Construction of walls and roof of a frame bath: phased construction of the frame and its cladding

Frame construction technology came to Russia from the West. The conceptual difference in the approach to the construction of buildings for a long time did not allow the technology to gain a strong position, and was considered as prefabricated temporary housing and auxiliary buildings. However, over time, more and more attention began to be paid to the frame construction technique. Previously built houses have shown reliability and durability. The speed of construction, low demands on the quality of the foundation due to its low weight, good heat conservation, and the possibility of erecting a mobile structure have made this method of construction popular and widely known. These advantages and a small number of disadvantages of frame buildings contribute to the popularity of these houses and baths.

A bathhouse built using frame technology is not inferior in quality to more expensive building options (for comparison, read about logs or timber; a separate article is devoted to comparing frame and timber bathhouses, as well as about bathhouses made of foam blocks), despite the fact that in addition to saving on construction the bathhouse itself, it turns out a solid gain on the foundation. In practice, it has been found that the biggest calculations are caused by the roof of the bathhouse; care must be taken that it does not turn out to be overly heavy. Light walls are unsuitable for heavy loads, and the weight of the roof must correspond to the capabilities of the walls.

Wall pie of a frame bath

Floor covering installation.
Very often, when we talk about a wall, a picture of brickwork appears in our heads, but nowadays a wall is not just stacked bricks or concrete, but a very complex, multi-layered structure.

The wall can be made in several layers, each of which will consist of a specific building material, combining insulation, bricks and other materials necessary for the work.

An example of a properly made pie would be the following combination of layers:

1. Beam with a thickness of at least 150x50 for the frame.
2. Mineral insulation, which will be located between the frame racks (you can use rolls or mats of mineral wool).
3. OSB board with a minimum thickness of 15 mm.
4. Horizontal type lathing.
5. Insulation required for horizontal sheathing.
6. Vapor barrier (or wind barrier), the use of a multifunctional membrane is acceptable.
7. Vertical type lathing.
8. Exterior finishing.
9. Material for vapor barrier.
10. Lining (or drywall) for interior decoration.

Exterior wall decoration

It doesn’t matter that a frame sauna will be an inexpensive option for a bathhouse, it can be given a very expensive and exclusive appearance, and you don’t have to get by with just painting the walls. Thanks to a large number of modern building materials, you can give the bathhouse walls a decent appearance. The external walls can be finished with thermal panels, facing bricks, vinyl siding, or block house.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with How to glue penofol to a wall?

What is important here is the imagination of the master, who can make a beautiful and functional room from a frame version of a bathhouse.

Source

Ceiling insulation

For the ceiling we also recommend using pressed mineral wool, a thickness of 10 cm will be enough

It is very important to make a reliable vapor barrier; mineral wool under the ceiling works in the most difficult conditions

Ceiling insulation

The sheets can be placed on the rough ceiling (the optimal option from our point of view) or secured against falling out with any metal slats, and special 20x50 mm slats can be nailed to secure the finishing lining.

Step 1: Nail the sub-ceiling to the ceiling joists. To do this, you can take unedged boards of the second or third grade with a thickness of approximately 20 mm. Don't forget to remove the bark. Over time, wood pests will always appear under the bark, which will begin to damage not only the boards of the rough ceiling, but also all the wooden structures of the frame bath. The distance between the boards is 20÷25 cm; for fixing, you can use ordinary nails or wood screws.

Draft ceiling installation

Example of a draft ceiling

Step 2. Place sheets of insulation in the free niches of the rough ceiling, carefully aligning them around the entire perimeter. First, you should put all the insulation from the attic side, then correct their position from the inside. Insert a knife or hacksaw blade into the joints between the sheets and, moving them forward/backward, achieve a perfect fit of the insulation on all sides.

Laying mineral wool

Step 3. Do a vapor barrier. To do this, you can use aluminum foil, modern membrane materials or ordinary polyethylene film. All these materials cope well with the tasks, although the difference in price can be very significant.

Bath ceiling vapor barrier

Be very careful when working with foil - it tears quickly. And any hole significantly reduces the effectiveness of the vapor barrier with all the resulting negative consequences. The vapor barrier is fixed with a stapler; do not allow the material to sag too much. The distance between the finished ceiling paneling and the insulating material must be at least one centimeter.

Sheathing slats are fixed on top of the vapor barrier for installing the lining

Step 4. Nail slats approximately two centimeters thick to the ceiling beams; the lining will be attached to them.

Video - Insulation of a frame bath

Step 5. Check the position of the waterproofing and insulation, if everything is normal, then begin finishing the ceiling. During sheathing, additional work may occur if the stove chimney exits through the roof. How to finish a chimney pipe?

The principle of protecting an insulated ceiling from heat

The scope of work will depend on the material of manufacture and the type of chimney. Let's look at the four most common types of chimney pipes.

1. Sandwich pipe. The most modern chimney, has built-in thermal insulation, and is mounted together with the ceiling trim.
2. An ordinary metal pipe. The most dangerous in terms of fire safety standards. When insulating ceilings, you need to leave a distance of at least twenty centimeters between its walls and the nearest wooden elements. The hole in the ceiling after insulation and installation of the chimney should be covered with a sheet of metal. To seal cracks, use a thin layer of mineral wool or sheet asbestos. The material is placed between the ceiling sheathing and a sheet of iron and tightened tightly with screws or nails.
3. Ordinary brick. As a rule, the wall thickness of such a chimney is 220 cm. Additional measures for insulating wooden structures are the same as in the case of metal ones.
4. Classic brick. It has a special thickening (fluff) at the place where the ceiling passes. Additional fire prevention measures are not taken in the area where the chimney passes through the ceiling.

Vapor barrier

The meaning of vapor barrier is to prevent water vapor from wetting the insulation, which therefore loses its thermal insulation properties.

