The Russian bathhouse does not lose its popularity, and at the same time it must be built in compliance with the relevant norms and rules. Therefore, the question of how to insulate a bathhouse remains very relevant.
Some features of bath insulation
Proper thermal insulation of the bathhouse will help to significantly reduce fuel costs, improve the quality of the procedure, and keep the building itself in good condition for a long time, especially if the bathhouse is used all year round.
Since ancient times, Russian baths have been insulated using natural materials - moss, tow, bast, etc. Nowadays, it is better to use artificial insulation. They are durable, easy to install, and environmentally friendly.
When choosing insulation, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of using bath rooms - high levels of moisture, high temperatures, and often live fire. All these points impose certain requirements on bath insulation, especially if they will be used for internal insulation.
Before purchasing material, it is necessary to carefully consider a number of important factors, taking into account cost, biological inertness, and technical characteristics of the proposed heat insulators. Another important point is the regional climate. The amount of materials required is determined by the size of the bathhouse building and the required thickness of the thermal insulation layer.
Whether it is necessary and whether it is possible to insulate a bathhouse from the outside depends on the material from which it is built, the regional climate and the time of use - seasonal or year-round.
Required tools and materials
In order to carry out thermal insulation of a bathhouse yourself, you need to prepare the following set of tools:
- construction tape;
- screwdriver;
- building level and plumb line;
- axe;
- chisel;
- saw or hacksaw;
- hammer;
- jigsaw;
- nippers or pliers;
- sharp technical knife;
- electric drill or hammer drill.
In addition to the insulation itself, for work you will need:
- vapor barrier film;
- wooden beam;
- metal rail;
- screws and nails;
- adhesive tape.
How to choose insulation
The bathhouse usually has: a dressing room, washing rooms, a steam room, a dressing room, and a relaxation room. These rooms have different levels of humidity and temperature during washing. Therefore, how you can insulate a bathhouse inside is determined for each room separately.
According to their mechanical characteristics, insulation materials are divided into bulk, block and tile, matte and fibrous materials.
The chemical composition makes it possible to divide heat insulators into organic, inorganic, technical and plastic materials.
Plastic-based heat insulators are best used for insulating rooms with low levels of moisture and temperatures. They are not used in the steam room due to their easy flammability and deformation when heated. Cheap and safe organic heat insulators can be used in a steam room only after fire prevention treatment.
Inorganic heat insulators are considered the most practical. These materials are fire resistant and non-hygroscopic. They do not rot and can serve for a long time without losing their basic technical properties.
More about vapor barriers
The most successful vapor barrier option for all sauna rooms is aluminum foil. It is fire-resistant, durable, non-hygroscopic. The main advantage of aluminum foil is its ability to reflect heat. By using such a vapor barrier in a bathhouse, you can significantly reduce the consumption of fuel material.
Glassine and roofing felt cannot be used in the steam room, since these materials, when heated, emit volatile toxic substances. In some cases, glassine can be used as insulation. It is better not to use roofing material for this purpose at all.
The choice of insulation and the method of its installation depend on the material from which the bathhouse is built. If the bathhouse is built from timber, a cellular sheathing of timber is first installed on the load-bearing walls. The cross-section of the timber should be 0.2-0.3 cm greater than the thickness of the heat insulator. This will ensure the safety of the insulation and its useful properties.
The selected heat insulator is placed between the sheathing beams. It is covered with a vapor barrier material. The vapor barrier is laid with a shift. A thin metal strip is mounted over the joints. A gap of no more than 3 cm must be left between the insulation and the vapor barrier.
The corners of the room, pipes, window and door openings are sealed using special vapor barrier tape. This will protect problem areas from moisture penetration.
For finishing in this case it is easier to use clapboard boards. It is stuffed on top of the vertical sheathing.
Bath buildings of panel or frame type are insulated only with heat insulators that have a low specific gravity. Before use, they are treated with lime milk to protect against corrosion and increase fire resistance. After processing, the material must be thoroughly dried.
We insulate the steam room
The steam room in the bathhouse requires special attention. After all, it is here that the highest level of moisture and elevated temperature are observed during operation. Therefore, insulation, waterproofing and finishing of this room must be done with special materials.
The ceiling of the steam room is subject to maximum heating during operation (up to 150 °C). Therefore, the question of how to insulate the ceiling of a bathhouse is solved by using materials with high heat resistance.
If there is no attic or attic, insulation is installed in the following order:
- wooden lattice made of timber on the ceiling boards;
- sheathing elements;
- thermal insulation;
- vapor barrier.
If there is an upper room - an attic, an attic - the insulation scheme looks slightly different. A layer of clay at least 2 cm thick is applied to the ceiling boards. This will ensure moisture retention. All small holes, joints between boards, etc. are filled with bulk material. Typically, expanded clay or wood chips are used for this. The thickness of this layer is at least 20 cm.
A box-shaped base of rafter supports is mounted on the ceiling around the chimney. This will provide a gap of 20 cm between the pipe and the heat insulator, required by fire safety. A non-flammable heat insulator such as glass wool or mineral wool is placed inside the box. The main surface of the ceiling is covered with a layer of mineral heat insulator.
The walls and ceiling of a bathhouse building must be insulated according to the following principles:
- Thermal insulators must be in close contact with the wall surface to reduce the risk of internal moisture and cold air entering.
- A ventilation gap is needed on top of the insulation to dry it.
- All floors and other wooden elements must be treated with an antiseptic composition to prevent premature destruction of the material.
- Materials with a low level of heat and moisture resistance cannot be used in the steam room.
- Insulation materials should be selected from those that do not deform under the influence of moisture and high temperatures and do not emit hazardous chemicals.
Necessary properties of insulation for a bath:
- heat resistance;
- moisture resistance;
- environmental friendliness;
- Fire safety.
Natural insulation materials require special treatment before use. Otherwise, mold, mildew and harmful insects may soon appear. In this case, it is more advisable to use artificial insulation.
Application of foam plastic
Many home craftsmen are interested in whether it is possible to insulate a bathhouse with polystyrene foam. After all, this is a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use material. However, it should be said that the bathhouse can be insulated with foam plastic from the outside or along the foundation.
When asked whether it is possible to insulate a bathhouse with foam plastic from the inside, most experts will answer negatively. This is due to the fact that foam is easily destroyed when exposed to high temperatures. The low moisture resistance of this material causes it to rot under the influence of high humidity. Therefore, for the interior of a bathhouse, foam plastic can only be used in rooms where there is almost no moisture.
Use of mineral wool
The question of whether it is possible to insulate a bathhouse with mineral wool is usually resolved positively.
After all, mineral wool is an almost universal modern insulation material with many positive technical characteristics. Among them are:
- reliability;
- moisture resistance;
- heat resistance;
- fire safety;
- resistance to rotting;
- easy installation.
