We build a hammam with our own hands. Do-it-yourself Turkish bath How to make a hammam bath in the bathroom

Many of our fellow citizens have been to Turkey, but not many have visited traditional Turkish baths (hammam). Hammam is an expensive pleasure even for local residents. The bathhouse is being built to create maximum comfort for the beds, however, it does not have the traditional steam rooms for our compatriots. Typically, the room temperature does not exceed 60°C; steam is created by special generators. All decorative design is in the traditional oriental style, ceramic mosaics, the obligatory presence of arches and domes. There are no wooden structures in the room at all; there are only ceramic tiles on the walls, floor and ceiling, including special sun loungers finished with this material.

Various healing aromas are added to the steam, special relaxing lighting has been made, and heated floors and beds. Traditional Turkish baths were filled with steam from boiling boilers, condensation flowed from the ceiling down the walls, and most bath utensils were made of natural marble. Today, modern building materials have significantly simplified and made the bathhouse cheaper, but have retained the main thing - maximum comfort.

The table is made either free-standing or adjacent to the wall of the Hammam

Operating a hammam is very expensive. It takes a lot of time to heat a large stone room; before receiving guests in winter, the bathhouse will have to be warmed up for several days. This does not benefit it; building rules recommend heating such rooms throughout the cold period of time, otherwise, as a result of frequent fluctuations in plus and minus temperatures with high humidity, structures have an extremely negative impact on their operational characteristics.

Structural features of the hammam	Description/Explanation
Dimensions.	There are practically no restrictions, but for a summer residence there is no point in making a bathhouse larger than 10x10 m in perimeter.
Materials.	Above the average price category, must be characterized by high performance indicators. Must be resistant to elevated temperatures and moisture. And, of course, beautiful and varied.
Architectural features.	The bathhouse should have as many arched forms, domes and other oriental exotics as possible.
Decoration of internal walls.	The vast majority of surfaces are covered with ceramic mosaic tiles. Plaster under the tiles in at least two layers using waterproof solutions.
Insulation.	The building is brick, there is no internal insulation of the walls. External walls can be finished with facade panels insulated with mineral wool. Although such insulation will be effective only in one case - the bathhouse is heated constantly.
Lighting.	The lamps must be hidden, the light must come from “no one knows where.”
Heating.	All massage tables, sun loungers, benches for relaxing treatments and floors must be heated.

How to plan the construction of a hammam

Let's move on to the practical side of the issue.

Step 1. Decide on the location of the bathhouse; there are several conditions. To ensure its functioning, the hammam has its own heating system for underfloor heating and a special steam generator. And for this equipment a separate technical room should be provided. The bathhouse requires a water supply and sewerage system. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the existing utility networks at the dacha or build autonomous ones.

Step 2. Consider in detail the internal layout: the location of sunbeds and showers, washbasins and tables, kurnas and other accessories required for a Turkish bath.

The project includes the following list of drawings: Project composition Technical specifications Explanatory note Dimensional plan Room plan Equipment arrangement Ceiling plan Sections and sections Drawings of sunbeds Finishing list Developments with finishing materials Visualization Electrical diagram Heating and water supply Ventilation Estimate for the construction of a Turkish bath Operating instructions for the hammam
In the hammam you can design just flat surfaces for sitting (45-50 cm) and for lying (70 cm), seats with backs (60-70 cm), anatomical seats (90-120 cm) anatomical loungers (140- 180 cm)

Step 3. It is necessary to carry out calculations of the power of the steam generator and heating boiler, and think over a system for supplying air flavors. If the laws of heating engineering are unknown to you, be sure to seek help from professionals. This also applies to drawing up a building project; calculations of foundations, walls and roofs must be carried out in unconditional compliance with SNiP and state standards.

Steam generator diagram Installation of a steam generator in a hammam

Step 4. Calculate the quantity and cost of all materials, including heating equipment. Do not start construction if you have delivered less than 70% of the required material. Stopping work due to a lack of material leads to a significant increase in the cost of an already expensive object.

Estimate for the construction and installation of equipment for a Turkish bath 2.8 m x 2.2 m, height 2.7 m with aromatherapy, finishing material - mix of glass mosaic

Estimate - plan
Estimate - equipment
Estimate - cladding

Estimate - installation of equipment
Estimate – building materials Estimate – general construction work

It is almost impossible to build a hammam on your own, and it is unrealistic to talk about all the nuances. To perform such work, you need to have extensive practical experience, namely practical experience, and not theoretical knowledge. We will only talk about a few complex construction operations that can be useful not only during the construction of a hammam.

Prices for a steam generator for a hammam

steam generator for hammam

How to make arched door or window openings from brick

The first piece of advice is to not take on this type of work unless you have practical experience in bricklaying. This is not a wall where you can remove and install bricks several times, add or reduce mortar. The brick should immediately fit correctly into the arch.

The construction of an arch consists of two operations of equal importance: the manufacture and installation of a template and the direct laying of bricks. When performing any work, you must not only know how to do it, but also understand why it is so, and what will happen if you do it differently. This distinguishes a true master from a hack. Let's start in order.

Brick prices

Marking and making supports

Take the dimensions of the opening and prepare materials for making a support. You will need a piece of fiberboard (it bends easily), plywood with a thickness of at least one centimeter, slats 5÷10 mm wide, boards and bars. The main advice is to do all the work slowly, try not to see mistakes, but to anticipate them. You may lose more time making the support, but then during the laying process you will “catch up and surpass” it. And, of course, the quality of the personally laid arch will not disappoint you.

First, you should first draw the contours of the arch on a sheet of stiff paper.

Step 1. Take a sheet of thick paper, the size of the sheet is slightly larger than the size of the opening. Spread it on a flat surface and draw two vertical lines along the width of the opening.

