Thermal Insulation Of A Bath: How To Insulate A Steam Room From The Inside, Step-by-step Instructions On How To Insulate A Heater In A Steam Room From The Floor

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 04:10

The bathhouse has long been used not only to maintain the purity of your body, but is also famous for its qualities to perfectly relieve fatigue, heal the body and makes it possible to have a good time at the same time. And nowadays there is no better option than to have your own bathhouse on your site. There you can spend the whole day with pleasure, changing visits to the steam room with tea and chatting with friends. The main thing is that the steam room does not cool down quickly and keeps warm well. And for this you need to properly insulate the bathhouse so that all the internal rooms warm up quickly and can keep warm for a long time.

Peculiarities

In the good old days, baths were built from round wood and did not get off with insulating materials. An indicator of warmth was a carefully selected wood, a high-quality log house and densely buried grooves between the crowns. At that time, the insulation was replaced with the help of moss, tow or jute and caulked in two steps - during the felling of the log house and after its shrinkage.

Many people in our time prefer natural insulation .although drying is required before use, it is an environmentally friendly material. This process of warming is very laborious and time-consuming, it requires a certain skill and dexterity. Poorly poured seams will allow heat to pass through and moisture will begin to accumulate in the grooves, which will contribute to rotting of the tree and the rapid release of heat from the steam room.

Modern technologies have made it possible to find more than one alternative method of insulation.

Thanks to thermal insulation, well-insulated baths have a number of undeniable advantages:

• such a bath takes longer to warm up, but also cools down for a long time;
• has the lowest heat consumption;
• the desired microclimate is achieved in it;
• there is control over humidity;
• protected from mold and mildew.

And in order to achieve such results from the bath, you must first of all competently approach this process, although, at first glance, there is nothing complicated in this. For greater efficiency, the bath is insulated both from the inside and outside. The external placement of thermal insulation helps to protect the material from which the bath is made. But external insulation alone will not be enough. In different rooms of the bath, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature regime and humidity level. For this, internal insulation is provided, and a suitable material is selected for each individual room.

Types of heaters

In the modern building materials market, there are various types of insulation. And before making a choice in favor of a particular one, remember that obtaining a healing effect will directly depend on the material you choose.

Indoors, natural and safe materials should be preferred. The thermal insulation layer must be environmentally friendly. In the bathhouse, each room has its own specific temperature regime, and with its high indicators, heaters are capable of releasing toxic substances. This needs to be taken very carefully.

A fairly low indicator of hygroscopicity and thermal conductivity is an important requirement for finishing, because the lower it is, the less heat passes through the material.

All heaters available on the construction market are divided into several groups

Organic

They have been known for a long time. Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers also used this material at hand to preserve and retain heat in the bath.

In the production of organic insulation, natural natural raw materials are used:

• linseed ordinary or tar-treated tow;
• moss;
• sawdust from wood processing;
• felt or jute.

Their indisputable advantage is that all of them are of natural origin, and the disadvantage is a high level of moisture absorption, fire hazard, difficulty in use and vulnerability to rodents and harmful microorganisms.

Semi-organic

In the production of this material, natural raw materials are used, but adhesives are used in the technological process. This insulation is not suitable for finishing steam rooms. These include chipboards and peat boards.

Synthetic

They are classified into several types.

Polymer , which include polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, penofol, polyurethane foam. It is strictly forbidden to use such materials when sealing the steam room and next to the stove, because they can easily catch fire and emit harmful gas when burning. But when used in adjoining rooms, they are very useful. In steam rooms, only foam foam is allowed, which is covered with a layer of aluminum foil and prevents heat from escaping.

Mineral wool - these include glass wool and basalt wool. They have excellent fire resistance properties and are resistant to high temperatures. Their only drawback is that they absorb moisture. Basalt wool is recommended for use in a steam room.

Currently, leading manufacturers of thermal insulation materials have found a suitable option for the insulation of baths and steam rooms. Now special mineral wool based on stone or fiberglass is produced. It is used to insulate surfaces made of any material. This product is produced using modern technology and is made from broken glass and sand.

In the manufacture of stone wool, rocks similar to the gabbro-basalt group are used. These raw materials are melted at a high temperature and fibers are obtained from the liquid mass, which are then formed into plates of various sizes. The resulting product does not smolder, there is no smoke from it, no toxic substances are released and it prevents the spread of fire.

Glass fiber based mineral wool has elastic and horizontally arranged fibers , thanks to this, the product is distinguished by its firmness and elasticity. It is easily installed in the structure and is able to fill all areas of empty space. The service life of this product is at least 50 years, but over time it shrinks. This is due to poor quality work. Stone wool, on the other hand, does not lend itself to deformation; with proper installation, it can last 50 years, and some types can last up to 100.