Therefore, mineral wool can be used as bath insulation both outside and inside, including a steam room.
Penoplex insulation
Is it possible to insulate a bathhouse from the inside with penoplex? This is quite acceptable taking into account some technical characteristics of the material. Despite having many useful properties, penoplex is a hygroscopic material with low heat resistance.
Therefore, in the steam room it is better to use it only on the walls and be sure to cover it with foil. In other sections of the bath it is quite suitable.
Bathroom floor insulation
Usually made from wooden planks or concrete. The board is used in relatively dry rooms. Concrete - in the washing room and in the steam room. The technology of floor insulation depends on the base material.
To insulate a concrete floor, expanded clay (3-5 mm), extruded polystyrene or boiler slag are most often used. The upper level of the floor at the end of the insulation work is 15-20 cm. The work is carried out in the following order.
The concrete base must be leveled and cleared of construction debris and dust. Next, an adhesive composition is applied to the surface in 2-3 layers. Most often, special mastics are used for this, for example, rubber-concrete. A waterproofing agent - high-strength polyethylene or roofing felt - is placed on the adhesive.
After the waterproofing has set, the installation of insulation begins. An adhesive composition is again applied on top of it, on which the waterproofing material is laid. The last layer is a reinforced concrete screed, at least 30 mm thick. The concrete must be leveled and dried properly. The final finishing of such a floor is usually done using ceramic tiles. Under it you can place a heated floor system.
To insulate a wooden floor, you must first remove the old boards. A cranial beam is placed on the remaining beams from below. It must be wrapped in roofing felt or heavy-duty polyethylene. A rough floor covering is laid on top of the waterproofing material. For this purpose, bulk materials or mineral wool are mainly used. Is it possible to insulate the floor in a bathhouse using isopink? It is possible if the floor is wooden and is located in a room with a low level of moisture.
A waterproofing material is applied over the insulation. Then the finished floor board is laid. A plinth is attached around the perimeter of the room. The final paint coating is not used in this case, since these materials release toxins under the influence of temperature and moisture. If desired, the wooden floor can be covered with special rubberized mats. They will make the room cozy and will not cause much trouble when cleaning. The floor in the bathhouse is insulated mainly for greater user comfort. Floor insulation has little effect on the overall temperature inside the bath rooms.
Roof insulation
How can you insulate the roof of a bathhouse - this problem is solved depending on the use of the room. If the bathhouse building is intended only for hygienic procedures and relaxation, to insulate the roof it will be enough to lay roofing felt on the sheathing before installing the roofing pie. In the case when brooms will be dried inside the bathhouse, linen and other equipment will be stored, the roof must be thoroughly insulated.
September 2, 2016Specialization: Capital construction work (laying a foundation, erecting walls, constructing a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying internal communications, rough and fine finishing). Hobbies: mobile communications, high technology, computer equipment, programming.
To fully enjoy bathing procedures at your own dacha, you need to carefully insulate the room. Otherwise, too much effort and firewood will be spent on achieving and maintaining the desired temperature in the steam room.
Today I will tell you how to insulate a sauna from the inside with your own hands. Let's figure out what is the best material to use for this and how to install it on the walls.
Features of insulation of baths and saunas
The method of thermal insulation of a sauna or bathhouse depends on what material and technology the house itself is built from. The instructions presented in this article tell you how to insulate a room whose walls are constructed from profiled timber.
This material itself has a low thermal conductivity coefficient, so it does not require the installation of a thick insulating layer (although everything here depends on the climatic conditions of the area where the building is located).
- Reduce the time required to warm up the steam room. Due to the reduction in heat loss, the air inside will heat up faster, since the aluminum foil layer reflects infrared rays into the room.
- Protect the wall material from the destructive effects of moisture. A mandatory element of the insulation cake is vapor and waterproofing, which prevents moist air from penetrating into the thickness of the enclosing structures, destroying them.
- Prevent damage to walls from temperature fluctuations. A steam room is a room where the air temperature constantly increases and decreases. Such changes have a bad effect on the integrity of wooden walls. A layer of insulation retains heat inside, limiting its access to the timber.
Now about the features of the technology relating to the wooden sauna. When choosing insulation material and the procedure itself, you need to consider the following points:
- it is better to take “breathable” material that does not disturb the natural infiltration of air in wooden walls;
- the insulating layer should be well protected from water vapor in the air in the steam room;
- It is imperative to use a heat-reflecting foil layer, which prevents the insulation from absorbing infrared rays (that is, it is not the thermal insulation that will heat up, but the air in the sauna).
Required materials and tools
Let's start with the choice of thermal insulation. I will not now list exotic methods of insulation, which include sprayed polyurethane foam or ecowool, as well as old-fashioned methods - sawdust, dry leaves, and so on.
There are two main options to choose from - expanded polystyrene and mineral wool. Since the first material disrupts air infiltration and, when heated strongly, releases substances hazardous to humans, I will not recommend it for work. Therefore, only mineral wool remains.
I’ll tell you a secret, this is the material I really like to use for sauna insulation. And all because it has many advantages.
As a material, I personally chose TechnoNIKOL Rocklight basalt mats, 50 mm thick, dimensions 1200 by 600 mm. They are perfect for solving the tasks at hand. The price of this material is 590 rubles per package of 0.432 cubic meters or 68 rubles per square meter.
But of course, buying insulation will not end with a trip to the store. You also need to stock up on other materials:
- Wooden blocks with a section of 50 by 50 mm. They will be used to make lathing for installing mineral mats on the walls.
- Wooden blocks with a section of 30 by 50 mm. They are needed for floor insulation. These will be the supporting elements on which I will fasten the boards from below before installing the insulating material on them. I will also use them as counter rails on top of the heat reflective foil.
- Rough boards. Necessary for thermal insulation of the floor (see point above).
- Wooden eurolining. This will be a finishing material for decorative walls in the sauna. It is necessary to take hardwood paneling, since pine releases a large amount of resin when heated.
- Galvanized perforated U-shaped hangers. They are usually used to install galvanized profiles, but for me they will hold wooden blocks. Their advantage is that they make it easy and simple to level the walls if they deviate from the vertical.
- Aluminium foil. If your bathhouse is made using frame technology or brick, the foil can be replaced with penofol, which will serve as additional insulation.
- Metallized adhesive tape. It seals the joints between adjacent sheets of aluminum foil.
Now about the tools. You will need:
- screwdriver;
- construction stapler with staples;
- stationery knife;
- building level;
- tape measure and other measuring devices;
- brush.
Insulation technology
Insulation inside a sauna involves three stages of work or, as I said, lines of defense, which are reflected in the diagram.
I'll tell you about each of them in more detail.
Line 1 - Thermal insulation of walls
Let's start with the walls. The diagram of the insulating pie for them is shown in the figure below.