Drawing a template for the arch

Step 2. Find the middle of the distance between the walls, drive a nail there, and using a thin wire or strong rope, draw an arc with a radius equal to half the width of the opening.

Step 3. A very important point not only for beginners, all professionals do this operation - you will need to calculate the distance between the bricks on the arch. Lay out the bricks along the arc line (without mortar, of course). By the way, the mortar for the arch needs to be made more “fat”; increase the amount of cement by about 20% compared to regular mortar. When laying bricks (as well as during laying on mortar), you need to ensure that the end surfaces are perpendicular to the bending arc.

We can guarantee you that in 99% of cases the central brick will either not fit in the width of the remaining space, or it will be too large. The layout must be done taking into account the seam; to do this, use any object one centimeter thick (the thickness of the seam).

Real craftsmen do not allow themselves to trim the central brick; it is ugly and unprofessional. As well as hammering in a “wedge brick” with great effort, which some “craftsmen” advise doing. The problem with the central brick is solved in another way - by slightly raising/lowering the arch, as a result of such actions the height of the window opening will change within ±3 cm. Agree that this distance is not critical, it can be left like that, or can be eliminated later time for plastering work.

If the central brick is too far apart, the arched arc needs to be lowered down a little. Experience suggests that to reduce the gap between the bricks by two centimeters, it is enough to lower the arch by one centimeter. Move the center of the arc down (or up) a centimeter and draw the arc again. Lay out the bricks again to check the distances. There is a note - repeat all operations from the beginning. You can start making the support only after the brick is laid at equal distances along the entire arc.

Video - How to make an arch template

Step 4. Cut out a template from paper, lay it on a sheet of plywood and cut out two sides.

Step 5. Prepare wooden slats, the length should be equal to the width of the wall, select the quantity so that the distance between them does not exceed 5 cm.

Step 6. Nail the slats along the edges and in the center to the two blanks. Next, fix the slats along the entire arc of plywood. Fix a curved strip of wood-fiber board onto the slats.

Step 7. Strengthen all load-bearing supports, especially in places where vertical posts will stand.

Step 8 Place the support in place and secure it in position with wooden wedges. To make it easier to dismantle the support, place plastic film on the fiberboard.

The arch is assembled immediately from both sides from bottom to top. The center brick is installed last.

Carry out the laying carefully, put more mortar on the bricks than with ordinary masonry, it should be located over the entire area. You can make sure that the distance between the bricks of the arch at the top and bottom are the same; to do this, you should cut each brick with a wedge according to a separate marking; the cutting lines are drawn during preliminary laying out on paper. Let’s say right away that it is very long and difficult; we do not recommend undertaking it without extensive experience in performing such work. Excess solution is removed with careful blows.

Fire brick. Left – Sh-8, right – wedge-shaped

Do not remove the support for 5-6 days, or better yet, until you have placed the top few rows of bricks on the arch and tied them. This is also a rather complex operation; templates are indispensable. The fact is that the end of each brick must be adjusted to the bend of the arch, and the width of the seams and the bend angle must be the same. How to do it?

Step 1. Make about twenty brick templates along the side profile from thick cardboard, the specific number depends on the number of bricks in contact with the arch. During cutting, you need to add one centimeter per seam from the side and bottom. If the brick measures, for example, 6x22 cm, then the template should have dimensions 7x23 cm.

Step 2. On the support on the side you need to fasten a plank with the center of the arch arc. Drive a small nail into the center, secure a thin wire or strong thread, and secure a pencil at the other end along the upper diameter of the arch.

Step 3. One by one, apply the cardboard template to the intended place for laying the brick, and on the opposite side of the arch, draw an arc according to the template.

Step 4. Cut off the outlined area from the cardboard, do not forget to increase the arc by one centimeter - the thickness of the seam, transfer the dimensions to the brick. You must first cut the brick using a stationary diamond cutter (since you are taking on such complex work, you must have expensive, high-quality tools). The cut must be made on both sides of the brick; it will turn out straight.

Step 5. Using a manual grinder, correct the bend and make it precise. The main attention should be paid to the side planes; the middle can be left untouched. The main thing is that it does not rest against the arch. This operation must be repeated for each brick on both sides of the arch.

Prices for refractory bricks

fire brick

Video - How to join a brick to an arch

Let us remind you once again that the support is removed only when several rows for the bundle are laid on top. Give the solution a few days to set.

Due to the fact that there is almost no description of this operation on “bath forums”, we decided to talk in more detail about the rules for laying mosaic tiles. Knowledge can be useful to you not only when building a hammam bath, but also when constructing other buildings, decorating the interior of ordinary baths, etc.

Hammam. Mosaic

The appearance of the wall will depend not only on the quality of the material. Even the most expensive mosaic tiles can be laid in such a way that “your eyes won’t even see them,” or you can create beautiful interiors with ordinary tiles. Mosaics can be ceramic, glass or natural stone.

