Few people know what a Turkish bath, hammam, is, but those who have visited it, as a rule, want to have such pleasure in their own area. Next, we will look at what this bathhouse is, how it differs from a traditional Russian bathhouse, and how you can make it yourself.
Appearance of the interior decoration
The structure of a hammam, differences from a bathhouse and a sauna
The countries of the Middle East have a hot, dry climate, so local residents do not need steam rooms with elevated temperatures. The average temperature in such a building is about 35–45 °C. This may seem like child's play for those who are used to steaming in a Finnish sauna, where the temperature sometimes reaches 120 °C. Although the lack of temperature is compensated by excessive humidity affecting the body, and heated shelves made of stone.
An oriental bathhouse can remove toxins from the body and have a positive effect on the condition of the skin. A unique method of cleansing in an oriental bath is a procedure called “foam peeling”.
Whipped buttery foam moisturizes the skin and unclogs body pores
The advantage of the hammam is that the “soft” steam has a positive effect on the nervous system.
If you compare the design of an oriental bathhouse with a Russian steam room, you will find almost no similarities. The main material of the hammam is stone, not wood. Such structures are built from marble, and the interior rooms are decorated with mosaics made of semi-precious onyx.
The Russian bath is heated by a large heater installed in the steam room. And in the hammam, the desired temperature is created by heating the walls, floor and all horizontal beds, as well as jets of warm steam. The source of steam production is located behind the adjacent wall. Previously, a boiler was used for this purpose: steam leaked from it through the wall holes, as a result of which the entire steam room was heated. Modern hammams have automatic steam generators and heating systems.
An integral part of the eastern steam room are kurnas - special bowls made of stone with incoming water for washing off the foam after the massage. Kurnas are used as containers for scooping up water.
Wash bowls allow you to refresh yourself during long procedures
Saunas and Russian steam rooms are made with a simple interior. Hammam is a luxurious place with exquisite interior decoration. Its main goal is to create comfortable conditions for visitors in an unusual environment with bright, attractive ornaments, so that they can get aesthetic pleasure from visiting this establishment.
The Finnish sauna is chosen by those who like high temperatures with low humidity, as it allows you to warm up quickly, which is especially important in the cold Finnish climate. Russian steam rooms maintain high heat, but the humidity there is also high. This helps to instantly warm up and clear the airways in a short period of time.
And the Turkish bath is considered the coldest of all, but with high air humidity, reaching 80-100%. For this purpose, a special steam generator is installed in it.
An important feature of the hammam is its high dome-shaped ceilings, which prevent moisture condensation. And if a Russian bath can be placed in a steam shower box, then a hammam requires a separate room. Along the perimeter of the eastern bathhouse (and sometimes in the center of the room) chebek-tashis are built - heated stone beds. They are used for relaxation and relaxation massage.
Initially, the eastern bathhouse was created as a public place for relaxation and communication, but in modern homes, a small space has also been allocated for the personal use of the family.
Video: what a Turkish bath gives to the body - the specifics of a massage in a hammam
It is difficult to compare a hammam with a bathhouse or sauna - there are many differences, and each design has its own advantages. It is easier to build a wooden sauna, since there is no need to lay ceramic tiles or construct a domed ceiling. The main advantages of hamam:
- luxurious interior decoration of the rooms;
- the presence of special massage beds and the presence of experienced massage therapists;
- long service life of the building.
Disadvantages of the oriental bath:
- high cost of materials;
- difficulty of installation.
A Turkish bath is recommended for those who miss the Russian steam room, but cannot tolerate high temperatures.
Photo gallery: homemade Turkish structures
The Turkish bath in the apartment occupies a small area and is used only for the family
Chebek-tashi are illuminated with dim light so as not to disturb the person’s peace during the massage
The changing room is equipped with a shower so you can prepare for procedures
Illumination in the main room of the hammam sets people up for relaxation and rest
For convenience, loungers with backrests are installed in the relaxation room
In a large room, sometimes a round chebek-tashi is placed in the center
If the room area is insufficient, then only one massage bed is installed
In some hammam relaxation rooms, 1 or 2 pools are installed: with hot and cold water
In a large square room, sun loungers are arranged symmetrically, in accordance with geometric patterns.
