In terms of size, the steam room is one of the smallest rooms in the bathhouse. It would seem that construction work least of all with her. But that's not true. The conditions in the steam room are so “difficult” for all wooden structures, and there are so many tasks that finishing work in a small steam room takes much longer than in a relaxation room.

Any mistake in finishing the ceiling not only significantly reduces the comfort of bathing procedures, but can also cause premature repairs of the entire structure. The ceilings in the steam room can be hemmed or flat, with or without a chimney. Each option has its own characteristics; we will dwell on each of them in detail.

The chimney of a sauna stove can exit either through the wall or through the roof. We will consider the second option - the chimney outlet through the roof.

Chimney passage through the ceiling and roof

We will cover the ceilings with natural clapboard, use mineral wool as a heat insulator, and use aluminum foil for waterproofing.

How to sheathe ceilings in a steam room?

Step 1: Check all room dimensions

Do not miss this stage, it can save you from many difficulties that arise during the actual cladding.

1. Room measurements and ways to eliminate unevenness

First of all, take measurements of the diagonals of the steam room ceiling; ideally, they should be equal. If you didn't get it right, it means the angles between the walls are not 90°.

Using a large square, find problem areas and measure the distances between opposite walls. This will allow you to determine the magnitude of the size discrepancy and select a specific place in the steam room where you will correct the builders’ mistake. If the difference along the length of the opposite walls is no more than two centimeters, then the problems can be eliminated by shifting the position of each lining at the junction by a few millimeters.

A shift in the tenon/groove connection of just one millimeter will make it possible to correct a difference of one centimeter after ten rows.

Important condition. With this method of eliminating non-parallelism of walls, you need to constantly check the position of the sheathing so as not to “overdo it.” The alignment of sizes will be almost imperceptible; this method is considered a good solution to the problem.

If the length of the walls differs significantly, you will have to cut the last lining at an angle. Determine the place where exactly the last uneven paneling will be located; it should be the least noticeable. It is best to place it in the space behind the stove chimney.

2. Checking the floor beams

Second important point– check the position of the floor beams. Their lower planes should lie on the same line. The test is performed using a rope, pull it between the outer beams. The distance between the beams in most cases is approximately 80 centimeters; if the height of two adjacent beams has a spread of more than 5 millimeters, there is a problem that needs to be corrected.

There is no universal advice here; it all depends on the specific magnitude of the discrepancy, the number of “wrong” beams and their locations. In some cases, you will have to plan certain beams with a hand-held electric planer; it is easier to nail slats of the appropriate thickness to other beams. Make your own decision, taking into account specific problems. But they will have to be leveled in any case; do not try to nail clapboard onto such beams, the final appearance the ceiling will end up making you very sad.

3. Chimney exit through the roof - conditions

Third point. Look at the location of the chimney, especially in cases with brick stoves and chimneys. The minimum distance between the surface of the chimney and the beam must be at least twenty centimeters around the perimeter.

Did the stove maker make a mistake and fail to maintain the fire clearance? The first option for eliminating the defect is to force the defector to redo the chimney. The option, to put it mildly, is not the easiest. You can go the other way - soak the beam several times with special products fire protection. Modern impregnations are very effective; they greatly increase the resistance of wood to spontaneous combustion due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures. And a layer of mineral wool will protect it from open fire.

4. Preparing the walls

Fourth point. If the walls of the steam room are already sheathed, you will have to remove several rows of lining. The fact is that the vapor barrier layer (in our case, aluminum foil) on the ceiling must be continuously overlapped with the vapor barrier layer of the walls, the overlap is at least 10÷15 centimeters, the overlap must be sealed with special or ordinary tape.

We have checked and prepared the ceilings, we can move on to new tasks.

Prices for eurolining

eurolining

Step 2. Taking measurements of the steam room ceiling and purchasing building materials

It’s easy to take measurements; purchase materials based on the data obtained. The only note is to make a reserve of approximately 10% (the exact figure depends on your experience in performing construction work), there will always be a certain amount of unproductive waste during any work. We have already told you that it is better to insulate the steam room ceiling with mineral wool, the insulation layer is ≥10 centimeters. There is no need to make it thinner; the positive effect will be unnoticeable. You can use both rolled and pressed material.

For vapor protection, it is more advisable to use lining made of softwood lumber for cladding.

Lining 15x121x6000 mm dry (coniferous)

The lining can be nailed in one of two ways: hidden in a groove or open in the plane of the board. For the first method, you need to purchase nails ≤ 2 cm long; for the second method, you can take galvanized or decorative nails 40÷50 mm.

We would not recommend installing the paneling on the ceiling of the steam room hidden, and for this reason. There is a high probability, especially for inexperienced builders, that the thin part of the groove will crack while driving a nail. The width of the floor beam is only 50 mm, which does not allow driving another nail nearby. As a result, the board will remain unfixed in this place. There may be several such problem areas when covering the ceiling. If you are sheathing walls, then reducing the number of places where the lining is fixed is not critical, but on the ceiling it can sag under the influence of its own weight.

Aluminum foil prices

aluminum foil

Step 3. Construction of a frame around the chimney

It is advisable to make the frame from the same materials as the ceiling beams. The distance between the frame and the chimney is at least twenty centimeters. Take measurements between the rafters and cut the pieces to size. The frame can be attached using nails or self-tapping screws. Although the load on the structure will be small, make the fastening reliable.

Step 4. Vapor barrier

Perhaps one of the most critical stages of covering the ceiling of a steam room. Let's start with the right choice of vapor barrier materials. Today there are a great variety of them, the price between them differs significantly. But not all of them are suitable for a steam room. Why? Because couples have their own special requirements. Let's consider brief characteristics offered by manufacturers of vapor barrier materials.

Prices for vapor barrier

vapor barrier material

Modern membrane materials

They are quite expensive and have excellent performance characteristics, but not for the steam room. The fact is that these materials trap vapor molecules, but allow air to pass through without any problems. For the arrangement of residential premises, this property can be considered positive - ventilation is maintained, etc. In the steam room, the opposite is true, ventilation is not needed there, but maximum tightness is needed. The fact is that heat losses due to hot air convention account for up to 30% of all losses. The question arises: why would you worsen the heat-saving performance of a steam room for your money?

For a bath you need to use completely impermeable materials, the best choice is. It is sealed for air and steam, heat loss occurs only due to infrared radiation, and this is tens of times less than due to air convention.

What to do with ventilation? Steam rooms are ventilated with special ventilation holes or windows. Don't have them in your bathhouse? No problem. After acceptance water procedures open the damper of the sauna stove - the air will be ventilated through the firebox and chimney. Is the firebox not located in the steam room? And that's not a problem. After you have washed, open the door to the steam room and let the room be ventilated.

Another important point. It is necessary that the vapor barrier layer also protects the ceiling load-bearing beams. They often do it wrong - they put it on top of the beams after covering the ceiling with clapboard.

A few words should be said about the ventilation gap between the vapor barrier (foil) and the finishing sheathing. There are recommendations to fix thin slats 2-3 centimeters thick on top of the foil to the beams and attach the lining to them. A small gap between the lining and the foil will provide ventilation of the lumber from steam condensation. We do not recommend doing this for several reasons.

