Options for lining the iron stove in the bath. Facing a metal furnace in a brick bath

Usually, most owners of steam rooms choose factory cast-iron or steel products as a bath stove. Individual owners use the oven of their own production. But in any case, over time, the conclusion suggests itself: you need to somehow protect the heating structure from the common space of the steam room.

How to overlay the stove in the bath with bricks, so that after the work done it not only looks beautiful, but also the thermal characteristics of the heating unit improve?

What is the purpose of laying a sauna stove

People who are well versed in "bath" issues are sure that in order to create a "correct" bath iron stove, it should be lined with bricks of high quality. It is this heater that is characterized by the supply of soft heat, light steam, while remaining hot for a long time.

Some believe that a significant drawback of bricking a metal stove in a bath is the too long period of time that is needed to get the desired temperature in the steam room. Plus, to build a brick structure, a considerable amount of funds for materials is required. This is provided that you will do the masonry with your own hands.

Given these circumstances, many prefer metal sauna stoves without lining them with bricks. Although, over time, it becomes obvious that such furnace devices have a number of disadvantages that are absent in brick counterparts:

• rapid heating, but also rapid cooling;
• hard heat is radiated from the hot metal walls, which causes some discomfort for visitors in the steam room.

So how do you still overlay the stove in the bath, so that it is cheap, beautiful and the quality of the functioning of the structure does not suffer?

Craftsmen have found a universal solution: to protect against infrared radiation and to accumulate heat, it is necessary to install some kind of barrier in the form of a brick partition between the metal structure and the space of the steam room. Therefore, the optimal solution was found: it is necessary to overlay the bath unit with bricks. This option is relatively cheap and effective.

What kind of brick to use

Before starting the main work, you must decide on the material. How to overlay the stove in the bath, what materials are used for this?

Often, such structures are built from bricks available in the household. And this is normal, because everyone wants to spend a minimum of money, with the maximum return. Therefore, at home there is always a whole brick (silicate, red ceramic - full-bodied and hollow production, fireclay), or their pieces.

If you start with silicate, then it should be noted that such a brick is ideal for facing a house, utility buildings. It perfectly tolerates the influence of precipitation and therefore is durable. But it is not at all suitable for performing work on lining bath metal furnaces. The fact is that in bathing conditions such a brick will not withstand for a long time and will begin to collapse, since its main ingredient is slaked lime, which absorbs moisture well.

A good option for creating a thermal partition is a fireclay (refractory) type of brick. It easily tolerates sudden temperature changes, has a high heat capacity. True, the appearance would like to be better. But this is not a problem, because after lining it is also possible with porcelain stoneware, as well as other materials.

Advice! It is advisable to cover the sauna stove with refractory bricks in cases where you have more than enough of it. And to acquire it for this purpose on purpose is very expensive. Therefore, you need to think about using it in another, more appropriate place for home construction.

Refractory bricks are used in cases where there is a small distance between the masonry and the metal surface - from 1 to 2 cm. At the same time, the brick will warm up to a temperature of 350-400⁰С.

When the gap is within 6-9 cm, the heating will drop to 180-200⁰С, which is caused by a sharp increase in air velocity in the gap between the furnace and the partition.

A great option for lining the stove in the bath is red brick. Preferably full-bodied, although hollow is also suitable. But still, it is better to choose, if possible, the first option, since the hollow one has a small heat capacity and the heat will not last long.

Important! The main thing is to perfectly align the first row.

After that, you should start laying the corners, while not forgetting to tie up the rows of bricks.

There is no need to rush, as it is recommended to do the styling for 2 days. This is due to the fact that on the first day it is necessary to level the base and lay only 5 rows. And on the next, after checking the shrinkage, lay out the remaining 8 rows.

Important! For better adhesion of the mortar to the brick, it is necessary to immerse each pebble for 12-15 minutes in salt water.

Do not forget about the control of the horizontal and vertical in the stacked rows.

It would be nice to use steel wire or mesh as a dressing for corner bricks. It is also possible to strengthen a whole row with reinforcement or fiberglass. In the latter version, a mounting belt can be made on the surface of the row in order to embed 4 mm plastic. To reinforce fireclay bricks, it is best to use iron materials.

The lining is best done in the form of a well with the presence of 2 rows of windows: at the top and in the middle of the structure. The ideal option is to use half a brick as a jumper, placed at some angle to the wall. Thanks to this design, the air in the gap begins to move better, which leads to a decrease in the temperature inside the well, excluding, at the same time, an excess of air heating inside the steam room.

Quite popular are designs with a finish inside the well using a bath stone. This option prevents water splashes from stones from entering the gap between the screen and the furnace. And this is good, since heated fireclay and, moreover, red brick is easily destroyed by hot water.