The working technology is as follows:
- I clean the surface of the walls from dust and sawdust. To do this, I take a regular vacuum cleaner (although I also have an industrial Karcher in my arsenal) and, using its brush, suck out all the debris from all the cracks between the beams. Otherwise, small particles of wood can become a source of mold development in the ceiling insulating layer.
- I remove protruding parts of fasteners (screws, nails, wire) from the wall. These sharp parts can damage the waterproofing membrane, which prevents the insulation layer from becoming wet as a result of moisture penetrating from above.
- I treat the surface with an antiseptic. It is necessary to take a composition intended for use in residential premises, which during operation does not release hazardous chemical compounds into the air. The walls are treated with a brush in two layers with intermediate drying for three to four hours. If the timber has undergone pre-treatment, then it is not necessary to additionally coat the surface of the walls with an antiseptic.
- I am installing a waterproofing membrane. Some people replace it with thick plastic film, but I still recommend buying special material (for example, Strotex or Juta brands), which protect against water but do not prevent water vapor from escaping from the thermal insulation layer. The installation diagram is as follows:
- The first sheet of membrane is laid, after which it is secured to wooden beams using staples and a construction stapler.
- The second and subsequent sheets of the membrane are laid so that the joints of the material overlap and overlap each other at a distance of at least 10 cm.
- The seams are sealed with a waterproof membrane. To do this, use adhesive tape pasted on top of the joint.
- I fasten the sheathing bars. The work is carried out according to the following scheme:
- I attach U-shaped brackets to the wall at a distance of 50 cm from each other vertically, which will hold the wooden beams of the frame. The frame can be fixed not only vertically, but also horizontally. This fact does not affect the effectiveness of insulation in any way.
- I treat wooden parts with antiseptic and fire retardant. These substances will protect the wood from ignition in a fire and prevent the appearance of mold, mildew and other unpleasant microorganisms in the insulating layer. After processing, the wooden blocks must dry completely, which can take up to a day.
- I install the sheathing parts on the brackets. For this purpose, self-tapping screws are used, which are screwed into the side surfaces of wooden parts. In this case, you need to ensure that they are all installed strictly vertically and at the same level. Otherwise, problems may arise during the installation of the finishing lining.
- The distance between the beams should be 58-59 cm so that the TechnoNIKOL Rocklight insulation slabs, the width of which, as you know, reaches 60 cm, stand apart and do not fall out during operation.
- After installation is completed, you need to carefully check again that the sheathing bars are installed correctly. This is why U-shaped brackets are needed to easily align the enclosing walls that are slightly inclined in one direction or another.
- I install the thermal insulation layer into a pre-installed sheathing. For this, as I already said, I took material from the TechnoNikol company. If you clearly follow all the above tips, then no problems will arise. The work flow is as follows:
Entire slabs of mineral wool insulation are inserted into the sheathing. Since the distance between the parts is 58 cm, they are installed by surprise and do not require the use of any other fasteners.
- To insulate other areas (where the slab does not fit entirely), you need to use pre-cut mineral wool. To do this, you need to measure the distance between adjacent frame parts, increase the resulting value by 2 cm, mark and cut the slabs using a sharp utility knife.
- I am installing a vapor barrier layer. Instead of a conventional polymer membrane, polished aluminum foil will be used here, which is capable of not only retaining water vapor, but also reflecting infrared rays into the room. The work is done as follows:
- The first sheet of vapor barrier is laid. The roll is positioned horizontally (since my frame is vertical). Work begins from the bottom of the room. The foil is secured to the frame using a construction stapler and staples. You need to act carefully so that there are no gaps in the continuous reflective layer through which moisture can get to the insulation layer.
- The second and subsequent sheets of foil are laid so that an overlap of 10 cm is formed in the area of the joint. This ensures the tightness and homogeneity of the heat-reflecting layer.
- The joints between the sheets of foil must be sealed with a special metallized adhesive tape. To do this, the protective layer of paper is removed from one side of the tape, after which it is glued to the joint of the foil. Perform the operation carefully so as not to damage the heat-reflecting layer.
- I install counter slats to secure the finish. Their role is played by wooden blocks that are installed on top of a reflective layer of foil. They are necessary in order to leave a ventilation gap between the vapor barrier and the decorative material. Through this gap, condensed moisture will evaporate without penetrating into the insulating layer.
- Slats for counter-cladding must be treated with an antiseptic to prevent rotting.
- The slats are fixed to the frame through a layer of metallized foil using self-tapping screws so that the caps of the latter do not rise above the surface of the wooden parts.
- The distance between the slats should be from 40 to 60 cm so that the decorative cladding does not bend under load.
- I am installing the finishing cladding from linden euro lining. To secure it, I use clamps, which allow me to compensate for the expansion of the material when heated.
Line 2 - Ceiling insulation
I will make the insulation of the ceiling from expanded clay. At the beginning of the work, my ceiling was simply wooden logs laid across the room - without upper and lower cladding. Therefore, I will describe the insulation technology, starting from this stage:
- I lined the ceiling from the inside with sheets of moisture-resistant FSF birch plywood 10 mm thick. The scheme of work is as follows:
- The plywood is secured using self-tapping screws, which must be placed at a distance of 10 cm from each other to ensure the strongest possible base for adding expanded clay. Although this material is lightweight, it doesn’t hurt to play it safe.
- When fastening plywood, the seams must be spaced apart and a distance of 2-3 mm must be made between them, due to which the thermal expansion of the plywood is compensated.
- To avoid warping of the sheathing, it is also better to make a small gap between the walls and the plywood.
- I attached a layer of heat-reflecting foil to the plywood. You already know the fastening technology from the previous section, so I won’t repeat it. The main thing is to carefully seal all the seams using aluminum adhesive tape.
- I installed counter slats on the foil, and a wooden lining on them. Proceed in the same way as in the case of wall insulation. There are no differences here.
- I cleaned the surface of the plywood from dust, debris and shavings from the attic side. Work now continues in the attic. It is necessary to clean the logs from foreign objects and sawdust, which can cause mold to appear in the expanded clay insulating layer.
- I poured expanded clay into the space between the joists onto a plywood backing. The technology is as simple as possible, but I’ll draw your attention to a few small nuances:
- The insulation will work effectively if its layer is at least 10 cm. I had logs of the same height, so I poured the granules flush with the top cut of the floor beams.
- If your joists are higher, then fill the expanded clay evenly (even if the layer is thicker). Otherwise, the procedure for installing the waterproofing film will become more complicated.
- The size of expanded clay granules does not matter. The more air there is in the thermal insulation layer, the lower the thermal conductivity coefficient it will have.
- For work, you need to use well-dried material, since the moisture inside can have a very detrimental effect on the integrity and service life of wooden structures, as well as reduce the efficiency of the heat-insulating layer.
