Modern insulation of a sauna: what is the secret and tricks? We insulate the bathhouse with our own hands. Insulate the walls of the bathhouse from the inside.

The secret of creating a comfortable place for bathing procedures is difficult to reveal in one phrase. It consists of many components, one of which is maximizing the thermal efficiency of enclosing structures, that is, insulating the bathhouse from the inside or outside. This is a critical construction stage that requires the contractor to be technologically literate and careful, which is worth taking into account when planning to do everything yourself. At the same time, the results of high-quality implementation of thermal insulation measures not only have a positive effect on the comfortable use of the structure. There are also a number of related aspects that you should know before you start planning your practical actions.

What does insulation do?

Many developers or planners major repairs their real estate, setting themselves the task of being well insulated, they do not have a complete picture of the upcoming actions and their consequences. Let's look at examples of what we actually get if the thermal insulation of a bathhouse is installed in compliance with the technological map of this construction stage:

1. First of all, of course, comfort. In the interior spaces of such a structure, it is easy to maintain the required temperature and humidity conditions, that is, to ensure the stability of a specific bath microclimate. In practice, this means the absence of drafts in the rest room or washing room, caused by supercooling of air masses near rapidly cooling enclosing structures. In the steam room, the human body will warm up evenly from all sides, fanned by warm air, caressed by infrared rays emanating from the surrounding surfaces.
2. Economic profitability of operation by increasing the efficiency of using energy generated by a heat generator (furnace or boiler). It is expressed in direct material savings associated with a reduction in purchasing costs for fuel. If we make a rough comparison, then if the bathhouse is well insulated, its heating will require half as much energy resources. In addition, preparing the steam room for procedures will be possible in the shortest possible time.
3. Safety building structures and a healthy indoor microclimate. This is important for buildings assembled from any type of materials. However, bath insulation, together with reliable vapor barrier, is of particular relevance for structures made of wood materials. Indeed, in addition to the fact that the air cooled near the external surfaces forms unpleasant air currents, a large amount of moisture condenses from it. Liquid that regularly collects on supporting structures, inside thermal insulation or under decorative cladding becomes a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms. The result is decay of building materials, pollution of the bathhouse atmosphere with their decay products and mold spores.

When is internal insulation preferable?

There are many opinions about how to insulate a bathhouse - from the inside or the outside. At the same time, you need to understand that the problem being solved differs from the arrangement of thermal insulation for other buildings, since for them it is recommended in all possible cases to give preference to external thermal screens. However, the specific microclimate of bathhouses exposes construction and finishing materials to almost extreme influences: humidity up to 100% () and temperatures up to 110-120 0 C (in saunas), and on individual surfaces up to 160 0 C. Therefore, the insulation of a bathhouse from the inside is intended to provide not only preservation of the desired thermophysical parameters, but also to eliminate the impact of aggressive factors on the building envelope.

It is also possible to create a heat and vapor barrier from the inside to complement external thermal protection. In this case, the internal barrier layers will serve more to protect the structural elements of the building from direct exposure to moisture and high temperatures.

Methods and materials

A modern developer, on the one hand, has a noticeable advantage over his ancestors, since he has a huge choice of how and with what to insulate a bathhouse, and on the other hand, the wealth of alternatives presupposes a clear understanding of the technological features of using certain materials.

What used to insulate baths?

In the old days, a person learned to make do with what was given to him environment. Technologies for using natural materials for building thermal protection have been developed for centuries and continue to still in use today, as they are distinguished by their availability, environmental friendliness and low cost. Of course, taking into account the fact that the walls were built from thick logs - a material with good thermal efficiency, the thermal insulation of the bathhouse largely came down to ensuring the tightness of the butt joints. It was achieved by laying inter-crown insulation from moss or flax strands, even at the stage of construction, as well as subsequent internal and external caulking of the seams.

Log ceilings were coated with clay, and later they began to use sawdust or straw between the load-bearing beams. At the same time, the inner layer of steam and thermal protection was always made of coatings based on clay or its mixtures, for example, with chopped straw. Already in the 20th century, granulated expanded clay became widespread, which differed favorably from organic natural materials in that it is absolutely non-flammable, does not rot, and is also not afraid of rodents. Insulating a bathhouse with porous ceramic granules has only one drawback - the layer of them must be 2 times thicker than that of sawdust or straw.

As for the floors, they were made of a leaking type, where water flowed through the cracks between the flooring boards into a ground absorption pit. It was quite difficult to arrange thermal protection for such a design in practice. To some extent, a similar problem could be solved by organizing a ventilated space between the flooring and the ground.

How are baths now insulated?

Adherents of authenticity can still choose to insulate a bathhouse from the inside using only natural materials. However, despite the environmental advantages of natural raw materials, by themselves they can no longer provide a number of parameters with which the concept of “modern development” is associated. For example, it does not have sufficient durability, stability of properties, and does not guarantee the creation required level comfort and thermal insulation. Therefore, natural materials for thermal protection are rarely found in their pure form, and products based on their processing or completely synthetic products are mainly used. Nevertheless, modern insulation for the bath from the inside:

• must meet environmental factors, especially taking into account the extreme conditions specified for its operation;
• meet efficiency requirements, that is, have the lowest possible thermal conductivity coefficient. Today, such values ​​are considered to be close to 0.03-0.04 W/m*K.

Mineral fiber wool

The most popular raw material for creating thermal barriers in rooms with any operating microclimate, and is ideally suited for bathhouse buildings. The starting material is of mineral origin, has no harmful emissions at any temperature, is not afraid of fire, does not rot, and is not subject to gradual chemical decomposition, like most polymers.

Important! When planning to insulate a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands, you need to take into account that cotton wool is different. Ignorant use of it can give the opposite thermal effect, accelerated destruction of enclosing structures and deterioration of the quality of the indoor microclimate.

Firstly, wool based on staple fiberglass, like its predecessor - slag wool, is a fairly soft material that requires increased attention to its fastening. For example, on walls with a high layer height, it will slide, gradually exposing sections of the structure. Therefore, it is recommended to lay glass wool on walls in low spans of horizontal sheathing, use it on ceilings, and completely exclude it for floors under screed.

Secondly, insulating a bathhouse from the inside using wool made from stone (basalt) fibers has one significant operational disadvantage. Although the fiber raw material itself is absolutely harmless to humans, the problem with using products made from it lies in the binding resins with which the finished product is impregnated. Knitting components, of course, make it possible to create mats that are resistant to mechanical stress of varying intensity and convenient for installation in guide frames or even under floor coverings. However, this same binder, when used at high temperatures in a steam room, begins to release a toxic phenol-formaldehyde mixture. Therefore, it is better to organize the insulation of the steam room from the inside using glass wool, but basalt wool Perfect for other rooms.

Styrofoam

Affordable material also attracts many simplicity of its installation. However, its use specifically in the internal space of the bathhouse is a big question. You can immediately exclude it installation in a steam room or furnace, since none of the polymers are designed for use at temperatures above 60 0 For environmental reasons. In addition, it is undesirable to insulate a bathhouse from the inside using it for wooden buildings, since foam sheets have extremely low vapor permeability, “do not breathe,” and spots of rot can form at the point of contact with wood.

The use of high-density foam sheets from ordinary or extruded raw materials is quite justified for thermal insulation of floors under screed.

Ecowool

Quite a promising heat-shielding material, gradually gaining more and more popularity. It is absolutely safe for humans under any conditions of use. Therefore, if you are planning to insulate the walls in a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands, then this will be an excellent choice. Ecowool will also fit well on ceilings, but for floors, without creating load-bearing frames, it is of little use, as it easily wrinkles, losing its thermal insulation properties.

The material is produced from recycled materials: waste paper, waste or discards from the production of corrugated packaging, cardboard or other pulp and paper products, while maintaining all the environmental benefits of shredded paper. Thanks to treatment with an antiseptic (boric acid), ecowool is not afraid of moisture, however, like mineral wool, it needs to create conditions for free ventilation. In order to improve the fire-fighting properties of the flakes finished products impregnated with fire retardant (sodium tetraborate). As a result, they do not support combustion and smolder with self-extinguishing.

It should be borne in mind that insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands will only be possible using the dry method - pouring material into prepared niches or pockets. This poses some challenges to widespread use of the technology. There is a more practical wet method that allows you to distribute ecowool over any surface, but it requires the involvement of specialized specialists using inflatable pneumatic equipment.

Expanded clay

Although it is not one of the types of thermal insulators with the highest thermal resistance - its thermal conductivity coefficient at a density of 200 kg/m3 is 0.1 W/m*K, and at a density of 800 kg/m3 - 0.18 W/m*K - continues successfully compete with more efficient modern materials.

In today's construction, insulating a bathhouse from the inside using expanded clay is perhaps best suited for arranging floors. Of course, it will have to be poured in a layer 3-4 times thicker than for polystyrene foam or mineral wool. But this is not so significant, since we're talking about about floors, where it is possible to create the necessary reserve for the height of the backfill, and the load on the supporting structures is not considered at all.

The advantages of expanded clay have already been mentioned above; all that remains is to add that it is completely safe for humans. It can be recommended for thermal protection of floors in all rooms of the bathhouse, including steam rooms and washing rooms.

Nuances of practical implementation

Having weighed all the pros and cons regarding the selected materials, before starting work, it is necessary to analyze the technological aspects of how to properly insulate a bathhouse from the inside. Otherwise, even vaunted products will be useless in the hands of an incompetent installer. From the most popular types of thermal insulation described above, we can already conclude that each of them is preferably used on certain building elements of the structure. Let's consider, for example, the option of installing mineral wool on the ceiling and walls, and expanded clay backfill for thermal protection of floors.

Floor

If previously they were made of a leaking type, which made it difficult to insulate them, now such structures are found in the most simplified or temporary buildings. Man's desire for comfort has led to the appearance of non-leaking floors, because without them it is impossible to fully insulate a bathhouse from the inside.

The principles for creating a lower heat-protective layer are not too different for structures sitting on the ground from those raised on pillars. In all cases, before placing the insulation, in our example expanded clay, it is necessary to prepare a waterproofed base. On the ground, this can be a 10 cm layer of compacted crushed stone, covered with a 4-5 cm concrete preparation (rough screed) and a layer of waterproofing. It is recommended to add special hydrophobic additives to solutions of all types of screeds in all bath rooms. Waterproofing for concrete preparation can be of any type: bitumen, polymer or cement. Then, expanded clay granules are poured over the waterproofing layer.

If the insulation of a bathhouse is carried out for a floor raised on pillars, then you will either have to backfill between the pillars (this is possible when the supports are low) with preparing the base on the ground, or cast a load-bearing slab over the columnar supports. Thick boards can sometimes play the role of a base plate.

In washing rooms, on expanded clay backfill (its layer is at least 30 cm), it is necessary to form a plane with a slope, in the lower part of which a receiving unit for the sewer system - a drain - will be installed. The inclined plane must also have water-repellent properties, so a reinforced screed with the introduction of hydrophobic additives is installed on it. It is advisable to coat the frozen surface with a penetrating cement-waterproofing composition, and then cover it with ceramic tiles with low water absorption. Removable wood flooring laid on top of the finished floor in the steam room and washing room will not interfere.

Walls and ceiling

Insulating the walls of a bathhouse from the inside should begin with eliminating all possible places for direct blowing of cold outside air, otherwise the formation of condensation inside the heat-shielding material cannot be avoided. To do this, in log houses or buildings made of non-profiled timber, all joints are carefully caulked or treated with sealants, and the internal surfaces of block masonry walls (brick, aerated concrete) are covered with a layer of vapor-permeable plaster.

Next, horizontal (for soft glass wool) or vertical (for stone wool) types are packed onto the load-bearing surfaces. The sheathing can also be made two-level with mutually perpendicular arrangement of guides. The thickness of the sheathing made of timber or boards is selected according to the layer of material placed in it.

In turn, when choosing insulation for a bathhouse based on thickness, you should take into account the thermophysical properties of the enclosing structures. For example, if thermal protection plays an auxiliary role inside a steam room, with existing external insulation, or for thick-walled boxes made of solid wood, then it is enough to lay 5 cm of mineral wool. If the main heat shield is being installed for a brick wall, then the layer of fibrous material cannot be less than 10 cm.

