Do-it-yourself steam room insulation - step-by-step instructions for use and reviews

Steam room insulation can be done in different ways. Experts recommend dividing the process into several stages. But first you need to pick up 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 heat conductive.

For the internal thermal insulation of the steam room, you should not use organic materials of plant origin, such as straw, sawdust and plant cake. This is because they absorb moisture and are prone to mold and rot. In addition, such layers can attract insects and rodents.

What material for thermal insulation to choose

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You can insulate the steam room with one of the many modern materials. For example, basalt wool, made in the form of rigid slabs or rolls, based on molten fibers of basalt rocks, is perfect. The thickness of this material can vary from 20 to 100 mm. It is used for thermal insulation of walls and ceilings, as well as for the chimney, 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 cotton wool also has its drawbacks, which are that slabs and rolls have a fibrous structure, which indicates insufficient rigidity. Under load, cotton wool can crumple, so it is most often used to insulate the ceiling and walls, but not the floor.

Warming of the steam room can also be carried out with foil-clad 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. This mineral wool is used for the same purposes.

Among the advantages, the presence of a glossy layer should be highlighted, 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 accumulating inside the insulation. But such mineral wool has one significant drawback, which is its higher cost.

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Thermal insulation of the steam room from the inside - step by step instructions: we tell in detail

What material for thermal insulation to choose

You can insulate the steam room with one of the many modern materials. For example, basalt wool, made in the form of rigid slabs or rolls, based on molten fibers of basalt rocks, is perfect. The thickness of this material can vary from 20 to 100 mm.It is used for thermal insulation of walls and ceilings, as well as for the chimney, in the area where it passes the ceiling.

Why choose expanded clay

Warming of steam rooms is quite often carried out also with expanded clay, which looks like brown pellets. Products have a porous inner structure and a dense outer surface. The shape is round and the particles have a diameter of 5 to 30 mm. Pellets act as a free-flowing insulation material 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.

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Expanded clay can be used to hide cavities. However, it also has its drawbacks, for example, an increase in weight when wet, as well as a low coefficient of thermal conductivity.

Foam insulation

Thermal insulation of the steam room in the bathhouse in the floor area is quite often carried out also with polystyrene foam, which is made from expanded polystyrene granules. The material is realized in the form of sheets, the thickness of which reaches 150 mm. Sheets can be used for floor insulation. Among the advantages it is necessary to highlight:

low cost;
small 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 suffocating smoke, and also allows use at temperatures no higher than 70˚.

Is it worth using 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 the products can be up to 100 mm. Among the advantages, it is necessary to highlight the positive aspects of foam. The density here, however, is higher, therefore, the extruded polystyrene foam is able to undergo heavy loads. For this reason, it is more preferable to use it for floor insulation. Such canvases cost almost twice as much as foam, and also have a slightly higher coefficient of thermal conductivity.

Using foil-clad polyethylene

Do-it-yourself steam room insulation can also be carried out with foil-clad polyethylene, which is sold under the trade name "Penofol". It is based on a polyethylene film, the thickness of which reaches 12 mm. It is covered with aluminum foil on one or both sides.Among the advantages, it is necessary to highlight low cost, lack of the ability to transmit 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 corrosive smoke during melting, as well as destruction at temperatures above 120 ˚С. This insulation does not have breathable properties.

Floor insulation

It is recommended to start insulation work from the floor. If we are talking about a soil surface, then sprinkle it with a sand pillow. Unevenness in the ground must be leveled before starting manipulations. Substrates are cleared of debris, plant roots and large stones. The soil must be moistened and compacted with a vibrating plate or a manual rammer. A sand cushion is poured over the area of the room, the thickness of which can reach 150 mm. The sand should be leveled and moistened again so that it can be easily compacted.

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Step-by-step instructions for insulating the steam room from the inside at the next stage provides for the installation of waterproofing. It will act as a barrier for 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 roll-up waterproofing, which has a self-adhesive edge.

