Benefits and contraindications of the Finnish sauna. How to steam in a Finnish sauna Advantages of a Finnish sauna

“First build a bathhouse, then a house,” says Finnish folk wisdom. Indeed, the sauna in Finland is part of the culture and national tradition. This is due to the characteristics of the climate. Today, the average Finnish person visits the sauna twice a week. Meetings of friends, family celebrations, and even corporate events are held there. Everyone should know how a Finnish bathhouse differs from a Russian one, and how to visit it correctly.

What is a Finnish sauna

The classical Finnish bathhouse appeared about 2000 years ago. The establishment was intended not only for holding hygiene procedures, but also to communicate with friends, colleagues and relatives. The sauna could unite or quarrel people forever.

The ancestors of the classic Finnish sauna were the Russian and Irish baths. The Finns led a nomadic lifestyle for a long time, borrowing useful skills and knowledge from other peoples. For a long time the sauna was mobile and looked like a tent. It was installed next to a lake or river. The role of the stove was played by a fire built inside. Later the tent turned into a permanent structure, wooden house. The sauna was heated “black”, when smoke is released into the steam room. Some Finnish baths are still heated this way today.

The classic Finnish sauna is somewhat reminiscent of the usual Russian bathhouse. This is a small wooden house on the shore of a lake or river. A wooden bathhouse is being built. Used exclusively conifers trees, only their butt part. This ensures the correct microclimate and prevents the wood from releasing resin. Preference is given to spruce and pine. But in lately Alder and linden began to appear. All interior decoration of the sauna (benches, tubs, shelves) is made of hardwood. Such wood has low thermal conductivity. This helps protect visitors from unpleasant burns. An open type heater is used as a stove. The stones are located outside, it evenly warms the room. Humidity does not exceed permissible limits.

Finnish sauna characterized by lower humidity. This makes it possible to spend more time in the steam room. Easier to tolerate by older people and children.

A modern Finnish sauna can be located not only in a separate building, but also be part of a residential building, office, or SPA center. However, many residents of the CIS mistake the Swedish bathhouse (“Basta”) for a Finnish sauna. This is a compact cabin that can be installed even in small apartment. In Sweden there is a miniature sauna in almost every home. It is made of wood. Home steam room equipped glass door. The temperature in a Swedish sauna is lower than in a Finnish steam room and fluctuates around 80 - 85 degrees, humidity 10 - 20%. It is used not only as a home alternative to a bathhouse, but also in beauty salons and small fitness rooms.

Temperature in the Finnish sauna

A Finnish sauna is a place with high temperature and low humidity. Humidity levels here range from 10 to 15%. In this case, the room temperature can reach 130 degrees. The body gradually warms up, and sweat is released solely due to the high temperature in the room. Despite the high temperature, due to the low humidity, you can stay in a sauna much longer than in a wet steam room.

Finnish sauna: benefits and harm

When describing the Finnish sauna, one cannot fail to mention its effect on the human body. It is generally accepted that regular visits to the sauna help cleanse the body. The procedure removes waste, toxins, and rejuvenates the body. A high-quality bath process will be an auxiliary measure for cleansing the body when using a variety of dietary supplements, vitamins and cleansing cocktails. Waste and toxins accumulate in the body and can affect the condition of the skin, hair and well-being.

Comment! Basically everything harmful substances excreted from the body by the liver. If the functioning of this organ is disrupted, the bathhouse will not help to cleanse yourself.

However, visiting the sauna has a positive effect not only on your well-being, but also on your appearance. This happens for the following reasons:

Impact high temperatures promotes relaxation of all muscles. Fabrics become elastic and pliable. It is for this reason that athletes love visiting the bathhouse so much.
The circulation of blood and lymph in the body increases. Regular visits to the sauna will help get rid of swelling, even if the problem has been bothering you for many years.
A hot sauna is effective prevention colds, ARVI and flu.
Doctors recommend visiting the sauna for people with certain diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract: bronchitis, sinusitis, bronchial asthma.
Helps people suffering from joint pain and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system.
Due to temperature changes, blood flow increases. This promotes active skin renewal. She becomes toned and elastic. If you combine steam with deep cleansing, you can forever get rid of the problem of clogged pores and acne.