Using glass wool or basalt insulation for a bathhouse, you should take care of its thorough vapor barrier, which also prevents harmful mineral dust from entering the atmosphere of the premises. The installation of foil materials or simply aluminum foil is encouraged as vapor barrier membranes. Foil insulation is laid on the sheathing with a metallized coating in the interior space of the room, which contributes to heat preservation. Adjacent sheets of material must have sufficient overlap (10-15 cm), which are sealed with foil tape. After that, for example, for .

It remains to add that the insulation of the bathhouse ceiling from the inside can be carried out using the same technology as for the walls. The only difference will be in the thickness of the insulation - it will have to be taken 5 cm more. Another way to place mineral wool is to lay it between the ceiling beams. In this case, the finishing sheathing is always packed across the load-bearing beams, supporting a vapor barrier film and a layer of heat-insulating materials.

The microclimate in the bathhouse is unique. Competent arrangement construction involves insulating the bathhouse inside. This process is labor-intensive, but completely doable on your own.

Information on how to properly insulate a bathhouse inside will allow the owner to significantly improve its performance. After completing the work, you will be able to save on fuel and ensure the safety of thermal energy in the room.

When deciding how to insulate a wooden bathhouse from the inside with your own hands, you should take into account a number of factors:

• properties of the material used to provide thermal protection;
• personal construction skills and capabilities;
• own preferences.

Features of materials for thermal protection

To decide how and how best to insulate a bathhouse from the inside, you need to know the conditions under which the materials will be used:

1. First of all, you need to take into account that the air is different in both the steam room and the washing room. high humidity. It is unlikely to be dry in the dressing room. Taking these factors into account, we can conclude: you need to choose a non-hygroscopic insulation or the material must have reliable vapor and waterproofing. Thermal insulation for a steam room bath must be of high quality.
2. In the steam room, the air temperature often reaches more than 100 degrees. Insulation materials such as extruded polystyrene and polystyrene foam, under conditions of strong heating, will begin to release substances harmful to human health. For the same reason, plastic panels and linoleum cannot be used to decorate the steam room. In the first case, the products are subject to deformation even at 80 degrees of heat.
3. A significant part of the thermal energy in high temperature conditions begins to be lost both due to heat exchange and in the form of thermal radiation. To prevent heat loss, the insulation for the bathhouse on the inside walls must have a foil surface or a reflective layer consisting of foil must be provided in the thermal insulation scheme.

Insulation of different types of walls

The choice of how to insulate the walls of a bathhouse from the inside depends on the type of material from which it is built:

1. If it is brick, stone or concrete products, thermal protection is required. The fact is that when there is no thermal insulation, the bathhouse will have wet walls and, as a result of temperature fluctuations, they will quickly begin to collapse. The thickness of the insulation should be selected taking into account the parameters of the supporting structures and the climate in the region. Most often, experts recommend a 10-centimeter layer.
2. Is it necessary to insulate a wooden bath?? On the one hand, the thermal protection of the building will not hurt, but on the other hand, wood can be called one of the best materials for the walls of the steam room and dressing room. Of course, insulation is required for baths made of timber, with walls no more than 15 centimeters thick. Sauna log buildings are thermally insulated when the cross-section of the log does not exceed 20 centimeters.

On the inside, walls of greater thickness are either not insulated, or thermal protection is provided with waterproofing and clapboard finishing. Lathing is only suitable if there are rubble on the walls.

Horizontally located strips of vapor barrier are fastened with a stapler with a 5-centimeter overlap to prevent water from penetrating under the material. First, the lower fabrics are hemmed. Polyethylene should not be used for vapor barrier due to high temperatures.

Selection of insulation materials

The optimal solution for insulating a bathhouse from the inside is considered to be basalt wool. Hard mats of 10 cm thickness are used. When thermally protecting the ceiling, the thickness of the thermal insulation layer should be about 15-20 centimeters, since heat loss mainly occurs through the ceiling.

To insulate the bathhouse inside, you still need to have the following materials at your disposal:

1. For sheathing. The most reliable option for bath buildings made of brick or stone is to build a frame from a profile used for drywall (read: ""). Often the CD ceiling profile is chosen, and the UD guide profile is used to make edging along the perimeter of the walls. The fixation step for direct hangers is from 60 to 80 centimeters. The gap between the profiles must be made smaller by 1-2 centimeters compared to the width of the insulation boards. In wooden baths, bars are used as a profile.
2. For water vapor barrier. A heat-resistant material with foil is required that is impermeable to moisture and steam. There is a large selection of such products on the construction market. For example, you can purchase foamed foil polypropylene, designed for temperatures up to 150 degrees. This material is able to protect the walls of the room from dampness and reflect radiant heat, thereby reducing heat loss. Thus, a 3-millimeter thick layer of Penotherm provides the same degree of thermal protection as a 150-millimeter beam.
3. For finishing. Usually the insulation is placed in the bathhouse under the lining, as in the photo. This material is produced for final finishing from linden or aspen, since products from these wood species are resistant to decay processes, do not heat up even at high temperatures, and retain their original appearance for a long time.

Thermal insulation of floors, windows and doors

When deciding how to insulate a bathhouse inside with your own hands, take into account the possibility of increasing the degree of thermal resistance of the ceiling and walls. True, a cool floor and the presence of drafts also take away a lot of heat.

To thermally insulate the door leading to the steam room, a thick felt frame is attached to it, which will reliably cover the cracks. Wooden frames at the windows located in the steam room, dressing room and washing room are insulated with cotton wool.

As for plastic, it is not installed in places with high temperatures, but in other rooms there is no need to be afraid that polymers will undergo thermal decomposition. Self-adhesive foam strips are used to protect plastic windows.

The choice of products, the better to insulate the bathhouse inside, depends on the type of floor covering. Expanded clay is poured onto the surface of the leaking wooden floor, and boards are mounted on top of the leveled backfill. It will be useful to understand how to insulate a bathhouse made of expanded clay concrete blocks from the inside so that problems do not arise later.

They begin to equip a concrete leaky floor by digging a pit 50 centimeters deep.

The layers of the thermal insulation structure are arranged from bottom to top in the following sequence:

• sand –5 centimeters;
• polystyrene foam – 20 centimeters;
• concrete mixed in a 1:1 ratio with foam chips - 5 centimeters;
• waterproofing;
• concrete combined with vermiculite in a 1:1 ratio (this is the name of a natural material with low thermal conductivity) – 5 centimeters;
• reinforced screed –5 centimeters.

During the process of pouring the base, it is necessary to arrange a slope. A boardwalk is installed on top of the concrete screed on the joists.

In the case when a continuous floor covering is needed, heat-insulating material is laid on top of the rough base in a layer of 10-20 centimeters, this can be mineral wool or polystyrene foam. Then it is covered with waterproofing, not forgetting to overlap the walls. A reinforced screed 5-10 centimeters high is mounted on top of this layer.

Then, as a rule, the tiles are laid. Despite the fact that the tiles in the steam room do not heat up to a high temperature, it is advisable to provide wooden footrests to make visiting the bathhouse more enjoyable.

Arrangement of thermal protection of walls and ceilings

Insulating the walls and ceiling of a bathhouse from the inside is similar to how it is done in other rooms, but special attention should be paid to the reliability of laying the vapor barrier layer.

Stage one - creating the sheathing. The procedure for how to insulate the ceiling in a bathhouse from the inside suggests that the distance from the sheathing to the base of the wall or ceiling needs to be made slightly greater than the thickness of the material for thermal insulation.

When using galvanized profiles, this gap is adjusted using hangers, and the block is nailed down using a backing, which can be a piece of block. Galvanized hangers are also used for wooden sheathing.

The sequence for attaching the profile is as follows:

1. A UD guide profile is fixed along the perimeter of the walls or ceiling, observing a 60-centimeter step. It is mounted to timber or logs with self-tapping screws, and to brick or concrete walls– screws with plastic dowels.
2. The axes of the CD profiles are marked, taking into account that the gap between them should allow the laying of heat insulation slabs without trimming. Then the hangers are attached to the wall, observing a step of 60-80 centimeters.
3. To install and fix the CD profiles to the hangers, use metal screws 9 millimeters long. The free edges of the hangers need to be folded.

Stage two - installation of insulation. Basalt wool in slabs is placed between the bars (profiles). The insulation of a ventilated façade or loggias is carried out in the same way. The work must be done in a respirator (gauze bandage) and special glasses. The fact is that the small fibers of this material are volatile and, when they get on the human mucosa, they greatly irritate it.

To cut the slabs, use a standard sharp knife. The insulation should not be crushed during installation. Regarding how best to insulate a bathhouse, you need to know that with a constant weight of the material, the smaller its volume, the worse its heat-insulating qualities will be.

Stage three - vapor and waterproofing device. Strips of material are fixed horizontally from bottom to top, maintaining a 5-centimeter overlap. The foil side of the insulation should be facing inside the room.

The method of fixing the vapor barrier depends on the material from which the sheathing is made. So, before you insulate the steam room in a log bath, you need to stock up on a construction stapler. If there is a galvanized profile, the strips are secured with double-sided aluminum tape.

To create a high-quality vapor barrier, the insulation not only needs to be fixed, all existing joints must be taped with the same tape. Then moisture will not be able to penetrate the insulation.

Stage four - paneling. To make the room cozy and beautiful after completion of insulation, it is necessary to finish the walls.

First, prepare the tools and materials necessary for the work, including:

• circular saw or electric jigsaw;
• drill - screwdriver;
• rasp (required when adjusting and processing the edge of the lining);
• construction square (necessary for marking boards);
• level and plumb line (they are in demand when checking verticals and horizontals);
• metal clamps for fixation wooden lining;
• copper or galvanized screws, which are needed for fastening the clamps to the bars;
• metal screws;
• wooden baseboards for finishing corners.

When carrying out work, you need to consider a number of points:

There should be a small gap between the lining and the vapor barrier layer. In addition, gaps (no more than 1-2 centimeters) are installed along the edges of the ceiling, as well as in the upper and lower parts of the walls.

The end boards in each row of the lining should be fastened with screws through and through, and their caps will be covered by the baseboard. All other boards will be held in place by clamps.

The above-described procedure for carrying out work allows you to both insulate an old bathhouse from the inside and a completely new building. Thermal protection of a bath structure is a very important stage, since the efficiency of the steam room depends on its quality. The main thing in the work is to take into account the slightest nuances and then the result will exceed expectations.

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 level 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 beam 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. They are treated before use 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 grate from timber on 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:

1. Thermal insulators must be in close contact with the wall surface to reduce the risk of internal moisture and cold air entering.
2. A ventilation gap is needed on top of the insulation to dry it.
3. All floors and others wooden elements must be treated with an antiseptic composition to prevent premature destruction of the material.
4. Materials with a low level of heat and moisture resistance cannot be used in the steam room.
5. 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... 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.

Placed on top of the insulation waterproofing material. 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 this problem be 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.

Insulating a bathhouse - what you need for work

Insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands will save money on work and heating. There is no shame in inviting friends to a comfortable bathhouse that exudes warmth and coziness. High-quality thermal insulation, competently made from good materials, can maintain a unique microclimate. The work is labor-intensive, but anyone with skills can handle it. necessary knowledge and skillful hands.

Insulating a bathhouse from the inside differs from thermal insulation work in ordinary premises due to the conditions in which the materials are exposed. First of all, this is humidity, especially in the steam room and washing room, and in other rooms the air is not dry. Therefore, the insulation either should not absorb moisture, or it must be reliably protected from steam and moisture. In the steam room, the temperature can even rise above 100°. Materials such as polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam are deformed at high temperatures and release substances harmful to health. For the same reason, plastic or linoleum is never used in the bathhouse. Some of the heat is lost as infrared radiation, so a foil layer is needed to reflect the rays.

To insulate a bathhouse, you will definitely need a foil heat-resistant hydro-vapor barrier.

In addition to the heat insulator, other materials will be required, in particular, sheathing. For stone and brick baths it is better to use a profile for plasterboard. The ceiling profile CD is usually used, the UD guide is used for edging around the perimeter. The hangers are attached on average every 0.7 m, the distance between the profiles is slightly less than the width of the insulation. In a wooden bathhouse, instead of a plasterboard profile, it is advisable to use bars; they are cheaper and will last as long as the walls.

