What is a Finnish sauna? Finnish sauna - what is it? Initial stage of construction

Since ancient times in Rus', the bathhouse was considered the main healer of all diseases, it also served as a place for important conversations and cheerful communication with friends, children were given birth in it, and it was a place for various folk rituals and fortune telling. A no less revered and favorite place to visit is the bathhouse among other northern peoples. Only it has a different name. By the way, the Finns call a bathhouse a sauna. In recent decades, the sauna has become widespread in other countries. And although some people believe that the Finnish sauna and the Russian bath differ only in name, in fact there are differences between them, and quite fundamental ones.

A little history of the Finnish sauna

To begin with, let us note that what we mean by the name sauna actually has little in common with the sauna that was traditionally used by the Finns.

Like a traditional Russian bath, the sauna was originally heated with black heat, and was heated by circulating smoke throughout the room. The cooled smoke was removed outside through a pipe or hole in the wall, specially designed for the exit of smoke. Over time, a sauna with a white firebox gained popularity; today both of these varieties have been replaced by a sauna with an electric heater.

Finns simply cannot imagine their life without a sauna; every second home in urban and rural areas is equipped with one; even small city apartments have small steam rooms equipped with a shower.

What are the differences between a Russian bath and a Finnish sauna?

different humidity and temperature

While the Finnish sauna involves steaming with dry air, the main component of the steaming process in a Russian bath is wet steam. In this case, the temperature in the Finnish sauna should exceed +100 C, and the humidity should be from 3 to 8%, maximum it can rise to 25%. The optimal temperature of a steam room in a Russian bath is about 60-80 C, but since moist air has a higher thermal conductivity, the body warms up in it in more natural conditions and at a faster rate.

Since the sauna is characterized by highly dry air and temperatures exceeding 100 C, people with poor health and children should visit the sauna with the consent of a doctor who has observed: the dryness of hot air can cause drying out of the mucous membranes and coughing attacks. The body of a steaming person experiences stress, and increased sweating helps it cope with the load.

The conditions in the Russian steam room are less harsh, increased humidity and not such high temperatures allow:

• create conditions more familiar to the human body,
• heated moist air promotes more active warming of the body,
• To increase the healing properties of the bath, use a broom made from branches of different tree species.

If in a sauna the stress on the body leads to palpitations, then in a steam room in a Russian bath even those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases can take the procedures.

At the same time, dry air in the sauna causes very active sweating, which makes staying in it easy for a person.

Among the differences between a bathhouse and a sauna, one should mention more stable temperature indicators in a sauna - air circulation in it is very limited, whereas in a Russian bathhouse constant convection is inevitable.

heaters in the bathhouse and sauna

Both bathhouses and saunas are traditionally equipped with heater stoves, but if open-type heaters are usually used to produce heat in a sauna, then in a Russian bath closed-type stoves are more often used in which stones lie inside the stove, and the door giving access to them opens only when If you need to turn up the heat, just pour a little water on the stones.

infrastructure features

If in the old days it was customary to build Russian baths on the banks of lakes or rivers, today for cooling they often use quite modern showers, hanging buckets with cold water for dousing, then for a sauna a pool is a necessary element of infrastructure.

Temperature changes that can be created when immersed in a pool with cool water are an ideal option for effectively hardening the body.

steam

Everyone is well aware of the expression “Enjoy your steam”; it refers specifically to the Russian bathhouse. If you know all the features of proper steam formation, then achieving light steam will not be difficult. The main secret is that small portions of water are poured onto stove stones heated to maximum temperature; the smaller the particles of steam formed, the higher its quality will be; the air in the steam room should be quite dry and hot.

Staying in a sauna is not burdened by such problems - air with normal atmospheric humidity enters the room, and when warmed up, it becomes drier. In natural air, steam is maximally dissociated; creating bathing procedures acceptable also involves creating steam without large droplets - they add heaviness to the air and are not beneficial for the lungs. For example, when the air temperature in a room is about +40 C, steam from boiling water will not bring any benefit to a person; it can only cause suffocation.

The process of steam generation in a Russian bath can be performed in several ways:

• in Tatar style, the steam is lowered by the steamers themselves, by waving brooms,
• in Russian, steam is released immediately upon serving, using all available means: towels, fans, sheets, brooms,
• mixed - steam is lowered down, then time is allowed until some of it collects under the ceiling and creates a supply of hot air; This method requires sufficiently high ceilings; low ceilings are preferable for sauna rooms.

features of ventilation arrangement

For normal ventilation of a sauna, a sufficient condition is the equality of atmospheric pressure and pressure inside the room, while a Russian bath can be positioned as a room with excess pressure - without it, obtaining superheated dry steam will be impossible.