In the main room of the hammam you can relax under the hands of an experienced massage therapist
You can make a small, high-quality building with your own hands, the appearance of which will depend on the chosen finishing material.
Distinctive features of the Turkish bath Hamam
General information
Unlike other types of steam rooms, this type of baths has the highest humidity, which approaches 100%. Despite the fact that the hammam is called a Turkish bath, it was not invented in Turkey, but in Arab countries. The word hamam itself is translated as “spreading heat.”
The steam room received this name for a reason, since the steam has a temperature of about 45 degrees, while the body is almost completely immersed in it. As a result, all muscles relax, blood circulation and thermoregulation are normalized.
To achieve greater effect, the steam is additionally saturated with essential oils. As a result, such a bath is not only a way to maintain personal hygiene, but also a type of relaxation, a source of maintaining strength and clarity of mind. In addition, negotiations are often held in such places and the latest news is exchanged.
In the photo there is a steam room decorated with tiles
Differences between a Turkish hammam and traditional steam rooms
Summarizing all of the above, we can highlight the following differences:
- A special temperature regime is observed in the hammam; if in a Russian bath the steam temperature can reach 110 degrees Celsius, then in a Turkish bath, as mentioned above, the temperature ranges from 30 to 55 degrees. This makes steam rooms especially attractive for those people who cannot tolerate high temperatures.
- Significantly more humid steam – from 70 to 100%. Often this steam is even visible. If the same amount of steam is released into a Finnish or Russian bathhouse, it will be extremely heavy and suffocating. In the hammam, due to the low temperature, it is very easily tolerated.
- In addition to the traditional “warm-up”, a visit to the hammam involves a whole range of various accompanying cosmetic procedures, such as massage, wraps, peeling, etc.
- No wood is used in the construction of such a steam room. The most budget option for its design is the well-known ceramic tiles. There is also a more expensive option - decorating the bathhouse with natural solid marble, which is heated to 40-60 degrees using special steam generators.
- It is very comfortable to be on the heated marble lounger. All cosmetic procedures are also performed on it.
- All kinds of essential oils are well received, which is why her visit is often complemented by aromatherapy.
- Hair and skin, unlike a classic bath, do not dry out, but are moisturized. This effect is due to a combination of moisture and low temperature.
- A visit to the steam room does not wash off the tan, but helps even out the color and fix it.
Drawing up a project drawing
To prevent the bathhouse from causing problems due to improper planning and construction, it is important to first assess the possibilities. Construction of an oriental bathhouse is a long and expensive process. But if you have already decided to build a hammam, then be sure to draw up a plan for all stages:
- take measurements of the room taking into account the design of the ceiling and the dimensions of the planned equipment;
- draw up a design project for a Turkish bath, including decoration, location of sunbeds and kurna;
- plan the placement of lighting fixtures, steam generator, sewer outlet and ventilation;
- think over a heating system for the floor base, walls and sunbeds.
If the bathhouse is located in the house, then special attention should be paid to covering the walls and installing thermal insulation. The walls must be treated with a special agent that prevents the destructive effects of moisture. Waterproofing must be done so that the construction does not cause damage to a private home and lasts for many years. An important nuance is maintaining heat inside the room using thermal insulation. This will make it possible to conserve resources and prevent nearby rooms from heating up.
You can make a design project yourself or order it from a specialist, specifying all measurements and finishing material. The door is made of glass or wood.
Today you can find a large number of ready-made hamam projects.
The hammam water heating diagram helps to see how the heat is distributed inside the structure
The construction plan begins with drawing up a ceiling design. The layout depends on its dimensions. The tilt is made so that the resulting drops immediately flow down the edges and do not accumulate on the ceiling. Therefore, the height of the ceiling structure at the extreme point is determined to be at least 2.7 m. At a height of 2.2 m, the dome should turn into a condensate tank. The angle of inclination of the dome walls should not be large.