Currently, fiberglass mats from such manufacturers as Ursa, Isover, Knauf and stone wool insulation Rockwool and Technonikol are widely used in the Russian market.

When insulating steam rooms, the material must withstand high temperatures and not be affected by fire, therefore it is better to use foil plates. The surface on which the layer of aluminum foil is applied must be directed towards the interior of the room. It will insulate the material to reflect heat and prevent the material from getting wet. When installing it, there is no need to use a vapor barrier.

It is worth noting that today baths are most often insulated from blocks with mineral wool, penoplex, foam glass and ecowool. You can choose the option that suits you best.

Step-by-step instruction

The process of insulation and installation of the material itself is not difficult. The insulation is in rolled up rolls or in the form of boards of different sizes. Guides are attached to the surface, and insulation is laid between them. For this operation, you will need wooden blocks, the thickness of which should be equal to the thickness of the mats to be mounted. If you decide to install insulation with a thickness of 10 cm, the bars must be of the appropriate size. The bars can be attached with self-tapping screws, dowels or anchors, it depends on the wall material.

Counter rails are attached to the main racks at a distance of 50 cm from each other to create an air cushion between the vapor barrier and the cladding. This method is used both for internal and external insulation. The only difference in insulation outside is the material used in the construction of the bath.

When choosing thermal insulation outside and the method of insulation, an important point will be what material was used in the construction and the climatic conditions of the region. The wooden bath does not need to be insulated from the street. Wood material is able to cope with this problem on its own, it retains heat well, and the insulation between the rows is good thermal insulation. But over time, the wooden blockhouse sits down and gaps are formed between the rows, which contribute to the departure of heat. To remove these cracks, it is necessary to dig in the gaps between the crowns with natural material or apply basalt wool. Its structure allows maintaining the desired microclimate and helps the tree to "breathe". This method is suitable for those types of baths that are assembled from ordinary timber, profiled beams, ordinary and rounded logs.

To give heat to the frame bath, it is recommended to use soft types of high-density heaters that are protected from moisture, since they are mounted inside the frame. You can use a mixture of sawdust, wood chips, gypsum and lime, which will serve as an excellent barrier to heat escape.

Brick baths, although they have a high thermal conductivity, are not uncommon to see them. A wall made of brick can freeze quickly without good internal heating. And in the baths, as you know, there is no constant heating in winter. To eliminate this drawback, in most cases, a frame of wood material is constructed inside such baths, which is then finished and served as a decor.

Often, when building baths, foam blocks and gas blocks are used . This material, due to its porosity, is able to keep heat well, but it lacks an attractive appearance and can absorb moisture. In this case, this material requires external insulation. The main feature of the insulation process is to provide ventilation between the wall and the insulation. Therefore, it is recommended to leave the air in such baths.

Internal wall insulation in the bath is directly related to what this or that room is intended for. The most basic component of the bath is the steam room. The temperature in the steam room of a Russian bath can reach 90 degrees, and in saunas - up to 130. It is difficult to maintain such heat for a certain time if the steam room does not have high-quality insulation. When carrying out this process indoors, it is recommended to use only natural, natural materials that do not emit harmful substances at high temperatures. In such cases, basalt wool or natural insulation is perfect.

When insulating the surface in a foam concrete bath, it is necessary to attach guides from a bar or metal profile . With a low height, you can do with only vertical racks and use cotton wool with a density of 65 cr / m. cub. The width between the vertical slats should be 15-20 mm less than the width of the cotton wool to be laid.

In a steam room with a frame structure, only wood material should be used. To equalize the temperature differences on the wooden bars of the frame, it is necessary to make vertical cuts, through which the timber is attached to the surface with hardware. The presence of such grooves helps the guide to move along the wall during shrinkage, if the bath is assembled from wood material. A vapor barrier film is attached to the inside of the structure.

In the steam room, it is advisable to use penofol in the form of a vapor barrier, which is placed inside the room with a reflective layer . The docking point must be glued with foil tape. Then a mineral wool is mounted on the reflective layer, which is then covered with a vapor barrier film. A 25-30 mm rail is nailed onto the frame itself in order to allow air to pass between the film and the material with which the surface will be finished. And at the last moment, the insulation is closed with a finishing material, most often in a bath it is a material made of wood.

In a bath from a bar or other material made of wood, jute is used for insulation inside. This procedure is carried out using a wooden mallet - mallet, chisel and caulking spatula. Jute is placed on the slots between the rows and hammered into it tightly with these devices.

