Relaxing during the holidays in the bathhouse

Insulation of a bathhouse from the inside - diagram

Internal insulation of a bathhouse 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 atmosphere in the bathhouse itself without properly installed protection will leave much to be desired.

Insulation of a bathhouse from the inside

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

Red moss - insulation

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

The high temperature should remain indoors for as long as possible

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

After reading the information below, you will receive a complete theoretical understanding of the process of performing internal insulation of a steam room, and also study step-by-step instructions for self-installation of thermal insulation materials.

How did a blog about bath culture appear?

— I do advertising in the field of architecture and interior design. I wanted to write about something, but my friends constantly asked me how I went to the bathhouse and looked at these naked women there. This is how the bath blog appeared.

For people, there are many things that are not acceptable in a bathhouse: dirty, cheap, disgusting. Since childhood, I have had a love and understanding for this - I have been going to the bathhouse since I was two or three years old. There was no traumatic experience, as many have had: no pouring of ice water, violent heat and strong rubbing with a washcloth.

In my teens, I gave up the bathhouse for a while—I wasn’t ready for nudity. And after 15 years I started walking alone, I had my own ritual. Since then I have been to the bathhouse almost every Sunday.

Photo: instagram.com

In terms of physical sensations, I like the contrast of hot and cold. The bathhouse helps you interact with yourself and take time for yourself. This is relaxation and reboot, which form a state of bliss.

Initially, I went to all the new baths and wrote about them. Then I started going on trips and tours, and now I am more immersed in research and architectural and anthropological analysis: traditions, thinking, and so on. The blog also found a small commercial outlet in the form of consulting. In September, Bathhouse No. 8 will open in Kostroma, the launch of which I participated in.

We insulate the bathhouse from the inside: what do we need?

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 studying the list below: it is better to spend a little time reading and immediately buy everything you need, than to later return to the store and buy more of what you forgot.

Insulation

The main component of the list under consideration. The modern market offers a wide range of thermal insulation materials, but not all of them are suitable for use in a steam room - humidity and temperature may be too much for you. To insulate a bathhouse, the following are most often used: expanded clay (floor insulation), materials based on stone wool, and expanded polystyrene.

Important! It is strongly not recommended to use polystyrene foam to insulate the steam room itself - at high temperatures, material of dubious quality can most likely emit substances harmful to human health.

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

Table. Comparison of popular bath insulation

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

Prices for mineral wool

Foil tape

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.

Prices for foil tape

Wooden blocks

The elements of the thermal insulation coating are placed in the cells of a pre-assembled sheathing, for the assembly of which wooden blocks are used. Select the section of the beams in accordance with the thickness of the thermal insulation. For example, if you are installing a 10-centimeter 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 slabs or roll of insulation. For bulk materials, the optimal distance between the bars is 45-60 cm.

Fasteners

The sheathing elements (bars) are fixed using dowels/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 permanent 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 sheathing, the fasteners must be of such length that they ensure high-quality fixation of the beam/profile of the selected section. The cross-section of the beam itself, as well as the profile parameters, are determined in accordance with the thickness of the thermal insulation layer being installed.

Additional materials

If you insulate a bath using a material other than foiled mineral wool, you will additionally have to purchase a water vapor barrier film.

If you plan to pour a concrete screed, the set for work will increase to include the following items:

reinforcing mesh;
mixture for pouring the screed or materials for preparing it yourself (cement, sand, water);
lighthouses;
damper tape;
polyethylene.

Prices for water vapor barrier film

Bathroom floor insulation

We insulate the bathhouse with our own hands

Before constructing a building, it is necessary to calculate the means and forces for thermal insulation. It is best if the insulation process begins during construction, more precisely, from laying the foundation.

Basic requirements for materials for bath insulation

Cheap solutions (impregnations, septic tanks) will not fulfill the role of good thermal insulation. Of course, protection from moisture is necessary in any case, but this is a separate task. It is necessary to insulate the bathhouse premises separately, using materials specially created for this purpose. Most attention is usually paid to the inside of the washroom and steam room. The selection of insulation and thermal insulation is done taking into account the rough construction material.

How to insulate a steam room in a log bath?