As the steam formation process takes place in the enclosed space of the stove, it accumulates and then pores, penetrating through the opening of the closed door into the steam room. The process is accompanied by reflection of part of the steam from the walls of the stove, which contributes to an even greater increase in excess pressure inside the stove, i.e. the dissociation process begins to occur even more actively. Next, the steam released into the room will need to be lowered; its hottest component will be under the ceiling, below, near the floor, the air will be much cooler. The further process of steam movement depends on its condition and the characteristics of a particular steam room.

Is it possible to use a broom in a sauna?

The quality of procedures in a Russian bath is largely due to the use of a healing broom made from plant material. They do not receive strong blows, but even light patting or longitudinal movements along the body greatly enhance the healing effect, activate blood circulation, and stimulate the secretion of sweat.

A broom is an unacceptable attribute for a sauna; high temperature and low humidity lead to excessive dryness of the broom and shedding of leaves.

Finnish sauna - benefits and harm, effects on the human body

First of all, it should be said that all procedures associated with extreme stress on the body can potentially be a source of both beneficial and harmful effects. To avoid harming yourself, you should listen to the recommendations of doctors:

• a dry sauna can be used by people with moderate cardiovascular diseases,
• Slightly higher blood pressure than normal is also not a reason for refusing to use the sauna,
• it is indicated for patients with renal stone disease, those who suffer from disorders of the liver,
• sauna is an effective remedy in the treatment of chronic colds and skin diseases
• systematic use of the sauna leads to a decrease in cholesterol levels in the blood, strengthens and makes the walls of blood vessels more elastic,
• a steam room is indicated for varicose veins,
• procedures using hot steam will help restore and strengthen the immune system
• a dry steam room will help reduce the negative consequences of diseases of muscles and joints, such as rheumatism, sciatica, etc.,
• taking a dry sauna will help speed up the rehabilitation period after injuries and operations, but taking it after injuries and the use of artificial implants is prohibited,
• There is an opinion that regular visits to the sauna activate the burning of fat deposits in overweight people; the body consumes about 650-2500 kcal in one session.

Sauna is contraindicated:

• people with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, urolithiasis,
• suffering from diabetes or tuberculosis,
• those who have severe nervous disorders.

A sauna is not recommended in case of acute diseases of the upper respiratory tract - too dry air can cause excessive dryness of the mucous membranes, and therefore cause severe coughing attacks. At the same time, the Russian bathhouse does not cause such an effect; colds can be treated in it:

• wet steam has a beneficial effect on the condition of the respiratory organs,
• increases lung capacity.

How does visiting a sauna affect the body?

Both the bathhouse and the sauna are a source of energy that can launch processes of healing, rejuvenation, and cleansing in a person. In addition, dry steam has a strong antimicrobial effect on the skin; under its influence, the fat that clogs the pores is washed away from the skin. The only condition is the need to take a shower immediately after leaving the steam room - during the cooling process, the skin is able to absorb all the substances that are on it.

Staying in a room with high temperatures for too long can lead to metabolic disorders, i.e. It is not safe to abuse the steam room.

High temperatures, affecting the human brain, cause a slight decrease in brain activity, causing relaxation. A person begins to feel unusual lightness and peace, muscles relax, and the general condition of the body improves significantly.

When choosing the appropriate type of bath, you should carefully study and analyze the state of your body, compare your diseases with those that are indicated or prohibited when visiting a particular type of steam room.

Interesting: experts say that creative people and the curious prefer a Russian steam room; for pragmatists, busy people and those who constantly lack time, visiting a sauna would be a more acceptable option.

Basic rules for visiting the sauna

If you plan to visit the steam room, then the day should be planned so that you do not experience any particular hunger or fatigue, and your limbs should not be hypothermic.

The time spent in the sauna should be determined depending on the state of health, the duration of the steaming will also be influenced by the temperature regime, the first entry should be limited to five minutes, and the temperature should be about +70-80 C, but if the steam room is heated to 100 C - enough it will be three minutes.

The frequency of visiting the sauna does not have to be limited, of course, this applies to people whose health can be considered ideal. Under no circumstances should a sauna be a way to test endurance or set records for a bet. If you visit the sauna correctly, it will be completely safe for health.

You should not rush when taking steam procedures; you should go to the sauna if you have one and a half to two hours free. You should make sure you have clean underwear that you can put on after taking bath procedures.

Before entering the steam room, you should take a shower; you should not wash your hair. You should take a small towel with you to the steam room - you can sit on it. It is advisable to protect your head with a felt hat or wool cap.

After waiting until the pores of the skin open and it becomes covered, then you can go to the shower room, take a shower and cool down, prepare yourself for a longer visit. While in the steam room, you can use a dry towel to remove sweat.

