How best to insulate the bath from the outside or from the inside. What insulation is best for a bath Do-it-yourself warming a bath

The steam room is the main element of the bath, its very essence. For the steam room to be really hot, it is important to think carefully about its process.

Incorrect actions or erroneously selected materials can cause the steam room to heat up for a long time, or give off heat too quickly.

In addition, all materials must meet safety and environmental requirements.

We’ll make a reservation right away that it is necessary to insulate the steam room in different types of baths in different ways, therefore, an overview of the materials is given here, and see the relevant materials on the site for details on insulation and baths. Technologies and are also presented in separate materials. For more information on different types of heaters for a bath, see.

How to reduce heating costs

You can avoid additional expenses for warming the bath if you take care at the construction stage:

Insulation for the sauna steam room: 4 layers of insulation

Hydroprotection It is aimed at isolating the interior from moisture from the outside. Needed for frame construction and for aerated concrete walls.

IMPORTANT! You should choose different solutions for waterproofing the steam room and other rooms. Steam room waterproofing should be made from materials that can withstand the highest temperatures (for example, based on kraft paper).

Warming steam rooms should be aimed at reducing heat loss and creating the effect of a "thermos". Then all the heat will remain inside the steam room, and not warm the environment. Therefore, when choosing a heater for a bath, the steam room requires the closest attention.

Finishing (finishing) materials allow you to hide flaws during construction, in addition, they provide a beautiful visual view of the steam room.

REFERENCE. The market mainly presents finishing materials from such tree species as: pine, linden or aspen. This wood has a low density, so we recommend using narrow boards and laying them horizontally to eliminate the risk of warping. In addition, it is imperative to treat them with oils or other specialized compounds to extend their service life.

Insulation for a steam room: types

The heaters used for installation on: walls, ceiling and floor differ. Separate articles are devoted to materials used for and.

for walls

Everything can be divided into two categories:

1. - natural;
2. - artificial.

natural

Natural materials are made on the basis of natural raw materials:

• sphagnum(scope of application: );
• tow(scope of application: elimination of gaps);
• building moss(warming of the walls of the steam room).

artificial

Popular artificial materials include:

• extruded expanded polystyrene;
• Styrofoam.

These heaters are characterized by high resistance to damage, have a long service life and a high degree of thermal insulation.

• basalt wool.

Differs in high quality, simplicity of laying and low cost.

For ceiling

Traditional

For . For example, it is still used for the steam room, it is coated with the ceiling of the steam room from the side of the attic

common the use of bulk materials such as expanded clay, sawdust, slag, etc. A layer of earth must be poured onto the sawdust to ensure fire safety. And the expanded clay layer should be at least 30 cm.

Modern

For insulation of the ceiling is better suited:

• basalite (slabs of low-density basalt fiber);
• isospan (there are 2 types):
• - isospan A (barrier type from wind and condensate, laid outside the insulation);
• - isospan B (barrier type from steam, placed indoors, protects the insulation).

The ceiling can also be insulated with ordinary foil, the layers of which must be overlapped.

For floor

In a steam room, you can use:

• – expanded clay synthetic slabs(easy to install)
• – loose expanded clay(also easy to install, but hygroscopic);
• - foam ( IMPORTANT! The brand you choose should have a high compression load).

Useful video

Watch the video with the explanations of professionals, perhaps it will greatly change your plans for choosing a heater:

Conclusions: what kind of insulation to use for a bath in a steam room

Artificial materials are more resistant to high temperatures and humidity, but may eventually lose their thermal insulation properties due to constant heat and moisture.

Despite the variety of materials from manufacturers, first of all, it is worth focusing on the safety of materials, and not on cost, because. a steam room is a place where the materials used are constantly exposed to high temperatures.

When building a traditional Russian or Finnish bath, you need to take care of high-quality insulation of the building in order to prevent large heat losses through walls, ceilings and floors in winter. Otherwise, it will be difficult to heat the steam room properly, and fuel consumption will turn out to be unreasonably high. Not to mention the comfortable conditions for people washing there. It is not difficult to insulate a bath, but you need to have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow to do it correctly and what materials you can use. You can learn about all the nuances of the process from this article.

What heater to choose?

If you study the issue more deeply, it turns out that the main difficulty lies in choosing the right insulation for proper thermal insulation of the bath building in general and the steam room in particular. The reason is simple - none of the many modern materials on the market are suitable for insulating a steam room inside. Moreover, it is simply unacceptable to use foam plastic, foam plastic and other polymers for this purpose, as well as mineral wool.

The bath is designed to improve the health of a person - this is an axiom. Inside the steam room, and other adjacent rooms, high temperature and humidity are provided - this is one of the conditions for the healing procedure. Accordingly, the internal insulation for a bath should not emit any harmful substances when heated, which cannot be said about the vast majority of modern materials.

When heated above 60 ° C (and in the steam room it can also be 110 ° C), all foamed polymers begin to release harmful substances and even emit a specific smell. Therefore, with their help, it is possible to insulate the bath building only from the outside, but by no means inside. The same applies to various types of basalt and mineral wool, which include a phenol-based binder. There is nothing to say about roll insulation based on glass wool.

For reference. Polymeric heaters that are not suitable for interior decoration include polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, foam plastic, foamed polyethylene insulators (Izolon, Penofol) and other similar materials.

What is the best way to sheathe the walls from the inside in order to insulate the bath correctly and without harm to health? The answer lies on the surface - natural environmentally friendly materials that were used by our ancestors. These include:

• sawdust with clay;
• wood;
• felt;
• linen, jute;
• reeds tied into mats;

Advice. There is an old folk method used by people in villages for a long time. When the owners kept several cows, they prepared a lot of hay and straw for the winter. And they kept them, leaning against the walls of a wooden house or a bathhouse, thereby at the same time warming it for the winter.

Good modern heaters for baths and saunas are expanded clay and vermiculite, all others are suitable only for external insulation done by hand or with the help of specialists. Now that we have figured out the best way to finish the interior of the steam room, we can proceed to the very process of thermal insulation of the walls.

