Everyone has long known the benefits of visiting saunas and baths. Today it has become possible to equip a steam room in a residential area. You can purchase a ready-made structure or equip the sauna yourself.
We will consider the subtleties of decorating a sauna in an apartment in more detail in this article.
Features of the
A visit to the sauna has a beneficial effect on the entire body. Now it has become possible to visit the steam room without leaving home. You can equip a sauna right in the apartment, of course, if the free space allows it.
The installation of such structures in a residential building of an apartment building is not prohibited by any regulatory enactments and is completely legal. but installation of the sauna must be coordinated with a number of government agencies.
The large rooms can be equipped with a sauna with a total capacity of two people. In small rooms, it is possible to install only small-sized structures for one person.
A steam room in a residential area, no matter how large it is, is a sealed glazed installation resembling a cabin in shape. There must be seating arrangements in the sauna.… If the structure is large, then shelves are equipped in it.
The installation is powered by electricity. The air temperature can be adjusted by raising it to the desired degree and stopping heating.
The benefits of taking water procedures in a home cabin are no less than the benefits of visiting a regular sauna.
Advantages and disadvantages
Home saunas are gaining in popularity due to a number of significant benefits.
Let's consider the main advantages of such constructions:
- For sauna lovers, installing such a design in an apartment will save time and money on visiting public steam rooms.
- Most models of heating equipment for home couples have a remote control. Using the remote control, you can adjust the heating rate and temperature in the steam room.
- The infrared steam room does not require large amounts of electrical energy to operate.
- Regular visits to the steam room have a beneficial effect on the body. The only exceptions are those cases when, for health reasons, it is contraindicated for a person to visit the sauna.
Home saunas also have certain disadvantages. Let's highlight the disadvantages of such designs:
- Good quality models are quite expensive, and it is not always possible to make a sauna yourself.
- Not all apartments can accommodate a steam room. The decisive factor in this case is the area of the room.
- Not all people can visit the sauna. Serious diseases associated with the cardiovascular system or oncology are the basis for a complete rejection of water procedures in the steam room.
Projects
The design of a home sauna primarily depends on the free space in the room. Now you can purchase ready-made structures of various shapes and sizes, or you can make a cabin yourself. With regard to the placement of the sauna, then most often cabins are installed in bathrooms … but placement options such as a balcony or even a storage room are also acceptable.
In a three-room apartment, you can equip a separate room as a steam room. As for private houses, it is much easier to find a place to place a steam room here.
Basements or attics can be used here.
The placement of a sauna in a room largely depends on the layout of the room. Among the ready-made structures, you can find both corner and wall-mounted cabins. In certain cases, it will be more expedient to make a steam room yourself.
According to the regulations governing the design of these structures, the sauna area should not exceed 24 m³. The minimum area of the steam room is 1 m3³. The optimum cab height is two meters. The only exceptions are mini-barrels.
When installing a home sauna, which is equipped with a steam generator or an electric oven, it is necessary to remember about ventilation. Such structures are not installed close to the wall, but with a gap of at least 20 millimeters.
In addition to ventilation, it is important to take care of high-quality thermal insulation and electrical wiring. Mineral wool is most often used as a heater. High-quality heat-insulating material will save electricity for heating the sauna and will keep the heat in the cabin for a long time.
A separate cable covered with a thermal protective layer must be used for the wiring.… The cord is pulled along the floor in the steam room and led out to the electrical panel.
Materials (edit)
Home saunas are most often made from wood. To ensure reliable sealing of the cab, glass is used for the production of cab doors. Shower cabins with a steam room function are made of high-strength plastic and glass. Barrel-shaped structures are mostly made from cedar.
A home steam room can be done without much difficulty with your own hands. An important step in the manufacture of a sauna is the correct selection of materials. Tiles are perfect for finishing the floor., which is laid on a pre-equipped infrared warm cover.
Wooden floors are not recommended.
The frame, lathing, external and internal cladding, as well as shelves must be made of high-quality wood. Don't forget about vapor barrier. Special parchment can be used as a vapor barrier. For thermal insulation of the walls of the structure, mineral wool is well suited.
Concerning wood, then the material must be treated with a special antiseptic and fire-resistant composition … Not all tree species are suitable for making a sauna. The most suitable option is linden, a valuable African species of abash and aspen wood..
