Warming the roof of the bath with their own hands - photo
A bath for the Russian people is not just a place for taking hygienic procedures, it is practically a ritual structure in which indomitable spirit and life optimism is tempered. During construction, people try to follow the ancient customs, to use traditional materials, without departing from the accepted canon. If you violate the construction technology, the bath will become unsuitable for use or, at best, the consumption of firewood needed to maintain the optimum temperature will increase. This article will tell you how to warm the roof of the bath with your own hands and what materials are best to use.
The need for insulation
The territory of Russia is located mostly in temperate and northern latitudes, where frost dominates in winter, therefore all heated facilities are warmed. In the sauna room there is a complex microclimate: on the one hand, it is very hot there, and on the other, humid. In order to “lock” the heat inside, insulating materials with low thermal conductivity are mounted on the inner or outer surface of the slope. Thanks to this measure, a complex of problems is solved immediately:
- Heat care. The air in a heated room moves according to the laws of convection, that is, the heated gas rises, giving way down for a colder one. Since the bath is constantly maintained at a high temperature, the heat loss through an unheated roof will be significant.
- Condensation. In the bath, where not to do without a large amount of water, moist air, saturated with water vapor. When it rises to the roof and comes into contact with the roof frame, floor beams or roofing material, having a relatively low temperature, drops of condensate are formed. Cold liquid falling on steamed bodies and hot heads is an unpleasant surprise that should be eliminated.
- Great fuel consumption. Now, when firewood is expensive, it takes a lot of money to heat a bath. Insulated roof optimizes energy costs, not allowing the heat to leave the heated room for longer, due to which the fuel to maintain the optimum temperature is spent less.
- Roof protection against damage. The heat of the interior heats the snow cap lying on the ramp in winter. Because of this, ice build-up is formed, which, sliding from the roof, damage the roof covering.
Important! If a bath with a single or double sloping roof, and the attic space is not used as storage space, then, according to the experienced builders, you can not isolate the ramps, but limit yourself to high-quality insulation of the ceiling.
Materials for thermal insulation
We are far from a pioneer in the issue of thermal insulation of the roof of a bath, as builders for 200-300 years before our days also asked this question. Then natural materials were used for this purpose: jute, flax fiber, moss, hemp, felt, tow. They are absolutely safe for health, but they serve not for long and are often taken away by rodents and birds for arranging their own nests. Now, more effective artificial materials have replaced the natural materials:
- Mineral wool. This is a fibrous insulation based on minerals, produced in the form of rolls or plates. It has a low thermal conductivity, an average degree of hygroscopicity and effectively suppresses noise. A big plus of this material for thermal insulation of the bath is the refractoriness of this type of insulation, which is extremely important in conditions of increased risk of fires. The disadvantage of this type of insulation is the fact that, soaking mineral wool loses most of its insulating properties. Even after drying, the effectiveness of the insulation is not restored and remains unsatisfactory. Slag cotton is never used in baths, as it has a negative impact on human health.
- Styrofoam. It is made from synthetic expanded polystyrene, foaming with the help of gas and water vapor. The balls consist of 98% of air, therefore the weight of this material for thermal insulation is very small. Expanded polystyrene has a low thermal conductivity, excellent heat retention and sound insulation. It is often used to insulate the roof of the bath, as it does not absorb water at all, therefore it is not afraid of condensate and lasts longer. A minus of this material in fragility, sheets easily crumble and break. This problem is absent in extruded polystyrene.
- Ecowool So called modern insulating material used to insulate the roof of the bath. It is made from recycled newspaper waste paper, treated with antiseptics and substances that give fire-resistant qualities. Due to its composition, ecowool corresponds in terms of efficiency and quality of mineral wool insulation, however, it is safe for human health and non-allergenic. The ecowool sputtering of 150 mm layers replaces the wall of 4.5 bricks by thermal conductivity.
Important! Conditions of use, folding in the bath due to high temperature and humidity, are extreme for any heater. To maintain efficiency and prolong the life of the heat insulating material, it is protected from the inside with a vapor barrier membrane, and from the outside with a waterproofing film.
Insulation methods
A variety of materials for insulation gave rise to many effective ways to warm the roof. It is important to plan an event to optimize the temperature at the design stage of the roof, then it is easier to choose a suitable heater and convenient installation method. Most often, the insulation of the roof of a bath is performed according to the following schemes:
- External heat insulation. This method consists in fixing the insulating material over the rafters on the crate. Thus, the roof is insulated with sheets of extruded polystyrene foam. It is important that the heat insulating material is not deformed under the weight of the roof covering.
- Internal insulation between rafters. This installation scheme involves the installation of coils or plates of insulation between the roof rafters. So perform the isolation of the slope with mineral wool. The disadvantage of this method is that the “cold bridges” pass along the rafters, which reduce the effectiveness of insulation.
- Internal thermal insulation under the rafters. With this technology of mounting, a frame is attached to the roof rafters from the attic side, between which strips of insulation are placed between the slats. This method helps to avoid the appearance of "cold bridges" and gaps in the joints between the rafters and the insulating material. Ecowool, which with the help of a special machine, is blown under a film, fixed on top of rafters, is mounted according to this principle.
Note! The effectiveness of the insulation of the roof of the bath depends on the integrity of the layer of insulating material. Special attention should be paid to the joints and seams between the insulation and the elements of the roof.