The scheme of warming the bath from the inside

The method of carrying out the work depends on what the building is built from. For example, a well-built log house does not need insulation at all, the thickness of the logs is quite enough. In an old chopped bathhouse, it may be necessary to seal and caulk the cracks between the logs. This is done using felt or other interventional heaters listed above. The same warming procedure is done by hand in structures made of profiled or glued timber, if cracks appear.

In order to protect the walls of a wooden bath from exposure to high humidity, you can protect them with a foil vapor barrier layer. This is not a foil insulation made of polyethylene foam, but a pure foil that is laid between the inner surface of the wall and the wooden trim of the steam room. A simple technology is used here: the foil is nailed to a wooden surface with the help of battens, as shown in the diagram:

The joints of the material are made with an overlap of at least 10 cm and are glued with aluminum tape for tightness. Later, interior trim elements are attached to the lathing slats. According to the same scheme, it is proposed to insulate baths built of brick, gas silicate and foam blocks, since these building materials are best protected from moisture. That is, from the inside, lay a foil vapor barrier, and perform the main "pie" of insulation from the outside.

The most correct decision would be to abandon the idea of ​​​​insulating the bath from the inside, it is enough to lay a vapor barrier layer between the walls and the interior. At the same time, when installing external thermal insulation, it is possible to use any kind of heaters for baths or saunas without risking the health of your loved ones. In this case, it is worth starting with the insulation of the foundation of the building.

Foundation thermal insulation

This procedure is more convenient to perform during construction, otherwise you will have to destroy the blind area and dig a hole around the structure at least 1 m wide and 30 cm deep. First, a layer of waterproofing is applied to the foundation surface, and then insulation boards are glued. This is where foamed polymers will come in handy - polystyrene, or better, polystyrene foam and foam plastic. The thickness of the heat-insulating layer in this case will be 50 mm.

Advice. To insulate the base and base of the bath, you should not use various foil heaters, they are too thin and will not give the desired effect. Mineral wool is also not suitable, since it is hygroscopic and, after absorbing moisture, is not able to retain heat.

Insulation plates are also laid under the blind area, thus protecting the soil near the building from freezing. Then the concrete blind area is poured and the basement is finished, as shown in the example of sauna insulation from foam blocks:

How to properly insulate the floor and ceiling

As mentioned above, it is possible to produce thermal insulation inside the bath, including floors, only with the help of natural heaters. However, there is a technology in accordance with which it is possible to insulate the floor with foam plastic and similar materials. To do this, you just need to isolate them from the inner space of the steam room and this is done by means of a concrete screed. With this option, the “pie” of the design looks like this:

First, an inclined surface with a footing is arranged, on which a waterproofing film is placed, and on top - a layer of foam. The insulation is covered with another layer of vapor barrier film, after which it is poured with a concrete screed. In the middle of the structure, a ladder with a drainage pipe for draining and discharging water is provided.

It is possible to simplify the process if you simply use concrete mixed with foam balls or vermiculite for screeding. Then it will simultaneously serve as an insulating layer, and there is no need to put whole plates under the screed. Another option is to take expanded clay for floor insulation, and it will not need to be isolated from the interior of the bath. The method will fit when the wooden floors on the logs are supported by brick posts and you do not plan to arrange a ladder and drainage.

Expanded clay is poured between the lags into the cavity between the finishing and subfloor, or around the brick posts. Remember that to ensure the required degree of insulation, a layer of expanded clay is needed 3-4 times thicker than foam. Otherwise, there will be no sense from it. This material is loose and porous, so after getting wet it can dry out quickly enough, the main thing is that ventilation works.

Also, with the help of expanded clay, the ceiling is insulated in a bath with a cold roof. The only condition is that the ceiling lining must be strong enough to withstand the weight of the insulation. From above, from the side of the attic space, the material does not need to be covered with anything. If you want to insulate the attic over the steam room with sawdust, then they should first be mixed with clay and the resulting solution should be laid between the logs.

The fact is that water vapor will gradually penetrate from the steam room through the wooden floor and impregnate the layer of sawdust. As a result, their thermal insulation properties will decrease, in addition, a fungus can start from moisture. Clay, on the other hand, does not allow moisture to pass through and after drying, a good thermal insulation of the ceiling will be obtained. Sometimes a mixture of sawdust and cement is also used, but this option is not suitable for baths and saunas, cement can absorb a lot of moisture and the ceiling will lose heat.

For reference. If any basalt insulation is considered for internal insulation of a bath, then it is not suitable not only because of the release of phenol. Mineral wool also absorbs moisture well, no matter how hard you try to wrap it up, except to hermetically seal the plate material in polyethylene.

We should not forget about reed mats. In the bath, they can be used everywhere and insulate any structures, but it is important to ensure good ventilation and airing of the steam room to dry this natural material after washing procedures.

About door insulation

Due to the large temperature difference between the street and the room inside the sauna, a large amount of heat can escape through the front door if it has loose porches or is poorly insulated. The first problem is solved in the old-fashioned way - by stuffing felt strips onto the elements of the door frame. As for insulation, there are several ways.

The simplest is the installation of a thermal curtain just outside the door. A string is attached to the wall above the entrance, on which a piece of dense fabric is suspended to the floor. In order to be able to move it away, the suspension must be provided on clips or make rings of wire with your own hands. Another way is to insulate a wooden door from the inside by upholstering it with foam rubber or the same felt. From above, the material is covered with dermantine on carnations, and a sealing roller is nailed along the perimeter of the box, as shown in the diagram:

Conclusion

As it turned out, the process of warming the enclosing structures of the bath is not as simple as it might seem. There are a lot of recommendations on the Internet on how to carry out thermal insulation with various heaters, but their environmental friendliness and harmlessness to health are not mentioned. Meanwhile, this is the main factor influencing the choice of material, because from this point of view, the bath must be built flawlessly.

Today, before starting the construction of a bath complex, each owner must ask himself how to insulate the bath from the inside. The construction market offers dozens of options. The main thing is not to get confused and choose such a heater for the bath so that it meets the building requirements.

