The need to insulate it and the choice of material for this depends on how the attic above the bath will be used. You can insulate the attic yourself, the main thing is to take into account that the thermal insulation of the bath attic, where steam is constantly present, differs from the insulation of an ordinary house attic. Content:
- The choice of insulation
- Sawdust and clay
- Thermal insulation by earth
- Mineral wool
- Foam insulation
- General recommendations
In modern saunas, the attic design often looks like a small full-fledged room, and sometimes acts as a second floor. The attic room of the bath can be used as a pantry for storing bath equipment - basins, brooms and other things. The attic can serve as a small attic with a lounge or even a bedroom. In any case, the bath attic must be properly insulated, because this will affect the condition of the entire building and its service life. In addition, the top of the roof of the attic is responsible for the general ventilation of the room, so it must be equipped correctly.
The choice of insulation for the attic of the bath
Among the variety of thermal insulation materials in specialized stores, it is quite difficult without additional knowledge to choose such an insulation that would be suitable for insulating the attic of the bath. If the material is selected correctly, then you can maximally protect your bath from heat loss and the formation of dampness.
Here are the main characteristics of the "right" heater for a sauna attic:
- Insulation for the attic of the bath should be as resistant to high temperatures as possible.
- Moisture resistance.
- Good thermal insulation properties.
- It is important that the material is environmentally friendly.
Remember that steam is constantly accumulating in the sauna. And the couple tend to rise. This can cause condensation, so it is important that the insulation material is vapor-resistant. Now let's consider how to insulate the attic:
- Mineral wool (from 150 rubles per roll);
- Glass wool (from 600 rubles per roll);
- Polyfoam (from 60 rubles);
- From "folk" materials - clay, sawdust, wood ash with moss (this method is not bad for walls and floors).
Polyfoam is not often used to insulate baths. It does not allow air to pass through well, and this leads to musty and heavy air in the attic. This, of course, can be fought with the help of small windows, therefore, foam plastic as a heater for the sauna attic - for example, but only in extreme cases, when there is a serious need for savings.
Instructions for insulating the attic of a bath with sawdust and clay
The most affordable material that can be used to insulate the attic of a bathhouse is sawdust. In addition, "folk" methods are considered the most environmentally friendly. Ideally, it is worth carrying out work on thermal insulation immediately after completion of construction. If you already have a roof and slabs, then you can get to work.
The technology of warming a bath attic with sawdust and clay looks like this:
- In the attic, we nail thin beams from a bar across the boards. At the same time, observe a certain distance - about 1 meter. This will be the frame for securing the vapor barrier.
- We overlap the vapor barrier. The canvases should overlap each other by a couple of centimeters. Next, we attach the canvases of the vapor barrier material to the slats.
- We make a solution: 4–5 buckets of clay are mixed with a barrel of water. Add sawdust to the solution. The consistency of the mixture should be of medium thickness. Apply the solution evenly to the vapor barrier film. Layer thickness - 8-10 cm. When applying, lightly tamp.
- Particular attention should be paid to the joints of the walls and ceiling. Work here carefully, filling up all the cracks. Clay can crack when dry. This is not scary, you can eliminate the defect by covering the cracks with another layer of clay slurry.
If your bath is large, you can use expanded clay instead of sawdust. It is also mixed with clay in the same proportion. Application rules are similar.
Features of thermal insulation of the attic bath with earth
The earth as insulation is suitable exclusively for baths with an attic. This is one of the oldest insulation methods. In the frame structure, which must first be covered with a vapor barrier material, we pour ordinary earth - from a vegetable garden or garden. It should be placed evenly, tamping slightly. A mixture of black soil and peat is allowed as a heater.
Thermal insulation of a sauna attic with mineral wool
It will be possible to insulate the attic of a bathhouse most quickly with the help of mineral wool. This method is valuable as the process of laying the material can be easily handled alone. Mineral wool is fireproof and harmless, therefore it is optimal for thermal insulation of baths.
Thermal insulation material can be installed:
- Under the rafters;
- Above the rafters;
- Between the rafters.
The most common way to insulate the attic of a bathhouse with your own hands is the location of the heat-insulating material between the rafters. To make it clearer: the entire rafter system acts as a frame for the thermal insulation material. The layout of the material is the same as in the previous cases. First we put the vapor barrier, then the mineral wool.
Remember, mineral wool has a drawback. It is susceptible to moisture. Cotton wool, which has been saturated with water, loses its properties - it dubs and crumbles. Therefore, take care of a quality hydro-barrier. Considering the fact that mineral wool tends to settle after some time (from one to two years), we recommend buying mineral wool a little with a margin, about 15% of the total thickness. Thus, you will be hedged for many years.
Polyfoam as a material for thermal insulation of the attic of a bath
Polyfoam is a cheap, lightweight and easy-to-use material for insulation. Its main disadvantage is considered to be highly flammable. However, modern types of polystyrene have increased fire resistance. It is impossible to lay the foam directly in the steam room. It can only be placed in the attic so that it does not release warm air from the building. The procedure is similar: we make the crate, put it, and then the foam itself.
General recommendations for warming a sauna attic
Knowing how to properly insulate the attic of a bathhouse, you can avoid three main methods of heat loss: through the ceiling slots, the transition from heated objects to cooled ones, the crossing of homogeneous barriers by heat waves.
If the thermal insulation material is installed correctly, all heat losses will be canceled:
- We lay the insulating material and make sure that the insulation adjoins windows, walls and pipes as tightly as possible.
- Insulation should be carried out continuously, trying to avoid butt joints. The more seams there are, the more we lose heat.
- If it was not without seams, then they need to be treated with polyurethane foam - this will save up to 25% of heat.
- Pay attention to the width of the air gap - it should be at least 2 cm.
- Another important point is that the sagging of the waterproofing material should not be allowed, so as not to disrupt the correct air exchange.
It is important to remember: the attic room of the bath must be well ventilated - for this we recommend installing several dormers in the roof or gables. What an insulated bath attic looks like is shown in the video:
Thermal insulation of the attic of a bath is a very important point on which the comfort of vacationers will depend. However, only comprehensive insulation of the building - walls, windows, doors - can provide maximum thermal protection. At the same time, you can choose a method of insulation for any wallet.