In the case of foil, the task becomes more complicated: not only does it not allow steam to pass through, but it must also reflect most of the infrared radiation. More information about foil can be obtained from the link given above, where we looked at the insulation of the steam room.

The physical properties of the material used as a vapor barrier should not change with strong heating.

It also includes environmental requirements for insulation.

Bath wall construction with vapor barrier.

Experienced builders recommend using rolled ursa 50 mm thick to insulate walls. It is laid between racks located vertically, with the slats alternately nailed to them. In some places it is possible to nail directly to the outer boards, but this can only be done using special nails that have a rubber washer under the head.

A negative for a frame bath is the formation of moisture in winter, when it is hot in the bath. It is for such moments that a vapor barrier is needed. At the moment, the best option is plastic film, which should be placed under the inner lining.

It is important to note that the steam room will require high-quality vapor barrier lining. A good example of this type of vapor barrier is aluminum foil, vapor barrier film, glassine and other materials. For this room, it is undesirable to use roofing felt or roofing felt because of the specific odor that will be released when heated.

Thus, a wall cake is obtained consisting of the following layers:

• layer of outer lining;
• a layer of glassine;
• insulation layer;
• a layer of polyethylene film;
• layer of inner lining.

It is very important that a small gap of 5 cm thick is formed inside the wall.

Frame-panel structure for a bathhouse: project features

A simple frame made of wooden beams, covered with insulated panels, is a frame-panel bathhouse.

Advantages and Weaknesses

The undoubted advantages of the design are the low cost of materials, speed of construction, ease of construction work, minimal shrinkage, low thermal conductivity and very rapid heating of the material. Of the minuses, it is worth noting the joints between the shields. However, with adequate organization of vapor barrier and mineral insulation, they will not interfere, since the structure will become airtight.

Who is a panel bath suitable for? If you do not have a large budget and are looking for quick construction, this option is for you. The disadvantage is the fragility of the project, only 10 - 15 years, while an expensive log bathhouse will last a lifetime. The structure itself weighs little, so it is placed on a columnar foundation; the pillars are placed at the corners of the building, at the intersections of internal walls and under their edges.

How to assemble a frame-panel bathhouse

Assembling the frame of a panel bath begins with treating the wood with an antiseptic to protect it from rot, insects and fungus. Treating all load-bearing structures and finishing with fire retardants is highly desirable to ensure fire safety. The pillars are covered with roofing felt to avoid excessive moisture.

Next, the frame of the panel bath is assembled in the following sequence:

• base piping;
• load-bearing racks;
• installation of the top trim and ceiling;
• wall cladding (in layers - internal cladding, wooden frame, vapor barrier, insulation, water and wind insulation and external cladding);
• roof.

If you study the reviews of owners about frame-panel baths, you will find a lot of positive impressions. Just a few days for assembly, the efficiency of the stove with sufficient power, the possibility of purchasing a ready-made frame-panel structure - these are the main positive aspects that the owners of such baths talk about.

Steam room, washing room or dressing room

Steam room insulation

The steam room is the room with the highest temperature. In a Russian bath, 60-90 degrees are optimal, in a Finnish bath – 70-110. In addition, bathhouses often burn down. This means that the materials used in construction must:

• withstand such temperature (and humidity);
• do not release toxic substances when heated;
• do not support combustion.

The restrictions are quite significant. The types of insulation will be discussed below, but it is already clear that the choice is extremely limited.

If environmentally friendly insulation absorbs a lot of moisture (losing its properties), you have to take care of its high-quality insulation between the layers of the hydro- and vapor barrier. And to prevent rotting of the wood, which is most often used to finish a steam room, it is necessary to leave ventilation gaps between the vapor barrier and the same lining or imitation timber.

From what has been said it is already clear that the steam room is insulated from the inside. The ceiling part requires special attention, because light steam tends upward to the ceiling, where the main heat loss occurs in the absence or improper insulation. The vapor barrier is laid in two layers.

Foil is often used in a steam room because it can reflect infrared radiation and return it to the room (like in a thermos). In addition, it is an excellent vapor barrier because it does not allow water to pass through at all.

Another problem area is the furnace chimney outlet. It must be well insulated, and the ceiling must be protected from overheating. A high threshold to the steam room and a low but wide door will help retain heat.

Insulation of the washing room

Insulation of walls in a washing room in a bathhouse. The washing room differs from the steam room in that the temperatures here are lower and the humidity is higher. However, the task of saving heat is also relevant for soap. The insulation methods are no different from the steam room, except that there is no need for double vapor barrier.

But there is a need for good ventilation. The floor in the washroom is often made of tiles. If desired, it is insulated with a “warm floor” system. Less steam accumulates under the ceiling than in a steam room, but there is no point in leaving room for heat loss here either, so the ceiling of the washing room is also carefully insulated.

The dressing room, although not directly exposed to steam and water, is still a room with high humidity - the proximity to a steam room and washing room has an effect. Therefore, all recommendations regarding the choice of insulation materials and the need for insulation apply to it.

The dressing room also needs insulation so that it does not become a refrigerator that will take heat from other rooms. The diagram of a regular cake may not be needed if polyurethane foam is used as insulation in the dressing room - it does not need to be attached to the wall and insulated from moisture and steam.

Protection of the chimney ceiling passage from heat

The chimney passage through the ceiling must be equipped with a passage unit. Even when using a special sandwich pipe on the chimney, no contact with wooden parts is allowed.

There are ready-made passage units available for sale, which are a sheet of metal with a hole for the pipe and a box surrounding it. A square hole is cut in the ceiling the size of the box plus a layer of insulator.

The passage unit, lined with a layer of insulator, is inserted into the hole, which is also pre-studded around the entire perimeter with insulator, and is fastened with screws. The chimney, wrapped with asbestos cord, is passed through the hole and vented outside. The box of the passage unit can be covered with expanded clay on top.