If the structure is designed incorrectly, you can lose a significant part of the room's area. The room itself is made flat, rounded or in the form of a honeycomb. You can provide electrical energy to the lighting devices in the steam room using a step-down transformer.
A step-down transformer is used in various types of baths to reduce operating voltage
A prerequisite for the full operation of the steam room is the presence of a technical room: it will contain a steam generator and the main systems for ensuring the operation of the hammam. This is a small room or just a compartment with a door adjacent to the main room of the hammam. Its optimal size is 1.5 m².
It is important to provide ventilation outlet to the outside. The steam will cool and settle on the walls of the duct. Errors in design can lead to the accumulation of liquid in the recesses of the ventilation duct and the formation of mold.
Video: hammam on the second floor of the house - tricks for installing all systems and arranging the room
How to draw up a ventilation diagram
Inside the hammam, an optimal temperature is maintained with air circulation. Ventilation is either in-line or forced. Pipes for ventilation can be installed in place of the dismantled window. Important things to consider:
- design features;
- room layout.
The air duct pipe must be sealed and have a groove to drain moisture from evaporation. The product is made of stainless steel. Mixed ventilation is usually used. The room is planned to have 2 ventilation holes located opposite.
In some cases, multi-level ventilation is installed, then the recesses are located at different heights. In this case, it will be possible to maintain the required temperature all year round.
The Turkish bath is divided into several rooms with different functions
Ordering a hamam diagram from a company will be expensive, but it will eliminate errors and problems during the construction process.
Dimensions of the Turkish bath
You should not make a large steam room: the larger the building, the more power the steam generator will need. Its power is calculated by the formula: V x 0.7, where V is the volume of the room.
For a family of 4–5 people, a room measuring 2.5 x 2.5 m is sufficient. Statistics show that 80% of baths have an area of less than 8 m². Large hammams are built if it is necessary to place a massage table, the dimensions of which are 0.8x2 m with a height of 70 cm. The minimum size of a hammam for 1 steam generator is 3.5 m2.
Inexperienced craftsmen make a table 80 or 90 cm high, but this is wrong. Since it will be inconvenient for a short person to massage a visitor.
Insulation, finishing and waterproofing materials take approximately 3–4 cm of thickness from the dimensions of the room. The reinforcement will take another 2–3 cm. In the drawing this is indicated by a separate wall.
The more accurately the plan and drawing of the premises are drawn up, the less likely there are errors during construction
In the Turkish bath you can plan:
- flat resting bases - 47–50 cm;
- structures for lying down - 70–75 cm;
- designs with backs - 65–70 cm;
- curved seating structures - 100–120 cm;
- shelves with a bend - 150–180 cm.
Steam is supplied to the room so that it does not burn the feet of visitors. The steam line exits at a height of 20–30 cm from the floor level.
The ceiling is most often made arched. There is no need to make cornices, because after filling the building with steam, the walls will be covered with a dense layer of condensate. And cornices are usually used only to hide the illumination of the dome.
Video: secrets of the design of all systems of a small hammam equipped inside a wooden house
Room requirements
When planning, it is important to consider the following:
- the floor, ceiling and walls must be durable for cladding with natural minerals or stone ceramic tiles;
- a Turkish bath must consist of at least 4 rooms: steam room, technical area, shower and relaxation room;
- minimum ceiling height - 2.5 m;
- The room will need to be equipped with sewerage and ventilation systems.
When a hammam is built in a private house, the technical room is moved outside it by a maximum of 15 m. And a room not adjacent to the steam room is used as a recreation room. It is recommended to build a Turkish bath from bricks or blocks. If you plan to make a hammam in a wooden house, then all bases must first be treated with a special agent.
The ceiling is arched.