The metal sauna stove is lined not just for beauty. As evidenced by numerous reviews, thanks to this event, the atmosphere in the steam room is significantly improved. And this despite the fact that every owner of a bathhouse can make brick lining with his own hands, if it is not possible to build a brick oven. Therefore, the work will be carried out with minimal financial costs, with high quality, as a result of which the bath will have not only an attractive appearance, but also an internal thermal environment that is beneficial to health. Good luck!

If the oven is made of ordinary oven bricks, not everyone may like its appearance, and if used brick is also used, then finishing the oven is highly desirable. There are only two methods - plastering and finishing with tiles or stone (upholstering with sheet iron, of course, is also an option, but this is not finishing). But at the same time, the appearance can be very different - from super-modern to "teremochny" version.

One of the most common oven finishes is stucco. Although the method is common, there are many questions: too often the surface cracks, in some cases it generally falls off in pieces or completely. In order to avoid such a situation, you need to know some subtleties.

Plastering and tiling or stonework are two ways to get your stove in order

Training

All finishing work is carried out only after the final drying and the main shrinkage of the furnace. Otherwise, no matter how hard you try, there will be a lot of cracks.

There is one reliable technique, but it takes a lot of time. However, once a well-made stove plaster can last for years. So here is the process. Before starting plastering work, the seams are deepened by about 1 cm. Then all surfaces are covered with plaster or paint mesh (2-3 mm wire, 5 cm step), nailing or screwing in screws. This is an easier option.

For greater reliability, you can fill the nails yourself, and wind the wire between them. Nail length - 80-100 mm, fired soft wire, 2-3 mm in diameter, copper can be used. Nails should not be beaten into bricks, but into vertical seams, where two bricks converge. Hats should stick out by 2-4 mm, wire is wound on them.

Why is this method better? In highly thermally loaded places, more nails can be stuffed, making the reinforcement more reliable. The second plus is that such reinforcement turns out to be more mobile, it better compensates for different degrees of expansion / contraction of various materials, preventing the finishing layer from falling off.

In order for the surface to be perfectly even, as required by modern building standards, it is easier to set up beacons, and plaster them using well-known technology.

There are also folk methods for reinforcing oven plaster. A layer of plaster mortar is applied to the surface (more often - gilin), burlap is spread on it, through which the solution is squeezed. Sometimes burlap is fastened with nails, which are nailed in several places. Even if the finish peels off, it will hang and not fall off.

Similarly, fiberglass can be used, and gauze is also suitable in thermally unloaded places. All these are ways to keep the plaster of the furnace from shedding.

Clay-based mortar for plastering a sauna stove

Most often, ovens are plastered with ordinary clay mortar. It should be of normal fat content. If you can’t find the best option, it’s better to plaster with a “overfat” solution than a dry one. Cracks form in the greasy, but it holds well. The resulting cracks can then be whitewashed with lime or rubbed with a leaner composition. If the clay solution is lean (there is too much sand in it), then it will definitely crumble.

So, we determine the fat content of the clay, then we make trial batches, adding a different amount of sand. From the resulting solution we mold sausages into a finger thick. We leave them to dry for 2 days (in the shade, not in a draft). Then we wrap the sausage around the handle. On a normal solution, external cracks appear and the moist middle cracks slightly. On a lean solution, there are many cracks and they are deep; on a greasy solution, only the surface cracks, almost without affecting the inner layer. We choose the option with "normal" indicators. .

With the help of these experiments, you determined in what proportion you need to add sand. In addition to it, in order for the surface to crack even less, a reinforcing substance is added. They are both natural and artificial origin:

• dried horse manure (when dried, there may be a characteristic smell);
• bran;
• loose asbestos;
• mineral fiber;
• sawdust;
• fiberglass (used to reinforce concrete);
• basalt fibre.

These additives are introduced in a small amount into an almost ready-made solution. If necessary, water is added so that the composition is thick, but remains plastic. The degree of plasticity is checked simply: we draw a trowel over the surface of the solution. There should be a clear trail with well-formed edges that do not "float". The cut surface should be smooth, not torn. If the edges are floating, add a little sand or clay dough, if the surface is “torn” - a little water.

The consistency of the clay solution is a thick paste

Another popular additive is salt. It is administered from 100 g to 200 g per bucket of solution. What gives salt in the plaster solution? It retains a certain amount of moisture in itself, preventing the clay from drying out, which prevents the appearance of deep cracks. Also, when dried, the salt prevents the surface from warping. You can make a cake from a regular gilnyanosand solution and with the addition of salt and look at the result after drying.