You can also drink a small amount of tea, kvass, mineral water, but in no case should these be alcoholic drinks.

The number of visits is also determined depending on your own preferences and health status; it can be 2-3 visits, or maybe ten.

Another important point is that a visit to a real Finnish sauna should end with cooling in the pool. But at the same time, it should be remembered that bathing should not be long; it is undesirable to allow the body to become hypothermic.

It is not recommended to get dressed immediately after a sauna and short water procedures - you should rest a little. Moreover, active sweating will continue for some time.

If a person feels unwell, it is better for him to refuse to visit the sauna.

Not many people know about this, but the beloved Russian bathhouse has a close relative - the Finnish sauna, and their common ancestor is the log hut, which our ancestors heated in the black way. The article will discuss what a Finnish sauna is, how it differs from a Russian bathhouse, and how to build one with your own hands.

Finnish sauna and its meaning for Finns

Among our compatriots, steam rooms in all their varieties are highly valued. The pleasure that a visitor receives when warming up from the hot steam and cooling down by jumping into a real snowdrift or a cold pool is unforgettable. But at the same time, we have never heard the name “Finnish sauna”, but the word “sauna” is heard regularly.

Building your own sauna using technology that came from Finland is quite difficult, but if you have the necessary amount of money, a lot of time and patience, you can bring such a building to life. You need to start construction by studying the features that the Finnish steam room and other rooms in the building under construction have.

As time passed, the sauna was modified into a quadrangular wooden house, in which a stove was installed with a chimney pipe and an earthen floor. We used this room as a home and a bathroom at the same time. The stove warmed up, filling the room with smoke, but it did not spoil the feeling of the procedures, since it left only a pleasant smell and disappeared.

Although they were the first to know what it was - a Finnish steam room, in the countryside, this establishment quickly reached the city and became very popular. At first they were erected in private houses in the courtyard, and then they moved to urban buildings: high-rise buildings and the private sector.

All this has grown into a new phenomenon - public Finnish saunas, which have become a traditional feature in the life of every Finn. It is worth saying that a century ago Finnish women even gave birth in a sauna, where perfect sterility was maintained.

To date, more than 2 million saunas have been built in Finland, which can serve 5.3 million Finns daily. The real asset of the modern Finnish sauna is that it provides sacred peace and tranquility.

It is unacceptable to drink alcoholic beverages, make scandals or engage in other immoral things, since “the steam dissipates in anger.” The maximum of faith is that Finns cannot consider themselves clean from spiritual dirt if they do not visit the sauna.

Operating principles of a Finnish sauna

Today, a bathhouse using Finnish technology is a room in which steam is replaced by dry heat with a temperature of 90-110 degrees Celsius and humidity of 10-25 percent. This combination of air parameters makes it easier to tolerate by the body than in a Russian or Turkish bath (hamam). The sauna relaxes not only the body, but also the soul. The immune system and nervous system are strengthened, and the charge of energy received makes a person more efficient for several days ahead.

The mechanical process of warming up in a Finnish bathhouse is like being in a Russian steam room, but the difference is that under the influence of dry heat, the sweat released immediately evaporates from the skin, preventing the body from overheating. The therapeutic effect of a sauna is maximum due to the activation of this process of thermoregulation in the body with intensive work of the sweat glands.

An additional therapeutic effect on the human body is achieved through the use in the construction and decoration of the sauna of those types of wood that are not only good for use at elevated temperatures, but also emit various beneficial substances, which is accompanied by a very pleasant smell.

Naturally, after the steam room you need to cool your body. In this case, as in a Russian bath, they use the nearest body of water, a swimming pool or an ordinary shower. Such a contrasting temperature effect on the body strengthens the immune system and is an excellent preventive measure for the entire cardiovascular system. Speaking about the benefits of a Finnish sauna, it is worth saying that the correct visiting regime is no more than once a week.

The usefulness of saunas using Finnish technology

So, the main difference between a Finnish sauna and a Russian bath is dryness and higher air temperature. Under its influence, blood flows to the skin and muscle tissue, helping to relax the nervous system and improve the overall emotional state of a person.

Also, hot and dry air is very beneficial for the respiratory system. Of course, you need to take the procedures wisely and pay attention to the manifestations that occur in the body while in the steam room. Excessive heating or hypothermia of the body can cause serious illness.

Basics of medical use of the Finnish sauna:

• Regular visits to this establishment allow you to activate your metabolism and lose excess weight;
• with profuse sweating (from 0.5 to 2 kilograms per visit), various negative substances are released: lactic acid, toxins, waste, etc.;
• a number of diseases can be cured much faster if you combine a course of treatment with constant use of the sauna: hypertension, respiratory diseases, bone and joint diseases, kidney disease, various injuries, sprains, dislocations and other disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Read also: "".

