Luxurious Living-The Truth behind Towel Warmers

Luxury meets everyday living with the introduction of the towel warmer.This bathroom accessory is used to heat any fabric item to warm, plush, perfection. There are two basic types of towel warmers, electric and hydraulic. These devices are flexible, energy efficient and add a luxurious flair to any home! Electric towel warmers come either hardwired to your home's electrical supply, or, as a plug in, available for use at any outlet. It uses electrical power to heat any one of three forms, wall mounted, floor mounted, or, freestanding.

 They are energy efficient using only 100W, similar to a lightbulb. Hedonic warmers use a system of hollow pipes filled with either gel or water, which can be connected to your general home hot water supply, or, to its own specific heating system. The gel or water becomes heated and warms the outer coating producing heat which is then used to evenly dry towels or garments.They are efficient energy wise as well, consuming up to 400 volts of energy and provide a continuous form of heat Installation wise, electric warmers are easier, notably the plug in variety. However, a few limitations exist. Larger sizes require discussion with home planning agencies and may also require a professional electrician or plumber for installation, in coherence with building regulations. Additionally, electric warmers cannot be placed within ten feet of a bath tub, in a shower, in a sauna or steam room, except for the plug in variety. They have to be attached via sturdy wall studs and all wires need to be covered with a waterproof coating, to prevent short circuiting. Hydronic warmers also require professional installation, since they are connected to the home's heating system, and this is recommended only at times of remodelling. Furthermore, this addition to the home means that holes have to be drilled into walls, which may be a nuisance when it comes to those who live in apartment buildings where changes aren't permitted. The presence of towel warmers is not recommended in a home with young children, or adults who suffer from nerve debilitating conditions, for example, diabetes. These heaters can reach temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius, leading to moderate burns if in contact with skin for more than four seconds. These warmers also take approximately 30-45 minutes to warm up and a further 1 hour to actually warm wet towels through. They do come with on/off switches and timers but the general consensus by consumers is that the product does take a long time to carry out its advertised function. Furthermore, some warmers can damage fabric, and a few cases of overheating have been recorded, despite the presence of regulatory thermostats, which can lead to fires.

Lastly, these towel warmers are definitely a luxury item and don't come cheap. They can range anywhere from 100 to 4000 dollars, a steep price to pay for a warm towel. Despite the obvious advantages, the risks of damage to surroundings and children, in addition to costs incurred in terms of energy consumption and purchase price definitely cannot be ignored. The necessity of a towel warmer in the home can be considered as food for thought.

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How sauna benefits impact on our health

Sauna refers to a room or device designed to help the user experience dry heat or steam. Recently, infrared saunas that use infrared rays to heat up the body have also been introduced. Saunas have been used in various cultures for many years. Although there is limited scientific research focusing on how sauna benefits the health, these devices have been reported to have profound impact on the users.

Many sauna enthusiasts cite stress reduction as the foremost of sauna benefits. Stress is medically associated with poor health. In fact, most heart conditions are somehow related to stress. The sauna environment, that shuts the user from the hustle and bustle of the world, provides the quietness that the mind needs especially after a stressful day. The heat in the sauna improves blood circulation, relaxes the body muscles and also stimulates the release of the feel good chemical: endorphin. When endorphin is released into the blood stream, it provides a wonderful sense of wellness. When the elevated temperatures experienced during the sauna bath fall at bedtime, the endorphin levels decline gradually thereby inducing deep sleep in the night.

A person suffering from muscle or joint pains like arthritis can find relief in the saunas. The heat of the sauna causes a rise in body temperature leading to vasodilatation. Vasodilatation increases blood circulation speeding up the natural healing of the body by soothing the pains and aches in the joints and muscles. The improved circulation also speeds up the healing of cuts and bruises in the body. The heat from the sauna benefits the body by eliminating lactic acid which accumulates in the muscles especially after participating in a physical activity.

Many, if not all people rarely experience active sweating on a daily basis during the winter. Visiting the sauna could be a great way of improving sweating. The heat from the sauna increases the body temperature and this rise in the amount of heat in the body induces sweating. While sweating, the body is able to expel many toxins from the blood acquired through the interaction with the environment. This could be a great way of improving the health of the body since most illnesses result from the accumulation of impurities in the body. Apart from removing toxins, sweating cleanses the skin and unblocks the pores greatly improving the health of the skin. Also, sweating requires vast amounts of energy from the body making it an excellent way of dealing with excess calories stored in the system.

