Insulation of the ceiling of the bath in the old fashioned way with asoka. How in the old days they insulated the walls of the house

When arranging a cottage or a country house, the task of building a bath often arises. The classical bath has developed a number of specific traditions dating back to ancient times. Previous generations have created proven construction and finishing technologies. Thanks to these techniques, the bath has unique healing properties. Today we'll talk more about how insulate the ceiling of the bath.

Ceiling insulation

During construction baths, installation and insulation of the ceiling is considered one of the important points. What's on the ceiling? In the process of using the bath, he undergoes a number of aggressive influences. Inside the steam room, conditions of high humidity and air temperature are created. Hot steam rises to the ceiling, and if there is a small heat transfer through the ceiling, the space inside the bath will not warm up, and bath will not serve its intended purpose. There are many ways to insulate ceilings, consider some of them.

The old fashioned way insulate the ceiling of the bath

On the grooved boards, a solution of pasty clay about 5 cm is spread from the side of the attic with the addition of chopped rye straw. After drying, the clay cracks. This dried layer is rubbed with a solution composed of clay and sand. When both clay layers dry, a sand cushion 10-12 cm thick is poured on top. Clay-sand layers serve to absorb excess moisture, which is formed from wet steam. Due to the high temperature in the sauna room, when there is no steam, the clay layer dries out and retains heat in the bath.

Backfill method

Groove boards are nailed to the beams. They need to be proliferated. A layer of boards with moisture gaps is attached to the grooved boards. A layer of waterproofing is laid on top. A pillow of 20 cm from bulk types of heat insulators is poured onto the waterproofing layer. It can howl slag, sand, a mixture of sawdust with clay. A good option for this method of insulation is considered to be backfilling with expanded clay granules.

Combined method of how to insulate bath ceiling

The ceiling is sewn up with thick boards, the thickness of which is from 7 cm or more. A vapor barrier is laid on the boards (waxed paper, oiled cardboard, foil). Then a pillow is made of soft clay, on which a 15 cm thick insulation is laid.

As a heater, various organic and mineral heat-insulating substances are used. For example, sawdust with clay, expanded clay, modern mineral fiber materials. A sand-cement screed is made on top of the thermal insulation, and flooring is made on top. Mineral wool is additionally covered with a film or fiberboard sheets.

Combined method with sawdust

Two layers of boards are screwed to the beams with the help of screws, the first layer consists of not edged boards, and the second (on the inside) is a finishing lining made of aspen with gaps left. On top of this structure, cardboard is covered from the side of the attic, and on it - 2-5 cm of a clay layer mixed with sawdust. The next layer is 15 cm of basalt insulation. This whole "pie" is covered with film and attic boards.

On the modern construction market, you can find a great variety of heaters made of jute, flax fiber and other materials. Good reviews are found about jute felt, which does not emit harmful substances.

It's several ways how to insulate the ceiling of the bath. I will be glad if I helped you with advice.

Own bath is a great place where it is so pleasant to take a steam bath in the cold. In order to quickly heat up and keep the heated air in the bath, you need to qualitatively insulate all its surfaces. Particular attention should be paid to the ceiling, because according to the laws of physics, warm air masses rise up.

Conditions of high temperatures and humidity impose special requirements on the choice of insulation. When carrying out thermal insulation with your own hands, you must also consider what design the ceiling has. Depending on this, it can be insulated from the inside or outside.

Bath ceiling design

In do-it-yourself baths, an attic or attic is usually located on top. This provides additional air space and makes the room warmer. However, in order to keep the heat in the steam room, this will not be enough. The ceiling of the bath should be insulated additionally.

This is most conveniently done from inside the attic or attic. Insulating material is arranged taking into account fire safety requirements. It is especially important to properly close the junction with the chimney.

The distance between the pipe and the insulation must be at least 20 cm. To do this, a box of boards is built around it, and from the inside it is filled with fire-resistant material, such as expanded clay or mineral wool.

Access to the ceiling of the bath from above through the attic provides an opportunity to insulate it in various ways using traditional natural materials or modern heaters. If there is no attic, thermal insulation is laid from the inside of the bath.