Despite all the positive qualities of a sauna, it can bring not only benefits, but also harm. You cannot visit the bathhouse during illnesses that are in acute stages: temperature, fever or any kind inflammatory processes, all this will only worsen the disease. Also, lovers of cosmetology services should avoid hot steam. The heat of a Finnish sauna will negate all costs for “beauty injections,” fillers and collagen threads. The drug may lose its properties, begin to migrate throughout the face (body), and release toxic substances.

Rules for visiting the Finnish steam room

You can't understand a Finn without visiting a sauna. But before you go there, you should know some subtleties that will help you avoid awkward situations:

An invitation to the sauna is a sign of deep respect. It is not accepted to refuse it. The reason must be very compelling.
The Finnish sauna does not carry any sexual connotations. Finns can steam naked with strangers. They believe that a naked body is natural and will not embarrass anyone. However, such liberated views on nudity are not shared by many. Therefore, no one will judge a person who decides to wear a swimsuit or wrap himself in a towel.
Finns do not drink alcohol in the steam room. This can cause injury and negatively affect the body. The feast, as a rule, takes place after the steam room.
In the company of friends or colleagues, men and women steam separately, family members – together. But this is an optional rule. The order is usually agreed upon in advance.
In the sauna it is not customary to use aromatic oils, incense, lighting and other beautiful decorative elements. IN traditional bath twilight reigns. It smells exclusively of wood, birch or juniper brooms.
The Finnish sauna is famous for its dry steam. But there are no rules about adding water to rocks. This is done depending on the personal preferences of the bath attendants.

Contraindications

Fans of dry steam believe that the vast majority of people can visit the Finnish steam room. The exceptions are infants and people with cardiovascular diseases. But unfortunately, the list of contraindications is more extensive. These include:

oncological diseases;
mental disorders;
cardiovascular pathologies;
inflammation of cerebral vessels;
varicose veins, blood clots;
all types of fungal infections;
any disease in the acute stage, accompanied by fever and fever.

Important! For people whose skin is prone to cupidosis, the sauna is also contraindicated. High temperatures worsen the condition of the skin and provoke the spread of red vascular network.

Conclusion

A Finnish sauna is a place where you can have a pleasant time and forget about the worries of the past day. It’s not for nothing that the people of Finland consider this place theirs. national pride. The bath helps to maintain a healthy body, good spirits and good mood for many years.

Today popularity of bath procedures still on top. And along with the traditional Russian, Turkish and Japanese baths, the Finnish sauna is also in demand. It is noteworthy that in translation from Finnish the word “sauna” means the same bathhouse.

Many people wonder what is the difference between a traditional Russian bath and a Finnish sauna. There are no fundamental features in the design. Heating in both cases is carried out using a stove-heater. In both cases, hot stones are doused with water to produce steam.

The only difference is that in a Russian sauna the stones are behind a closed door and it opens only to expose the stones to steam, while in a Finnish sauna the stones are placed in plain sight. At first glance, the difference is insignificant, but in fact it is not at all so. In a Russian sauna the steam is wet, while in a Finnish sauna it is dry..

The Finns have a funny legend about the origin of the bathhouse. It says that raindrops through the holey roof fell on the hot stones of the hearth, and a pleasant heat reigned in the house. And then enterprising Finns decided to recreate with their own hands what once happened by accident. This people consider the sauna almost a shrine and firmly believes in its healing properties.

In a Russian bath temperature regime lower, so it is believed that it does not have such a shock effect on the body as the Finnish steam room.
Benefit

The Finnish sauna can be classified as one of very numerous types of paired. In general, the sauna is about Dean from the best ways hardening and cleansing the body, ridding it of waste and toxins, regulating the homeostasis of the body, hardening and improving mood and vitality. Constant changes in high temperatures are especially effective in influencing water-salt metabolism. In the sauna, the skin is most effectively cleansed of sweat, dirt and fat.

