Insulation of the steam room can be done in many ways. Experts recommend dividing the process into several stages. But first you need to select materials. The insulation must be resistant to high temperatures, reduce fuel consumption when heating the bath, and also make the materials at the base of the floor, ceiling and walls less thermally conductive.
For the internal thermal insulation of the steam room, organic materials of plant origin such as straw, sawdust and plant cake should not be used. 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.
Which insulation material to choose
Insulation of the steam room you can do with one of the many modern materials. For example, bas alt is perfectcotton wool, made in the form of rigid slabs or rolls, based on molten fibers of bas alt rocks. The thickness of such material can vary from 20 to 100 mm. It is used for thermal insulation of walls and ceilings, as well as for the chimney pipe, in the area where it passes through the floor.
Among the advantages of bas alt wool, it is necessary to highlight compliance with environmental requirements, so you can use it in the steam room without restrictions. But cotton wool also has its drawbacks, which lie in the fact that slabs and rolls have a fibrous structure, which indicates insufficient rigidity. Under load, wool can crumple, so it is most often used to insulate the ceiling and walls, but not the floor.
Insulation of the steam room can also be carried out with foil mineral wool, which has almost the same technical characteristics as the material described above. The only difference is the presence of a thin foil layer on one or both sides. Such mineral wool is used for the same purposes.
Among the advantages is 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 the accumulation of condensate inside the thermal insulation. But such mineral wool has one significant drawback, which is a higher cost.
Why chooseexpanded clay
Warming of steam rooms is often carried out with expanded clay, which looks like 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. The pellets act as a loose 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 water absorption;
- Ease of use when backfilling voids.
With the help of expanded clay, you can hide the cavities. However, it also has its downsides, such as weight gain when wet, and low thermal conductivity.
Styrofoam insulation
The warming of the steam room in the bath in the floor area is quite often carried out with foam plastic, which is made from expanded polystyrene granules. The material is sold in the form of sheets, the thickness of which reaches 150 mm. Sheets can be used for floor insulation. Benefits include:
- low cost;
- small specific gravity;
- low heat transfer coefficient;
- lack of ability to pass water and absorb moisture.
However, the foam does not let water vapor and air through, burns and melts, during which it emits suffocating smoke, and also allows use at temperatures not exceeding 70˚.
Is it worth ituse EPS
Insulation of the steam room from the inside is sometimes also carried out with extruded polystyrene foam. It is a slab of molten mass. The thickness of products can reach 100 mm. Among the advantages, it is necessary to highlight the positive aspects of the foam. The density here, however, is higher, so extruded polystyrene foam is able to withstand high loads. For this reason, it is more preferable to use it for thermal insulation of the floor. Such canvases cost almost twice as much as foam plastic, and also have a slightly higher thermal conductivity.
Using polyethylene foil
Do-it-yourself warming of the steam room can also be done with foil polyethylene, which is sold under the trade name "Penofol". The basis is a polyethylene film, the thickness of which 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, the lack of the ability to pass and absorb moisture, good thermal insulation properties and the ability to reflect infrared heat. However, this material also has its drawbacks, consisting in the release of acrid smoke during melting, as well as destruction at temperatures above 120 ˚С. This insulation does not have breathable properties.
Floor insulation
Insulation work is recommended to start from the floor. If we are talking about a soil surface, then it is sprinkled with a sand cushion. Ground irregularities before startingmanipulations need to be aligned. Soil bases are cleared of debris, plant roots and large stones. The soil must be moistened and compacted with a vibrating plate or hand rammer. A sand cushion is poured over the area of \u200b\u200bthe room, the thickness of which can reach 150 mm. The sand should be leveled and moistened again so that it can be easily compacted.
Step-by-step instructions for warming the steam room from the inside in the next step involves laying waterproofing. It will act as a barrier to moisture that could penetrate inside from the ground. To do this, a roofing material or a thick plastic film is laid on the surface of the sand cushion. You can use rolled waterproofing, which has a self-adhesive edge.
Work methodology
The film is laid in such a way that it extends 200 mm onto the walls on each side. The joints of the film are glued with a wide adhesive tape. If you decide to use roofing material, then each subsequent canvas should overlap the previous one by 100 mm. The joints of the sheets are welded with a gas burner.
Insulation of the floor in the steam room of the bath at the next stage involves filling the insulation. If these are expanded clay pellets, then they are poured over the waterproofing, and then distributed over the surface. To do this, you can use guide profiles or a metal rule. For normal thermal insulation, a layer thickness of expanded clay of at least 200 mm is required. Next, you can start laying the reinforcing mesh. The subfloor will look like a concrete screed.
Reinforcement and pouring
On expanded claya mesh with square cells is laid, the side of which is 50 mm. The mesh is raised above the surface by 20 mm. The edges of the individual sheets are tied together with steel wire. Next, you can start pouring concrete screed. A concrete solution is poured over the expanded clay, which is leveled with a rule and a trowel. The thickness of the concrete screed is 80mm or less. The finished surface is left for a week until the solution completely solidifies.
Floor insulation
In the construction of rural saunas, hemmed ceilings are more often installed. The structure is based on horizontal load-bearing beams supported by external walls. Boards of the draft ceiling are hemmed to the beams. Insulation in this case is carried out from 2 sides. From the inside, a vapor barrier, a heat-reflecting screen and trim are laid.
As for the attic, it is necessary to lay a vapor-permeable membrane and a layer of insulation there. Warming the ceiling in the steam room from the inside involves attaching waterproofing to the boards. Joints are glued with aluminum tape. To the boards it is necessary to fix the slats of the counter-lattice. On the frame of the rails, the inner finishing lining from the lining is mounted.
Work on wall insulation
To create a layer of thermal insulation of the 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 heat-insulating material. Insulating material is laid between the bars. Any modern solution will do.
It is important to exclude the formation of cracks, otherwise it will not be possible to insulate the steam room with high quality. A layer of waterproofing is covered on top and nailed with wooden blocks. There should be no 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 cladding.
Additional recommendations for wall insulation
The method of carrying out insulation work will depend on what underlies the walls of the steam room. If you have erected 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 the gaps between the logs. Such work can be carried out using felt or interventional heaters. The same insulation procedure is also carried out in the case of buildings made of glued or profiled timber. And then, if cracks appeared during operation.
Wall insulation in the steam room of the bath is carried out in parallel with the laying of the protection of the foil vapor barrier layer. In this case, we are not talking about a foil insulation made of foamed polyethylene. For this purpose, it is necessary to use clean foil, which is located between the wood trim and the inner surface of the wall. The technology here is quite simple: the foil must be nailed to the surface with batten strips. The joints of the material must be made with an overlap of 10 cm. Additionally, they are glued with aluminum tape, which ensures tightness.
At the next stage, the battens are attached to the slatselements of interior decoration. The same scheme is also used for warming baths made of bricks, foam blocks and gas silicate products, since it is recommended to protect such materials from contact with moisture. From the inside, a foil vapor barrier is laid, while the main "pie" of insulation must be made from the outside.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about warming the steam room, then you should listen to one of the opinions of experts. Some in their reviews argue that the most correct solution would be to lay a vapor barrier layer between the interior decoration and the walls. In this case, it is recommended to abandon the thought of thermal insulation. Whereas when installing external thermal insulation, you can use any heaters for saunas and baths without risking the he alth of loved ones.