Basic rules for visiting a Finnish sauna:

• Do not use soap in the shower before entering the steam room;
• Do not get your hair wet, as wet hair conducts heat perfectly, which can cause heat stroke;
• in the steam room, it is best to sit on the bottom shelf and relax your muscles as much as possible;
• You should drink herbal tea made from lemon balm, currants, rose hips, strawberries and hawthorn;
• After leaving the steam room you need to rest for at least half an hour.

The main stages of constructing a Finnish sauna

Almost every difference between a Finnish bathhouse and a Russian one makes it interesting for our compatriots. Let's take a closer look at the process of self-construction of this establishment. In no case should you save money when carrying out work, since the reliability and safety of using the sauna depends on the quality of each functional element.

Building layout

The national traditions of Finland are such that steam rooms in saunas have a minimum size for 1-3 people to stay at the same time. Even large families, when visiting a Finnish sauna, go to different steam rooms according to gender: women and men separately. Typically, the area of ​​this room is from 5 to 10 square meters, and the entire building occupies from 30 to 40 “squares”. Mostly in standard projects, relatively low ceilings (2.1 meters) are used, which allows the use of standard size doors.

The Russians have modified such designs to suit themselves, since they require greater comfort and, for the most part, violate the Finnish traditions of taking bath procedures. The steam room is made with a size of about 15 square meters, and only 5 “squares” are allocated for the washing area. The rest of the space is allocated for a rest room, combined with a locker room, vestibule and dressing room. To maximize the space for visitors to work, an electric stove-heater with minimal dimensions is installed.

What to build from

Today, a Finnish sauna can be built with your own hands in a house or separately from it without difficulty, but a certain set of building materials will be required:

• brick, lumber or stone can be used to build walls;
• the internal lining is made from wood, taking into account the beneficial effects of certain types of wood on the body of visitors;
• the foundation can be of any type, since the total weight of the building is small.

Frame of the entire building and construction of walls

There are two main ways to build the walls of a Finnish sauna: using beams or using the frame method. The street side should be sheathed with an overlap to prevent moisture and cold air masses from penetrating into the building, leading to the formation of fungus on the walls. Before installing and covering the frame, it is necessary to clearly indicate the location of the stove (read also: " "). Special fastenings must be created for its installation.

The frame itself must have high strength so as not to fall apart under intense exposure to high temperatures. The timber must be installed vertically in increments of 50 centimeters. The elements are fastened using self-tapping screws. Thermal insulation material (mineral slabs or cotton wool) is placed in the voids of such sheathing, followed by covering it with a layer of foil.

Ceilings and floors

The ceilings are mounted from beams, which in cross-section have a cross-section from 0.6 to 0.8 centimeters, and are covered with linden boards on top of them. The beams are cut into the crown of the building at the required height through the strapping of the entire frame. The pitch between the beams can be set from 0.6 to 1 meter.

When starting construction work, we must not forget about the laying of thermal insulation materials, since the premises must be airtight, even taking into account the fact that their high-quality ventilation is the main functional element of the building.

A vapor barrier layer is laid on the top floor. The thickness of the insulation on the ceiling should be one and a half times greater than the layer on the walls, since convection leads to the accumulation of hot air at the highest point of the room.

Floors are rightfully considered the coldest surface in a sauna, since wood becomes covered with moisture over time, creating the effect of a slippery surface and causing unpleasant dampness. It would be wiser to tiling with ceramic tiles and use a concrete screed as a subfloor. It is best to use bitumen felt as a thermal insulation material.

Installation of shelves and benches

Again, focusing on the beneficial effects of certain types of wood on the human body, you need to install shelves and benches in the steam room from aspen or birch. The planks are secured with a small gap using stainless steel screws and nails. Hats must be immersed in the wood at least 5-7 millimeters to protect visitors from accidental contact with hot metal.

The width of the shelves should be at least 0.6 meters, and they should be arranged in tiers to expand the area of ​​free space in the room. From the top tier to the ceiling it is necessary to make a span of at least 1.05 meters so that the visitor can sit without difficulty. For convenience, footrests should be placed under the lying shelves. It wouldn’t hurt to have a small window in the steam room design through which the sun’s rays would penetrate.

Window and door openings

You can install a door made of glass or wood in the steam room. It makes the most sense to use wood, since a solid door leaf will enclose the space of the steam room. All gaps between the door block and the leaf must be sealed with felt. The fittings inside the steam room should also be made of wood so that they can be used during procedures and heating the air to extreme temperatures.

It is possible to make windows in a building, but even those that will be used for natural lighting and ventilation must be placed lower and the linear dimensions of up to 50-70 centimeters must be observed.