Moreover, sauna benefits the body by improving its cardiovascular performance. As the skin heats up and the body temperature increases the blood vessels adjacent to the skin dilate resulting in increased cardiac output. The cardiac output causes a rise in heart rate followed by a deepening of the heart rate below the normal during the cooling off period. This trains the heart muscles resulting in improved heart rate.

Although there are many sauna benefits, care should be taken to avoid any injuries or negative effects on the body. A person experiencing dizziness, heart palpitations, hypertension, menses or any other kind of sickness should avoid the sauna. In fact, before deciding to go for a sauna bath, seek the advice of a physician.

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BUILDING A STANDARD SAUNA DOOR

Saunas have their origin in Finland. However, with globalization saunas have become wide spread throughout the world. A sauna is basically a warn humid or a hot air bath. Originally and up to date, most saunas are made of cedar wood. Temperature inside a sauna is usually raised beyond normal resulting to one sweating profusely.

Modern saunas usually consist of an enclosed unit with tight ventilation. Most gyms consist of locker rooms with warm steam vented into the room.

This is a guide to building a standard sauna doors. Adjustments in measurements can be made to suite your size but the procedure does not change.

Sauna doors just like saunas are usually made 100% of cedar. They are made to open out of the sauna and should be totally constitute of cedar except the screws that hold the door intact.

Sauna/hot baths doors should close tightly to trap heat and the hot steam inside the sauna. This requires keen standards to be followed when constructing a sauna door. The conventional measurements of a sauna door should be 24 by 72 inches

Materials needed. Hand drill and a 3/8 drill bit Cedar boards 3 inch wood screws 4- Inch wood screws Good quality sand paper A saw and a chisel You will also need a screw gun and a tape measure. Procedure Cut four pieces of 2 by 6 by 68 inch, 2 by 2 BY 24 inch and 2 by 6-8 inch cedar board pieces

High precision tools need to be used when cutting these boards, this is necessary to enable the board to flush when joining them. Modern electric tools are divisible but still careful use of the tools listed above always achieves the same results.

On a flat working space, carefully lay the four 68-inch boards together. The ends should totally swill out.

The 24 inch boards are then joined to each end of the board the 4 -68 inch boards. Ensure that the 24 inch boards flush with the adjacent 68 inch boards.

Carefully screw the 3 inch screws through the 24 inch boards at the ends this should hold the inner boards to the outer frame tightly.

The innermost 8- inch boards usually are modified to serve as handles of the sauna doors. Lay the 8 inch cedar boards flat and horizontally. With your saw, cut a 4 by 3 inch deep section of the board. Use your chisel and hammer. Give the notch an approximate length of 2.5-3 inches from both ends of the board.

On the edges 8-inch cedar boards, Drill four holes: 3 by 8 inches deep this should give 0.5 -inch allowance from the end of each board. This should be done with the notch facing the ground.

The door handles should be placed at a position convenient to you.

Face the notch towards the door and screw the 4-inch screws and into the door. Using a sand paper, make the rough surfaces smooth the door and wipe clean it clean.

Finally, crew the half hinge screws to the sauna doors. Screw the other half hinges to the door frame too.

Always check if your sauna door able to close tightly. Ensure that you can open the door outward from the sauna.

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Build your own steam shower using thermasol

A steam shower is a must have luxury in modern bathrooms. Thermasol makes it easier for anyone and everyone to make it all by ourselves. All we need is the resources and time. There are few key points which we have to understand before we get into the construction phase. There are three main stages which we have to take note off. Designing - Buying the right resources - Safe and sound construction. Let's begin with the design. First we must know the basic structure of a steam shower. The heart of a steam shower is the steam generator.

Thermasol provides us with the best variety of them. We can select one from Pro Series , AF Series or Steam Suite as per our requirement. These generators are placed outside the steam shower. It is important that they are placed in an accessible area with adequate ventilation. The selection of the steam generator depends on the power we need and the distance from the Thermasol Steam generator to our steam shower. This will help us deciding the best suitable location for the steam generator and the best Thermasol steam generator for us.

 Next important part in design is the interior of the shower. We are dealing with high moisture at high temperatures. Which are the key factors in corrosion. So we must take adequate care in the construction of the shower interior. A suggestion is that we can use a water repellent coat in our walls and ceilings. A water repellent coat or even water repellent tiling can do the trick for us. Next factor is to make our shower water tight by providing rubber caskets underneath and above the door. Providing a water shower is an at most necessity too.