Ceramic mosaic

Step, No.	Photo	Description
Step 1.		Prepare surfaces very carefully. If for ordinary tiles you can allow minor unevenness and then level them with the thickness of the glue, then with mosaic tiles this “trick” will not work. Small mosaic sizes will repeat all surface errors.
Step 2.		Mark the surfaces. If the mosaic has a geometric pattern, then it should be placed along the axis of the front door, and not along the axis of the room. This is an important point. In the case of curvilinearity in the corners, each piece of the mosaic individually is a very thankless task, and it is impossible to leave it in this state. It is much more profitable to cover them with special stone plinths.
Step 3.		Select the brand of adhesive that exactly matches the characteristics of the mosaic tiles, and do not skimp on the material. The fact is that for solid tiles, the unevenness of the adhesive application is not of great importance; the remaining area will ensure a strong fit. The mosaic is small and some of its pieces may be completely dry. Conclusion - for such work you should definitely use a comb. It is no secret that many craftsmen lay ordinary tiles only with a spatula and do not particularly worry about ensuring that the adhesive is spread in an even layer over its entire surface. If you have sufficient experience, these simplifications will significantly speed up the production time, and the quality will be at the proper level.
Step 4.		You can press the mosaic tiles evenly with a float; constantly check the position of each sheet.
Step 5.	Removing the paper after the glue has set	Study the characteristics of the glue and follow the manufacturer's recommendations. You can remove the top paper and rub the seams only after the glue has completely set.
Step 6.		Grout joints with extreme caution and thoroughness. Correct grouting significantly increases the strength of fixation of individual mosaic pieces to each other; incorrect grouting can tear them off the wall.

How to make heated loungers in a hammam bath

Also complex work, both in construction and installation terms. First, you need to solve a very important issue - how the floors and sunbeds in the bathhouse will be heated. There are two options:

No general advice should be given here; all issues must be resolved taking into account specific circumstances. We will tell you how to make a heated lounger using water heating.

Step, No.	Description
Step 1.	Take the dimensions of the sunbed and make the brickwork. It is better to use hollow bricks - the structure heats up faster.
Step 2.	Plaster the lounger, give it the desired shape for the headrest and legs.
Step 3.	Make markings for fixing the plastic heating pipes. In places where there is a sharp bend in the heating pipe, use a grinder to cut grooves. The width, depth and minimum radius of the grooves depend on the parameters of the tube and are indicated by the manufacturer.
Step 4.	Place the tubes in place and temporarily secure their position using staples.
Step 5.	Make the screed with cement-sand mortar. The screed must be made perfectly flat and mosaic tiles must be laid on it. And mosaic tiles “do not like” curved surfaces.
Step 6.	Connect the pipes to the main lines on the floor according to the general floor heating diagram drawn up. There can be several sunbeds, so for each one you will have to perform the work described. Cover the surfaces of the lounger with mosaic tiles.

The entire heating system is connected to autonomous heating or to the existing heating utilities of the cottage. The second option will have to be abandoned if the existing boiler cannot cope with the additional (and considerable) load. Heating a brick building is expensive and time-consuming, you need to remember this.

Prices for water heated floors

water heated floor

Video - Construction of a Turkish bath. Laying heating pipes

There is one more nuance. When calculating the thermal power of the boiler and the parameters of the coolant supply system, provide for a large reserve of peak loads. This will give you the opportunity to turn on the heating to maximum power before taking bath procedures - you won’t have to wait long for the bath to be ready. After warming up, the temperature of the coolant should be reduced.

What we have described takes up no more than 5% of the total in terms of time, cost and volume of construction of a hammam bath. But we do not consider the article completely in vain. Even if you don’t build a bathhouse exactly this way, the ability to perform fairly complex construction and installation work will always come in handy in life.

Installation of Qurna

Qurna is a special bowl made of marble or other material, such as copper, intended for preparing water for washing. Due to the large mass, the water remains warm for a long time; water is taken from the qurna in special bowls.

Depending on the location of the kurna there can be:

• on the central riser. They are installed in small-sized baths, usually in the middle of the room. All visitors have access to it; the water supply and sewerage system are hidden in the floor. Measures should be taken to ensure that the central kurna is in accessible proximity to all the sun loungers available in the hammam;

  
  
  

• corner. These options are recommended for installation in bathhouses with separate areas for ablution. The presence of sun loungers nearby is considered a prerequisite;

  

• wall-mounted. Can be located near each sun lounger, installation is carried out in the wall;

  
  
  Wall kurna in a niche
  

• built into the bench. Slightly smaller in size than usual, designed for one user. The installation is the most complex - water supply and drainage systems are installed during the manufacture of the sunbed, the length of the pipes increases, it is necessary to provide a plan for the distribution of communications, etc.

  

Prices for kurna for hammam

hammam kurna

Video – Copper kurna

Video – Qurna taps

Steam generator installation

Steam generator Forest

The power of the device should be selected taking into account the total volume of the room, the unit is installed in a technical room, steam is supplied by metal or special plastic pipes laid at the bottom of the walls of the hammam. Steam generators consist of several elements:

• steam generator. Eclectic type, designed to generate steam at a given temperature. It has different power in terms of heat output and volumetric amount of generated steam;
• remote control panel. It has touch buttons, autonomous lighting, temperature and steam amount adjustment. Modern models are equipped with an electronic turn-on delay unit - the steam generator turns on at a given time, saving electrical energy and increasing the comfort of the bath;
• pump for supplying aromatic substances. Included in the additional package, it is used for mixing and supplying aromatic substances to steam;
• system for auto-cleaning the steam generator from calcium deposits. Increases the efficiency of the device, improves equipment reliability and reduces energy consumption.

Step 1. Select the power of the device; each manufacturer of steam generators indicates recommended operating conditions in the instructions. Thermal engineering calculations, taking into account the characteristics of the hammam bath, recommend selecting the power of the device at a rate of approximately 1 kW per cubic meter. As you can see, even a small bathhouse requires powerful electrical networks.

Step 2. During the construction of the technical room, you must have a place for installing the steam generator. Connect communications to it, make holes in the walls and floor for laying pipes. It is better to perform these works during the installation of heated floors. At the same time, pipelines for steam supply are laid. Pipes must be metal or special heat-resistant plastic. The steam outlet is installed at the bottom of the walls; use gratings for decoration. If desired, you can install adjustable blinds on each grille. This will allow you not only to change the direction of steam output, but also to temporarily turn off some of them.