Construction of a bathhouse using frame technology is an economical, effective and quick solution to the problem. The result will be a fully functional sauna, the heating time of which is almost half that of a conventional wooden one, and the fuel costs are lower. Such properties make the choice of materials for a bathhouse and frame construction technology the most profitable and preferable. More than enough information is given here about the construction of the walls of a frame bath. Now it’s up to you and a bathhouse made of boards and insulation will be able to delight you and your household.

Insulation of walls near the stove and chimney

Wall areas near the chimney and stove are a fire risk factor and require appropriate installation. The wall through which the combustion tunnel passes, or the stove touches, must be made of brick. The installation site of the stove is equipped with two layers of felt, on which three layers of brick are placed. No contact of the stove or chimney with wooden parts or insulation material is allowed. The distance from the stove to the nearest combustible structures must be at least 50 cm. It is recommended to construct a brick case around the stove, which will reliably protect wooden structures and people from the heat of a metal stove.

How to insulate a bathhouse from the inside - brick, frame, block or log

Before starting work, be sure to eliminate all defects: seal and insulate the cracks, treat the walls with fire retardants and antiseptics, if you think necessary, check the tightness of the connections, etc. After completing the preparatory work, you can begin installing the thermal insulation.

The pie itself generally looks like this:

• a wall on which bars are packed;
• heat insulator laid between the bars;
• vapor barrier;
• a lathing made of planks that holds materials and serves for installation of finishing.

Bathroom wall insulation scheme

Step 1. A sheathing of bars is attached to the walls, into which the heat insulator is tightly inserted. The thickness of the bars must correspond to the thickness of the thermal insulation. A vapor barrier is attached to the bars, which is usually aluminum foil. After the foil, a lathing under the lining with a thickness of 20-3 mm is attached, and then the walls are sheathed with lining.

Main conclusions:

1. There is no need to leave a gap between the insulation and aluminum foil in the bathhouse;
2. It is advisable to leave a gap between the aluminum foil (or other foil material) and the lining so that condensate can flow down freely. Otherwise, the lining will rot very quickly.

We tightly lay the heat insulator between the bars. The thickness of the insulation corresponds to the thickness of the bars

The pitch of filling the bars under the insulation is determined by the width of the selected heat insulator: the distance between the bars should be approximately 1 cm less than the actual width of the insulation (in this case, the insulation will fit tightly to the bars).

Step 2. Insulation is placed tightly between the padded bars, without gaps, with little effort. With the correct distance between the bars, the heat insulator holds well on its own, but to be sure, you can fasten it using hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel screws and washers of large diameter (read about the choice of fastening materials for a bathhouse in this article).

If the heat insulator you choose is foil, to ensure tightness, cover each connection with a patch of aluminum tape, and on top you need to secure another piece of foil with an adhesive backing - tightness is very important: most heat insulators lose their properties in the presence of moisture. For example, the thermal conductivity of wet basalt wool is much greater than dry one. For this reason, the insulation should not be allowed to get wet.

In this case, you also need to carefully approach the sealing of the joints of foil thermal insulation and bars: they need to be glued with the same foil tape, ensuring that there is at least 5 cm of overlap on both the insulation and the bars.

The joints must be taped with aluminum tape. For steam rooms, it is recommended to use foil or foil-coated materials as a vapor barrier.

In other rooms, you can install any other material that is suitable for its performance characteristics.

The strips of the selected material are laid so that they overlap by at least 5 cm. All joints are additionally carefully glued using foil tape, which is sold in the same place where vapor barriers are sold. Attach it to the bars using staples and a construction stapler. To maintain tightness and prevent steam from entering the thermal insulation, it is advisable to seal the joints with the same foil tape.

The video below shows how insulation is installed in a Finnish sauna and covered with aluminum foil.

When insulating the ceiling, there should be an “entry” of the heat and vapor barrier onto the walls. When installing wall insulation, run it over the top of the wall “pie”, and then carefully seal the joints (use foil tape again).

Step 3. After completing the installation of the “pie,” a sheathing of slats is filled onto the protruding bars. It will hold the materials and also serve as the basis for attaching the interior decoration.

This is what the wall may look like after all the work is completed: 1 - insulation, 2 - vapor barrier, 3 - lining

The warmer the sauna itself is, the less wood will be consumed to heat it and the longer the heat will be retained in it. In general, insulating a bathhouse is a complex process. And the relaxation room, steam room and dressing room can be insulated in completely different ways: due to their constant microclimate. So how to properly insulate a bathhouse? Let's figure it out.

Bath insulation

Thermal insulation methods

Many steam room owners do not know how to insulate a frame bathhouse. Thermal insulation methods:

1. A classic method of insulation during construction work. This is a mandatory stage during the construction and cladding of the frame. The insulation is located inside the walls, between layers of hydro- and vapor barrier.
2. External insulation of the frame. This is an additional measure that is needed if internal insulation is insufficient. For thermal insulation, polystyrene foam is used, which is glued over OSB panels and frame sheathing.

You need to think in advance about how many layers of insulation are best to sew into the walls. This will avoid unnecessary work.

How to insulate a frame bath: tips for choosing material

The insulation of a bathhouse, and even more so a frame one, must be done correctly. The material for insulating the frame structure must be chosen that is environmentally friendly and non-flammable, with high heat-saving properties. You can find out how to insulate a frame bath correctly and choose the optimal material by reading the article to the end.

A frame bathhouse without additional wall insulation will be cold and cannot be used.

It is better to use insulation for a frame bath in the form of mats.

If you choose the wrong insulation or lay it in an insufficient layer, the functionality of the steam room will be lost. Materials for insulating a frame bath can be natural or artificial. Bathhouses and synthetic insulation are incompatible; of course, the design will be cheap, but some can emit harmful fumes when heated. Natural ones include:

1. Wood-fiber.
2. Basaltic.
3. Made from linen.

For artificial ones:

1. Fiberglass.
2. Expanded polystyrene.

Depending on the shape of the frame bath, choose the types: tiled or matte. A rolled one is also suitable, but it will be more difficult to place it in a frame cake. Any beginner can cut and lay insulation in the form of slabs or mats; just understand the technology and finish reading this article.

