In the old days, going to the bathhouse was just a forced hygienic procedure. Today, everything has changed radically, and visiting the bathhouse has become a full-fledged ritual for body and soul.

Baths and saunas are very popular among modern people. Therefore, if possible, many people build steam rooms right in the courtyard of their own dacha or country house. Of course, the heart of any sauna establishment is the stove. She is the one who works to ensure that people get real pleasure from the steam room.

Features and Benefits

Recently, fireplace stoves have been in particular demand among those who like to take a steam bath. Such stoves are good because you can sit pleasantly near them after the main procedure.

The fireplace door is usually made of glass ceramics. It turns an ordinary heating unit into a fireplace stove. Thanks to this design, you can safely contemplate the burning flame in the fireplace without fear of getting burned.

The fireplace stove is a successful combination of functionality, practicality and economy. It provides the necessary temperature in the steam room and produces a lot of warming steam that envelops the body like a blanket. In the antechamber it serves as a fireplace. Therefore, after the main procedures, you can enjoy relaxation, admiring the live fire in the fireplace stove.

Varieties

The heating device is the most important device that should be in the steam room. Without it, a bathhouse or sauna will become an ordinary room that does not provide any benefit. Without such a unit, you won’t be able to take a steam bath, much less relax. Today, different manufacturers offer a huge range of fireplace stoves, so choosing the right device can sometimes be quite difficult.

Depending on the material used, fireplace stoves are divided into brick heaters and metal ones.

According to the classification they are called:

1. Heater with open or closed fireplace.
2. Cold and hot.
3. Long burning or direct heating stoves.

There are two-in-one options when the oven turns into a barbecue. This combined unit is especially good for those who like to take a steam bath and eat delicious food.

If you don’t have the opportunity to spend time near a real fireplace-stove, you can buy an electric infrared fireplace. Its advantage is that the transfer of a large heat flow occurs in a relatively short period of time.

Which fireplace stove to choose for a bath

Like other types of bath units, fireplace stoves are divided into 2 main types according to the heating method:

• on wood;
• on gas.

It is for baths that it is better to choose a fireplace stove, which is heated with wood, because it is then that you can fully experience all the charm of a Russian bath. And since a stove for a sauna with a fireplace can be made of various materials, we will consider several of the best options.

Advice! If you plan to make this heating device with your own hands, then the best option would be a brick structure, and in cases where it is not possible to hire specialists, or there is no time or construction skills, it is advisable to purchase a steel fireplace stove. However, the price of the finished product will be higher than the cost of a homemade stove.

Steel fireplace stoves

Photos of various fireplace stoves.

In order for the fireplace stove to supply heat to the bathhouse with the required intensity, heat the stones well, and also delight you with the sight of burning firewood, it must be made of fire-resistant and strong metal. Therefore, large modern manufacturers of such units for these purposes use mainly heat-resistant high-alloy steel, which meets all the necessary requirements.

So, a steel sauna stove with a fireplace has the following advantages:

• can provide quick heating of the bath;
• it is characterized by improved conversion characteristics;
• no foundation required;
• installation does not take much time and effort;
• The service life of the firebox for such devices is quite long.

Construction of a steel fireplace stove.

In addition, the main distinguishing feature of such units is the various installation methods:

• mounted;
• built-in;
• remote

Also, the convenience of using steel fireplace stoves is that most models come complete with a water tank, which is necessary for the functionality of the heating device. This container is also made of high-strength stainless steel and can have a different volume (from 50 liters or more). Depending on the modification, the tank is located either on top of the furnace chamber or on the side of the body.

Note! The ideal temperature for a Russian bath is 70-90°C, and the relative humidity is up to 40%. Therefore, when purchasing a ready-made fireplace stove, you must study the instructions included with the selected model with its technical characteristics.

Brick fireplace stoves

Photo of a brick structure with a remote fireplace in the dressing room (open firebox).

These units are not produced in finished form, so they are made either to order or independently. Compared to the previous option, installing such a structure will require more time and effort. Moreover, the entire result of the work done will depend on the accuracy of the calculations and the correctness of the masonry.

Note! Fireplace stoves are complex multifunctional systems, so it is better that the initial engineering design be completed by a professional. Such devices require a foundation.

However, a brick fireplace stove also has its own individual advantages:

1. The ability to create an exclusive model of any size and configuration, with an open and closed firebox, as well as various heating methods (water, air).

Diagram of fireplace stoves with different heating systems.

1. This design fits harmoniously into wooden baths, creating a warm home environment.
2. Brick heats up quickly, but cools down slowly, so a fireplace stove made from it will retain heat in the room longer.
3. Low noise threshold during operation.

Layout of fireplace stove elements in a bathhouse.

In addition, a more complex device can be made from brick. For example, a fireplace stove with a barbecue is not only capable of heating a steam room and dressing room, but you can also cook your favorite dishes on it, which will allow you to enjoy the sauna to the maximum.

Photo of a fireplace stove with a barbecue in a bathhouse made of calibrated logs.

Design or how to design

The question of how to decorate a fireplace stove in a dressing room or decorate heating equipment for a rest room worries many self-taught craftsmen who decide to lay the fireplace stove on their own. This point is also relevant for homeowners who use stove heating. Finishing the hearth with ordinary plaster does not have any aesthetic value, and after a short period of operation it simply requires updating.

The following types of finishes exist:

• Peasant (clay, lime and whitewash are used). A long time ago, stoves were coated with a similar mixture and then whitened. The dried walls were decorated with various designs, mostly flowers. These days this method is almost never used anywhere.
• Decorative brick. Heat-resistant material retains heat for a long time.
• Heat-resistant ceramics (terracotta, majolica, clinker, porcelain stoneware).
• Tiles. The most common method of lining heating elements. It differs from ordinary tiles in its box-shaped structure, which serves as a fastening for the tile to the surface.