You will need a foil heat-resistant water vapor barrier. for example, penotherm. It is able to protect walls from dampness, reflect infrared rays, and additionally insulate the room due to the presence of foam material. For wooden baths it can be used as the main material for insulation. On top of the insulating layer, a finishing finish is made from lining. The best material Linden or aspen are considered, they are durable even in such difficult conditions, and they do not burn.

How to insulate - a review of artificial and natural materials

When choosing a material for insulation, you should be guided by quality characteristics. A good insulation should provide reliable vapor and waterproofing, be environmentally friendly, and not fire hazardous. There are many materials for insulation - artificial and traditional from natural raw materials. If you are a fan of absolute environmental friendliness, then, of course, choose natural material. But you should know that without pre-treatment, such material is seriously threatened by mold, rodents, and insects. Artificial materials have best qualities, it’s easier to work with them.

Natural materials for insulation, such as moss, flax tow, and hemp, have been used since ancient times. They are cheap or completely free, highly environmentally friendly, and fill the bathhouse with a special natural aroma. But they are short-lived, require constant updating, and working with them is difficult and time-consuming. Of the natural materials, perhaps expanded clay is the only one that is easy to work with and durable. It is moisture resistant, lightweight, and durable. Thanks to these qualities, expanded clay is used for floor insulation in bathhouses.

Synthetic materials for insulating a bathhouse from the inside include extruded polystyrene foam, mineral wool and glass wool. Each material has unique properties:

1. 1. Expanded polystyrene is a reliable heat insulator of low cost and light weight. It is fire hazardous and cannot withstand high temperatures, so it is used only in the dressing room and other similar rooms, except for the washroom and steam room.
2. 2. Mineral wool is a durable, fireproof, non-hygroscopic material. Available in the form of sheets or mats, which are convenient to work with. It is easy to damage, so you should work with mineral wool carefully.
3. 3. Glass wool is made from interwoven extremely fine glass fibers. The material contains a lot of air, due to which it has a heat-saving effect. Available in rolls or slabs.
4. 4. Basalt fiber is expensive, but it can be an ideal material for insulating a bathhouse. The basis is molten rocks, so the insulation does not burn, is not afraid of mechanical deformation and moisture, and retains heat well. It is convenient to work with it, cutting it into pieces of the required size.

The choice is influenced by the material of the walls. If the bathhouse is made of brick, stone, concrete and similar materials, it is necessary to insulate it. This is necessary to retain heat and extend the life of the building, because the walls will begin to collapse due to high humidity and very large temperature fluctuations. A wooden bathhouse itself is warm, but the insulation layer will not make it any worse. It is recommended to insulate log bathhouses with a wall thickness of less than 20 cm if the timber is less than 15 cm thick. If the log walls are thicker, thermal insulation for the bathhouse is not needed, or a waterproofing layer is used, which is then covered with clapboard.

To prevent your feet from freezing - warm floor without heating

You will have to insulate the floor from the inside if this operation was previously skipped. The base of an uninsulated floor can be concrete or wood. For concrete floors, polystyrene foam or expanded clay is suitable as insulation. Expanded polystyrene is better extruded - more dense than polystyrene foam, capable of withstanding greater loads. There is no need to worry about a threat to health - waterproofing and screed will protect against harmful emissions.

We carry out waterproofing with rolled bitumen material, dense polyethylene or mastic. They should cover the base and walls to a thickness equal to the insulating layer with screed. We fill expanded clay or lay EPS slabs on top of the waterproofing. We seal the gaps between the sheets using scraps of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, and simply level the expanded clay. We lay another membrane on top, sealing the joints with tape, creating a bag that does not allow moisture to pass through.

The insulation is laid on top of the waterproofing

For waterproofing we fill in a reinforced screed. If we use expanded clay, the thermal insulation of the floor will improve. Finishing can be placed on top of the cured floor.

We insulate the wooden floor in a similar way. We treat the wood with antiseptics, and use mineral wool or glass wool as insulation. We lay waterproofing, joists on it, and a tight insulator between them. Cover the top with two layers of bitumen-impregnated material. We glue the waterproofing membrane with tape, and lay a plank floor on top. As an option, we use plywood, on top of which we make a screed.

If a cold floor made of boards can be disassembled, then it is better to insulate it from the base. We select the soil shallowly, take it out, and compact the foundation. We fill it with a 10–15 cm layer of sand and crushed stone, compact it and lay waterproofing material. We fill the membrane with expanded clay or lay other material. We prepare a solution of cement and sand 1:1, fill in the rough screed. After it sets, we make a finishing reinforced screed.

Warm walls and ceiling – complete comfort for vacationers

We begin insulating the walls of a bathhouse from the inside by preparing the surface - sealing, insulating cracks, treating wooden surfaces with solutions against mold, fungi, and fire. The insulation cake has the following structure:

1. 1. We attach bars or a profile for drywall to the wall;
2. 2. We lay a heat insulator between them;
3. 3. We apply a water vapor barrier layer on it;
4. 4. Wooden sheathing on top;
5. 5. Finishing completes everything.

Before installing the sheathing, be sure to measure the width of the insulating material. The dimensions indicated do not always correspond to the actual ones; in addition, the edges may have been slightly deformed during transportation. We install the sheathing in increments slightly smaller than the width of the material so that it fits between the sheathing with little effort. In places where the heat insulator does not fit tightly, where gaps remain, cold penetrates and condensation forms. The height of the sheathing must correspond to the thickness of the thermal insulation.

Bars are attached to the wall, between which a heat insulator is laid

We lay insulation tightly between the bars, avoiding gaps. If the distance is chosen correctly, the heat insulator is held on the wall without additional fastening, but for safety reasons you can use stainless or hot-dip galvanized screws with washers. We seal the foil heat insulator at the joints with aluminum tape for tightness. We also seal the contact points between the insulation and the sheathing, covering at least 5 cm of the insulation and timber. Sealing the joints is very important; moisture penetrating into the insulating layer greatly increases its thermal conductivity.

The insulation of a bathhouse from the inside is not limited to the thermal insulation layer. We protect it from moisture - in the steam room and washing compartment it is better to use a foil vapor barrier. which will also reflect heat. The room will heat up faster, heating costs will be reduced, and the stove will last longer. For other rooms, you can use a different material. We lay the strips, overlapping each other by 5 cm, and fasten them with staples using a stapler. We cover the joints and places where staples are driven in with foil tape. We do not leave a gap between the insulation and the vapor barrier layer.

We attach a sheathing of 20 mm thick wooden planks to the bars for installing the lining. The thickness is selected to ensure a gap between the sheathing and the vapor barrier. We fasten the lathing vertically so that condensation can drain between the vapor barrier layer and the lining, then it will last longer.

To ensure condensation drainage, we attach the lathing on the walls horizontally, under the lining - vertically, the finishing layer will be horizontal.

Insulating the ceiling is no different from insulating the walls, except that we start working on the ceiling earlier than on the walls. You should keep in mind some features of ceiling insulation. Since most of the heat collects at the top, we make the thermal insulation layer thicker than on the walls. We provide a small overlap of insulating layers on the walls. When insulating walls, we apply it to the wall material and glue the joints with foil tape.

Windows and doors – have you forgotten about them?

A significant amount of heat also escapes through leaky windows and doors. We make the door for the steam room small, with the minimum acceptable dimensions. We raise the threshold above the floor level by 25 cm to block the path of cold air from the adjacent room. We make the door leaf from wood, and fit the boards tightly. Additionally, doors can be insulated like walls. door frame and seal the canvas so that there are no gaps.

We do not make large windows in the bathhouse, with the exception of the rest room. The frames must be double glazed so that the air inside serves as a heat insulator. We install the glass with a sealant, resulting in a double-glazed window that is impenetrable to cold air. The gaps between the opening and the frame are securely sealed with mineral wool, and a layer of waterproofing is applied on top.

We hope the article has dispelled the misconception that thermal insulation of a bathhouse is a simple matter. It turns out that it has its own specifics, primarily regarding the choice of materials and installation. Once again we pay attention to the reliable sealing of all layers. If you do the work carefully, following the advice, the bathhouse will bring true pleasure from being in it.

How to insulate a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands?

Insulating the bathhouse from the inside is an important stage in the construction of this specific structure. First of all, special attention is paid to the ceiling and floor of the log bathhouse.

How to properly insulate a bathhouse from the inside

Insulation of the bathhouse from the inside is also necessary because this building must maintain a constantly high temperature inside its walls for a long time.

Therefore, before insulating the bathhouse from the inside, you need to carefully study this issue and prevent heat loss from occurring.

1 Features of bath insulation

It is worth considering that the service life of a wooden bathhouse built with your own hands is rapidly reduced if significant heat losses occur.

If you don’t waterproof the walls and dressing room with your own hands, then there will always be an increased level of humidity inside; insulation for saunas and baths will help to avoid this.

This can lead to sad consequences, for example, the logs will slowly rot, which will lead to the appearance of unpleasant odors within the dressing room.

Currently, it is important to insulate a bathhouse, and especially a dressing room, using expanded clay concrete blocks or wooden beams; the thermal insulation of bathhouses and saunas using these materials is quite effective.

Before this, you can consider correcting the brickwork if it has defects in some places. Particular attention is paid to the thermal insulation of the dressing room and walls; do not forget about insulating the steam room yourself.

The thermal insulation layer can be combined with the use of expanded clay concrete blocks. To ensure thermal insulation of the dressing room with your own hands in the room, before the floor is installed, the soil is excavated to a depth of 50 centimeters with an orientation towards the expected level of the finished floor.

A sand-cement mixture is poured on top of the foam, this is especially important if the bathhouse and dressing room walls are built from brick with your own hands.

To insulate brickwork, foam chips can be used, the thickness of which should be 50 millimeters.

The scheme, based on which insulation is carried out, allows the use of vermiculite, the thickness of which must correspond to the thickness of the brickwork.

1.1 Waterproofing a timber bath

On top of the mortar, which is used to fill the space between the brickwork with your own hands, the reinforcing mesh, which is equipped with cells of 100×100 millimeters.

Wooden floors with holes made in them for water drainage are laid only after the cement mortar has completely hardened.

In most cases, the waterproofing layer is formed in the space that is located between the layer of mortar enriched with vermiculite and the concrete layer.

Using this principle, waterproofing work can be carried out inside brick walls. The technology changes somewhat if the bathhouse is built using timber.

If the bathhouse is built from timber, then the use of expanded clay concrete blocks is permissible, while the material of the walls does not have much influence on the process. In this case, any insulation for the bath walls can be chosen.

Bathroom insulation in progress

The top of the flooring can then be equipped with electrically heated floors to create the most comfortable conditions in a bathhouse made of timber.

A pipeline can be laid at the base of the structure, providing heating system. If in a bathhouse made of timber there is no need to install a wooden floor, then the use of heated floors will be most relevant.

The most suitable material can be laid on top of the timber with which the floor can be covered. For example, it could be tiles that are laid on top of a concrete base. Removable wooden grates can be placed on top of the floor.

2 Insulation of steam room walls

Even if the bathhouse was insulated using expanded clay concrete blocks, after two or three years it can shrink by 100-200 millimeters.

This is especially likely if the main material for making the walls was wooden beams or logs. Here the main indicators directly depend on the degree of moisture resistance of the building material.

Currently, in addition to expanded clay concrete blocks, an alternative material such as eurolining can be used. When choosing insulation for a bathhouse, you can start with this material.

Eurolining is made from valuable wood species. The performance of expanded clay blocks here is inferior to the presented finishing material. Consider Rockwool Sauna Butts for baths as an alternative.

When covering with such material, a number of unforeseen difficulties may arise; this may be due to inaccurate adherence to the technology for installing the sheathing, to which the lining is subsequently attached.

It is not recommended to nail the sheathing frame to the logs using ordinary nails and thus fasten the lining to the sheathing. Thermal insulation of a bathhouse with your own hands when implementing this method turns out to be very durable.

Insulation of a bathhouse from the inside - walls, floor, ceiling

This combination can greatly interfere with the natural shrinkage process. This will lead to cracks and chips in the structure of the material, which in turn will negatively affect the amount of heat in the bath. In addition, you can use other finishing methods based on:

• The use of grooves for fastening the sheathing;
• Using a layer of fiberglass;
• Application of aluminum foil;
• Using nails.

The grooves can reach a length of 15-20 centimeters and are sawed on the edges of those slats that are intended to form the sheathing.

