Recently, a relatively new device has appeared in various sports clubs and fitness centers - an infrared sauna. This modern design, a visit to which is considered very beneficial for he alth, resembles a real bathhouse a little. It looks like an infrared sauna, rather like a regular shower. One of its absolute advantages is that it can be installed in almost any room. Many mount such saunas even in small city apartments. Since the design of the infrared bath is very simple, it is easy to assemble it, including with your own hands.
How it works
Actually, completely harmless thermal radiation is called infrared. This is what comes from a heated stove or a working heater. That is, an infrared bath, in fact, can be called simply dry thermal. The main element of such a sauna is a heater of a special design, powered by a conventional household network. When turned on, this device becomes a source of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the infrared spectrum. Such equipment is usually installed in the cabin fromnatural wood or some other environmentally friendly material.
Infrared heaters for baths are relatively inexpensive devices and you can buy them today in almost any specialized hypermarket. The main feature of this equipment is that it transfers heat directly to the human body without heating the air. To better understand the principle of operation of such heaters, you can simply imagine a room into which the sun shines through the window. Those objects on which its rays fall will be very hot. In this case, the temperature of the air itself in the room will change only slightly.
What tools and materials will be needed
The easiest way, of course, is to buy a ready-made infrared sauna in the store. Mounting such a structure on your own will not be difficult. A ready-made bath with infrared rays is simply installed in the right place in the apartment and connected to the mains. Saunas look very prestigious, but at the same time they are expensive. With your own hands, meanwhile, you can make an equally beautiful infrared bath and spend much less money.
Materials for assembling such a sauna will need to be purchased as follows:
- pine timber 50x50 mm for sauna box frame;
- lining (linden or pine);
- fire bioprotection solution;
- steel angles;
- wooden slats 60x25 mm;
- 8mm tempered glass fordoors;
Tools you will need: screwdriver, tape measure, hacksaw, building level, large ruler.
First things to do
Bathhouses, infrared saunas, as already mentioned, are being installed not only in private houses, but also in city apartments. In the latter case, it is impossible to mount such a structure just like that, at will. First you need to get permission from organizations such as:
- BTI;
- fire department.
Such permissions are usually issued only when:
- according to the project, the dimensions of the sauna are at least two times smaller than the room in which it will be installed;
- the distance between the walls of the cabin and the bathroom is at least 5-7 cm.
How to make a project
Of course, before proceeding with the assembly of the sauna, you should decide on its dimensions and the number of heaters. In urban apartments, an infrared bath is usually installed, designed to serve one person. In a country house, you can assemble a larger model.
Heaters for home saunas can be used in two types:
- front;
- corner.
When purchasing infrared heaters for a bath, among other things, you should pay attention to their power. For a small sauna, two corner saunas will be enough.models and three frontal 400 watts. Install these devices according to the following scheme:
- two in the corners on the front wall of the cabin;
- two behind the person receiving the procedure;
- one under the bench (for legs).
In the bathrooms of small apartments, a corner infrared bath is often mounted. In this case, four heaters are hung in the cabin - two on the walls on both sides of the door in front of the recipient of the procedure, one behind - in the corner and one more - under the bench.
Whatever the design of the infrared bath, all heaters should be located at the same level from the floor. The only exception in this case is the device under the bench. There is no need to heat the infrared sauna. Indeed, in this case, the heat acts directly on the human body and practically does not spread throughout the cabin.
Having decided on the design of the infrared bath and its configuration, it is necessary to make a drawing of it. Perform this procedure in accordance with all the rules. That is, by indicating the dimensions of the elements, methods of fastening, etc. Of course, the drawing should be made in three projections.
Electrical
The infrared bath in the apartment does not require water and sewerage. But, of course, you will have to stretch the electrical wiring to the booth. In no case should heaters be connected simply to an outlet. For an infrared bath, you need to run a separate cable from the shield.
Cabin assembly
Do-it-yourself infrared bath is mountedsimple enough. The frame is made as follows:
- Assemble the lower harness. The beam can be connected using the “half-tree” method or using corners. The latter method is considered more convenient.
- Mount the corner posts. Their length should be 20-25 cm less than the height of the ceilings in the room. Raise the rack to the very top is impossible. The ceiling of the sauna must be your own. Racks can also be attached to the corners.
- After the racks are installed, you can start assembling the top harness.
- At the next stage, the racks are connected to each other with wooden slats. If desired, you can additionally strengthen them with jibs. With a ceiling height of 2.5 meters in the room, two such tiers reinforcing the frame will be enough.
