Think about what first comes to your mind when you hear the words "sauna" and "bath"? Surely you imagine a washing room, a steam room and a place for a pleasant pastime in the company of friends. It is unlikely that you think that a sauna and a bath are not the same thing. So what is the difference between a bath and a sauna in the conventional sense?
A bit of history
Today it is believed that dry steam is used in the sauna, but this was not always the case. Therefore, answering the question of how a bathhouse differs from a sauna, it is worth turning a little to history.
Before, a real Finnish sauna was no different from a classic Russian bathhouse, and it was heated “in a black way”. This means that the hearth was kindled directly in the room where the washing took place. When smoke filled the entire space, it was released through open windows and doors or an additional hole in the roof. When all the smoke came out, access to the room was blocked, and it was possible to bathe. According to eyewitnesses, similar baths can be found there to this day, but in the expanses of the former USSR it is believed that at the present time such a "barbaric"the method is no longer used, and the Finnish sauna has become something completely different.
Let's take a steam bath, does it matter where?
Oddly enough, a lot of people don't quite understand what the difference is. Sauna and bath are establishments where people take hygiene procedures. Undoubtedly, both steam rooms are extremely useful - they help to lose weight, cleanse the body of toxins and toxins.
However, in the bath, due to the use of the so-called light steam, you can not only sit or lie on a shelf, but spend time much more actively than in a sauna. In the bath you will have to walk, give in to the park, steam yourself or a friend with a broom. "But you can also catch up with fragrant steam in the sauna," you say, and you will be absolutely right. But due to a completely different ventilation system, such steam will not last long, only a couple of minutes.
What is the difference between a bath and a sauna, and how are they similar
If we consider modern baths and saunas, then they have only one similarity - they wash there. Everything else is arranged differently there.
The main difference between a sauna and a bath is the quality of steam and the level of humidity - in the first it is hot and dry, in the second it is humid and warm. There are also differences in the arrangement of the building itself. A bath most often consists of one or two rooms - directly a steam room and a locker room, and a sauna requires at least three: a dressing room, a steam room and a shower room or a pool. Since in the sauna there are more breaks between visits to the steam room than in the bath, the dressing rooms are usually equippedfurniture where you can sit and chat over a cup of tea or herbal tea.
It is also possible to carry out cosmetic procedures - in the sauna it is customary to use aromatic oils, body wraps and masks. Since the air humidity in the bath is much higher, there is no need for long breaks between visits, so wellness procedures are often carried out directly in the steam room.
Temperature conditions and features of procedures
As already noted, the temperature of the sauna and bath is significantly different. The temperature of the Finnish steam room reaches +110-130˚C, while the humidity remains at a level of 5 to 10%. You can stay in such a steam room for no more than 10 minutes at a time, the breaks between visits should be significant - 30-40 minutes.
The temperature in the classic Russian bath is much more gentle, and rarely exceeds 70˚C, and thanks to the high humidity (about 60%), it is much easier to stay in it. You can steam up to 25 minutes, and 10-15 minutes are enough to cool and rest.
Another item that tells you how a bathhouse differs from a sauna is the use of a broom. In the Russian bath, it is an obligatory attribute, and various brooms are used for different purposes: birch - for light massage, and oak - for injecting steam closer to the body. The art of properly using brooms is quite difficult, and not everyone can really master it, so a good bath attendant is worth its weight in gold.
In a sauna at a temperature of +130˚C, there is no need to talk about a broom - you can getserious burns, and the broom will quickly dry out and break.
How to equip a sauna in the house
The main difference between a sauna and a bath is that the first can be arranged even in an apartment, while the second is impossible. According to some reports, every second family in Finland has its own steam room in the apartment.
Of course, the heart of both saunas and baths is a stove or heater. And if in an apartment you are forced to make do with an electric option, then in a private house the heater must be wood-burning. If the bath is usually erected as a separate building, then the sauna is often a room built into the main building.
The process of designing such structures is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, so if you have never had such skills, it is better to turn to specialists.
The most popular material for building a bath or sauna is wood.
If possible, it would be good to use solid timber, such as spruce, fir or cedar. The resins released when these wood species are heated have a very beneficial effect on the respiratory system and provide an excellent healing effect. However, not everyone can afford a bathhouse made of solid logs due to the high cost of such material, so wooden lining is most often used. Whatever material you choose for construction, you must definitely take care of high-quality insulation.
Which insulation is better to use
To orderIn order for your bath to warm up faster and retain heat longer, it is necessary to provide high-quality insulation during construction. In this case, it is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the ceiling.
Insulation for saunas and baths can be the most diverse:
- mineral wool;
- fiberglass;
- foam;
- bas alt wool;
- penoizol;
- penofol and more.
The best types of insulation are considered to be those that have a foil layer. Such materials do not absorb moisture and are excellent insulators.
When thinking over the device of a bath, sauna, do not forget about high-quality vapor barrier, otherwise any, even the highest quality insulation, may be useless. Steam will condense in it, this will lead to a loss of its insulating properties. If, when arranging a bath or sauna, you decide to completely save on the insulation of walls and ceilings, then steam will seep through the cracks and condense between the inner and outer walls - this threatens with active decay and mold formation. Therefore, the more often you use the bathhouse, the sooner you will have to make major repairs.
Who is ordered to go to the bathhouse
There's a popular saying in Finland that a visit to the sauna is shown to everyone who can walk to it. But, despite all their advantages, saunas and baths have negative sides. For example, people suffering from certain diseases of the cardiovascular nature or asthma can visit the sauna only withdoctor's permission. If your blood pressure consistently rises above 200 mmHg, you are definitely forbidden to visit the bath! You should not visit the bath for tuberculosis - in hot, humid air, Koch's bacillus multiplies much more actively - you not only risk worsening your condition, but increase the risk of infecting others. Also contraindications for visiting a sauna or bath are almost all skin diseases and some diseases of the central nervous system: Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, significant mental disorders.
Conclusion
A hundred years ago, the Russian banya, in addition to its direct purpose, had a certain sacred meaning. There they quarreled and reconciled, gave birth and baptized children, held important negotiations, guessed at the betrothed and asked the house for well-being in the family.
Modern baths, saunas, reviews of which are most often positive, have lost such "magic" features, but have retained no less miraculous healing properties. Despite all the differences, the main thing is one thing - a visit to any of them contributes to excellent he alth, better he alth, good rest and relaxation. So, enjoy your bath!