- Fixed a waterproofing, vapor-permeable membrane. I recommend purchasing a polymer material with a permeability of at least 1300 mg per square meter. In this case, the moisture accumulated inside the expanded clay will come out, and the liquid will not get into the insulation layer. The fastening scheme is as follows:
- If expanded clay is poured to the top edge of the beams, then you just need to secure the film on top of the wooden parts using a stapler and staples.
- If the expanded clay does not reach the top, then the film must be lowered down and secured to the side surfaces of the beams using bars. The essence of this operation is to ensure that there is no free space between the insulation and the film, otherwise the membrane will make noise during operation.
- The joints, as in the cases described above, are overlapped and additionally sealed with adhesive tape.
- Installed counter grille. It is only necessary when the film is attached to the top of the joists. The counter-lattice is made of bars, which are attached to wooden parts with self-tapping screws.
- I completed the finishing cladding of the interfloor ceiling with tongue-and-groove boards. I chose this material because in the future it is planned to arrange a rest room in the attic of the bathhouse. If you do not plan to convert the under-roof space into a living space, you can also replace the boards with plywood.
Line 3 - Floor insulation
Floor insulation is similar to ceiling insulation, with the exception of a few nuances:
- it will not be possible to get under the bottom of the house to secure the covering of the floor joists, there is not so much space there;
- It is necessary to carry out the highest quality waterproofing of the floor, since its surface often experiences direct contact with water (especially in the shower).
Since I didn’t have enough expanded clay, I will use mineral wool to insulate the floor. To make it more clear for you to follow the presentation, I will give a schematic image of an insulating cake for the floor in a sauna:
The sequence of actions that I followed:
- I attached cranial bars to the lower part of the side surfaces of the floor joists (number 3 in the diagram). To secure them, I used self-tapping screws plus, for strength, galvanized corners used in the construction of frame houses.
- I fixed a vapor-permeable membrane that prevents the insulation from being moistened by moisture penetrating from below (from under the floor). To do this, the film is fixed on the bars, after which it is wrapped around the floor joists, forming a kind of trough into which the insulation will be laid.
- I installed subfloor boards (number 5 in the diagram). They are placed directly on the film so that the ends rest on the cranial bars. This will be the supporting surface on which the thermal insulation material is then laid.
The photo shows laid subfloor boards.
- I placed mineral wool in the gaps between the joists. Here you will figure it out for yourself, since I paid a lot of attention to this aspect in the previous sections.
- I laid a waterproofing film on top to protect the insulating layer from getting wet.
- A floor made of tongue and groove boards was laid on top.
In principle, in most cases this is enough. But if the floor is insulated in the shower or you like to splash a lot of water in the steam room, I recommend making another waterproofing layer of polymer mastic on top of the boards, which is tiled. And, if necessary, install wooden drainage ladders on top.
Summary
Now you know how to insulate a sauna from the inside using basalt fiber insulation. But other materials are also used for this. For example, to insulate a floor, you can use polystyrene foam, as described in the video in this article.
What thermal insulation materials do you use to insulate walls from the inside? Or do you prefer to install insulation only on the outside? You can post your answers in the comments to the material.
September 2, 2016If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!
A Russian bathhouse with a steam room is a guarantee of health and longevity, but in order for healing procedures to bring maximum benefits, it is necessary to choose the right insulation for different bathhouse designs, taking into account the different functionality, humidity conditions of the premises and the material of individual elements. In addition, it is necessary to know the technology of the insulation process, the observance of which will not only preserve heat in the bathhouse, but also significantly reduce the consumption of energy fuel. To determine which insulation is best for a bathhouse, you need to know the positive and negative aspects of each type of thermal insulation material.
Types of modern insulation
What insulation can be used in a bathhouse
Manufacturers offer a wide range of heat-insulating materials, but do not forget the traditional insulation methods used for centuries, which can still be used in bathhouses today. Among modern insulation materials of artificial origin, the following are popular:
- sheets of extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex);
- simple foam plastic;
- polyurethane foam;
- mineral wool products;
- ecowool;
- expanded clay gravel and expanded clay concrete slabs;
- combined insulation in the form of basalt mats or polystyrene material with foil coating.
Despite the high thermal insulation qualities of all these materials, for different rooms of the bath structure it is necessary to choose the insulation that meets the requirements of safety, environmental friendliness and durability.
Styrofoam
Polystyrene foam for insulating the ceiling of locker rooms and rest rooms Expanded polystyrene (colloquially polystyrene foam) is used to insulate the walls of a bathhouse outside, the attic floor or the floor in a steam room. The advantages of this material include:
- high degree of resistance to moisture;
- immunity to microorganisms and mold;
- does not support open fire;
- low specific gravity;
- low cost;
- simple processing.
Negative characteristics include the “love” of mice for polystyrene foam, as well as the release of toxic substances from plastic material in the event of a fire in a bathhouse. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it to insulate a steam room. By chewing the material, mice and rats thereby reduce its thermal insulation characteristics. With regard to the release of toxic fumes, we can say that people do not stay in the steam room for too long, and the use of such insulation is quite acceptable. In addition, modern industry produces special types of foam plastic, which are approved by SanPiN for use inside residential and public buildings. For example, various decorative elements of the interior - moldings, fillets, baseboards, etc.
Extruded polystyrene foam
This material has all the properties that are inherent in foam plastic, but with a smaller thickness of the product, it is able to maintain the same thermal insulation characteristics. Extruded polystyrene foam is more durable than polystyrene foam due to its dense structure, as a result of which its service life increases significantly. The material is non-flammable insulation. When sparks of fire hit it, it does not support further combustion. A negative factor is its increased cost compared to the price of its counterpart. However, it is still not recommended to use it to insulate a steam room from the inside, just like foam plastic, since these materials can withstand temperatures without losing their properties higher than +75 degrees, and as you know, in a steam room the temperature can sometimes reach significantly higher degrees.
Polyurethane foam
Insulation of walls with polyurethane foam by spraying
Polyurethane foam in the form of liquid insulation appeared on the building materials market not so long ago. The essence of its application is to spray a polyurethane two-component liquid, which, when interacting with air, turns into foam consisting of 90% air bubbles. After a few minutes, the foam hardens, increasing almost tenfold in volume.
Foamed polyurethane has a whole bunch of positive properties:
- high heat and sound insulation qualities;
- strength, flexibility and elasticity;
- resistance to the effects of deformation processes;
- environmental safety, since the material is made from pure products, when heated, no harmful substances or unpleasant odors are released from it;
- the ability to easily withstand sudden temperature changes from +100 degrees to -90, which allows the material to be used as thermal insulation for a Russian bath or Finnish sauna.
