Warming the steam room can be done in various ways. Experts recommend dividing the process into several stages. But first you need to pick up the materials. The insulation must be resistant to high temperatures, reduce fuel consumption during heating of the bath, and also make materials in the base of the floor, ceiling and walls less heat-conducting.
For internal thermal insulation of the steam room, one should not use organic materials of plant origin such as straw, sawdust and oilcake. This is due to the fact that they absorb moisture and are subject to the formation of mold and rot. In addition, such layers can attract insects and rodents.
What material for thermal insulation to choose
You can heat the steam room with one of many modern materials. For example, basalt cotton wool, made in the form of rigid plates or rolls, based on molten basalt rock fibers, is perfect. The thickness of such a material can vary from 20 to 100 mm. It is used for thermal insulation of walls and ceilings, as well as for a chimney pipe, in the area where it passes the ceiling.
Among the advantages of basalt wool, compliance with environmental requirements should be highlighted, so it can be used in a steam room without restrictions. But wool also has its drawbacks, which are that plates and rolls have a fibrous structure, which indicates insufficient rigidity. Under load, cotton wool can crumple, so it is most often used to warm the ceiling and walls, but not the floor.
Warming of the steam room can also be carried out with foil mineral wool, which has almost the same technical characteristics as the above material. The only difference is the presence of a thin foil layer on one or two sides. Such mineral wool is used for the same purpose.
Among the advantages, it should be noted the presence of a glossy layer, which is designed to reflect the infrared spectrum of thermal radiation. In this regard, the material is able to retain heat for a longer time. In addition, the metal foil acts as a barrier to water vapor and moisture. This prevents condensation from building up inside the insulation. But such mineral wool has one significant drawback, which is its higher cost.
Why you should choose expanded clay
Warming of steam rooms is quite often carried out also with expanded clay, which has the appearance of brown pellets. Products have a porous internal structure and a dense outer surface. The shape is round, and the particles have a diameter of 5 to 30 mm. Pellets act as bulk insulation for thermal insulation of attic floors and floors. In the case of expanded clay, a number of advantages can be distinguished, namely:
- low specific gravity;
- fire safety;
- low cost;
- low degree of water absorption;
- ease of use when filling voids.
Using expanded clay, you can hide the cavity. However, it also has its drawbacks, for example, weight gain when wet, as well as a low coefficient of thermal conductivity.
Foam insulation
Warming of the steam room in the bath in the floor area is often carried out also with polystyrene, which is made from granules of foamed polystyrene. Material in the form of sheets is realized, the thickness of which reaches 150 mm. Sheets can be used to insulate the floor. Among the advantages it is necessary to highlight:
- low cost;
- low specific gravity;
- low heat transfer coefficient;
- lack of ability to pass water and absorb moisture.
However, the foam does not allow water vapor and air to pass through, burns and melts, during which it emits choking smoke, and also allows use at temperatures not exceeding 70Λ.
Is it worth using EPSP
The insulation of the steam room from the inside is sometimes also carried out by extruded polystyrene foam. It is a plate of molten mass. The thickness of the products can reach 100 mm. Among the advantages, it is necessary to highlight the positive sides of the foam. The density here, however, is higher, so the extruded polystyrene foam is able to undergo heavy loads. For this reason, it is more preferable to use it to insulate the floor. Such canvases are almost twice as expensive as polystyrene foam, and also have a slightly higher coefficient of thermal conductivity.
The use of foil polyethylene
Do-it-yourself warming of the steam room can also be carried out with foil polyethylene, which is sold under the trade name Penofol. It is based on a plastic film whose thickness reaches 12 mm. On one or both sides it is covered with aluminum foil. Among the advantages, it is necessary to highlight the low cost, lack of ability to transmit and absorb moisture, good heat-insulating properties and the ability to reflect infrared heat. However, this material also has its drawbacks, consisting in the emission of caustic smoke during melting, as well as destruction at a temperature of more than 120 Β° C. This insulation does not have breathing properties.
Floor insulation
It is recommended to start insulation work from the floor. If we are talking about a dirt surface, then it is sprinkled with a sand cushion. Ground irregularities must be leveled before handling. Soil bases are cleaned of debris, plant roots and large stones. The soil must be moistened and compacted with a vibrating plate or manual rammer. A sand cushion is poured over the area of ββthe room, the thickness of which can reach 150 mm. The sand should be leveled and moistened again so that it can easily be tamped.
