Sauna warms up and heals, brings a lot of pleasure. Many people visit the sauna regularly and note the positive rejuvenating effect of its healing steam. How can you make the sauna accessible at any time, and so that you don't go anywhere, and not in a spacious private house with a large plot, but in an apartment? This problem can be solved simply - you can install a mini-sauna right at home and take healthy spa treatments just a couple of steps away from the sofa.
Features:
Demand creates supply, so today you can choose and buy a sauna for every taste and budget, order finishes and designs, fill your sauna with electronic sensors and additional options. A home bath takes up very little space and does not consume much electricity. It is better to entrust the installation of a home sauna to specialists, because very strict requirements are imposed on this equipment, determined by building codes and regulations. In this case, the "Residential apartment buildings" SNiP 31-01-2003 and "Architectural and planning solutions for apartment buildings" SNiP 31-107-2004 are used.
To install a sauna in an apartment building, you must first design this structure, taking into account the requirements described in the regulatory documents.
- the area occupied under the steam room must be in the range from 8 to 20 m2;
- for covering the bath, only wood treated against rotting and fire with special impregnating compounds can be used;
- stoves installed in a sauna must be factory-made, equipped with an automatic shutdown after 8 hours of continuous heating or when the critical temperature of +130 degrees is reached;
- during installation, the mandatory elements are a deluge for splashing water and a perforated pipe connected to the apartment water supply system.
The finished project must be approved by your HOA, SES, State Fire Service and Rospotrebnadzor. This list may vary depending on the region of residence of the apartment owners.
To create a successful project, you need to choose a suitable location for the location of the sauna. In an apartment, it is often located in the bathroom, where there is already a waterproofing and vapor barrier layer, instead of a pantry, you can place it on the balcony.
A steam room standing at home cannot have the same dimensions as a public sauna or a free-standing sauna on the property. It is more compact and has less power consumption. You can buy a ready-made version of the required dimensions. The height of the steam room cannot be lower than 2 meters, and the area for each person must be at least 2 m2. Walls, floor and ceiling must be thermally insulated.
You should also take into account the power consumption of the stove , since in some apartments there are restrictions on this item. Electric sauna stoves are sold in different capacities and designs, you just need to choose a model that suits your style and technical characteristics.
Pros and cons
Home bath has tremendous benefits. Even in spite of the costs and approvals, the benefits and pleasure of bathing procedures are worth it.
The advantages of a home steam room.
- with regular visits, immunity to colds and infectious diseases is enhanced, toxins are removed and weight is regulated, the whole body is rejuvenated, stress is reduced, many diseases are treated, hardening occurs;
- vaping is an excellent means of rest and relaxation after a tiring day at work or intense physical exertion;
- to take bath procedures, you do not need to leave the house, order the time in advance, pay for the hours spent, take with you a lot of necessary accessories and things;
- installation and connection costs quickly pay off during operation.
There are also relative disadvantages.
- the budget for installing a home sauna is quite significant and not always available;
- in a small apartment, where every meter of usable area counts, it can be difficult to place such a structure;
- energy costs and electricity bills are increasing;
- you must comply with all requirements and approvals in order to use the bath legally.
Kinds
There are several types of compact steam rooms, they differ in shape, size, created microclimate, heating method and heating temperature, and a number of other parameters. All these structures can be bought ready-made and put in the bathroom, assembled from shields and components specially produced in a set. It is possible to build a bath with your own hands. The built-in sauna can accommodate the required number of people, but it is impossible to transfer it without complete dismantling.
Many manufacturers offer prefabricated panel models with softwood or linden trim. It is not difficult to assemble such a structure, it is fastened with self-tapping screws according to special instructions with photographs. If necessary, it is disassembled and transported to a new assembly site. Of the minuses, a limited number of models and standard dimensions can be noted.
The classic Finnish sauna is considered not only very useful, but also the easiest to install, as it uses dry steam. In this case, there is no need to drain the water, additional ventilation, as in a Russian bath with its wet steam. You can even put a mobile mini-sauna.
The steam room is heated using a heater-stove, which is powered by a network and looks like a compact room or shower, equipped with benches or couches. Dry steam is most easily tolerated by children, and adults can stay in the steam room longer. If you have a lot of free space, you can equip a sauna for several people and relax with the whole family or enjoy with friends.