Foamed polyurethane, used as insulation, in addition to all of the above, is a completely fireproof material, covering all wooden elements with a dense layer, allowing fire to spread. It also protects the wood of buildings from the penetration of harmful insects, which naturally extends the service life of the bathhouse.
Compared to other types of insulation, polyurethane foam is easily and quickly applied to any surface, regardless of its configuration. With skillful action, the thickness of the insulating layer can be different.
The negative factors of using this type of insulation include the fact that it can only be used if there is a special device that sprays liquid. And its acquisition or rental requires certain financial costs and skills in handling it.
Mineral wool products
Insulation of attic floors with mineral wool Mineral wools differ in the source material, which can be:
- fiberglass;
- material obtained from the melt of natural rocks - basalt, dolomite, diabase and others;
- waste from the metallurgical industry in the form of slag.
Almost all of these types of mineral wool can be used as insulation for steam rooms, washing rooms and other structural elements of a bathhouse building. However, compared to polystyrene materials, the thickness of the mineral wool insulation layer increases. Basalt wool is more popular, given its technical characteristics.
Basalt insulation
Floor insulation with basalt wool The advantage of this material is:
- high thermal insulation ability;
- resistance to sudden changes in temperature;
- the material is not exposed to fire;
- has good mechanical strength, low specific gravity;
- basalt wool can be easily installed on structures of any configuration, eliminating the formation of cold bridges at the joints;
- duration of the operational period.
But this material also has its drawbacks, which are the fear of water and the fact that rodents are not at all afraid to make their burrows in it. Wet basalt wool loses its thermal insulation qualities, and when the wet material comes into contact with wooden structures, the process of rotting begins in the latter. Therefore, it is not recommended to use basalt insulation for a bathhouse, and specifically for a steam room.
Glass wool
Glass wool is used outside the bathhouse Glass wool, having the same technical characteristics as basalt material, differs from it in that it is not as susceptible to moisture. It tolerates the process of laying and transportation well, crumpled fibers are completely restored.
Mice and rats do not touch it, it fits well, but its use entails difficulty in installation due to the release of small fibers that irritate human skin and are dangerous if they enter the respiratory organs. In addition, the disadvantages of this material include:
- short service life;
- lower degree of thermal insulation compared to other types of insulation;
- the presence of formaldehyde resins in some brands.
Slag
The insulation is made from blast furnace slag, which is not distinguished by its environmental friendliness and safety for human health. Among the advantages of slag wool it should be noted:
- relatively high ability to retain heat and dampen sounds, but to a lesser extent than that of;
- low cost;
- resistant to rodents, mold and other microorganisms;
- simple and easy installation, comparable to installation of other types of mineral wool.
Disadvantages:
High coefficient of moisture absorption. When wet, it can release acid, which has a destructive effect on metal structures and fasteners, causing them to corrode.
Low resistance to sudden changes in temperature, which is typical for rooms such as bathhouses.
Difficulty in laying, given the excessive fragility of the fibers, which have the same sharp and prickly edges as glass wool.
The presence of dangerous substances in the insulation composition, such as phenol, formaldehyde.
Ecowool
Insulation with ecowool using a mechanized method The material is made from recycled materials, which is waste paper, fluffed up and treated with fire retardants and antiseptics. It has a gray or light gray color, loose fibrous structure. The advantages of this fairly new type of insulation include:
- good heat and sound insulation properties;
- resistance to high temperatures;
- does not maintain an open fire for a long time;
- resists rotting processes well; environmentally friendly, if you do not take into account its impregnation with fire retardants and antiseptics. But these substances are low-toxic and non-volatile.
The material can absorb moisture, but also easily releases it into the surrounding space when a certain level of air dryness is reached. After drying, the thermal insulation properties of ecowool remain at the same level. Before applying ecowool to the surface of the insulated structure, the material must be slightly moistened. The lignin contained in its composition, under the influence of water, binds the fibers together and adheres well to any surface. Can be used to insulate attic floors using the dry method. It is not recommended to use it inside bathhouses, since the material will not have time to dry after each use of the bathhouse.
Expanded clay
Expanded clay as floor insulation Expanded clay gravel of various fractions is used to insulate attic floors, floors, and fill cavities in brickwork with “wells.” In terms of thermal conductivity, this material is inferior to many types of insulation, but its main advantage is its low price and versatility. In addition to the bulk insulation method, expanded clay granules can be used as a filler for lightweight concrete.
Foil insulation
Foil insulation based on mineral wool Whatever type of insulation is chosen, a vapor barrier film must be laid during its installation. Foil insulation combines both vapor barrier and thermal insulation. But besides this, it also works as a reflector of thermal radiation, preventing heat from escaping through various cracks and loose fittings of structures. The material is manufactured in various versions:
- from basalt fiber;
- foamed polyethylene;
- mineral material;
- extruded polystyrene foam.
Foiled polyethylene foam insulation The thinnest aluminum foil is glued to each material on top. The shiny side of the insulating material should face the inside of the room. Can be used for all bath structures and premises.
The main point of the article
When insulating a bathhouse, it is necessary to use various types of thermal insulation materials that are most effective for rooms of various functions and meet certain requirements - durability, low cost, the ability to retain heat inside the bathhouse building, and be safe for human health.
In a bathhouse, a well-insulated steam room reaches the desired temperature faster and cools down more slowly, which means that the bathhouse as a whole becomes more economical and practical. We’ll figure out how to insulate a steam room in a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands, how the layout of the room, the choice of material and their installation affect the quality of bathing procedures, as well as what dangers can arise if the steam room is not insulated correctly.
Construction, insulation and finishing of the steam room, what you should pay attention to
If the time has come to build a bathhouse, then first you need to design the placement of the steam room, then decide on the finishing option, and, based on this, insulate the room.
Steam room arrangement
Planning is the simplest stage in construction, but it is at this stage that it is necessary to take into account all sorts of nuances that may arise in the process.
When designing a steam room, take into account:
- the number of people who can simultaneously steam in it;
- type of heating furnace.
Based on this, the area of the room, the distance between the shelves, their distance from the stove, the placement of ventilation and much more are calculated.
If the task of how to make a steam room in a bathhouse with your own hands according to all the rules turns out to be backbreaking work, then it is better to contact the designers, or choose a standard layout option. For example, a steam room with an area of 2 m wide and 2.4 m long, with a ceiling height of no more than 2.2 m, can accommodate up to three people.
Steam room interior decoration
Typically, wooden lining is used for cladding a steam room; the only difference is the nature of the material. Of course, you can make the lining with plastic, but this is a short-lived material if used in high temperature conditions. Plus, when exposed to hot air, plastic can become a source of toxic substances, so spending time in such a steam room will not only be uncomfortable, but also dangerous.