A dome-shaped ceiling will allow condensation to flow down the walls rather than drip onto the heads of visitors
Construction of a Turkish bath (hamam)
Bathroom
The construction of Turkish hammams can be done within a private house or even an apartment.
In this case, the following requirements are imposed on the premises:
- The height of the premises must be at least 2.7 meters.
- There must be natural supply ventilation and hot water supply. With humidity, sometimes reaching 100%, the air volume must be renewed every 10 minutes.
- The size of the room should be sufficient to accommodate a technical unit and five compartments.
Otherwise, the construction of a Turkish hammam is not much different from the construction of an ordinary small house or cottage.
Heating
Modern Turkish hammams are heated from the inside and have a steam generator. Heating of floors, walls, massage table and seats occurs in 2 ways - water or electric heating.
Regardless of what type of heating the hammam Turkish bath project implies, it must be separate. In terms of performance and cost, the most profitable solution is water heating. In this case, the surfaces are heated by laying small-diameter pipes in them.
Electric heating in the steam room
In this case, the technical room is equipped with an electrically heated boiler. From it the contours of metal-plastic pipes are drawn under the surfaces of walls, floors and seats. Electric heating can be installed in the same way using “warm floor” technology.
Advice! When visiting the steam room, it is recommended to set the temperature on the heating sensors to about 45 degrees Celsius.
Steam generator with remote control
Steam generation system
The construction of a Turkish hammam implies the presence of a steam generator, which will provide the room with high humidity. Its model should be selected in accordance with the parameters of the room.
The steam generator has a temperature sensor that automatically turns off the system when the temperature exceeds 55 degrees. Therefore, the internal heating system must be installed in such a way that the air temperature does not exceed 50 degrees. Otherwise, the steam generator will not work as expected.
The steam generator, like the boiler, must be located in the technical room, and the control panel must be installed at the entrance to the bathhouse. This device is connected to the central electricity and water supply. More detailed information on installation is contained in the instructions for the generator.
Advice! If an apartment or private house has autonomous heating, then it is necessary to make an additional circuit so that to use the hammam you do not have to turn on the heating of the entire house.
It must be said that this is quite expensive equipment, the price of which depends on its power. The larger the room, the more expensive the steam generator will be.
A large room requires expensive equipment
Electrical and lighting
The provision of electricity to the steam room must be approached especially responsibly in order to ensure the safety of its visitors. The power supply must be provided by a heat-resistant cable. Lighting in a bathhouse should be made not only beautiful, but also absolutely safe.
It is best to use waterproof lamps with a voltage of no more than 24 V. Popular lighting is the “starry sky” effect, which is achieved using fiber optic lamps.
Tips for choosing material
Construction supermarkets offer a large selection of materials for finishing such a structure. Requirements for facing materials:
- moisture resistance;
- high strength;
- heat resistance.
Marble is best suited for interior decoration of a hammam.
Marble is expensive, but it also has a long service life
Marble is smooth to the touch, retains heat for a long time, is durable and can emphasize the status of the owner of a private home. A significant disadvantage of this material is its high cost. Soapstone is comparable to marble in price, but surpasses it in heat capacity. It can help reduce sudden temperature changes.
An affordable replacement for marble is tiles and small mosaics. Smalt is a fine-grained mosaic made of glass of different colors: it can be used to create beautiful exclusive canvases with oriental ornaments. The color of the material shimmers under different lighting angles.
Smalt finishing decorates the room: it can be used to lay out multi-colored panels on the walls
Smalt is produced in the form of plates or tiles ranging in size from 2 cm² to 4 cm², it can be rough and smooth, colored and colorless. Places on flat or curved surface. The main advantages of this finish:
- zero water absorption;
- frost resistance;
- heat resistance;
- unique color design of patterns.
There is only one drawback: laying out the mosaic is time-consuming. But on sale you can find ready-made mosaic panels that make the work easier.
The most affordable of all materials is ceramic tile. In addition, it is easy to install.