Principles for choosing a heater

When buying material, you should pay attention to the most important features of an effective product:

1. environmental friendliness;
2. maximum degree of moisture resistance;
3. resistance to harmful microorganisms;
4. the ability not to deform during long-term operation;
5. thermal conductivity index: the higher it is, the better;
6. compatibility with building materials;
7. minimum value of moisture absorption;
8. compliance with fire safety requirements, standards of the sanitary and epidemiological station;
9. ability not to accumulate condensate;
10. ease of installation.

Varieties of insulation materials

Before you run around the shops and grab anything, you should understand the range of materials offered.

Bath heaters are organic and inorganic.

organic materials

This includes a group of heaters that are made from natural raw materials:

• sheep wool or felt;
• jute;
• tow;
• heat-insulating materials from peat, reeds and wood shavings.

The main advantage of natural materials is environmental friendliness.

But warming the bath from the inside with their help has a number of disadvantages:

1. Natural thermal insulation in the interior decoration of the sauna is a laborious and time-consuming process.
2. Natural heaters are short-lived, require regular updating.
3. Linen, moss, felt, tow - a favorable environment for the life and reproduction of insects, rodents and other harmful microorganisms.
4. They are suitable for dressing rooms, rest rooms, but are not suitable for thermal insulation inside hot rooms, even after additional treatment with fire retardants.
5. Buying natural materials significantly "hit the wallet."

Inorganic or synthetic materials

There is no need to talk about absolute environmental friendliness here. Unlike natural ones, they will last for decades and provide better thermal insulation. Synthetic insulation for a bath is easy to install and resistant to high humidity and hot air.

Inorganic thermal insulation materials are divided into several types:

1.Polymer insulation

The group of these materials is foam plastic, foam plastic, honeycomb plastic insulation.

Styrofoam is easy to use to insulate the sauna ceiling. It does not absorb moisture, practical and easy to handle.

Foam glass, which embodies the best properties of foam plastic and stone wool, has become a novelty in the construction industry. The material lends itself to carving with a knife and is perfectly attached to the surface.

Despite the advantages, foam is not recommended for insulating the ceiling inside the sauna. On the one hand, it is considered a fire hazard. On the other hand, with an increase in air temperature, the foam plastic is deformed and emits an unpleasant odor, vapors of a toxic substance - phenol.

If you still decide to use foam, then it is better to insulate the walls of the dressing room with it from the outside.

2.Basalt insulation for a bath

Made from mountain parody, the material has been in demand in recent years. It has a number of advantages:

• Not subject to combustion;
• Resistant to humid air;
• Does not deform under the influence of temperatures;
• Excellent sound and heat insulation;
• Service life up to 30 years;
• It does not cause difficulties in the process of installation of the finish.

As for the shortcomings, with the exception of the cost of the material, there are none.

3.Mineral wool

The main difference between the production technology of mineral wool and the production of insulation from basalt fibers is the use of inexpensive industrial waste.

This has a positive effect on the price of the material, but negatively on the mechanical strength of the insulation. Therefore, during the installation process, be extremely careful.

Along with the disadvantages, mineral wool is not without advantages:

• Reliable thermal insulation;
• Not afraid of moisture;
• High degree of sound insulation.

4.Glass wool

Warming a glass wool bath will cost no more than its counterparts. And according to certain criteria, it is not inferior to other materials: it keeps heat well and is easy to install.

A significant disadvantage of glass wool is the instability to hot air.

5. Foil insulation

To insulate the ceiling of the sauna, it is recommended to use materials that reflect light. Mirror heaters have become widespread. Due to the special aluminum coating, they reflect and do not let heat through the ceiling. Foil insulation for a bath is recommended to be used in combination with classic materials.

Sauna insulation

Having decided on the choice of one or two heat-insulating materials, proceed directly to work. Warming the bath from the inside with your own hands is a difficult process that requires skills in the field of construction. If you are confident in your abilities, then go for it. Otherwise, it is better to resort to the help of Marisrub specialists.

It should be noted that the process of thermal insulation of a wooden or brick sauna is almost the same. Therefore, it is not worth focusing on an insignificant difference.

Before you start insulating the walls, ceiling and floor, it will be right to take care of the vapor barrier. Even if you have chosen a moisture-resistant insulation, during operation, condensate will gradually begin to penetrate the inner layers of the heat-insulating material and have destructive effects.

To isolate the insulation from moisture, aluminum foil is used. The solidity of the vapor barrier is achieved by metallized adhesive tape, which is used to glue the joints of foil sheets.

We warm the floors

It is correct to start warming the sauna not from the ceiling or walls, but from the floor. In the bath, it is continuous or leaking. Given that the designs differ from each other, the insulation of each type occurs in different ways.

It is better to use mineral wool. It is laid on a draft floor of boards and covered with a layer of waterproofing. The last step is pouring the floor.

When installing leaking floors, they dig a pit 50 cm deep and fill it with 5 cm of sand. After careful tamping, a 20-cm layer of insulation is laid - foam, which is poured with cement mortar with foam chips.

After drying, the concrete is covered with a layer of waterproofing, while not forgetting about the walls.

Then again they are poured with cement with vermiculite, a reinforcing mesh is spread and covered with a layer of concrete with fine gravel. At this stage of work, a slope is made in the direction where the water flow will be.

The work is completed by laying the finishing floor on the posts.

We insulate the walls

Warming the walls of the bath from the inside occurs in stages:

1. Using wooden slats or timber, we apply a crate to the surface of the walls. The gap between the rails must be made smaller than the width of the heat-insulating material.

This is done in order for the insulation to fill the resulting spaces and prevent the formation of bridges for cold air. As a heater, it is recommended to use mineral wool or basalt fiber slabs.

2. After laying the heat insulator, cover it with any vapor barrier with foil. In this case, the reflective side of the aluminum surface is located inside the sauna.

The vapor barrier is placed between the rails, and fixed to them.

Thermal insulation of the walls of the steam room is ready! By the same principle, other rooms of the sauna are insulated. Instead of foil for vapor barrier, thick kraft paper for wrapping is suitable.

When insulating buildings made of bricks or blocks, it is advised to increase the thickness of the basalt insulation so as not to lose heat.