1. Firstly, what kind of effective ventilation can we talk about if the entire perimeter of the ceiling is covered with plinth? There is no “inlet” or “outlet” hole for air.
2. Secondly, steam condensation forms at the so-called dew points. The high temperature of the steam room ceiling transfers the dew point into the thickness of the insulation, which means that even theoretically, the formation of condensation on the foil is very problematic.
3. Thirdly, when laying the heat-insulating layer on the foil, it will be loaded and, without support for the sheathing panel, will tear. All efforts at vapor barrier will be reduced to zero.

We do not insist on unconditional implementation of our advice, we simply give you a reason to think and consciously make your final decision.

And one last thing. Do not forget to leave at least 20÷30 cm of foil around the perimeter of the steam room ceiling to connect with the vapor barrier of the walls. Stretch the foil at the bottom of the ceiling beams and fasten them to them with a stapler. Keep in mind that it tears quite easily, work carefully. Make an overlap of at least 15 centimeters; the overlap must be sealed with ordinary or mounting foil tape.

Step 5. Begin covering the steam room ceiling with clapboard

If the steam room has equal distances between opposite walls along the entire length of the room, you can immediately prepare the entire lining. It is recommended to make the length of the boards 1÷2 cm less than the width of the ceiling. If there are problems with dimensions, cut each board separately. It is not necessary to use a tape measure all the time. Let one board be a template, and you can estimate the length of all the others by eye using it and add or subtract a couple of centimeters. The gaps between the walls and ceiling will be covered with plinth.

We have already mentioned a little above about several ways to correct the mistakes of builders, and told how you can almost imperceptibly straighten the ceiling using a tongue/groove connection. Now we need to make some more specific tips on this topic.

Step 6. Finishing the chimney

As you remember, the distance between the chimney of a sauna stove made of brick or metal and the frame should be ≥ 20 cm on all sides. The ends of the lining are nailed to the frame; accordingly, there will be the same distance between the ceiling sheathing and the wall of the chimney, and it needs to be closed. In most cases, sheet iron is used for these purposes. You can take black, galvanized or alloyed stainless steel, sheet thickness up to 0.5 mm. In our opinion, the best option is a galvanized sheet, but even here the final decision depends only on the wishes of the bathhouse owner.

How to cut sheet iron?

Video - DIY ceiling passage unit

Place a thin layer of mineral wool between the sheet metal and the ceiling sheathing to seal the joint. You can safely paint black sheet metal with any paint; the chimney will never heat up to such a temperature that the paint will darken. It goes without saying that before painting, the surface of the sheet must be very thoroughly cleaned of rust, and the paint must be resistant to high humidity.

At this point, the work inside the steam room is completed; you need to climb into the attic.

We have already settled on mineral wool, the layer thickness is at least 10 centimeters. But you can also use foam insulation, especially since the material is not afraid of moisture. As for “environmentally friendly”, this indicator does not matter for a bathhouse. All fumes escape through the roof, and interior spaces reliably protected with impenetrable foil. The only drawback of foam plastic for baths is that rodents love it. No one has ever managed to permanently expel all rodents from a bathhouse.

If you use mineral wool rolls, then you need to cut it 10 centimeters wider than the dimensions of the niche between the floor beams.

For pressed wool, it is enough to increase the dimensions by 1÷2 centimeters, this will make it possible to completely eliminate gaps. The insulation has been laid - then it all depends on what purposes the attic space will be used for. If only for storing bath utensils and brooms, lay the subfloor with either unedged boards or pieces of plywood boards. If you plan to convert attic spaces into used ones, you will have to pay much more attention to insulating the ceilings.

Mineral wool should be protected from the possibility of getting wet through the floor with reliable waterproofing.

It is immediately covered with veneered batten a thickness of at least 35 mm or first a subfloor made from any available material, and then soft flooring or laminate.

Prices for mineral wool

mineral wool

Video - Ceiling in the steam room

Steam room floor ceilings

Unedged plank ceiling

Traditional old version of hemming steam room ceilings. Floor ceilings can be of two types: laid along the walls of a log house or laid along the floor beams. Let's start with the first type.

They are made of thick boards (thickness within 50 mm) or veneered (thickness not less than 40 mm). The span of the boards cannot exceed 2.5 meters. Such ceilings are used only in small steam rooms; attic spaces cannot be used. Another limitation for such steam room ceilings is the lack of a chimney. The boards lie only on opposite walls; it is impossible to cut them to create a chimney outlet.

In addition to these problems, laying ceilings on the walls of a log house requires a lot of physical effort. In the crowns of the log house you need to cut out or cut down areas for the boards.

To do this, logs need to be installed and removed from the log house several times to take measurements and prepare supporting load-bearing platforms. In a word, classic floor ceilings are rarely used; they have more disadvantages than advantages.

During flooring, the boards should be tightly pulled together; no gaps are allowed.

The ceiling of the steam room can be insulated with any materials: from straw or sawdust with clay to expanded clay or mineral wool.

For expanded clay, you will need to make a small formwork from boards about 15 centimeters high, otherwise it will not be possible to pour a layer of the required height. Place the vapor barrier on top of the ceiling directly on the boards; cheap plastic film or aluminum foil can be used as a vapor barrier. If you used thick boards for the ceiling, then you don’t have to add additional vapor barrier insulation on top. The steam room is small in size (limited by the flooring method), such a room will not have time to cool down while people are in the steam room.

The second way to build deck ceilings is using floor beams. Already more universal, the size of the steam room has no restrictions. Ceilings are laid on top of beams; the flooring can be done with either ordinary floorboards or clapboard. The flooring is produced using the technology described in this article in the previous section. The chimney is bypassed in the same way; the distance between it and the nearest wooden structures should be at least 20 cm.

Insulation can be done in the same way as flat ceiling along the crowns of the log house. But we would not recommend taking such a simplified route, but making a real floor covering. Even if you are not currently planning to use the attic space, it is advisable to do everything possible preparatory work at the stage of insulating the steam room, in the end everything will cost much less than doing it “in spurts.”

That's all, you can leave it like that. You will clean the floors above the bathhouse premises after you have decided on the use attic space.

Video - How to make a ceiling in a steam room

Video - Installation and insulation of the ceiling in a bathhouse

Anyone who is planning to independently build a bathhouse on their own site will have to take into account a huge number of specific nuances of this building. All of them, to a large extent, are associated with the peculiarities of operation - frequent temperature changes with a very large amplitude, and high levels of humidity. Thus, all bathhouse designs buildings must have operational qualities, which make them able to withstand such extreme influences.

DIY bathhouse ceiling

The bath ceiling is no exception. Moreover, the influence of humidity on it is especially critical, since hot air and steam always tend to the top, and usually the highest temperatures and humidity levels are observed in the ceiling area in the steam room or washing room. For those new to construction who decided to make a bathhouse ceiling with their own hands, a step-by-step guide is simply necessary. It is these issues that this publication is devoted to.

There are several basic ceiling designs for a bathhouse - all of them will be discussed below. But no matter which one is chosen as the base one, they all must meet certain requirements:

• Any ceiling is a fairly massive structure, especially if the attic of the bathhouse is planned to be used as a utility room, utility room, or even as an additional utility room. areas - attics. Thus, the ceiling design must be highly reliable in terms of resistance to mechanical loads. Even if the attic will not be used for moving people or placing certain objects, the ceiling must still withstand both its own weight and the load of the insulating layer - this is a key rule for the safe operation of any room in general.

