And Ivanushka never dreamed of! How to make the best brick or metal sauna stove with your own hands

The two main requirements for a sauna stove are efficiency and economy. Whatever one may say, but modern newfangled heating devices on electricity or blue fuel are inferior in these main criteria to the simplest wood-burning stoves. And there is no real bathing spirit from these fuel units. Today, the homemaster.techinfus.com/en/ editorial board has prepared for you detailed information on how to make a wood-burning stove for a bath with your own hands. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with step-by-step instructions for building a brick or metal structure.

A real Russian steam room is a panacea for many diseases. Here you can heal your whole family

What is the peculiarity of a stove for a Russian bath

Connoisseurs of the bath business know that the main difference between the Russian bath is in the mode and temperature of the steam room. The humidity here should be between 40-70%, and the correct temperature should be 90-120 ° C. Not every heating device can create such conditions. And one more important point - you need to maintain the required temperature and humidity throughout the entire bath procedure and preferably without unnecessary interference with the operation of the oven. Only in this way, at a uniform temperature, a special steam room atmosphere is created with a soft, non-scalding steam that does not burn mucous membranes and skin.

This atmosphere is due to the stone oven. They heat up to almost 400 ° C in a closed heater

It is the closed container for stones that allows them to warm up to such a high temperature.The absence of contact of stones with the atmosphere of the steam room gives light dry steam, which is so appreciated in the Russian bathhouse. The second and important difference between the heating unit in the Russian bath is the absence of convection, that is, the movement of air masses inside the room. There is no heat flow from such stoves, as in sauna heaters. Convection is allowed only during the heating up of the steam room to speed up the process.

If you do not stop the movement of air masses before steaming, the temperature in the steam room will continue to rise, and the humidity will decrease

The mild climate of the Russian bath is also created due to the absence of harsh infrared radiation... To achieve this result, stoves in steam rooms are lined with stone or brick. The cladding material accumulates the heat of the furnace walls and releases it to the steam room atmosphere for a long time. This soft warmth deeply warms the body without burning the skin. In a good bath there are no "bare" metal parts of the stove, they are all hidden behind the cladding. Even the chimney is hidden behind the cladding. A possible, but not the most appropriate, option may be to use a grid filled with stones as an IR screen.

So, what we get in the end: the correct stove in a Russian bath is a closed heater with the possibility of convection adjustment up to a complete overlap, lined with stone or brick, without open metal parts. The photo shows examples of sauna stoves suitable for our conditions.

What are wood-burning stoves for a bath: a comparison

Wood burning appliances do an excellent job of heating large and small rooms. You can make such a stove from refractory bricks or thick-walled metal sheet and cast iron. Brick kilns are heavyweight capital structures that require a solid foundation. Metal models are more compact and do not take up much space. Let's compare the two.

Brick oven	Metal oven
pros
Keeps warm for a long time due to the large number of heated stones.	Will cost less than a brick one.
Creates a mild heat that does not burn the skin and mucous membranes, deeply warms the body.	It can be mounted in any corner of the steam room, does not require much space.
When using high-quality bricks, it will serve more than one generation of residents of the house.	Heats up the steam room quickly - in a couple of hours.
Simple and safe to operate.	Economical on fuel.
Minuses
Long kindling - up to 5 hours.	Cools down quickly without adding fuel.
Takes up quite a lot of space in the steam room.	The cabinet gets very hot and can cause burns or heat shock.
In terms of material cost and masonry costs from a professional craftsman, it is more expensive than a metal counterpart.	May burst due to a sharp drop in temperature (you cannot splash cold water).
Needs a reinforced foundation.	It burns out over time and requires replacement.

The owners of home baths are increasingly making a choice in favor of the combined version of the stove: inside it is welded from metal, outside it is lined with refractory bricks. This tandem allows you to use all the strengths of stone and metal without the risk of getting burned and with significant fuel savings.