Lets move on to phase two. Acquiring the right resources. Once we determine the location of our Thermasol steam generator and distance from the shower lets choose from one of Thermasol's steam generator. When we are buying the tiles for floor,ceiling and walls we must make sure they are water repellent. Any extra benches inside the shower also must be constructed with water repellent materials. We can cut down the coasts by replacing at least two of the walls with glass. The rubber ceilings around the doors must be well fit that they will not let any steam out. One point that we always remember is to make sure measurements are pinpoint. Into the final phase of safe and sound construction. Install the Thermasol steam generator in the adequately ventilated space. Make sure it is fitted correctly as per the manual. Point out the spot to let the steam into our steam shower. It can be on a spot lower than our Thermasol steam generator's outlet. Seal all our walls , floor and ceilings with water repellent tiles. Make sure our door is perfectly fit and water tight. One point we must remember is to give a slope on our ceiling so that the steam will cool down and run down through one side. The slope in the ceiling can be towards either side as per our convenience but not towards the steam inlet. This is a description which will be handy while constructing a steam shower by yourself. For all the technical aspects make sure you will go through the manual provided with each product you will be using while construction. Thermasol products gives power into your hands to enhance your luxury.

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Steps to build Outdoor Saunas

 1. SELECT A PLACE

You will have to choose a place where you would like to build a sauna room. Make sure the room is located in such a place where accessibility of heating and 240-volt electricity is not a major concern.

2. BUILDING THE FLOOR OF OUTDOOR SAUNAS

Saunas usually require a Duck board floor and a Base Floor. A concrete foundation along with a sloped floor is required for an outdoor sauna. A floor drain is not so much necessary because the water usually evaporates from the floor quickly but see to it that there is not too much water over heater rocks creating pools.

3. FRAMING OF THE WALL

Build the walls as free standing frames along with the air vents and an opening for the door of outdoor saunas. Once the frames are built, raise and attach them to the concrete floor with concrete anchors. Do not exceed the height of 7' for the ceiling as the heat will rise and fill the space above 7' which will lead to a requirement of a larger sauna heater.

4. WIRING AND INSULATION

The outdoor saunas require the installation of sauna heater electrical circuits, thermostat, lighting and other controls. lts better to locate the controls to the outside of the sauna for safety and long-life. The installation of wiring is followed by the installation of the aluminium foil vapour barrier and the conventional fiberglass bat insulation.

5. WINDOWS AND DOORSA

Standard door of a sauna is usually short and narrow. The door handle should be made of matching wood and a friction door catch should be used instead of metal. Sauna windows are made of single glazed tempered glass which is installed in the walls.

6. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR WALLS

The exterior walls of the outdoor saunas can be made of various materials whereas the interior walls require a lining of the sauna with tongue and groove cedar boards. You will also require rust resistant nails for nailing into the tongue of each board.

7. BUILDING OF SAUNA BENCHES

Sauna benches should be made of thicker material than the walls. These benches are arranged in upper and lower bench layout so that you can easily change your location to a warmer or a colder spot. In case of outdoor saunas the number of benches should be more as compare to tradition

8. SAUNA HEATERS

Sauna heaters can be gas, wood burning or electric. The heaters should use igneous rocks for safety reasons. lt should be sized correctly and installed by a certified electrician. Wood burning sauna stoves are traditional but they require much more time to heat as compared to an electric heater. You can also install a gas sauna heater, but they are quite expensive to install.

9. LIGHTING AND VENTS

Airways use an aluminium base light bulb with a heavy duty glass globe on the fixture. A 60 watt bulb is sufficient for a sauna. The lighting should not be too bright or fall directly on your eyes. The vents are required for the even distribution of heat in the sauna. You can locate the vent anywhere you need it Your Outdoor sauna is ready!

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Needs of towel warmer at the time of taking sauna bath

Towel warmers, also known as heated towel bars, heated towel rails and drying racks are used to heat towels or bathrobes so that a user can have a dry towel to dry off with after showering, leaving the beach, sauna or swimming pool. It is also used to dry a towel after use There are many benefits and functions of towel warmers in a sauna bath among which is the simplicity and convenience it provides in upgrading the bath. They also maintain dryness, maintain warmth, and help prevent mould and mildew.

There are different types of towel warmers available in the market and they are either free standing or wall mounted. Free standing towel warmers include the warm rails Hyde park 39-inch family size, the LCM home fashion, the Brookston warmer, and the Warm rails mid-size warmer. The Warm rails Hyde park 39-inch family size warmer uses a dry electric Feather element which gives towels a toasty dryness. The element runs without the use of oil or water. It has an on/off switch which enables users to only use it when needed. Its large enough to fit two large towels and a couple of other delicate. It has an attractive chrome finish convenient for complementing the luxurious look of the sauna and comes with a one year warranty.