Methods of work

Laying the film is carried out in such a way that on each side it goes 200 mm onto the walls. The joints of the film are glued with wide tape. If you decide to use roofing material, then each subsequent canvas should overlap the previous one by 100 mm. The joints of the canvases are welded with a gas burner.

Insulation of the floor in the steam room of a bath at the next stage provides for backfilling of insulation. If these are expanded clay pellets, then they are poured over the waterproofing, and then distributed over the surface. For this, you can use guide profiles or a metal rule. For normal thermal insulation, an expanded clay layer thickness of at least 200 mm is required. Then you can start laying the reinforcing mesh. The sub-floor will look like a concrete screed.

Reinforcement and pouring

A grid with square cells, the side of which is 50 mm, is laid on expanded clay. The mesh rises above the surface by 20 mm. The edges of the individual sheets are tied together with steel wire. Next, you can start pouring a 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 80 mm or less. The finished surface is left for a week until the solution completely solidifies.

Floor insulation

In the construction of rural saunas, false ceilings are often installed. The structure is based on horizontal beams supported by external walls. Rough ceiling boards are sewn to the beams. Insulation in this case is carried out from 2 sides. From the inside, a vapor barrier, a heat-reflecting screen and decoration are laid.

As for the attic, it is necessary to lay a vapor-permeable membrane and a layer of insulation there. Insulation of the ceiling in the steam room from the inside involves fastening the waterproofing to the boards. The joints are glued with aluminum tape. It is necessary to fix the counter-lattice slats to the boards. An internal finishing lining from the lining is mounted on the frame made of slats.

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 blocks. The step between them should be equal to the width of the roll of thermal insulation material. Insulation material is laid between the bars. Any modern solution will do.

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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 the 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 perform cladding.

Additional recommendations for wall insulation

The method of carrying out the work on insulation will depend on what lies at the heart of 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 sufficient. Whereas if you have an old chopped sauna, then it may require caulking and sealing the cracks between the logs. Such work can be carried out using felt or mezhventsovy heaters. The same insulation procedure is carried out in the case of buildings made of glued or profiled timber. And then, if cracks appeared during operation.

The insulation of the walls in the steam room of the bath is carried out in parallel with the installation of the protection of the vapor barrier foil layer. In this case, we are not talking about foamed insulation made of foamed polyethylene. For this purpose, clean foil must be used, 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 lathing strips. The 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, interior decoration elements are attached to the battens of the crate. The same scheme is also used when insulating baths made of bricks, foam blocks and gas silicate products, since it is recommended to protect such materials from contact with moisture. A foil vapor barrier is laid from the inside, while the main “cake” of insulation must be made from the outside.

Conclusion

If you are thinking about insulating a 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 health of loved ones.

A source

Why choose expanded clay

low specific gravity;
fire safety;
low cost;
low degree of water absorption;
ease of use when filling voids.

Expanded clay can be used to hide cavities. However, it also has its drawbacks, for example, an increase in weight when wet, as well as a low coefficient of thermal conductivity.

Foam insulation

low cost;
small specific gravity;
low heat transfer coefficient;
lack of ability to pass water and absorb moisture.

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However, the foam does not allow water vapor and air to pass through, burns and melts, during which it emits suffocating smoke, and also allows use at temperatures no higher than 70˚.

Insulation materials

Steam room thermal insulation is carried out with a variety of materials, ranging from ultramodern to time-tested. And we will begin our analysis of the characteristics with perhaps the most used, but rather outdated material - mineral wool.

Mineral wool

As mentioned above, this material has been known for a long time and many experts classify mineral wool as obsolete. Nevertheless, in terms of its thermal insulation characteristics, it is hardly inferior to modern heaters. However, this material is quite expensive and is very afraid of moisture. When wet, the mineral wool loses its thermal insulation properties and begins to rot, transferring this process to the adjacent wooden structures. In this case, the steam room will have to be insulated anew.