The interior decoration of a log bathhouse is no less important stage in the implementation of a sauna or wooden Russian bathhouse project than its construction. High functionality, aesthetics, correctly selected materials for finishing the bathhouse and exceptional professionalism of the performer - only the combination of all these factors will ensure long-term comfort and satisfaction of the owner from the trouble-free operation of such a bathhouse with undeniable health benefits for all its visitors. That is why the finishing of saunas and baths requires close attention from the customer and does not tolerate attempts to save on the quality of materials or the qualifications of interior workers.

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Finishing a bathhouse on a turnkey basis

DOP "MariMagnat" provides its highly professional services for the construction and finishing of wooden baths of any complexity using a wide range of materials. The construction and finishing of a turnkey bathhouse, carried out by our experienced specialists, contains the most popular design and technological solutions used for wooden log houses.

Interior finishing in the bathhouse is carried out after shrinkage of the log house and includes the following range of work:

Preliminary preparation of walls for further finishing;
Steam room finishing;
Installation of a fireplace, stove, chimney with their subsequent lining;
Construction of hot tubs and swimming pools of various sizes, geometric configurations and degrees of complexity;
Finishing a washing room or shower;
Finishing the relaxation room of a bathhouse or sauna;
Installation of engineering systems (heating, water supply, electrical network, ventilation equipment and other systems if desired by the customer).

The cost of finishing a bathhouse from rounded or chopped logs depends on many factors: its area, number of floors, proportions and configurations of individual rooms, materials preferred by the customer and a number of others.

Let us dwell in more detail on the specifics of some of the above finishing works in a log bathhouse.

Necessary accessories for the procedure

In addition to a broom, to visit the bathhouse you will need:

bathrobe;
large towel;
rubber slates;
sheet;
felt or wool hat;
clean linen;
hard mitten;
washcloth;
shampoo;
soap or shower gel;
drinks: tea, juice, decoction based on medicinal herbs, pure water without gas.

It is not recommended to take alcoholic drinks with you to the bathhouse, as they create an increased load on the heart, which can cause a heart attack and other pathologies.

Steam room interior decoration

The interior decoration of a steam room, where high temperatures and humidity somewhat narrow the range of facing materials used, requires special attention and careful selection.

In 99% of cases, deciduous wood species are used for this (linden, alder, Canadian maple, aspen, African abash), which are not only highly resistant to decay, moisture and the formation of mold and mildew, but also, unlike coniferous wood, do not emit resin that can burn steamers. In addition, the low thermal conductivity of these types of wood provides the steam room with the ability to retain heat for a long time, which has a positive effect on the cost-effectiveness of operating a bathhouse or Finnish sauna.

As a rule, lining and tongue-and-groove boards made from the above types of wood are used for cladding a steam room - they are quite simple, affordable and easy to install.

In addition to all other factors, when decorating the walls of a steam room, it is also worth ensuring high-quality ventilation of the room, which is necessary for high-quality and quick drying of this functional room after steaming.

Preparing for a visit to the bathhouse

Bath procedures are an art that requires careful preparation. To go to the steam room you should prepare:

Terry towel or sheet.
A hat or other headdress.
Flip-flops or flip-flops with an anti-slip base.
Changeable underwear.
A woolen mitten or mitten.
Personal hygiene products – soap, washcloth, shampoo, gel, pumice stone.
Comb and brush for massage.

You should also choose bath brooms - for example, from birch or oak branches.

It is recommended to steam them 24 hours before visiting the bath in cold water, then wrap them in a damp cloth. This will preserve the unique aroma and elasticity of the ligaments. After entering the steam room, the brooms are thoroughly steamed on a heater. This will make them softer and more flavorful.

Equally important is preparing the body for the procedures. The last meal should be 60 minutes before visiting the bathhouse. You cannot be in the steam room on an empty stomach, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or after surgery on internal organs.

Finishing a shower or washing area

Decorating a shower or washing room in a wooden bathhouse is rarely done with wood, which, despite all its wonderful qualities, takes a long time to dry out under constant exposure to water. Therefore, most often, tiles or natural stone are used to cover the floor and walls in a given room, which can dry out quickly enough from the proximity to the steam room. In addition, they are impervious to the effects of household chemicals and are strong enough, which protects the facing coating from damage in the event of possible impacts from hard objects. And a wide variety of colors, textures and sizes allow each bathhouse owner to realize a unique interior of this room that best suits his personal preferences or the overall stylistic concept of the bathhouse.

