The heart of any bath is a sauna stove. Metal furnaces for the Russian bath are widely distributed, and this is not surprising. They have a number of advantages: fast heating and economy, attractive appearance, quick installation and reasonable price. However, true connoisseurs of the baths note one drawback - the oven has a low inertia. It heats up quickly, but it also cools down quickly, and because of that it is required to constantly put firewood on. The heater in this furnace is heated for a long time, and the metal walls can overheat, which leads to a decrease in the service life.
Furnish oven with brick by your own hands
In order to improve heat distribution in the steam room and extend the life of the stove, experienced bath attendants advise to lay a metal oven with brick.
Selection of materials
To work on the furnish of the furnace you need a solid refractory brick, it's called furnace. On sale there are different types of bricks, both with a smooth and decorative surface, and his choice is a matter of taste.
As a mortar for masonry, the following compositions can be used:
- Clay with sand, taken in a 1: 1 ratio with the addition of 100 grams of table salt per bucket of solution;
- Cement mortar with chamotte or glue for ceramic granite.
The solution is mixed in small portions, precluding its premature setting.
To reinforce masonry, you can use a reinforcing mesh, it must be cut beforehand into strips of the appropriate size. Reinforcement is necessary in the event that the foundation on which the furnace stands is made without taking into account the brickwork.
Preparing for operation
First of all, you need to prepare the necessary tool: a container for mixing the solution and for water, trowel and grout.
Before starting the laying, you need to make sure that the foundation of the furnace will withstand the additional load, at the slightest doubt it is better to immediately strengthen it, so that you can not alter it later.
Bricks must be lowered into the water for a short time before laying - this will improve its adhesion to the masonry mortar.
Laying of rows
When laying the first row, it is necessary to measure the indentations from the furnace walls to the brick. The documentation for the stove should indicate the minimum clearances necessary for the circulation of heated air and heat exchange. Approximately, the gap should be from 5 to 10 cm.
Masonry is carried out in half a brick, in staggered order. Pre-soaked bricks are shaken from excess water, apply a solution on all surfaces, which apply it to the previous row and level with light tapping of the handle of the trowel or wooden hammer.
We lay the first row of mesh for the strength of the brickwork
The reinforcing mesh is stacked on top of each row, in the corners of the mesh strip, for additional strengthening, you can pull off the soft wire. Grid should not protrude beyond the edges of the masonry - this will disrupt the appearance. Sutures should be immediately rubbed with the same solution. It does not matter if the brick after the masonry looks like a contaminated solution - it will become a new one during the finishing process.
An example of a brick lining, as long as this is not a completed option on it will be more similiar to the
. In order to ensure unobstructed air circulation around the furnace, it is necessary to make holes in the masonry. They can be performed in different ways, the easiest way is to lay one of the bricks of the row not along, but across, as in the figure. On each side of the masonry it is necessary to make four holes: at the bottom - to suck in the colder air, and above - for the exit of the heated one.
Masonry is carried to the top of the furnace. The upper row can be made decorative by choosing a brick with a textured surface.
Drying and finishing
After laying, the brick walls must be dried. Gripping solution lasts from several hours to several days, so you can start finishing not earlier than the next day.
Processing consists in removing excess mortar from the brick and giving the brick an even red color. Remove the solution best with a drill with a brush head. This dusty work, so it is better to use a respirator. After cleaning on the brick, stains and darkening may remain to smooth out the color, you need to treat it with a stiff brush, soaked in a solution of laundry soap, and then rinse with water. Brick "fur coat" will get a smooth color and a beautiful texture, and the stove - new properties.
Surplus cement can be removed with a spatula, and then wiped with a rag
The first furnace should be done carefully, without recasting the oven, allowing the solution to acquire the ultimate strength.
Advantages of the stove lined with bricks
After the first furnace you will feel a significant difference - the heat in the bath will become softer, even and last longer, until several hours after the last burning of firewood. This is easily explained - the brick accumulates heat, transferred from the metal walls of the furnace, and gives it gradually.
Comparison of the furnace before and after the
plating The stones will warm up more, because the hot air will stay around the stove much longer. When watering them with water, wet and hot steam will delight the steamers with its saturation.
The air in the steam room will be softer and wet due to the fact that the heated walls of the oven will not dry it. Wet steam is a distinctive feature of the Russian bath, it has a beneficial effect on the body, heals the body and spirit.
The stove will become much safer in use - touching the red-hot metal can cause serious burns, and the brick does not heat up to such temperatures.
And, finally, the appearance of a new, beautifully laid brick pleases the eye, and a good mood in the steam room is one of the mandatory conditions for a light couple!