To prevent this from happening, when insulating the steam room from the inside with mineral wool, you should take care of high-quality and reliable waterproofing and vapor barrier of all surfaces insulated with mineral wool, that is, walls and ceilings, with foil vapor and waterproofing agents. The vapor barrier of the steam room is very, very important, since with correctly performed vapor and waterproofing, mineral wool can last a long time without losing its thermal insulation qualities. It is quite possible to replace mineral wool with stone or glass wool.

Now we will briefly consider one of the most modern heat insulators for a steam room - expanded polystyrene and how to insulate a steam room in a bath with this material.

Is it worth using EPS

Using foil-clad polyethylene

Do-it-yourself steam room insulation can also be carried out with foil-clad polyethylene, which is sold under the trade name "Penofol". It is based on a polyethylene film, the thickness of which reaches 12 mm. It is covered with aluminum foil on one or both sides. Among the advantages, it is necessary to highlight low cost, lack of the ability to transmit 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 corrosive smoke during melting, as well as destruction at temperatures above 120 ˚С. This insulation does not have breathable properties.

Floor insulation

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Subtleties of the procedure: from A to Z

It does not matter when exactly you decided to insulate the steam bath - at the stage of construction of the bath itself or after the completion of the construction. The main thing is to strictly follow the sequence of insulation measures and not forget about the basic rules of insulation:

Waterproofing is an indispensable part of the insulation process. Even if the material does not absorb moisture, does not form condensation, take full care of the waterproofing layer. Over time, pores can form in the insulation, and water runs the risk of "getting" to the outer coating of the bath and accelerating its destruction.
It is better not to save on the material for warming the steam room. The period of the operational period depends on this. Basalt will serve for 30 years, and foam - only 5-7.
It is better to fix the insulation on self-tapping screws or nails. Today there is a large selection of special adhesives, some of them are designed for very high temperatures, but, as practice shows, nothing more reliable and cheaper than a simple nail has not yet been invented.
It is necessary to insulate the floor. If there is no concrete screed, it is done. Overhead grouting with cement or concrete will help extend the life of the entire steam room and its foundations, in particular.
The materials used for work in the bath should be marked with a note that they can be used in conditions of elevated temperatures. Some products emit corrosive and hazardous substances when heated. In order not to put yourself and loved ones at risk, always read the information on the packaging of the purchased products.
The inner lining of the steam room is not painted or varnished. Heating will contribute to the release of toxic fumes, and constant temperature changes inside the room will lead to the fact that the layer will become outwardly unattractive, it will have to be regularly updated.

Methods of work

Types of wooden floors

Most often, wooden floors are laid in the bath - this material is considered traditional and most suitable for the construction of this purpose. In addition, concrete surfaces or tiles, unlike wood, do not retain heat well. For the arrangement of plank floors, you can use spruce, larch, fir, pine wood.

In no case is it recommended to use oak, aspen, poplar, linden wood.

In the bath, you can make leaking or non-leaking wooden floors. In the first case, these are surfaces through which water will flow directly to the ground - for this, gaps are left between the boards. This option foresees a minimum investment and the same amount of labor costs. The disadvantage of leaking floors is the cold creeping in through the cracks. It is impossible to insulate this floor, therefore this option is suitable only for those areas where there are no subzero temperatures in winter.

In the case of arranging a non-leaking floor, so that water can flow out, a hole is made in the floor leading to a water collector and then to a sewer pipe. The diameter of the outlet pipe must be at least 15 cm so that the water can drain quickly. Non-leaking floors are equipped with a slope so that the water does not stagnate.It is this floor option that is most in demand in the construction of a bath because of its practicality and the ability to insulate it.

Floor insulation

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Concrete floor insulation technology

Thermal insulation of the concrete floor in the bath rooms is carried out after the arrangement of the rough concrete screed. To insulate a concrete floor, it is better to use roll, coating or foam materials - mastics, roofing material, mineral and basalt wool, polystyrene and expanded clay crumbs.