The following wood species are considered the correct cladding material: linden, aspen, alder, larch. The lining made from them is quite heat-resistant and does not deform under prolonged exposure to hot steam. Each of them gives off its own individual smell.
Do not use wood containing resin. When exposed to high temperatures, a heavy odor will be released, and drops of resin will appear on the surface. If you really like the smell of a coniferous forest, you can take tree branches or pine cones with you to the steam room.
When purchasing material, pay attention to the presence of defects such as cracks and knots. There shouldn’t be any, otherwise when heated, the cracks will only expand, and the knots will even fall out, forming a through hole.
Insulation
Next, we’ll figure out how to make a steam room in a bathhouse correctly and why insulate the steam room from the inside. Typically, the material for making a bathhouse is timber, less often brick or concrete. If you do not line the inside of the steam room with mineral wool and clapboard, then in the process of creating hot steam it will be necessary to warm up the supporting beam or brickwork. For example, to heat the air in an uninsulated steam room to 100 degrees under the ceiling, 120 kW is needed. An hour of warmth. Provided the steam room is insulated from the inside, only 15 kW will be needed for heating. An hour of warmth. Obviously, it is worth doing insulation, but how to insulate the steam room from the inside is still an open question.
Scheme of thermal insulation of walls with mineral wool followed by clapboard cladding Source masterfasada.ru
Properties to insulate attention
Before insulating a steam room in a bathhouse from the inside, before covering it with clapboard, you should figure out which material is suitable for these purposes.
Insulation for a steam room must have the following properties:
- Moisture resistance. Since the steam room is a place with a high concentration of moisture, the material must be inert to the effects of water and, if possible, vapors, otherwise it will get wet and lose its qualities.
- Temperature resistance. Since the steam room is a place with a high concentration of moisture, the material must be inert to the effects of water and, if possible, vapors, otherwise it will get wet and lose its qualities.
- Safety. When heated, the insulation should not emit harmful substances.
There are a lot of options for how to insulate a steam room in a bathhouse. For example, it is preferable to insulate the walls and ceiling inside with basalt or stone mineral wool. To increase the moisture resistance of the insulation, aluminum foil or ready-made thermal insulation material with a foil layer is used. For horizontal surfaces (floor, attic), preference is given to bulk materials perlite or expanded clay.
Comparison of the vapor permeability of some materials (10 (-6) kg/m x sec x atm):
- aluminum foil – 0;
- glass – 0;
- steel – 0;
- polyethylene films – 0;
- polystyrene foam – 0.1;
- pine board – 2;
- expanded clay concrete – 3;
- mineral wool – 7.
As you can see, mineral wool, while having good thermal insulation properties, has practically no vapor barrier properties. To correct this, use a vapor barrier, for example, aluminum foil or mineral wool with a foil layer on one side. Although polyethylene films have zero vapor permeability, they, having a low temperature threshold, are not suitable for use, since they emit an unpleasant odor when heated.
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Floor insulation.
Let's figure out how to insulate a steam room so that the high air temperature lasts long enough. To do this, it is necessary to eliminate all possible heat leaks. And you have to start from the floor. In winter, the ground freezes to a depth of an average of 1 m (depending on the region of residence), therefore, the better the floor is insulated, the less heat loss will be through it.
To insulate the floor, a hole is dug around the entire perimeter of the steam room, at least 60 cm deep relative to the level of the finished floor. The bottom of the pit is lined with a sand cushion 5 cm thick. The next layer is a thermal insulation material, for example, polystyrene foam, 20 cm thick. Then 2 layers of cement screed with expanded clay, 5 cm each. And a finishing screed made of concrete grade M 200, reinforced with a mesh with a cell width of 10 cm. When pouring concrete, a slope is formed towards the sewer drain.
After 14 days (the time required for the concrete to fully set), the plank floor is laid.
Spillproof floor. Laying process Source i.pinimg.com
Ceiling insulation
Let's look at how to insulate the ceiling in a steam room of a bathhouse from the inside and outside, from the attic side.
Regardless of what material the ceiling is made of - reinforced concrete slabs or wood, the ceiling of the steam room must be additionally insulated.
A vapor barrier film is spread along the perimeter of the ceiling, overlapping the walls, pressing it against the surface of the slab with wooden blocks 100x100 (mm), the distance between them is 50 cm, or otherwise depending on the width of the insulation boards used. Basalt mineral wool 10 cm thick is laid between the bars. The main vapor barrier is rolled out from foil, which is pressed with clapboard. The optimal thickness of wooden cladding is 10 mm; nails with flattened caps are used to fasten the lining.
The ceiling outside (in the attic) is also subject to insulation. To do this, roll out waterproofing material over the surface and lay a layer of expanded clay 15-20 cm thick.
Thermal insulation of steam room walls
Let's look at how to make a steam room in a bathhouse so that the heat lasts longer. To do this, it is necessary to create the effect of a thermos and insulate not only the horizontal structures of the room, but also the vertical ones. The work algorithm is similar to insulating the ceiling from the inside.
It must be taken into account that a wooden bathhouse made of timber in the first two years of operation shrinks up to 20 cm, depending on the frequency of use of the building. Therefore, when calculating door and window openings, you need to make a height reserve of up to 20 cm, and when insulating walls, use special structural elements.
The first thing to do is to prepare the surface before insulation, clearing it of debris, dirt and dust.
Second, the formation of a wooden frame for the subsequent laying of thermal insulation material. To do this, a sheathing is formed from bars 5x5 cm or 6x6 (depending on the thickness of the insulation) in increments of 50 cm.
If the clapboard cladding is “horizontal”, then the sheathing is done vertically, and vice versa, with “vertical” clapboard cladding, the sheathing bars are stuffed horizontally.
The third stage is laying a vapor-waterproofing film (it is better to use a stapler to secure it) and insulation.
The fourth stage is vapor barrier with aluminum foil, the joints of which are glued with metallized tape.
Video description
This video clearly explains the nuances of proper installation of aluminum vapor barrier:
The foil is fixed with a counter-lattice made of slats 2-3 cm thick. This allows you to create an air gap between the vapor barrier and the lining, and further reduce the thermal conductivity of the walls.
The fifth and final stage is clapboard cladding.
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Making a steam room in a bathhouse correctly and beautifully
Let's figure out what it means to do it beautifully, and how to make a steam room in a bathhouse correctly.
Area calculation
A properly made steam room is directly responsible for the safety of bathing procedures. Therefore, you should not neglect calculations when designing a steam room and bathhouse as a whole. The size of the room must be calculated not only from the point of view of cost savings to create the desired temperature. It is necessary to take into account the possibility of servicing heating elements, ventilation shafts, as well as the ease of using the bathhouse.
Video description
All of the above points have already been taken into account in standard bathhouse designs. What they are, see in the following video:
Hire a specialist or do it yourself
How to insulate a steam room in a bathhouse: a comparison of options for hiring an experienced professional and working independently.