Step 3. Connecting electrical equipment. Connection work must be carried out taking into account the requirements of the PUE. It is highly advisable to check the functionality of the steam generator equipment in all modes before completing the finishing work on the walls.

Important: high-power steam generators must be connected to three-phase electrical wiring. This means that a separate power line will need to be connected to the dacha.

Video - Steam generator for hammam

Video - Steam generator. Device and installation

Ventilation

Quite a complex question; the principles and parameters of hammam ventilation differ significantly from those used in other rooms. The fact is that ventilation should not only ensure the rate of air exchange, but also not lower the air temperature in the bathhouse and not have a big impact on humidity. There are no automatic systems; microclimate indicators will have to be adjusted manually. What kind of ventilation is there?

• natural. The exhaust duct is installed at the top point of the bath. Exhaust occurs due to the pressure difference between warm and cold air;
• forced. Air exchange is carried out by fans; modern models of forced ventilation may have a heat recovery system - unproductive heat losses are reduced. Recuperators work well, but their high cost raises serious doubts about the feasibility of installation.

Any type of ventilation will require manual adjustment; for this you need to install dampers or blinds on the ducts. It is also important to know that there is no only supply or only exhaust ventilation, there is flow-exhaust ventilation. In order for air to change, new air must enter (inflow) and old air must be removed (exhaust). Otherwise, no air exchange occurs.

The ventilation system is installed during the rough finishing of the walls. Air ducts must be installed taking into account the specific architectural features of the bathhouse. An important point is that the air in the hammam is very humid; condensation will always form in the exhaust air duct. Provide a drainage system.

Hammam bath lighting

There are no trifles in a Turkish bath; everything must correspond to the oriental style and create a certain “oriental” mood. You should approach the lighting of the bathhouse from the same perspective - select lamps only of the appropriate design. What kind of lighting can it be?

1. Wall-mounted. The lamp is fixed above each lounger and chicken room; you should not achieve too strong a luminous flux; it is recommended to use sconces with a Turkish design.
2. Ceiling. It illuminates the entire room evenly; creating separate zones is not recommended.
3. Projector. Original lighting, used when creating a “starry sky” or other light compositions. The projector illuminates stars on the ceiling or walls of the bathhouse, the walls of the bathhouse “disappear”, and visitors plunge into a unique atmosphere.

LED hammam lamp IP68

It is better to discuss the choice of lamps and their installation location with specialists; they will give specific advice taking into account the specific placement of various accessories.

Lamp in a Turkish bath (hamam)
Wall Light

Important advice to all developers - do not install 220 V electrical networks in the bathhouse, use LED lighting fixtures. In addition to saving energy and various original design solutions, they also have a very important advantage: they require 12-24 V for power supply, and this is a completely safe voltage. And one more important condition. All lamps in the hammam bath must have the highest degree of housing protection; this minimizes the likelihood of accidents. The relative humidity in the bath can reach one hundred percent, and such air is already able to conduct high-voltage electric current.

Video – Hammam

The bathing traditions of different nations have quite a lot of differences. This includes temperature, humidity level, and methods of steam formation. One of the most gentle baths is Turkish. The temperature here is not very high, and the high humidity causes profuse sweating, cleansing and healing the body. But building a hammam with your own hands is not an easy task and requires a significant investment of time, effort and money. Judge for yourself how much you will have to provide and take into account.

Hammam is not only a bathing procedure, but also an aesthetic pleasure

A more gentle temperature not higher than 50-55 o C and very high humidity. Traditionally, this type of bathhouse was built from marble, which remains pleasant to the touch at any temperature, only sometimes other stones were used for cladding. Used as separate inserts onyx- a mineral that is a type of quartz.

Onyx is a very beautiful stone for decorating a hammam (klibel)

Today, ceramic tiles have become a good replacement for natural stones for hammam, which everyone chooses based on tastes and preferences, but mosaics are more suitable than others for creating national flavor.

Mosaic tiles are the best choice for decorating a hammam

Everything is made of stone: walls, floors, ceilings and sunbeds. Therefore, to maintain the required temperature, all surfaces are heated. Another feature of Turkish baths is location of equipment in a separate room. You won't see any technical stuff in any of them. The equipment is hidden and invisible, and steam is supplied through special holes. The technical room can be quite small - it is quite possible to place everything on an area of ​​1 m 2, but it should be located no further than 15 meters from the steam room.

In ancient times, to produce steam, water was boiled in large vats, and the steam was supplied through pipes. Today, steam is also supplied through pipes, but special equipment is used to generate it -. These are small devices, packed with electronics, which are easy to control (when laying communications, do not forget to lay steam supply pipes). They have proven themselves well on the market and are quite suitable for use in a Turkish bath.

It is necessary to provide a heating system for the hammam, which will be located in the walls, sun loungers and on the floor. There are two ways to organize heating:

• Water - pipes are built in, and water circulates through them. In this case, the boiler can be of any kind, the main thing is that it can maintain a constant temperature of the coolant. If you plan to heat the hammam with a boiler that heats the house, you need to make a separate circuit. Otherwise, you will have to heat the house at any time of the year - when you need to go to the bathhouse.
• Using electric heating cables (they are also called the “warm floor” system). It is also advisable to place the control panel for this system in the technical room.

The hammam has another characteristic feature - the presence of a massage table (heated, of course). Its optimal height is 80cm, and the traditional shape is round, however, the height and shape of the table can have other parameters. Usually in large baths it is located in the middle and is designed for several people.

A characteristic feature of the hammam is the presence of a massage table
Square massage table

If the bathhouse is small, then the massage table is small in size.

Rectangular massage table

This is not always possible for a home Turkish bath. Traditionally, in the washing room there is a “qurna” bowl (again made of stone), to which cold and hot water is supplied.