Each type of wood that can be used to make a home sauna has its own characteristics:
- Abash is practically non-heat-conducting wood, therefore it is so often used for finishing baths and saunas. The material has high strength, which indicates resistance to mechanical stress and deformation. The surface of the wood is smooth and does not emit any resin.
- Aspen it is highly resistant to decay. No resinous precipitates form on the surface of the material.
- Linden retains heat well, therefore it is ideal for interior decoration of the sauna. The surface of such wood is fairly flat, with no knots.
- Canadian hemlock (hamlock) it has a long service life and a beautiful natural texture. There are no resins in such wood.
- Canadian red cedar differs in a large number of natural shades from light to dark tones. The material is practically non-flammable, resistant to temperature extremes and moisture.
- Black alder (sticky) practically does not absorb water and can withstand exposure to very high temperatures. The material is resistant to deformation and has a low level of thermal conductivity.
How to choose a stove?
According to fire safety requirements, stove equipment that is used in a home steam room must be factory-made. It is not allowed to install devices that require solid fuel or gas to operate.
Factory models come with built-in sensors. They regulate the heating process and the operating time of the device. When the temperature in the steam room reaches over 130 degrees or the stove has been operating continuously for 8 hours, the device will automatically turn off.
There are two types of stove devices that can be used in home saunas:
- ovens powered by electricity;
- IR - infrared equipment.
Electric heaters are powered by 220 volts. Special stones are placed in the body of the device. The size of the stones will determine the speed of heating the booth: the larger the stones, the faster the heating will take place. In electric ovens, a layer of thermal insulation is always present, which prevents the body from overheating.
Despite the fact that the electric stove is completely fireproof, the surfaces of the floor and walls of the sauna next to the device must be finished with a fire-resistant coating.
When choosing a suitable model of an electric furnace, its power should be taken into account. The required power is calculated depending on the size of the steam room. The maximum permissible load on the electrical network in an apartment can be 6 kilowatts. A stove with this capacity can cope with heating a steam room of 8 cubic meters.
For medium-sized saunas, 4 kilowatt stoves are usually sufficient.
Infrared heaters are distinguished by their compact size. In addition, the body of such devices does not heat up, so IR devices can be installed on surfaces made of any materials. In appearance, the heater is a rectangular body with an infrared lamp inside.
Infrared radiation does not change the air temperature, but only affects objects, evenly warming them up.
Types of finished structures
Manufacturers of saunas for apartments produce several types of designs. Each model has its own characteristics and functions. When choosing a ready-made version of a steam room for a home, it is worth considering the installation site, as well as the area and layout of the room.
Shower cabins
The simplest saunas are showers with a built-in steam room function. Such structures are always equipped with a steam generator. This element is responsible for maintaining the required temperature regime in the cabin.
Steam cabins are quite compact compared to other types of home saunas. The advantage of such devices is also considered to be the ability to combine bath procedures with regular washing in the shower.
The installation of shower boxes with a sauna function is not particularly difficult, the whole process is clearly described in the instructions for the equipment.
Combination models are also available with separate shower and sauna compartments. In such designs, the steam room can be either single or double.
The cabins are made of high-strength plastic, and the partitions can be made of glass blocks. As for steam, it can be either dry or wet.
Barrels
The barrel-shaped structures are small and can only accommodate one person. The main advantage of these saunas is their compactness.
Such a steam room can be placed even in a small one-room apartment.
Infrared steam rooms
Infrared saunas get their name from the type of heating equipment installed. The heat source in this case will be infrared emitters. In such designs, there is no steam and, as a result, moisture, so this model can be placed on the balcony or in the bedroom.
Infrared steam rooms are available complete with all necessary appliances. You can use this design immediately after its installation. You can adjust the temperature mode using the remote control. Infrared heaters have certain limitations on heating surfaces: the temperature cannot exceed 60 degrees.
Unlike designs with electric ovens, infrared saunas heat the body more evenly and deeply. Heaters are distributed throughout the cabin in such a way that the rays affect the person from all sides. A significant advantage of this type of steam room is the complex positive effect on the entire body as a whole.
IR rays have an effect not only on the skin, but also on the internal organs of a person.
Turkish
Turkish saunas are rather large and are not suitable for installation in every apartment. The recommended ceiling height in the room should be at least 2.8 meters. The room must be equipped with an extractor hood. The structure is equipped with a steam generator and a "warm floor" system.
The maximum temperature in such structures can reach only 60 degrees.… Wet steam is used in Turkish saunas. In certain models of the steam generator, it is possible to add herbal infusions or essential oils, due to which the inhalation effect is achieved when visiting the sauna.
