The bath helps to maintain a healthy body and spirit. You can’t compare the feeling when you leave the bathhouse, as if renewed and gaining strength. But the key to an excellent bathing process is, sorry for the tautology, the bathhouse itself. If it is done correctly, in compliance with all construction technologies and high-quality materials, then all of the above unforgettable feelings await you. Insulation for the bath is an important point, we will talk about it in detail today.
Currently, there are many different materials for the construction of baths. We will consider each material in detail and talk about the features of each.
Log bath
This is probably the classic. And the insulation for the bath does not cause any problems. The tree has been used by man for many centuries for the construction of various buildings. This is an environmentally friendly material, therefore it is logical that the insulation for the bath from such a material should be natural. For a log bath you will need an interventional heater.
Tow is a traditional material for such tasks. She perfectly retains heat, but she also has disadvantages. Tow, being a natural material, does not differ in impressive durability, also birds or rodents may be interested in it. Given all of the above, it is worthwhile to lay down on the fact that the seams will have to be periodically (every few years) supplemented by tow.
Moss is another environmentally friendly material. From ancient times it has been used in the insulation of any log cabins made of wood. Moss is very accessible, you don’t have to go to the hardware store for it, as it can also be found in the forest. Moss has good heat-insulating properties, and is not afraid of increased moisture, which is extremely important when we talk about baths. They are actively interested in moths, so it is advisable to treat it with a special tool before laying. But over time, the moss coalesces, and some part will still be taken away by birds and rodents, so in the case of such material, get ready for periodic caulking of joints - about once every five years.
As for the insulation for the bath on the walls from the inside, it is almost always absent, however, like the external additional insulation of the log. In general, if you take a round log of a sufficient diameter for a log house , then you will not need any additional insulation. Perhaps the log is the most preferred material for the bath. Although in terms of saving money during construction, it is not suitable.
Sauna from a bar
This is also a classic and preferred option for building a bath. It can be an ordinary beam or glued, which does not affect the technology of the insulation process, but only on your budget for building the bath and its aesthetic appearance. Insulation (intervening) for a bath from a bar is selected by analogy, as in the construction of a bar. The process, features and materials are identical. If you take a beam of sufficient cross section, then additional insulation of the bath is not required.
The only point that needs to be mentioned concerns both the log and the beam. This refers to the insulation for the bath on the wall, if required. And it is necessary only when you use insufficiently thick lumber for the construction of the bearing walls of your bath. I want to find out where the material should be located - outside or inside? If you insulate the walls inside, it will steal the usable space in your bath.
In addition, if you do internal insulation, you need to take care of protecting the insulation from water and moisture, which is necessarily present in the bath, but this can be combated using vapor barrier membranes and more. The main disadvantage lies in the fact that condensation will surely accumulate between the insulation and the cold main wall, which will negatively affect the tree and subsequently lead to its decay. That is why log baths are not additionally insulated inside or limited, in case of urgent need, by insulation from the outside.
Frame baths
This is a relatively new technology for building a bath, it began to be actively introduced with the development of frame housing construction, which arose in our country about ten years ago. It is during construction of this type that the issue of insulation for a bath will be especially relevant. Consider the possible options and features of the materials. When choosing a heater for a frame bath, it is important to take one that will not emit toxins when heated.
Mineral wool is based on thin fibers that have a non-toxic base. This insulation has good thermal insulation properties. Such material is not afraid of extremely high temperatures and high humidity. It is very often chosen as a heater for a bath on the walls during frame construction. Plate thickness is usually 50 and 100 mm.
Reed slabs are a natural analogue of the mineral wool just examined. They have good thermal insulation performance. The thickness of such plates is usually equal to 150 mm, this is enough to warm the frame bath.
Sawdust-gypsum mixture. This insulation you should make yourself. The recipe is simple, and the mixture ultimately has sufficient heat-insulating properties. To obtain the composition, take ten parts of completely dry sawdust and mix with one part of gypsum or cement. Stir and the mixture is ready. The main advantage of this type of insulation is its relatively low cost against the background of good thermal insulation. The issue of saving money is very relevant if you choose frame construction baths.
Foam materials. These are polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam. The main advantage of such materials is their low cost, as well as low weight and ease of installation during insulation. The material perfectly keeps heat. The heater is not afraid of moisture. It is important to understand that such materials do not tolerate high temperatures. They are suitable for washing departments, dressing rooms or lounges. This heater insulation is very interesting for rodents, it is worth considering. Animals can completely destroy it.