Premises requirements

The hammam also places special demands on the ceiling: it must be domed or close to it. In conditions of high humidity, condensation actively forms on the ceiling. To prevent drops from falling on heads, but flowing down the walls, the ceiling is made in a round shape (to organize it, the height of the room must be at least 2.5 m).

The hammam should have a dome-shaped ceiling to prevent condensation from dripping onto the heads of visitors

As already mentioned, almost everything in the hammam is heated: the floor, walls, seats, massage table.

Much attention must be paid to heat and moisture insulation of all surfaces of the Turkish bath. The floor consists of two sand-cement screeds, between which a layer of waterproofing is laid (pipes or heating cables also run there). The walls, seats and ceiling have a rather complex “pie”:

• insulation + layer of reflective thermal insulation (foil material);
• waterproofing;
• heating system (except ceiling);
• leveling plaster;
• screed + final waterproofing;
• decorative material.

The floor must have a slope, allowing condensation and water to flow into the drainage system. When organizing a sewer system, it is necessary to provide a shut-off valve that will not allow unpleasant odors to penetrate inside.

Hamams need a ventilation system that will supply fresh air about once every 15-20 minutes. and must have a protection level higher than IP 65. They must also withstand elevated temperatures well (heat-resistant cables). It is advisable to use LEDs or any lamps with moisture protection as lighting devices.

Rules for visiting the hammam

In large Turkish baths there are rooms with different air temperatures - from +30 o C to +55 o C. First you need to enter the room where you feel comfortable, wait until the body warms up, go to a warmer room, wait again until the body warms up, and then begin the massage (before lying down, the table is doused with hot water).

The massage in the hammam is special - soapy. Specially trained massage therapists rub and knead the heated body. This procedure has a very strong relaxing effect. After which you can lie down, rest, relax, gradually moving to increasingly cooler rooms. The peculiarity of the Turkish bath is gradual heating and cooling without extreme temperature changes.

The benefits of Turkish hammam

Turks believe that hammam is useful for people with diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems: in a comfortable environment, the functioning of all organs is normalized. Profuse sweating reduces the load on the kidneys, cleanses the liver, uniform heating normalizes the intestinal microflora, stabilizes digestion and bile secretion.

Thermal procedures, and therefore visiting the hammam, are contraindicated in case of cancer, acute hypertension and asthma (incense is often used in hammam, which can cause an exacerbation of the disease or an attack).

Construction cost

Alas, even knowing the size of the hammam, it is impossible to say exactly how much construction will cost. As you already understand, there are many options for interior decoration, the price of which can vary significantly. Some customers may be satisfied with Chinese mosaics, others insist exclusively on Sicis or Bisazza mosaics, which greatly increases the price of finishing.

To evaluate the possibility of building a hammam with your own hands, we recommend watching a video in which a contractor involved in the construction of Turkish baths shares information.

Building a Turkish bath is not an easy task, but time spent in the hammam is a time of complete relaxation and rest.

Most people love to take a steam bath. But some prefer a Russian bath, while others choose a Finnish sauna. And there are those who cannot imagine their life without a Turkish hammam. This establishment has its own distinctive features. And the question often arises: how to build a hammam with your own hands in order to be able to pamper yourself with soft and pleasant steam?

What is a hammam?

It must be taken into account that the classic Russian bath has not lost its leading position. But both it and the sauna are already seriously competing with the hammam. He did not come to us from Turkey, as is commonly believed, although he took root there more. It has more common characteristics with Roman baths. Although the name “hamam” itself originated in ancient times from the Arabic word “ham”. And this can be translated as “hot”.

But still, “hot” is a strong word, and is more suitable for southern people who are accustomed to the warm sun throughout the year. Hammam is the coldest type of bath, so it is not at all suitable for people who prefer warming up to the bones. The atmosphere here is soothing, the warmth is like velvet. For southern people there is no need for a bath where there is a high temperature. Therefore, the hammam, where the temperature is only 50–60 C°, will seem like fun compared to the sauna.

Features and benefits of a Turkish bath

To know how to build a hammam with your own hands, you need to take into account all the features of this southern bathhouse:

1. A more gentle temperature is offered.
2. Humidity can reach above 70%.
3. All heating equipment is located in a separate room.
4. All cladding and furniture must be made exclusively from natural stone.
5. It is necessary to heat not only the sun loungers, but also the floor and walls.
6. A massage table is required.

It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the structure of the hammam itself must be domed.

It is important to know: 70% humidity is the minimum level in a hammam, usually it is 90%.

Among the advantages of a Turkish bath, the following points can be highlighted:

• The lack of temperature here is compensated by high humidity;
• the body warms up well due to heated stone sun loungers;
• toxins and wastes quickly leave the body;
• the skin is not only cleansed, but also rejuvenated;
• soft, moist steam helps improve metabolism in the body.

It is very important to know how to build a hammam with your own hands for those people who can be called “heart-seekers.” A Russian bath or Finnish sauna is contraindicated for them. But the hammam suits them perfectly.

The device of a classic hammam

If you compare a hammam with a traditional Russian bath, you can find more differences between them than anything in common. If the finishing material in the bathhouse is wood, then only natural stone should be present in the hammam. Marble was previously used to decorate the hammam, and onyx, considered a semi-precious stone, was used for decorative inserts.

What serves as a heating element in a bathhouse? This is a “heater” installed in a steam room. But in the hammam, the required temperature and humidity are achieved by heating all surfaces. Even the source of steam itself must be present outside the steam room. Previously, a special boiler was installed in a separate room, from which steam was supplied through channels. Due to this, all surfaces were heated.

Good to know! Kurnas must be present in the hammam. Kurnas are stone bowls containing hot and cold water. They are intended for washing.