Homemade metal and brick ovens are not as expensive as pure brick ovens and are fairly easy to install.

How to make a brick sauna stove with your own hands

If you settled on the option of making a stone stove, then you made a choice in favor of a durable and safe heating device. In order for it to meet all the requirements of a Russian steam room, it is necessary not only to choose the right material, but also to correctly fold the structure. Let's understand this in more detail.

Tools and materials for work

For laying a brick oven, you will need the usual mason's tools: a trowel, a building level, a concrete mixer for mixing the mortar.For such a heater, you will have to purchase some metal parts: grate bars, doors for the furnace and blower, asbestos-cement and steel pipe for the chimney. And, most importantly, you need to stock up on the right one brick.

How to choose the right brick for a sauna stove

A good brick for a stove must be particularly durable, withstand extremely high temperatures, not be afraid of fire and at the same time accumulate heat well. The best for such purposes is the so-called fireclay brick - it is light yellow. Such material is quite expensive, therefore, in order to save money, it is combined with ordinary red solid brick. That is, fireclay is used in the furnace zone, and red in the chimney and outer walls.

For cladding, you can also use hollow bricks marked M 75-150

How to choose a brick for a stove:

Quality material must have certificates - ask the seller for them.

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Sauna stove foundation laying

A brick oven weighs at least 500 kg, so such a structure needs a high-quality, solid foundation. The base pillow should be 10-15 centimeters larger than the size of the sauna oven. The depth of the base is below the level of soil freezing.

The distance from the walls of the room to the future masonry is at least 35 centimeters. Walls made of combustible material should be additionally protected with metal sheets or ceramic tiles.

To fill the foundation, use a cement or lime mortar

The walls of the foundation are laid out with waterproofing material. A sand cushion 10-15 centimeters thick is poured into the bottom of the trench, then a 15-centimeter layer of crushed stone, and only then concrete is poured over the reinforced frame. To prevent voids from forming in the pour, the freshly poured foundation is pierced several times with a thin piece of metal reinforcement. It is important not to rush and let the foundation stand and gain the necessary strength. Before starting laying, it is imperative to waterproof the upper part of the base.

Secrets of brickwork

Ordinary mortar is not suitable for laying the stove cement... The fact is that it cannot withstand high-temperature exposure. For this reason, clay is used as a binder for ovens.

The composition of the binder mixture is simple: clay, water and a little sand. Sand must be sieved, debris and large particles will not allow you to achieve the desired seam format

Furnace masters advise using freshly mined clay rather than dry. Its "fat content" differs in different regions, so before work it is better to make several test batches with different proportions of sand. Make some flat cakes out of them and let them dry. Choose the batch that has the least cracks after drying. If you are unable to mine the clay yourself, buy it at a hardware store. It is sold dry in bags.

Ask the sellers for fireclay clay, this material is the most suitable for our purposes

Popular masonry schemes

Drawings of brickwork stoves for a bath can differ in size and shape, in the nuances of the organization of the chimney and the location of stones and a water tank. Here are the most popular ordering options from online DIYers.

Features of arranging a brick oven for a bath with your own hands

A solid element is used for the outer walls of the heater, but keep in mind: you cannot take silicate or hollow bricks for work. Stove-makers advise, before laying the masonry, to make a "fitting": lay all the rows dry in accordance with the selected scheme. This technique will allow not only to determine the exact location of the chimney, but also to check all the material for defects.

An expert's point of view

Dmitry Holodok

Technical Director of the repair and construction company "ILASSTROY"

“Fireclay and ordinary bricks cannot be alternated in the masonry; such furnace walls may burst due to different heating.”

During the laying process, all joints should be carefully sealed so that carbon monoxide does not penetrate into the room during the heating process

Each brick is moistened in a bowl of water before putting it in place, this will provide good adhesion to the clay. For the stove, bricks are not tapped for proper shrinkage. If one element does not lie as it should, it is removed, the clay is removed and put back. Each next row is laid only after the lower one is completely installed. All excess mortar displaced from the seams must be immediately removed both inside and outside. If you leave streaks of clay inside, from the high temperature it will collapse over time and clog the chimney.