We insulate the ceiling

Thermal insulation of the ceiling occurs by analogy with the principle of wall insulation.

According to the laws of physics, the closer to the ceiling, the hotter the air will be. Therefore, fire-resistant insulation is chosen for the ceiling. Mineral wool is perfect.

If there is an attic in the bath, then a layer of vapor barrier is made above the insulation - an aluminum film.

Insulation is placed under, above or between the rafters. If you are looking for an easy way, then lay the insulation in a continuous layer between the rafters.

Finally, cover the heat-insulating material with a layer of waterproofing. At the same time, do not forget about the air gap with a size of 20 mm. This is done taking into account the increase in insulation by a third of the width under the influence of moist air.

In the absence of an attic in the bath, expanded clay is often used as a heater for the ceiling. A layer of heat insulator of 25 cm is poured onto a layer of vapor barrier.

The construction market offers heat-insulating panels for warming the bath room. The main advantage of the material is the possibility of refusing waterproofing, minus - they require a reliable vapor barrier layer.

Properly executed interior decoration of the bath guarantees not only a pleasant stay in the company of friends, but also safety. Therefore, approach the choice of building materials and perform work with maximum responsibility.

The vast majority of owners of country houses do not imagine their site without a real Russian bath or sauna. But in order for it to function properly, and really bring only strength and health to the owners, it is very important to insulate it well, methods of insulation are considered at the stage of drawing up a bath project, but this can also be done with a ready construction

To know how to properly insulate a bath from the inside, you need to study the technology of this process and choose the right materials.

Work materials

Before proceeding with the consideration of insulation technology, it is necessary to figure out what materials need to be prepared for work.

1. Thermal insulation material - is the most important component in the process of insulating the walls, ceiling and floor of the bath. To date, there are a large number of heaters, but not all of them are suitable for bath conditions. Which of them are most adapted to high temperatures and humidity? It makes sense to look at the most popular - expanded polystyrene, plain and extruded (XPS boards), mineral wool, polyurethane foam and expanded clay:

Styrofoam		Mineral wool	XPS slabs
Has an open cell structure	Since the installation of the material occurs by spraying, it can have an open and closed cellular structure.	It has a fibrous structure, the fibers are arranged randomly in the vertical and horizontal direction	Closed (sealed) cell structure	Natural bulk material consisting of granules with a porous structure
Poor moisture permeability	Poor moisture permeability	Almost does not absorb moisture	Doesn't let moisture through	Doesn't let moisture through
Light in weight	Light in weight	Medium-light in weight	Medium-light in weight	Light
Has medium strength	Has low strength	Has medium strength	Has high strength	Granules have high strength
Average compressive strength	Low compressive strength	May vary in low to medium compressive strength	High resistance to compression	Granules are resistant to compression
Over time, it begins to release toxic substances	When heated, it becomes toxic, emits carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide	Non toxic	Non toxic	Non toxic
Not suitable for heavy duty applications	Not suitable for load applications	Mineral wool has different types, there are resistant and not resistant to high loads.		Suitable for use under high load
prone to decay	Durable, not subject to decay	durable	durable	durable
Affected by ultraviolet rays (it should not be left open for a long time)	Almost unaffected by ultraviolet radiation, but it is recommended to close it with a finishing material	UV resistant		Unaffected by ultraviolet light

Acquaintance with characteristics leads to the conclusion that mineral wool for walls and wooden floors is most suitable for warming the bath from the inside, and XPS slabs for concrete. Expanded clay can be called a universal material that is perfect for any of the floors, but for walls it cannot be used for internal insulation.

If you buy it, then it's perfect for a bath material with a foil layer, which contributes to the long-term retention of heat indoors according to the principle of a thermos. For example, some characteristics of foil mineral wool insulation of the Izorok company are shown in the table:

	Isolight-L	Isolight	Isovent	Isocor -C	Isophor	Isoruf
Density, kg/m³	40	50	90	105	110	150
Compressive strength at 10% deformation, kPa, not less than			20		25	50
Ultimate tensile strength of layers, kPa, not less than			4		4	12
Declared coefficient of thermal conductivity, W/m×°K	0,035	0,034	0,034	0,036	0,034	0,036
Thermal conductivity coefficient under operating conditions, W/m×°K	0,043	0,038	0,039	0,041	0.040	0,042
Water absorption by volume, %, no more	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1
Humidity by weight, %, no more	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Content of organic substances by mass, %, no more	2.5	2.5	4	4	4	4

Mineral wool is suitable for heat and sound insulation works for the walls, ceiling and floor of the bath. But on the floors it is still recommended to organize several layers of thermal insulation, the first of which should be expanded clay. The important thing is that rodents bypass it, which means that all other materials will be safe.

2. To fasten mats of mineral wool or other foil insulation, and create an integral hermetic coating of surfaces, it will be necessary to purchase a special foil tape.

3. The insulation is placed between the batten guides, which means that wooden bars will be required with a section that depends on the thickness of the insulation mats. If, as an example, we take the recommended insulation thickness of 100 mm, then the bars should have the same size on one of the sides, or a double crate with a perpendicular arrangement of guides and a two-layer arrangement of mats will be used.

4. The bars are attached to the walls using self-tapping screws, dowels or anchors (depending on the type of wall material), therefore, it is necessary to purchase these elements of the required length, corresponding to both the dimensions of the guides and the required penetration into the walls - for wood - 20 ÷ 25 mm, for capital walls - at least 40 mm.

5. If a heater without a foil layer is chosen, then a vapor barrier film is required to close it.

6. If the floor in the bath will be poured with a concrete screed, then in addition to the insulation you will need:

- cement and sand or ready mix;

- roofing material;

- reinforcing mesh;

— guides for beacons;

- polyethylene film ;

- damper tape.

The amount of materials will depend on the area of ​​​​the floor, ceiling and walls of the insulated room.

Having prepared everything you need, you can proceed to the insulation of the surfaces of the bath rooms.

Prices for popular types of heaters

insulation

Bath floor insulation

As you know, a bath can be built of wood or brick, which is why not only wood, but also concrete is arranged. The latter is most often poured in a brick bath, but sometimes they do it in a wooden one. In any case, the concrete floor always requires enhanced insulation.

