Residents of cities and towns with their busy work schedules and a constant lack of free time to visit the sun or bath simply no time. However, a fairy tale can come true, today the home sauna in the apartment does not seem to be something unrealistic. The fact that it is a novelty for the Russian consumer is quite natural in neighboring Finland. There, similar facilities are installed in every second apartment. Of course, if you are lucky to live in the private sector, then for you, most likely, there is nothing better than a home bath. Sauna is suitable for those lovers of steam, who lives in an apartment, not even too big.
Is it possible to arrange a sauna in the apartment
For some, preparing the necessary documents to install a home steam room may seem a little troublesome, but it's worth it. Almost everyone can afford such pleasure in a typical high-rise building today.
Before the start of construction, it is necessary to draw up and draw up a project that provides for the following conditions:
The sauna should only be equipped with a special electric furnace manufactured industrially (at the factory). No home-made "from Uncle Vasya" is unacceptable here, even if his hands are really golden. The oven must have an automatic shut-off function when the temperature rises above 130˚C. Also, the controller should operate after 8 hours of continuous operation.
It is necessary to install an emergency fire extinguishing system, in accordance with SNiP.
For walls and ceilings, materials treated with antifungal compounds should be used.
In order to save yourself from various troubles in the future, you need to coordinate the project with all the necessary services at the development stage. You may need permission from:
- housing inspection;
- construction and architectural supervision;
- partnership of homeowners;
- fire service;
- Rospotrebnadzor;
- sanitary and epidemiological service.
Attention! For each region, the list of organizations may be different.
Design Advantages
Of course, a home sauna has many undeniable advantages:
- Significant time savings. You can rest and relax when it is convenient for you. There is no need to spend time on the road, sign up for a specific time.
- No need to conduct a separate sewage system and water pipes. You can connect to an existing water supply system.
- The risk of getting a cold is minimized. After the procedure, there is no need to go out.
- The risk of "picking up" a fungus or some other surprise comes to naught. Only you and family members will use your sauna.
- Sauna has a beneficial effect on the whole body, helps to eliminate toxins, strengthens the cardiovascular system, removes toxins and more.
- Home steam room - an excellent tool for a comprehensive recovery of the body.
Types of steam rooms
All home complexes of this kind can be divided into several groups. Which one should be preferred depends on your financial capabilities and the availability of free space.
Home mini saunas. Under this name, several design options can be hidden:
- a small complex covering an area of no more than 1-2 square meters. meters; the furnace power here does not exceed 2 kW, and it can work from a conventional 220V outlet;
- barrel sauna; the design is actually a barrel made of cedar, and a steam generator located inside; the peculiarity of such a sauna is that the human head is outside, which eliminates the possibility of overheating;
- folding fabric sauna; it consists of a special thermal fabric, which is stretched to the frame; for the operation of such a design in the apartment must be quite powerful wiring; such a sauna is extremely compact and mobile, it easily rolls up.
Home infrared sauna. As the name implies, instead of the furnace, this design is equipped with a special emitter that warms not the air around, but the human body itself. The temperature in such a sauna is very gentle - about 45-60 ° C. This allows you to use it for the treatment and prevention of diseases in the elderly and children, as well as those who suffer from cardiovascular ailments and to whom the usual steam room is contraindicated.
Finnish sauna. This design is usually designed for the simultaneous stay of two or more people, so it takes up quite a lot of space. In a small apartment, this option cannot be installed. Every Finnish sauna is exceptionally dry. At a temperature of about 100–110˚C, the humidity in it does not exceed 20%. Therefore, the heat is tolerated quite easily.
What a home steam room consists of
Now let's talk about what the home sauna actually consists of. Almost any such design includes such components:
- Special electric furnace of suitable power. Choose the right option will help specialists of the manufacturer; power is usually selected here, based on the calculation of 1 kW / m 3 . To make the furnace safe, it is securely fixed to the wall, and a special wooden fence is installed around it to prevent accidental contact.