How to build a bathhouse on a frame basis

Pre-design the location of the stove, chimney, ventilation, veranda and select the type of roof.

Foundation and bottom trim

Now about the foundation, lower trim and construction of walls:

1. A budget columnar foundation made of asbestos-cement pipes with concrete filling is suitable for a lightweight frame structure. You will need 4-meter asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of 100 mm and a filling solution made of cement, small crushed stone, sifted sand and water. First, the pipes are cut into equal halves, then inserted into wells drilled with a gas drill (depth 1.5 m; diameter 200 mm). Next, sand is poured and compacted, and at the final stage it is filled with concrete mixture.
2. The bottom trim is made from several edged boards with a cross-section of 150x50 mm, nailed together. The logs for laying the floor from the boards are cut into the frame afterwards. Pieces of roofing felt are suitable for waterproofing. For additional strength, the logs and piping are attached to the foundation pipes with metal plates, pre-walled. Finally, the structure is treated with a solution to protect it from rot and insects.

Construction of walls and roofs in a frame structure

When the wood has rested and dried well, the preparation of frame racks and parts of the rafter system for the roof begins. The installation sites for frame racks are marked. The final assembly is done like this:

1. Two corner posts and several intermediate ones are mounted.
2. Strictly leveled with screws, sheathing is done with oriented strand boards from one selected corner.
3. The remaining racks are exposed and sheathed according to the same principle.

A solid structure is obtained by sequentially adding racks and attaching OSB boards to them. Door and window openings are taken into account immediately.

Construction of the roof

The roof is done as follows:

1. All rafter structures are assembled on the ground according to a single template.
2. After assembly, they are lifted to the roof one by one, each having its own stand, above which the installation is carried out.
3. Before installing the last truss, mark out the shape of the pox sheets for future cladding of the pediment.
4. For ease of assembly work, temporary floors made of ordinary boards are laid on the beams.
5. A ventilated roof is considered to be the best in terms of functionality, so a special film is laid between the rafters and the counterbeam, and the sheathing is placed directly on the beam.
6. One of the most desirable roofing materials is ondulin.

Finishing a frame bath

External cladding with spruce or pine boards is the best and visually attractive option. The horizontal position of the elements ensures stability and additional rigidity of the frame bath. Sometimes the boards are placed end-to-end with the installation of hydro- and thermal insulation under the sheathing.

The internal lining is made to protect against environmental influences. For the rough ceiling, OSB sheets that were used previously are also suitable. Three layers of insulation will be needed to reduce heat transfer. The walls of the steam room are covered with screen foil, and the remaining walls are covered with glassine.

Next, the boards are nailed face down to the joists; at this stage, you can save money and reuse the scaffolding. The stove-heater is placed in the steam room, and the boiler-heater is placed on the side of the dressing room. For the sake of fire safety, we recommend laying a brick wall between the steam room and the relaxation area.

Installation of the ceiling and roof frame

8 ceiling beams were mounted on the top frame of the walls, and saw cuts were made at the ends of the beams to accommodate the angle of the rafters. Connections from 3 beams were installed.

8 ceiling beams are mounted on the top frame of the walls

Three beam connections

The rafters were assembled using classical technology. First, the outer rafters were exposed, pinching the ridge. Then two rafters were fixed in the center. The remaining rafters were nailed through the ridge, first on one side of the roof, then on the other.

Please note that cuts were made on the outer rafters for cantilever beams to extend the roof.

Installation of rafters for a frame bath

Vertical gable posts were installed, the dimensions were determined locally. The opening for the attic hatch is formed with beams.

Cantilever beams are embedded in the recesses on the outer rafters. Frontal boards were nailed to them, and additional sheathing was attached on top.

Cantilever beams form the roof extension

Finished roof truss system

Insulation of walls in a bathhouse made of foam blocks

When starting the process of insulating a bathhouse, priority attention should be paid to the walls. Here the main role is played by the internal frame, which ensures reliable fixation of the insulation and other materials used in the insulation procedure

The insulation is evenly distributed under the frame, and then the structure is sheathed with waterproofing. Most often, it is based on foil and similar components, whose features prevent heat from escaping from the room.

As the name suggests, the material also serves as a reliable protection for walls and insulation from moisture. In no case should you neglect waterproofing, otherwise there is a high probability of mold, mildew and other unpleasant issues. When the material is laid, the walls of the bathhouse are lined with wood. Here, ordinary lining or planed boards can be used with equal success. Along with interior decoration, external wall insulation is also used. All features and stages of both procedures will be discussed below.

Important: wall insulation when building a bathhouse made of foam blocks may not be necessary, especially if the thickness of the blocks sufficient for your climate is used. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth insulating or not; further material will help you weigh the pros and cons.