A jigsaw can help with this, making cuts at a distance of 50 centimeters. Nails can also be hammered into the slots of the slats, which will lead to reliable fixation of the structure and stop the shrinkage of the bath.

2.1 How to properly insulate a ceiling?

Insulation of a bathhouse ceiling consists of several stages. First, a pre-prepared layer of fiberglass is placed on top of the rough ceiling layer.

This is feasible if you plan to create a completely wood covering. After this, a layer of clay-sand is created, which must include sawdust from finely chopped straw. This solution is poured over the prepared fiberglass.

The thickness of the layer can reach 30 centimeters, then a clay-sand solution is poured, which can include vermiculite.

The thickness of pouring such a solution should be 50 millimeters. Depending on the weather conditions, the solution may dry within two to three weeks.

Do-it-yourself insulation of a bathhouse

After it has completely dried, a foam plate with a thickness of 100-150 millimeters is placed on top.

A final layer of cement-sand mortar is poured on top of the foam, which can be mixed with a certain amount of foam chips.

If you plan to lay roofing felt or roofing felt on top of the heat-insulating layer, you can plan to build an attic space.

The sheathing slats are secured at a gap of 500 millimeters. This is carried out at the very bottom of the ceiling covering under the surface of the rough board.

2.2 Selecting thermal insulation material for the bath floor

Currently, they are especially popular following materials designed for insulating bath floors:

Materials such as expanded clay and slag are in most cases used to provide insulation for wooden floors.

Expanded clay has a fairly low cost, so its use is economically feasible. It is distinguished by a high degree of environmental friendliness and extremely successfully withstands mechanical loads and sudden temperature changes.

However, the thickness of the layer of such material should be 20 centimeters. The process of floor insulation with the participation of expanded clay and slag is quite labor-intensive.

Insulating bath walls from the inside yourself

For better results, different fractions of slag should be used in combination with expanded clay. Polystyrene foam also serves as an effective floor insulation. Insulation for saunas and baths Izover Sauna serves as a good alternative.

It is incredibly easy to use and quite affordable. To produce such insulating material, a foamed plastic mixture is used.

By the way, during laboratory research it turned out that the resulting convection currents cannot occur in the same foam cell.

It is important to know that any type of foam plastic is not suitable for creating a thermal insulation layer. For example, under the influence of fumes from layers of some paints and varnishes, the structure of polystyrene foam can undergo rapid destruction.

For wooden floors, so-called wood wool can be used quite often. It is capable of creating a thermal insulation layer not only on wooden surface, but also on concrete.

For this purpose, special mats can be used. This material is capable of providing effective insulation, and its installation does not require the use of additional equipment or complex manipulations.

Ordinary ceramic tiles can also serve not only as a finishing material, but also as a good means for floor insulation. This product can only be used in bathhouses that are equipped with concrete floors.

How and with what to insulate a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands?

Why is insulating a bathhouse from the inside a good idea?

Speaking about the bathhouse, it should be noted that a unique microclimate prevails in it. When arranging this structure, an important point is creating high-quality thermal insulation. Having decided to insulate the walls and ceiling of a bathhouse with your own hands, you need to be prepared for the fact that doing this work will require a lot of effort. However, with a lot of desire and time, you can cope with this task without any problems.

When performing thermal insulation of a steam room, the following factors must be taken into account:

• material that is used to insulate the bathhouse from the inside;
• knowledge and skills of the owner, personal desire.

When choosing a material for insulating a bath, you need to focus on the characteristics of the insulation. It is worth knowing that not all materials are suitable for insulating a bath.

Suitable insulation materials for this structure are those that have the following properties:

The entire variety of insulation materials currently offered on the market can be divided into two types:

If you want your bathhouse to be insulated with environmentally friendly materials, then when choosing, you should pay attention to natural insulation materials. They are made based on organic components. These include:

These materials have many advantages, but they also have certain disadvantages. If you do not treat them with special compounds, then during the operation of the bathhouse, mold and insects will appear on such insulation.

In order for the insulation of a bathhouse from the inside to become a simple process, it is necessary to use materials of artificial origin when carrying out work. They have many important advantages. They are resistant to fire, not subject to rotting, and provide effective vapor barrier. The installation of such materials does not require much time. In this they are superior to natural insulation materials.

Materials for insulating a bath from the inside

When purchasing thermal insulation material, it is necessary to make a choice not only in favor of natural or artificial insulation. At the stage of purchasing material, a number of other factors need to be taken into account:

Classification of insulation

If we focus on such a factor as mechanical properties of the material. then all materials that can be used to insulate the walls of a bathhouse inside can be divided into the following types:

• backfills of various densities;
• mats and fibers;
• wall blocks and slabs.

According to such a parameter as chemical composition of the material. All insulation materials are divided into the following types:

• organic. These include ecowool, fiberboard;
• inorganic substances. The group of these materials includes mineral wool, glass wool made from basalt fiber;
• technical insulation materials. These include the technoblock and technoscience;
• insulation materials made on the basis of plastics. These include polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam.

Each of the listed materials has its own pros and cons. For example, when insulating a steam room, it is better to refuse to use plastic-based heat-insulating materials. This is due to the fact that such insulation materials are exposed to high temperatures. highly flammable. However, they can be used for thermal insulation of other rooms in the bathhouse. They are perfect for insulating a dressing room or rest room.

Materials based on organic substances are distinguished by their environmental friendliness and affordable price. However, they are also highly flammable if they are not treated with special compounds.

Materials for vapor barrier from the inside

There is a whole group of materials that are suitable for vapor barrier of a bath.

When working on vapor barrier in a steam room, you should stop using roofing felt and glassine. This is due to the fact that when exposed to high temperatures, these materials begin to release chemicals. When insulating baths, glassine is often used. Aluminum foil is often used in conjunction with lining, and mineral wool is widely used in log bathhouses.

How to insulate a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands?

Quite common nowadays is the insulation scheme using fiber-based heat insulators. The technology for insulating a bathhouse from the inside involves performing the following work.

First you need to create a frame on the surface of the insulated wall. To do this, it runs fastening the sheathing from beams. which are placed horizontally and vertically. Note that the thickness of the timber should exceed the insulation by 20-30 mm.

Next, the wall is covered with mineral wool. When the material is installed, a vapor barrier layer is applied. Most often, foil material is used to create it. Note that its overlay must be overlapped. The joints of the material must be sealed with thin slats. A distance of about 3 cm should remain between the layers of vapor barrier and mineral wool.

The effectiveness of this method is quite high, since it has been used to insulate the walls of a bathhouse from the inside for quite a long time. However, you should know that, having made a choice in favor of this thermal insulation option, you will have to spend a lot of effort on creating quality construction insulation. Modern materials offered on the market will reduce the labor intensity of such insulation. Often, insulation materials combine several properties at once: they provide effective insulation and waterproofing. Foil penotherm is just such a material. It is characteristic of him high stability to the fire. In addition, it provides convenience during operation and installation.

The scheme described above is ideal for baths built from timber. Insulation of frame walls and panel-type buildings has its own characteristics. If the bathhouse has panel walls, then the choice is made in favor of lightweight materials. The most commonly used materials are polystyrene foam, reed boards, and mineral wool. Treatment of the heat insulator in this case is a mandatory requirement. As a composition to protect it from harmful negative factors, it is used lime milk followed by drying. The use of such protection will prevent the occurrence of rotting processes. In addition, the material’s resistance to fire will increase.

If the bathhouse has frame walls, then in cold climates, fiberboard or reed slabs are used to insulate it. In areas with a mild climate, the choice is made in favor of gypsum and sawdust. To insulate walls, for example, a mixture of sawdust and gypsum can be used. The material is taken in a ratio of 1:10. The finished mixture is poured between the walls and the sheathing in a layer of 200 mm.

Insulation of the ceiling in a steam bath room

The work on creating thermal protection in the bathhouse is completed by insulating the ceiling. The complexity and order of work depends on the design of the ceiling itself. It can be with or without an attic.

If the bathhouse has an attic or attic, the insulation process should proceed as follows: board coated with clay with a layer of 20 cm. This material does a good job of retaining moisture. Wooden chips must be poured into the cracks between the boards. If they are not available, then you can use any other material that provides good thermal insulation. For example, you can backfill with expanded clay. But the thickness of the layer of this material must be at least 200 mm.

Insulating a bathhouse without an attic

A bathhouse without an attic, made of logs or a panel building, must be insulated inside in a completely different way:

First, the vapor barrier material is laid, then the insulation is attached, onto which the beam beam is sewn. After shelf boards are nailed .

When insulating the ceiling of a bathhouse, special attention must be paid to the junction of the pipe and the insulation. To ensure that fire safety standards are not violated, it is necessary to make an indent of 200 mm between the pipe and the heat-insulating material. This problem is easily solved by creating a box from rafter legs. It will be a barrier separating the pipe and the insulation. The space inside the box can be filled with fire-resistant insulation, for example, stone wool.

It is optimal if the roof of the bathhouse is designed in such a way that there are no places through which warm air can escape from the room and cold air can enter from outside. Ceiling insulation has another goal - avoid condensation formation. Condensation is converted into moisture, which, in turn, is the main enemy for most building materials.

Please note that not all materials are suitable for ceiling insulation work. It is worth refusing to use materials such as chipboard, plywood, and fiberboard for thermal insulation. They can not only become deformed during operation, but also release substances harmful to human health when exposed to high temperatures.

Conclusion

Thermal insulation of a bathhouse from the inside is an important work that should be carried out by every owner of this building who wants to visit the bathhouse and not face discomfort. Although this work is not easy, everyone can do it. If you have the time and the necessary knowledge on how to properly insulate a bathhouse from the inside, then by choosing the right materials and following the advice of experienced craftsmen, you can create high-quality thermal protection. After the insulation has been completed, you will enjoy every visit to the bathhouse. There will be no cold in the building, it will warm up quickly, and fuel costs will be minimal.

Insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands

It happens that you go into the bathhouse with the desire to relax, not only to wash yourself, but also to free yourself from the burden of problems and worries, but in the end either the temperature does not hold at all, or it is impossible to steam, or, on the contrary, the heat is unbearable and you practically can’t breathe. In this case, naturally, there can be no talk of any pleasure; visiting the bathhouse turns into a complete hassle. The main reason for the uncomfortable microclimate in the bathhouse is considered to be improper thermal insulation. It is she who is responsible for maintaining a certain temperature in the premises, as well as for saving the fuel necessary to heat the bath.

Popular Misconceptions

Most people do not pay due attention to thermal insulation, believing that it is enough to simply cover the walls with insulating material. In fact, insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands is a rather complex process that requires taking into account many factors.

Sometimes an excessive desire for naturalness and naturalness plays a bad role. In pursuit of environmental cleanliness, the owner of the bathhouse decides to insulate it with moss. Indeed, this is a product of natural origin, but when used in rooms with high humidity, it quickly rots, not only emitting unpleasant odors, but also quickly infecting the tree with rot.

Materials for thermal insulation of baths

If we have already started talking about the fact that some heat insulators are not suitable for a bathhouse, we cannot help but talk about what can be used, and what are the pros and cons of other materials.

1. Mineral insulation materials (basalt fiber, mineral wool and glass wool) are ideal for insulating a bathhouse. As a rule, they are produced in the form of slabs or mats. Such materials have very high durability, they are moisture-proof and fire-resistant, and are absolutely not subject to rotting. Most often, insulation of a bathhouse from the inside is carried out using them.
2. Organic materials (arbolite, fiberboard and others) are made from peat, reeds or wood waste. Usually these are slabs of various sizes that can be used even in climatic conditions with very low temperatures. Unfortunately, despite its high thermal insulation properties and its low cost, such insulation is not recommended for use in bathhouses, as it quickly ignites. True, there are now many substances on the market, after treatment with which fiberboard, reeds, and other organic heat insulators become fireproof, but it’s still better not to take risks and not to insulate at least the walls of steam rooms with them.
3. Plastic-based materials (foam plastic, expanded polystyrene) are well suited for dressing rooms and rest rooms, but they are not recommended for use in steam rooms, again due to their high flammability.

