The banya has been and remains a pleasure that everyone resorts to at least sometimes. Even in the fast-paced life of big cities, people find time to take a steam bath. However, there is a big difference: to go by subway (by trolleybus, tram, own limousine) to a public bath and note the paid time or take your time, tastefully relax in your own, where it smells the way you like, the people that please you, and you can spend time there at least a day, if only it was a joy…
Probably, that is why anyone who bought (has inherited or donated - it doesn't matter) a land plot is sure to think about a bathhouse on their territory.
The nuances of acquiring your steam room
This is where the trouble starts. Firstly, it is far from a fact that you have acquired a plot sufficient in size for another capital building. Secondly,a solid, brick building will draw a fairly significant amount from your budget. Thirdly, it is not a fact that the builders will agree to get stuck in the wilderness for some time, where a place of relaxation is being built (well, if they are paid more, then everything is possible …). Fourthly: what about your garden, lovingly cherished and will certainly suffer during construction? And then it is worth remembering that there is a bath in the form of a barrel. It may just be the perfect way out of many dead ends.
Varieties of "barrel" baths
By the way, many backgammon used such doubles for many centuries. The Japanese barrel bath is most often mentioned. Reviews about it are mostly positive - if you like small volume, constant presence in the water and "bubbles". However, this is not quite a country option: in bad weather, you won’t use it much, so you have to build a separate room - and we again return to the cost and expediency of capital construction.
The Finnish barrel sauna gets the same remarks; the reviews of her fans are more favorable due to the benches located along the sides and the canopy, which allows her to use it even in not very favorable weather conditions. But… All this is not our choice.
Russian preference
To be extremely precise in the definitions, it is impossible to call such an option exactly a “bath-barrel”. At the same time, reviews about her are the most enthusiastic. However, it is hardly realistic to find a barrel of such a size that you can comfortably steam inside it. At the same time, the outlinesthe steam room really resembles the product of a giant cooper. The door to it is most often made from the end (where a tap for pouring wine is built into a normal barrel), but there are also options with a side entrance. Those who have used the barrel bath have positive reviews of both locations.
Technological advantages: easy portability
And what explains such popularity? First of all, the fact that when moving to another place, it is easy to take the structure with you. There is a possibility - we call a tow truck, no - we disassemble it into its component parts and pack it into a truck that has turned up. The total weight of the entire room is one and a half tons, and if it is assembled from larch, it can be even lighter from other types of wood. Such mobility makes the reviews about the barrel bath especially enthusiastic, because you don’t have to rebuild the steam room at a new address.
Another plus: compactness
No less enthusiastic is how little space a barrel bath takes up - user reviews say about 8-10 squares. For a standard 6 acres, this is just a godsend!
We will not mention savings on construction, in general, we only recall that such a steam room does not require a foundation, which usually makes the wallet catastrophically lighter. It is not even necessary to level the site, there are options for installation on transverse bars.
Again, stoves. The equipment may be different: in your barrel you can put an electric fireplace designed for baths, or you can equip it with almostclassic wood-burning stove. In both cases, energy savings will be almost a quarter when compared with a traditional sauna or bath: thanks to its device, our steam room will heat up in half an hour in summer.
The "barrel" is cooler than a regular bath
An ordinary steam room heats up for at least two hours. And then, if the building is successful and holds steam well. Whether business a bath-barrel! Reviews (the forum is simply full of them) say that this is fantastic - just half an hour to wait for the opportunity to take a steam bath. Of course, if it is cold outside, the warm-up time will be longer, but still remain shorter than in the case of a stationary bath.
No corners means less dust and dirt build-up and more ease of cleaning. And if we consider that our “barrel” is smaller in size itself, then caring for it is not so long and laborious.
Round shapes add smooth distribution of hot air. In an ordinary bath, it rises and stays under the ceiling, creating an unbearable temperature at the top and almost no heat and steam near the floor. In the “barrel”, hot air currents circulate along the walls, maintaining a uniform temperature throughout the volume.
Despite the small size, all the necessary conditions for a comfortable stay are available here. If you do not chase compactness and stop at a length of 6 meters, you will even get a bath-barrel with a shower. However, many people prefer to design a separate shower, most often a summer one. In winterquite nice to plunge into the neighboring snowdrift.
An equally pleasant bonus is the wooden base of such a bath. The most recommended for its manufacture are cedar, larch and spruce. All these breeds are quite resistant to woodworms and moisture, and besides, they still undergo additional processing, so your bathhouse will last you a very long time.
Where can I get such a miracle?
The popularity of the bath barrel in recent years has grown so much that the companies that make them are multiplying like mushrooms after rain. Since the cost of a coveted bath can greatly increase due to long-distance transportation, it makes sense to look for a manufacturer closer to home. But even without taking into account transportation, a bathhouse will cost you at least two hundred thousand rubles. However, if you want to save money, you can order the design without assembly. From ready-made "spare parts" it is no more difficult to fold it than a typewriter from a children's designer - perhaps more overall. Moreover, the manufacturer attaches a detailed diagram. Yes, and in case of a possible move, practice. The main joy in such a “design” is that it can be repeated so many times - the reliability of the assembled bath does not suffer from collection and analysis.
Required conditions for long operation
If you bought a ready-made barrel bath in the assembly, then all the necessary technical specifications are met by the manufacturer. If you purchased it in the form of spare parts, but precisely assembled it according to the scheme, following all the recommendations, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you decide to make yourself a bathhouse from scratch, follow a few tips thatsignificantly extend the life of your structure.
First, calculate the slope of the floor. An angle is required so that water can drain, otherwise the floor will rot sooner or later. To prevent this, also provide drain holes (preferably in drain pipes, but you can also just on the ground with a drainage ditch).
From the inside, the wood of your barrel should be impregnated with a special composition that increases fire safety, and from the outside - with natural linseed oil. It prevents excessive moisture and possible subsequent rotting of the walls. If you follow these simple rules, you will get an excellent bath-barrel - the reviews of the "self-builders" say this unambiguously.
Winter bathing
Most people use the dacha (and the sauna located on its territory) mainly in the warm seasons. However, if desired, and in the cold, a barrel bath remains quite accessible. In winter, consumer reviews worsen in some ways, and become more enthusiastic in others. The drop in enthusiasm is mainly due to the need to insulate the steam room for operation in the cold. Usually this is done from the outside with roll insulation, which, as you understand, does not improve the appearance of such a distinctive and self-sufficient structure. On the other hand, the opportunity to take a good steam bath in cold weather, and then plop down in fresh snow and engage in barbecue with renewed vigor attracts many people. But if you use a barrel bath in winter, follow a few tips, otherwise you will be left without a steam room by the summer. Neighboring compartments must be heated with open doors between them. Otherwise, some will warm up well, others will remainthe previous temperature - and the tree will either tear or warp from the contrast. When the steaming process is completed, do not immediately turn off the stove. Let it work in the "background" mode for another 3-4 hours. All doors, except for the outer ones, again, must be open. During this time, the entire room will dry out; as a result, rot and moss will not get the slightest chance to destroy your wooden bathhouse, unpleasant odors will not appear, the wood will not swell, and by the next time all the equipment will meet you in order and ready.
Easy steam for you with a barrel bath!