Installation of a chimney, grates and doors

All cast-iron parts should not be installed after, but during the masonry process. So that the furnace doors of the blower and furnaces are firmly fixed in the brick, they are wrapped with asbestos rope. This technique allows you to tightly seal the space between the metal and the brickwork. The doors will expand slightly at high temperatures, but asbestos will prevent the masonry from destroying.

An important point in the placement of grates is to make sure that they lie strictly horizontally and do not rest against bricks

If the grates rest against the masonry, when heated, they will slowly destroy it. When making a stove for a bath with your own hands, do not forget to equip the chimney with a gate. With it, you can control the draft and regulate the temperature.

The better to cover the stove

The stove, in principle, can be simply plaster, but rarely what kind of plaster will last long on such a heating device. It is best to cover the masonry. This can be done with natural stone, facing bricks or tiles. If you make tiles from tiles, then you need to choose the right material. There are four most suitable options:

1. Terracotta - this tile is produced without glaze and has no mechanical impurities. It is just a high quality heat-resistant clay that does not emit any toxic substances even under extreme heat.
2. Clinker tiles - during manufacturing, it is fired at 1200 ° C, so she does not care about the temperature in the bath. This cladding is durable and abrasion resistant.
3. Porcelain stoneware Is an artificial material consisting of clay, kaolin base and quartz sand. Not afraid of temperature extremes and hot water, it has a rich palette and textured surface.
4. Talcochloride - this material is of mountainous origin. It keeps the temperature perfectly, cools down for a long time and is not afraid of humidity.

If you choose natural stone for cladding, pay attention to raspberry quartzite. It is not a cheap pleasure, but this stone is the best that can be for a sauna stove. The photo shows examples of lining the stove for a bath.

How to make a stove for a bath with your own hands from metal

It is easy to make an iron stove for a bath with your own hands, having the skills to work with a welding machine.Such a heating device will cost you less than a brick structure, and with the right design, it will be no less effective.

How to choose and cut metal

What steel is best for the stove? There is only one advice - the thicker the material, the better. The whole question is about the budget, because the thick sheet is expensive. The best option is 2 mm thickness. Make chalk markings on the sheets in accordance with the drawing. Here is an example of a drawing of a metal stove for a bath, which is easy to make with your own hands.

It is more convenient to cut metal with a grinder, try to work so that all corners are even

Remember to wear protective goggles and gloves, metal shavings can hurt. All burrs must be removed and irregularities sanded down.

Do-it-yourself metal bath stove welding: step by step instructions

Working with metal requires compliance with safety measures: you need to reliably protect your eyes and hands. Do not forget that working with a welding machine can have a very detrimental effect on the condition of the retina, use a special welding mask. So, the sequence of actions.

Illustration	Action Description
	Join two parts at right angles and weld in three to four places. You will later weld the seam completely, but now the challenge is to assemble the body.
	Grip the back of the oven in the same way. Make sure that all corners of the structure are straight.
	Connect the parts sequentially according to the diagram. Place all tacks inside the structure, then welds will be located outside.
	Secure the fifth part of the box with a tack from the inside. Later, you will need to cut a hole for the chimney in it.
	The hole for the chimney, given the thickness of the metal, is more convenient to cut with a plasma cutter.
	After the hole is ready, you can close this part of the oven with another piece.
	After assembling the main parts of the structure, all seams must be hermetically welded.
	Cut a hole for the ash pan. Here, the adjustable door must be attached later.
	Another technological opening is the door for loading fuel.
	This part will be made directly from the cut out piece of metal. At the bottom, you need to make holes for air intake.
	It is important to securely fasten the door hinges and make a handle with a locking latch.
	To securely lock the stove door, weld on the latch fasteners.