On the other hand, if the stove is heated periodically, in a humid atmosphere, plaster with salt begins to crumble. So for baths or dachas of periodic visits, such an additive is definitely not suitable.

If you will plaster with a clay composition, first the oven is melted, and work begins in the form of heat. Why preheat the oven? Because when the clay dries, it shrinks quite a lot - its surface shrinks. By heating the stove, we will achieve a certain thermal expansion, we will apply a layer of clay or lime plaster on the already enlarged surface. When drying / cooling, both the brick surface and the applied plaster are compressed. This reduces the likelihood of a large number of cracks. If they are, then not so significant, and not in such a large number.

Plastering the oven with clay - it is difficult to avoid cracks

Mortars based on cement

Another way is to use a standard plaster mortar, with the addition of one part of clay - for elasticity. The composition looks like this: cement - 1 part, sand 3 parts, oily clay - 1 part. The whole trick is that aluminous cement with increased heat resistance is needed, and it is expensive. In principle, you can use ordinary Portland cement, but high quality.

In other regions, a certain amount of lime paste is added to increase the strength of the kiln plaster mortar. If you want a good result, it is better to buy lime dough, rather than extinguish it yourself. No matter how hard you try, the smallest outstanding particles remain in home-made slaked lime. During operation, they absorb water vapor, are extinguished, increasing in size, tearing the surface of the plaster. As a result, the finish falls off or becomes cavernous.

In some cases, PVA is added to the solutions, which makes it more plastic. But you will not be able to plaster the oven again after using such a solution. On the surface of the brick, a thin film invisible to the eye is formed, with which no mortar can adhere. Adhesion is almost zero. So this supplement is more harmful than useful.

When plastering a furnace with a cement-based mortar, the sequence of actions changes slightly. The preparation consists in breaking off the old finish, reinforcing / weaving the mesh, followed by the most thorough removal of dirt and dust. Then the brick is abundantly wetted with water, and plaster is already applied to the wet surface.

Features of plastering ovens

There is one tip that concerns the technique of applying clay plaster. Do not apply a thick layer of mortar at once. It is desirable to divide the total thickness at least twice. The task of the first application is to “adhere” well to the brick, as well as to create a base for applying the second layer. Therefore, by pushing the solution through the mesh or burlap, the surface is not smoothed, but left uneven, rough and lumpy. They remove only the largest protrusions that may interfere with further work. Those who do not like chaos can be advised to “smooth” the clay with a notched trowel, making furrows across. This will be a good base both for applying the next layer and for laying tiles, stone.

The first layer dries under normal conditions, without raising the temperature. This means that the furnace cannot be heated. After complete drying, you can apply and level the next batch of mortar. If it is dry and hot outside, it is advisable to regularly moisten the surface of the plaster with water.

Using shop mixes

Not everyone wants to mess with clay, select composition, conduct tests. It’s easier to buy a ready-made composition and use it to plaster the oven. Easier, but much more expensive. For plastering the oven, you can use special adhesives for plastering ovens or laying tiles on them. But they cost from $30 to $180 per bag. In a bag - 20 kg. How many bags you need is a matter of oven size and layer thickness.

But in this case, everything is simple: dilute strictly according to the instructions and apply according to the rules described in the same instructions. According to the experience of use, we can say that you need to look at the composition. The mixture should contain a reinforcing agent. Also pay attention to the scope: baths require resistance to fire, which is not so common.

Specifically by brand, here are some ready-made mixtures that have already been tested in experience:

• Plitonite Superfireplace Refractory.
• Petronix KU. This composition gives a smoother surface, but is suitable for surfaces with temperatures above 70°C, i.e. if there is no furnace lining (there is no heat-insulating layer or it is not lined with heat-resistant bricks from the inside), then it cannot be used.
• Heat-resistant plaster Terracotta. The area of ​​use is up to +400°C, suitable for any type of furnace.
• Wolfsheuer stucco mixtures on dazzling white marble chips. Withstands heating up to +300°C, which is also more than enough.

Photo report on the plastering of the furnace

In this case, the master used a reinforcing mesh: the brick had many cracks, and a small cell simultaneously reinforces the masonry. First, the old finish is cleaned off, everything is removed, down to the bare brick. The seams are deepened by about 1 cm.

The surface is cleaned of dust - first with a broom, then with a thick brush. Then the grid is fixed.

To ensure that the surface of the furnace is even, beacons are set. Standard galvanized or stainless building beacons are used. Plastering is carried out on them as usual. Only at first the composition is applied and leveled around the casting, and then the entire surface is already tightened.

The composition for plaster is as follows: for 1 part of cement, 2 parts of mountain sand, 2 parts of river sand, 200 g of salt. Clay is not added at all, because it dries out a lot, which causes cracks to appear.