The phyto barrel is often made from juniper or coniferous wood , treated in a special way. This steam room is compact and mobile, it is designed for one person, there is a place for it even in the smallest apartment. It looks like a wooden barrel, the person sits on a bench inside, and the head is outside. Such a barrel works from the mains, does not consume a lot of electricity, if necessary, it can be easily transferred to another place or disassembled and hidden in the pantry. In terms of its healing properties, it is not inferior to other models of steam rooms. The set includes a control panel and a thermometer for heating control.
The infrared cabin has even more healing properties than a conventional sauna, thanks to the special infrared radiation. The human body is warmed up in such a cabin by 3-4 cm, which makes it possible to carry out wellness procedures for the treatment of many diseases. The temperature in an infrared sauna does not rise above 60 degrees, which reduces the load on the heart, and a person sweats in it twice as much as in a regular one. Such a gentle heating mode will be useful for weight loss, elimination of toxins, and inflammatory processes.
If the apartment has a ceiling height of at least 3 meters, then it becomes possible to install a Turkish bath. The hammam has a very high humidity, so the steam room must be supplied with a water drain and additional ventilation. Vapor barrier, waterproofing, special hood, which are necessary for the operation of the hammam, are not available in all houses. A domed ceiling is desirable. Yes, and a mini-cabin is not enough here, for a Turkish bath you need more space. The steam room is decorated with marble, tiles, mosaics. The booth is equipped with a steam generator for generating steam.
A foldable portable sauna made of a special multi-layer fabric is sold in a compact package, weighs very little, and operates on a network. The fabric allows some heat to pass through, so it consumes a lot of electricity. When unfolded, a fabric steam room looks like a tent, a person sits inside it, the head remains outside. Then you should zip up and you can start bathing procedures. You can lay out this bath in any room, even in a one-room apartment.
Seat selection
A home portable or folding booth is placed in any suitable room in a house or apartment. The bathroom is the most convenient for this, because it already has hydro and vapor barrier layers, a waterproof finish. All the necessary communications have already been installed in the bathroom, there is no need to make redevelopment, to make an agreement.
On a spacious loggia or a glassed-in balcony, you will get a wonderful bath, you just need to properly insulate the balcony. The ventilation can be brought directly outside.
An empty pantry or a piece of a spacious hallway connecting the bathroom to the kitchen can also be used to install a compact cabin. In this case, redevelopment is necessary, possibly more efficient use of the useful space of the apartment. The cab should be located away from external walls, as they can become covered with moisture and mold.
In private houses, the bath is often equipped in the basement or in the basement, next to the mini-gym, shower. A bath in the attic is also a great solution. This is a comfortable seating area. A well-thought-out solution is to include a drawing of a sauna into the overall project of the house while still under construction.
Dimensions and device
Of course, the dimensions of a home sauna, even in the most spacious three-room apartment, are limited by building codes and power consumption. It is easier to arrange a steam room in a house where electric ovens are installed. Permissible values of power consumption in them are equal to 5-6 kW / h. An electric heater-heater consumes 3-4 kW / h. Simultaneous operation of both electrical appliances is best avoided. The distance to the walls is 2-5 cm, this is a special gap for additional ventilation.
The standard dimensions of ready-made cabins are most often 2x1.3 m, 2x1.6 m or 2x2 m, the height is obligatory about 2 m.For a hammam, the minimum height is 2, 8 m. A single structure can be smaller in width and length.
The walls of the cabin are assembled on a frame and consist of an internal clapboard with a width of at least 12 mm , which does not contain resin, for this you can also use coniferous wood, having previously processed it. Behind the cladding layer is a vapor barrier with a reflective foil layer. The vapor barrier prevents mineral dust from entering the heat insulator and protects it from steam. In the middle of this "pie" there is a 100 mm wide layer of rock wool slabs, which keeps the heat inside the cabin.
Outside, the walls can be finished with plasterboard or other materials to match the rest of the interior elements. The ceiling of the steam room consists of the same layers.
The flooring scheme is also different from other rooms. At the bottom there is a concrete base and a layer of expanded polystyrene, then a floating screed, laid with fusion-bonded waterproofing. Ceramic or stone tiles work well as a finish. If desired, you can install a warm floor system. A wooden lattice is placed on the tile.
The doors to the sauna can be made entirely of wood , including handles, or they can be made of thick tempered glass. They are swing or sliding. The width of the opening should be 60 cm. The shelves for sitting or lying are arranged in two or three rows, for easy cleaning they are made removable. The width of the shelves is approximately 35-55 cm.
The luminaires are covered with protective wooden gratings and do not allow moisture to pass through themselves. They are most often placed in corners, on walls or on the ceiling. Only incandescent lamps are used for lighting. Infrared heating lamps are installed on the side and rear walls of the steam room.