- The cabin frame itself, made of hardwood. This design can be made independently or at the factory. Despite the fact that the service life of deciduous wood is slightly shorter, coniferous use is still not recommended; so that coniferous wood can be used for the sauna, it must be carefully tarred (properly dried and devoid of resin); to find one on the Russian market is quite difficult, and it is quite expensive.
- Corner and ceiling metal mounts for secure cab fixation.
- Ventilation grills and ducts. Installation of such structures is required, they help to avoid such troubles as fungus, mold, stale air in the booth, increased humidity in the room. The inlet is usually located under the stove, then the air heats up quickly and the temperature in the sauna does not drop.
- Floor frame. The cheapest way is to use grating treated with special impregnation. Connoisseurs make the frame of aluminum or galvanized, and the floor is often tiled.
- Wooden sunbeds, benches or seats.
- Door block made of heat resistant glass. Some people use wooden deaf blocks to reduce the cost of construction, but a similar option can cause attacks of claustrophobia.
Materials
As already mentioned, for the manufacture of home steam rooms most often use wood, preferably hardwood. The walls are a panel structure of a two-layer lining, with an insulator laid in the middle and a vapor barrier. The saunas from alder, spruce or pine serve the longest, however, remember the resinous nature of these species and their cost.
The inner lining is also made from a block profile, using wood, devoid of resin and knots. In order to avoid injuries, a lining with rounded profiles is used.
To maintain comfortable lighting, special moisture-resistant diode lamps are installed inside the cab, reliably protected from steam and moisture.
We begin installation
You probably already realized that a home sauna with your own hands is not so complicated. Of course, the easiest way is to purchase a ready-made structure and mount it according to the instructions, but if you do everything from scratch on your own, you can save an impressive amount. So you will need:
- board or wall paneling;
- boards for making the base of the floor;
- polished boards for sunbeds;
- fireproof plate (for example, asbestos);
- mineral wool;
- foil or vapor barrier;
- heat resistant electrical cable;
- electric or infrared oven;
- a pair of diode waterproof luminaires;
- door (preferably glass).
When everything is ready, you can proceed with the installation:
- We determine the size - a minimum of 1.5 m 2 per person.
- We clean the walls from paint or plaster to bare brick or concrete.
- We build a strong wooden frame and lay it with floorboards, or we put tiles.
- We lay the electric cable, securely fasten all the connections.
- The walls are treated with a disinfectant and antifungal solution. If this is not done, then mold can come from moisture drops and the sauna will have to be dismantled.
- On concrete or brick walls, we install a frame – crate for the walls of the sauna, reliably holding the parts together.
- In the gaps of the frame, we lay a thick layer of insulation, and on top we fix the foil or vapor barrier.
- We wall the walls and ceiling with a board or clapboard.
- We install sunbeds or benches and mount the stove. It is best to invite a qualified electrician for this.
- We mount the hood in the upper corner opposite to the oven. We fix the lights.
- We mount the door so that it opens outward and in no case has locks.
Where is the best to equip a steam room
Of course, the best place to install a mini-steam room in the apartment is a bathroom. But if its size is too small, the home sauna can be installed in another place - for example, in the premises of the former pantry or even on the loggia. In this case, you will have to take care of summing up the appropriate communications and the process may take more time and effort.
Commissioning
When the home sauna is completely ready, it is necessary to carry out its preliminary “run-in”. It is very easy to do. On the first day, warm the steam room to 60˚C, while all doors and latches must be open. “Drive” your steam room in this mode for 3 hours. The next day, repeat the procedure, only raise the temperature to 90˚C. The third day - hold t = 100˚C for 3 hours, and then raise to the maximum possible and leave it for 40 minutes. At the same time, periodically water stones on electric furnaces. The very next day, you can safely use the steam room for your pleasure.
Conclusion
As you already understood, a sauna at home is easy. Whatever design you decide to install in your apartment, you will certainly be satisfied with the result. After all, a sauna is not only fashionable, but also very useful.