What is a black-style bathhouse and how to equip it?

Nowadays, the following bathhouses have become widespread in Russia and other countries: barrel, sauna, hamam, as well as the Russian bathhouse on white. The traditional rustic baths the black way began to be forgotten. Nowadays, they are predominantly found in the sparsely populated villages of Siberia. In our review we will tell you what is a black sauna, how it differs from the usual types of baths, how to equip it on your garden plot.

The well-known phrase "unwashed Russia" is actually nothing more than a rather offensive expression that was invented by foreigners. Historical evidence suggests that in European countries the habit of regular bathing and taking water procedures appeared much later than in Russia. Foreigners for a long time could not understand why our ancestors beat themselves with birch and oak brooms, poured heated water, and even built for all these procedures separately wooden room.

Incidentally, it is this lack of understanding led to the fact that in the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of the Old World died en masse from plague epidemics. But the Russian inhabitants were spared this plague, and to a large extent this is the merit of the banya. Such an unusual name means that the walls of such a bathhouse are stained in soot. The fact is that the old black village bathhouse was heated by a stove made of stones, and there was no chimney in the steam room. As a result, smoke and soot fell on the walls, and gradually they became covered with a shaggy dark stain and looked "sooty.

To maintain a comfortable environment on the heated stones they threw aromatic herbs, as well as pine needles, and the floor in the steam room was lined with dry hay. The smell in such a steam room was really wonderful and healing, not in vain in the village black bath treated for many diseases. Under the influence of high temperatures and hot humid smoke all pathogenic microflora was destroyed, and the settling soot prevented the growth of fungus and mold. The hut itself was traditionally dug into the ground almost in line with the windows, this allowed to save heat in the steam room as much as possible.

The consumption of firewood in such a bathhouse was rather high. They heated it for more than four hours - first until the red stones appeared, then they took out the tongs and paddles into a container with water, and the heated water was used to rinse after the steam room. Steamers poured water on the heated stones all the time to form a thick steam. The door was left open on purpose to let all the carbon monoxide escape, and was closed only after an hour and a half or two hours. When the bath was well heated, people would go into the steam room.

The level of humidity in the black steam room is much higher than in the white bath - here it reaches 100%, this microclimate had the most favorable effect on the respiratory organs. The Russian bathhouse was a pentagon with a couple of small windows. Inside there was a furnace made of stones, most often volcanic rocks such as jadeite or quartzite were used.

The fireplace was usually placed as close to the door as possible so that the stove could be lit and people could leave the room at any time. The hearth was placed directly on the ground, the heat from the fire allowed to maintain an optimal level of heat in the steam room for a long time. In all other respects the rustic black bathhouse had a standard structure: a plank floor with gaps for used moisture, high shelves for steaming, and benches.

In general, the device of modern bathhouses practically does not differ from the one that was used a few centuries ago, because it is almost impossible to invent a new principle in the process. Nevertheless, the modern bathhouse has nevertheless undergone some changes. First, the stoves were made of heat-resistant cast iron.

Secondly, they began to be equipped with flaps to prevent the accidental ingress of hot embers on the wooden floor. In addition, previously the stones on the stove were simply placed one on another in layers, nowadays they are additionally fastened with clay. In the past the stones were heated by throwing them into a vat of water, now the heating pots are placed over the heater.

Important: All bathing procedures have their indications, as well as contraindications. There are a number of pathologies, when exposure to hot humid air is categorically forbidden. This must be necessarily kept in mind when organizing the black sauna on your property. The black-style steam room has its own advantages and disadvantages. To begin with let's talk about the pros. Bathing has a strong disinfecting effect, disinfecting not only the skin and respiratory system of the steamer, but also the entire steam room. Fungus, germs, parasites and dangerous insects simply do not survive these manipulations.

Country sauna is characterized by a mild heat, which is easily tolerated even by the elderly and young children. If during the bath you use the infusion of medicinal plants, you can quickly heal from most diseases. Steam room is characterized by rapid heating, in such a steam room the temperature is set for less time. If you compare it to the white one, it will take a couple of hours less. This is due to the design features of the black bath - the absence of chimneys allows you to redistribute the heat in the interior and exclude its penetration to the outside.

Long-term preservation of heat inside the room causes a small consumption of logs in comparison with all other types of baths. It is easier to build a black sauna, and the materials for its construction will cost much less, so this option is profitable and economical. Many steamers note that it is pleasant to be in the black bath, as there is a mild aroma of warmed wet wood inside. In addition, soot deposited on the walls absorbs all foreign unpleasant odors, thereby contributing to a pleasant atmosphere and a favorable microclimate.

However, despite such a wide range of advantages, the black sauna can be dangerous to humans. This usually happens if it is not properly heated. When the wood burns, carbon dioxide is released - it is toxic to humans. The risk is that carbon dioxide is odorless and colorless, but causes severe poisoning, so after every heating it is necessary to ventilate the room.

Some damage can bring soot accumulated on the walls of the steam room. Particles of soot get into the air, and when inhaled - into the lungs. In people prone to pathologies of the respiratory system, it can lead to bronchitis, asthma and other diseases. To avoid all these unpleasant consequences, it is very important to perform preliminary preparation of the bath. To begin with the room is completely cleaned from soot and soot, and only after that go to the steam room. Only in this case, the bath will be able to bring you benefit and give you real pleasure.