1. The beams are hemmed with ceiling boards.
2. A layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of them (preferably foil).
3. The space between the beams is filled with insulation: mineral wool, expanded clay, clay with sawdust. You can use other materials.
4. The insulation is covered with a waterproofing film.
5. If they walk on the floor of the attic, a flooring is made of boards, under which there should be a ventilation gap.

Insulation of the ceiling from the inside

If there is no attic space above the bath, you can carry out the insulation with your own hands from the inside. For this, basalt wool is used. It is important to ensure that the insulation is protected from moisture penetration.

Advice! For the interior lining of the steam room, wood with a low density is chosen. Boards made of alder, linden, cedar or aspen not only create a pleasant aroma, but also provide good thermal insulation. Pine also smells good, but tends to stick.

Properly carried out insulation of the bath will provide faster heating and will allow more economical use of firewood or electricity for heating. Thermal insulation can be placed from the inside or from the side of the attic. When building a bath with your own hands, it is better to take care of high-quality insulation in advance.

Warming the ceiling of the bath is a necessary thing, but very capricious. It is necessary because heated air is lighter than cold air, so a significant part of the heat leaves it through the ceiling. And capricious because of the extreme conditions inside this room, especially in winter. It's no secret that when the bath is heated, the temperature in the steam room can reach 60-70 ° C, or even higher, and the humidity - and strives to approach 100%. And it will stand unheated for 3-4 days - and the temperature in it will be almost the same as on the street. Not every heat insulator can cope with such conditions.

The first thing to do is to decide how best to insulate the ceiling of the bath. You should never take the “word” of manufacturers who claim that they are the best. When choosing a heat insulator for baths, pay attention to its following characteristics:

• moisture absorption coefficient (the lower, the better);
• thermal conductivity coefficient (the lower, the better);
• resistance to temperature extremes;
• ecological cleanliness;
• resistance to damage by rodents;
• resistance against fungus and mold;
• compatibility with ceiling material and finishing materials;
• ease of installation.

There is no ideal material for insulating the ceiling of a bath, but there are a number of materials that are suitable for most of the listed requirements. A good choice would be mineral wool - a heater that meets most of these requirements. The main disadvantage of this material is a sharp loss of thermal insulation properties when wet. Yes, and mice easily make their moves in it. But with high-quality waterproofing, warming the bath ceiling with mineral wool is considered one of the best options.

Ecowool is a heat-insulating material produced on the basis of cellulose. With all its positive qualities: low thermal conductivity, environmental friendliness, resistance to rodents, it has a high (up to 20%) water absorption coefficient. For a constantly operated bath, this is a very large indicator, but if you heat it once a week, or even two, then ecowool can also be used to insulate the ceiling space in the bath.

Izover is a relatively new insulation, also having a mineral base. In fact, this is an improved version of glass wool, which has retained its good thermal insulation properties and is devoid of its shortcomings. For thermal insulation of the ceiling of the bath, it is better to take an isover, equipped for better heat reflection.

The debate about whether it is possible to insulate the ceiling of the bath with foam plastic has been going on for a long time. On the one hand, the foam has excellent thermal insulation qualities, but on the other hand, it begins to decompose over time and release toxic substances.

Expanded clay is an old proven material that has long been successfully used for warming bath rooms. Expanded clay granules made of clay are a good heat insulator and successfully resist almost all the problems that one has to face when insulating a bath ceiling. The only "but" - expanded clay easily absorbs moisture - up to 25% of its mass. If in a dry state it is a fairly light material, then when wet it becomes heavier and presses on the ceiling. If we insulate the ceiling of a capitally built bathhouse, then we can use expanded clay, but it is not suitable for insulating light buildings without equipped ceilings.

The same situation is with improvised materials: a mixture of clay with sawdust or straw. In the old days, this heater for the ceiling of the bath was practiced in rural baths almost everywhere, but today it is almost never used - there are a lot of problems with it. But, if you need a budget option for thermal insulation, then you won’t find it cheaper.

