Turkish Baths

A hammam is a demanding wet room in which water, heat and steam live together. At the survey, the load-bearing capacity of the floor is assessed alongside the dimensions of the space and the ceiling height — marble and the göbek taşı (navel stone) bring considerable weight.

The water supply, the drainage, the heat source and the steam balance are discussed at the first visit; from a villa basement to a hotel spa floor, every space calls for its own solution.

• Area dimensions and ceiling height
• Floor load capacity
• Water supply and drainage
• Heat source (combi boiler / central system)
• Electrical infrastructure
• Target occupancy
• Use case (home / hotel / spa)
• Preliminary budget frame

Hammam design is the composition of a stage with the navel stone at its centre. The arrangement of the kurna basins, the seating ledges, the dome or star ceiling, the niches and the light lanterns are all designed to the dimensions of the space.

The concept is chosen together, anywhere from the classical Ottoman idiom to a modern, linear reading; the design is presented in 3D visualisation, and the marble pattern and texture decisions are taken at this stage.

• Navel stone position and size
• Number and arrangement of kurna basins
• Seating ledge and seating layout
• Dome / star ceiling arrangement
• Niche and shelf details
• Lighting scenario
• 3D visualisation presentation
• Construction drawing approval

Marble for a hammam is chosen on physics before appearance: its pore structure, its heat retention and its slip resistance matter as much as the veining and the colour. Marmara white, travertine and striped (zebra) patterns are the most frequently preferred textures.

For the navel stone and the seating surfaces, marbles that hold the heat evenly and are kind to the skin are used; on wet floors, honed (matt) non-slip surfaces. The selection is made together from quarry samples.

• Marble type and vein selection
• Heat retention capacity
• Honed / non-slip surface decision
• Navel stone slab selection
• Marble for the kurna basins and ledges
• Grout and transition details
• Sample approval
• Quarry order

The modern equivalent of the traditional külhan furnace is the set of heating circuits laid into the floor, the seating ledges and the body of the navel stone. The marble surfaces are held in the 40-45°C band, a balance that is hot to the touch but does not burn.

A combi boiler, a central system or a heat pump can serve as the heat source; the circuits are separated zone by zone so that the navel stone, the ledges and the floor can each be managed on their own.

• Underfloor heating circuits
• Navel stone heating circuit
• Seating ledge heating circuit
• Heat source selection
• Zone control valves
• Surface temperature targets
• Heat loss calculation
• System schematic approval

Hot and cold water lines are run to each kurna basin; the floor is formed to the correct fall so that the water runs to the gullies. Where a steam generator is to be used, its line and its service access are prepared at this stage.

Because every line will sit behind the marble, the routes are photographed and recorded in the handover file; the service points remain known even years later.

• Kurna basin water lines
• Floor falls and gullies
• Main waste line
• Steam generator line (option)
• Electrical and lighting wiring
• Heating circuit connections
• Pressure testing
• Photographic record of the infrastructure

The floor, the walls and the bodies of the seating ledges are waterproofed with a double coat of liquid-applied membrane, together with the corner tapes and the gully detailing. Because a hammam works permanently wet, the waterproofing is the layer that really protects the building.

A flood test is carried out after the waterproofing; no screed or marble is laid until it is signed off.

• Surface preparation and primer
• Double coat of liquid-applied membrane
• Corner and gully tapes
• Waterproofing to the ledge bodies
• Decision on wall height
• Flood test
• Test record
• Screed laid to falls

The body of the navel stone is built up so that it wraps around the heating circuit; the top is clad in marble slabs, dead level and in a single plane. Chamfered, eased finishes are used at the edges.

Its height is set for comfort in sitting and lying; with an LED run concealed beneath it, the stone becomes the floating centre of the space.

• Body construction and heating coil
• Slab setting-out plan
• Level and flatness checks
• Chamfered edge work
• Concealed LED run (option)
• Grout and silicone details
• Surface temperature test
• Navel stone sign-off

The kurna basins are made either from a single piece of marble or as a built body clad in marble, and crowned with antiqued or modern taps. The seating ledges are built over the heating circuit, at a depth suited to comfortable seating.

The splash zone around each kurna is allowed for; every station is positioned as a scene in the ritual of the kese scrub and rest.

• Kurna body fabrication
• Tap selection and installation
• Ledge depths and heights
• Heated ledge surfaces
• Splash zone detail
• Niches and shelves
• Silicone and grout finishes
• Water flow test

The wall and floor marbles are laid slab by slab, matched so that the direction of the vein and the continuity of the pattern are preserved. In patterned work such as chevron, the place of every slab is planned in advance.

Honed, non-slip surfaces are used on wet floors and a polished texture on the seating and reclining surfaces; the transitions are softened with chamfered details.

• Slab matching (vein following)
• Pattern (chevron / linear) plan
• Wall cladding
• Floor cladding (non-slip)
• Chamfered transition details
• Epoxy grouting
• Polished / honed surface check
• Cladding sign-off

A hammam works on a soft humidity sustained by the warm marble, less dense than that of a steam room. A steam generator is added on request and a comfortable climate is established in the 60-80% band.

The air circulation at the dome or the ceiling balances the condensation of the vapour on the glass and the ceiling; a ventilation cycle after the session dries the space out.

• Humidity target and climate setting
• Steam generator (option)
• Ceiling circulation detail
• Extract fan and timer
• Condensation check
• Humidity protection to adjoining spaces
• Noise level
• Climate testing

The main cost items in a hammam are the grade and area of the marble, the size of the navel stone, the heating system, the number of kurna basins and the intensity of the craftsmanship. Patterned marble work such as chevron, and details such as a star ceiling, are reflected in the budget as labour.

After the survey, Çilek Havuz presents every item in writing and with the reasoning behind it; every choice, from the marble sample to the taps, comes to you with its price alongside it.

• Marble grade and area
• Navel stone item
• Heating system item
• Kurna basins and taps
• Difference for patterned craftsmanship
• Waterproofing and infrastructure works
• Lighting and options
• Item-by-item written quote

The heating circuits are brought up in stages; the marble surface temperatures, the kurna flows, the gully discharges and the humidity balance are each measured in turn. The first heat-up is done patiently so that the stone is not put under thermal stress.

A briefing on use and maintenance is given at handover: the right (acid-free) products for cleaning marble, the habit of rinsing daily and the seasonal checks. A hammam that is well cared for lives for generations.

• Graduated first heat-up
• Surface temperature measurements
• Kurna and discharge tests
• Humidity balance check
• Lighting scenarios
• User briefing
• Acid-free maintenance guide
• Warranty and handover record