Aerated concrete baths
Also a relatively modern technology for building baths, although not only them. Aerated concrete has excellent thermal insulation properties. Warming is done both inside and out. Before starting the process, plaster the walls. As a heater, the same materials are taken as in the case of frame baths, but with one reservation. What insulation for a bath is better if it is made of aerated concrete? The main thing is that these are not foam materials. Keep this in mind and avoid making the worst mistakes when building your bathhouse.
Sawdust concrete baths
Such material is often used in construction in the southern part of our country. It was from there that this material came to mass in the construction of baths. According to the heat-conducting properties, a block of sawdust concrete, for example, 300 mm thick, replaces a brick wall with a thickness of about 950 mm. Agree that the figure is more than impressive.
Brick baths
Such baths are extremely rare, due to their high cost. Of the advantages of such buildings, we can distinguish their durability, the absence of rot, and insects and rodents are not interested in brick. Of the minuses, we highlight the very high cost of construction and the weight of the building. Under such a bath you need a very serious foundation. The best insulation for a brick bath is probably enough wall thickness and internal insulation using mineral materials.
Why does a brick bath need internal insulation? It should be understood that the brick heats up extremely long. Now imagine that in winter you need to melt a steam room. And how long do you think the process of heating a brick bath will take? It will take a long time. It is for this reason that they do not use external wall insulation for baths built of bricks.
Expanded clay bath
Expanded clay is made of river sand, cement and blue clay. The material is environmentally friendly. It also has a low moisture absorption, for example, in comparison with aerated concrete. Another advantage of such blocks is their low weight and relatively low price.
Thermal insulation materials are chosen the same as for aerated concrete, we have already touched on this issue and do not want to repeat it. If you need an answer to the question about which heater insulation for expanded clay concrete baths, we recommend that you read the chapter of our article on aerated concrete baths for reading.
Insulation technology
This question is especially acute when we talk about the insulation for the bath from the inside. It is important to do everything right so that your steam room is warm and durable. The thing is that if you break the insulation technology somewhere, and, for example, condensation builds up on your walls, then nothing good will come of it. Consider the example of warming frame bath in more detail.
We roll out and fix the vapor barrier layer on the walls, then we knock together the frame from the bars, we put a heat insulator (mineral wool, for example) between them, we spread the vapor protection on top and fasten it, and on top of this we install a crate of thin blocks. The final coating (lining or other) will subsequently be fixed to this crate. To insulate the walls, you can use mineral materials both in plates and in rolls. For complete tightness, all joints are additionally glued with a special aluminum tape.
Steam room insulation
The essence of steam room insulation is exactly the same as in the issue with the walls, but only two layers of insulation are needed. But there is one difference: instead of a vapor barrier layer (which is located closer to the interior of the bath), foil insulation for the bath is rolled out. In fact, this is an ordinary layer of foil, it performs the function of reflecting heat inside the bath, but it is customary to call it a heater.
We mentioned that the foil itself replaces the vapor barrier layer, but some prefer not to replace the vapor barrier with the foil, but leave the membrane and roll the foil over it. All joints of the foil are glued with aluminum tape. In general, it should be noted that the option with a heater for the walls of the bathhouse with foil is a technology that came to us from abroad. In a traditional Russian bath, such technologies have not been used since ancient times. But we must pay tribute to such a decision. After all, the heat in the steam room with this option is simply excellent.
Bath decoration
Finishing a bath is an important point. All owners are trying to make the decoration beautiful and concise. Probably, in the matter of interior decoration of the bath, natural materials, and especially wood, are in the first place. However, it is worthwhile to warn you against using coniferous wood in a steam room; resin from such material will ooze under the influence of high temperatures.
Annex or private bath
Both options have the right to be. In the case of the extension there are pluses in terms of ease of use. In the case of a freestanding bath, there are positive aspects regarding the fire safety of your home. A freestanding bathhouse is especially good if you have an impressive plot of land with a pond on it or next to it. The steam room in the house is suitable for saving space on the site.
Living bath or relaxation room
This option began to meet relatively recently, it is relevant for the phased development on your site. Initially, you buy a plot, then on it first build a bathhouse with a residential second floor. Material for construction is chosen according to your taste or budget.
Further, a residential bathhouse is used as temporary housing. Subsequently, when the main house on the site will be erected, you move into it, and the living room of the bathhouse becomes a relaxation room. Two-story baths are very convenient, they do not take up much space on the site, and you can not think about heating the residential part.
There is also a simple option for building a bath with a room or a relaxation area. Sometimes such doubles in their area surpass many typical average private houses. If you have a desire and such opportunities, then why not?
Dream Bath
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that there are a lot of options for materials for the construction of the bath. There are also a large number of paired design options. You should not get hung up on them.
Your bath is just your bath and no one else's. You yourself choose both materials and style for her. Show your imagination and a little effort. The result will be the perfect bathhouse on your site.