Finnish
The Finnish sauna uses dry steam and high temperatures, which can reach 110 degrees. Such structures are rather large and are not suitable for installation in small rooms.
Mini constructions
Mini saunas can be called a type of steam barrel. This portable model is a small cedar barrel with an equipped steam generator. This design takes up very little space in the room (about 1 m³). One of the advantages of a mobile mini-sauna is its low weight, which allows you to easily change the location of the structure.
Folding portable saunas with a solid frame are considered another type of mini-constructions. Outwardly, the sauna resembles a large bag or a tent with a compact steam generator.
Design
Most types of home saunas are made from high quality wood. The wood has a beautiful natural structure that does not need to be hidden under paintwork. Wooden structures look aesthetically pleasing and fit perfectly into any interior design.
The modern building materials market offers a wide range of paints and varnishes for the treatment of wooden surfaces. If you wish, you can paint the sauna in any shade. Interior decoration must be carried out with hardwood materials. It will be enough to treat the finishing materials inside the structure with a special protective compound against mold, which also emphasizes the natural texture of the wood.
The floors in the sauna can be tiled. Such a coating will not only be visually attractive, but also reliable. Despite the fact that home steam rooms are small in size, it is not forbidden to decorate the cabin with decorative elements. Inside the steam room, you can arrange a beautiful composition of small wooden ladles, sauna hats, tubs and other items.
Sometimes steam rooms are installed in very small bathrooms. To make the structure look less bulky in a small room and not visually reduce the room, sauna doors are best made of glass.
It is also allowed to make one of the walls glass.
If, instead of a finished sauna, you plan to make the structure yourself, you can embody any design ideas. It is allowed to combine different types of trees in the manufacture of the external frame, as well as for interior decoration.
Also, at the design stage, you can think over the type of artificial lighting and choose suitable lighting devices.
Testimonials
At first glance, it seems that taking water treatments in a home steam room and visiting a real sauna have completely different effects. However, the reviews of the owners of home saunas say something completely different.
Buyers as well as manufacturers of their own designs note the following:
- A visit to a home steam room allows you to quickly relieve stress and physical tension, and also improves overall well-being.
- Ease of use. Most types of heating devices can be controlled using a remote control.
- With a large area of \ u200b \ u200bthe room, you can even install a double structure.
- Some companies make homemade steam rooms to order. Thus, you can purchase the most suitable design for the layout of the room.
Buyers of ready-made saunas warn about the high probability of purchasing low-quality goods. You shouldn't skimp on buying a steam room and buy cheap Chinese-made goods.
Poor quality designs do not meet the declared characteristics and can fail very quickly.
Tips & Tricks
Home saunas are easy to use. However, before using the steam room for the first time, a number of important steps must be taken:
- The cab needs to be warmed up well. It is not necessary to do this at maximum temperatures, it is best to set the average value. The doors must be open when the sauna is heated for the first time.
- Warming up the cabin with the door open for about an hour, the door is tightly closed without changing the temperature regime in the steam room.
- After an hour, the temperature in the steam room is increased by 1.5 times. After another hour, heating can be ended.
- It is advisable to repeat this procedure for several days in a row. In this case, the temperature must be increased each time. On about the fourth day, you can warm up the cabin at the maximum temperature.
If, after all the manipulations, there are no failures in the operation of the sauna, then you can safely operate the structure.
In order for the sauna to last for many years, the structure needs proper care. If the steam room is made of wood, especially it is important to dry the cabin well after each water treatment … It is necessary to remove excess moisture from the surface of walls, floors and shelves with a dry cloth and leave the door to the steam room open for some time in order to ventilate.
Beautiful examples
Small steam rooms are great for small bathrooms. The glass walls of the sauna make the structure visually lighter.
The compact cabin with wooden slats fits perfectly into the stylish bathroom interior. External spotlights and decorative front wall cladding make the sauna even more original and attractive.
In spacious rooms, you can install larger steam rooms with a lounger. Wooden structures look quite attractive even without additional painting of the external walls.
The balcony of the apartment can be arranged as a sauna. To make a steam room, you do not have to build a frame and make a crate - it is enough to decorate the walls with wooden panels, veneer the floor and ceiling surfaces and install a stove.
A home sauna can become not only a place for taking water procedures, but also an independent piece of room decor.
You can find out how to make a sauna in an apartment with your own hands by watching the video below.