Ventilation system

When installing ventilation, you must adhere to the following rules:

• the cladding of the floors must remain airtight;
• the intake of air that will be heated must be carried out by supplying it from the adjacent room through the door;
• the air must be exhausted in the same way until a clean corridor is created to the street;
• the channel in the wall of the steam room must be placed under the lower tier of shelves so that during the convection process the already cooled air escapes through it;
• a corrugated tube should be used as finishing for the ventilation duct.

Stove-heater in the Finnish sauna

In this case, it is also necessary to adhere to a number of conditions:

• for every cubic meter of steam room volume there should be 1 kilowatt of furnace power;
• the unit must be placed in such a way that all visitors, sitting on benches and shelves, are completely safe;
• We must not forget about fireproof insulation of all floors in the immediate vicinity of the stove.

Bottom line

The article discusses in detail the history of creation, features and construction process of the Finnish sauna. You can even protect your body from various negative manifestations with your own hands, but to do this you will have to use the instructions for building a sauna, which were presented in this article.

The work can be entrusted to specialists who will take responsibility for all stages - from purchasing the necessary materials and accessories to their installation and putting the sauna into operation.

If you are a fan of hot steam temperatures, you can always find pleasant solutions regarding the choice of a bathhouse. Renting an inexpensive Moscow sauna is a very popular request of Muscovites and city guests, and sauna owners always provide excellent opportunities for a relaxing holiday that will be remembered for its multifaceted criteria.

In a good Finnish sauna in Moscow you can always take a wonderful steam bath with a broom, warm up your body and warm up well. The Finnish steam room is an excellent means of preventing colds, as well as treating them. Therefore, under any circumstances, take the opportunity to have a good rest in the relaxing spaces of the sauna, which will give you many minutes to improve your body’s health. In the Finnish steam room, the air is characterized by increased dryness, as well as maximum steam temperatures - here you will experience the most extreme temperatures, which are not found even in a good Russian bathhouse, since there is a humid atmosphere - and therefore it is always easier to breathe. Going to a Finnish steam room can be a pleasure if you use the visiting rules correctly. First of all, you should go into the steam room for just a couple of minutes to begin to get used to the temperatures, gradually warming up your body. After two minutes, leave the steam room, rinse off in the shower and rest a little. After which you can repeat this procedure once or twice. When you feel that your body has warmed up well, you can enjoy the wonderful process of steaming, which can give you a lot of relaxation and also cleanse your body well.

After the Finnish steam room, continue your relaxation in the aqua area - swim in the pool, soak in the jacuzzi - this will bring an additional dose of relaxation, thanks to which you will feel great. An inexpensive Finnish steam room will welcome you with wonderful bath procedures that will definitely suit your taste! Check out our selection of ideal saunas, which will help you choose your own sauna where your group of friends will be very comfortable. We wish you great relaxation in the cozy spaces of the Finnish sauna!

The Finnish sauna is the sister of the Russian bathhouse; their ancestor is the same log hut, heated in black. In our country, in recent years, it has become fashionable and prestigious to visit such establishments, enjoy the steam, pouring hot stones over a fire, and then throw yourself into a snowdrift or a pool of cold water. Building a bathhouse using Finnish technology is quite a complex task, which requires certain material costs and time. Before you start construction, you need to have a clear idea of ​​what you want to get in the end.

Sauna in the life of Finns

First, I would like to tell you the legend of where the sauna came from, according to the Finns themselves. Once the roof of a Finnish house leaked in a rainy autumn, and drops of water fell on the hot stones of the hearth. As the water evaporated, it filled the housing with a pleasant steam, and the residents really liked it. This is how the first Finnish bathhouse appeared.

Sauna is a word in the Sami and Finnish languages. The tradition of visiting a sauna originated 2 thousand years ago and is deeply rooted in the national way of life. The oldest of the saunas were pits dug into the slopes and covered with stones heated on one side.

Over time, this technology was improved, and the sauna turned into a quadrangular wooden house with a stove without a chimney and an earthen floor, which served both as a simple living room and a bathroom. The stove heated up, as a result of which the room was filled with smoke, which soon left a special smell and disappeared.

The origins of the Finnish sauna are rural, but gradually this establishment has become part of city life. The first urban saunas appeared in courtyards outside homes, and then in apartment buildings and detached houses with terraces. Shared or public saunas have also begun to appear in most cities. The sauna played a huge role in the family life of the Finns: most women until the thirties of the last century gave birth in the sterile conditions of saunas

Today there are more than 2 million saunas in Finland, which can serve 5.3 million people. For Finns, the sauna is still a sacred place where peace reigns; here you cannot drink alcohol, sort things out or quarrel, since, according to the Finns, “steam dissipates in anger.” Finns believe that if you don’t visit the sauna, you will not be clean and will not get rid of filth and vices!