Thermal insulation of floors in any bath should be given special attention, since they must withstand high humidity and temperature changes between the rooms and the ground. Therefore, before proceeding with the installation of a multi-layer "pie" of a wooden floor or a concrete device, it is recommended to fill the entire surface under the structure of a medium fraction bath or slag.

The expanded clay layer will depend on the thickness of the walls of the building. It should be at least twice as thick as they are. It should be noted that if it is possible and allows space to make the expanded clay embankment thicker, then this will only increase the effectiveness of thermal insulation. If the bath is built of brick and installed on a concrete foundation, then it is recommended to fill it with expanded clay almost to the entire height of the foundation tape.

Floor covered with expanded clay "cushion"

Concrete floor

In order for the concrete floor of the bath to be warm, you need to do a series of operations that are carried out after laying the drain pipe (it must be raised in advance to the height of the future screed). The work consists of the following stages:

• The soil inside is well compacted, and the walls are covered with a waterproofing compound.
• Further, a layer of sand 80 ÷ 100 mm thick is poured onto the soil, moistened and compacted.
• A ruberoid is laid on top of the sand with a 150 ÷ ​​200 mm approach to the walls. The canvases are overlapped by 120 ÷ 150 mm, it is advisable to fasten them with waterproof adhesive tape or glue them together thermally using tar mastic.
• Further, expanded clay is poured onto the roofing material in such a way that the future floor screed is approximately 50 mm lower than the height of the foundation.

• Further, expanded clay is distributed over the entire surface in an even layer. Additionally, XPS slabs 50 mm thick can be laid on it - they have sufficient rigidity and can easily withstand all loads, do not forget that before laying expanded clay should be covered with dense polyethylene.

• A reinforcing mesh with cells from 50 to 100 mm is laid on the surface prepared in this way.
• Beacons are placed on top of the reinforcing belt, along which it will be aligned.
• If the sewer hole is located in the center of the insulated room, then the beacons are laid at a slight angle to it, so that when the concrete is leveled, a slight slope is formed from all sides of the room to the drain.
• Further, along the perimeter of the room, a damper tape is glued or otherwise attached to the lower part of the walls. This measure will keep the screed from deformation during temperature changes, since compensates thermal expansion of the material.

• Prepared concrete is laid out on the reinforcing mesh, mixed from sand and cement in a ratio of 3: 1, and leveled using the building rule. It is advisable to introduce special plasticizers that are commercially available into the composition - this will improve the quality of the coating. Often, ready-made screed mortars with an already optimized composition for rooms with high humidity or for external works .
• After hardening and screeding and gaining strength, it is impregnated with a waterproofing compound () of deep penetration.

• When the soil dries, ceramic tiles are laid. Another option is to install logs with wooden flooring on the concrete floor. Well processed boards on it should be fixed at a distance of 20 ÷ 30 mm from each other.

Wooden floor

For wooden baths, wooden floors are traditional. To arrange them correctly, in addition to insulation operations, it is necessary to provide for high-quality waterproofing. Do not forget about the ventilation of the floor - for this, special channels must be left in the foundation.

Works on the device and floor insulation are carried out in such a sequence:

• First of all, a drain pipe is connected to the bath. The drain is usually located in the middle of the room, and all the insulation materials and the ceiling are arranged around it.

• A roofing material is laid on the compacted soil, which must rise to the walls by 150 ÷ ​​200 mm.
• Expanded clay is laid on top of the waterproofing. The greater its thickness, the better, but between its surface and the floor beams there must be a ventilation distance of at least 200 ÷ 250 mm.
• Next, on waterproofed with layers of roofing material, the protruding part of the foundation is laid with floor beams. All wooden floor elements must be processed in advance.

• The cranial bars are nailed or screwed onto the lower parts of the floor beams, on which the subfloor boards will be mounted.

• The subfloor is covered with a vapor barrier film, which covers both the floor beams and the boards laid between them.
• Further, a heater is laid on the subfloor between the floor beams - it can be mineral wool or the same expanded clay.

• From above, the insulation material is closed with another layer of vapor barrier film.

Above - another layer of waterproofing

• Logs are fixed perpendicular to the floor beams, on which a wooden flooring is arranged. A hole is made in the middle - a drain pipe will go into it.

• On the style, slats are nailed, cut at an angle of 5 ÷ 7 degrees towards the drain - they will become a crate for mounting a waterproof wooden floor.
• Between the bars of the crate, the insulation is laid with a foil layer up and fastened together with foil tape. The thermal insulator must completely cover the bars of the crate.

• A non-leaking, well-fitted, fine wood flooring is laid on top at an angle.

Another option for insulation for wooden and concrete floors

In addition to those presented above, there are still a very large number of different options for warming the floor of the bath. You can briefly talk about another possible way to equip the floor using polystyrene foam. The method is more time consuming, but suitable for both concrete and wood flooring.

1 - soil;

2- layer of sand;

3 - foam plates;

4 - cement mortar with foam chips;

5 - waterproofing layer;

6 - cement mortar with vermiculite;

7 - concrete screed;

9 - boardwalk.

• In this option, the space under the future floor will have to be deepened by 500 ÷ 600 mm, and the soil at its bottom will be well tamped.
• Then, a layer of sand 50 ÷ 70 mm thick is poured to the bottom, which is wetted and compacted with a manual rammer.
• A dense waterproofing film is laid on top of this layer, which should completely cover the bottom and be on the walls by 200-300 mm. On its walls must be securely fixed.
• Instead of expanded clay, which was used in the first versions, a layer of expanded polystyrene boards is laid on the film. Its total thickness should be at least 150 ÷ ​​200 mm.
• Further, a screed made of cement mortar and foam plastic in proportions of 2: 1 is laid on the foam plastic slabs. The thickness of this layer should be 50 ÷ 70 mm. This layer will be not only insulating, but also reinforcing for the slab material laid below.
• Then a layer of waterproofing is laid again - for it you can use a dense plastic film or roofing felt. Cloths must be fastened together with waterproof tape.
• The next layer in this "pie" is a layer of concrete with vermiculite, mixed in proportions of 3: 1. Its thickness should be 50 ÷ 100 mm. is a natural material that has high thermal insulation properties. Insects and rodents never settle in it, it is not subject to rotting and decomposition. The vermiculite layer will significantly increase the thermal insulation of the floor.