So the hammam should look like it is shown in the figure:

Is it profitable to build a hammam as a separate building on the site? It is possible to build it, although a lot of money will be spent on construction. After all, all the interior decoration will take the lion's share of the funds that will go to this project. It is also important that good construction skills are required, because such structures are still one of the wonders. The costs of operating the hammam will be very serious. If you decide to take a steam bath here in winter, you need to warm up the building for 2-3 days. So what is the way out of this situation?

The simplest option is to use one of the rooms in the house for the future hamam. In this case, you will need to put in less effort and energy resources to warm it up. You just have to rebuild it first. By the way, this can be done even in a large apartment. If you draw up a project correctly, then solving the question of how to build a hammam with your own hands will be much easier.

When drawing up a project, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• required room size;
• finishing materials used;
• selection of steam generator;
• the optimal option for heating surfaces.

You also need to take into account how many people can steam at the same time. It depends on whether to make one shelf or need several of them.

Helpful advice! If the room is small, you can deviate from the classic layout of the Turkish bath by eliminating the massage table.

What will need to be done if you still decide to build a separate building for the hammam? Here everything needs to start from scratch, including not only pouring the foundation, but also supplying water and installing a sewer system. Here you will definitely have to turn to specialists, at least so that they can draw up a competent project. Or find it online, which is not always ideal. A free-standing Turkish bath should have 4 rooms: a harar (i.e. the steam room itself), a shower room, a utility room, and a room intended for relaxation.

Start of construction work: ceiling

When building a hammam, it is necessary to use only such materials to which it is then easy to attach a cladding in the form of natural stone. But in extreme cases, you can use ceramic tiles. And this applies not only to the floor and walls, but also to the ceiling. So both brick and cinder block are suitable as building materials. The hammam will need a ventilation system. The ceiling height must be at least 2.5 m.

Why is the ceiling in a Turkish bath made in the form of a dome? This is not a tribute to ancient tradition, it has a practical meaning. It must be taken into account that in the hammam the air humidity sometimes even reaches 95-100%, so condensation will certainly form on the ceiling. If the surface is flat, then drops will constantly fall from above, which is not very pleasant. But from the domed ceiling they flow down the walls.

Finishing stages and heating system

It is important to remember that the walls of the hammam should resemble a Napoleon cake. That is, we are talking about their multi-layered nature. When the building is ready, you need to start interior work. The very first thing you need to think about is the insulation of the walls and ceiling. The heat from the finishing stone must be retained in the room, so insulation must be used with foil.

The next layer is waterproofing. You will definitely need it, you can’t do without it. This is a very humid room, so under no circumstances should moisture seep into the outer walls. Today you can use several options for heating a hammam. The best is a water heating system, which must be laid along the walls, in the floor and in the sun loungers. But you can also use an electric heating system in the form of a warm cable. You must not forget about the channels from the steam generator and for ventilation.

Good to know! The cheapest way to heat a hammam is a water system connected to the central heating system. But this option is only suitable for a private house; only an “electric heated floor” system is allowed to be installed in an apartment.

The final touch to arranging a hammam is decorative finishing. You can use marble slabs. But they are expensive, and moreover, it is difficult to mount them on the walls, and even more so on the ceiling. Onyx looks beautiful, but is even more expensive than marble. An excellent substitute for these materials is porcelain stoneware. And if you have time and artistic talents, you can use loose mosaics. It is better if it is on an adhesive basis. It is well suited for finishing curved surfaces.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands never get bored!

Content

A fashionable trend among steam room lovers is the Turkish bath or hammam. It is popular because the temperature and air humidity are in a favorable ratio for healing the body and relaxing. Many people want to build such a source of pleasure at home, in the country or even in an apartment.

How to build a Turkish bath with your own hands step by step

To equip a hammam with your own hands, you need to carefully approach the issue of planning. It is necessary to understand that to equip a Turkish bath you will need 2 rooms: for the bath itself and for placing the equipment. It is better to have a separate area for a bathhouse, but if you wish, you can design it at home with your own hands. To build a hammam with your own hands you need:

• heating system for walls, floors, sunbeds (electric or steam);
• steam generator;
• lighting system;
• special ceiling design (in the form of a dome);
• separate ventilation and sewage system.

About the heating system: it is better to use an electric one, because... it is more profitable, easier to install and maintain. Before getting down to business, you should not only make a plan, take measurements, mark out the equipment connections, but also calculate how much this pleasure will cost financially. People with average earnings do not undertake the construction of a hammam, because... Separate supply of premises requires a lot of money, and the construction itself will take a lot of money.

How to make a hammam in an apartment

It is possible to build a Turkish steam room in an apartment, you just need to plan everything carefully. The room for equipment can be very small - an area of ​​2 by 2 m is enough. If desired, it is possible to make a round ceiling in an ordinary room, but it is desirable that the ceilings in the apartment are not standard, but high. Instead of a kurna, an ordinary tap will suffice, but it is better to adhere to the classic design. In apartments, mini-hamams are isolated using steam cabins, which already have a curved ceiling in their design.

Finishing

To decorate the walls of a hammam in the classics, they use not ordinary tiles, not mosaics, but marble. This material has the necessary properties: durability and good thermal conductivity. The hamam at home is laid out with marble, using hamam tiles or mosaics. Using the latter, you can create unusual floor and wall designs. A mosaic for the hammam, correctly laid out by a master, and a kurna made of marble will add the desired flavor and atmosphere of a real Turkish steam room.

How to choose lamps for the hammam

It is important to choose safe and durable lighting. The hammam in the house is illuminated with LED lamps and tapes with moisture-proof properties. Lighting that imitates the starry sky is popular; its light is adjustable and also has moisture-proof properties. Lamps can be chosen monochrome or colored, according to your taste. There are many lighting options on the market from manufacturers such as RGB, WDT, Xenoflex. You can install such lighting yourself.