Before starting work, the oven is well wetted so that it is wet during operation. Until the cement is fully cured (28 days), the furnace is not fired.

After the plaster has dried, you can glue the tiles (on heat-resistant tile adhesive), paint, whitewash, do anything.

Furnace tiling

To give the oven an attractive look, you can finish it with tiles. There is a special, heat-resistant tile for stoves, but it costs a lot. There are special tiles, but they are laid at the stage of construction of the furnace (they cost even more). For the most part, ordinary ceramic tiles are used for facing the stove. If it is of normal quality and laid correctly, nothing happens to it. There are two restrictions:

• use tiles of small formats, as it is noticed that it holds better;
• do not use gypsum-based tiles - it greatly reduces heat transfer.

Furnaces are plastered for cladding mainly with cement compositions. When the clay dries, it shrinks very much, which is why the tile inevitably falls off. Moreover, it is advised to use one composition for plastering and gluing tiles - this is a guarantee of good adhesion.

A few more technological points that relate to laying tiles near furnace casting and other metal elements. The gap between the edges of the tile and the metal should be about 5 mm. This gap must be left empty, without mortar. It is subsequently laid with an asbestos cord, and covered with tile glue on top, rubbed with grout. So when heated, the metal will not tear and will not squeeze out the tile.

First technology: with pre-plastering

Masters who are engaged in finishing brick ovens advise to plaster the oven first. After the plaster has dried, it will be possible to glue the tiles on a special heat-resistant adhesive. If you adhere to this technology, then the preparatory stage will be exactly the same as with plastering (described above):

After the plaster has dried, tiles are glued using conventional technology. Some masters put tiles on a heated oven, others on a warm one. There are styling options without heating. The technology is no different from ordinary finishing work, with the only difference being that the seams are made larger - from 3 mm and try to leave them unfilled.

To maintain the seams use all the same crosses. They are then filled with gypsum grout, which is more elastic and less prone to cracking. In this case, the seams compensate for thermal expansion.

The second technology - immediately on the glue

If the surface of the furnace is initially flat, but the appearance of the bricks has let us down, you can try gluing the tiles directly onto the brick. Only it must be clean, without any dirt or dust. Take heat-resistant glue for lining stoves or fireplaces (there are some). Dilute strictly according to the instructions, also according to the instructions, apply the composition to the tile and glue it to the brick.

There is one trick: if the format of the tile is such that it overlaps several bricks, the glue should be on only one of them. The rest are left empty. The solutions have a high degree of adhesion and hold well even in this situation. And this method allows you to bypass the different magnitudes of thermal expansions of different materials (the seams expand more, because of which the tile pasted on two bricks can break). But this furnace lining technique has a minus: voids filled with air do not conduct heat well, heat transfer drops significantly. In this case, there is one way out: to buy tiles to match the size of the brick. It is difficult to find the required sizes, but some craftsmen from large format cut a smaller one with the required dimensions.

There is a technology that combines the two described above. The oven is upholstered with masonry mesh with 50 * 50 mm, wire diameter 0.5-1 mm. They nail the mesh with staples - powerful from a construction pistol, or by making them from finishing nails. The mesh should fit snugly. Tiles are laid on this base without prior plastering. The disadvantage of this technology is the high consumption of expensive glue.

Adhesive for tiles on the stove

What tile adhesive can be used in this technology? The following heat-resistant brands showed themselves normally:

• Plitonite VT;
• Retainer;
• Emelya's glue from the Pyramid company, suitable even for finishing with a torn stone;
• Ceresit 17;
• Refractory;

Ragged stone glued on Emelya glue

About finishing the sauna stove

All of the above also applies to sauna brick ovens, but only to those that are in heated rooms. If you have a bath periodically visiting and it freezes through, it is useless to finish the stove. No matter how hard you try, no matter what technique you use, everything will fall off.

When the furnace is moved from a deep "minus" to an even deeper "plus", the thermal expansions are too great. After several such transitions, brick breaks, and even more so plaster and tile. In a similar mode of operation, brick ovens exist no longer than 4-6 years. Then transfer them anyway.

All this is also true for heating and heating-cooking options that are located in unheated summer cottages, and which are periodically, several times during the winter, melted. There is only one way out - in the country to beat with sheet iron and calm down on this, and in the bath - to put up with a not very attractive view.

During the kindling of the bath, the surface of the furnace is heated up to 300-400°C. At the same time, it begins to emit infrared rays and itself becomes a source of heating. The running heat is distributed throughout the steam room, but first of all it hits the walls adjacent to the stove. If the walls are wooden, then under the influence of high temperatures, their charring begins. And there is already close to the fire! The only truly effective way to insulate wooden walls from heat is to create protective screens and casings from non-combustible materials in the bath.