The LCM home fashion 6-bar warmer has a solid professional look and goes for a lower price. It takes almost 30 minutes to reach its full heat. It's made of an aluminium frame with a chrome finish. The Brookston warmer is large enough to fit two large towels and reaches its full heat in about 10 minutes. It has an automatic shutoff system which prevents it from staying on too long unnecessarily. It runs on a silicone element which allows heating of items like hats and gloves, especially during winter. The Warm rails HCC mid-size warmer fits one large towel and is 37.5 inches high making it convenient for occupying a small space. It's suitable for drying hand washables and other small items. It can also be mounted on walls and comes with a 1-year limited warranty. Wall mounted towel warmers include the Ambo radiant hardwired curved warmer, the Warm rails Kensington warmer, the Jeeves straight warmer, the Jeeves swivel Jill warmer, and the Jeeves ambo warmer. The Aruba radiant hardwired curved warmer is large enough to fit two large towels and about four regular sized hand towels simultaneously. It heats up very fast and has 10 crossbars which allow full drying. It comes with an on/off switch and is made of high-grade stainless steel making it one of the most durable towel warmers on the market.

The Warm rails Kensington warmer is 39.5 inches long convenient for a small space. It's enough to fit hand washables and small towels. It comes in either soft wire or hard wire options and dries very quickly. It also comes with a 1-year limited warranty. The Jeeves straight warmer, also known as the ambo Eso-20 straight warmer is made of oil-rubbed bronze and comes with a built-in automatic thermostat which optimizes its consumption of energy. It's 4.7 inches long suitable for small spaces. It comes with an on/off switch and a timer that can be programmed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Jeeves swivel fill warmer, also known as the ambo J-B004 P swivel fill is mounted on a swing that moves 180 degrees. It's convenient for drying differently sized towels. It has an on-off switch with a pilot light and heats up to 136 degrees Fahrenheit. The Jeeves ambo warmer is made of oil-rubbed bronze and comes with suitably spaced bars. It can hold a large size towel and two hand towels simultaneously. It's small in size suitable for small spaces. Its temperature cuts of at 158 degrees Fahrenheit which ensures safety. All the different warmers are suitable for any sauna bath be it large or small.

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Differences between domestic and Commercial Saunas

A Sauna is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions. The

steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. Saunas are of two basic types namely conventional and Infrared Saunas. The Conventional Saunas heat the air which in turn heats the air which in turn heats the object or the person making him perspire. Infrared ones heat the object itself or rather the person.

Everyone perspires on a daily basis, however, deep sweating gives the body a myriad of benefits. This can be achieved through regular sauna bathing. The core body temperature gradually rises and this make it to sweat more than just the normal perspiration reaching the inner tissues.

Saunas though having similarities with steam rooms, it should be noted that where saunas are mainly based on a dry environment, the steam room is designed to create wetness or humidity

We can further classify into two other sub categories; commercial saunas and domestic Saunas. Commercial saunas are mainly installed in commercial public places like Gyms, Public baths, health resorts and hotels. Domestic saunas are in private homes for private uses.

Whereas there are no much differences between the two, it's important to note that the main difference is in uses and not design. Both are used for relaxation purposes but the commercial saunas are used to generate money. They are therefore made in such a way that though not impossible to find one where you can relax alone, most hold more than just one person at any one given time. They may be of different genders but it doesn't give the kind of privacy that domestic or home saunas can give.

The other difference is the fact that whereby there are professionals guiding through what is required in order to give maximum experience with saunas in commercial establishments, this is not always the case with a home Sauna. This can therefore bring deficiency in Sauna experience hence it may not serve quality intended purpose. This has to do with the temperature adjustments, amount of time spent in the Sauna and perspiration degrees. The state of heath of individuals also matters.

It's also expensive to install and run a domestic sauna because it doesn't bring any monetary yet the amount of electricity used is immense. It may not be expensive to run the commercial ones since they generate money from customers. Even installation of the same requires a sizable amount of financial input.

Commercial Saunas are relatively large compared to the home ones. Domestic saunas only serve a small amount of users. Mostly family members, relatives and maybe home staff. This means that even id design, they can be customized or personalized to fit the family's or a single person's taste. It would be unreasonable on the other hand to have a small sauna or steam room in a commercial setup since there may be many users at a single time. Customization of the same is kept at a general and professional level since it serves a varied class and type of clients.

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