One of the key requirements is reliable thermal insulation

• Bath procedures will only bring health benefits if an appropriate microclimate is created in the premises. The ceiling is the structural element of any building through which very large heat loss is always possible. So that you don’t have to spend an incredible amount of fuel to maintain desired temperature, while mostly “heating the street”, it is necessary to provide the ceiling with the most reliable thermal insulation.
• Materials used for ceiling structure, should not be afraid of dampness and elevated temperatures. What to do? After all, for this in the overwhelming majority of cases it is used natural wood? There are solutions to this problem - the use of certain species of wood and special processing parts with compositions that dramatically increase the resistance of the material to moisture and biological decomposition processes.

By the way, many of the modern impregnations give one more useful result. They contain special flame retardant additives, which significantly increase the resistance of wood to fire - this is extremely important for a bathhouse.

• One of the main “enemies” of wood is high humidity, and in a bathhouse you can’t live without it. In order to protect the wooden load-bearing elements of the structure from moisture penetration to the maximum, you will need reliable hydro- and vapor barrier. At the same time, condensation should not be allowed to accumulate in the thickness of the wood or insulation material. This means that it is necessary to provide for the possibility of free release of water vapor upward into the atmosphere.

The hydro-vapor barrier membrane is shown at the top, and the diffuse membrane at the bottom.

Prices for water vapor barrier

water vapor barrier

This is ensured by the use of special roll coverings, membranes, and each layer must be located strictly in a certain place, otherwise the desired effect cannot be achieved.

• And finally, it will be a pleasure to spend time in the bathhouse if the ceiling is also beautiful. Perhaps some home craftsmen classify this requirement as an excess, but still the decorative qualities of the walls and ceiling covering of the bathhouse are a kind of “ business card» owners, and finishing issues should not be discounted either.

Now let's move on to considering the main structures of the bath ceiling - hemmed, floor and panel type.

false ceiling

This design is used most often. It is quite simple, understandable, meets all requirements, allows you to use the attic as usable area.

The basis for the installation of such a ceiling system are beams attic floor. All other details, both above and below, are based precisely on them. The convenience of the design is that there are no restrictions on the length and width of the room. It is assumed that the floor beams are installed according to the developed project, with the required beam cross-section (or log diameter) and with the required pitch. Thus, there is full possibility of turning the ceiling into a full-fledged interfloor covering, opening up opportunities for beneficial use attic.

A false ceiling can be schematically represented as follows:

1 – main walls of the bathhouse. It is clear that natural wood is most often used, and in this diagram a monolithic wall is shown only for simplicity.

2 – attic floor beams. Before installing the ceiling, they must be firmly fixed to the walls with insulation of the joints adjacent to them.

3 – ceiling lining boards. In this version, shown in the diagram, they simultaneously play the role of the finishing surface of the ceiling, although this is not always the case.

4 – layer of water vapor barrier. It is optimal if a special water vapor proof membrane. It’s even better if it has a foil layer facing downwards - this is an additional barrier to moisture and a reflective surface that prevents heat loss.

5 – a layer of thermal insulation materials laid between the floor beams.

6 – vapor permeable a membrane that does not allow water to penetrate into the insulation from above, but does not interfere with natural vapor exchange - that is, it allows the ceiling structure to “breathe”, getting rid of accumulated moisture.

7 – attic floor boards.

Perhaps the main disadvantage of this false ceiling design is the significant consumption of lumber and the rather high complexity of installation. However, we should not forget that “two birds with one stone” are killed at the same time - at the exit there is an insulated bath ceiling and an almost finished attic (attic) floor.

Are a bathhouse and an attic compatible?

With proper planning, why not. It is extremely convenient - after bath procedures, without going outside, you can go up to a full-fledged relaxation room.

The reader can get acquainted with the project in a special article on the portal.

Carrying out installation work

The work is carried out in the following order:

• If the floor beams have not yet been treated with special protective impregnations before their installation, now is the time to eliminate this shortcoming. Special attention is given to the end cutting of the beams - here you won’t regret it three layers primers.
• In the case when the ceiling is installed in the room where the sauna stove-stove will be located, you should immediately provide a place for the passage of the chimney. To do this, two jumpers are installed between the beams, which will limit the rectangle or square required for installing the pass-through metal box.

Values ​​A and B must correspond to the dimensions atnewfound or a self-made box - this will largely depend on the diameter of the chimney pipe.

This “outlined” square temporarily falls out of the scope of work - it will not be covered with boards either top or bottom, no membranes will be laid in it and no insulation will be laid in it.

• The next step is to attach a hydraulic vapor barrier membrane from below to the floor beams over the entire area of ​​the room. It should be on the walls approximately 200 mm on each side - this will be required to create unified system water vapor barrier of the room.

The optimal choice is special roll material designed specifically for these purposes. If this is not possible, it is permissible to use dense polyethylene with a thickness of at least 0.2 mm, but the quality of the insulation will not be the same. The strips are attached to the floor beams in such a way that an overlap of at least 200 mm is created, which must be glued with waterproof tape.

If foil material is purchased, then it is placed with the shiny side down, and the overlaps are glued with a special aluminized with tape.

• Only now can you move on to lining the ceiling with boards. At least two options are possible here.

The first is as shown in the diagram above. Binding boards, provided that it is quality material(best of all - tongue and groove) will immediately fulfill the role decorative covering. They are attached to the floor beams, which in this case are a kind of “lags”. For fastening, use either nails or self-tapping screws of the required length. Self-tapping screws look preferable, since they hold suspended boards more reliably, and installation does not require impact forces, which are not entirely “useful” for floor beams.

However, this method is used infrequently - it turns out to be quite expensive, since a good tongue-and-groove board 20 ÷ 25 mm thick is not cheap. In addition, it is advisable to create a small air gap between the waterproofing and the front cladding. This means that for the initial filing you can use third-rate material, which will simply create the basis for the insulating layer laid on top. And from below we get a slightly different design:

1 – walls.

2 – floor beams.

3 – layer of water vapor barrier, the same as in the previous case.

4 – rough filing boards (rolling). Material of not the highest decorative quality is quite appropriate here.

5 – layer of foil roll insulation. This is another waterproofing barrier, plus it creates a “thermos” effect in the room, which is very important, in particular, for a steam room.

6 – a layer of foil insulation is pressed against the rolling boards with counter-battens, which are placed perpendicularly, with the necessary spacing (400 ÷ 600 mm) for installing the lining.

7 – natural lining, which becomes the front covering of the bathhouse. It is usually used on the ceiling and walls.

Prices for wooden lining

wooden lining

When the covering of the ceiling surface is finished, insert the passage box for the chimney pipe and attach it to the ceiling covering.

After the lower part of the ceiling is sheathed, you can move to the attic for further work.

• The next step is laying the insulating layer. And here it is important to make one very important remark.

Often in publications on bath ceilings you can find recommendations to first hem the bottom boards, and then cover the top, along the flooring and along the beams, with hydro vapor barrier film. Let's look at the diagram - it would seem that everything is exactly the same as above. But the error is shown here - it is highlighted with a red arrow.