The work is carried out according to the following scheme:

The rough screed is waterproofed on the basis of a polyethylene film. The material is laid over the entire base, observing 6 cm wall allowances. When using roll material, the connecting joints are glued with construction tape.
Insulating material is mounted. The simplest option is foam sheets, which are fixed to a pre-installed lath of thin bars. Screw self-tapping screws are used for the installation of the battens.
Concrete grouting and reinforcing mesh installation are in progress. The height of the finished screed above the insulating layer is from 2 to 3 cm.
After the concrete has set, the rough screed is poured and leveled to remove air voids. The total floor height above the insulation is up to 8 cm.
At the end, a decorative floor covering is laid with an additional arrangement of a vapor barrier.

Work on wall insulation

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To create a layer of thermal insulation of the walls in the steam room, it is necessary to fill vertical wooden blocks. The step between them should be equal to the width of the roll of thermal insulation material. Insulation 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 the 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 perform cladding.

How to insulate a concrete floor in a bath

The concrete floor can be poured either directly onto the ground or onto the concrete slabs located below the floors. A waterproofing layer is laid on this rough screed. For these purposes, either a roll coating or 3 layers of coating mastic is used. Alternatively, both of these types of insulation can be combined.

On top of the insulation, foam polystyrene, expanded clay, sheets of mineral wool or other heat-insulating materials of the owner's choice are placed. In this case, it is worth considering the technical characteristics of a particular type of insulation in order to correctly calculate the layer thickness and the required amount of material.

Next, reinforcement is performed - that is, a reinforcing mesh is installed on top of the insulation on alabaster-cement or plastic fasteners, into which a layer of cement screed is poured. Subsequent finishing of the concrete floor is made at the request of the owner.

Additional recommendations for wall insulation

The method of carrying out the work on insulation will depend on what lies at the heart of 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 sufficient. Whereas if you have an old chopped sauna, then it may require caulking and sealing the cracks between the logs. Such work can be carried out using felt or mezhventsovy heaters. The same insulation procedure is carried out in the case of buildings made of glued or profiled timber. And then, if cracks appeared during operation.

Types of heaters

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

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

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

Organic

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

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

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

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

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Semi-organic

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

Synthetic

They are classified into several types.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When choosing a heater for the walls of a bath, it is important to consider what material it is built from.

From a bar

In the case of a durable wood species and a relatively large cross-section of each element of a log house, it is enough to simply seal the cracks and treat the walls with impregnations against fungus and mold, as well as compounds that protect against moisture and fire.

In other situations, all rooms (especially the steam room) must be insulated with basalt wool - in one layer, using the Pie technology (we will consider it separately below), additionally laying foil-clad material to minimize the harmful effects of steam.

Brick

It freezes quickly during the cold season. This means that measures must be taken to maintain a suitable microclimate inside even the most severe winter. To do this, you can:

install second walls around the entire perimeter;
or make a double thermal insulation layer.

To create the lathing, it is better to use wood, not metal, since the latter heats up a lot during operation. Naturally, the prepared structure is recommended to be treated with agents against fire, decay, and insects.

Concrete

In this case, you can insulate the walls in the steam room of the bath from the inside and outside. Such a serious approach will result in the absence of problems with wetting the masonry (due to condensed steam), and will become a measure that effectively prevents rapid destruction.

Here, the master upholstery surfaces in the room with mineral wool 10 cm thick (or an analogue that is suitable in structure), and from the street arranges a hinged ventilated facade, that is, fixes the same basalt sheets and sheathes them with clapboard or siding. The method is relatively costly, but it guarantees the correct microclimate.

Here you will also need a moisture-resistant material, but already in combination with high-quality hydro and vapor barrier. Plus, it is worth installing additional ventilation - this will allow leveling the increased level of humidity.Foil tape is perfectly acceptable to lay as thin as possible.