Decorating the rest room

Decorating a relaxation room does not imply following any strict rules that apply to decorating a wooden bathhouse. Here designers and the project customer can give complete freedom to their imagination. Although we strongly recommend adhering to the following recommendation - it is advisable that the decoration of the bathhouse inside the relaxation room be carried out with natural, eco-friendly materials. Otherwise, when using a number of facing building materials, many of the advantages of choosing logs for the construction of a log house are neutralized (in particular, finishing the walls with plasterboard and a number of other materials disrupts the natural ventilation of the room, not allowing the walls to “breathe”).

Contraindications and possible harm

Despite all the benefits, the procedure also has serious limitations. Contraindications to visiting the steam room are as follows.

Pathologies of the epidermis and rashes on the skin. Even if you have small pimples, you cannot steam, otherwise an abscess will arise with all the ensuing (literally and figuratively) consequences.
Cardiovascular and pulmonary failure. It is also recommended that people suffering from sexually transmitted pathologies, pneumonia, bronchitis, epilepsy and cancer, both malignant and benign, refrain from visiting the bathhouse.
Children's age up to 5 years. Everything is clear here - the baby’s body is not yet able to withstand such temperature overloads. Elderly people can only take a steam bath after a doctor’s permission.
The period of bearing a baby and breastfeeding.

Why is this necessary?

A person in a steam room often encountered such a phenomenon as condensation. It is formed when hot steam rises and drops of water appear in the room. It doesn’t matter whether the steam room is built into the room or is a separate structure, it is necessary to insulate it. The only question is how and to what extent. If it is built into the room, excess heat can go into the house. Therefore a thermal camera is required.

Wooden parts of the structure are most exposed to the aggressive effects of high temperatures and moisture. Therefore, the coating must be of high quality to ensure an “impeccable” microclimate in the steam room.

To make wood last longer, it is impregnated with various compounds (additives - fire retardants). They increase durability. This safety measure is justified, because the temperature in the steam room reaches 100°C. However, chemical anti-mold coatings will produce toxic fumes at high temperatures.

The main “ally” of wooden coverings is insulation, which should retain hot steam indoors and prevent the development of rot. It protects the wood from condensation, prevents wood from rotting and extends its service life.

Proper insulation of the ceiling in a bathhouse or steam room with your own hands involves observing the following points:

Steam must accumulate and remain indoors.
The inside of the roof must be protected from high humidity.
It is necessary to prevent the occurrence and accumulation of condensation both in the steam room itself and in the ceilings under the lining in the walls and ceiling.

Third entry into the steam room: rules and recommendations

The first entry into the steam room is the most important and possibly difficult, especially if we talk about the person who came to the bathhouse for the first time. Therefore, during the first run you need to be extremely careful and monitor your body’s reactions. If you feel unwell, you should immediately leave the steam room and rest for a while in a cooler room.

Women in the steam room

At this stage, brooms are not yet used; a person simply enters the steam room and sits on the 1st or 2nd step, that is, where it is coolest. The previously prepared brooms are placed on the upper shelves. They should lie there for at least 5 minutes.
After a few minutes, your body will respond: your heart rate will increase, your skin will begin to turn red, and you will begin to sweat.
If your health allows, climb the next steps, however, overdoing it during the first approach is still not recommended.
The total time that can and should be in the steam room at this stage is 5-10 minutes.
Next, we leave the steam room and relax. Remember, you shouldn’t visit often. You need to rest after the steam room for as long as you stayed in it or even a little more.

Spending your rest time correctly is also important, however, more on that a little later.

After resting, it’s time to make a second pass. The temperature in the steam room at this stage needs to be increased slightly.

To begin, go into the steam room and sit for a while on the lower shelves, just a couple of minutes.
Then you can start working with a broom. However, for convenience, this procedure should not be carried out independently, but with the help of a friend who can steam you.
We take out the brooms from the bags. One broom is sent under the chin of the person lying down, the second - into the hands of the steamer.
First we carry out the plowing procedure. The essence of fanning is that the steamer waves brooms over the body of a lying person in such a way that the leaves practically do not touch his body.
Next we do shaking. We lift the broom up to the ceiling of the steam room, since the temperature there is much higher, and then we apply it to different parts of the body of the lying person. Particular attention should be paid to the legs, or more precisely the feet, since it is in this place that we have many active points. After the work with the feet is completed, you need to pay attention to all other areas.
The next stage is whipping. This procedure involves gentle blows with a broom on different parts of the body. The most important thing when whipping is to calculate the force of the blow. The person lying should not be in pain, the process should be enjoyable.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with: Salt panels for baths

In the steam room with a broom

After intense whippings, give your body a little rest. To do this, stroke your back, legs, and stomach with a broom.
You can complete your second visit to the steam room with so-called compresses. Just as when shaking, lift the broom up, and then lower it onto the person’s body, but at the same time press it tightly for 5 seconds.
After finishing working with the broom, lie down for a couple more minutes, let your body come to its senses, and then slowly get up and leave the steam room.
The total time spent in the steam room at this stage is 15 minutes.
Rest outside the steam room for at least 15-20 minutes.