It looks like a natural material - vermiculite

The table shows the proportions cement-vermiculite solutions and their performance characteristics:

Characteristics of solutions with vermiculite
Cement (kg)	40	30	250	200	150	120	100
Vermiculite (liter)	130	130	130	130	130	130	130
Water (liter)	42.5	41	40	39.5	39	38.5	38
Bulk weight (kg/m³) dry	60	50	43	39	34	31	29
Compressive strength (kg/cm²)	20	13	10	7	5	2	1
Dry Thermal Conductivity (W/m×°K)	0.13	0.11	0.1	0,092	0,083	0,075	0,07
Thermal conductivity at 5% humidity (W/m×°K)	0.17	0,145	0.13	0.12	0.105	0.09	0.08
Sound absorption coefficient at a frequency of 1000 Hz	0.37	0.51	0.54	0,56	0.6	0.64	0.73

• The hardened screed is reinforced with a reinforcing mesh with cells up to 100 mm, and beacons for the upper concrete screed are set on it. Beacons are fixed on a concrete or gypsum mortar, at an angle of 5-7 degrees towards the drain.
• Further, concrete is laid out on this structure, in the same proportions and combinations with modifying additives, as described above. The thickness of the screed near the drain must be at least 50mm.
• After hardening the screed, ceramic tiles are laid on it or removable wooden floorings of wetted floors are arranged.

Boards in such semi pinned at a distance of 15 ÷ 20 mm from each other - this will allow not only to quickly leave the water from the flooring, but also to dry the wood. In addition, removable ones can be periodically put outside for airing and drying, so you need to foresee their size in advance so that they can freely pass through the bath door.

Bath wall insulation

It is equally important, in addition to the floor, to reliably insulate the walls and ceiling of the bath rooms. The walls and ceiling of a brick or wooden bath are insulated according to the same principle, the only difference between them will be the thickness of the thermal insulation layer. Since wood has a lower thermal conductivity than brick, the latter will require a thicker layer of insulation to be fixed.

Particular attention to the insulation of the walls of the bath

The process of wall insulation is carried out as follows:

• The walls are treated with an antiseptic composition - it will protect them from the appearance and spread of mold and fungus.
• Next, it is necessary to fix the hydrovapor barrier film on the wall.
• The crate is mounted.
• Insulation is placed between the guides of the crate.
• The vapor barrier is attached.
• The slats of the counter-lattice are nailed - this will create the necessary ventilation gap.
• The facing material is installed.

The sequence of work is common, but walls made of different materials have their own characteristics.

brick walls

• Lathing bars are fixed to the brick wall in increments of 600 mm. The size of the beam section should be equal to the thickness of the selected insulation. Usually, for a brick wall, it is taken to insulate slag wool in mats, 100 mm thick, which means that the thickness of the batten guides should be 100 mm.

• Insulation is placed between the bars in the spacer. You can help fix it with a stretched zigzag nylon cord.
• The next layer is a hydro-vapor barrier film, which is fixed to the bars of the crate. The overlaps between the canvases (at least 150 mm) are glued with waterproof tape.
• Further, the rails of the counter-lattice are nailed to the bars.
• Then a foil insulation is stretched over the entire surface, 8 ÷ 10 mm thick, which is attached to the rails. Joints are sealed with foil tape.

• From above, the entire "pie" is sheathed with wooden clapboard, which is fixed to the same rails of the counter-lattice.

It should be noted that if a foil insulation is used in the insulation process, then an additional layer of vapor barrier can be excluded, since this type of insulation material perfectly holds back steam.

Log wall insulation

1 - log wall;

2 - basalt insulation with a foil surface;

3 - crate bars;

4 - lining;

5 - ventilation gap between the insulation and lining.

The walls of a log bath in themselves have low thermal conductivity and retain heat well inside the room, provided that the joints of the logs at the corners and between themselves are well sealed. Therefore, insulation is carried out as follows:

• Basalt mineral wool with a foil layer is fixed to the wall, which should be facing the room. The thickness of the insulation is selected from 50 to 80 mm. You can fix it with special fasteners with wide caps - "fungi", which are recessed into the insulation.
• On top of the insulation, wooden bars of the crate are nailed vertically or horizontally.
• Further, the wall is sheathed, having a thickness of 10 mm - it is attached to the bars of the crate.

Timber wall insulation

A wall made of timber should be, just like a log wall, well insulated in itself, that is, all cracks and gaps are caulked with tow. It is easier to attach all the components of the insulation “pie” to it, since it has a flat surface into which fasteners are easily screwed or clogged. Warming it occurs in the following sequence:

• A crate made of a bar is attached to the wall, at a distance of 600 mm between the guides.
• Further, insulation material is laid between the bars - it is better if it is mineral wool.
• Then the whole structure is closed with a rolled foil insulation, which is fixed to the bars of the crate, and the joints of the individual sheets are glued together with foil tape.
• Counter rails are nailed on top of the bars, which will create a ventilation gap between the insulation and the lining.
• At the end of the process, the warming "pie" is sheathed with clapboard.

It must be said that there are other options for laying layers of insulation, but the above are considered the most popular and frequently used, as they are quite simple and have long been tested in practice.

Ceiling insulation

The ceiling can be mounted and insulated in three ways - you can choose any of them if it is suitable for the existing structure of the bath.

panel ceiling

This ceiling is mounted from panels, which already consist of all the layers necessary for vapor barrier, insulation and inner cladding, fixed on the supporting bars. As a heater in the panel, mineral wool is most often laid, having a thickness of at least 100 mm.

Shields are mounted at the bottom and rise up already in finished form. A feature of such insulation is that insulation gaskets must also be laid between the finished panels - this process is carried out after the panels are fixed on the bath floor.

Lifting the panels to the top can be complicated by the fact that they are quite heavy when assembled, so very often they are lifted in parts and assembled at a height.

false ceiling

A false ceiling is fundamentally different in its design from a panel one, since its installation takes place according to a different principle, somewhat similar to wall insulation.