Do-it-yourself steam generator for hammam

Using a steam generator, you can create a steam room at home. This device pumps steam at a given temperature up to 50 °C and humidity 98%. Modern steam generators have the following advantages:

• control the amount of steam;
• steam circulates throughout the room;
• built-in automation maintains the set temperature and air humidity.

Multifunctional steam generators for hammam can be equipped with a container for aroma oils, a water pre-purification system, and automatic drainage. If you want the best apartment option, then it is better to buy a standard model with a minimum set of necessary functions. European manufacturers that have earned the trust of consumers:

• Luxus;
• Timo;
• Jacuzzi.

Turkish bath project

The project of your own bathhouse, be it Russian or Turkish, is specific. In order for the created steam room to bring pleasure, and not problems associated with unfair planning and construction, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons in advance. The hammam will be an expensive pleasure, and its construction will take a lot of time. But in the long-awaited steam room you can then relax your soul and body. Before starting construction with your own hands, you need to plan all the stages:

• take measurements of the room, taking into account the design of the ceiling and the dimensions of the equipment;
• think over the design of the hammam (finishing, placement of sun loungers, kurnas);
• plan the placement of lighting, sewerage and ventilation;
• consider a heating system for floors, walls, and sun loungers.

Before construction, the walls are treated with a special coating that prevents the destructive effects of moisture. Do the waterproofing yourself so that the bathhouse does not cause damage to the building and will serve you for a long time. An important aspect is retaining heat inside the room using thermal insulation, which will allow you to save resources and prevent adjacent rooms from heating up if it is not possible to create a separate building.

Design

You can plan the design of the hamam yourself or order it from a designer. The dimensions of the room, equipment, desired dimensions, and number of sunbeds are taken into account. You need to choose a finishing material: tile, mosaic or marble. A ready-made design for a Turkish steam room can be found on the Internet and chosen to suit your taste, so that your stay in the hammam brings you maximum pleasure. The door for a Turkish bath can be glass or wood. The interior of the sauna will not be damaged if you order the production of an ordinary wooden door.

Blueprints

Drawings are the first thing to do. The plan for a future bathhouse begins with designing the ceiling. Further planning is based on its size. The ceiling dome is calculated individually for each project. The slope is made so that drops of condensation flow onto the walls. An incorrectly designed ceiling can take up a large portion of the room's floor space. This can be avoided if you study the construction technology and calculate everything in advance. The hammam is planned with your own hands so that every detail of the interior is depicted on a single drawing. Schematically draw up a plan:

• ventilation;
• insulation;
• steam supply;
• sewerage;
• lighting.

It is better to entrust the construction of Turkish baths to experienced workers who will do the work from design to construction. But it is possible to make a hammam with your own hands. On the Internet you can find standard projects with already planned placement of sun loungers and supply systems. The rooms can be round, square, rectangular, or honeycomb-shaped. Providing electricity for lighting is trusted to a step-down transformer operating from the network. Ventilation, heating and sewerage – all aspects can be planned independently.

Ventilation diagram

The temperature in the hammam must be maintained at an optimal level and air circulation is an important component of the climate inside the “created thermos”. The ventilation scheme is planned immediately along with the main construction plan. Ventilation is provided both in-line and forced. Ventilation pipes are often installed in the place of the former window. The following features are taken into account:

• dimensions of the bath;
• room layout (shape of the room).

The air outlet tube is made sealed, made of stainless steel with a special pipe for draining condensate. More often they choose supply and exhaust ventilation. In the room reserved for the bath, there are 2 ventilation holes located opposite each other. Multi-level ventilation is often done, when the ventilation holes are located at different heights. You can do any type of ventilation with your own hands, but it is important that it is separate, then the optimal temperature will be ensured in winter and summer.

The bathhouse is one of the favorite “Russian pastimes”. Today, the “geography of bath traditions” has expanded significantly. And although the classic Russian “steam room” and Finnish sauna did not give up their leading positions, they now have a very serious competitor. It became a Turkish bath, better known as a hammam. So today, many owners of dachas and country houses are puzzled by how to pamper themselves with the softer, but no less healthy, steam of the Turkish hammam. We will talk about the features of building just such a “non-Russian” bathhouse in this article.

But before we move on to a description of the technology, let's get acquainted with the main features and advantages of a Turkish bath, as well as the structure of a classic hammam.

The main advantages of a Turkish bath

Classic Turkish bath

Turkey is a southern country, so its indigenous population did not have a need for a high-temperature bath. The average temperature in the hammam is only 50–60 C°, which at first glance will seem like child’s play to those who like to “warm their bones” in a Finnish sauna, the temperature in which can reach 110–150 C°. However, the Turks compensated for the lack of temperature with increased humidity and additional heating of the body provided by hot stone shelves.

Like any bathhouse, the hammam perfectly removes waste and toxins from the body, helps cleanse and rejuvenate the skin.

Foam peeling is the ‘calling card’ of hammam. This procedure perfectly cleanses the skin.

But at the same time, the atmosphere of the hammam is not only not contraindicated, but even favorable for people with cardiovascular diseases and diseases of the kidneys, liver and stomach. Soft, moist steam improves metabolism and has a great effect on the nervous system.

In a word, hammam provides an excellent opportunity to improve your health and relax after a tiring workday.

Construction of a traditional hammam

If we compare a hammam with a Russian bath, we will not find many similarities.

The main material used to decorate a Turkish bath is stone, and not the wood we are used to. Classic hammams were made of marble, and onyx, a semi-precious mineral, was used as decorative inserts.