The main advantages of building a bathhouse and insulating a steam room with your own hands:
- Saving money for paid labor, or rather for its absence. After all, all the work is done by the owner himself.
- Total control, from the purchase of materials to installation, again due to the fact that everything is done independently without the involvement of third parties and organizations.
The main disadvantages of DIY construction:
- Time. Without working skills and not knowing design standards, it will take a lot of time to study this issue.
- Speed. The work that a specialist can do in a matter of hours, an inexperienced person will do for several days, so that the quality is at a high level.
- Inflated prices when purchasing materials. As a rule, when purchasing materials in bulk, you can save up to 50% of money. This is what organizations working on a turnkey basis take advantage of, purchasing material for several objects at once.
Beauty is in the little things
As a rule, making a steam room in a bathhouse beautiful is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The interior decoration of the walls, ceiling, floor, arrangement of shelves and lighting elements are primarily responsible for presentability in the steam room.
To finish the walls, ceiling and floor, lining of different types of wood is used. You can also combine wood finishes with tiles and stonework.
Key points for insulating a steam room in a wooden bathhouse
Wooden structures shrink during the first years, so it is better to start insulating the bathhouse and carry out interior finishing work 1-2 years after the installation of the log house. If you neglect this rule, then after a year cracks will appear in the walls of the bathhouse, which will have to be carefully caulked, sometimes more than once.
If you decide to insulate yourself, then you need to draw up a sequence of work and impeccably follow all the points of existing rules and instructions on how to properly make a steam room in a wooden bathhouse.
A steam room insulated according to all the rules is a thermos, which is why, in addition to insulation, when carrying out work, steam and waterproofing materials are used, which not only increase the service life of the material, but also increase its thermal insulation properties.
Structure of the thermos steam room:
- load-bearing wall or partition;
- waterproofing;
- thermal insulation;
- vapor barrier;
- interior decoration.
Video description
The insulation of a bathhouse from the inside is clearly shown in this video:
Insulation materials
There are many thermal insulation materials on the market that are suitable both for insulating a steam room and for insulating other buildings. Therefore, among them it is worth highlighting those that are suitable specifically for interior work in a bathhouse.
It is worth paying attention to the following characteristics:
- increased fire resistance;
- low thermal conductivity;
- resistance to damage by rodents and insects.
Mineral wool is most often used; it not only meets all of the above properties, but is also easy to install, which is important when faced with the task of making a steam room in a bathhouse with your own hands.
There are no special requirements for waterproofing films. But with regard to vapor barrier - yes. Aluminum foil is a cost-effective option, both in terms of cost and installation work. In order for the foil to work correctly, it is necessary to properly insulate the room by gluing all joints with aluminum tape.
Sources of heat loss
At first glance, the window in the steam room is an extra item, but the room with it looks much more comfortable and presentable. To prevent heat from escaping from the room, you need to install the window correctly and use a two- or three-chamber double-glazed window. Therefore, it’s up to you to decide how to make a steam room with or without a window.
The smaller the door, the less heat will escape when it opens. Also, the gap at the threshold can be a source of cold air entering the steam room, so the threshold under the door is made as high as possible.
Another aspect of preserving heat in a room is the use of stones. The greater the heat capacity they have, the faster the air in the steam room will warm up and cool down more slowly.
The procedure for insulating the walls of a steam room in a bathhouse made of rounded timber.
Due to the drying of the wood in the first years after the construction of the bathhouse, cracks appear at the joints of the logs, in some places up to 1 cm. Therefore, before insulating the steam room from the inside, it is necessary to caulk all the cracks with tow, both outside the building and inside, perhaps even more than once.
Next, a sheathing is installed inside for subsequent installation of insulation. The bars are attached to the beam using sliding corners, this will allow for the option of “walking” the tree during the operation of the bathhouse. The pitch of the sheathing depends on the width of the thermal insulation material.
Insulation boards are laid between the sheathing. To shorten the insulation process, you can use insulation with an aluminum vapor barrier layer. All joints and wooden guides are carefully taped with metallized tape.
Ceiling insulation
How to insulate a steam room in a bathhouse to minimize heat loss during bathing procedures. The ceiling must be properly insulated. After all, warm air rises, and if there are cracks in the ceiling, the heat will escape out.
Since the hottest air accumulates under the ceiling, the insulation layer should be twice as thick as the insulation of the walls.
The insulation algorithm is as follows:
- Roll out the waterproofing layer, securing it with a sheathing of bars for laying insulation. The distance between the bars can be made 1-2 cm smaller so that the mineral wool is laid close to them.
- Lay out the insulation.
- Use aluminum foil, which acts as a vapor barrier material, to cover all cracks, wooden protrusions, joints, and gaps. Make an overlap of 15 cm on the walls. Seal all joints and fastening points with staples with metallized adhesive tape.
- Be sure to make a counter-lattice for laying the lining. The air gap will preserve the integrity of the facing material for many years.
Video description
How to insulate a ceiling correctly:
What dangers await you if the steam room is not insulated correctly?
Sooner or later, the flaws of improper work will come out. There are only two main ones:
- Wrong choice of materials. As a result, you can get an unpleasant odor released by the material when heated, poor heat retention and, as a result, high heat and energy consumption.
- Violation of the tightness of the room. It is observed when the vapor barrier of walls and ceilings is incorrect. In this case, there will be a leak of steam, a decrease in heat and an increase in thermal energy consumption. Under the influence of hot air, deformation of finishing materials and internal structures of the building will occur. Steam turning into water will become a source of dampness, and subsequently an unpleasant odor and mold.
Briefly about the main thing
Particular attention should be paid to insulating the steam room from the inside. You need to start with the layout of the steam room, choosing the cladding option and insulation material.
Mineral wool is considered the best insulation; for the floor it is preferable to use expanded clay. Aluminum foil is used as a vapor barrier.
It is necessary to approach the process with great responsibility. Therefore, it’s up to you to decide how to make a steam room yourself or with the help of professionals.
Today, before starting construction of a bathhouse complex, every owner should ask himself how to insulate a bathhouse from the inside. The construction market offers dozens of options. The main thing is not to get confused and choose such insulation for a bathhouse so that it meets construction requirements.
Principles for choosing insulation
When buying material, you should pay attention to the most important signs of an effective product:
- environmental friendliness;
- maximum degree of moisture resistance;
- resistance to harmful microorganisms;
- the ability not to deform during long-term use;
- thermal conductivity index: the higher it is, the better;
- compatibility with building materials;
- minimum moisture absorption value;
- compliance with fire safety requirements, sanitary and epidemiological standards;
- ability not to accumulate condensate;
- ease of installation.
Types of insulation materials
Before you run around the shops and grab anything, you should understand the range of materials on offer.