The choice of an electric furnace depends on the size of the cabin. The power is considered sufficient if the steam room heats up to 80 degrees in 20-30 minutes. The stove works from a regular apartment network, the thermostat helps to maintain a constant temperature in the steam room. Special minerals are placed in the stone compartment, which do not split when heated. They produce wall and floor models of stoves, some of them have a fence that protects against accidental burns. The steam generator produces wet steam if desired.
An important element of a compact bath is ventilation. At the bottom of the wall there is an inlet opening, and on top - an exhaust outlet. The stove is placed at the door for proper air circulation. After the end of vaping, ventilation helps to dry the cabin. In a bathroom with a sauna, it is necessary to install forced ventilation with an exhaust hood outside. All cables in high temperature areas must be protected with a heat-resistant insulating hose.
Design
The classic interior decoration of the steam room is made of various wood species. Linden and aspen, exotic species, are perfect for this. Resinous conifers such as Scandinavian pine, juniper, hop are pretreated to remove resin. African abashi wood is cooler to the touch due to its lower thermal conductivity, and is used for making shelves for lying. Accessories can also be made of wood.
Infrared cabins and phyto-barrels are also often lined with clapboard. Sometimes one of the walls or a door can be made of glass. When heated, the wood gives off a pleasant aroma, and the addition of essential oils and infusions makes the steam truly healing. The lamps are equipped with moisture resistant glass and occupy almost the entire surface of the walls for uniform heating of the body.
In the hammam, the floor, walls and ceiling are tiled with marble, and if a more budgetary option is needed, they are laid out with mosaic tiles or ordinary ceramic tiles. The mosaic has a huge variety of patterns and shades. You can make an ornament in an oriental style by laying out a picture, or give preference to the naturalness of stone tiles.
The modern avant-garde interior implies the appropriate style of the bath. The tempered glass booth is adjacent to the shower and is equipped with the most modern options for bathing and spa treatments. It sparkles with chrome details and blends harmoniously with the high-tech style. Glass blocks look great in finishing, creating interesting lighting effects.
The corner layout of the sauna offers many interesting design ideas. In a private house, in a spacious bathroom, this arrangement looks very impressive and does not take up much space, while at the same time allowing to increase the area of the steam room. Often the outer walls of the cabins are also trimmed with wood, which makes the bathhouse a bright and central object of the interior.
Reviews
In Finland, almost everyone has a sauna in their apartment, this is a common thing. Russians have also long been famous for their reverence and love for bath procedures, so the idea of putting saunas right in the bathroom came to their liking. Well-known Finnish, Swedish and Russian companies producing prefabricated saunas offer prefabricated saunas, which receive excellent reviews from owners of compact steam rooms.
Buyers note the excellent quality of the material and the dimensional accuracy of the components for assembly, the reliability and safety of the furnaces, which can be matched in terms of power to the specific dimensions of the bath, fast heating to the desired temperature and long service life.
Customers like phyto barrels for their compactness. You can steam in them using herbal and coniferous infusions, increasing the therapeutic effect of the procedure.
Some owners prefer a self-built sauna, while others steam in a portable fabric steam room. The owners of different types of baths, who have been using cabins for a long time, have noticed a general improvement in health, skin, nervous system and believe that all the costs and efforts to install a home steam room are repaid many times over with the benefits and pleasure of this wonderful invention.
Helpful hints
In order for the bath to serve for a long time and does not need repair, it needs to be looked after. After vaping, open the door wide and ventilate the cabin, and wipe the shelves and walls with a brush soaked in warm water. The floor grill must be lifted and dried, the floor must be wiped.
If the wood has darkened from time to time, it can be restored to freshness by means of regular sanding. Sweat leaves greasy stains on the surface of the wood, and a birch broom - brown. Therefore, the shelves can be impregnated with a special water-based compound. Mildew stains can be easily removed with bleach. It is recommended to wash the sauna with a deodorant agent. The drain hole can become clogged with dirt over time and give off an unpleasant odor. In this case, the drain should be regularly inspected and cleaned. The steam plant also needs regular cleaning.
The entire cabin must be inspected for damage, tightened the bolts of the door and shelves, check the condition of the wiring, clean the oven, replace stones if they have collapsed. It is very useful for steam room irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp. This disinfects the air and all surfaces and prevents the growth of mold and harmful microorganisms.
The rules of care are simple and will not cause much trouble to the owners, and you can enjoy its healing steam and have fun for many years.
For information on how to make a sauna in an apartment, see the next video.