In the Finnish sauna, metabolic processes are not only accelerated, but also the activity of the central nervous system improves, which allows you to relax qualitatively and effectively remove psychological blocks and clamps. The number of red blood cells in the blood increases after a sauna. If thermal procedures in a steam room become a common practice for you, you will be able to get rid of depression and excess weight.

The sauna has a wonderful effect on the condition of the skin. So if the steam room is a familiar place for rest and relaxation, soon your skin will look younger, will become clean, fresh, smooth and elastic.
For the Finnish steam room, as for the Russian one, herbal infusions and essential oils are usually used to disinfect the air. When building saunas, types of wood are used that, when heated, purify the air.

Rules for visiting the sauna

The room temperature will be approximately 80-100 degrees, and the air humidity will be 25%. The head in the sauna must be covered with a special sauna cap, and the body must first be washed clean and be sure to wipe dry.

The sauna uses dry steam, so there is no need to add water or use brooms. Due to the high temperature, the broom quickly dries out and crumbles, so you won’t be able to use it anyway.

Before visiting the steam room you should drink a lot clean water and do not take any alcohol or fatty foods.

As mentioned above, alcohol is not your best friend in the steam room. Beer with crayfish can be put off until later, because even a slight degree of intoxication can result in burns, fainting, and bruises.

Harm

Every phenomenon has a downside. Harm from a Finnish sauna is possible, but if you take some precautions, it can be completely avoided. The steam room is categorically not recommended for children under 3 years of age, and for children over 3 years of age a more gentle temperature regime is needed. Bath procedures should only be taken when sober.
You need to be in a Finnish sauna no more than 10 minutes. If you decide to show others your willpower by staying in the steam room for a long time, you are putting your health at great risk. If you spend too long in a sauna, your skin may lose its natural moisture supply. A long stay in the steam room results in sleep disturbances, headaches, and irritability.
Indications for visiting the Finnish sauna

Systematic thermal procedures in a steam room can provide incredible benefits people suffering from chronic colds, cardiovascular problems, diseases of the respiratory and genitourinary systems. The steam room perfectly cleanses the kidneys and liver of stones and toxins.

Contraindications

Despite all the benefits of the Finnish sauna, there are a number of diseases for which visiting the Finnish steam room is prohibited. This:

tuberculosis;

diabetes;

atherosclerosis;

upper respiratory tract diseases;

high blood pressure;

severe nervous system disorders.

It is impossible to imagine a summer cottage without a bathhouse, which is usually associated not only with a place for washing, but also with a place have a good rest and communication with friends. However, when visiting the bathhouse, it is important to follow safety precautions. If you have any chronic diseases and are in doubt whether you should visit the steam room or not, it is better consult your doctor about this.

Our site is dedicated to modern bath complexes that meet all the requirements of visitors. Here you will find in a few minutes a list of services that suits you and your friends. All establishments are divided into certain sections and criteria by which visitors can easily navigate. Modern saunas are multi-storey establishments with several types of steam rooms, spacious living rooms, relaxation rooms with beautiful furniture. The range of services is very diverse: from traditional wellness treatments to exotic steaming programs and unusual species massage.

Now inexpensive Finnish saunas are almost as popular as Russian baths, despite their differences from each other. They use dry air at high temperatures (almost 100 degrees); they do not even require steam supply with brooms, but they can also be relevant for such a steam room. Benefits of a Finnish steam room there is no doubt: metabolism improves, weight normalizes, waste and toxins are removed from the body. After a hard physical activity or training in the gym, it will come in handy, because dry steam removes lactic acid and relieves muscle pain.