• The frame for such a ceiling is the beams of the attic floor, laid in increments of 600 mm.
• From the side of the attic room, waterproofing is laid on the floor beams, which should cover the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ceiling.
• On the waterproofing, also from the side of the attic, a wooden flooring is fixed.
• Insulation is laid between the floor beams by surprise.

• Then the insulation is closed with a vapor barrier or foil material, which is fixed to the floor beams.
• The last step is the lining of the ceiling with a wooden clapboard.

There is another option for insulating a false ceiling, using other insulating materials, for example, expanded clay. In this case, almost all work is carried out from the side of the attic, except for the finishing lining of the ceiling surface with clapboard.

Decking ceiling

The deck ceiling also differs from the two already mentioned in its design, in particular the fact that it is laid directly on the walls of the room, that is, in principle, it does not rely on floor beams. For such a ceiling, boards with a thickness of at least 30 mm are used.

From the side of the attic, a vapor barrier and insulation are laid on the style of the boards, which are covered from above with a waterproofing film and plywood or plank flooring.

The advantages of this design include the speed and ease of installation, but this version of the ceiling can only be used when insulating a small bath room, with distances between walls no more than 2.5 ÷ 2.7 m.

A detailed publication on the description of all the materials necessary for this and step-by-step instructions can be found on the pages of our portal by clicking on the recommended link.

If the installation of thermal insulation and auxiliary materials is carried out correctly, then the heat in the bath rooms will remain for a very long time, which will help to significantly save on fuel.

In conclusion - a detailed video tutorial on warming a bathhouse built using frame technology.

Video: warming and finishing a frame bath

The internal insulation of the bath is one of the most important stages in the arrangement of this building. Without high-quality thermal insulation, the owner will have to spend much more resources on heating the steam room, and the very situation in the bath without properly installed protection will leave much to be desired.

Since ancient times in Russia, moss, felt and even flax have been used to insulate baths, mainly due to the lack of other heaters - vegetable fiber either rots or dries, therefore today it is not used for basic thermal insulation.

Red moss - insulation

The main difference between warming a bathhouse and a similar event in an ordinary house is simple: in the steam room you need to keep the heat for as long as possible, i.e. high temperatures should remain indoors for as long as possible.

Thermal insulation work in the bath can be carried out using a wide variety of materials. For example, an ideal solution is a modern insulation based on stone wool with a foil coating - it does not burn, withstanding temperatures up to 750 degrees, effectively retains heat, does not rot, and is not of interest to rodents.

After reviewing the information below, you will get a complete theoretical understanding of the process of performing the internal insulation of a steam room, as well as study the step-by-step instructions for self-installation of heat-insulating materials.

Any construction, repair and finishing activities begin with the preparation of materials, without which the implementation of the planned work will simply be impossible. Pay due attention to the study of the list below: it is better to spend a little time reading and buy everything you need right away than to return to the store and buy more of what you forgot.

insulation

The main component of the list under consideration. The modern market offers the widest range of thermal insulation materials, but not every one of them is suitable for use in a steam room - humidity and temperature can be too tough. For warming the bath, the most commonly used are: expanded clay (floor insulation), materials based on stone wool, and expanded polystyrene.

Important! It is strongly not recommended to use foam plastic for warming the steam room directly - at high temperatures, a material of dubious quality can most likely release substances harmful to human health.

Comparative characteristics of the mentioned materials are given in the following table.

Table. Comparison of popular bath heaters

Evaluation criterion
Structure	Bulk material of natural origin. Presented in the form of granules with a cellular structure.	fibrous structure. The arrangement of fibers is both vertical and horizontal, disordered.	Open cell structure.
moisture permeability	The material does not pass water.	Mineral wool insulation has practically no tendency to absorb moisture.	Moisture permeability is extremely low.
The weight	Light	Medium-light	Light
Strength	high	Medium	Medium
Compressive strength	high	From low to medium, depending on the specific type of material and manufacturer's technologies.	Medium
Toxicity	The material is safe	No toxic properties	Over time, it begins to release harmful substances
Can be used under high load conditions	Suitable	Depending on the brand of material	not suitable
prone to decay	The material retains its original integrity for a long time	Durable insulation	Has a tendency to break down
UV resistance	Doesn't react to sunlight	Features high UV resistance	Long-term direct contact with sunlight has an extremely negative effect on the performance of the material.

As noted, expanded clay is suitable for warming bath floors. Bulk material allows you to provide the required thermal insulation of both wooden and concrete structures. Mineral wool insulation is optimally suited for insulating both walls and ceilings. The best option, as noted, is a stone wool-based heat-insulating material equipped with an additional foil coating - the key characteristics of such heaters are at a higher level.

Mineral wool prices

mineral wool

In accordance with the current provisions of the technology for carrying out the work in question, the joints of the insulation boards must be glued with foil tape. This will create a sealed surface with the highest possible thermal insulation properties.

foil tape prices

foil tape

The elements of the heat-insulating coating are placed in the cells of a pre-mounted crate, for the assembly of which wooden bars are used. Select the cross section of the bars in accordance with the thickness of the thermal insulation. For example, if you are equipping a 10 cm thermal insulation layer, use bars with a similar thickness or width to assemble the frame.

Choose the distance between the bars 1-2 cm less than the width of the plates or the insulation roll. For bulk materials, the optimal distance between the bars is 45-60 cm.

Fixing the elements of the crate (bars) is carried out using dowels / self-tapping screws (if the surface is wooden) or anchors (if the base is stone). The length of the fasteners is also selected in accordance with the base material: for wood - 2-2.5 cm, for capital structures - from 4 cm.

The specific length of fasteners is determined in accordance with the characteristics of their use. For example, during the installation of the crate, the fasteners must be of such length that high-quality fixation of the timber / profile of the selected section is ensured. The cross section of the beam itself, as well as the profile parameters, are determined in accordance with the thickness of the heat-insulating layer to be equipped.

Additional materials

If the bath is insulated with a material other than foil mineral wool, you will additionally have to purchase a hydro-vapor barrier film.