If in a Russian bath the heating element is a “heater” located directly in the steam room, then in a hammam the required temperature is achieved due to hot steam and heating of almost all surfaces. Moreover, the source of steam is placed outside the steam room. In the old days, this function was performed by a special boiler, the steam from which passed through special channels, thereby heating the floor, walls and tables.

An obligatory element of the hammam is the qurna. These are special stone bowls with hot and cold water for washing.

A classic hammam with a modern design may look something like the one shown in the following figure.

In a modern hammam, a boiler with hot water is replaced by a steam generator and a heating system

Construction of a hammam

It’s worth clarifying right away that building a hammam, especially if we are talking about a separate structure, is a very difficult task, so you cannot do without a detailed study of many aspects, special tools and fairly good construction skills. Moreover, even in this case, it is possible that in some matters you will have to resort to the help of professionals. So our article will give you only a general idea of ​​all stages of hammam construction. You can decide whether to entrust all this work to specialists or take on some part of it yourself.

Project

A hammam, even if it is built in a ready-made building, is a complex engineering structure. Therefore, its construction begins with the preparation of a detailed project, which includes not only the layout of the premises, but also the steam and heating system, plumbing and electrical wiring, and so on.

It is better to order an individual hammam project from a construction company. In this case, the specifics of your situation will be taken into account and the optimal solution will be found for each possible problem. Although if you are building a hammam from scratch, you can use a ready-made project.

Approximate plan of a Turkish bath (excluding technical premises)

As you can see, it is almost impossible to create such a project on your own, without special knowledge. And although ordering such a document from a specialized company will not be cheap, it will allow you to avoid many problems that may arise during construction. So, “savings” on the project may result in more serious expenses when correcting errors during the construction of the hammam.

Premises requirements

Regardless of whether you are building a hammam from scratch or trying to adapt an existing premises, you must meet a number of mandatory requirements:

• the hammam must consist of at least four rooms: a steam room (harar), a shower room, a technical room and a relaxation room;

If the hammam is made in the house, then the technical room can be moved outside it (but no further than 15 meters), and any suitable room, not necessarily adjacent to the hammam, can be used as a rest room.

• the floor, ceiling and walls must be adapted for subsequent cladding with natural stone or ceramic tiles;

To build a hammam, it is better to use brick or cinder block. If you are making a hammam in a wooden house, then all surfaces will need to be pre-prepared.

• the premises must be equipped with ventilation and sewage systems;
• recommended ceiling height is at least 2.5 meters;

The ceiling in the hammam must be made in the form of a dome

The ceiling in the hammam must certainly be domed. And the point is not at all about respect for Turkish traditions, but about the fact that drops of condensation will inevitably collect on it. A ceiling of this shape will allow them to flow down the walls, rather than drip onto the floor and on your head.

Stages of hammam construction

In terms of the number of layers required, the walls of a Turkish bath resemble a Napoleon cake.

After the room for the boor is ready, its further construction consists of the following stages:

• insulation (with a mandatory layer of reflective foil);
• waterproofing;
• installation of a heating system;
• screed and final waterproofing;
• decorative finishing.

Insulation

First of all, the room in which the hammam will be located should be insulated. This will allow you to save significant energy costs in the future. Today, there are various insulation technologies, some of which you can familiarize yourself with by reading the article “Warm house” on our website.

Waterproofing

In terms of humidity, a hammam can easily be compared to a bathroom, and the amount of moisture settling on the ceiling and walls will be several times higher. Therefore, naturally, you cannot do without high-quality waterproofing. The technology for installing it is practically no different from similar work in a regular bathroom, so you can use it as instructions.

Both water and electric systems can be used as a heating system for the hammam. You can read more about their installation.

Water heating can be “powered” from a central hot water supply system (if, of course, it is present in the house) or from a separate electric boiler, which can be located in a technical room along with a steam generator.

Hamam water heating system

For electric heating, it is most logical to use mats of the “warm floor” system. For safety reasons, it is better to move the system control panel to a technical room or rest room.

Please note that electric mats or heating pipes must be laid not only on the floor, but also on the walls and under the central pedestal of the hammam.

Decorative finishing

The classic hammam is finished with natural marble, and a solid stone slab is used for the bed. But since this option is quite expensive, ceramic tiles are often used in modern hammams. Such finishing will cost much less and will have virtually no effect on the quality of the steam room.

Mosaic with an oriental pattern is an excellent option for decorating a hammam

Small mosaic tiles are suitable for finishing the hammam. It would probably be redundant to say that the pattern should be based on oriental motifs.

Lighting

Considering the fact that the humidity level in the hammam will be extremely high, it is necessary to use only special moisture-proof lamps for lighting.

The level of protection of lamps, as well as sockets and switches must be at least IP 65.

LED lamps are perfect for lighting the hammam.

In addition to high humidity, there are also significant temperature changes in the hammam, so all electrical wiring must be made of a special heat-resistant cable.

Functional arrangement of hammam

Hamam is impossible without steam. Therefore, you cannot do without a steam generator. This device is installed in a technical room and from it, through special channels, steam enters the harar steam room.

A modern steam generator for hammam is an easy-to-install and operate device

The construction market offers a very wide range of steam generators, so you can easily choose a device that best suits the requirements of your bathhouse.

Sun lounger

The main element in the harar steam room is a stone lounger. Most often it is placed in the center of the room, but narrow stone benches can also be installed along the walls.

A stone lounger, or table, performs several functions at once. Firstly, the heated stone perfectly warms up the muscles and joints, and secondly, you can take a special foam procedure on it, which is one of the distinctive features of hammam. And finally, the lounger can be used as a massage table, especially since pre-warmed muscles will find this procedure very useful.

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