The ceilings in Finnish saunas are lower and there is constant ventilation. Since you will sweat a lot in the steam room, you can rest assured that you will tolerate low humidity well. Moreover, water procedures await you later. Rent a Finnish sauna it became much easier. You can cool off in a cold shower or a swimming pool with a jacuzzi; in more elite establishments a cold plunge pool is offered. Hardening procedures are also available there. On this site you can choose aromatherapy and even spa therapy, and select the necessary services such as secure parking.

Most saunas have a banquet room, restaurant or bar with delicious dishes different cuisines, barbecue provided. You are given the opportunity to relax to the fullest, to combine business with pleasure. Restore your strength and energy in one of bath complexes our city. You can find out the location and calculate the optimal route using a special Yandex map.

Despite the many advantages of the Russian bathhouse, its Finnish counterpart also has its advantages. It is necessary to approach its creation thoroughly and clearly in order to avoid mistakes during design and construction. Let's consider the features of Finnish baths and the choice of stove.

What is it?

Both Finnish and Russian baths serve the same purpose: they are designed to cleanse the body and relax in a calm environment. But the Scandinavian tradition implies that the air in bath room should warm up to 70 - 100 degrees, while its humidity cannot be more than 20%. This combination will help you feel real pleasure, as well as get rid of physical fatigue, and easily cleanse skin pores, opening them.

Difference from Russian

The Finnish bathhouse is the hottest and driest among all national analogue buildings. Its usual state is warming up to 90 - 100 degrees. To be afraid of some negative consequences not worth it. If there are no medical contraindications, low humidity will allow you to safely tolerate such exposure. The Russian approach is different: the air in such a room is humid. Sitting or lying on the upper shelves, it will not warm up to more than 80 degrees. There is nothing surprising in this; humidity and temperature in baths should be inversely proportional.

If the heating of the air in a Finnish sauna reaches the boiling point, and the humidity rises to 25% (only 1⁄4 more than the maximum permissible value), burns of the mucous membranes will inevitably occur. And if the conditions turn out to be worse, in addition, help is provided too late, then a burn to the lungs may occur, which can lead to death. It is for this reason that stones in a Finnish sauna should not be watered, except in microscopic doses to improve dry air or to give it some kind of aroma. The slightest mistake can increase air humidity to a critical, life-threatening level.

Device Features

To guarantee special parameters Finnish sauna, you have to do it according unusual scheme(not like Russian). The stones are not placed inside the oven, they are placed on its surface. As a result, the room warms up faster, but also cools down faster. The ovens themselves are also different. Russian tradition refers to the stoves in which the fire burns solid fuel. The Scandinavian approach relies on electric fireplaces.

Floor

They begin to equip the sauna from the floor, then move on to the ceiling, and the final stage is working with the walls. It is not advisable to decorate the floor with wood: it rots too quickly. Only for rarely visited baths can you prefer wood flooring, and then only from the rocks that are most resistant to water and heat. More often as flooring choose a tile and pour it under it concrete base. Through the pit, the water is redirected into the pouring pipe (the hole should have a slope of 1 - 2 degrees).

Clinker tiles Better than the ceramic variety, it does not slip even when wet. The walls and ceiling are mostly covered with lining. Linden gives an attractive pinkish color, aromas the room well, and is quite durable. Abashi (hardwood) is expensive, but does not contain a single knot or resin pocket. This wood is relatively light and does not burn the skin when heated strongly. Cedar solid wood also has its advantages. These include:

ease of machining;
zero risk of rotting and fungal contamination;
nice appearance and luxurious aroma;
medicinal properties.

It is not recommended to use larch: it contains too many resins, which create an increased burden on the body during evaporation. Aspen is relatively cheap and can last for many years, which makes it a decent solution in the economy class.

Walls and ventilation

The walls are often decorated with Canadian and Baltic spruce. When choosing wood, it is recommended to use areas that do not contain resin inclusions. About a sixth of the total is suitable for work varietal tree, and only from the lower part of the trunk, with the exception of the butt. Past heat treatment Wood is better suited for walls, and its service life increases noticeably.