The mechanism of action of the Finnish sauna

A Finnish sauna is a dry heat bath in which the air has a high temperature of up to 90-110 degrees Celsius and low humidity - close to 10-25%. It is precisely because of the low level of humidity that the heat is more easily tolerated than in a Russian bath and Turkish hammam. The sauna provides complete relaxation of body and spirit, strengthens the immune system, improves emotional state, and increases performance.

The physiological mechanism of a bath using Finnish technology is to warm up the body until profuse sweating, when, thanks to dry air and high temperature, moisture actively evaporates from the surface of the skin, protecting it from overheating. Activation of this mechanism is responsible for a good therapeutic result, stimulating the work of the sweat glands and the thermoregulatory functions of the body. As a result, waste products are released along with sweat. And the wood from which the sauna is made only enhances the therapeutic effect of the visit on human health.

After steaming in the sauna, an important and mandatory procedure is to cool the body. The most commonly used are a shower, a natural pond or a swimming pool. Temperature changes put the body in extreme conditions. Such “stress” increases the body’s immune defense and conducts a kind of training for the cardiovascular system. It is recommended to visit the Finnish sauna no more than once a week.

Advantages of a Finnish sauna

Hot air drives blood flow to the skin and muscles, which helps relieve depression and stress. Since the air in it is hot and dry, it is very beneficial for the lungs and bronchi. Naturally, the benefits of a sauna can only be felt if all its benefits are used in moderation, taking the body’s signals into account. Otherwise, in particular, if you spend too much time in a hot steam room or become overly hypothermic afterwards, you can seriously harm yourself.

Regular visits to the Finnish sauna improve the body's metabolism and help get rid of excess weight. During one visit, an adult loses 0.5 - 2 kg due to a large amount of sweat, and along with this - its breakdown products, lactic acid and numerous toxins. For some diseases that are associated with disorders of blood pressure and breathing, for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and kidneys, for injuries, sprains and dislocations, a visit to the bathhouse is an integral part of the main course of treatment.

To get the effect of visiting a Finnish sauna, you need to adhere to certain rules. The first and most important thing to understand is showering without soap. You should not get your head wet so as not to cause it to overheat. It is best to lie on the bottom shelf in the steam room, with your muscles fairly relaxed. If you're thirsty, a cup of herbal tea made from lemon balm, currants, rose hips, strawberries and hawthorn will help quench your thirst. After visiting the steam room, you should take at least a thirty-minute rest.

Construction of a Finnish sauna

But let's move on to the construction and installation of a Finnish sauna. The construction of a building is a responsible task that does not tolerate savings on building materials and requires a serious approach. If you want to build this building durable and of high quality, then be sure to follow the rules described below.

Planning a Finnish sauna

A real Finnish sauna is small in size, as evidenced by the photo of a Finnish sauna. This is due to national traditions - to arrive in the steam room in a small group of up to 3 people or individually. Even large Finnish families wash separately in the sauna, and not together: men separately from women. Therefore, a steam room is built with an area of ​​5-10 square meters. And the entire bathhouse occupies about 30-40 square meters. A distinctive feature of Finnish saunas is their low ceilings: standard designs provide a height of only 2.1 meters, so doors of standard sizes can be used.

But our Finnish bathhouse has a Russian adaptation, so most often the steam room is a little larger - about 15 square meters. Moreover, the shower or washing room is made to a minimum size - about 5 square meters, but the rest room is usually combined with a locker room, vestibule and dressing room. To reduce the usable area of ​​the bathhouse even less, you need to install an electric heater.

Construction materials

Building a Finnish sauna with your own hands is a very delicate matter. Walls can be built from brick, wood or stone. But your health literally depends on the choice of wood type for interior cladding. For example, pine cladding of a space with planed boards without creating a vapor barrier layer will be harmful to health, because vacationers will inhale resin fumes. The ideal option for wall timber is Finnish polar spruce.

To cover the walls of the sauna, it is customary to use lining made of deciduous wood - birch, aspen and linden. The main advantage of this material is its ability to withstand high temperatures. Do not decorate the walls with plastic under any circumstances! Such material can be seriously damaged by heat. MDF panels are also not suitable, because they are also not able to withstand high temperatures. And any type of wood is suitable for equipping the dressing room.

Since the Finnish sauna is a small building, the foundation for it can be made from almost any materials, from reinforced concrete to rubble stone on cement. Also, the foundation can be made of stone or brick pillars, which are located in the corners of the sauna. If the design of a Finnish bathhouse involves a large building size, then it is customary to lay additional pillars between the corners of the building.