If you plan to build a black sauna on the plot with your own hands, first of all you need to choose the optimal site for it. The following factors must be taken into account.

• The wind rose. It is very important that the door was placed on the leeward side, this will prevent the "propping up" of smoke from inside the premises by air currents from the prevailing winds in each particular region.
• The presence of a source of water readily accessible. This condition is obligatory. In ancient Russia bathhouses were traditionally built at the far end of gardens and orchards that had access to lakes or rivers. In our time you can solve the problem by using a well or a well.
• Pay special attention to study the soil. If the bathhouse is built on the light drained ground, you can immerse the log cabin for a third, almost to the window line - in this case you can achieve a good saving of firewood preparation. But if the soil is heavy, clay or loamy, and the place is wet with a high level of groundwater - it is better to take care of the pile foundation and additional insulation.

The walls in the bath are traditionally made of logs. If it is laid directly in the ground, at least a couple of lower root logs around the perimeter should be made of wood that is resistant to water and rotting. The best option would be larch, which is considered the best solution in terms of price/quality. Cedar is considered ideal - by the way, it is from this material that baths are built in Siberia, which stand for centuries. If you can not buy one of these materials, then the usual pine will do.

A black-style bathhouse is always built from a log. As a cheap option, you can use a frame construction, however, it will be much less durable than a chopped wood. To remove water it is better to arrange near the bath septic tank or a drainage pit - such a method is relevant in a situation where you are planning to use their bath throughout the year. If you are going to take a steam bath from time to time - you can do with primitive drainage under the floor with the removal of water into the ground.

In the black bath there is no need to arrange a chimney, and this greatly facilitates the tasks associated with the finishing of the roof and ceiling. All roofing elements of the structure are simply covered with wood, and the roof itself is made of any available material - it can be both tile and metal profile.

There is no need to finish the interior of the steam room in any way. This is not surprising, because under the soot deposits you are unlikely to see lining materials. Inside the room itself, there is a sauna stove. It is made of basalt rocks, large boulders are stacked down, and small and medium-sized - on top. Such a design includes gaps between the individual stones, so that the smoke can freely escape outside.

After the heating is complete, the stones keep warm for a long time. The fireplace itself is better placed near the front door - this is quite practical, because through the ajar door the smoke together with carbon monoxide will go out, so it will comply with fire safety measures.

Along one of the walls behind the roaster a shelf is installed - a high shelf, located almost to the ceiling, where you soar lying down. On the other side there is a bench. The floor is laid with wooden boards with a gap so that water can flow through them and not accumulate inside the room. All the ascetic wood furnishings are well scraped to a perfectly smooth state, otherwise splinters cannot be avoided.

In the olden days, carpenters built a chimney in a bathhouse around an already built stove. In modern designs of black baths, which provide a single room, combining both the steam room and washing room, you can do the same, especially since it is not necessary to arrange a roof chimney. If your bath involves separate rooms for the steam room and shower, it is better to make a stove in the erected perimeter of the log cabin.

Let's say at once that a true rustic bathhouse can be heated only with wood, only in this case you can create a truly unique atmosphere of the Russian steam room and get the benefits of the procedure. In order to heat the sauna the coniferous wood species can be used. But do not forget that they contain a high concentration of resin - when they burn, they give a lot of soot.

In addition, Coniferous wood burns very quickly, so if you are planning to buy for the furnace bath exclusively such a material, it will have to stock a lot. To a greater extent, this applies to spruce and pine firewood, all other conifers, such as cedar or larch, have a much denser structure and low resin content. They take a long time to burn and at the same time are weakly ignited and usually have to be kindled from some other dry wood, such as linden or aspen.

The traditional fuel for the rustic bathhouse is dry birch. Complex use of its wood with a birch broom helps to establish a favorable microclimate in the room. Besides, birch has light antimicrobial characteristics that is why it is widely used for heating the furnace. Among the advantages of birch is its high heat output - in this parameter it is ahead of many other types of wood.

The best reviews are awarded to firewood made of oak. They have a rather high cost, but they are very economical, so the output of oak billets requires much less than billets made of any other wood. They burn for a long time and give a high heat output. Linden firewood is also well suited for the Russian bathhouse. Of course, it will take a long time to kindle this wood, but it will burn intensely and evenly, contributing to a full and rapid heating.

Most often in Russia they used fuel from aspen, its essential oils contribute to the destruction of pathogenic microflora. At the same time, this material gives a weak heat output, so in modern designs for heating the furnace it is rarely used. But the wood from poplar and willow makes no sense to buy for bathing procedures, because it needs a lot of them in order to heat the room to an optimal temperature. They are characterized by low heat transfer and rapid burning. Despite the fact that the cost of this wood is low enough, to save money will not work, because you have to buy a fairly large amount of fuel. In addition, neither poplar nor willow have pronounced healing properties.

In addition to the types of wood, you should also consider the quality of the logs. Rotten billets are unlikely to give a well heated room and fragrant steam room, moreover, the fumes of this material can be dangerous to health.

About what is a black sauna and how to arrange it, see the following video.