Whatever wood is used in the sauna, its qualities can only be revealed if the remaining requirements for the construction are met with high quality. Among them, ventilation occupies an important place. A completely logical step is to use a bastu-type system, since the Finnish sauna only needs to be ventilated at the moment when it is warming up. The furnace vent maintains air circulation throughout the entire procedure. In the least hot rooms you can get by with a simple natural circulation air, this is quite enough to maintain a pleasant microclimate.

Selection of oven

In order for visiting the steam room to bring nothing but joy, you need to choose the right sauna stove. Electric heaters are mostly made of stainless or galvanized steel high grade. Due to this, the environmental and sanitary indicators of structures are always at the same level. high level. Such stoves can quickly heat the air; they are controlled using remote controls (built into the housing or separate). It is worth paying attention to versions that have a built-in steam generator, which allows you not to be limited to the traditional Finnish mode (you can steam like in a Russian bath).

As for manufacturers, the first lines of the rating are occupied by products from: Helo, Harvia, Sawo. The quality of the products of these three companies is stable, and the involvement of leading designers allows you to create a unique appearance. If the goal is to choose a wood-burning stove, you need to focus on products made from expensive types of steel containing a significant amount of chromium. Due to this additive, structures are characterized by increased resistance to heat, last a very long time and do not let consumers down.

Firm "Castor" produces furnace bodies with a thickness of 0.5 - 0.8 cm, and the device is capable of achieving an efficiency of 70% (subject to compliance with handling rules). Serious competition can come from products released under the brand "Harvia", the fireboxes of which are cast iron, and the body is made of multilayer steel. The emission of gaseous waste is 80% less (this will please environmental connoisseurs).

A stove for a Finnish sauna must be equipped with a convection casing. Only such a device allows you to provide the necessary speed of air heating. It must circulate continuously, otherwise it will not be possible to maintain the very regime that glorified the Finnish baths. To prevent burns and reduce harsh radiation, users have two options: installing special mesh filled with stones around the stoves, and also covering the entire surface of the body with carefully selected stone slabs.

Projects

The project must be drawn up without fail, there are no details in it. A Finnish barrel-type sauna can even be made with your own hands. First you need to select boards (spruce or pine 9 cm wide and 4.5 cm thick). In most cases, the dimensions range from 250 to 400 - 450 cm, the exact size is determined by the required capacity of the structure. As a base, it is necessary to use strong coniferous beams, connected for maximum strength. When laying the floor, you need to create a slight slope, with the help of which water will drain better.

It is imperative to provide openings for the entry of electrical wires. More often in Finnish baths, a roof made of bitumen shingles, attached with nails and glued inside. It is important to think about waterproofing and additional finishing roof from the inside to make it look more attractive. But it’s not enough to make up good project, you need to choose a high-quality timber, because attempts to save on materials will result in additional problems. When it comes to beauty, you should be guided by your own taste.

Subtleties of construction

Building a sauna with a terrace is not that difficult. The roof can be made with two unequal slopes, internal insulation. For a structure measuring 7.65 x 7.65 square meters. We should focus on the following parameters:

roof covering made of flexible tiles;
independent heating;
preparation of steam room and washing room;
allocation of a toilet and rest room;
separate technical room;
a foundation with a shallow depth of a strip type (on top of a sand cushion);
lining the base and chimney with natural stone;
closing ventilation holes decorative grilles;

Main construction material is a laminated veneer lumber with a sanded outside. As insulation material use rolls mineral wool(10 cm thick). For thermal insulation of the ceiling and walls of a washing room or steam room, choose aluminum foil. There is no need to create ceilings in other rooms: there they are successfully replaced by rafter sheathing. This solution will help make the space in the bathhouse larger and make it original. The floor is made from natural wood, an exception is made only for the washing room, where a full-fledged heated floor is installed on a foam concrete base.