Having finally decided on the choice of how to insulate the ceiling in the bath, you can proceed directly to the insulation. But first you need to figure out how to properly insulate the ceiling in the bath. The specificity of bath rooms is such that for high-quality thermal insulation, in addition to the insulation itself, it is necessary to equip two more layers: and waterproofing. These two layers are necessary to protect the thermal insulator from getting wet, thereby maintaining its thermal insulation characteristics and protecting it from mold.

The vapor barrier is always laid on top of the insulation from the side of the bath room, and the waterproofing is always laid from the side of the roof. If the bath is built without an attic, then for reliable thermal protection, waterproofing is first equipped, an insulating layer is laid under it, protected from below by a vapor barrier. If there is an attic in the bathhouse, the arrangement of general insulation is done in the reverse order: first, a vapor barrier, then a heater, and on top of it - waterproofing.

For a vapor barrier layer, it is better to choose foil materials. Such a vapor barrier will cost more than usual, but the foil layer will not only not let moisture through to the insulation, but will additionally reflect some of the heat back into the room. Izospan, Folgoplast and a number of other materials will perfectly cope with this task.

For the arrangement of waterproofing, a dense film of ordinary polyethylene is most often used. If desired, you can use modern materials, for example, Megaspan - a special membrane that can be used to equip both hydro and vapor barriers.

Ceiling insulation options

There are 2 options for how to insulate the ceiling in the bath with your own hands. It is preferable to equip the so-called. external insulation - it is both more practical and easier to implement.

But such insulation has one drawback - it will not be possible to move along the ceiling. Internal insulation of the ceiling is practiced in small shed bathhouses, where it is not possible to put a layer of insulation on top of the ceiling, or to provide yourself with the opportunity to move along the ceiling.

The ceiling of the bath, before being insulated, must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt. If damage to the ceiling structure was found during cleaning, they must be repaired. You also need to additionally treat it with antiseptics and fire retardants, if such treatment was not carried out during the installation of the ceiling.

ceiling insulation technology

Do-it-yourself ceiling insulation in a bath with rolled or sheet heaters is the most popular way today. All these materials: mineral wool, ecowool, isover are high-quality heaters, and due to their low weight and convenient laying shape, they can be mounted both with external and internal insulation of the bath.

The most popular way of installing such heaters is the installation of a heat-insulating layer along with the installation of the ceiling. With this method, first, a vapor barrier is attached to the floor beams from below using a construction stapler. To ensure 100% vapor tightness, the vapor barrier panels are laid with an overlap of 5-7 cm, and the seams and attachment points to the beams are additionally glued with special adhesive tape for foil. Then, from the bottom of the vapor barrier, a crate is nailed perpendicular to the beams. It performs two tasks at once: it will support the insulating "pie" and serve to fasten the ceiling lining.

On top of the vapor barrier, sheets of insulation are laid between the beams, while the sheets or plates of insulation must be tightly laid between the beams so that not the slightest gaps remain. A waterproof layer is laid on top of the laid insulation, and a layer is laid on top of the beams, along which it will be possible to move around without fear of damaging the thermal insulation.

In this way, it is practical and safe to mount light insulation materials. If the task is how to insulate the ceiling in the bath with expanded clay or folk remedies, then it is better to first lay a draft floor on the support beams, and equip a layer of insulation on it. This method ensures that the boards do not break and the insulation does not collapse on the heads of the people below.

First, strong boards, fiberboards or other suitable materials are attached to the floor beams. A vapor barrier layer is laid on top of them, also with a mandatory overlap of 5-7 cm, but the film or membrane can not be attached to the tree, it will be tightly fixed with a layer of insulation.

If expanded clay is used for insulation, then a wooden formwork is made along the perimeter of the ceiling, the height of which should be 2-3 cm higher than the future layer of expanded expanded clay. For greater convenience, it is better to further divide this formwork into several sections, into which expanded clay granules are poured with a layer of at least 30 cm. From above, the expanded clay layer is leveled with a rake or a long rail. Finally, a crate is laid on top of the formwork, on which a waterproofing film is attached.