If you lay vapor barriers in this way, it turns out that the floor beams have no protection from moisture rising from above. Moreover, the possibility of moisture evaporating upward into the atmosphere is completely excluded, that is, the beams will not dry out even when the bathhouse is not in use. Unfortunately, this error “walks” across the Internet, is replicated, and as a result, the master who applied such a scheme dooms the ceiling structure to fragility.

The same error - in the photo

The ceiling facing boards will in any case come into contact with steam, but they are easy to replace as they wear out. But the beams play a load-bearing role, and if they undergo a process of rotting or fungus formation, then the strength of the structure will be in question, and repair work will cost a pretty penny.

The beams must remain open at the top - then, with proper insulation, excess moisture will simply evaporate into the atmosphere.

Mineral wool is very often used as insulation for the ceiling of bathhouses - it is safe from the point of view of fire, harmless to humans (if you use stone wool. Glass wool or slag wool are undesirable in bathhouses). The insulation mats are spread between the floor beams so that they fit as tightly as possible, leaving no gaps.

Expanded polystyrene, widely used in construction practice, should not be used to insulate a bath ceiling. Firstly, the material is not designed for high temperatures, and with strong heating it can become deformed and “float”. Secondly, there are a lot of questions about polystyrene foam and environmental friendliness - over time, its decomposition with the release of toxic substances is inevitable. And thirdly, expanded polystyrene cannot be classified as non-combustible materials, and for a bath this is extremely important.

Often, to insulate the ceiling, expanded clay backfill is used between the floor beams, with a thickness of about 100 ÷ 150 mm. The method is not bad, but only if high-quality expanded clay is used, since you can find very critical reviews from people who We used inexpensive material, and were not delighted with the results obtained.

The old “old-fashioned” methods of insulating the ceiling of a bathhouse do not lose popularity either. So, usually during the construction of a log house a lot of shavings and sawdust remain. And this is a very good insulation material. Under normal conditions, they are poured dry into the space between the beams, but for a bathhouse it is better to make a dense wet mortar using cement or clay. You can look at this as an example:

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	The ceiling below is completely lined with clapboard. Between it and the ceiling tanks there is an appropriate water vapor barrier layer.
	A passage box has been installed, and in this case the chimney pipe has already been installed.
	The same box is a view from the attic, filled with expanded clay, which acts as a thermal insulation “cushion.”
	It is assumed that the wet solution will be backfilled, so the cells between the floor beams must be additionally closed with pieces of film water vapor barrier. You can additionally lay dry cardboard underneath them. The beams themselves remain open at the top.
	Surely, there are gaps in the coating - for example, in places where cables or other communications pass. In addition, there may be gaps in the joints of the beams.
	First of all, you can use polyurethane foam seal all cracks and gaps, blocking possible cold bridges.
	Now you can prepare the insulating composition. To do this, about one ladle (1.5 dm³) of dry cement is added to two buckets of dry sawdust.
	Topped up required quantity water. You need to be very careful with this - the solution should not turn out liquid. The required consistency is semi-dry, so that when squeezed in a fist, a lump forms, but without releasing water.
	The mixture is mixed - this will be most conveniently done using a construction mixer. For large volumes, you can also use a concrete mixer, then feeding the finished mixture to the top.
	The finished composition is poured between the floor beams.
	You can distribute it using a trowel - in an even layer of equal thickness. There is no need to compact the solution.
	Usually the layer is brought to the top edge of the beams - it turns out approximately 100 ÷ 150 mm, which will be enough for high-quality insulation baths Sometimes work is carried out in layers, gradually increasing the thickness of the insulation to the required level, allowing the laid layers to set and dry.

Chopped straw is sometimes used instead of sawdust, although in this case it is better to use clay mortar.

What kind of insulation neither used, after laying it, it is recommended to secure it to the floor beams steam-permeable diffuse membrane. The properties of this material are such that moisture from above cannot enter the insulation, and water vapor escapes freely. Such natural ventilation prevents the formation of condensation and a decrease in insulation properties.

The action of a diffuse membrane - water is retained and steam passes through

Once the membrane is laid and stapled to the beams, you can proceed to laying the attic floor boards, if planned. Usually, with hemmed ceiling types, attic floors are always made full, the room can be used, and the insulation will receive protection from mechanical damage.

Video: an interesting technique for insulating the ceiling in a bathhouse

Floor-type bath ceiling

This type of ceiling is much easier to install and requires much less lumber. However, it is not always possible to apply it.

Flat ceiling - on a miniature model of a bathhouse

A flat ceiling will be appropriate only for small rooms - 2, maximum 2.5 meters. In this case, the flooring boards should have a thickness of about 50 mm. As a rule, using the attic as a usable area in such cases is not considered - the floor will not have the necessary strength. But the insulation process is also significantly simplified - the thermal insulation material itself does not require additional protection from above.

An approximate diagram of a flat ceiling is shown in the figure:

1 – walls. The distance between the main walls is no more than 2500 mm (light partitions are not taken into account).

2 – flooring boards, which are attached with nails or self-tapping screws directly to the wall beam. Board thickness - no less 50 mm, the width of its approach to the wall is the same - 50 mm. A good quality one is good for these purposes. planed board, which can be laid tightly one to the other, without gaps.

3 – layer steam and waterproofing– no different from the one mentioned above.

4 – insulation material. Almost anyone can use it. However, if bulk is used, then it will also be necessary to make partitions from bars (item 5, shown in dotted lines, as an optional element) so that the backfill still has the required uniform thickness.

By the way, in this case, homemade mats, sewn from waterproof film and filled with available insulation material, are often used as thermal insulation. For example, it could be padding polyester waste, dry pine needles, etc.

Since there is no expected movement in the attic, it is not necessary to lay a floor on top of the insulation layer.

Under number 6 showing layer vapor permeable diffuse membrane. In this case, this is also not mandatory. If the roof structure is made according to all the rules, then such a membrane is already used under the roofing material, and free vapor exchange will be ensured. A reliable roof covering should completely prevent direct ingress of water, and since the attic is not used for economic or domestic purposes, an accidental water spill is extremely unlikely. So you can save a lot of money on this.

Ceiling boards often immediately play the role of a finishing surface. If there is a need, for example, when finishing a steam room, to add thermal insulation, then you can do the same as in the case of a false ceiling - fill counter slats perpendicularly, which will press the foil material to the surface, and then lay natural lining.

Video: example of installing a flat ceiling

Panel ceiling

The design of such a ceiling to some extent combines the features of a floor and hemmed design. The ceiling surface is assembled on the ground, the process of insulation and waterproofing can also take place here, and then the finished panels are raised to a height and mounted on the upper crown of the walls.

What do these panels usually look like? These are knocked together panels, the basis of which consists of two beams located parallel at a distance of 500 mm from one another. The cross-section of the beam depends on the length of the span, but it is usually taken equal to 50 × 100 mm - this allows you to achieve high strength of the ceiling structure - it will serve as a floor for an attic or attic. And, at the same time, 100 mm is a sufficient thickness for complete insulation.

The beams are laid out in parallel on a flat, stable base at a distance of 500 mm on the outer sides, and the edges are aligned. Then they are stuffed with pieces of boards about 25 ÷ 30 mm thick and 600 mm long. The width of the board does not matter - as a rule, leftover lumber is used, which, by the way, allows you to seriously save on such a ceiling. Each board is attached to the beam with two nails to ensure the immobility of the structure. The boards are placed in such a way that they protrude equally on the sides of the shield by 50 mm.

