Russian Bath House: good for body, joy for soul
There is no greater pleasure than to spend some time in a country Russian bath house: smell of wood, hot steam, goose bumps on the body after cold water shower...
Steam bath house in Russia (banya, milnya, vlaznya) was known among Slavic people in 5th-6th centuries. Everyone used a bath house: princes, prominent people and common people. People would be born and die in a Russian bath house, a visit to a bath house was accompanied with a special ceremony. Our forefathers believed that besides its main function – cleaning of body, the bath house represented a unique combination of four nature elements: water, fire, land (stone) and air (steam). Visiting a bath house a man was able to receive the strength and power of those elements. It was as if a person was born again.
The advantages of a Russian bath house is also confirmed by physicians: warming up speeds up metabolic activity, develops body defense mechanisms and improves immune resistance. A Russian bath house calms down nervous system, gives cheerfulness, improves intellectual abilities, heals small cold.
What is a Russian bath house? It was a wooden house consisting of two rooms: changing room and steam room. Steam room had kamenka that represented a furnace with stones. Russian bath house can be of two types: "black" and "white". "Black" bath house is the oldest but still can be found in certain regions (for example, in Siberia). There is no chimney in such bath house and steam goes out trough steam room window. When kamenka is hot enough, the heating is ceased, the bath house is ventilated, the walls are sloshed with water, than doors and windows are closed and water is added to kamenka that in its turn gives steam. Such bath house gives a special feeling due to the influence of steam on wooden constructions. "White" bath house is popular all over the country. In such bath house a smoke goes through a chimney, the air in a steam room does not get contaminated and ventilating and wall washing is not required. Such bath house is more healthful and modern.
Finnish sauna is the closest to the Russian bath house, though very often these are opposed to each other, relying on the opinion that Russian bath house gives wet steam and sauna – dry one. In the last decade sauna has become very popular in Russia but Russian steam bath house gradually wins its authority back. Moreover, the authentic Finnish sauna is the closest relative of a Russian bath house (sauna, translated from Finnish means 'a bath house'). Both in Russian bath house and sauna steam is received through watering of heated stones, Russian and Finns always used brooms (venik) for bathing, and Fins, just like Russians, as they got hot, would jump into cold water or snow bank. Steam humidity depends just on a kamenka arrangement and frequency of stones watering. The disadvantage of sauna is that it over-dries upper respiratory tracts that results in throat tickling, dry skin and mucous coat.
As we built a bath house we want it to stand for ages. But wood, in spite of all positive factors, has a negative one: it is easily damaged through the influence of rain, wind, sun, fungus and mold. Thus in needs reliable protection. If a bath house is built correctly and is carefully used, it has some protection already - high temperature, smoke and soot protect the wood. A both house should be constructed in a way that will prevent development of fungus. No condensation dampening shall be allowed. In other to achieve that a heat insulating layer shall adhere to outer (cold) surface, while steam-proof layer shall adhere to inner (warm) one. Roof slabs should have an air gap on the roof covering side, or (if not) frame ribs should have air drains (ventilation). In order to prevent decay of wood planks and panel placed on a sand pillow, an underground ventilation, dry materials use and sound steam insulating layer is required. End of beams inserted into housing shall be wrapped in waterproof material and laid with a clearance of not less than 3 cm between housing end and beam flat end.
Still, looking at the pictures of Finnish sauna you would probably think that frequently used sauna can not be that white and beautiful. Wooden surface would certainly get grey under the influence of time and humidity, loose its attractive "live" appearance. But it is not the way it can be. There are special agents that will help to preserve all qualities of wood under harsh conditions of high temperatures and humidity.
Paint and varnish products by high tech Rogneda Research and Production Plant have been popular in Russia for 15 years. Highly qualified specialists, well equipped research and engineering laboratories, own scientific and research center, ISO 9001:2000 quality control system (confirmed by a certificate) - all this enables the company to manufacture high quality products based on our own research and international achievements in field of wood protection.
Knowing how Russian are passionate about Russian bath house Rogneda specialists developed «Eurotex Sauna», a protective aqua varnish, which does not contain organic solvents. «Eurotex Sauna» is intended for long-term protection of wood color and texture under conditions of cyclic humidity and extreme temperatures: natural waxes included into aqua varnish recipe create stable water- and dirt-repellent surface, protecting the wood against decay, fungus and mold. «Eurotex Sauna» does not disturb the natural wooden structure, creating colorless decorative silky coating. And the most important is that antiseptic agents and heat-resistant polymer included in «Eurotex Sauna», recipe have no smell, do not burn and stay in the wood even under high temperatures impact (up to 150 °C), that provides for healthy microclimate in a bath house and makes the use of the varnish absolutely safe.
Still we do not recommend «Eurotex Sauna». «for all bath house elements. Rogneda advises to avoid using this coating for seats in a steam room. It is wise to use for such purposes Eurotex Sauna Oil for seats protection that gives similar protection but is more friendly to heated human body which is achieved through natural herbal oils use. It provides for a long term humidity and dirt protection of seats in bath houses and saunas.
In order to protect your bath house not from inside only but from outside as well, it is necessary to provide protection against fungus and mold, rain, wind and sun. All this provide Eurotex aqua varnish. It creates decorative semigloss grain furnish retaining its texture and providing long lasting protection (up to 10 years) against humidity, weather impact, UV-rays, decay, mold, blue stain. Eurotex aqua varnish is environmentally safe and flameproof, , does not contain any organic solvents and has no smell. Eurotex possesses unique painting qualities, ideal spreadability on wood surface with simultaneous deep penetration into wood structure, leaves no blotchiness when applied with a brush or a roll. Even a beginner will easily succeed. Sufficient amount of pigment gives a bright color with one pass, that together with low consumption qualities makes Eurotex highly economical agent. Â Eurotex is offered in - 16 colors that con be mixed to obtain original new hints, Antifrost additive can protect Eurotex aqua varnish against up to five freeze cycles.
No matter how good the foreign baths are, the Russian one is more familiar to us. How good are those silver birch brooms helping against all illnesses, or an oak one anti-inflammatory effect, or linden, alder, firry or juniper ones. And those aromas of kvass, beer, eucalyptus or chamomile. Wood aroma and wonderful texture attracting with living warmth and natural beauty. May your bath house give a lot of pleasure for many years. Truly says the Russian proverb: We would not survive if not for a bath house!
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