Frame and walls of the sauna

Speaking about the construction of sauna walls, it should be noted that they can be made from beams or made using the frame method. It is advisable to overlap the outer wall cladding so that the room is reliably protected from moisture and wind, and, consequently, from the formation of fungus. Before installing the frame and wall cladding, you should determine the location of the heater. It is recommended to install a mount under it, so this procedure is necessary.

The frame of a Finnish sauna must be strong, because high temperatures can destroy the structure. For this purpose, you can install the timber vertically at a distance of half a meter from each other. The frame is connected with self-tapping screws. Insulation, which is used as mineral slabs or mineral wool, is inserted into the cells of the sheathing. These materials do not require additional fastening, so their use saves money and time. Heat-reflecting foil is fixed on top of this layer.

Ceiling and floor

The ceiling of the Finnish sauna steam room is made of beams that have a cross-section of 60-80 millimeters along with a lining of linden boards. The beams are cut into the crown of the log house and the frame frame. The permissible distance between the beams is about 60-100 centimeters. When starting to build a sauna, it is worth remembering about thermal insulation, since the design of such premises should provide for the highest possible tightness with optimal air exchange. The upper ceiling is vaporized, and the thermal insulation layer of the ceiling should be one and a half times greater than on the bath walls, because the temperature is always higher at the top of the sauna.

The floor serves as the coldest place in the sauna. Wooden floors always remain wet, causing the beam to become slippery over time, giving off a damp smell. Therefore, it is more advisable to equip a Finnish bathhouse with a concrete floor covered with ceramic tiles. Place a layer of bitumen felt under the screed as insulation. To prevent the steamer's feet from becoming overcooled during the procedures, it is customary to lay wooden flooring or thick mats on the floor.

Benches and shelves

Make shelves and benches from aspen or birch. Secure the planks together with a small gap using stainless screws or nails. Their caps are sunk into the wood to a depth of 5-7 millimeters to prevent burns to vacationers.

Shelves should be made at least 60 centimeters wide and placed one above the other to minimize the space. The last shelf is placed at a height of 105 centimeters from the ceiling in order to be comfortable even in a sitting position. Moreover, for even greater convenience, small shelves for the feet are located under the sunbeds. The design of your building also needs to provide a small window for lighting.

Doors and windows

In a Finnish sauna you can install a glass or wooden door. But it is best to give preference to the latter option, since the tree will make the room enclosed. Insulate wooden doors using the method described above. The gaps between the doors and the frame should be padded with felt. If a vestibule is provided, then the doors can be installed directly into the steam room without thermal insulation. The handle on the inside is made of wood.

If not the entire area of ​​the room is occupied by a steam room, then you can make windows in the building after watching a video about a Finnish sauna. If the window is provided for the purpose of natural light or ventilation, then it should not be positioned very high in order to reduce heat loss. The size of such a window should not be impressive - a maximum of 500-700 millimeters.

Ventilation in the sauna

When installing a sauna, do not forget to take care of ventilation. Start with the material you used. For wall cladding, as mentioned above, do not use coniferous wood. Otherwise, the released resins will stain everything. For this purpose, take a deciduous tree. Cover the heads of the screws that connect the frame with putty, because you can get hurt on the hot metal. Do not leave a gap between the boards.

The steam room should be performed with special ventilation, ensuring that there is no risk of oxygen burnout. The air in the steam room is constantly moving, and optimal ventilation will be when the air is taken from the rest room, then it is heated in the oven and cooled in the steam room, and the exhaust is organized in the rest room, in the washing room or outside.

Such requirements for the ventilation system force the developer to develop a Finnish sauna design that creates forced air circulation. In this case, it is customary to install the ventilation duct in the steam room in a special way: the heated air should rise to the ceiling unhindered, where, gradually cooling, it should descend into the outlet channel, which is located under the lower bench, past the paired sunbeds. It is circulation, performed in this way, that can increase the efficiency of the entire system and provide excellent heating of the steam room with different temperature levels.

If you have not provided for ventilation, then you can make it from corrugation with air removed from the room and exhausted. It is recommended to hide the electrical wiring in metal corrugation or cable ducts, and best of all - under the casing. The lighting must be installed on the frame before finishing the steam room. At the same time, it is worth buying closed-type lamps, not forgetting that in such a room there is high humidity.

Heater stove

When it comes to choosing a heater stove, everything is decided solely by the taste of the owner, his financial capabilities and preferences. You can purchase a wood-burning stove if you can regularly provide the sauna with firewood, and if the size of the steam room allows it. But most developers prefer an electric heater.

This device is equipped with an air circulation system that ensures uniform heating of the steam room. When choosing a heater, it is recommended to proceed from the volume of the steam room. It should be remembered that one kilowatt of power is enough to efficiently warm up 1 meter of cubic space. Therefore, if the volume of the steam room is 15 cubic meters, then the power of the heater stove should be 12 kilowatts.