After the panel is knocked together, it is turned over with the beams facing up. Using staplers, a water vapor barrier film is attached to its inner surface (shown by an arrow). Please note that the top of the beams remains open.

If there are enough working hands, or there are lifting devices that will help raise the panel to a height, then you can immediately insulate the panel right there on the ground (if, of course, we are talking about rolls or mats of thermal insulation material). For example, laying mineral wool will not weigh down the panels too much - but there will be no need to carry out this work in the attic.

The insulation mats are laid tightly in the gap between the beams, covered with a membrane. In order for the resulting structure to gain the additional rigidity necessary to raise it to a height, 2 ÷ 3 oblique temporary jumpers made of boards are installed.

1 – mats (blocks) of insulation material – mineral wool.

2 – temporary “oblique” jumpers for lifting panels onto the walls.

Prices for mineral wool

mineral wool

The panels rise to the installation site. This can be the upper plane of the crown, or a horizontal stepped groove on it selected specifically for the panel structure. Another option is to attach a beam with a thickness of at least 50 mm to the perimeter walls, which will become a “shelf” for installing finished panels.

In any case, the place where the panels are laid needs an insulating seal. Typically, jute felt tape is used for these purposes - it will perfectly cover the gaps between the wall and the panels.

The panels are laid close to one another, and temporary jumpers are removed. After joining between the panels, based on their design, a gap of 100 mm wide remains. It was left there for a reason: its purpose is to insulate joints.

1 – wall.

2 – felt tape, sealing the joints of the wall and panels.

3 – finished panels with temporary jumpers already removed.

4 – cut strip of thermal insulation material.

5 – boards fixing the panels to each other.

In each of these openings at the junction, the same water vapor barrier film is first laid along the bottom and walls. A wide strip is then cut from the mineral wool slabs and placed into the opening as tightly as possible (shown by the wide green arrows). Thus, the cold bridge at the junction will be securely closed.

All that remains is to fix the panels together. First, a diffuse membrane is spread over them, which is attached to the bars with brackets. Then a solid board with a thickness of at least 30 mm is laid - preferably along the entire length of the room, that is, in total it should fasten all the installed panels at once. It is nailed (screwed) to each bar. The same board is immediately placed on the opposite side of the panel ceiling. Then you can sheathe the resulting surface with a short board, 600 mm long - this will form the attic floor. At the same time, do not forget that the long boards connecting the panels should go not only along opposite walls, but also between them, with a pitch of no more than 1000 mm.

From below, the ceiling can be sheathed with clapboard, using the same technology mentioned above.

The advantages of this ceiling installation method:

• The main assembly and even insulation is carried out in comfortable and safe conditions - on the ground.
• The construction turns out to be durable - this is a full-fledged insulated ceiling for the attic, which can be usefully used.
• This ceiling can be installed in rooms of almost any reasonable size.

The disadvantages include:

• A very large-scale scope of work.
• The need for lifting devices or equipment, or the effort of several people.
• The installation of such a ceiling must be carried out before installing the rafter system - and this is not always convenient from the point of view of organizing construction.

So, the main varieties were considered wooden ceilings for the bath, given technological recommendations for their installation. You should carefully study all the advantages and disadvantages of each system in order to assess the possibilities of its installation in relation to specific conditions existing bathhouse, weigh your capabilities, both in terms of the necessary construction skills and in terms of material costs. You cannot make mistakes in such matters - a poor-quality ceiling will certainly have a negative impact on the comfort of bath procedures, and its alteration is an extremely difficult and costly undertaking.

Who among the owners of a country house has not at least once thought about building their own bathhouse? However, before turning your dreams and ideas into reality, it is worth learning more about the features of building a bathhouse, of which there are many due to the specifics of the construction. They also concern the construction of the ceiling, which must withstand high temperatures and humidity, help maintain the necessary microclimate in the steam room and prevent heat from going to waste. In this article you will find the subtleties and nuances of installing a ceiling in a log bathhouse and receive step-by-step instructions for its manufacture.

What should the ceiling in the bathhouse be like?

First of all, it is worth understanding the conditions in which the ceiling in the bathhouse is located, and based on this, develop the requirements that it must meet. Compared to a residential building, the conditions in the steam room can be called extreme - the temperature rises to 80-90 degrees Celsius and higher, and this is with extremely high humidity. AND warm air, and moisture, obeying the laws of physics, rushes upward to the ceiling. Therefore, the latter is required to be resistant to the effects high temperatures. In addition, it needs good thermal insulation, because up to two-thirds of heat loss occurs in the ceiling. And the less energy is lost “to nowhere,” the easier it is to maintain the microclimate in the steam room. High-quality thermal insulation of the ceiling in a bathhouse means saving money in the future.

Now it’s worth paying attention to the problem of humidity. Here its level is very high, and moisture should not penetrate higher, to the ceiling and thermal insulation. Otherwise, the insulation will lose its properties, and dampness will negatively affect the strength and durability of the entire structure. In addition, high humidity creates a comfortable environment for the growth of fungi and mold.

Important! Remember that moisture penetrates not only from below, from the steam room, but also from above, with rain and snow.

Therefore, in addition to good thermal insulation, the ceiling in the bathhouse must have high-quality vapor and waterproofing.

The next question is the strength of the structure. The wooden ceiling itself has a considerable mass, and a mass of insulation is also added to it. Therefore, the ceiling structure must be durable and able to withstand such loads. And if the space under the roof of the bathhouse is used as an attic or attic, then the requirements for strength and safety become even more stringent.

And the last (but not least important) characteristic of the ceiling in a bathhouse is its appearance. Agree, it’s more pleasant to be in the steam room when everything around looks beautiful, including the ceiling. In addition, a bathhouse that is attractive both outside and inside will give you a reason to be proud in front of your household and guests, because you did all this yourself, your with my own hands. Therefore, when building a ceiling in a bathhouse, remember not only thermal insulation and strength, but also beauty.

Installing a ceiling in a bathhouse: choosing the material

The next question that needs to be considered is what the ceiling in the bathhouse is made of, and first of all this concerns the cladding. Since the steam room, unlike an ordinary living room, heats up to 80-90 degrees, all kinds of plastics disappear: at such temperatures they release substances into the surrounding air that are dangerous to humans, sometimes polymer panels even become deformed in such conditions. And the section of plastic ceiling surrounding the chimney will simply melt or even catch fire.

Various types of plywood and particle boards also cannot be classified as materials suitable for the ceiling in a bathhouse - they are too susceptible to moisture and, under its influence, change their shape and lose strength. Of course, they can be protected with paint or varnish, but such coatings at high temperatures pose the same danger as the above-mentioned plastics.

Because the only one the best option The material for covering the ceiling of the bathhouse will be wood, but not just any kind. It is better not to use coniferous wood for these purposes - when heated, it releases resin, drops of which, when contacting the skin, cause discomfort and leave painful burns. Choose wood with low resin content, resistance to decay and the effects of temperature and moisture. Example ideal material for covering the ceiling in the bathhouse - lining made of linden, aspen or alder.

Prices for lining

Advice! Any wooden structures in the bath they must be treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant. This way you will protect them from the main “enemies” of wood - fungus, mold, rot and fire.