Well, in conclusion, a few words about vapor barrier materials, which will also definitely be needed when insulating a bathhouse. Roofing felt and glassine, the most commonly used for this purpose, should not be used for interior baths, since when heated, these materials release toxic substances, which, in conditions of high humidity, very quickly enter the human body through the lungs. It is best to use aluminum foil or directly heat-insulating boards with a foil coating. The use of foil greatly reduces energy costs for maintaining comfortable temperature in the bathhouse thanks to its shiny surface, which perfectly reflects heat back into the room.

Insulation of a bathhouse from the inside

The insulation of a brick bathhouse from the inside is almost no different from the insulation of timber or log buildings, so in the framework of this article we will not separate them. To facilitate understanding, we will describe the insulation of a bathhouse from the inside with photos that will allow you to understand certain details of the process.

Bathroom floor insulation

Insulating a bathhouse from the inside, the work scheme, considered traditional, recommends starting from the floor. This will not only reduce the degree of displacement of warm air by cold air rising from below, but will also add comfort. Agree, it is much more pleasant to walk on a warm floor, especially in a hot steam room.

Bathhouses usually have one of two types of floors: solid and leaking. The designs are completely different, so it is not surprising that each type of insulation has its own characteristics.

1. When installing solid floors, insulation (most often mineral wool) is laid on a rough plank floor and covered with a waterproofing layer so that its edges are on the walls. After this, you can begin installing the finished floor.
2. When constructing leaking floors, it is necessary to dig a pit to a depth of approximately 500 mm. Next, it is filled with 50 mm of sand, which must be thoroughly compacted. Foam plastic slabs 200 mm high are laid on this layer as insulation. They, in turn, are filled with a layer of cement with the addition of foam chips 1:1 - 50 mm. Waterproofing is spread over the concrete, overlapping the walls. In this case, you can use roofing felt. While on the floor, this material does not heat up to a temperature at which it releases toxic substances. The next layer is again a layer of cement, but with the addition of vermiculite in the same ratio of 1:1 - 50 mm. After spreading the reinforcing mesh, the floors are filled with concrete with the addition of small crushed stone to a height of 50 mm, and at this stage a slope towards the drain is ensured. Now you can lay the finished floors on the posts.

Insulation of bath walls and ceilings

It is best to insulate both of these building elements at the same time, since the technology for laying thermal insulation from the inside is practically the same for them.

So, let's look at insulation using a steam room as an example. First, you need to apply a 50x50 lumber sheathing to the walls and ceiling, and the distance between the bars should be slightly less than the width of the insulation. This is done so that, having straightened out in the resulting niches, the material takes its place more tightly, without the formation of “cold bridges”. Basalt or mineral fiber slabs are best suited for this purpose.

After laying the heat insulator, it must be covered with a vapor barrier material. In principle, you can use any, but for baths, foil fabric or any other vapor barrier trimmed with foil is best suited. Reflecting from the mirror surface, warm air will return to the room. Now you can begin the interior lining.

Tip: It is imperative to lay foil vapor barrier materials with the reflective side facing the inside of the bathhouse.

Important: The vapor barrier is not located between the beams, but is attached directly to them.

In the remaining rooms of the bathhouse, internal insulation is carried out in the same way. The only difference is that you can use thermal insulation materials with weaker characteristics, and also use thick kraft wrapping paper instead of foil.

Advice: Since brick or cinder block baths have high heat loss, the thickness of the basalt fiber when insulating them should be increased.

An increasing number of craftsmen prefer foil foam. This insulation is immediately covered with metallized lavsan or foil and at the same time acts as a vapor barrier.

The video below will provide complete and comprehensive information on how to properly insulate a bathhouse from the inside.

Scheme of the “pie” for insulating the walls of a bathhouse from the inside

Before starting work, be sure to eliminate all defects: seal and insulate the cracks, treat the walls with fire retardants and antiseptics, if you think necessary, check the tightness of the connections, etc. After completing the preparatory work, you can begin installing the thermal insulation.

The pie itself generally looks like this:

• a wall on which bars are packed;
• heat insulator laid between the bars;
• vapor barrier;
• a lathing made of planks that holds materials and serves for installation of finishing.

Bathroom wall insulation scheme

Step 1. A sheathing of bars is attached to the walls into which the heat insulator is tightly inserted. The thickness of the bars must correspond to the thickness of the thermal insulation. A vapor barrier is attached to the bars, which is usually aluminum foil. After the foil, a 20-3 ohm thick lathing is attached under the clapboard, and then the walls are sheathed with clapboard.

1. There is no need to leave a gap between the insulation and aluminum foil in the bathhouse;
2. It is advisable to leave a gap between the aluminum foil (or other foil material) and the lining so that condensate can flow down freely. Otherwise, the lining will rot very quickly.

We tightly lay the heat insulator between the bars. The thickness of the insulation corresponds to the thickness of the bars

You also need to decide on the direction in which the bars will be nailed to the wall. They can be nailed vertically and horizontally. Moreover, there are constantly debates about how to do this better. Some builders claim that with a horizontal arrangement of the heat insulator, and therefore the bars, there is less heat loss. Their opponents say that vertical placement provides better ventilation. What’s more important is that everyone chooses for themselves, as well as whether or not the bars need to be treated with antiseptics and fire retardants.

Advice! It makes sense to think not about how to fasten the bars, but first of all about how the lining will be fastened: horizontally or vertically. It is more practical to mount the lining horizontally. In this case, condensation, which will inevitably form on the vapor barrier, will be able to flow down without hindrance, so the sheathing under the lining will be attached vertically.

The pitch of filling the bars under the insulation is determined by the width of the selected heat insulator: the distance between the bars should be approximately 1 cm less than the actual width of the insulation(in this case the insulation will fit tightly to the bars).

Advice! Be sure to measure the width of the insulation before attaching the bars. Do not trust the data on the packaging: firstly, there may be factory deviations, and secondly, during storage and transportation the edges may wrinkle, thereby reducing the actual width. Any gap or loose heat insulator is a place where cold will penetrate and condensation will form. These areas are also called cold bridges.

Step 2. Insulation is placed tightly between the padded bars, without gaps, with little effort. With the correct distance between the bars, the heat insulator holds well on its own, but to be sure, you can secure it with hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel screws and washers of large diameter.

If the heat insulator you choose is foil, to ensure tightness, cover each connection with a patch of aluminum tape, and on top you need to secure another piece of foil with an adhesive backing - tightness is very important: most heat insulators lose their properties in the presence of moisture. For example, the thermal conductivity of wet basalt wool is much greater than dry one. For this reason, the insulation should not be allowed to get wet.

In this case, you also need to carefully approach the sealing of the joints of the foil thermal insulation and the bars: they need to be glued with the same foil tape, ensuring that there is at least 5 cm of overlap on both the insulation and the bars.

The joints must be taped with aluminum tape.

For a steam room, the best material to prevent moisture from penetrating into the insulation is foil. It not only retains moisture well, but also reflects heat back into the room, greatly reducing heat loss. If you choose such a material, the time required to heat the room will be significantly reduced, the costs of maintaining the required temperature will be reduced, the stove will operate in a more gentle mode, and therefore will last longer.

In other rooms, you can install any other material that is suitable for its performance characteristics.

The strips of the selected material are laid so that they overlap by at least 5 cm. All joints are additionally carefully glued using foil tape, which is sold in the same place where vapor barriers are sold. Attach it to the bars using staples and a construction stapler. To maintain tightness and prevent steam from entering the thermal insulation, it is advisable to seal the joints with the same foil tape.

When insulating the ceiling, there should be an “entry” of the heat and vapor barrier onto the walls. When installing wall insulation, run it over the top of the wall “pie”, and then carefully seal the joints (use foil tape again).

Step 3. After the installation of the “pie” is completed, a sheathing of planks is stuffed onto the protruding bars. It will hold the materials and also serve as the basis for attaching the interior decoration.

This is what the wall may look like after all the work is completed: 1 - insulation, 2 - vapor barrier, 3 - lining

Features of insulating walls made of different materials

The technology and sequence of insulation layers remains virtually unchanged for different rooms and types of buildings. Only some parameters can be changed. For example, for the steam room, the thickness of the insulation is recommended to be twice as thick as for other rooms. This is where it is very important to keep warm maximum amount time.

The thickness of the insulation also differs for buildings made of different materials. A log bathhouse itself retains heat well, and when decorating all rooms except the steam room, you can do without insulation at all, or choose a material of small thickness - if the winters in your region are harsh.

Insulating the walls of a brick bath from the inside There is practically no difference, except for the fastening methods: it is more difficult to drive nails into a brick wall; you can use dowels. You can use galvanized profiles instead of wooden blocks, but when purchasing them, pay attention to the fact that they are suitable for use in rooms with high humidity. And the choice of sizes is much more difficult here: there are not many standard sizes, and metal can become a conductor of cold. Insulation of brick walls of a bathhouse from the inside requires a greater thickness of thermal insulation than in a bathhouse made of logs: minimum – 10cm. but this parameter depends on many factors: wall thickness, external insulation, region, etc.

Insulation of bathhouse walls made of foam blocks the composition of the “pie” is no different. The whole difficulty is that this material does not hold fastenings well, even special ones. It tolerates excessive loads no better. Therefore, when choosing materials, pay attention to their weight. It should become one of the decisive factors.

The foam block does not hold fastenings well

The sheathing must be fastened so that the main load falls on the floor and not on the walls. To do this, you can make U-shaped structures that are attached to the floor and ceiling, just fix their position in the walls with a pair of dowels.

Advice! To further reduce the load on foam concrete walls, you can not fasten the slats tightly to the wall, but make clamps from pieces of galvanized steel that will only hold the slats in a vertical position. The entire load will fall on the floor.

Place the insulation tightly between the slats, and you can fix it so that it does not fall using thread and a stapler (shoot the thread against the slats). A vapor barrier or vapor barrier can also be attached to the planks using staples, but do not forget to overlap the panels, glue and seal the joints with foil tape, and cover the staples with patches.

The last stage of insulating the walls of a bathhouse made of foam blocks is the installation of lathing for interior decoration. This is a similar frame made of U-shaped sections, the load from which is distributed mainly on the floor. This frame is attached to the first one in several places to the bars.

This is only one solution that allows you to insulate the walls of a bathhouse made of foam blocks, but it is simple to implement and quite reliable.

Materials for bath insulation

Choosing a material for insulation is a rather complex process: you need to take into account not only the technical characteristics of insulation, but also their environmental friendliness, harmlessness, and fire safety. It is especially problematic to choose the right insulation for a steam room, since it not only has high humidity, but also heat, which causes the release of toxic substances from some types of insulation.

Classic mineral wool

Not so long ago, almost everyone advised using mineral wool to insulate a bath, but recent studies have shown that in production, a composition containing phenol-formaldehyde resins. They have a harmful effect on humans, they are a carcinogenic substance, which in itself is unacceptable, and in a bath or sauna with its high temperature it is generally very dangerous. Yes, the certificates indicate that the release of these substances does not exceed the threshold, but do you need it?

Even Rockwool or TechnoNIKOL basalt wool, or any other mineral wool from well-known or not manufacturers, emits phenol-formaldehyde substances. In general, according to doctors and experts, any mineral wool is harmful to health. In this regard, the question arises: “what is the best way to insulate a bathhouse?” There are several materials about which there are no negative opinions. At least for now...

New generation mineral insulation

URSA PUREONE material is presented as a new generation of mineral insulation. Acrylic is used as a binder - a chemically neutral substance that does not react with other substances and does not emit harmful substances under any operating conditions.

URSA PUREONE material is one of the harmless insulation materials

The safety of URSA PUREONE is confirmed by the EcoStandard group (classified as an M1 Eurofins material, EUCEB certified).

Certificate issued by URSA PUREONE -

Insulation made of glass, peat and paper

FOAMGLAS® foam glass is foam glass. It does not burn, does not lose its properties over time, is stable in shape, environmentally friendly and safe. Its only drawback: high price and quite heavy weight.

There are also insulation based on peat - peat blocks . The crushed peat is soaked in water, filler is added - straw, sawdust, etc. Blocks are formed from the resulting mushy mass, which are used as a heat and sound insulator. The resulting material not only reduces heat loss, but is also a “breathable” material - it absorbs moisture well and also releases moisture well, has a bacteriostatic effect, does not burn or rot.