Ceramic tiles are easier and faster to lay than small mosaics
If you have no experience in decorating hammams, then it is recommended to choose a simple finishing method. It is not necessary to lay out a mosaic; you can buy tiles of a similar type and lay out the desired patterns. Some manufacturers have developed and launched Eastern series ceramics.
Calculation of materials and list of tools for construction
To build a Turkish bath with your own hands, you will need the following materials:
- Styrofoam;
- mortar of cement and sand;
- polyurethane adhesive mixture;
- tile adhesive;
- concrete;
- elements for fastening;
- bars of great thickness;
- waterproofing material;
- plaster;
- insulation material;
- putty;
- Entrance door;
- foam blocks or bricks;
- finishing material.
Prepare your tools:
- rubber coated hammer;
- building level;
- putty knife;
- plumb line;
- hammer drill
You can calculate the required amount of material for finishing using the following formula: N = Sp / Smat, where N is the amount of material, Sp is the area of the base, Smat is the area of one part of the material. It is recommended to take tiles with a margin of 5–10%. If the room area is 8 m² and the tile size is 35x35 cm², then the calculation will be as follows: N = 8 / (0.35 x 0.35). Accordingly, you will need approximately 70 tiles.
Indicators of optimal temperature and features of using hammam
Water treatments in a Turkish bath are not tiring, as it is relatively cool. The steam room has high humidity, so it is easy to create tropical conditions there, allowing visitors to relax with benefits for the body.
In the hammam changing room the temperature is close to 30 °C. The main hall of the Turkish bath warms up more: the temperature in it can reach 70 °C. To make it comfortable to wash in the steam room, it is recommended to stay at medium temperatures, maintaining 37–40 °C.
It is important to visit a Turkish bath taking into account the following rules:
- Warm up the body. To do this, you need to lie down on a warm lounger and stay on it until the first drops of sweat appear.
- When the body is prepared, you can begin the massage. To do this, the skin must be lubricated with a special soap solution containing peach and olive oil, and woolen gloves must be put on your hands: they can clean the keratinized epithelium.
- Wash your body with water from the qurna.
- Take a cold shower to help tighten the pores.
If you do not follow the rules, you can harm your health.
The effect of the Turkish bath hammam on the human body
Before deciding to build a steam room of this type, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the benefits and harms of a hammam bath.
And so, the following points can be highlighted from the useful properties:
- Cleanses the body of harmful substances and toxins;
- Cleanses the skin, opens pores;
- Relieves fatigue;
- Stabilizes the respiratory system;
- Awakens the body's cleansing system;
- Relieves pain;
- Heals colds and relieves fever;
- Treats insomnia;
- Has a beneficial effect on the digestive system.
Contraindications for the Turkish bath (hamam) include the following points:
- The load falls on the same organs as when going to a regular steam room, only to a lesser extent. Therefore, contraindications to visiting a hot establishment remain in force.
- Serious disturbances in the functioning of the heart are possible. Including possible exacerbations of coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, severe vascular atherosclerosis, hypertension, angina pectoris, etc.
- Contraindication is a recent stroke or heart attack. In addition, visiting the establishment is highly undesirable for people with problems with the thyroid gland or varicose veins.
- Exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease.
- Cirrhosis of the liver.
- Presence of cancer.
- You should refrain from visiting the bathhouse during pregnancy.
Advice! Despite all the gentleness of the Turkish hammam bath to the body, before visiting it for the first time, it is better to consult a doctor. In this case, you will not worry that instead of health, this procedure will harm the body.
A simple design of a bathhouse with a hammam
Video: how to make a hammam with your own hands in the basement of a house
You need to choose finishing material based on personal preferences and financial capabilities. The floor, walls, benches and other parts are covered with the same material. All elements of the bathhouse must have a good waterproofing coating. This is necessary to maintain the building in excellent technical condition.
Construction of a hammam is a costly process in terms of time and finances. If you prepare for this task, then it is possible to achieve success - to build a high-quality building in which friends and relatives can relax with great pleasure.
- Author: misaf
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