In addition to the sheathing, the homeowner must choose the insulation that he will use to install the ceiling in the bathhouse.

The following materials are used for this:

• expanded clay;
• mineral wool;
• ecowool;
• foam;
• sawdust.

Expanded clay It is clay chips with a porous structure. It is extremely easy to use, has average thermal insulation and relatively high weight, so a ceiling with such insulation should be especially durable. Requires high-quality vapor barrier on both sides.

Mineral wool– the most common type of insulation for the ceiling in a bathhouse. Mineral wool is light, does not burn, does not rot, protects well from heat loss and is inexpensive. It is advisable to purchase basalt wool for a bath, since it contains a minimum (or does not contain at all) additives and binding materials that can be harmful to humans in the form of fumes. Mineral wool tends to absorb moisture, so it requires good waterproofing.

Main advantage ecowool clear from its name - it is a safe and environmentally friendly material made from cellulose with the additive boric acid and impregnations that protect the insulation from rodents, insects, rotting and burning. Ecowool has excellent thermal insulation properties, but to install it you will need special equipment and a specialist who can work with it.

Foam plastic It is unlikely to be a material that is well suited for a bathhouse. Yes, it is cheap and has low thermal conductivity, but at the same time, like any other polymer, at high temperatures it is capable of releasing harmful substances. In addition, polystyrene foam cannot be used near a chimney, as this can cause a fire.

Sawdust as insulation can be called the “old-fashioned” method, which, obviously, is already outdated. They get damp quickly, mice can get in them, sawdust burns well and cakes over time. Their main and only advantage is their low cost: you can get them at the nearest sawmill either for free or for a nominal fee.

Prices for expanded clay

expanded clay

To vapor barrier the ceiling in a bathhouse, some kind of material is needed. The simplest and cheap option– use of dense polyethylene. But for a low price you will have to put up with the shortcomings of the material, the main one being the release of condensate that penetrates the thermal insulation layer.

An alternative is various membrane vapor barrier films, which will become a reliable barrier to moisture. Examples of such materials can be NANOIZOL or ISOSPAN. Another option for vapor barrier is foil roll insulation. You can protect the thermal insulation layer using the polyethylene and membrane films already mentioned above, or using roofing felt.

Prices for mineral wool

mineral wool

There are three types of ceiling designs for a bath - floor, hemmed and panel. Below are step-by-step instructions for creating each of the three types.

Video - Ceiling heights in a log bathhouse

How to make a floor ceiling for a bath

With this design, the ceiling cladding is laid directly on the walls of the log house. This option is suitable for baths with a width of no more than 2.5 meters and with low ceilings. There is an opinion that making it is simple and quick, but for a log house the task becomes much more complicated. First you need to prepare the area on which the boards will be laid.

1. Two opposite crowns are selected and horizontal lines are drawn along them at a certain distance from the floor. These lines are the level of the future ceiling.
2. The logs are removed from the log house and transferred to a previously prepared place. Next you need to measure with lines on upper parts crowns, the width of the platform for flooring - it should be at least 5 centimeters.
3. The sections of logs highlighted by lines are sawn through and then gouged out with an ax and chisel. The “shelf” should be as level as possible.
4. Both crowns are laid back on the frame, the height of the platforms is also checked - it should be the same on both logs along their entire length.

Now the preparation of the boards and laying begins. For a flat ceiling, it is advisable to use tongue-and-groove boards 2.5-5 centimeters thick: thanks to the tongue-and-groove connection, they fit better together. In addition, the strength of this design is higher.

Step 1. The width of the bath is measured taking into account the areas in the crowns. For accuracy, it is advisable to take as many measurements as the boards are laid, at intervals along their width. Data is being recorded.

Step 2. The boards are cut according to the obtained width values. Next, the boards are marked with a pencil in the order of laying - so each board will be laid in its pre-designated place.

Step 3. The flooring is treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant.

Step 4. A board is taken, laid on platforms on the crowns and nailed. The length of the nails should be 2-2.5 times the thickness of the board. If necessary, holes are drilled in the right places with a drill, but you need to make sure that their diameter is smaller than the diameter of the nails.

Step 5. By adjusting one board to another, the floor ceiling is laid. Most likely, the last board will be wider than necessary, so you need to carefully cut off the excess from it and nail it to the crown areas.

Step 6. A vapor barrier film should be laid on top, making sure that there are no breaks in it and that the joints are overlapped. In addition, the seams are taped with special waterproofing tape.

Step 7 Next, the thermal insulation material is laid. If it is loose, like expanded clay or sawdust, then a sheathing of timber is made along the perimeter of the ceiling. This way you will achieve even distribution of the material over the flooring.

Prices for roll waterproofing

roll waterproofing

Step 8 The final stage is laying waterproofing. As with the vapor barrier film, this layer should be laid overlapping and the seams sealed with adhesive tape.

If desired, instead of tongue and groove boards, you can use ordinary planed boards, but they must be adjusted to each other especially carefully. Another option - unedged boards, but always in two layers. So top layer bridges the gaps between the boards of the bottom. The result will be a unique and quite beautiful floor ceiling.

For fairly large baths, the boards are laid not on the walls, but on the beams. To do this, you must first make grooves in the crowns into which the transverse beams will fit. They are made from timber, which needs to be sanded, treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant. The section of the beam is selected based on the width of the bath, the load on the floor and the distance between the beams. To do this, use the tables below.

Table No. 1. The required beam cross-section for a distance between beams is 50 cm.

Wall width, m	150	250	350	450
		Beam section, cm
2	5x8	5x10	5x11	5x12
2,5	5x10	5x12	5x13	5x15
3	5x12	5x14	5x16	5x18
3,5	10x11	10x13	10x15	10x16
4	10x13	10x15	15x15	15x16

Table No. 2. The required beam cross-section for a distance between beams is 100 cm.

Wall width, m	150	250	350	450
		Beam section, cm
2	10x10	10x10	10x10	10x10
2,5	10x10	10x12	10x13	10x15
3	10x12	10x14	10x15	10x16
3,5	10x14	10x16	10x18	15x16
4	10x16	10x18	10x21	10x23

How to make a false ceiling for a bath

Most often, a false ceiling is made in a bathhouse - there are no restrictions on the length, width and height of the building, and besides, with such a ceiling design, the space above it can be used as an attic for storing bath equipment or as an attic that can accommodate those who come to you guests.

Ceiling beams are made of thick timber, the cross-section of which is selected based on the size of the room and the load on the ceiling. Before installation, do not forget to treat the beams with antiseptics and fire retardants.

Step 1. In the opposite crowns of the log house, grooves are cut for the cross beams. You need to make sure that they are directly opposite each other.

Step 2. The beams are laid in pre-insulated grooves.

Step 3. Mounting rails are nailed to the beams (perpendicular to them) in increments of 50 cm (see diagram above).

Step 4. A layer of vapor barrier is nailed to the bottom of the beam. Its installation should be completed before laying the boards. This way, not only the insulation layer, but also the ceiling beams will be protected from moisture.

Step 5. Sheathing is laid underneath the vapor barrier and beams. For it you can use regular or tongue and groove boards with a thickness of 20-40 mm. You can nail the lining to the sheathing or leave the ceiling as is.

Step 6. Thermal insulation material is laid or poured into the space between the beams. The thickness of the bath layer is at least 10-15 centimeters.