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How to build it yourself

There are many interesting proprietary developments in the field of construction of fireplace stoves, which can be used by everyone. But the most famous are the sauna stoves designed by Kuznetsov. In the stoves of Russian craftsmen, the flow of gases occurs naturally, and not due to draft through the chimney.

The advantages of Kuznetsov furnaces include:

• Gradual heating of the oven from the bottom row of bricks to the top.
• Low probability of cracks and other defects.
• Possibility to use heating equipment as a stove and fireplace at the same time.
• Additional heating of the walls of the fireplace stove with gases escaping from the firebox.
• Minimal soot formation, so you can forget about cleaning the chimney for a long time.

The stove is a key attribute of any type of bath - Turkish, Russian, Finnish, etc. Without it, it is difficult to imagine the amazing atmosphere that reigns in the steam room. A self-made stove-fireplace is a unique structure, the likes of which cannot be found, and this is why it is valued most of all.

Of course, many bathhouses now have electric stoves, but they cannot beat real heaters.

To make a fireplace stove, the owner of a household will have to learn basic construction skills and master the skill of working with basic tools: a grater, a rule, a trowel. The issue of constructing a heating device should be approached especially seriously if it is located on the second floor.

At the first stage, you need to choose a place for heating equipment (layout), take all possible measurements, and then make a drawing and project based on the requirements of the place.

After the paper work, you can begin building the foundation. The heating system weighs at least 500 kg, this must be taken into account when pouring the foundation for the stove. The hole for the foundation must be dug at least 0.5 meters deep. Its bottom can be lined with construction waste and filled with cement mortar to the floor level without taking breaks so that the foundation is solid.

After pouring the foundation, you need to pause for one week to allow the foundation to dry completely. This time can be spent purchasing building materials and making holes for the chimney.

On the dried surface it is necessary to lay two layers of roofing material, which is subsequently pressed with cement mortar. Tiles are placed on it (only if a branded fireplace stove is used). When creating a brick object on a waterproofing layer, the first row of bricks is immediately placed in order.

Professionals advise using fire-resistant bricks to create a fireplace stove; ordinary bricks are not suitable for laying the lower rows. The optimal thickness of the layer connecting the building material is 3 mm.

All stages of the construction process must be controlled by level and plumb lines.

Thus, you can build a fireplace stove in the shortest possible time.

Pros and cons of stoves with fireplaces

Any owner strives to properly equip his own bathhouse, making it as comfortable as possible. In this case, the oven plays a special role. It completely solves the problem of heating rooms, but at the same time does not create proper comfort in the room, because it does not give a person the opportunity to enjoy the sight of burning wood. But bathhouses with a fireplace have a special atmosphere that has a beneficial calming effect on visitors. Although such a unit alone will not be able to warm the room well to the required temperatures, which is so important for a steam room.

That is why more and more people prefer fireplace stoves. What is she? A fireplace stove is a specific unit or a capital structure that is made of fire-resistant materials for heating rooms. It is used not only as a heat source, but also as an interior item.

The advantages of combining a stove with a fireplace include the versatility of the design.

Firstly, such a structure is perfect for heating a bathhouse, warming up the steam room well. And, secondly, a fireplace-type stove makes it possible to create an interesting and unique room design. The disadvantages include the high level of costs for implementing the project and the labor intensity of the process itself. Indeed, in addition to complex stove designs, many models with a fireplace require the mandatory construction of a chimney and, naturally, its periodic cleaning.

Review of the best models

Many people would like to have their own bathhouse or personal sauna, regardless of their income and membership in a particular social group. Now the steam room process is not only a luxury, but an excellent way to improve health. Pure steam, life-giving water, the use of medicinal herbs, birch, oak and all kinds of exotic brooms heal both body and soul, strengthening morale. And to make steaming comfortable, many manufacturers offer their heating devices for baths and saunas.

The most famous and popular ovens are Feringer, Harvia, Siesta, Termofor, Vesuvius - these units are created specifically for those who want to receive high-quality and reliable equipment at an affordable price.

Layout and equipment of the cottage

Guest house luxury suite includes:

• kitchen-living room: dining table, chairs, electric panel, extractor hood, sink, electric kettle, microwave, clock, refrigerator, TV, set of dishes
• bedroom: fireplace, one double bed, bedside table, two armchairs
• hallway: mirror, hanger, shoe cabinet
• toilet room: toilet, sink, mirror, hairdryer, cosmetics (soap, shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste and toothbrush, individual slippers)
• There are heated floors throughout the cottage
• The Russian bath is a national tradition, not just physical cleansing, but cleansing of the soul. It is the bathhouse that will allow you to truly relax and unwind. Healing steam, fragrant brooms, sauna heat are the best relaxants that help improve health, defeat many diseases and even look younger. Our bathhouse is not simple, it is made with love:
• wood stove made of natural stone;

the beds are made of African oak abash, which do not burn and are comfortable to sit on;

• Himalayan salt makes steam unusually soft, pleasant and beneficial.

Interesting solutions in the interior

Sauna stoves and fireplaces are modern equipment for heating small areas. This heating method allows you to obtain absolute autonomy from the supply of hot water. In addition, fireplace stoves are a great opportunity to feel away from the hassle and various troubles.

There are a lot of ideas for designing a bathhouse and each is good in its own way, especially if you need to think through the interior of a country complex with a fireplace and a bathhouse.

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