The final part of the work is welding the fasteners for the ash pan grate from the metal corner and making the legs for the stove. They must be at least 45 centimeters high.

How to make a stove in a bath with a water tank

It is convenient if a built-in tank for heating water is provided in advance in the design of the sauna stove. It can be mounted or attached. Let's consider the features of both options.

Hinged bath tank

A separate tank has its own advantages - it does not evaporate moisture in the steam room and at the same time heats the adjacent room. It is better to take tanks from stainless steel, they are able to withstand even steep boiling water.

The connection between the furnace and the tank takes place through pipes and hoses

Use pipes that can withstand high temperatures. Water is poured into such a system before the start of the firebox. If you pour water into a hot oven, it may burst due to temperature differences. Water can circulate in the heating device by gravity - for this, the distance from the stove to the tank should be no more than 1.5 m, and the lower edge of the tank is placed half a meter above the register. You can simplify your task by installing a small pump.

Sauna stove with built-in water tank

The second option for the location of the tank is directly above the stove. It is a simple design, uncomplicated in execution and does not require any pumps or systems with complex slopes. The water is drained from the tank through the built-in tap.

Such tanks are made of solid stainless steel with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm

Built-in tanks create a humid atmosphere in the steam room. Not everyone will like this, so think it might be better to move the tank outside the steam room.

Related article:

How to make the simplest version of a stove for a bath from a pipe: video instruction

If you managed to get a piece of a large diameter metal pipe, you can easily make a sauna stove with your own hands. From such a foundation, an excellent heating device will turn out, which is in no way inferior in quality to the factory ones. A small video course on this topic:

Price issue: how much does it cost to buy a stove for a bath

Finally, let's take a look at the most popular models of sauna stoves that you can buy in online stores. Buying such a stove will save you from worries about the construction site, but remember what we talked about at the very beginning, comparing metal and stone stoves? No matter how high-quality the metal is, and no matter how thoughtful the design of a metal stove is, it will never give such a special steam as a stove. But if you use the bathhouse from time to time, occasionally visiting the dacha, a factory-made stove is a convenient way out. According to Yandex.Market, these are the models in great demand.

Model	Picture	Main characteristics
Hephaestus PB-03		Built-in sauna stove. Heated volume - 25 m³. Power - 12 kW. Chimney, wood fuel.

Model	Picture	Main characteristics
Vesuvius Skif Standard 12 (DT-3) 2016		Outdoor sauna stove. Heated volume - 14 m³. Power - 12 kW. Chimney, wood fuel.

Model	Picture	Main characteristics
Varvara Terma-Kamenka		Outdoor sauna stove. The heated volume is 24 m³. Chimney, wood fuel, ash box.

Model	Picture	Main characteristics
TMF Geyser 2014		Wall-mounted sauna stove. Heated volume - 18 m³. Chimney, wood fuel. The volume of the firebox is 34 liters.

Model	Picture	Main characteristics
Harvia M3		Wall-mounted sauna stove. Heated volume - 13 m³. Power - 16.5 kW. Chimney, wood fuel.

Model	Picture	Main characteristics
Feringer Optima		Wall-mounted sauna stove. Heated volume - 18 m³. Power - 20 kW. Chimney, wood fuel.

As you can see, you can pick up a pretty decent unit for a relatively low cost.

The units are factory equipped with fireproof glass doors and look very attractive

If you have experience using factory-made or home-made sauna stoves, share your impressions in the comments!

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See also:

Wood-burning fireplaces for home: modern interpretations of classic engineering solutions Do-it-yourself oven for working out: drawings, video and description of the manufacturing process Stoves for a wood-fired bath with a water tank: types and construction with your own hands Chimney cap: how to do it yourself or choose a ready-made Hydrostrel: principle of operation, purpose and calculations, selection of a finished device Design and installation of sandwich pipes for chimneys without mistakes and unnecessary difficulties