The structure of the Japanese bath is completely different from the traditional Russian bath. The article describes the design features of a Japanese traditional bath and the basic rules for its construction. Content:
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Bath furaco
- Device
- Material
- Heating
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Bath ofuro
- Design
- Foundation
- Walls and decoration
A Japanese bath is a special design for bath procedures, which is used for washing, healing, and relaxation. The main difference from traditional baths is the successive adoption of two procedures - in a barrel of hot water (furako) and in a bath with hot sawdust (ofuro). The last procedure gave the name to the traditional Japanese bath - "ofuro". Another important difference: the body is heated by water, the temperature of which is strictly 45 degrees. There are no other heating devices in the room. The Japanese bath belongs to home baths, so the buildings are designed for a small number of users, but there is always a supply for guests.
Japanese bath furako
Bathing in furako is the first stage of the Japanese bath ceremony, the body is prepared for procedures in a bath with sawdust.
The device of the Japanese bath furako
Furako looks like a round barrel with seating around the perimeter inside a container that can hold 3-4 people. It is a large structure with a diameter of 160 cm and a height of 110–120 cm. The container holds about 1300 liters of water. So much water is poured into the barrel so that the heart area is on top of the liquid.
Material for making furaco
Furako is difficult to make on your own without special construction skills, so it is better to purchase the product ready-made or order in specialized companies.
Traditionally, furaco is made from very high quality wood, mainly from cedar, larch, pine. Planks made from such wood give off antiseptic and immune-stimulating vapors, which is of great importance for ofuro. Planks made from mature trees, which are 200 to 500 years old, are especially appreciated. Linden and oak products, despite their high strength characteristics, have little healing properties.
Finished products are coated with natural wax. Metal elements cannot be used in the construction. It is necessary to make two wooden stairs to the barrel for entering and exiting the furaco, a stand for drinks.
Heated Japanese bath furako
Depending on the method of heating the water, the following types of furaco are distinguished:
- A furaco barrel, which is placed on the stove for heating … The barrel should have a thermometer to visually monitor the temperature of the water. To keep the water heated for a long time, the product is covered with a wooden lid. The bottom of the barrel is made of thermowood.
- Furaco with built-in oven … In this version, the barrel is divided into 2 parts by a vertical wooden partition. The baffle protects the user from burns. A stainless steel oven with a thermostat is installed in one half, heating water to +45 degrees. The structure is completely submerged under water and can burn in this position.
- Furako heated water outside the barrel … A more modern version - heated water is fed through a pipe into a container. The cooled water is discharged through another pipe. To drain the water, a tap is provided at the bottom of the tank. The water temperature is maintained automatically.
The choice of a water heating system is influenced by the size of the room and the place where the furaco will be installed. If the product is located outdoors, the furako is placed on the stove, which is heated with wood. Indoor electrical appliances are popular.
Japanese bath ofuro
Ofuro is the second element of the Japanese traditional bath. It is believed that do-it-yourself Japanese baths take the same amount of time to build as traditional Russian ones, the manufacturing technologies of such structures differ little.
The design of the Japanese bath ofuro
Ofuro is a rectangular box filled with dry cedar or lime sawdust. The depth of the box is 81 cm. For the procedure, the sawdust must be heated to a temperature of 50-60 degrees, therefore a special heating system is mounted on the bottom of the ofuro, for example, built-in electric heating of the walls. The box is made of cedar or hardwood boards; it is prohibited to use plastic or metal parts.
First you need to decide how many rooms the building will have. In furako, the visitor must sit clean, so make a shower in the building. There should be a dressing room in the bathhouse, where visitors undress before the procedures. The largest room is occupied by ofuro and furako.
If you adhere to all Japanese traditions, then you need to build a large lounge as well. The Japanese bath does not tolerate noise and bustle, so place a large table, chairs and comfortable sofas in the living room, provide a place for making tea. The presence of a bathroom in the bath is mandatory, which can often be seen in the photo of Japanese baths.
Those who want to build a Japanese bath ofuro with their own hands must decide where it will be located. It is often installed inside a building in a finished room. For a faruko barrel, which is placed on the street, it is enough to prepare a solid platform, and making ofuro in the form of a free-standing room requires careful preparation.
Making the foundation for the Japanese bath ofuro
Before making the foundation, study the characteristics of the soil on your site - the type of soil, the depth of freezing, the location of groundwater. The foundation for the walls of a Japanese bath is made by tape or pile. Pile foundations can be erected on any soil. It does not require a flat platform, less building materials are consumed in the manufacture, therefore, they have an advantage among equal options.
The foundation for a Japanese bath is made as follows:
- Drill wells with a diameter of at least 20 cm to a depth exceeding the freezing depth by 30-50 cm. The step of the wells is 1.5 m.
- According to the dimensions of the well, make a frame from reinforcement with a diameter of 10–12 mm. For the construction, you will need three long rods, which are interconnected with a wire of a smaller diameter.
- Instead of wooden formwork, install sheets of roofing material rolled into a cylinder into the holes.
- Install the reinforcement cage in the wells.
- Prepare concrete and fill the wells. Align the top surface of the posts into one horizontal surface.
- After cooling down, waterproof the surfaces of the posts with liquid bitumen, wrap them on top with two layers of roofing material.
Determine the place where the stove and furako will stand, in this place make a solid platform:
- Find out the dimensions of the barrel and dig a hole 10 cm larger than the diameter of the barrel. The pit depth is 400 mm.
- Pour sand into the pit with a layer of 100 mm, level it, tamp it, pour it with water.
- Top up with gravel in a layer of 150 mm and re-compact thoroughly. Make a reinforcing mesh with a height of 100 mm and lay on the gravel.
- Make the formwork, install it in the pit and make sure that the height of the formwork is 5-10 cm higher than the pillars of the bath's foundation. Fill the foundation with concrete.
- After the concrete has set, cover the surface of the foundation with liquid bitumen.
Erection of walls and decoration of the Japanese bath of ofuro
The traditional material for the walls of the bathhouse is cedar or oak, the economy option is pine and larch. You can use rounded logs, timber. The walls are erected according to the same rules as for the Russian bath. The roof is usually made gable or pitched with a slight angle. For rafters, beams made of any wood are suitable, the main requirement is the absence of rot and wormholes. The roof is covered with the roofing material you like.
To make the building look like a Japanese-style bathhouse, use natural materials for decoration, such as stones. They are used to assemble the floor and basement in the living room. For interior decoration, lumber of deciduous trees is used - from linden, aspen. It is not recommended to use pine and spruce boards; at high temperatures, resin is released from them, which can burn you.
All wooden parts inside the bath are treated with an antiseptic. Electrical switches are installed in the dressing room for safety. Do not forget to install a ventilation system that will quickly dry the room.
Finally, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the construction technology and watch a video review of a Japanese bath:
To feel the effectiveness of the Japanese healing method, it is necessary to make all structures for undergoing a full range of procedures, consisting of sequential heating in water and in a dry bath. Such complexes are constantly growing in popularity in our country and in the world.