Bath insulation can be organic or inorganic.
Organic materials
This includes a group of insulation materials that are made from natural raw materials:
- sheep wool or felt;
- jute;
- tow;
- heat-insulating materials from peat, reeds and wood shavings.
The main advantage of natural materials is environmental friendliness.
But insulating a bathhouse from the inside with their help has a number of disadvantages:
- Natural thermal insulation for the interior decoration of a sauna is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process.
- Natural insulation materials are short-lived and require regular updating.
- Flax, moss, felt, tow are a favorable environment for the life and reproduction of insects, rodents and other harmful microorganisms.
- They are suitable for dressing rooms and rest rooms, but are not suitable for thermal insulation inside hot rooms, even after additional treatment with fire retardants.
- Buying natural materials takes a significant toll on your wallet.
Inorganic or synthetic materials
There is no need to talk about absolute environmental friendliness here. Unlike natural ones, they will last for decades and provide better thermal insulation. Synthetic bath insulation is easy to install and is resistant to high humidity and hot air.
Inorganic thermal insulation materials are divided into several types:
1.Polymer insulation
The group of these materials includes polystyrene foam, foam plastic, and cellular plastic insulation.
Polystyrene foam is easy to use to insulate the sauna ceiling. It does not absorb moisture, practical and easy to handle.
A new product in the construction industry is foam glass, which embodies the best properties of foam plastic and stone wool. The material can be carved with a knife and attaches perfectly to the surface.
Despite the advantages, it is not recommended to insulate the ceiling inside a sauna with polystyrene foam. On the one hand, it is considered a fire hazard. On the other hand, with an increase in air temperature, the foam plastic is deformed and emits an unpleasant odor and vapors of a toxic substance - phenol.
If you still decide to use polystyrene foam, then it is better to insulate the walls of the dressing room with it from the outside.
2.Basalt insulation for baths
Made from mountain wood, the material has been in demand in recent years. It has a number of advantages:
- Not subject to combustion;
- Resistant to humid air;
- Does not deform under the influence of temperatures;
- Excellent sound and heat insulation;
- Service life up to 30 years;
- Does not cause any difficulties during the installation of finishing.
As for the disadvantages, there are none except for the cost of the material.
3.Mineral wool
The main difference between the technology for producing mineral wool and the production of insulation from basalt fibers is the use of inexpensive industrial waste.
This has a positive effect on the price of the material, but negatively on the mechanical strength of the insulation. Therefore, be extremely careful during the installation process.
Along with the disadvantages, mineral wool is not without advantages:
- Reliable thermal insulation;
- Not afraid of moisture;
- High degree of sound insulation.
4.Glass wool
Insulating a bathhouse with glass wool will cost no more than its analogues. And according to certain criteria, it is not inferior to other materials: it holds heat well and is easy to install.
A significant disadvantage of glass wool is its instability to hot air.
5.Foil insulation
To insulate the sauna ceiling, it is recommended to use materials that reflect light. Insulating mirrors have become widespread. Due to a special aluminum coating, they reflect and do not transmit heat through the ceiling. Foil insulation for a bathhouse is recommended to be used in combination with classic materials.
Insulation of the sauna
Having decided on the choice of one or two heat-insulating materials, proceed directly to work. Insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands is a difficult process that requires skills in the construction industry. If you are confident in your abilities, then go for it. Otherwise, it is better to seek the help of specialists from the Marisrub company.
It should be noted that the process of thermal insulation of a wooden or brick sauna is almost the same. Therefore, there is no point in focusing on the insignificant difference.
Before you start insulating the walls, ceiling and floor, it is wise to take care of the vapor barrier. Even if you have chosen moisture-resistant insulation, during operation condensation will gradually begin to penetrate through the internal layers of the insulating material and have destructive effects.
To isolate the insulation from moisture, use aluminum foil. The solidity of the vapor barrier is achieved through metallized tape, which is used to glue the joints of the foil sheets.
We insulate floors
It is correct to start insulating a sauna not from the ceiling or walls, but from the floor. In the bathhouse it can be continuous or leaking. Considering that structures differ from each other, insulation of each type occurs differently.
It is better to use mineral wool. It is laid on a subfloor made of boards and covered with a layer of waterproofing. The last stage is pouring the floor.
When installing leaking floors, dig a pit 50 cm deep and fill it with 5 cm of sand. After careful compaction, a 20-centimeter layer of insulation is laid - polystyrene foam, which is filled with cement mortar with foam chips.
After drying, the concrete is covered with a layer of waterproofing, not forgetting the walls.
Then they again fill it with cement and vermiculite, spread a reinforcing mesh and cover it with a layer of concrete with fine crushed stone. At this stage of work, a slope is made in the direction where the water will flow.
The work is completed by laying the finished floor on posts.
We insulate the walls
Insulation of bathhouse walls from the inside occurs in stages:
1.Using wooden slats or timber, we apply sheathing to the surface of the walls. The gap between the slats must be made smaller than the width of the heat-insulating material.
This is done so that the insulation fills the resulting spaces and prevents the formation of bridges for cold air. It is recommended to use mineral wool or basalt fiber slabs as insulation.
2. Having laid the heat insulator, cover it with any vapor barrier with foil. In this case, the reflective side of the aluminum surface is located inside the sauna.
The vapor barrier is placed between the slats and fixed to them.
Thermal insulation of the steam room walls is ready! Other sauna rooms are insulated using the same principle. Instead of foil for a vapor barrier, thick kraft paper for wrapping is suitable.
When insulating buildings made of bricks or blocks, it is recommended to increase the thickness of the basalt insulation so as not to lose heat.
We insulate the ceiling
Thermal insulation of the ceiling occurs by analogy with the principle of wall insulation.
According to the laws of physics, the closer you are to the ceiling, the hotter the air will be. Therefore, fire-resistant insulation is chosen for the ceiling. Mineral wool is perfect.
If there is an attic in the bathhouse, then a vapor barrier layer is made above the insulation - an aluminum film.
Insulation is placed under, above or between the rafters. If you're looking for the easy way out, lay a continuous layer of insulation between the rafters.
Finally, cover the heat-insulating material with a layer of waterproofing. Do not forget about the air gap of 20 mm. This is done taking into account the increase in insulation by a third of the width under the influence of moist air.
If there is no attic in the bathhouse, expanded clay is often used as insulation for the ceiling. A 25 cm layer of thermal insulation is poured onto the vapor barrier layer.
The construction market offers thermal insulation panels for insulating a bath room. The main advantage of the material is the possibility of refusing waterproofing, the minus is that they require a reliable vapor barrier layer.
Properly executed interior decoration of a bathhouse guarantees not only a pleasant stay in the company of friends, but also safety. Therefore, approach the selection of building materials and the performance of work with maximum responsibility.