Let us immediately note that you can enter the steam room not 3 times, but 5-7 times. However, you need to take into account your state of health, your current state of health, and you also need to correctly assess your strengths.

If this is your first trip to the bathhouse, then you should not stay there for too long. The whole point is that, out of habit, the body may not withstand such loads and fail.

Trained people increase their stay in the steam room with each entry. At the same time, do not forget that the maximum amount of time that can be spent in the steam room in one session should not exceed 20 minutes. and this is only if you are the happy owner of good health.
After each subsequent approach, also increase the rest time. That is, if you sat in the steam room for 25 minutes, then you should rest for at least 25 minutes.

The third entry into the steam room should only be made if you feel well.

During the 3rd run, if desired, you can also use a broom, repeating all of the above procedures.
Entries after the 3rd time should be carried out only if you feel that not only the soul, but also the body desires this.
All procedures in the bath should not last longer than 3 hours. This time will be more than enough for you; you will have time to take a steam bath and relax with friends.

Features of insulation

Not all products are used for insulation. Plastic products will deform from high temperatures. If you use plywood or fiberboard, then from the hot air they will begin to expand and change shape, accumulating moisture. These products are definitely not suitable. The best way is to finish in several layers:

The first step is to use an insulating material that prevents water from penetrating.
Place a second layer of insulation (for example, mineral wool).
The third level is aluminum foil.

This “multi-layering” holds heat well and does not allow steam to escape for a long time, so heat losses are reduced.

Insulation materials can be divided into the following types:

And depending on the composition they distinguish:

Organic such as ecowool.
Inorganic - mineral wool.
Expanded polystyrene.
Other insulation materials are such as technovent and technoblock.

Types and design features

First you need to find out what kind of roof you have - with or without an attic. Structurally similar options for buildings made of logs and panels. They have:

steam insulation;
insulation;
hemming boards;
beams
sheathing

Vapor barrier is applied to the wall and ceiling, then timber, then insulation. You can use basalt wool in the form of mats, then again a layer of vapor barrier, then a block and fastening the lining. As an option, respectively, 40 mm timber and 40 mm insulation. You don't need too much insulation. Excessive consumption of materials in this case is inappropriate.

On the ceiling, the structure must be made with a slope to collect condensation. As a result, there remains space under the lining, allowing the bathhouse to dry out. The power of a modern stove is enough to warm up a bathhouse well. Ideally, the steam room is dried by ventilation and a fuel-processing furnace.

If there is no attic, then you need to perform additional steps:

coat the entire lining with clay with a layer of up to two centimeters to reduce heat loss;
sprinkle the coating with a mixture of cement and wood chips (you can use slag up to 15 cm - this measure helps eliminate condensation).

If you want to make a properly functioning steam room, then you first need to take care of vapor barrier (not waterproofing with vapor permeability) of the ceiling to create a steam pocket up to the level of the top edge of the door to retain steam and create humidity in the region of 60%.

Vapor barrier of floor beams and the entire ceiling pie is a consequence, not a cause. Ceiling insulation without foil is completely irrelevant, since the steam room will not perform the functions that are assigned to it. If you need a steam bath, and not a sauna, you will have to open the casing and do a vapor barrier on the ceiling. If this is not done on time, then after a season or two you will have to replace damp insulation and rotten beams.

To protect wall structures, regardless of what they are made of, it is necessary to insulate the outside to prevent moisture from entering in the form of condensation at the dew point into the material. For the Russian type of bathhouse, insulating the walls from the inside is not necessary, since it is possible to create a regime of 60° and 60% even with leaky walls, but with a well-waterproofed ceiling and a voluminous brick stove with a powerful thermal core inside. Ideally, put foam glass insulation on top of aerated concrete walls in 50 mm thick slabs, and then plaster and decorate with wood.

