Think about what first comes to your mind when you hear the words “sauna” and “bathhouse”? Surely you imagine a washing room, a steam room and a place for a pleasant pastime in the company of friends. It is unlikely that you think that a sauna and a bathhouse are not the same thing. So what is the difference between a bathhouse and a sauna in the conventional sense?
A bit of history
Today it is believed that dry steam is definitely used in the sauna, but this was not always the case. Therefore, answering the question of how the bath differs from the sauna, it is worth turning a little to history.
Previously, a real Finnish sauna was no different from a classic Russian bathhouse, and it was heated "in black." This means that the hearth was melted directly in the room where the washing took place. When smoke filled the entire space, it was released through open windows and doors or an additional hole in the roof. When all the smoke came out, access to the room was blocked, and it was possible to steam. According to eyewitnesses, similar baths can be found there to this day, but in the vast expanses of the former USSR it is believed that at present this “barbaric” method is no longer used, and the Finnish sauna has turned into something completely different.
Let's take a steam bath, does it matter where?
Oddly enough, many people do not quite understand what the difference is. Sauna and bathhouse are institutions in which people take hygiene procedures. Undoubtedly, this and the other steam room are extremely useful - they help to lose weight, cleanse the body of toxins and toxins.
However, in the bathhouse, due to the use of the so-called light steam, you can not only sit or lie on the shelf, but spend time much more actively than in the sauna. In the bath you will have to walk, give the park, steam yourself or a friend with a broom. “But you can catch up with fragrant steam in the sauna too,” you say, and you will be absolutely right. But due to a completely different ventilation system, such steam will not last long, only a couple of minutes.
What is the difference between a bathhouse and a sauna, and how are they similar?
If we consider modern baths and saunas, then they have only one similarity - they wash themselves there. Everything else is arranged differently there.
The main difference between a sauna and a bath is the quality of the steam and the level of humidity - the first is hot and dry, the second is wet and warm. There are also differences in the arrangement of the building itself. The bath most often consists of one or two rooms - directly the steam room and the locker room, and the sauna requires a minimum of three: a dressing room, a steam room and a shower or pool. Since there are more breaks between visits to the steam room in the sauna than in the bath, the dressing rooms are usually equipped with furniture where you can sit and chat over a cup of tea or herbal tea.
You can also carry out cosmetic procedures - in the sauna it is customary to use aromatic oils, wraps and masks. Since the humidity in the bath is much higher - there is no need for long breaks between calls, therefore, wellness procedures are often carried out directly in the steam room.
Temperature and features of the procedures
As already noted, the temperature of the sauna and bath is significantly different. The temperature of the Finnish steam room reaches + 110–130˚C, while the humidity remains at the level of 5 to 10%. You can stay in such a steam room for no more than 10 minutes at a time, breaks between calls should be significant - 30-40 minutes.
The temperature in a classic Russian bath is much more gentle, and rarely exceeds 70˚C, and due to high humidity (about 60%) it is much easier to stay in it. You can steam up to 25 minutes, and for cooling and relaxation 10-15 minutes are enough.
Another point talking about how the bath differs from the sauna is the use of a broom. In a Russian bath, it is an obligatory attribute, and for different purposes different brooms are used: birch - for easy massage, and oak - for injecting steam closer to the body. The art of proper use of brooms is quite difficult, and not everyone can truly master it, so a good bath attendant is worth its weight in gold.
In a sauna at a temperature of + 130˚C there is no need to talk about a broom - you can get serious burns, and the broom will quickly dry out and break.
How to equip a sauna in the house
The main difference between a sauna and a bath is that the first can be arranged even in an apartment, but the second is impossible. According to some reports, every second family in Finland has its own steam room in the apartment.
Of course, the heart of both a sauna and a bath is a stove or a stove. And if in an apartment you are forced to dispense with the electric option, then in a private house the heater must be wood burning. If the bathhouse is usually built as a separate building, then the sauna is often a room built into the main building.
The process of designing such structures is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, so if you have never had such skills, it is better to turn to specialists.
The most popular material for building a bath or sauna is wood.
If possible, it would be good to use a solid bar, such as spruce, fir or cedar. Resins released during the heating of these wood species have a very beneficial effect on the respiratory system and provide an excellent healing effect. However, not everyone can afford a sauna from whole logs due to the high cost of such material, so wooden lining is most often used. Whatever construction material you choose, it is imperative to take care of high-quality insulation.
Which insulation is better to use
In order for your bath to warm up faster and keep heat longer, it is necessary to provide high-quality insulation during construction. In this case, it is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the ceiling.
Insulation for saunas and baths can be the most diverse:
- mineral wool;
- fiberglass;
- Styrofoam;
- basalt cotton wool;
- penoizol;
- penofol and much more.
The types of insulation that have a foil layer are considered to be the best ones. Such materials do not absorb moisture and are excellent insulators.
Thinking over the design of the baths, saunas, do not forget about high-quality vapor barrier, otherwise any, even the highest quality insulation can be useless. Steam will condense in it, this will lead to a loss of its insulating properties. If, however, when installing a bath or sauna, you decide to completely save on the insulation of walls and ceilings, then the steam will leak through the cracks and condense between the inner and outer walls - this threatens to actively rot and mold. Therefore, the more often you begin to use the bathhouse, the sooner you will have to make major repairs.
Who ordered the way to the bathhouse
In Finland, there is a popular saying that a sauna is shown to anyone who can reach it. But, despite all its advantages, saunas and baths have negative sides. For example, people suffering from certain diseases of a cardiovascular nature or asthma can visit the sauna only with the permission of a doctor. If your blood pressure rises steadily above the 200 mm Hg mark - visiting the bathhouse is definitely forbidden to you! You should not visit the bathhouse even with tuberculosis - in hot, humid air, Koch's stick multiplies much more actively - you not only run the risk of worsening your condition, but increase the risk of infection to others. Also contraindications for visiting a sauna or bath are almost all skin diseases and some diseases of the central nervous system: Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, significant mental disorders.
Conclusion
A hundred years ago, the Russian bath, besides its direct purpose, had a certain sacred meaning. There they quarreled and reconciled, gave birth and baptized children, held important negotiations, divined on the narrowed one, and asked for house welfare in the family.
A modern bathhouse, sauna, reviews of which are most often positive, have lost such "magical" opportunities, but have left behind no less miraculous healing properties. Despite all the differences, the main thing is one - visiting any of them contributes to excellent well-being, better health, good rest and relaxation. So - with a light steam!