Insulation materials

There is a huge amount of materials on the market for insulating foam block baths. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, which this article will help you understand. So, most often used:

• Styrofoam. One of the traditional materials for insulation. Recently, it has been used less and less for walls, retaining heat worse than its competitors. At the same time, it seems to be the best option as insulation for the base and foundation;
• Glass wool. With proper waterproofing, it can reliably protect the room. Its structure includes glass production waste, sand, and felt. In general, it holds heat well, but the disadvantages include a specific smell during the aging process of the material;
• Expanded clay. It is used to insulate ceilings and floors by backfilling the corresponding areas;
• Jute felt. This is a completely natural material that is produced from the plant of the same name. In ancient times, felt was used in the production of burlap and other products, with excellent thermal insulation properties. The main advantage of the material is moisture rejection. As a result, along with insulation, it serves as additional protection against moisture. The disadvantages include fragility, as a result of which flax wool is on the market today, in which jute is combined with flax for greater strength;
• Basalt wool. Its main advantage is excellent fixation, which allows you to simply place the material under the frame without the use of dowels, etc. This is a mineral material, the result of processing certain stones. In particular, as the name suggests, basalt wool is extracted from basalt. Today it has the highest thermal conductivity coefficient. Basalt wool is not subject to combustion, guaranteeing fire safety;
• Ecowool. An excellent choice for thermal insulation. It is a product whose structure consists of cellulose, antiseptics and fire retardants. When using it, you can do without vapor barrier, in addition, mice and rats do not eat the material. In Western Europe and North America, ecowool has been used for a long time; in Russia, its advantages are currently being actively studied;
• Waterproofing. Most often this is foil and materials made on its basis. Provide protection for materials and walls from moisture penetration, keeping them dry;
• Foiled polystyrene foam. Today, one of the most popular insulation methods is where polyethylene foam is covered with a protective layer of foil on top. It has the advantages of all the materials described above. It is durable, easy to install and long lasting. Among the disadvantages, the possibility of corrosion should be noted.
• Liquid insulation or polyurethane foam. It has been used relatively recently, having already noted excellent sealing properties, heat and sound insulation, absolute resistance to moisture, and an almost endless service life. It grips well on any surface and does not require the creation of a frame.

Choice of insulation

Experts by a majority of votes recommend the use of slab-type mineral wool “Ecobasalt” as the most convenient, economical and proven material. However, other materials can also be used as insulation, for example:

• Ecowool . Despite a lot of positive qualities, insulation has significant drawbacks, the main of which is the loss of its qualities over time, a high risk of shrinkage with the formation of cavities, and the possibility of prolonged smoldering when exposed to high temperatures.
• Glass wool . Recently, its use has dropped sharply due to the dangers during operation. However, with proper protection of the respiratory organs and eyes, this is quite a decent insulation. absolutely non-flammable and durable.
• Expanded polystyrene, or polystyrene foam . It is light in weight and rigid, convenient for use, and easy to cut and process. Disadvantages - inaccurate fit causes the need for additional use of polyurethane foam, which, in combination with the higher price of polystyrene foam than, for example. for mineral wool, increases the cost of insulation.
• Expanded clay . Relatively cheap, fire-safe material, not afraid of dampness, lightweight, effective. The disadvantage is its flowability, which makes its use on vertical surfaces difficult. Nevertheless, expanded clay is quite suitable and even recommended for insulating the ceiling and floor of a bathhouse.
• Sawdust . Traditional insulation that has been used for centuries. They are used in the form of mixtures with clay, cement, pressed blocks (arbolite), but are not used in their pure form due to flammability and the danger of insects and rodents.
• Clay . Clay does not work as an insulator in its pure form, but it can be used in a mixture with sawdust or shavings, which is why it acquires good properties and can be used. Disadvantage: it tolerates moisture extremely poorly and does not dry out for a long time.
• Liquid insulation . This name may refer to several types of material with different qualities. For baths, polyurethane foam is most often used, produced in liquid form and applied by spraying or pouring into prepared cavities through a technological hole. It has a number of very useful properties: it is light, non-flammable, has antiseptic properties, when applied, it tightly seals the entire space and leaves no gaps. Economical, does not require waterproofing from the outside.
• Foil insulation . One of the methods of insulation is the use of ordinary foil as a heat reflector, mounted on a film base or on a layer of mineral wool. It is used as additional insulation on the outside, or as a cutting layer on the main insulation.

It should be taken into account: the thickness of the walls of a frame bath, despite what was said above in the relevant section, may be less than 10-15 centimeters or more, this depends on the thermal conductivity of the insulation. Some will consider 50 millimeter polystyrene foam sufficient, while others use expanded clay and will need 20 centimeters.

How to install insulation?

Installation of insulation is carried out by placing pieces of material cut to size into the space between the wooden frame elements. The main condition for proper installation is a tight fit of the insulation and the use of additional sealing agents, for example, polyurethane foam.

When using film or foil materials, they should be secured to the surface with a stapler, and the joints should be carefully taped with metal tape. Polyurethane or ecowool is sprayed more often from the outside, and the vapor barrier layer must first be strengthened. Working with expanded clay is simple - pour it into prepared cavities and level it, after which a number of boards are laid on top to protect it from moisture, debris, etc.

Useful videos

Watch the videos where the builder shares many details on insulating a frame bath:

External insulation

Additional insulation is installed on the outside, enhancing the effect of the main layer. In the conditions of the Russian winter, the measure is not at all superfluous, and sometimes it is simply necessary. It is often recommended to use polystyrene foam as an additional layer, as it is a lightweight material with good hydro-repellent properties. You can attach foam sheets with glue or nails to the frame elements. A reinforcing mesh is attached to the polystyrene layer and a layer of screed is applied, after which the finishing coating is applied after drying.

Internal insulation

Insulation of the walls from the inside, in addition to the existing pie, is not required. Above the layer of vapor barrier installed with foil inside the room, lathing and cladding are installed. The cladding material is traditionally pine or aspen lining.

Steps 2 and 3: How to make walls and ceiling

Arranging a steam room in a bathhouse with your own hands will not be complete without finishing the walls and ceiling. In this case, the owner needs to decide for himself whether his steam room will need insulation, and in particular, whether he will use foil for this purpose.

Many people do it in the standard way - with mineral wool and foil. Moreover, this insulation scheme is used not only in bathhouses made of bricks or blocks, or frames, but also in log houses, in bathhouses made of timber. However, in practice, it all depends on how cold your winters are, how well you sealed everything possible - walls, basement, roof, whether your ventilation works correctly and much more.