Flat ceiling

He is not seen as often as before. The use of hewn round timber is common. This method was previously considered the most profitable - people only had to go into the forest and chop everything they needed for construction themselves. This is currently the most expensive option.

There are several installation options.

Along the crowns of the log house, if the room area is small (length no more than 2.5 m). Boards of small thickness (50 mm) are used as flooring; an even more economical method is edged tongue-and-groove options (25 mm).
There is an interesting option for covering with unedged sanded boards. They are laid in 2 levels. Gaps and irregularities of the first level are covered by the second level.
On the floor beams. With this option, the area of the room can be larger. An accent on the beams will add flair and look great.
On a supporting frame made of slats. Suitable for small spaces and used less frequently. Make it easier. But if the room has an attic, then it cannot be used. The roof may not be able to handle the heavy load.

The process takes place in several steps.

The attic is lined with a vapor barrier film (PIP) with an overlap of 10-15 cm (foil surface down).
Mineral wool is placed on top of it (instead, the surface can be covered with expanded clay or covered with a mixture of sawdust and clay).
The work is completed by laying a waterproofing film (WIP) - roofing felt or polyethylene.

False ceilings

They have load-bearing capacity, are often used as an attic, and their installation will cost you much less.

To make this coating, you need to install the beams in advance. Then boards or panels of tongue-and-groove boards are evenly laid on them. This structure is insulated with fibrous material. The installation process will take place in stages:

The GIP is taken and laid on the beams from the roof side. This is done overlapping.
Boards or sheets of plywood are placed on the waterproofing.
Mineral wool is laid between the beams. Its thickness varies from 150 to 250 mm (depending on the climate of the area). All joints must be covered with another sheet.
We attach a vapor barrier to the bottom of the beams.
Then we attach the wood slats.
At the last stage, the lining is attached.

Having completed all the work, you will receive additional storage space - an attic or attic.

Panel ceiling

It's difficult to do on your own. To begin with, a special structure is made from panels. Then it needs to be fixed on top of the cross beams or on the top of the wall. How the installation works:

Boards are placed closely on the supports (perpendicular).
Then we attach narrow boards to the inside of the PP, they will be the sides.
The next step will be laying the PIP.
We put ecowool (or any other) into the resulting space of the panels.
Then you need to put a film of polyethylene or roofing felt.
The final stage will be the installation of the boards; they will be the future floor.

Types of bath brooms and their effects on the body

A broom is an indispensable attribute of a Russian bath. Professionals know that each attribute affects the body in its own way and has its own distinct effect. There are several types of bath brooms.

Birch. It is in greatest demand among lovers of the Russian steam room. Birch leaves contain tannins, vitamins and essential oils. This composition determines the anti-inflammatory, disinfecting and antimicrobial properties of the broom. It is recommended for use in a steam room by heavy smokers and people with lung pathologies. Birch broom also improves the condition of the epidermis: promotes rejuvenation and cleanses the skin.
Oak. This is the second most popular attribute of the Russian bath. It is recommended for use by people with inflamed and oily epidermis. Broom is useful for hypertensive patients because it stabilizes high blood pressure, but not during an exacerbation. Broom leaves contain tannins, so they relieve a person from excessive sweating.
Lime. Linden leaves have anti-cold and anti-inflammatory properties. The substances they contain improve the quality and duration of sleep, and also relieve migraines, headaches and improve the condition of the epidermis.
Cheremukhovy. The leaves contain substances that promote the healing of small wounds on the epidermis. The broom has a pleasant aroma, making a visit to the steam room an aromatherapy session. The bird cherry broom is very soft, so it is in demand among girls and women.
Juniper. It has a positive effect on the state of the nervous system and normalizes unstable emotional background.
Walnut. Experts recommend using it for people suffering from diabetes. The broom also improves the condition of varicose veins and ulcerative pathologies.
Fir. Helps remove excess fluid from the body. Due to this, swelling from the face and limbs disappears. Fir broom has sedative and anti-inflammatory properties. It relieves insomnia and radiculitis.
Alder. Alder leaves contain adhesive substances, due to which during the procedure they stick to the epidermis and free it from waste and toxins. Broom has a positive effect on the respiratory system.
Nettle. Helps cure radiculitis and arthritis. Stabilizes high blood pressure and normalizes unstable emotional background.
Eucalyptus. Helps get rid of colds. A broom also helps eliminate allergies.