An electric heater or stove should be installed in such a way that it is positioned as efficiently as possible in relation to the shelves and does not expose visitors to the risk of burns. In addition, you need to carefully insulate the walls and ceiling of your sauna. It does not matter in which corner the heating element will be placed. In any case, it should be fenced with railings or a cage for additional protection.

Steam is generated in a Finnish sauna by pouring water over the hot stove stones. If we take into account that the procedures require minimal air humidity, then it should be raised solely to facilitate breathing, and the installation of a steam generator is not necessary because of this, and is carried out only in situations where the steam room will be periodically switched to Russian bath mode.

Now you have learned how to build a Finnish sauna. Recently, Finnish saunas, which have a centuries-old history and are considered a truly sacred place in their homeland, have become increasingly popular among Russians. And this fact is not difficult to explain, because in such a room the air temperature easily rises to 120 degrees Celsius, which helps cleanse the human body of waste and toxins, and, therefore, improve its health.

In the last decade, the Finnish sauna has become the most popular type of bathhouse in Russian cities. You won’t find a real Russian bathhouse with a fire during the day, and there are saunas at every step. And such a development of events cannot be called a paradox, because building a sauna is much easier and cheaper than a Russian bathhouse. At the same time, no one disputes the healing properties of the Finnish steam room - they are also at their best.

The climate of the Finnish sauna is the main difference from the Russian bath

The Finnish technology sauna is one of the hottest and driest. In general, that’s what they call it – a dry heat bath. The temperature here is in the range of 90-110°C, and the humidity does not exceed 8-20%. Such a climate may seem unexpected for a person who previously only took a steam bath in a Russian bathhouse. Indeed, in a Russian steam room everything is the other way around: the temperature is relatively low - 55-80°C, and the humidity is in excess - 50-70%.

There is a well-known rule in the bath business: the higher the temperature, the lower the humidity should be. In other words, if we decide to raise the humidity to at least 25% in a hot sauna, we can easily get burns all over our body, and the worst thing is a burn to the lungs. This is not something to joke about, and it is not in vain that some sauna owners ask not to splash water on hot stones, so that visitors do not accidentally increase the humidity to extreme limits. Although in fact you can pour water on the heater, but only a little. If the air has become too dry or you want to add flavor to it, then pour not just water, but an infusion of herbs, honey solution, kvass.

The location of the stones in the furnace is the second difference

Another difference between a Finnish bathhouse and a Russian one is the design of the stove, or rather the position of the stones. In a sauna, stones are placed on the surface of the stove; they quickly heat up and immediately release this heat into the surrounding space. In a Russian sauna, the stones are placed directly into the oven; they heat up more than in a Finnish sauna, but they release their heat more slowly. Therefore, a Finnish sauna heats up and then cools down faster than a Russian sauna.

Most often, an electric sauna is used, the heating element of which is an electric heating element. This stove is very convenient: it heats up quickly, does not require additional fuel, and is often equipped with a control panel.

How is it customary to steam in a Finnish sauna?

In the Finnish sauna you can warm up, relax and sweat. In principle, no other events are provided. Having entered the steam room (after taking a shower), you need to sit on the shelf and relax. It is believed that the first sauna session should end as soon as a few drops of sweat flow from the nose of the person steaming. However, this is not entirely true. Everyone sweats differently, so some people still don't sweat even after 15 minutes. And the body is probably already overheated! On average, the first run lasts 3-5 minutes. This is less than the first visit to a Russian steam room, but it is recommended not to exceed this time. Otherwise, overheating and other unpleasant consequences cannot be avoided (remember the so-called “sports” sauna and its victims). As soon as you feel uncomfortable, leave immediately!

After leaving the steam sauna, take a cold shower (t=18-20°C) or plunge into the pool water, and then relax. Drink tea, kvass or fruit drink - these drinks will restore the fluid balance in the body. This must be done, because in the sauna you sweated very well, and, therefore, lost a certain amount of moisture. For reference: in a sauna a person sweats much more than in a Russian bath, where high humidity to some extent blocks the mechanisms of sweating. In the sauna, the humidity is low, so the sweat glands begin to work at full capacity, throwing waste, toxins and other harmful substances out of the pores.

The next time you enter a steam room in a Finnish sauna, the duration of steaming can be increased. However, all the same, 10-15 minutes is quite enough. Sit or lie on the shelf, give yourself a honey massage - a wonderful way to warm up, cleanse the skin, and get rid of subcutaneous fat.

You can read more about massage in baths and saunas here:

At the end of the procedure, you should take a shower using a washcloth and soap, wipe yourself dry and rest for a while. Only after your skin has completely cooled down can you put on clothes and go outside.