When is protection needed?

The need to install protective skins and screens does not always arise. If a fireproof distance is maintained between the stove and the nearest combustible surface, additional protection is not needed. At this distance, the IR rays scatter, weaken, and the amount that the wooden wall receives can no longer damage it.

It is believed that the safe distance from the wall to the brick oven (laying a quarter of a brick) is at least 0.32 m, from the wall to (not lined) - at least 1 m. For a metal furnace lined with brick or fireclay from the inside, the distance is reduced to 0.7 m

Thus, compliance with fire distances is more possible in large baths, where the issue of saving space is not relevant. In family steam rooms, where every centimeter of space counts, installing a stove 0.3-1 m from the nearest walls is impractical. In this case, the safety distances established according to the norms must be reduced with the help of screens and skins.

Protective screens near (around) the furnace

Protective screens are insulation shields that cover the side surfaces of the furnace and reduce the intensity of thermal radiation. Screens are metal and brick. As a rule, they are used for metal furnaces.

Method #1 - metal screens

The most common protective screens are factory-made steel or cast iron sheets. They are installed around the furnace, at a distance of 1-5 cm from the walls of the firebox. Depending on the need to insulate one or another side of the furnace, you can purchase side or front (front) screens. Many metal furnaces are initially made with protective screens in the form of a protective casing.

Protective screens reduce the temperature of external metal surfaces to 80-100°C and, accordingly, reduce the fireproof distance to 50 cm. The total distance from the firebox to the wall (together with a gap of 1-5 cm) will be 51-55 cm.

Installing protective screens is not difficult. Due to the presence of legs, metal shields are easily attached to the floor with bolts.

Method #2 - brick screens

A brick screen can cover all the side surfaces of a metal furnace, representing its outer skin. Then the stove will be in a masonry casing. In another case, a brick screen is a wall that separates the furnace and the flammable surface.

For laying a protective screen, a full-bodied fireclay brick is used. The binder is cement or clay mortar. It is recommended to lay in half-brick (thickness 120 mm). But, with a lack of material, it is possible to allow the wall to be made a quarter of a brick (60 mm thick), although in this case the heat-insulating properties of the screen will be reduced by half.

Small holes are left in the lower part of the shield (sometimes with furnace doors) for air convection between the brick wall and the stove.

Brick walls of the screen must end at least 20 cm above the top surface of the furnace. Sometimes laying is carried out to the very ceiling.

The brick screen is not installed close to the walls of the furnace, the optimal distance is 5-15 cm. The acceptable distance from the brickwork to the flammable wall is 5-15 cm. Thus, the use of a brick screen allows you to reduce the distance from the furnace to the wooden wall to 22-42 cm (oven - ventilation gap 5-15 cm - brick 12 cm - ventilation gap 5-15 cm - wall).

Protective non-combustible cladding for walls

The walls adjacent to the red-hot walls of the furnace are subject to spontaneous combustion. To prevent their overheating, special skins are used, consisting of heat-insulating and non-combustible materials.

Option #1 - reflective skins

Sheathings consisting of a combination of non-combustible thermal insulation and metal sheets are effective. At the same time, thermal insulation is attached to the wooden surface, which is covered from above with a stainless steel sheet. Some use galvanizing for these purposes, but, according to some reports, when heated, it can release harmful substances. It is better not to take risks and purchase a stainless steel sheet.

For greater efficiency, the metal sheet of the screen must be well polished. The mirror surface contributes to the reflection of heat rays from the wooden surface and, accordingly, prevents its heating. In addition, a stainless steel sheet, directing infrared rays back into the steam room, turns hard radiation into softer, better perceived by a person.

As thermal insulation for stainless steel, you can fix:

• Basalt wool - it has high thermal insulation properties, it is absolutely safe when used in a bath. Possesses the increased hygroscopicity, does not burn.
• Basalt cardboard - thin sheets of basalt fiber. Used as fireproof, sound and heat insulating material.
• Asbestos cardboard is a sheet refractory heat insulator. It has high strength and durability, protects flammable surfaces from ignition.
• Minerite - non-combustible sheets (plates), specially made for shielding stoves, fireplaces, flammable surfaces in baths and saunas.

A popular example of sheathing using a metal sheet is such a “pie”: wall - ventilation gap (2-3 cm) - insulation (1-2 cm) - stainless steel sheet. The distance from the wooden wall to the stove is at least 38 cm (SNiP 41-01-2003).

Ceramic bushings are used to fasten the sheathing to the wall. They do not heat up and allow you to form ventilation gaps between the thermal insulation and the wall.