The step-by-step instruction on warming the steam room from the inside at the next stage provides for the installation of waterproofing. It will act as a barrier to moisture, which could penetrate from the soil. To do this, a ruberoid or a thick plastic film is laid on the surface of the sand cushion. You can use roll waterproofing, which has a self-adhesive edge.
Methodology
Laying of the film is carried out in such a way that on each side it enters the walls for 200 mm. The joints of the film are glued with a wide adhesive tape. If you decide to use roofing material, then each subsequent sheet should overlap 100 mm with the previous one. Joints of canvases are welded with a gas torch.
The insulation of the floor in the steam room of the bath at the next stage involves filling the heater. If these are expanded clay pellets, then they are poured over the waterproofing, and then distributed over the surface. You can use guide profiles or a metal rule for this. For normal thermal insulation, a claydite layer thickness of at least 200 mm will be required. Next, you can start laying the reinforcing mesh. The rough floor will look like a concrete screed.
Reinforcement and filling
On expanded clay stacked mesh with square cells, the side of which is 50 mm. The grid rises above the surface by 20 mm. The edges of the individual sheets are interconnected by steel wire. Then you can start pouring concrete screed. Concrete mortar is poured over the expanded clay, which is leveled by the rule and the trowel. The thickness of the concrete screed is 80 mm or less. The finished surface is left for a week until the solution solidifies completely.
Floor insulation
In the construction of rural saunas, false ceilings are more often installed. The design is based on horizontal load-bearing beams resting on external walls. Draft ceiling boards are hemmed to the beams. Warming in this case is carried out from 2 sides. Vapor barrier, heat-reflecting screen and finish fit inside.
As for the attic, it is necessary to lay a vapor-permeable membrane and a layer of insulation there. Insulating the ceiling in the steam room from the inside involves fixing the waterproofing to the boards. Joints are glued with aluminum tape. It is necessary to fix the rails of the counter-lattice to the boards. On the frame of the rails, the internal finishing lining of the lining is mounted.
Work on wall insulation
To create a layer of thermal insulation of walls in the steam room, it is necessary to fill vertical wooden bars. The step between them should be equal to the width of the roll of insulating material. Between the bars insulating material is laid. Any modern solution will do.
It is important to exclude the formation of cracks, otherwise it will not work to heat the steam room qualitatively. A layer of waterproofing is covered on top and nailed with wooden blocks. There should not be any gaps between the insulation and waterproofing so that moisture does not penetrate the insulation. At the final stage of warming the walls of the steam room from the inside, it is necessary to complete the lining.
Additional recommendations for wall insulation
The method of warming will depend on what lies at the heart of the steam room walls. If you have built a log house, then it will not need thermal insulation, because the thickness of the logs is enough. Whereas if you have an old chopped bath, then it may require caulking and sealing cracks between the logs. Such work can be carried out with the help of felt or interventional heaters. The same warming procedure is carried out in the case of buildings made of glued or profiled timber. And then, if during operation, gaps appeared.
Warming of the walls in the steam room of the bath is carried out in parallel with the laying of the protection of the vapor barrier layer of foil. In this case, we are not talking about foil insulation made of foamed polyethylene. To use for this purpose it is necessary to clean the foil, which is located between the wooden finish and the inner surface of the wall. The technology here is quite simple: the foil must be nailed to the surface with batten laths. Joints of the material should be made with an overlap of 10 cm. Additionally, they are glued with aluminum tape, which ensures tightness.
At the next stage, the elements of the interior decoration are attached to the battens of the crate. The same scheme is used when warming baths made of bricks, foam blocks and gas silicate products, since it is recommended to protect such materials from contact with moisture. A vapor barrier made of foil is laid inside, while the main "pie" of insulation must be made outside.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about warming the steam room, then it is worth listening to one of the opinions of experts. Some in their reviews argue that the most appropriate solution would be laying between the interior and the walls of the vapor barrier. In this case, it is recommended to abandon the idea of ββthermal insulation. Whereas when installing external thermal insulation you can use any heaters for saunas and baths, without risking the health of loved ones.