded clay, slag or wood sawdust, mineral wool or polystyrene will create a good thermal insulation system. But to place a steam room it will not be enough - you will need to perform additional lining of the inner surface of the walls. First, slats are attached to the wall using self-tapping screws (step 50 cm), the gaps between them are filled with a layer of rolled or sheet heat-insulating material. Ideal from the point of view of environmental friendliness are felt and cork. Natural raw materials are used for their manufacture; under the influence of high temperature, they do not emit toxic substances. Often, mineral wool is used for thermal insulation.

It is not recommended to use polystyrene for warming the inner surface of the walls - when heated to a temperature higher than +60 degrees, destructive processes begin in it, causing rapid aging of the material. In addition, the destruction of macromolecules occurs with the release of phenol - a substance toxic to humans.

As a vapor barrier, foil can be used. It is able to protect the insulation layer from excessive moisture. It is not recommended to use a plastic film as a vapor barrier for steam rooms. After the installation of the foil layer, the steam room is trimmed with clapboard.

heat and waterproofing ceilings

Of no small importance for maintaining heat in the steam room is the ceiling: the warm air that is available in the room tends to rise. Since the heat loss through the ceiling can be very large, it is carefully insulated. Installation of the insulation layer, which is mineral wool, is performed from the attic side, with a layer of about 15 cm over the entire ceiling surface. Glass wool or expanded clay can also be used to insulate the ceiling. Sometimes they use the old method of warming - a mixture of clay with sawdust.

When laying the insulating layer, special attention is paid to the junction of the materials with the chimney pipe - it should be coated with fireproof mastic or insulated with non-combustible asbestos materials. From the side of the room, the ceiling must be subjected to vapor barrier - it is to protect wooden fragments from moisture. Between the ceiling and the surface of the foil, ideally, there should not be even the smallest gaps. To fix the foil, aluminum tape is used. On top of the layer you can perform the installation of finishing materials.

Do-it-yourself steam room - create a cozy and emotional atmosphere

To get a boost of positive energy from visiting the steam room, you should create an atmosphere comfortable for a person in it, ennoble its interior, using exclusively environmentally friendly and safe materials for humans. The most common and suitable of these is natural wood. It should be clarified that the masters in the construction of baths with a steam room emphasize that not every tree can be used as decoration. Preference is given to wood grades having a high density, not high thermal conductivity, resistance to moisture. Coniferous wood is not used to decorate the steam room - it contains many resins, which, when heated, will form spots on the surface of the finishing material.

The most suitable for decorating a steam room will be:

• linden wood, which is a battery of positive and beneficial energy for humans, has a gentle and pleasant smell, has a beautiful texture and is easy to process;
• aspen board, characterized by high quality characteristics, removing negative energies from the room, having a slight smell;
• abashi wood, with low thermal conductivity, attractive core pattern and neutral energy.

To create a special healing aroma in a steam room, sometimes overlays are attached to the walls of the steam room - softwood boards, for example, cedar. If such an air fragrance gets tired, it can be removed or exchanged for another.

What should be the door of the steam room

Like any other room, the steam room should be equipped with a door. Since the room is supposed to have a special temperature and humidity conditions, the door will need to be not quite ordinary. It should not heat up when the temperature drops or change size with increasing humidity, ensure the safety of heat in the room, be an decoration of the interior. The door to the steam room is usually made deaf, made of linden, alder, aspen.

If desired, it can be made single or double, its dimensions should be less than that of a conventional door. The following door leaf dimensions will be sufficient:

• width 0.7 - 0.7 m
• height 1.5 - 1.7 m
• the threshold between the washing and the steam room is not set, and the gap between the door and the floor should be 0.05 m.

Steam oven and decorating

In a modern steam room, the oven, in addition to its immediate functions, plays the role of an element of decor. Often, instead of a very simple-looking steel sheet, the screen for the stove is constructed of masonry or brickwork.

Metal stoves have a pretty attractive high-tech design. A wide variety of options for heat generators will allow you to choose the best option for a room of any size. The frypot can also be positioned in different ways - in the center of the room or in one of its corners, in a niche or aperture.

Bath furniture

Since the steam room is a relaxation room, it should have an aesthetic appearance. A well-thought-out design, the special placement of shelves in the steam room: with a fan, steps or a compartment, elimination of corners in furniture and wall boxes allow you to visually expand the room, make it more spacious and voluminous.

An excellent complement to emphasizing the style will be scoops and tubs placed on shelves in the steam room, and supports for the head or legs made of natural wood.

The bath shelves themselves must be constructed in accordance with the rules, allowing users to provide sufficient comfort. Often bath shelves are called varnishes, in fact they are. Shelves have different heights and are arranged in accordance with a special scheme. The design of the shelves is a frame of racks connected by transverse jumpers. Sometimes the frame is made without supports, performing its fastening to the wall according to the principle of shelves in a railway carriage. The flooring is made of polished aspen or linden planks, attached to the frame or build separate traps. It is more convenient to have loose floors - they can be ventilated and dried in the open air. On the same principle, they build the side parts of the shelves, seatbacks, bath cushions.

Lighting

Since steam rooms are often built without windows, a quality lighting option should be considered. To create a pleasant atmosphere, you can choose the option of dim lighting with illumination of seats and wall sconces, with a luminous ceiling (starry sky), etc. When setting out to create a safe and aesthetic lighting option, it is best to dwell on fiber optic systems.

How to extend the life of the steam room

Since natural materials, including wood, often can not withstand prolonged use in extreme conditions, to extend the life of the steam room, you must follow some simple rules for its equipment and care for it.

1. All wooden components must be treated with special impregnation made with natural oils. It prevents the active absorption of moisture, fatty substances, dirt.
2. Periodically, the steam room should be carefully cleaned, aired, removing portable furniture from it.
3. The room should be equipped with high-quality ventilation, allowing the delivery of fresh air in sufficient quantities.

Author: Sergey and Svetlana Khuentsov

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