Step 7 A vapor barrier is laid on top. For this, it is advisable to use membrane films, such as “Izospan FB” (the material is laid with the foil side out with an overlap of 15-20 cm). This way, moisture will not penetrate from above to the insulation and beams, but at the same time, water vapor from them will be able to evaporate freely, and the ceiling will “breathe.”

Step 8 A second layer of boards is laid, which will no longer be the ceiling of the steam room, but the floor of the attic.

Advice! The insulation of the bathhouse ceiling should begin on the side farthest from the entrance to the attic, and the flooring should begin, on the contrary, from the side closest. This is due to the fact that you cannot walk on the insulation itself, and it is inconvenient to move, stepping from beam to beam.

How to make a panel ceiling for a bath

This structure consists of individual panels assembled “on the ground” and then installed on the crowns of the log house. The panels include ceiling beams, sheathing, vapor and thermal insulation. This is the main advantage - most of the work is carried out in safe conditions, and you do not need to constantly think about how not to fall down from the ladder. However, lifting and installing such panels is a complex task, requiring the participation of several people.

Step 1. In the opposite crowns of the log house, platforms are cut out on which the panels will be installed. It is worth mentioning that labor-intensive and unsafe work with logs can be replaced by installing thick wooden beams, which will serve as “shelves” for future panels.

Step 2.“On the ground” two beams with a cross section of 50 by 100 millimeters are laid. The distance between them is half a meter, the length is selected according to the width of the bathhouse, taking into account the installation sites.

Step 3. On top, a flooring is created from boards 20-30 thick and 600 millimeters long. They are laid so that the edges of the boards protrude 50 millimeters beyond the beam on both sides. Nails are used for fastening, four per board.

Prices for edged boards

edged board

Step 4. The resulting wooden box is turned over and a vapor barrier film is attached to its inner surface. For this you will need a construction stapler. The joints of the film are overlapped by 10-15 centimeters, the cracks are sealed with adhesive tape.

Step 5. Thermal insulation material is laid (or poured) between the beams.

Step 6. Now it rises and installs. On top, the beams are pre-connected with oblique crossbars to give the structure rigidity and prevent it from deforming when lifted.

Step 7 After installing the panel on the platform or “shelf”, the operation is repeated several more times. As a result, you will get an array of panels.

Step 8 Place a vapor barrier film and a layer of insulation in the space between the panels.

Step 9 You need to lay a layer of waterproofing film on top.

Step 10 At one of the walls, the panels are connected to each other: to do this, you need to lay a long and fairly thick board nailed to each beam.

Step 11 Repeat step 10, but for the opposite wall and the space between them. The interval between such connecting boards should be approximately one meter.

Step 12 The attic floor is being laid. If desired, the ceiling lining of the bathhouse is finished with clapboard.

Arrangement of the opening for the chimney

The main thing in arranging an opening is compliance with the requirements fire safety. It must be remembered that chimney heats up to very high temperatures, so it cannot come into contact with flammable materials such as wood, polyethylene or foam.

As you can see, with due effort you can build a ceiling in a bathhouse from logs yourself. The main thing is to have not only tools and materials, but also the desire to realize your plans and ideas.

Video - Ceiling installation in a log bathhouse

A bathhouse is a complex functional structure that has special operating requirements. A well-equipped bathhouse ceiling ensures the maintenance of optimal temperature conditions in the premises and protects against the negative effects of external factors.

To ensure a long service life of the ceiling, it is necessary to take it into account design features, as well as the choice of materials for construction and finishing.

Requirements

To ensure the durability and reliability of the entire structure, the ceiling in the bathhouse must meet a number of important operational requirements:

• High thermal insulation characteristics. To reduce heat loss in bath rooms, the ceiling structure must have good thermal insulation. This will ensure rapid accumulation of thermal energy, reduce fuel consumption and prevent rapid cooling of the steam room.
• Moisture resistance. As a rule, wood is used to build baths, which requires additional protection from high humidity and hot steam. For these purposes, special antiseptic impregnations and varnishes are used. However, wood is not an absolutely sealed material, so it is capable of allowing excess moisture to pass through to the heat-insulating layer. To protect the insulating base of the ceiling from moisture, it is necessary to install a vapor barrier.
• Mechanical strength and reliability. The ceiling structure must be of increased strength to guarantee safe operation the entire building. When developing a bathhouse project, you should take into account the weight of the finished structure, the weight of insulation, finishing materials and, if an attic space is provided, the weight of the furniture and equipment located inside.
• Long service life. The bathhouse is built for decades, so the ceiling must not only be practical, but also durable, made from high-quality and safe materials.

Materials

For proper arrangement of the ceiling structure, an important step is the choice of construction, finishing, heat and vapor barrier materials. In this case, what is better to make the ceiling from in order to get a reliable and durable design? Experts recommend giving preference to safe, environmentally friendly, practical and durable materials.

1. For ceiling structure. The ceiling in the bathhouse is made of coniferous wood, resistant to rotting and elevated temperatures. In addition, coniferous boards or timber are cheap materials that are easy to process and install. Ceiling beams, the rough ceiling and attic floor are built from coniferous wood.
2. For decorative finishing. Deciduous wood is used as finishing materials - alder, linden, aspen, larch, oak. Wood finish The ceiling in the bathhouse is resistant to high temperatures, high humidity, and is easy to process and install.
3. For thermal insulation. The thickness of the thermal insulation layer for the bath ceiling should be 30 cm, which allows you to retain heat in the steam room for a long time. fire-resistant and safe insulation materials are used - mineral and basalt-based wool. They are resistant to burning, rotting, negative impact moisture and steam. To maintain thermal insulation characteristics, it is recommended to use them together with waterproofing materials. To reduce the cost of construction, more affordable analogues are used - sawdust and natural clay. The finished clay solution is laid in a thin layer on a rough board flooring in the attic, then covered with sawdust, shavings or sand.
4. For waterproofing. Provide protection of insulation from high humidity and steam. Best option for waterproofing - double-sided foil membranes.
5. For vapor barrier. They provide protection against the penetration of hot steam through the ceiling structure into the insulating layer or into the attic. Polyethylene foam film, glassine and vapor barrier membranes. The main requirement for the material is the ability to operate at air heating temperatures of up to 125 degrees.
6. Fasteners. When arranging the ceiling, it is allowed to use galvanized, copper or brass fasteners.

For the construction and finishing of the ceiling structure, you cannot use:

• plywood, chipboard and OSB;
• expanded polystyrene and foam boards;
• mounting foam for sealing;
• films based on polyethylene;
• damaged or deformed wood.

Installation methods

Floors and ceilings in the bathhouse can be made in one of three ways:

1. Hemmed. The ceiling arrangement provides for an attic space for storing bath fixtures and utensils. Distinctive characteristic design is the presence of a log floor, which is mounted on the last crown of the log house. Such a system is simple and accessible for self-installation.
2. Flat. Suitable for small-sized bath buildings that are not equipped with an attic and do not have floor beams. This design is simple and easy to implement. Allowable length the span should not be more than 2.5 meters.
3. Panel. Technically complex design, which is built from wooden boxes filled with insulating material. Installation of such a ceiling requires outside help.

false ceiling

Installing a suspended ceiling in a bathhouse with your own hands is technically difficult, but possible. This design is characterized by the high cost of building materials.