It happens that it is enough to take a rational approach to sealing, and there are no problems with the rapid cooling of the steam room. If they remain, or you are one hundred percent sure that in your climate you cannot do without insulation, then proceed according to the scheme described below.

It is assumed that you already have the walls of the steam room. The thermal insulation “pie” itself is the same for any wall. You won't even need a diagram if you understand its principle.

In humid and hot rooms, condensation is inevitable, especially when the weather outside is frosty. This condensate must evaporate. At the same time, it is highly desirable that it does not get inside the insulation if mineral wool is used as it. Because it will take a long time for water to evaporate from it, and its presence greatly reduces the thermal insulation properties of mineral wool.

Start arranging the steam room walls with your own hands by adding sheathing to the walls. However, you should think in advance in which direction you will ultimately attach the lining, because the counter-lattice is made in a direction perpendicular to the length of the lining.

The diagram shows wall insulation; a foam block wall is shown as an example. See more details about the scheme here.

And the counter-lattice coincides in direction with the sheathing. So, first you place the sheathing beams soaked in antiseptic and attach them to the walls, floor and ceiling so that they can hold the mineral wool mats.

The sheathing step is made along the width of the insulation minus 1-2 cm in order to compress the insulation and it supports itself due to expansion.

Insulation is inserted between the bars to insulate the wall

A film, either a regular film, a wind barrier, or a waterproof membrane is attached over the sheathing, releasing vapors from the insulation to the outside.

Insulation is inserted into the space between the sheathing beams. After which it is covered either with foil or any other vapor barrier. The vapor barrier is sealed using metal tape, for example.

A counter-lattice is placed on top of the vapor barrier, creating an air space 2.5-3 cm thick, sufficient for the lining to dry out.

The insulation is covered with a vapor barrier and counter-battens are nailed

And the lining is already attached to the counter-lattice. You can read about how this is done here.

In general, you can use screws, dowels, and staples for fastening.

IMPORTANT! Everything said above about walls applies to all types except frame. There is a slightly different device, read in detail in the article: Insulating the walls of a frame bath: the right “pie”. The ceiling in the steam room will be either flat or suspended

The structure of both is discussed in this article.

The ceiling in the steam room will be either flat or suspended. The structure of both is discussed in this article.

In principle, only a suspended ceiling is suitable for insulation, and it is immediately insulated from the attic side. In this case, a variety of materials are used, but it is desirable that they are non-flammable and do not emit anything harmful when heated significantly (we remember that the ceiling is the most heated part of the steam room, because hot air tends upward).

Find out more about ceilings and walls:

• Let's look at it in detail: how to insulate a steam room in a bathhouse
• We insulate a brick bathhouse. Why is it more important from the inside, how to insulate brick walls
• The choice of insulation for ceilings is discussed in detail here.
• How to properly insulate the ceiling in a bathhouse with a cold roof or attic? What is the difference, how to avoid mistakes?
• Should I insulate the bathhouse ceiling with clay and sawdust or sawdust and cement? Which is better and is there a difference?

Insulation from the inside of a brick bath

Brick is not the most suitable material for building a bathhouse, but if there is a brick factory somewhere nearby, then brick bathhouses begin to grow like mushrooms. Due to the high thermal conductivity of brick, such a bathhouse requires insulation without fail. Insulation is carried out only from the inside, and to make the bathhouse look cool from the outside, decorative jointing is done.

Typically, the pie of an insulated wall of a brick bath looks like this:

• brickwork;
• waterproofing,
• insulation;
• vapor barrier;
• sheathing

Waterproofing between the brickwork and the insulation is optional: if the walls are built correctly and waterproofed from the foundation, they will not become damp. If there is no confidence in the walls, then it is better to do waterproofing.

The insulation on the brick walls of the bathhouse is attached to the frame.

We build a frame on the wall from 100×40 timber with insulation width increments, fill it with insulation, lay a vapor barrier, sew on 20mm slats and cover it with clapboard.

Our user S4sha’s bathhouse is made of half a brick, but it steams just fine even at -30. Its walls are insulated like this:

• mineral wool;
• vapor barrier (in the steam room - foil);
• ventilation gap;
• lining.

Insulation thickness – 50 mm.

Assembly of frame-panel baths: projects and prices

The construction of a bathhouse using the technology of assembling panel structures on a frame basis is characterized by high construction speed and low costs for basic materials. The projects provide for and take into account all the requirements corresponding to the construction of structures of this category: ventilation, water supply, sewerage, electricity supply.

3D visualization of a small frame bathhouse

Projects of frame-panel baths

The main feature of this technology is that assembling a frame-panel bathhouse with your own hands is very easy - according to the principle of a designer. The modern market offers a large number of ready-made panel kits designed for installation on a frame. Thanks to the three-layer structure and low thermal conductivity of polystyrene foam used in SIP panels, this material has good characteristics and is excellent for baths.

Projects for frame baths assume a gable roof; there is no attic space in it, since the panel structure is a lightweight building. The internal space under the roof can be used for storing bath equipment. Depending on the type of soil on which construction is planned, the foundation for a bathhouse can be columnar, shallow strip or pile. The last version of the base is used on sandy soil.

To create the frame, timber posts are used: 120x120 mm timber is suitable for corner posts; for intermediate supports, material of a smaller cross-section can be used. The ceiling is made of beams 40x75 mm. If the bathhouse is planned for year-round use, the thickness of the insulation is taken to be 15 cm; for seasonal use, a layer of heat insulation of 10 cm is sufficient.

Project of a small frame-panel bathhouse 4 by 3 m

As for the floor, it is recommended to make it pourable. For its installation, an edged or tongue-and-groove board mounted with a slope is suitable. The layout provides for the division of the frame-panel bathhouse into several rooms. The partitions between them are made of wood. If the bathhouse is heated by a stone stove, a separate foundation is made for it.

