How to choose a stone for a sauna in a heater

Stones are used in the construction of baths - there is nothing surprising in this. When building a bath, like any building, natural stones or heat-resistant bricks are often used as building materials.

For example, boot, used when the device bath or sauna foundations. Known complex designs of furnaces and chimneys based on brickwork from fireclay bricks. But about the use of natural stones in the heating of a bath - crystalline rocks and minerals, some of which are rarely found in nature, or belong to the category of semiprecious, it is known much smaller.

But any attendant will say that a Russian bath cannot be imagined without them, which keep the warmth of the fire. This is one of the most essential and useful bath accessories for a properly organized bath procedure. It is impossible to imagine a traditional Russian bath without stones in the firebox, as without a gang or a broom.

What properties should they have?

To get pleasure from visiting the bath, it is necessary to organize the effective operation of the steam room.

In a properly organized Russian bath, the humidity is at the level of 60-80%: the warmth should be “enveloping”, give fullness of sensations and bring rest and healing to the body. An important condition is to ensure the required temperature.

The firebox should quickly heat the steam room up to 55-70º in the Russian bath, and up to 130º in the Finnish one. "Fast", even with the use of modern fireboxes - an electric heater, by bathing standards is considered to be warming up within 2 hours. This time is enough to warm up not only the air, but also the floor, shelves and walls of the steam room.

Another requirement is a long (no more than 5-7º per hour) cooling time for the steam room. This can be achieved by good thermal insulation of the room or the use of a heat-intensive design of the furnace and the use of filling (filling) stones in the firebox.

Sorted stones meet a number of requirements and possess:

1. Purity and safety of use, the absence of poisonous applications (creosote, pesticides), odors exuded during heat and the absence of radioactive radiation.
2. Resistant to temperatures: a red-hot stone must withstand immersion in cold water (cooling tº from + 1000º to + 5º).
3. The ability to store heat (to have a high heat capacity - 2.5 times higher than the heat capacity of a brick or a specific heat capacity, close to the heat capacity of cast-iron balls Schug. = 0.540 kJ / kg x K).
4. Have a homogeneous structure, do not have cracks, streaks and inclusions of foreign rocks.
5. Have a certain size and shape, have an aesthetic appearance. The generally accepted format is from 70 mm to 130 mm round (ellipsoidal or flattened) shape. This caliber allows the flue gases to circulate freely between the stones.
6. Have a healing and healing effect on the body and systems of human life.

What requirements should be met?

It would seem, what could be easier than choosing stones for the heater? They can be taken in the forest, by the lake or on the banks of the river.

Why can't you take what “lies under your feet”, the same coarse gravel, and use it successfully? However, not all so simple. And the selection of stones, any person who more or less understands in bathing matters, will say about this, this must be taken responsibly.

Specimens picked up outside do not withstand heat and the drop from high temperatures in the oven to cold dousing with water, often have a heterogeneous structure, veins and cracks.

When heated on fire, they (from limestone and sandstone - in most cases) crumble into small particles, turn into dust and, rising up with flue gases, clog the furnace channels.

Other, randomly selected rocks, when heated, burst, scatter, injure people with shrapnel, or are capable of disabling the structural elements of the furnace. Toxic secretions poison the closed atmosphere of the steam room and can be harmful to health and can lead to acne.

When using crushed stone from railway embankments, you can get poisoned with dangerous creosote from tar fractions that fell on it.

Others, including natural silicon containing rocks, have a fibrogenic effect or have a carcinogenic effect on the body. So that the use of stones in the bath procedure is not overshadowed by the sad consequences, the safest way is to resort to the help of a professional, or buy from a seller who has an appropriate certificate.

Views

There are dozens of names of natural stones, of which the most commonly used are:

Pebbles

River or sea pebbles - small, rounded stone, chunks of rock rounded and polished with water. There is a medium-sized pebble - the so-called pebble. Affordable and cost-effective rock formation.

Requires careful sorting and washing - you cannot use limestone pebbles, usually from the bottom of the sea or river - they quickly turn into soft dust. Pebbles are used most often, in the “prefabricated version” as the lower covering layer is combined with larger stones.

Jade

The name comes from the Spanish “piedro de jade” - kidney stone. Used jadeite chipped, tumbling or polished processing formats. It is a semiprecious igneous rock mineral of light green, emerald color, very reminiscent of jade.

Among stones it stands out for its increased strength (2 - 3 times more), and resistance to temperature changes. Has a high heat capacity and low water absorption. It is very durable - it can serve its owners in its original form for decades. Creates a curtain of soft steam, ionizes and stabilizes the functioning of the human body. Recently, it has been gaining popularity for use in saunas and baths.

Jasper

Sealing wax is a cryptocrystalline mineral of a semi-precious rock. It is known as a gemstone. Differs in a variety and variegated colors, there is a type of jasper with a "landscape pattern".

In folk medicine, it is known as a "universal healer". Completely removes the accumulated negative energy charge of the body. Cures insomnia, stops bleeding, promotes wound healing. The positive effect of jasper on the normalization of the heart, blood purification, cure for psychiatric disorders - stress and depression was noted.

Nephritis

Its external decorative appearance resembles jadeite, for a long time it was considered one mineral. It has various colors, most often green with various shades (emerald, grassy, ​​yellowish) and intricate patterns in the structure. According to the characteristics of heat capacity and low heat transfer, it is an irreplaceable bath stone.

It is not easy to cool the jade filling in the firebox - this mineral retains heat for a long time. Extra strong and durable - stronger than steel, a representative of the rock family. Combines high viscosity and specific gravity. Heals "nephros" - kidneys, normalizes the stomach and eliminates cardiovascular pathologies.

Tips & Tricks

1. Before use, specimens sorted for defects, without foreign deposits on the surface soaked for 1 hour in a weak salt solution and washed thoroughly, then dried at room temperature temperature.
2. Stone backfill in the ratio to the volume of the steam room 1:50 (or the weight in kg indicated in the technical characteristics for a certain models of a purchased stove), are placed in the furnace chamber according to the principle: below, at the grate - the smallest caliber, at the top - the most large.
3. It is heated over low heat until the bottom row appears red and hardened, followed by culling - it is poured over with cold water.
4. Every three months they are cleaned and washed from carbon deposits and soot.

You can buy sauna stones packaged in 10-20 kg buckets, bags or boxes in specialized online stores (with delivery in Russia) or from retailers of bath accessories and accessories.

It is enough to fill out the application form on the website and send it to the selling company.

The cost of an order depends on the type of stones, the country of origin and the type of processing (chipped, sawn into cubes, polished):

Name	Jade	Nephritis	Jasper wax
Price: RUB / 10 kg	1080 – 2150	3500 – 5700	1400 – 1600

The stones for the bath will make a complete bath procedure, and a visit to the steam room will give you rest, health and a charge of vivacity!