When using a mixture of clay and sawdust or straw to insulate the ceiling, the mixture is first prepared: 2 parts of clay to 3 parts of sawdust or straw. The clay is soaked, thoroughly mixed with straw or sawdust and brought to the consistency of thick sour cream. Then this mixture is laid out on the ceiling with a layer of 5-10 cm and left to dry completely. The drying process depends on the external temperature and can take from several days to a month.

Usually, cracks appear in the drying mixture, which must be carefully sealed with the same mixture. Then, 8-10 cm of wood chips, sawdust, dry oak or maple leaves are poured over the dried layer. It is still preferable to use oak leaves, since they have pronounced bactericidal properties and will better protect the ceiling from fungi and mold. From above, this heat-insulating "pie" is covered with a layer of clay 1.5-2 cm thick and covered with a waterproofing film.

Regardless of the chosen method of insulation and the material of the insulation, the installation of an insulating layer is a laborious task, requiring the utmost composure and concentration. But, if all the installation conditions are met, then the bathhouse will delight its visitors with warmth, comfort and good mood for a long time.

Bath ceiling insulation technology watch video

When building a bath, you need to pay attention to the insulation of the structure. If the heat constantly leaks out, it will not work to create the desired temperature in the steam room.

Many people think that you can limit yourself to the insulation of walls and floors. But the heated air becomes lighter, rises and penetrates through the ceiling and roof. Insulating the ceiling of the bath will help stop heat leakage. You will be able to carry out the installation with your own hands, and in the future you will not spend money on heating the air surrounding the house. Insulating structures will not allow heat to dissipate.

Why insulate the ceiling

Warm air always rises, so insulation is very important. Click on the photo to enlarge.

We have already mentioned that warm air accumulates in the upper part of the room.

If the ceiling and roof slopes are not insulated, the heat melts the snow on the building.

Cold and damp air penetrates the walls of the foundation into the room.

The design of the ceilings in the bath must be such that it can withstand the weight of the insulation structure.

It is also important that the ceiling materials are not damaged by moisture.

After all, the bath is always high humidity.

Well, the last requirement - the ceiling should not let heat through.

What ceiling to make in the bath

Typically, in bath rooms, the ceiling height ranges from 2.10 - 2.30 m. The higher the ceilings, the more difficult it is to warm the rooms. In buildings with high ceilings, warm air accumulates at the top, while the floors remain cold.

The ceiling in the bath should retain heat. It is also important that the floor materials are not damaged by moisture. Therefore, in the baths they construct a multi-layer ceiling.

Here is an approximate diagram of such a design: from the side of the attic, the floor is sewn up with boards, a film or parchment is stretched under the boards for waterproofing. The next layer of the cake is insulation, the insulation from below is protected from steam by a layer of film or parchment.

From the side of the rooms, the ceiling is usually trimmed with wood.

False ceiling device

How to cover the ceiling of the bath from the side of the room. Usually, various types of wood are used for this. In conditions of extreme humidity, coniferous varieties have proven themselves well. It is necessary to ensure that the wood is well dried.

It is better to select boards without knots and cracks for the ceiling. In addition, any wood should be treated with a protective impregnation. Then the design can last a long time even in a humid environment.

The entire structure of the false ceiling rests on the floor beams. A frame is laid on the beams, on which boards are laid. A vapor barrier is laid on the bottom of the boards. Insulation mats are tightly laid on top of the vapor barrier, and they are again covered with films on top. A plank floor is laid over the pie.

Advantages of this design:

1. ease of installation, the owner of the building can perform all the work himself;
2. the design is not heavy, the floor beams can withstand its weight;
3. wooden construction will last a long time.

The disadvantages of this option include its evaluation. Quality wood is now expensive.

Panel ceiling device

The insulated ceiling resembles a layer cake. Click to enlarge.

The floor structure is assembled from prefabricated boards. Pieces of moisture-resistant insulation are placed between the shields.

At the heart of the prefabricated shield are load-bearing bars, on which edged boards are stuffed.

Insulating material is tightly laid inside the board shield, laying it with vapor-tight materials.

The advantage of the panel construction is that it is possible to use illiquid lumber for the manufacture of shields.

Disadvantages:

1. the shields are heavy, you won’t be able to mount them yourself;
2. a heavy structure can deform the floor beams, so you need to calculate the weight of the insulation structure and, if necessary, strengthen the beams.