A washing room, a dressing room or a rest room can be insulated with polystyrene foam, since it is relatively not hot in these rooms. The process is similar to the previous one, the frame is also installed. The distance between the uprights should be equal to the width of the foam, so that it fits right up between them. It is not necessary to protect the foam from moisture, so the film is not used. You can also attach these sheets to the wall with glue, but this option is only suitable for brick or foam concrete coverings. After the foam has been fixed, you can start finishing.

It is recommended to insulate the wall next to the firebox only with basalt wool and with the condition of using a metal sheet around it.

An important place in the thermal insulation of a bath is occupied by the process of roof insulation . A large amount of heat can escape through it. For its insulation, any heat-insulating material that can be laid on the floor of the attic is suitable. This process is similar to the process of wall insulation.

The process of sealing the bath from heat loss, as well as at home, should be started from the ceiling. All the heat is collected just under the ceiling, so poorly insulated, it can cause a cold bath. The technology for this process will depend on the material used. The best option for sealing the ceiling in a bath is the use of basalt wool. It fits in the same way as wall insulation, starting with the frame equipment.

If you decide to insulate it with sawdust or expanded clay, you should make a frame on the attic floor between the floor beams and place the provided material there. It must be remembered that the chimney also goes into the attic, so it is necessary to lay basalt wool around it, because it has high fire-resistant properties and does not lend itself to combustion, and mount a protective screen made of stainless steel sheet.

The flooring in the bath can be made of wood or concrete. In order to prevent cold air from entering the bath through the floor, it is insulated with expanded clay or foam. When insulating with expanded clay, it is necessary to disassemble the subfloor and remove a layer of earth 40-50 cm below the threshold. Then the waterproofing is laid; for this, an ordinary film or roofing material is suitable. On the sides, the ends of this material should protrude beyond the floor surface.

At the next stage, a rough screed is made . or a pillow is made of rubble and sand 15 cm, on which expanded clay is poured. Its minimum layer should be 30 cm, otherwise there will be no proper effect from the cold. Cement mortar with a thickness of 5-7 cm is poured onto the surface of expanded clay, while taking into account the angle of inclination to the drain. And at the last stage, the final floor is laid. In principle, expanded clay can be poured into a frame made of boards prepared in advance in the floor and a waterproofing layer can be laid on it, and then covered with a finishing covering of a wooden board. But this insulation is not suitable for steam rooms and washing rooms, where there is a high moisture content.

But if you are faced with a choice of how to insulate the floor in the bath, you should opt for a concrete floor for finishing with floor tiles, provided that it is a washing room or a relaxation room, or on a wooden one, but it is preferable to lay it in a steam room. But a concrete floor tolerates moisture much better, so its life is longer than a wooden floor.

There is also a more practical method of floor insulation - this is the use of foam as insulation. But in a steam room, this type of insulation will not work, because this material emits harmful substances at high temperatures. Therefore, it is more advisable to use it in less warm rooms. To implement this option, you need to get rid of the old screed or wooden covering and get the soil. Then we fill in a rough screed with a thickness of no more than 10 cm and lay penoplex or other insulation of this type on a flat surface. We put a metal mesh on the lined insulation and make a cement screed 5-10 cm thick. And after the solution has hardened, we perform the flooring of the final flooring.

There is another way to insulate floors in a bath, and it is finding an increasing number of adherents - this is the "warm floor" system. This process consists in the fact that pipes are poured into the concrete floor, warm water circulates through them and the floor covering is heated. But in this case, it is not about how to insulate, but how to heat the floors, and these are slightly different concepts, but the essence is the same.

Insulation of door and window openings from the side of the facade also helps to significantly increase the warmth in the rooms. To this end, the doors in the bath are made as small as possible, especially in the steam room. Windows are mounted as close to the floor as possible and dense double-glazed windows are installed, while seals are installed around the entire perimeter of doors and windows.

In the steam room, to preserve heat, you need to completely abandon the presence of a window, and in the washing room you can mount one small one in order to ventilate this humid room.

Helpful hints

An ordinary sharp knife is used to cut the mineral wool slabs. It is not recommended to seal the insulation during installation, because the smaller its volume, the less heat-insulating properties.

If the flooring in the steam room is made of tiles and even if it does not get very hot, wooden footrests are definitely needed.

Do-it-yourself wall insulation near the stove is provided only with basalt wool with protective screen equipment using a metal sheet of stainless steel.

There must be a distance of 1-2 cm between the finishing material and the vapor barrier. Small gaps are also left along the edge of the ceiling and at the bottom of the wall.

Those who like to steam well should not give up modern insulation materials. Neglecting them will affect the quality of the process.

When insulating a bath, no matter what material it is made of - wood, cinder block, aerated concrete or expanded clay concrete blocks, do not forget about proper ventilation of the premises. Such repairs will have a positive effect not only on your health, but also on the durability of the finishing materials, since they will not collect condensation.