If a concrete screed is planned to be poured, the work set will increase to include the items listed below:

• reinforcing mesh;
• mixture for pouring the screed or materials for its self-preparation (cement, sand, water);
• lighthouses;
• damper tape;
• polyethylene.

Prices for waterproofing film

hydro vapor barrier film

The floors in the bath can be wooden or concrete. The technology for arranging the directly heat-insulating layer does not have any special differences depending on the material for making the floor, except that in the case of a concrete structure, more expanded clay will have to be poured.

The thickness of the backfill is usually determined in accordance with the thickness of the walls. On average, a layer of expanded clay is poured at least 2 times thicker than the walls. If the height of the room allows, the thickness of the backfill can be further increased - this will help increase the efficiency of insulation.

Previously, for greater convenience of work and subsequently more accurate control of the evenness of the backfill, mark the base. To do this, it is enough to divide it with parallel lines into sections up to 1 m wide or along the length of the rule you use.

Important! If you are insulating the floor on the ground, at the very beginning, even before marking, you must do the following:

• carefully tamp the ground inside the base (if the foundation design assumes the presence of “free” soil, for example, in the case of strip supports);
• cover the walls with impregnation for waterproofing;
• fill the soil with a 10-centimeter layer of sand, spill it with water and carefully tamp;
• cover the sand with roofing material with a 15-centimeter overlap on the walls. Lay individual sheets of roofing material also with a 15 cm overlap. For fastening, use waterproof construction tape.

Directly the procedure for warming the floor with expanded clay with illustrations and the necessary explanations is given in the following table.

Table. Bath floor insulation with expanded clay

Stage	Illustration	Necessary explanations
		The film must be stretched so that its edges along the wall are above the floor level. If the base is already covered with roofing material, there is no need to lay the film.
		For example, a profile for drywall is well suited. The guides are set in accordance with the previously applied markings and fixed in a suitable way, for example, screws or nails.
		Set the beacons according to the level. In the future, these accessories will help you fill the most even layer of expanded clay, which will ensure the best quality of further planned work. Determine the installation height of the guides in accordance with the required thickness of the heat-insulating layer. Many developers do without guides, but this is a less convenient and accurate option.
We pour expanded clay		The previously installed guides will help to do this as efficiently as possible.
		For leveling, we use a rule or an ordinary rail of a suitable length.
		For greater convenience of leveling the insulation, we can use various auxiliary devices. For example, in large areas, a rake will come in handy.

The floor is insulated and ready for further development in accordance with the developer's plans. At the discretion of the owner, additional heat-insulating material, for example, mineral wool or expanded polystyrene, can be laid on top of expanded clay.

As an example, a diagram of a concrete floor, equipped with expanded clay for thermal insulation, is given.

Video - Floor insulation with expanded clay

Insulation of bath walls and ceiling

Wall insulation schemes will vary somewhat depending on the material of manufacture. Information about this is presented in the following table.

Table. Wall insulation schemes

Production material	Scheme
	1 - wall, 2 - thermal insulation, 3 - lathing, 4 - sheathing, 5 - ventilation gap.

The sequence of thermal insulation work remains the same for walls made of any materials: if necessary, a hydrovapor barrier film is attached, lathing bars are mounted, insulation is placed in the formed cells, another layer of hydrovapor barrier is fixed on top (if necessary), lathing laths are nailed for finishing sheathing (at the same time they will provide the necessary ventilation gap), the selected finishing material is mounted (usually lining).

The ceiling is insulated in a similar sequence. An example of a ceiling thermal insulation scheme is shown in the following image.

Information regarding the step-by-step insulation of the walls and ceiling of the bath is given in the following table.

Important! Insulation will be carried out with a mineral wool material with a foil layer, which eliminates the need for preliminary fastening of a hydrovapor barrier material to the surface. The order of work is considered on the example of wooden surfaces. For concrete walls and floors, the recommendations are the same, the only thing is that you need to use other fasteners and for greater convenience, wooden guides can be replaced with a metal profile.

Table. The procedure for insulating walls and ceilings in the bath from the inside

Stage of work	Illustration	Necessary explanations
		Information regarding the elements used to arrange the frame, as well as fasteners for fixing the guides in different cases, was given earlier. The installation step of the guides is selected in accordance with the width of the insulation. As a standard, this is about 60 cm, it can be reduced to 59-59.5 cm so that the heat-insulating elements lie as tightly as possible.
Slab laying rules		We must first put on gloves - the contact of “bare” skin with mineral wool does not deliver the most pleasant sensations. The foil material is laid with foil inside the room - thanks to this, the heat will not only be retained, but also additionally reflected into the steam room.
		The slabs are installed by surprise into the frame and do not require additional mechanical fastening.
Installation of plates on the wall	Installation of plates on the wall	The sequence and recommendations for wall and ceiling insulation are similar. To insulate the partition separating the steam room from the adjacent room, a layer 50 mm thick is usually sufficient.
		The thermal insulation of the outer wall requires a thicker layer - 100-150 mm (in regions with a particularly cold climate - up to 200 mm).
		In order to save money, the insulation can be made two-layer, equipping one layer of ordinary mineral wool, and the second, which will “look” into the room, from a foil-coated material.
		The use of such a heater, as noted, eliminates the need for additional waterproofing materials.
		Having filled the frame with heat-insulating plates, we glue the seams and joints with foil tape.
		A 1-2 cm gap is enough. The outer trim will be attached to the same crate in the future. Important! The order of further installation of the lining depends on the location of the rails: if the rails are fixed vertically, the lining must be fixed horizontally, and vice versa.
		The best material for the interior lining of the bath is lining. The choice of material for the manufacture of the skin is at the discretion of the owner. The fixing of the cladding elements is traditionally performed using screws / self-tapping screws.

Video - Insulation of walls and ceiling from the inside

Now you know everything about how to properly insulate a bath with your own hands using the most optimal heat-insulating materials for this. The information obtained will help you cope with the planned events on your own, eliminating the need to contact third-party masters and saving significantly.

Successful work!

Video - Insulation of the bath from the inside scheme