Floor ceiling device

In this case, the ceiling is covered with a layer of thick boards. Boards, more than five centimeters thick, rest on a ledge made of bricks or the last crown of a log house. The boards are covered with films, on top of which insulation mats can be laid.

Such a ceiling can only be mounted in a small bath.

The advantages of this option include ease of installation and low cost of construction.

Disadvantages: the design is suitable only for a small room; the insulation will not be protected and it will not be possible to use the attic.

How to insulate the ceiling of the bath

Consider the main ways to insulate the ceiling of the bath.

Like in the old days

In the past, it was common practice to insulate the bath ceiling with clay. Material for insulation can be dug up near the house. Clay is easily applied to any surface and can last a long time.

The insulation structure is constructed as follows: wooden boards are laid on the floor beams. Clay is mixed with sand and poured with water; from the side of the attic, the boards are covered with a liquid mixture. The structure is left alone until completely dry.

After the clay layer can be covered with a layer of sawdust or dry leaves, even dry soil.

Warming with clay will require a lot of effort, the work is troublesome and dirty. But the structure can be built without financial investments.

Expanded clay

Expanded clay is a very cheap material. Click to enlarge.

Expanded clay - bulk material.

Expanded clay granules are made from clay.

The material is swelled and fired.

Cells with air are sealed inside the granules, which determine the low thermal conductivity of the insulation.

On the floor of the attic for insulation, it is better to build a crate of wooden bars.

Expanded clay is poured between the bars, with a layer of about thirty centimeters.

The material must be limited from moisture access from above and from steam from the steam room.

Design flaws:

1. you will need an impressive layer of expanded clay, the design will be heavy;
2. on expanded clay you will have to lay boards in order to walk in the attic;
3. insulation is important to isolate from moisture.

Mineral wool

Mineral wool in its popularity is second only to polystyrene foam. We cannot recommend combustible foam for bath insulation. But fibrous insulation made from melts of mountain basalt rocks is ideal.

Cotton wool perfectly retains heat, does not burn. The material is safe for health and inexpensive.

A significant disadvantage of cotton wool is hydrophobia. When wet, the cotton wool insulation crumple, its weight increases. Wet wool loses its qualities of low thermal conductivity. It is very important to securely cover the insulation layer with films in order to completely exclude moisture access.

The sequence of work on the insulation of the ceiling

We will describe the device of a false ceiling, since it can be completely assembled with your own hands: first, load-bearing beams are installed, the tree must be treated with an antiseptic; it is better to lay beams along a narrower span of the box.

Vapor barrier films or membranes are attached directly to the floor beams, it is better to cover with a film and part of the wall near the ceiling.

Ceiling boards are laid for interior cladding; insulation boards are laid, it is important to place them back to back, all slots can be blown out with mounting foam.

A film for waterproofing is stretched over the insulation cake, it is better to grab part of the wall; it is important to leave a small gap between the film and the insulation plates so that the air circulates and takes away the remaining moisture with it. They lay the floor for the attic, usually from edged boards.

How to insulate a steam room

When building a bath, all structures need insulation: the foundation, walls and ceiling. But the steam room needs additional insulation. The temperature in this room must be kept very high. At the same time, steam rooms often have a lot of steam and moisture.

How to effectively protect a small room from heat loss?

It can be recommended to additionally insulate the walls and ceiling of the steam room with new materials, such as polyethylene foam. This insulation contains air bubbles firmly sealed in polyethylene capsules. Outside the material is covered with aluminum foil.

Insulation of the ceiling of the steam room of the bath with polyethylene foam reliably insulates the room from heat loss. Aluminum foil reflects almost all the heat that rises to the ceiling.

It is possible to combine several insulation materials over the steam room for efficiency. For example, arrange an insulating structure made of mineral wool, and lay sheets of polyethylene foam covered with aluminum foil as waterproofing.

It is important to turn the foil insulation inside the room so that the material reflects heat.