- The lining is being mounted. It is not worth fixing it with nails to the crossbars. This will greatly spoil the appearance of the structure. To fix the slats, it is best to use special hidden fasteners.
The roof of the cabin can also be made from lining. At the bottom, a floorboard is usually stuffed. When assembling the cab, be careful that there are no gaps in it.
Sauna doors
This cubicle design element can be made either solid wood or glass. In the first case, the door frame is assembled first. Then it, like the frame, is sheathed with clapboard. Each sash should be hung on at least two loops.
The glass door for the infrared sauna can also be made by yourself. In this case, the structure willlook even more presentable. Assemble such a door as follows:
- mount floor rail;
- install glass on it and make a mark on it in the area of the upper trim;
- cut with a glass cutter;
- cut the second glass in exactly the same way;
- mount top rail;
- windows into the rails.
Installation of heaters
Infrared radiation in the bath should fill all its space completely. Therefore, such an operation as the installation of heaters should be performed with strict observance of the prescribed technology.
Such devices are usually hung vertically in the sauna. Indeed, in such a bath they most often sit, and do not lie. Heaters behind the back of a person are hung at a distance of about 60 cm from each other. There should be a gap of approximately 7-12 cm from the top edge of all devices to the cabin ceiling.
Optional equipment
It is best to connect infrared heaters to the network through a special control unit with a remote control. Such a device is quite expensive (around 9-30 thousand rubles). But if it is available, it will be much more convenient to use the shower cabin in the future. Using the remote control, for example, you can adjust the time for taking procedures, the power of heaters, etc.
Infrared floors
Thermal radiation of this type can of course be used not only in dry saunas. Found itits use in ordinary baths. In such structures, for example, infrared floors are often mounted. In this case, a special film with carbon strips soldered into it is laid on the ceiling. This design works from a normal household network. Infrared floors in the bath are placed primarily to increase the comfort of taking water procedures. Such structures are relatively easy to install. And therefore, you can install them, including with your own hands.
If desired, the film with carbon plates can also completely replace the heaters in the infrared sauna. In this case, the material is covered not with the floor, but with the walls of the booth.
How to make a shop
The dimensions of this design will depend on the width of the booth itself. To assemble the bench you will need:
- seat board;
- bars (four for legs and crossbars and two for struts).
You can fasten the bench elements to each other using self-tapping screws or nails. Although the air temperature in an infrared sauna usually does not exceed 50 degrees, the nail heads should be sunk into the wood. Before proceeding with the assembly of the bench, you should make its drawing. This will avoid unnecessary mistakes.
Mount the bench in the following sequence:
- cut timber according to the drawing;
- cuts are made in the legs for the crossbars “in half a tree”;
- fasten the legs and cross bars;
- the seat is screwed to the resulting structures;
- fix the strutsone end to the seat and the other end to the lower rails.
What you need to know
It is not necessary to varnish the wooden elements of the infrared bath. Processing timber and boards with a solution of fire protection will be quite enough. Although the air in such a sauna is not heated too much, harmful substances during its use will definitely begin to release the varnish.
Do-it-yourself installation of a finished booth
As you can see, it is not so difficult to assemble an infrared sauna by yourself. But, of course, it’s easier to still buy a finished model. Factory infrared baths are installed as follows:
- Unpack boxes with accessories. It is better to perform this operation at the place where the sauna is supposed to be installed.
- Lay the back panel vertically on the bottom.
- Lay sidebars right and left.
- Install the backs and seats.
- Assembling the booth.
- Mount the front panel.
- They screw the fuses under the heaters.
- Install the ceiling lamp.
- Mount handles on the door.
Infrared baths: the benefits and harms of visiting
What, in fact, explains the huge popularity of such structures? And although the dimensions of infrared saunas are small, they, of course, take up quite a lot of space in an apartment or house. Yes, and it costs to assemble an infrared bath (even with your own hands)relatively expensive. So what makes people install such structures in their homes?
The popularity of the infrared bath is explained primarily by the fact that visiting it is considered very beneficial for he alth. The body of a person in such a cabin warms up several centimeters deep. This is the main benefit of the infrared bath. For comparison: in a conventional sauna, the body warms up only a few millimeters deep.
To use an infrared sauna, as well as a regular bath, for healing purposes, doctors, however, advise only for prevention. At the same time, according to experts, in no case should people visit such a bathhouse:
- with fungal skin lesions;
- with infectious diseases;
- for all types of malignant tumors;
- during any disease in the acute stage;
- for serious kidney disease.
It is also not recommended to visit the infrared sauna for people who have received joint injuries (the first two days).