Building a Finnish sauna in your home is no worse than in a stand-alone version. However, you will have to create a smaller steam room than usual, since it must maintain the temperature long time and not consume a lot of fuel. The stove will have to be heated constantly and intensely, which has a bad effect on its performance and service life. In most cases, a bathhouse in a house is made no more than 6 square meters. m. If you properly arrange the steam room, 3 to 4 people can visit it at the same time.

The ceiling is placed at a height of approximately 200 cm: this will allow it to maintain optimal proportion with the door openings. Upper shelves should be about 1 m below the ceiling, they try to make the lower ones narrower. The sauna in the house is always made without windows, as lighting fixtures use sconces. Some designers recommend choosing lighting systems designed to relax the nervous system. It is better to create walls from timber or logs. For ceilings, choose beams of small cross-section, spaced 0.65 - 0.85 m from each other. The floor in a home sauna is usually formed of three layers:

bitumen-based felt;
cement screeds;
tiles or ceramic tiles.

When selecting tiles, you need to pay attention to the fact that they slip as little as possible. To do this, when purchasing, you need to select an anti-slip material that has a rough or slightly embossed surface texture. The hood opening is made 0.3 m lower than the ceiling level. The cold air inlet must be arranged opposite the outlet. Regardless of this, the sauna built into the house will not allow you to use the pool. There just isn't one for him suitable place. However, neither the floor nor the ventilation will help maintain a good microclimate if the wrong stones are used in the stove.

jade;
diabase;
crimson quartzite;
vulcanite

To simplify your work, you can purchase a completely finished Finnish sauna, which is made from vertical beam And wooden shield with thermal and vapor insulation. However, the size of a standard block is not always suitable for a particular home.

Benefits and safety precautions

It’s not enough to just build a Finnish sauna and equip it: a steam room of this kind requires unusual handling. You cannot use brooms, you are only allowed to sit and relax as much as possible. Honey masks, scrubs and moisturizers for the skin are acceptable, but nothing more. If you apply even a gentle blow with a birch broom, you can cause a skin burn.

Usually visitors to Finnish baths take a shower without soap and other detergents, and when entering the steam room they sit down and relax. The first entry is limited to a maximum of 5 minutes, even for healthy and physically strong people. This time cannot be perceived as some kind of norm. If negative sensations arose earlier, it is time to immediately leave the steam room and go to the waiting room. In the first minutes you need to stand under a cool shower or plunge into the pool.

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 required amount of money, large quantity With 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 rectangular wooden house, in which a stove was installed with a chimney pipe and an earthen floor. We used such a 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 only left pleasant smell and weathered.

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 drinks, make a scandal or do other immoral things as "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 the bathhouse is Finnish technology- this 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 Russian or Turkish bath(Hamame). 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 maximized precisely due to the activation this process 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 different useful 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, pool or regular 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 correct mode visits are 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 skin and blood flows to muscle tissue, helping to relax the nervous system and improve overall emotional state 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 visit of this establishment allows you to activate metabolism and destroy overweight;
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, diseases of bones and joints, kidney diseases, 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 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 minimum dimensions for 1-3 people at the same time. Even large families When visiting a Finnish sauna, they 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”. Mainly in standard projects are used relatively low ceilings(2.1 meters), 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;
interior lining made from wood, taking into account beneficial influence certain types of it on the body of visitors;
the foundation can be of any type, since total weight The buildings are small.

Frame of the entire building and construction of walls

There are two main ways to build the walls of a Finnish sauna: from beams or 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 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 required height through the strapping of the entire frame. The pitch between the beams can be set from 0.6 to 1 meter.

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 do the cladding ceramic tiles, and use it as a subfloor concrete screed. As thermal insulation material It is best to use bitumen felt.

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 very upper tier It is necessary to make a span of at least 1.05 meters to the ceiling 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 the gaps between door block and canvas should 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;
as finishing ventilation duct you need to use a corrugated tube.

Stove-heater in the Finnish sauna

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

for each cubic meter the volume of the steam room should account for 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. Protect your body from various negative manifestations You can even do it yourself, 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 procurement necessary materials and accessories before their installation and commissioning of the sauna.