If the distance between the wooden wall and the stove is minimal, then the sheathing is made of two layers of refractory insulation, for example, mineralite. In this case, the sheets are fixed through ceramic bushings with a gap of 2-3 cm. The top sheet is covered with stainless steel.

Option #2 - sheathing with cladding

Of course, protective sheathing with stainless steel perfectly protects wooden walls from heat and fire. But it can spoil the impression of the most expensive finish. Therefore, if the steam room is designed in a decorative style, the refractory lining is masked with heat-resistant tiles. The tile is laid on heat-resistant glue, for example, produced by Terracotta.

The best materials for wall cladding near the stove:

• Terracotta tiles - made of fired clay. Differs in durability, heat resistance, durability. Terracotta tiles can be matte or glazed (majolica) and range in color from pastel yellow to brick red.
• Clinker tiles - also made of clay, outwardly similar to facing bricks. Unlike terracotta, clinker tiles are denser. The color scheme covers almost all colors, ranging from white to black, including greens and blues that are unusual for clay.
• Tiles are a type of ceramic tile. It usually has an embossing in the form of a pattern or ornament on the front surface.
• Porcelain stoneware is a heat-resistant, durable tile. Depending on the method of processing the front surface, the tile can imitate natural stone, brick, wood. In the color scheme - all natural shades, from white to black.
• Talcochlorite is a grayish or greenish rock. Possesses fire resistance, water resistance, durability.

Fixing refractory tiles directly to the walls will not have the effect of thermal insulation. The wall will still heat up, which is fraught with spontaneous combustion. Therefore, the tile is used only as an element of the protective "pie" of the following design: wall - ventilation gap (2-3 cm) - refractory sheet material - tile. It is recommended to maintain a minimum of 15-20 cm from the tiles to the walls of the furnace.

Any material from this list can be used as a refractory element in sheathing:

• Refractory drywall (GKLO) - drywall, supplemented with fiberglass fibers. Resists thermal effects without structural deformations.
• Minerite is a cement-fiber board, absolutely non-combustible. Minerite plates are moisture resistant, do not rot, do not decompose.
• Glass-magnesium sheet (SML) - a material in the form of plates, made on the basis of magnesia binder and fiberglass. It has heat and sound insulation properties, does not collapse under the influence of water and temperature changes.

Protective sheathing with obligatory observance of the ventilation gap has a very low coefficient of heat absorption, so the wall under it practically does not heat up. In addition, the use of lining allows you to mask the protective "pie" to withstand the finishing of the steam room in the same style.

Since ancient times people used the bath to cleanse the body and soul. The bath has always been used not only for purely hygienic purposes, but also made it possible to relax with friends and relax after a hard day's work.

The fate of any bath structure directly depends on how correctly it is mounted steam room stove. It is not entirely comfortable to be in a slightly heated room of the bath, and in a too overheated room it is sometimes even dangerous for health. The role of the stove in the bath is no less important than heating the living space in the house. The effectiveness of all bath procedures depends entirely on how quickly the stove can heat up and how long it can keep warm.

Proper use of a metal furnace

Modern bath stoves are often made of metal structures, which are compact, warm up quickly and have a relatively low cost. The efficiency of a metal stove sometimes reaches 85%, which is much higher than that of the standard brick or stone stove that we are used to. The problems that arise, which include rapid cooling and the possibility of getting burned, are eliminated by lining the metal furnace with bricks.

For a long time, the standard for completing a steam room in a bath room has become iron oven, the use of which has long been considered a favorite option for many bath owners. Compared with other types, a metal stove has a number of advantages:

• It is easy to do it yourself. Installation and maintenance of this design is not particularly difficult. Even overlaying an iron stove in a bathhouse with a brick is on the shoulder of a home master.
• The metal furnace is easily melted, quickly gains a high temperature in the furnace, which makes it possible to rationally use heating oil with good traction.

True, there are several drawbacks that force the owner to install an iron firebox away from water and benches. High heat output and good performance of the stove quickly heat up the washing room of the bath, while the stones for the formation of steam heat up much slower than the air in the steam room. This happens due to increased heat radiation through the metal walls.

Even if the stove is bought ready-made in the store and has a beautiful appearance, it is better to increase its productivity and efficiency through the device stone or brick apron around it. And also people who are in the immediate vicinity of such a metal structure will feel more comfortable and safe. The iron stove for a bath must meet the following parameters:

In addition, one must strictly consider location of the metal stove. It must be mounted at a distance of at least 15 cm from the wooden panels. Small, but frequent loads of furnace material are the best option for heating a bath using a metal furnace.