Price of a turnkey frame-panel bath

Taking into account the construction technology, the cost of a frame-panel bathhouse is always lower than the price of a structure built by any other method. Before placing an order, you should ask the manufacturer about the provision of additional services. Such as installing a stove, installing a roof, installing a chimney. Considering the high speed of assembly, no more than 7 days pass from the date of order to the start of operation of the panel bath.

Taking into account the fact that frame-panel baths are inexpensive, the customer can afford to choose any of the presented projects. This also applies to those whose budget is quite limited.

Manufacturers offer several configuration versions:

• turnkey facility - factory assembly of walls and partitions, finishing of facades and internal walls;
• finishing in the rough version - cladding either the facade or only the internal walls;
• without cladding - the object is only an assembly of panels.

The process of assembling a small frame-panel bathhouse with a foundation on piles

Before you buy a sauna of a frame-panel construction, you need to pay attention to the sandwich assembly diagram. Any deviations in the sequence of arrangement of elements inside the sandwich panel may cause rejection of the product from this manufacturer

If the finishing of the panels can be done independently, then re-sorting all the panels for the correct arrangement of materials in them at your own expense makes no sense.

Installation of roofing material

The roof sheathing was covered with Izospan waterproofing. On top of it - roofing ondulin. It is installed quite easily; the sheets are nailed to the sheathing with special nails. Each subsequent sheet is overlapped in one wave onto the wave of the previous sheet.

If you want to find out what inexpensive and high-quality materials you can use to cover the roof of a bathhouse, we recommend reading the article

Installation of ondulin on the roof of a frame bath

Insulation of a steam room in a bathhouse

steam room walls. Insulation from the inside of this part of the bathhouse is similar to the insulation of the remaining walls of the bathhouse. Since the steam room must maintain a high temperature for a long time, it is necessary to install the vapor barrier material especially carefully. The thickness of the heat insulator should (preferably) be twice as large as in the washing room

Pay attention to the door to the steam room. The junctions between the walls and the frame must be insulated with thick fiber material and sealed with metallized tape.

ceiling

Ceiling insulation is usually started after finishing work on the walls. To improve the tightness of the room, you can carry out work on the ceiling and walls simultaneously. Features of thermal insulation of the attic floor are presented separately.

The ceiling bears the greatest temperature load, so higher requirements must be placed on the heat-insulating material. It must have fire-resistant properties. If there is an attic, it is necessary to coat the boards with clay, a mixture of which is actively used for insulation, and fill it with, for example, expanded clay.

Read also the material: Choosing insulation for a steam room: so that it is both warm and environmentally friendly

ATTENTION! It is necessary to leave a small space between the vapor barrier material and the lining. The air gap becomes an additional heat-insulating layer and allows natural ventilation to function inside the walls and ceiling.

wooden bath

If the bathhouse is wooden. A bathhouse built from logs or beams retains heat better than others. The need for insulation depends on the thickness of the wall material.

Walls made of timber need to be insulated if their thickness is less than 15 centimeters. Walls made of logs are insulated if the diameter of the logs is less than 20 centimeters. If the walls are thicker, either they are not finished from the inside, or they are covered with waterproofing material and covered with clapboard.

Lathing is used only in cases of severe blockage or uneven walls. The steam room can be insulated with combined insulation of small thickness.

There is also the possibility of external insulation of log and timber baths, using thermal insulation between the crowns.

block baths

Recommendations for insulating a bathhouse made of blocks depend on their type.

from foam blocks. The construction of the “pie” is no different from baths made of other materials. The difficulty lies in the material of the walls itself. Foam blocks do not hold fastenings well; high loads are contraindicated for them. Find out more about insulating a bathhouse made of foam blocks.

The main weight of the sheathing should fall on the floor (about how to insulate the floor, here). For fastening you need to use only special fasteners. The best way is to use a U-shaped structure that is attached to the floor and ceiling.

Thermal insulating material should weigh as little as possible. The heat insulator is secured with threads or tapes to the sheathing, thereby reducing the load on the wall. The vapor barrier is overlapped and secured with staples to the bars. The seams are carefully taped with foil tape. To reduce the load on the walls, you can use combined materials that combine the properties of a heat and vapor barrier.

The lathing for interior finishing is made in the form of the same U-shaped structure. The lining is fixed in the usual way, since the load is already distributed mainly on the floor.

from expanded clay concrete blocks. Despite the fact that such blocks retain heat quite well, a bathhouse made of such material must be insulated from the inside. Walls are exposed to moisture over a wide range of temperatures. When used this way, the material will deteriorate quite quickly.

The sheathing made of wood or (worse) a metal profile is secured with dowels

When using metal, you should pay attention to the characteristics; the material must be suitable for use in rooms with high humidity

In the future, the insulation “pie” is performed in the usual manner. The thickness of the heat insulator depends on the thickness of the blocks, area of ​​residence, and the presence of external insulation. It is recommended to use insulation with a thickness of at least 10 centimeters. Fastening the vapor barrier and lining is no different from similar work in bathhouses made of other materials.

Features of insulating walls made of different materials

The technology and sequence of insulation layers remains virtually unchanged for different rooms and types of buildings. Only some parameters can be changed. So, for example, for a steam room the thickness of the insulation is recommended to be twice as thick as for other rooms: this is where it is very important to retain heat for the maximum amount of time.

The thickness of the insulation also differs for buildings made of different materials. A log bathhouse itself retains heat well, and when decorating all rooms except the steam room, you can do without insulation at all, or choose a material of small thickness - if the winters in your region are harsh.

The video below explains why there is no need to additionally insulate the walls of a log bathhouse (the plot of the “Estate” program).