Peat block is not yet the most popular material

Despite all the positive qualities, peat blocks are not the most common material, and there are few manufacturers of this material. The most famous is the GeoCar company from Tver. If all the declared qualities are confirmed, then this is a good alternative to mineral wool.

There is also such a heat insulator as ecowool . This is a cellulose substance, mostly consisting of recycled newspapers, to which safe (according to the manufacturers) flame retardants - boric acid and borax salts - have been added. Everything would be fine, but this material strongly absorbs moisture and is not suitable for thermal insulation of a bathhouse .

Fiberboards - are made from crushed wood chips, but using a different technology than the well-known fiberboard - without chemical binders. The wood chips are ground, diluted with water, and distributed over a grid. The mass simply dries, after which it is cut into sheets.

Among the safe insulation materials one can also name natural insulation materials made from flax, wool, moss, and reeds. Sawdust, reeds and straw are also used as insulating material. But all these substances are flammable, and without treatment with special compounds they cannot be used to insulate a bathhouse.

Modern foil insulation

In this article, we could not help but talk about what modern insulation materials Finns use when building saunas. Hot Finnish guys use insulation boards SPU Sauna-Satu. specially designed for insulating walls and ceilings in a sauna.

SPU Sauna Satu slabs are made of polyurethane foam and have an aluminum laminate coating on both sides.

SPU Sauna-Satu stove

SPU Sauna Satu slabs can be attached to walls even without lathing.

At the moment, it is SPU Sauna Satu slabs that can be considered the most suitable insulation materials for baths and saunas.

The main problems of insulating a bathhouse are related to the insulation of the steam room, since it not only has very high humidity, but also high temperature. Under the influence of high temperatures, many insulation materials begin to release toxic substances that can harm human health. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully select mineral wool-based insulation, since many of them contain phenol-formaldehyde resins, which act as a binder.

You should not use foam and polystyrene foam as insulation, which when heated to 60 degrees Celsius begin to release toxic substances.

To be fair, it should be noted that many are harmless at normal temperatures natural materials, when heated, can release substances that can be harmful to human health.

Insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands

Insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands Insulating a bathhouse - what you need for work Insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands will save money on work and heating. To a comfortable bathhouse,

Insulating a wooden bathhouse with your own hands

One of the main characteristics of a sauna is how quickly it warms up. The sauna should warm up quickly, the temperature in the steam room should remain high enough long time. The comfort of staying in the bathhouse depends on this. Its efficiency also largely depends on this, since it takes much less fuel to warm up the bath.

Insulation of the bathhouse ceiling should include: decorative finishing (lining), reflective waterproofing, insulation (mineral wool), lathing and vapor insulation.

Taking all this into account, bath insulation has a very great importance, the quality of the material does not matter. Is it possible to insulate a bathhouse with your own hands? And how to do it right? Before answering this question, it should be borne in mind that insulation is a special procedure. This is explained by the fact that an unusual humidity and temperature regime remains indoors for a long time. That is, the insulation must have a certain number of different properties.

If we talk about the qualities of insulation, then first of all it must be resistant to moisture. It should not disintegrate upon contact with liquid. The insulation must be resistant to elevated temperatures and must not form under their influence.

Scheme for insulating the walls of a wooden bathhouse.

As you know, a residential building is insulated from the outside, but the insulation of a bathhouse must be done from the inside. Definitely, insulating the bathhouse from the inside helps to maintain the required degree of moisture, that is, the temperature in the steam room.

It should be taken into account that the foundation of the bathhouse is covered with mats that are made of mineral wool from the inside, and the density of such material should be increased from the inside, and not from the outside. To avoid confusion, you should tell us in more detail about all the works. If you take all this into account, then insulating a bathhouse with your own hands will not become a big problem.

A sheathing should be made on the inside surface. It is necessary to attach insulation to it, which is moisture resistant. It is very important that the seams between the slabs are properly sealed. To achieve this, it is recommended to use aluminum tape. When the insulating layer is finally done, it’s time to apply a rolled vapor barrier. All this must be done with the utmost care, then everything will work out.

When the thermal vapor barrier is completely ready, you can begin finishing the bathhouse. For these purposes, a lining made of wood is used. It should be taken into account that this material is the most suitable for cladding a wooden bathhouse.

Scheme of floor insulation in a bathhouse.

Now it is necessary to take into account the materials that can be used in this matter. They are divided into two categories: organic and material. The first type includes various kinds of materials that are made on the basis of mineral wool. Such materials include a number of advantages: a very long service life, very high resistance to rotting and increased resistance to moisture. It should be noted that there is an increased degree of fire hazard, which is a very important factor for wooden baths.

A separate group of materials for bath insulation consists of various types of foam plastics (expanded polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, and so on). But it should be borne in mind that certain materials of this category during operation in a certain temperature conditions can become deformed and emit gases, which negatively affects health. If materials made from foam plastic are chosen to insulate a bath or sauna, then they should be chosen with special care. When purchasing such insulation materials, special attention should be paid to whether there are appropriate sanitary and hygienic certificates.

The best organic insulation materials are made from wood waste, reeds or peat. In this regard, the most common materials are reed and fiberboard. When using such materials, financial costs are significantly reduced. It should be taken into account that such insulating materials can only be used where in winter the outside air temperature cannot drop below 17 degrees. In order to reduce the fire hazard of such materials, it is imperative to protect them from fungus. To do this, the slabs must be treated with a special compound.

Diagram of the insulation features of the bathhouse ceiling.

As for materials that are made on an organic basis (wood-fiber and particle boards), they can only be used to insulate the dressing room.

Organic slabs that have heat-insulating properties can be made with your own hands.

You need to get small chips, shavings or sawdust for this. They must be mixed with lime or cement mortar, then they are laid in formwork of the appropriate shape and height. It is very important to compact them as tightly as possible. After the mass hardens, excellent heat-insulating boards are obtained, which have a low cost.

For vapor barrier purposes, it is best to use foil. It can be replaced with other materials, for example, nanoisol or isospan. But it should be borne in mind that the cost of such materials is quite high, which will negatively affect the budget. You can save a lot of money without sacrificing quality. You can use the most ordinary polyethylene film as a vapor barrier; its density must be at least 140 microns.

To insulate a bathhouse, it is permissible to use a variety of materials; there are many of them on sale today. When it comes to insulating a bathhouse from the inside, it is recommended to use materials that combine two properties: they retain heat and provide a vapor barrier to the room.

The most common material in this regard is foamed polypropylene; foil must be applied to its surface. The fact is that such material can withstand temperatures up to 150 degrees. It is noteworthy that such material is not subject to deformation under the influence of constant dampness. When purchasing such insulating materials, you should carefully ensure that they are labeled “for sauna.” Similar materials can be used when insulating a bathhouse from the outside. And all this is done without much difficulty.

Additional Information

When insulating a bathhouse, you should not forget that it is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the roof. The most effective way to prevent heat loss through the roof is to coat it with a mixture made from clay and sawdust.

The screed must be covered with a special roofing film, then everything must be covered with peat, which must be mixed with sawdust.

If everything is done properly, then there is no doubt that all work will be completed successfully. In order to achieve this, you must strictly follow the instructions. If everything is done correctly, the result will exceed all expectations.

Recommendations for insulating a wooden bathhouse with your own hands. Materials and tools needed for this. Characteristics of materials. Additional Information.

Insulating a bathhouse from the inside: diagram and procedure

Visiting a bathhouse is a healthy pastime that makes you feel more energetic and younger. It is not surprising that owners are happy to erect this structure on their plots and dachas.

However, in this case, the matter does not end with simply erecting walls. In order for the bathhouse to be cozy at any time of the year, it will have to be properly insulated from the inside.

What is it for?

The bathhouse must have a special microclimate that gives a good healing effect. It is to ensure this that walls and ceilings are insulated. Floors are most often insulated from the cold during the construction stage. But you can work on the walls and ceiling a little later, at a time convenient for the owners.

Before you begin, you need to understand three important points:

• possession of construction skills - for some, the insulation process is not a problem, others will experience significant difficulties, since they are faced with such a task for the first time;
• financial capabilities are also an important factor, often determining;
• choosing the appropriate material that matches both the financial capabilities and construction skills of a particular person.

Perhaps it would be easier to turn to specialists in this field and save your time and nerves? Each situation must be considered individually and the right decision must be made.

Insulation solves the following problems:

• provides protection of the supporting structure from steam;
• prevents water penetration;
• increases the resistance of the structure to possible fire.

And if an expensive and environmentally friendly material is chosen, this is another additional plus for the owners.

Which material is suitable?

Insulation is carried out using both artificial and completely natural materials. The natural origin of the insulation is a guarantee of the environmental friendliness of the building and its safety during operation. However, such material is often more expensive than artificial insulation.

Natural materials include cuckoo flax, sphagnum, hemp, tow, felt, and moss. It is a safe choice that ensures the building is environmentally friendly and authentic. But without proper treatment, such building materials quickly rot and are attacked by rodents and insects. These disadvantages should be remembered at the selection stage!

Artificial building materials are easy to install and are resistant to fire and biological effects. You can install them on the ceiling or walls much faster. The price of many artificial samples will be lower, as will the material consumption.

Nuances of choice

It is important to take into account other factors such as technical characteristics, purpose, appearance .

To cover the inside of baths and provide vapor barrier, the following are most often used:

Aluminum foil, which perfectly reflects heat into the room, thereby reducing energy consumption. This material can be used, among other things, for processing steam rooms.

Ruberoid- a fairly cheap material, which, however, cannot be called environmentally friendly. When exposed to high temperatures, roofing felt releases dangerous chemical compounds into the air. For this reason it is not used in doubles.

Has similar qualities glassine. More often it is used for bathhouses in conjunction with other building materials. The ideal “pie” in this case looks like this: log house - glassine - lining with mineral wool - installation of aluminum foil - lining.

The cheapest option is to use rolled polyethylene. This solution is suitable for country cottages where baths are used with low intensity.

The chemical composition of the insulation is also important. Environmental characteristics depend on it bath room:

• Expanded polystyrene and polystyrene are made from plastics;
• technoblock and technovet are classified as techno-insulation materials;
• basalt fiber, glass wool and mineral wool are classic inorganic materials;
• wood concrete, ecowool and fibrolite are materials of organic (natural) origin.

Based on their mechanical properties, all building materials can be divided into fills, blocks or slabs, mats and fibers.

Important points

You should not start work if you have doubts about your construction skills and the owner is holding tools almost for the first time in his life. The help of specialists in such a situation will be very appropriate.

In other cases, you can successfully use general recommendations and tips to avoid annoying mistakes.

When working with walls it is important:

1. Carefully treat the floors with special solutions that protect the wood from fungus, mold and rot.
2. Provide ventilation gaps. Through these technical holes, the insulation dries and it lasts longer.
3. Ensure tight installation (adherence to the walls). The closer the insulating material is to the wall, the lower the likelihood of accidental penetration of cold air and condensation formation.

Installation of insulation on walls

And when working with ceilings you must:

1. Do not choose plastic materials, as they collect a large amount of moisture.
2. Give preference to building materials that do not emit harmful substances when heated. Roofing felt and glassine are prohibited.
3. Avoid materials subject to deformation. Under the influence of high temperatures and steam, such insulation will quickly sag.

Work order

When insulating walls, you can use the traditional construction scheme (it is ideal for bathhouses built from timber):

1. At the first stage, a timber frame is erected. For this, beams with a thickness margin of 20-30 millimeters are used. Vertical and horizontal sheathing is installed from them.
2. Then the cladding is done with mineral wool or other selected material.
3. A vapor barrier layer is attached to the top. For example, from foil. The material is laid overlapping, and all joints are reinforced with wooden slats.
4. At the final stage, the sheathing under the lining is installed. The distance between the lining and the layer of vapor barrier material provides the ventilation gap necessary for the structure.

When constructing a frame or panel structure, typical for cold climates, lightweight building materials are suitable - polystyrene foam, reed slabs or mineral wool. In this case, the selected material is treated with lime milk, dried and placed in the space between the walls. In regions with warmer climates, you can use backfill: sawdust, a mixture of cement (gypsum) and wood shavings in a ratio of ten to one.

Also successfully used ready-made solutions– materials consisting of several layers and possessing all the necessary qualities. For example, a foamer based on foil, which simultaneously provides heat retention and reliable waterproofing.

An important point: all corners and joints in the area of ​​windows and doors are treated with vapor barrier tape!