Reasons for lining the sauna stove with bricks

These shortcomings are easily eliminated by lining the metal stove with bricks. According to many owners, it is the use of a metal factory stove with a home-made brick lining that is the golden mean in arranging an excellent steam room for a bath.

Brick for lining a metal furnace in a bath

The question of how to brick an iron stove in a bathhouse should be studied and decided first of all. Considering the large temperature loads on the design of a metal furnace, ordinary building bricks are not suitable for lining it. It is necessary to use a facing material that has high refractory properties. Distinguish several types of refractory bricks:

• fireclay. Such a brick is made from fireclay clay with the addition of quartz coarse sand, graphite powder or coke. The presence and amount of these impurities regulate the refractoriness and other properties of the material. Fireclay bricks are widely used for lining both domestic and industrial ovens. The industry uses brick with fire resistance limit (+1750℃). For the construction of household stoves, this material is used quite rarely, due to its high cost.
• Dinas. This type of brick is made from silicon powder diluted in milk of lime. At its core, it is silica. Compared with fireclay bricks, this material has higher fire resistance and mechanical strength. But its main drawback is poor resistance to temperature fluctuations. Therefore, it has received wider application in the construction of industrial furnaces, where there is a high but constant temperature. But the idea of ​​​​using it in bath stoves is considered very unsuccessful.
• Talc. The trump cards of this material can be considered a pleasant appearance and its good fire resistance. This material is produced from natural talc slate, by cutting bricks from natural stone. Due to insufficiently high fire resistance, soapstone bricks are used mainly for facing works.
• Clinker. This brick is ideal for lining furnaces, in case of loose contact with hot metal.

Refractory products are produced both in the form of smooth bricks and shaped products. Moreover, various shaped products give the heater even greater aesthetics. Various types of refractory bricks can be ordered on the construction Internet portal, while you can first familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics of the material.

Brick lining of the sauna stove

Before overlaying an iron stove in a bath with a brick, it is necessary to carefully examine and study the foundation and base of the metal structure.

The difficulty in facing the furnace with bricks is the solution of several problems:

• The construction of the brick cladding will have a lot of weight, so a foundation will definitely be required. If the metal furnace was installed on a layer of heat insulator and does not have a stone base under it, the reconstruction of the furnace equipment must begin with the manufacture of the foundation base.
• For the construction of the foundation, it is imperative to consider the issue of laying a good layer of heat-insulating material, which will be designed to reduce heat loss from the furnace, directly into the foundation and soil.
• The design of the metal firebox must have good stability and strength. Periodic change of modes of heating and cooling of the furnace equipment should not lead to pouring out of the solution from the joints.

Methods for lining an iron stove in a bath

Relying on the fact that the brick lining mainly serves as a thermal screen for the metal structure and does not absorb the main heat from the furnace, there is many cladding options, more details about which can be found on many construction portals on the Internet. The main cladding options are:

The choice of cladding scheme depends mainly on the functional need of the cladding. If the work is done to solve decorative purposes, then it is made as thick as a whole brick. If the stove is recognized to perform the function of a water heater, then the finish is made in half a brick. It is very important to correctly calculate the gap between the body of the metal stove and the brick screen. It is not very difficult to do this. You need to add 2 cm to the standard 3 cm for each kilowatt of power. And if the stove power exceeds 12 kilowatts, you need to make a maximum gap of 15–20 cm.

Iron stoves in the bath

The process of lining a metal furnace with bricks

The whole process of lining an iron stove can be divided into several stages.

Stage 1 Foundation

The most important stage of any construction is foundation device. The durability and strength of the entire structure depends on the quality of its installation. If during the initial construction, a foundation was made for the stove, then in order to enclose a metal firebox, a new foundation will not be required. But if you are unsure of the strength of the old foundation, you need to spend time and build a new foundation, as the weight of the entire structure will increase significantly. With a total mass of the entire structure of less than 700 kg, the foundation can be omitted.

The order of the foundation device:

• After the issue of the installation site of the furnace has been resolved, it is necessary to cut out the floorboards along the perimeter of the structure, given that the size of the foundation should be 10–15 cm larger on each side.
• Next, you need to dig a pit up to 40 cm deep.
• Then it is necessary to build a wooden formwork according to the size of the pit and the planned structure.
• The next step is to waterproof the foundation.
• Then we pour a pillow of sand and crushed stone of the middle fraction, in order to be able to retain moisture.
• We fill the foundation with cement mortar and be sure to lay a layer of reinforcing mesh on top. We check the evenness of the surface made with a building level.
• Then you need to wait a while for the concrete screed to completely harden.

Stage 2 Foundation device

Step 3 Solution preparation

A mixture of cement and clay will serve as an ideal solution for brick lining a metal firebox. Experienced stove-makers advise the proportion of these components to be determined by appearance. It is believed that it is necessary to take the same amount of cement and clay, while adding to the solution up to 30% river sand.