Having finished the work on the insulation of the bath, it is important to check the operation of the ventilation. There will be a lot of moisture in the bath. It is important that she can leave the room. We covered the walls and ceiling of the building with insulation and films.

Steam will not be able to penetrate these structures. Excess moisture will destroy the tree. Therefore, it is important that ventilation and hoods work properly.

A sauna or a bath is a type of room in which it is necessary to provide a rather high temperature, and most importantly, to save the achieved microclimate for a certain time. In order to achieve this effect and understand how to properly insulate a bath or sauna, you need to study some common truths. How can warm air leak out of the bath? Basically three options are considered:

• leakage of warm air through cracks in the ceiling;
• heat exchange of already heated objects with cold ones;
• intersection of homogeneous barriers by thermal air flows.

If you lay a thermal insulation layer in the structure of the ceiling in the bath, you can cope with all three aspects, provided that the insulation process is performed correctly. If mistakes are made, then this is fraught with the formation of condensate. In this case, more energy resources will have to be spent on heating the bath or sauna.

Ways to insulate the ceiling of the bath

Many steam lovers are wondering how to insulate a bath or sauna. There are several ways, both with the use of modern materials, and those materials that were used by our great-grandfathers. The process of modern insulation is simpler, but not all materials are affordable. Of course, you will have to tinker with traditional methods of insulation, but the costs are much less and environmentally friendly materials are used. If preference is given to modern material, then it should be noted that its cheap types are not suitable for warming a bath. When heated, they begin to release toxic substances, and in the vicinity of the furnace, they generally begin to melt. Such materials include polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene. It is not recommended to use glass wool for warming baths. Let's present several options for the correct insulation of the ceiling of a bath or sauna, and leave the choice to consumers.

"Layered cake"

When installing the insulation of a “layer cake” bath, the following materials are used:

• waterproofing film;
• basalt wool;
• aluminium foil.

In this case, the foil acts as a material for arranging the vapor barrier of the bath ceiling. Next, a layer of basalt wool is laid. The thickness of the layer depends on several factors: climatic conditions, the type of roof and the purpose of the room. The average thickness of the insulation is about 20 cm. If we talk about the ceiling in the sauna, then here the thickness of the insulation layer can be increased. The final layer of this "pie" is waterproofing. It protects the insulation from external climatic factors.

Thermal insulation device with mineral wool

One of the modern ways to insulate the ceiling of a bath or steam room is the use of mineral wool. This method is suitable for various bath roof designs, both with and without an attic compartment. And it does not entail very high costs. Before proceeding with the process of warming the bath, it is necessary to treat all wooden elements with antiseptic agents. Then work is performed in the following sequence:

In the attic department, they make a rough floor, that is, they use unedged or used boards. This will protect the insulation layer with waterproofing from accidental mechanical damage. For more information, see the video

Traditional ways of warming the ceiling of the bath

Baths have existed since ancient times. Our ancestors knew for sure how to insulate a bathhouse from the inside. They used improvised materials, which in our time cost very little, and at the same time they are environmentally friendly. Of course, in comparison with modern materials, the arrangement of insulation in traditional ways requires more labor.

sawdust and clay

To insulate the ceiling of the bath, which has an attic compartment, you can use materials such as sawdust, clay and sand. The warming process is arranged in the following order:

The sawdust must be kept dry. Therefore, it is better to take them from the carpentry shop, as they use wood with a low moisture content. In the old days, about 3 cm of ash was poured over the sawdust layer.

Expanded clay

For warming the steam room or sauna, it is better to use expanded clay. This type of material has high thermal insulation properties, but has a significant drawback. Expanded clay very easily absorbs moisture. Therefore, using expanded clay, a very high-quality vapor barrier should be carried out from the side of the room. A layer of expanded clay up to 30 cm thick is poured over it, and then waterproofing is provided.

Here you can also use the earth, or you can use modern materials. In the case when it is planned to use the attic, then it is necessary to equip the flooring from the boards in order to reduce the pressure area on the ceiling when walking.

Conclusion

As you can see, the process of insulating the ceiling is a very important point. The choice of methods for thermal insulation is quite wide. Ranging from cheap to modern expensive. What to choose is up to the owners of the bath.