Working with ceilings

The entire construction process is completed by insulating the ceilings. For this part of the structure you can choose fiberboard, chipboard or plywood.. It is better not to use materials with a plastic base, especially in a steam room, where the temperature near the ceiling often reaches 160 degrees.

It is important to exclude places where warm air will burst out, and the cold will penetrate inside. Such gaps will become a weak point of the entire structure due to the abundant formation of condensed moisture.

The area near the pipe is insulated with a box, which is filled with stone wool. The distance from the main insulation to the hot pipe must be at least 200 millimeters so as not to violate fire safety standards!

The process of laying insulation will depend on the design of the ceilings.

If there is no attic, regardless of the material of the supporting structure, next diagram styling:

If there is an attic or attic, the ceiling boards are coated with clay, and the cracks are filled with wood chips. You can also use expanded clay for backfilling. This ensures a thickness of the thermal insulation layer of at least 20 centimeters.

How to insulate a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands?

Insulating baths from the inside: why is it needed? What materials can be used, important points and subtleties of choice. The procedure for working with walls and ceilings, recommendations and tips.

How and with what to insulate a bathhouse, sauna, steam room from the inside and outside

Traditions, the healing effect of a bathhouse, utilitarian necessity or a way of organizing leisure time are some of the arguments in favor of your own bathhouse. Owners of private houses and country cottages, when setting up a bathhouse, are faced with such issues during construction and operation as the need to ensure slow cooling of the bathhouse premises. The solution is to thermally insulate the walls, floor, and ceiling of the bathhouse. Let's look at how to do this correctly.

Is it necessary to insulate the bathhouse?

Yes, you need thermal insulation:

• helps to increase the inertia of the bath, as a result - it takes longer to warm up, but cools down much longer;
• minimizes heat consumption;
• reduces heating costs;
• ensures the achievement of an optimal microclimate;
• increases moisture control;
• protects against biological activity (fungus, mold).

To get all the benefits listed above, you need to take care of the proper insulation of the bathhouse, sauna, and steam room. At the same time, there are no obstacles to independent thermal insulation: the scope of work is small, the technology is not complicated, the material and tools are available. Recommendations and step-by-step instructions will help organize the process “from A to Z,” even for beginners without experience in construction.

How to insulate a bathhouse with your own hands

A detailed analysis of how and with what you can insulate a bathhouse, which side is better (inside or outside), where to start and how to finish.

1. From the position of the location of the insulation

• External insulation of a bath. When insulating a house, basement or garage, it has been proven that placing insulating material outside will be more effective. This allows you to protect the material from which the bathhouse is built. The roof of the bathhouse must be insulated ( attic space), in case it is a separate building.

• Insulation of a bathhouse from the inside. The operating mode of the bathhouse is such that external insulation alone, with all its advantages, cannot be done. Moreover, in different rooms baths must maintain their own microclimate, humidity level and set temperature. Therefore, they begin to insulate the bathhouse from the inside. Moreover, suitable materials are chosen for each room, which in turn influence the choice of installation technology.

As you can see, the insulation process is complex.

2. From the perspective of the heat-insulating material used

There are different types of insulation materials available on the domestic construction market. Do not forget that a bathhouse can provide a healing effect only if natural and safe thermal insulation materials are used indoors.

Insulation requirements:

• environmental cleanliness. When exposed to high temperatures and moisture, insulating materials can release toxic substances. Considering the temperature and humidity conditions of the bathhouse, this indicator must be treated carefully;
• hygroscopicity;
• thermal conductivity. The lower this indicator, the less amount of heat the material transmits through itself per unit of time;
• biological inertia;
• Fire safety;
• ability to maintain shape;
• availability, cost and ease of installation.

How to insulate a bathhouse from the inside and outside

Let's consider which insulation for saunas and steam rooms is better and meets the requirements.

Organic thermal insulation materials

Known for a long time, even our ancestors sought to protect a heated bathhouse from heat loss using improvised means. The raw materials for the production of organic insulation are natural materials. Among the common ones are:

• flax tow, regular and tarred;
• sawdust;
• felt or jute;
• reed

The undeniable advantage of the listed materials is their naturalness. Disadvantages include fire hazard, ability to absorb moisture, difficulty of use, attractiveness to rodents and microorganisms.

Semi-organic thermal insulation materials

Natural raw materials are used for production, however, adhesive compounds are used during the production process, which eliminates the insulation of the steam room with their use. These include:

• reed slabs (mats);
• particle boards;
• peat slabs.

Synthetic thermal insulation materials

They are manufactured under production conditions and are combined into two subtypes:

• polymer. These include polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, penoizol, polyurethane foam. Bathroom insulation with polystyrene foam or its derivatives cannot be carried out in the steam room and near the firebox, because Styrofoam supports combustion; when heated strongly, it will release harmful styrene. But for other rooms or external insulation this material is indispensable.

An exception is the foil insulation penoizol, which is used in the steam room, due to the presence of a layer of aluminum foil that prevents the loss of infrared thermal radiation. The use of penoizol is allowed by standards;

3. From the point of view of the material from which the bathhouse is built

When choosing insulation and insulation method, you need to take into account the material that was used to build the bathhouse and the climatic conditions in the region. These conditions will determine the thickness of the insulation.

Insulation of a wooden bathhouse made of timber and logs

A newly built bathhouse (made of logs or timber) does not need insulation. Wood retains heat well, plus inter-crown insulation performs a thermal insulation function. Over time, the log house shrinks and after two or three years, cracks appear between the crowns, through which heat escapes.

When insulating a log house, waterproofing and the choice of heat insulator play an important role. It is recommended to perform inter-crown caulking with natural materials or use basalt wool, because... Thanks to its structure, it helps maintain the microclimate and allows the tree to “breathe.”

Inter-crown insulation for timber - thermal insulation of a wooden bath

In addition to glued or profiled timber, rounded logs are used to build a bathhouse. Thanks to mechanical processing, such logs have less shrinkage, so the requirements for insulation, in particular for the arrangement of the frame, are lower. In general, the insulation of a log house is carried out similarly to the thermal insulation of a bathhouse made of timber.

Insulation frame bath

The frame or skeleton provides excellent opportunities for placing thermal insulation material. Frame construction considered the most energy efficient.

To insulate a frame bath, it is better to use high-density soft insulation, protected by membranes from moisture (placed inside the walls). Organic insulation can also be used, in particular a mixture of sawdust, wood chips, gypsum and lime. This composition serves as a full-fledged insulation (it is placed between the layers of sheathing).

Insulation of frame walls of a bathhouse with sawdust, wood chips and clay

Insulation of a brick bath

Despite the high thermal conductivity of brick, baths made from it are common. A serious drawback of brick is its ability to freeze quickly, and this leads to significant heating costs. That's why brick baths usually have an internal wooden frame, which performs a decorative function, and thermal insulation material is perfectly placed behind it.

Insulation of a bathhouse made of foam blocks and gas blocks

Foam concrete or aerated concrete are materials used in modern construction baths The advantage of cellular concrete is its porous structure, which retains heat well. But this material has an unattractive appearance, plus it is able to absorb moisture (especially aerated concrete, with its open pores). Since wet wall material does not retain heat, foam blocks need insulation, which is done from the outside.

The peculiarity of insulating foam block baths (as well as from aerated concrete and expanded clay concrete blocks) is that the material requires good ventilation. Therefore, ventilation must be done in an insulated bathhouse.

4. From the perspective of the front of work performed

As a brief overview of the materials showed, each of them must be used taking into account the location and material of construction of the bathhouse. Therefore, we will consider how to insulate walls in a bathhouse from the inside in the context of individual directions.

Insulation of bath walls from the inside

The direction of thermal insulation of walls depends on what function the room performs.

The steam room is the most important part of the sauna. The temperature in the steam room can reach 90 °C (Russian bath) and 130 °C (sauna). Maintaining such a temperature is difficult and costly if you do not high-quality insulation steam room in the bathhouse. Only natural materials can be used in the steam room. Basalt wool, laid in a frame or natural insulation, has proven itself to be excellent for those who are not ready to sacrifice the natural beauty of wood.

Insulation of walls in a foam concrete bathhouse with cotton wool

• frame device. Guides made of timber or metal profiles are mounted on the wall. Since the bathhouse is a low building, it is often enough to make only vertical guides and choose cotton wool with a density of more than 65 kr./m3. The distance between the frame slats (pitch) is 15-20 less than the width of the wool and is 580-590 mm.

Important! The specificity of laying wool in a steam room is that you cannot use metal guides, but only wood; in addition, you have to take into account temperature fluctuations and the ability of wood to expand/contract under their influence.

To level out temperature fluctuations, when constructing the frame, vertical cuts are made in the timber, through which the timber is attached to the wall with hardware. The presence of grooves allows the guide to move along the wall; they also compensate for possible shrinkage of the walls if the bathhouse is built from timber.

How to insulate walls in a bathhouse with basalt wool and foam insulation

Insulation of bathhouse walls with sawdust (heat-insulating mixture)

• a wooden frame is being installed. If the lining is planned to be mounted vertically, then the frame guides should be positioned horizontally;
• a mixture is being prepared for insulating walls: – lime – 1 part (used as an antiseptic); Insulating a bathhouse made of timber/logs with jute

  Jute – jute rope, tape, felt, inter-crown insulation (organic material)

  Thermal insulation is carried out using a special tool - wooden hammer, mallet (weight 300-400 g), chisels and caulking spatula.

  Sealing cracks between logs and beams: jute is placed (hammered) into the inter-crown cracks, while trying to lay the material as tightly as possible.

  How to seal cracks in a wooden bathhouse with jute

  Insulation of a washing room in a bathhouse

  The washing compartment, dressing room or rest room have a lower temperature, so foam plastic can be used to insulate the walls in these rooms.

  • the frame is made. Some craftsmen recommend laying foam sheets with glue. But this method is only suitable for brick or foam concrete baths, but not for wooden ones;
  • foam is placed between the cells of the frame. There is no need to protect the foam from moisture, so films are not used;
  • finishing is being carried out.

  Bathhouse roof insulation

  An important area of ​​thermal insulation work, because Quite a lot of heat escapes through the roof. If the roof is well insulated, insulation of the ceiling can be eliminated. However, it is possible to insulate the roof only if the bathhouse is a separate building with pitched roof. For insulation, you can use any heat-insulating material that is laid on the attic floor.

  The procedure for using synthetic insulation, wool or polystyrene foam is no different from laying it on the wall.

  Insulating the roof of a bathhouse with sawdust

  • arrangement of the frame;
  • sawdust preparation. If sawdust is poured in the form of a dry mixture, then it must be dried, deresined, and impregnated with an antiseptic. Dry sawdust can be poured in the form of a mixture between the cells of the frame and covered with a membrane or covered with ash. But more often they are placed in plastic bags and stacked in bags;

  Insulation of the roof in a bathhouse with sawdust poured into bags

  • preparation of the mixture. Sawdust insulation is an effective thermal insulation option if the floor is a concrete slab. Composition of the mixture for insulation (proportions of components):

  First, mix the dry materials and then add water to the desired consistency.

  There is a second recipe:

  Insulating a bathhouse with a mixture of sawdust, clay and straw

  In this case, the clay is soaked in water, diluted to the consistency of sour cream and mixed with sawdust.

  An effective insulation will be a 100 mm layer of sawdust mixture.

  Insulating the roof of a bathhouse with sawdust Backfilling ash around the pipe outlet sauna stove from the attic floor

  Insulation of the ceiling in the bathhouse

  Note that it is logical to start insulating a bathhouse from the ceiling. After all, warm air collects under the ceiling, which means it is a source of heat loss. The insulation technology depends on the material used.

  How to insulate the ceiling in a bathhouse

  To insulate the ceiling in the steam room, basalt wool is used, which is laid using the same technology as on the wall - with the arrangement of the frame.

  Insulation of the bathhouse ceiling with sawdust is carried out according to the principle of thermal insulation cold roof(attic floor). Sawdust is placed in a plastic bag and placed in a frame made on the ceiling or between the floor beams.

  Recommendation. When insulating the ceiling, you need to remember that the temperature at the exit of the heating pipe is very high. In this place, only basalt wool can be used, as a material that has a very high melting point and does not support combustion. The passage of the pipe through the ceiling is covered with a stainless steel metal plate (a reflective, protective screen for the stove pipe).