Insulating the walls of a brick bathhouse from the inside is practically no different, except for the methods of fastening: it is more difficult to drive nails into a brick wall; you can use dowels. You can use galvanized profiles instead of wooden blocks, but when purchasing them, pay attention to the fact that they are suitable for use in rooms with high humidity.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with: Do-it-yourself bathhouse repair

And the choice of sizes is much more difficult here: there are not many standard sizes, and metal can become a conductor of cold. Insulating the brick walls of a bathhouse from the inside requires a greater thickness of thermal insulation than in a bathhouse made of logs: a minimum of 10 cm, but this parameter depends on many factors: wall thickness, external insulation, region, etc.

The insulation of the walls of a bathhouse made of foam blocks does not differ in the composition of the “pie”. The whole difficulty is that this material does not hold fastenings well, even special ones. It tolerates excessive loads no better. Therefore, when choosing materials, pay attention to their weight. It should become one of the decisive factors.

The foam block does not hold fastenings well

The sheathing must be fastened so that the main load falls on the floor and not on the walls. To do this, you can make U-shaped structures that are attached to the floor and ceiling, just fix their position in the walls with a pair of dowels.

Place the insulation tightly between the slats, and you can fix it so that it does not fall using thread and a stapler (shoot the thread against the slats). A vapor barrier or vapor barrier can also be attached to the planks using staples, but do not forget to overlap the panels, glue and seal the joints with foil tape, and cover the staples with patches.

The last stage of insulating the walls of a bathhouse made of foam blocks is the installation of lathing for interior decoration. This is a similar frame made of U-shaped sections, the load from which is distributed mainly on the floor. This frame is attached to the first one in several places to the bars.

This is only one solution that allows you to insulate the walls of a bathhouse made of foam blocks, but it is simple to implement and quite reliable.

conclusions

The main problems of insulating a bathhouse are related to the insulation of the steam room, since it not only has very high humidity, but also high temperature. Under the influence of high temperatures, many insulation materials begin to release toxic substances that can harm human health. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully select mineral wool-based insulation, since many of them contain phenol-formaldehyde resins, which act as a binder.

You should not use foam and polystyrene foam as insulation, which when heated to 60 degrees Celsius begin to release toxic substances.

To be fair, it should be noted that many natural materials that are harmless at normal temperatures, when heated, can release substances that can harm human health.

At the moment, we can recommend SPU Sauna-Satu foil insulation, which is specially designed for insulating walls and ceilings of saunas.

Materials for bath insulation

Choosing a material for insulation is a rather complex process: you need to take into account not only the technical characteristics of insulation, but also their environmental friendliness, harmlessness, and fire safety. It is especially problematic to choose the right insulation for a steam room, since it not only has high humidity, but also high temperature, which causes the release of toxic substances from some types of insulation.

Classic mineral wool

Not so long ago, almost everyone advised using mineral wool to insulate a bath, but recent studies have shown that in production, a composition containing phenol-formaldehyde resins . They have a harmful effect on humans, they are a carcinogenic substance, which in itself is unacceptable, and in a bath or sauna with its high temperature it is generally very dangerous. Yes, the certificates indicate that the release of these substances does not exceed the threshold, but do you need it?

Even Rockwool or TechnoNIKOL basalt wool, or any other mineral wool from well-known or not manufacturers, emits phenol-formaldehyde substances. In general, according to doctors and experts, any mineral wool is harmful to health. In this regard, the question arises: “what is the best way to insulate a bathhouse?” There are several materials about which there are no negative opinions. At least for now...

New generation mineral insulation

URSA PUREONE material is presented as a new generation of mineral insulation. Acrylic is used as a binder - a chemically neutral substance that does not react with other substances and does not emit harmful substances under any operating conditions.

URSA PUREONE material is one of the harmless insulation materials

The safety of URSA PUREONE is confirmed by the EcoStandard group (classified as an M1 Eurofins material, EUCEB certified).

Ecological certificate issued by URSA PUREONE

Insulation made of glass, peat and paper

FOAMGLAS® foam glass is foamed glass. It does not burn, does not lose its properties over time, is stable in shape, environmentally friendly and safe. Its only drawback: high price and quite heavy weight.

Foam glass

There are also peat-based insulation materials - peat blocks.

. The crushed peat is soaked in water, filler is added - straw, sawdust, etc., and blocks are formed from the resulting mushy mass, which are used as a heat and sound insulator. The resulting material not only reduces heat loss, but is also a “breathable” material - it absorbs moisture well and also releases moisture well, has a bacteriostatic effect, does not burn or rot.

Peat block is not yet the most popular material
Despite all the positive qualities, peat blocks are not the most common material, and there are few manufacturers of this material. The most famous is the GeoCar company from Tver. If all the declared qualities are confirmed, then this is a good alternative to mineral wool.

There is also such a heat insulator as ecowool

.
This is a cellulose substance, mostly consisting of recycled newspapers, to which safe (according to the manufacturers) flame retardants - boric acid and borax salts - have been added. Everything would be fine, but this material strongly absorbs moisture and is not suitable for thermal insulation of a bathhouse .
Fiberboards are made from crushed wood chips, but using a different technology than the well-known fiberboards - without chemical binders. The wood chips are ground, diluted with water, and distributed over a grid. The mass simply dries, after which it is cut into sheets.

Among the safe insulation materials one can also name natural insulation materials made from flax, wool, moss, and reeds. Sawdust, reeds and straw are also used as insulating material. But all these substances are flammable, and without treatment with special compounds they cannot be used to insulate a bathhouse.

Modern foil insulation

In this article, we could not help but talk about what modern insulation materials Finns use when building saunas. Hot Finnish guys use SPU Sauna-Satu , specially designed for insulating walls and ceilings in a sauna.

SPU Sauna Satu slabs are made of polyurethane foam and have an alumina laminate coating on both sides.

SPU Sauna-Satu stove

SPU Sauna Satu slabs can be attached to walls even without lathing. The process of attaching slabs to stone walls and wooden ceiling lathing is shown in the video.

At the moment, it is SPU Sauna Satu slabs that can be considered the most suitable insulation for baths and saunas.