The main thing, when preparing the solution, is to achieve a homogeneous mass, without pebbles and lumps, resembling thick sour cream in appearance. To check the quality of the prepared masonry mortar, you need to apply a little mixture to the brick. A high-quality mortar should not flow and slide off the brick. If the mixture is not very thick, then you can add a small amount of sand.

Stage 4 Brick preparation

To complete this stage of work, it is necessary, the selected number of bricks for masonry, soak it in water for 12 hours. Carrying out this action is required so that the brick does not absorb moisture from the mortar during laying. When using old brick, it must be cleaned of sand and old mortar.

Stage 5 How to line a metal furnace

The average size of the structure in height will occupy 13–15 rows of masonry. Therefore, it is desirable to divide the whole process of work into two stages. First you need to lay 7-8 rows and let them dry. The next day, after checking the shrinkage, we lay the remaining section of the structure.

Brick finishing process:

Stage 6 Pre-fired furnace

An important stage is the preparation of the fabricated structure for its further operation. Do not immediately heat the oven to the maximum temperature. Need to be done 2-3 pre-fireboxes at which the minimum amount of fuel is used. Such actions will allow the solution to dry well. Remember that there are a large number of schemes and methods for bricking a metal furnace, which can be found in detail on many construction Internet portals.

The bath is an integral part of the Russian tradition of healing the body and spirit, an unchanging building on a suburban area, which many people want to own. The issue of decorating the main structural element is discussed at the design stage.

The lining of the sauna stove plays not only an aesthetic role, but also a protective one. Often, the owners of the baths do not bother and use a simple one, which cracks over time, and the cracks are covered up from time to time.

The modern market pleases with an abundance of various materials for the furnace, which are endowed with excellent performance characteristics. Among them the most popular are: metal, wood, tile, stone.

This is the simplest and most traditional option for building a stove in a bath.

The design has a number of advantages that make it popular:

• ease of installation;
• ease of use;
• heating in a short period of time;
• good traction;
• high efficiency;
• a budget option;
• economy in fuel consumption.

In order for the design to work properly, it is pre-prepared for operation, improve the initial characteristics. We are talking about sheathing the frame with natural stone or brick. Given the high cost of these materials, not everyone can afford to build a furnace from them. And it will take much less of the same brick, so this option is quite acceptable for those who want to save money.

You can’t do without facing an iron stove in a bath for several reasons:

• the metal quickly heats up, so being in the room becomes unbearable;
• rapid heating is replaced by rapid cooling. To maintain a certain temperature, you will have to constantly lay firewood;
• will help to optimize the process of heating and maintaining a comfortable temperature in the bath, the humidity of the air will be maintained at an optimal level;
• finishing materials will provide protection from burns that can occur when accidentally touching the hot surface of a metal furnace.

Stone stove lining

The choice of finishing materials, as well as their quantity, depends on the indicators of the quality of the furnace in the bath. It goes without saying that the financial side of the issue plays an important role, but the performance of the structure should be put in the first place, given that the structure is not temporary.

The sauna stove must have the following characteristics:

Materials such as brick, tiles, natural stone, wood are suitable for finishing the furnace. Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Facing the stove in the bath with bricks

The brick has an aesthetic appearance and is suitable for both the construction of furnaces and for cladding. For laying on the surface, there is no need to install a reinforcing mesh. It is important to take into account the fact that the material is quite heavy, and exerts a significant load on the foundation. It is this nuance that must be taken into account at the stage of creating a drawing.

Advice.

Facing bricks are used to create a decorative finish for a sauna stove.

Decorative brick for lining the stove in the bath is able to transform the stove beyond recognition, make it a kind of work of art. Such material is not inferior in beauty to marble or granite. In order to line a metal furnace, fine-grained dry sand is poured between its walls and bricks to protect against metal deformation, which inevitably occurs when exposed to high temperatures. In addition, the layer contributes to the transfer of heat inside the steam room.

Finishing the sauna stove with tiles

Wooden lining of the sauna stove

Wood is used in various areas of construction. The material is suitable not only as fuel for the stove, but also for a beautiful finish. The tree has strength and lightness at the same time, therefore it does not have a significant impact on the base of the bath. When choosing wood as a decor, do not forget that the material does not have high thermal conductivity, so you should approach the realization of an idea in a balanced way. Wood is best suited for creating accents, finishing the floor, ceiling, corners of the steam room or couch.

Many people know about the low level of fire resistance of wood, in connection with this, the material is not recommended for use near a source of open fire. Wood trims the remote areas of the room, having previously treated the element with flame retardants.