  Protective screen for the stove pipe in the bathhouse and the consequences of its absence

  Instead of sawdust, expanded clay can be used on the ceiling, poured into the frame. But it has significant weight and hygroscopicity. Therefore, according to reviews, users abandoned this material in favor of others.

  Bathroom floor insulation

  The floor in the bathhouse can be concrete or wood. Depending on the type, different thermal insulation technologies are used. Insulation of a concrete floor can be done with expanded clay or polystyrene foam.

  Insulating the floor in a bathhouse with expanded clay

  • the foundation is being prepared. To do this, the subfloor is removed and the soil is removed. The depth of the recess is 400-500 mm. below the threshold level;
  • Waterproofing is laid on the floor - film or roofing felt. It is important that the edges of the film extend onto the wall to the full height of the floor after insulation;
  • a rough screed with a thickness of 100 mm is performed. or a crushed stone-sand cushion of 150 mm is laid;
  • Expanded clay gravel is poured. The minimum thickness of the expanded clay layer is 300 mm, otherwise it will not serve as a heat insulator;
  • a reinforced mesh is laid on top of the expanded clay and a layer is poured cement screed 50-70 mm. When pouring concrete mortar, it is important to ensure the correct angle of the floor to the drain;
  • a finishing floor is formed.

  It is worth noting that expanded clay can be laid without using a screed. For this, a frame is made of wooden beams. Expanded clay is poured into the cells of the frame, a waterproofing film is laid on it and a finished floor covering made of wooden floor boards is laid. However, this method is not suitable for steam rooms and washing rooms, where there is a high level of humidity.

  Technology of floor insulation in a bathhouse with expanded clay with and without screed

  When considering how to insulate the floor in a bathhouse, it is better to give preference to a concrete base followed by laying tiles on it (if it is a washing room or dressing room), or wooden flooring, which is best used in a steam room:

  • For laying tiles, use tile adhesive and a notched trowel;
  • to lay wooden flooring, the floor is ironed, and then wooden logs are installed, with a slope of 5° towards the drain. Floor boards are installed on the joists, maintaining a gap of 5-10 mm between the boards. The gap is needed for water drainage and ventilation.

  A concrete floor in a bathhouse is a practical solution, since it is resistant to moisture, and its service life is 3-4 times longer than the service life of a wooden floor on joists.

  Insulating the floor in a bathhouse with penoplex

  A more modern and technologically advanced method of insulation. However, many users believe that it is wrong to insulate a steam room using synthetic material (essentially, penoplex is extruded polystyrene foam), because when exposed to high temperatures, it can release harmful substances. Therefore, penoplex is used in other rooms, with lower temperatures.

  How to insulate the floor in a bathhouse with penoplex

  • prepare the base: remove the old screed, remove wood flooring or remove the soil if the bathhouse is new;
  • pour a 50-100 mm layer of rough screed to level the floor surface for laying foam boards;
  • lay sheets of foam plastic or materials from this group of insulation;
  • lay the reinforcing mesh;
  • pour a layer of screed 50-100 mm thick;
  • lay the finished floor.

  Technology of floor insulation in a bathhouse with penoplex Laying floorboards on a foam-insulated floor in a bathhouse

  Insulation of the bathhouse floor with a warm floor system

  Another option that is gradually gaining popularity is heated floors in the bathhouse. Its essence is that pipes are mounted in the screed, creating warm contour, along which heated water moves (water floor). Thus, we are not talking about insulation, but about how to heat the floor in a bathhouse. And these are different concepts.

  Heating the floor in the bath - water heated floor

  Insulation of openings in the bathhouse

  Insulating doors and windows in a bathhouse also helps improve the energy efficiency of the room. To reduce heat loss, window and door openings are initially made minimally acceptable (in particular, the door to the steam room), and the windows are also located closer to the floor surface. But they still need to be insulated; for this it is necessary to install sealed double-glazed windows and seals along the contours of windows and doors.

  Conclusion

  When insulating a bathhouse with your own hands, you should not forget about arranging high-quality ventilation. This will have a positive effect not only on the health of bathhouse users, but also on the properties of finishing materials.

  Insulating a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands - thermal insulation for bathhouses and saunas photo-video

  
  How to insulate a bathhouse from the inside and outside - do-it-yourself thermal insulation of walls, floors, roofs, ceilings in a sauna and steam room. What is the best insulation for a bathhouse, how to insulate a wooden, brick and foam block bathhouse

Visiting a bathhouse is a pleasant and useful pastime, and high-quality insulation of a bathhouse from the inside will significantly improve all its characteristics. Thanks to the thermal insulation of the walls and ceiling of the steam room from the inside, you can simultaneously save on fuel material and ensure the preservation of heat in the room.

Why is insulating a bathhouse from the inside a good idea?

The bathhouse has a unique microclimate, so thermal insulation is an important aspect in the proper arrangement of any bathhouse. Insulating the walls of a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands, as well as the ceiling in principle, is a labor-intensive process, but nothing is impossible. When insulating a steam room, several factors should be taken into account: the material used for internal insulation, your capabilities, skills and desires. The choice of material for insulation should be based on its quality characteristics. Required properties must be:

• vapor barrier;
• waterproofing
• fire resistance;
• environmental friendliness of the material.

There is a division of insulation into natural and artificial. If you strive for authenticity and environmental friendliness when building a steam room, then naturalness is your choice. Natural insulation materials include moss, cuckoo flax, felt, hemp, tow, sphagnum, etc. Such materials have their own disadvantages in operation. Without proper processing by special means Insects and mold will appear.

It is much easier to insulate a bathhouse from the inside with your own hands by using artificial materials. They have the best performance qualities: they are fire-resistant, do not rot, and cope well with the task of vapor barrier. Installation of such insulation will take less time than installation of natural materials.

Materials for insulating a bathhouse from the inside: what to add to your shopping list?

Buying insulation for a bath comes down not only to the ability to choose natural or artificial materials, you should also take into account some factors: the purpose of the materials, appearance and price. Depending on the mechanical properties, materials for thermal insulation can be roughly divided as follows:

• backfills of various densities;
• mats, plates, fibers;
• wall blocks and slabs.

By chemical composition insulation materials are distinguished:

• organic (ecowool, fiberboard, wood concrete);
• inorganic (glass wool, mineral wool, basalt fiber);
• techno-insulation materials (technoblock, technovet);
• insulation materials based on plastics (expanded polystyrene, polystyrene foam).

All these materials have both advantages and disadvantages. For example, it is better not to use plastic-based insulation to insulate a steam room from the inside. This is due to their easy flammability. But they are well suited for thermal insulation of other rooms of the bathhouse: dressing room, rest room.

Organic substances, in turn, are environmentally friendly and relatively cheap, but without treatment with special means they are also highly flammable. Inorganic substances more versatile and practical: fire-resistant, durable, moisture-proof, and not susceptible to rotting. This explains the popularity of using mineral wool in insulation.

Materials used for vapor barrier of the bathhouse from the inside:

• roofing felt;
• glassine;
• polyethylene;
• aluminium foil.

Roofing felt and glassine cannot be used for vapor barrier in a steam room, since under the influence of high temperatures they begin to release harmful chemicals. Glassine is often used in the insulation of baths, having proven itself well in combination with lining - aluminum foil - mineral wool - log house.

By choosing aluminum foil for the steam room vapor barrier, you will significantly reduce energy costs to maintain the required temperature. The foil, like a mirror, will reflect the heat in the bathhouse.

Operation ‘do-it-yourself insulation of bathhouse walls from the inside’

There is a fairly common, one might say traditional, scheme for insulating walls using fiber insulation and lining.

1. It is necessary to create a frame on the working surface of the load-bearing wall. A horizontal and vertical timber sheathing is attached to the wall. The thickness of the timber should exceed the thickness of the insulation itself by 20–30 mm. Such a reserve is necessary so that the insulation layer does not wrinkle, does not slip and retains its properties.
2. The wall is covered with mineral wool (or other material of your choice).
3. A layer of vapor barrier (foil vapor barrier, foil) is applied on top of the insulation. It needs to be overlapped, the joints are sealed with thin slats. There should be a distance of about 3 cm between the vapor barrier and the mineral wool.
4. The lining is placed on a vertical sheathing 30–50 mm wide. The remaining distance thus creates a gap for ventilation.

This method is proven, but labor-intensive. Now building materials can greatly simplify the entire insulation process. Modern heat insulators combine several properties at once: insulation and waterproofing. Foil foam is just such a material. This insulation has high fire resistance and is easy to use and install.

The described scheme is well suited for a timber bathhouse. Panel and frame buildings have their own characteristics of wall insulation. For insulation panel walls Light materials are used: polystyrene foam, reed slabs, mineral wool. An additional requirement in this case is to treat the heat insulator with lime milk and then dry it well. This will protect the material from rotting and increase fire resistance.

A bathhouse with frame walls in cold climates is insulated with fiberboard or reed slabs. If the area has a warmer climate, then you can use gypsum, sawdust, cement and shavings. To insulate walls, make a mixture, for example, of sawdust and gypsum (proportion 1 to 10). The resulting mixture is poured between the wall sheathing in a layer of 200 mm.

Windows, doors, corners and pipes require special attention. To treat the joints in these places, you can use vapor barrier tape. This way you will be sure that the waterproofing layer will not allow moisture to pass through.

Insulating a steam room from the inside: procedure for working on the ceiling

Thermal insulation of the bathhouse from the inside is completed by insulating the ceiling. The ceiling has the highest temperature, which can reach 160 °C. Insulating the ceiling of a bathhouse with your own hands is a process that depends on its design. The ceiling can be with an attic or with another superstructure on top and without an attic.

If the building has an attic or attic, the insulation process is as follows: the ceiling boards must be coated with a 20 mm layer of clay. Clay effectively copes with the task of retaining moisture. You need to fill the gaps between the boards with wood chips. You can use any other material that has thermal insulation properties, such as expanded clay. The layer of such coating must be at least 200 mm.

In bathhouses without an attic, be it a log or panel building, the insulation scheme looks something like this: material for vapor barrier, insulation, layer of sheathing, beams, ceiling boards. The order of the layers of ceiling insulation in a bathhouse with your own hands will be different depending on the design of the room and the materials used.

Particular attention should always be paid to the junction of the pipe and insulation. In order not to violate fire safety standards, it is necessary to make a space of 200 mm between the pipe and the heat-insulating material. This problem can be solved by constructing a box from rafter legs that will separate the pipe and insulation on the roof. The space inside the box is filled with fire-resistant insulation, such as stone wool.

In any case, the roof and ceiling of your bathhouse must be designed so that there are simply no places through which warm air can leave the room and cold air can enter from the outside. The main goal is also to avoid condensation. Moisture is, first of all, the enemy of building materials.

Not all materials are suitable for ceiling insulation. It is not recommended to use thermal insulation made of plywood, chipboard or fiberboard, etc. Such materials can deform and release harmful substances when exposed to high temperatures. Plastic ceilings will also be a bad solution - condensation will accumulate on them. It is better to use natural insulation or mineral heat insulators.

Have you decided to insulate the bathhouse from the inside yourself, but you have no experience in this matter? Help and advice from specialists will always come in handy. Check out the available information: photos, videos, master classes on this issue. All this can be useful. The following recommendations for insulating a bathhouse with your own hands will not be amiss:

• It must be remembered that the insulation of a bathhouse differs from the process of thermal insulation of other buildings. This is due to high temperature and humidity.
• When insulating the walls of a bathhouse from the inside, a number of rules should be followed:

1. In order to avoid the appearance of cracks and voids, insulation must be laid very tightly to the wall. Thus, the likelihood of cold air entering and the formation of condensation moisture will be reduced;
2. We should not forget about the ventilation gap, which will ensure drying of the insulation;
3. it is necessary to treat the floors with a wood antiseptic to protect them from destruction.

• When insulating the ceiling, you should not forget that:
  1. the highest air temperature is at the top;
  2. To insulate the ceiling, you cannot use materials that can be deformed;
  3. You cannot use insulation and vapor barriers that release harmful chemicals when exposed to temperature;
  4. Plastic materials collect condensation moisture.
• When insulating a bath room from the inside, use safe, high-quality and environmentally friendly materials.
• When working, follow safety regulations.