The construction of a false ceiling in a log bathhouse is carried out in the following order:

1. Preparing a ceiling frame from timber with a cross-section of 5 × 15 cm. Laying beams at a distance of 55 to 95 cm for strapping. A special hole is made for a square-shaped chimney pipe, taking into account the diameter of the pipe. The wood is treated with antiseptic impregnation.
2. Laying vapor barrier material with aluminum protective layer, with fixation from the inside of the room to the ceiling beams using metal brackets with an overlap of 10 cm. Sealing the joints with construction tape.
3. Installation of sheathing on a vapor barrier, observing technological gaps for natural ventilation.
4. Installation of decorative lining from hardwood. Thermal insulation and waterproofing of the ceiling in the attic. Work is being carried out on laying insulating and waterproofing materials overlapping and treating the joints with construction tape. Fixation to the ceiling structure using metal brackets. Maintain an air gap of 3–5 cm.
5. Installation flooring- plywood or floorboards. Wooden base thoroughly treated with antiseptics.

Important! To fix the main structural elements, galvanized nails with wide heads are used. Their length should be twice the thickness of the wooden board. If necessary, nails can be replaced with self-tapping screws or clamps of a similar size.

Flat ceiling

This is the fastest and most affordable way to arrange a ceiling structure, since its cost is much lower than that of a false ceiling. It can be used in a bathhouse made of boards, in which there is no attic space.

Step by step guide on how to make a deck ceiling:

1. As the basis for the ceiling, rough boards 40 cm thick are used, laid inside the bathhouse on the walls and fixed together with thin bars at a distance of 40–80 cm from each other. This is how the entire ceiling panel is assembled.
2. On installed ceiling frame vapor barrier material is laid to create an airtight layer. Fixing the material to the boards using metal staples.
3. Next, the insulation flooring is performed. It is easier to choose mineral or basalt wool, but if you plan to use bulk materials - expanded clay, clay, sand or earth, you will additionally need to install enclosing wooden elements made of boards.
4. Waterproofing is laid on the thermal insulation layer to ensure additional protection from exposure to moisture and steam.
5. Finally, decorative finishing is carried out with wooden lining.

Panel ceiling

The main advantages of such a design are its efficiency and durability, because for its assembly the remains of lumber preserved after the construction of the bathhouse can be used.

To properly sheathe the ceiling with panel slabs, all work is performed in the following order:

1. Prepare two beams of length equal to the width of the opening, with allowances of 5 cm on each side. The bars are installed on flat surface parallel to each other in increments of 50 cm. The structure is lined with a board, the length of which exceeds the width of the opening by 10 cm. As a result, the board floor is wider in width than the base of the box by 5 cm on each side.
2. WITH inside the ceiling panel is sheathed with steam insulating material.
3. To prevent possible distortion of the panel, the connection of individual parts is carried out using temporary clamps.
4. The finished ceiling panel is mounted to upper crowns frame of the load-bearing wall structure, taking into account additional installation rafter system for the roof. Jute fiber is placed between the panels for insulation.
5. After installing the ceiling base internal base the panels are filled with insulating material and sealed with waterproofing. To make the structure lighter, fiberglass or basalt wool up to 10 cm thick can be used as insulation.
6. The upper part of the structure is sheathed with tightly laid boards.

Important! During operation of the bathhouse, condensation may form on the upper part of the ceiling cladding. To prevent this phenomenon, the ceiling cladding is performed at a slope of 6 degrees.

In conclusion, some tips on proper arrangement ceiling structure in the bathhouse:

1. If the bathhouse design includes an attic space, then when installing the ceiling, it is additionally worth considering an entrance hatch with a retractable ladder.
2. Decorative finishing of the ceiling surface is carried out after preparing the floor base. The final stage is wall cladding.
3. To reduce or prevent possible heat loss in the room, it is necessary to take care of high-quality and reliable thermal insulation of the ceiling structure.
4. To obtain a perfectly flat ceiling surface, the first floor boards must be laid level. Otherwise, this will lead to deformation of the finished structure.
5. For the construction and finishing of the ceiling, it is recommended to use environmentally friendly materials that do not emit hazardous substances when exposed to high temperatures.

It is quite easy to erect a reliable and durable ceiling in a bathhouse building. To do this, you need to decide on a suitable ceiling design, assortment of building and finishing materials. Thanks to increased strength, durability and practicality, the most popular are false and floor ceilings.

A bathhouse is a room with a certain and quite serious functional load. Therefore, all elements in it play an important role. The importance of proper construction of the ceiling, which performs not only decorative and delimiting functions, cannot be underestimated. Let's dwell on the topic of the bath ceiling in more detail.

Before you begin directly to work on the construction of the ceiling in the bathhouse, you need to draw up a project. This will help reduce the risk of errors and ensure that finished design will meet the requirements for it.

The ceiling should:

The first thing you need to decide when drawing up a project is how high the ceiling should be. When calculating ceiling height, they usually rely on the following data:

• the height of the tallest person in your family;
• a person sitting on the topmost shelf should not touch the ceiling;
• to what height the hand of the person who will soar will rise with a broom.

For wooden baths 0.15 m is also added to the resulting ceiling height to take into account the shrinkage of the structure. In most cases, a steam room height of 2.5 m is suitable for a bath.

Materials

The traditional material for arranging a bathhouse is wood. The ceiling is no exception. Ceiling beams, attic flooring (if there is one), and ceiling lining are made of wood. Only in the first two cases are conifers used, which have excellent moisture resistance. But it is better to make the ceiling cladding from hardwoods such as aspen or linden.

This is due to the fact that low resin content increases sound insulation and heat resistance and reduces the thermal conductivity of the material. In addition, the resins in the cladding will melt and drain at first, which will cause inconvenience to bathhouse attendants.

In any case, all wooden elements must be free of defects, well dried and impregnated with a special antiseptic composition.

Thick polyethylene film and aluminum foil can be used as a vapor barrier. Sometimes, to protect the insulation from the action of steam from the bath, cardboard is used, which is pre-treated with drying oil, but this is not best solution, since this material is very quickly exposed to mold.

The modern construction market offers, for example, isospan or penoplex as a vapor barrier, when installing which you must follow the instructions.

It is impossible to imagine a bath ceiling without a layer of insulation. There are a lot of options here. The insulation can be of natural or artificial origin.

Since ancient times, bathhouse ceilings have been insulated clay, earth, sawdust, sand or a combination of several of these materials. This technology is still used today in some bathhouses, because many people care about the environmental friendliness of the building, especially the steam room. Most often, clay mixed with straw is used.

But each of the natural insulation materials has its own significant disadvantages:

• sawdust in the insulation layer often causes the bathhouse to ignite or intensify the fire;
• sand sooner or later begins to fall on the heads of the bathhouse attendants;
• Microorganisms multiply in the ground after a short period of time, which can harm visitors to the bathhouse;
• Clay insulation is a rather labor-intensive process.

Baths are used as artificial ceiling insulation mineral wool, penoizol and polystyrene foam.

2. Mineral wool is one of the most common materials used to insulate the ceiling of a bathhouse.

This is due to its advantages, including:

• ease of installation;
• low price;
• mineral wool cannot cause a fire;
• this material is not a medium for the growth of microbes and a nesting site for rodents and insects.

However, mineral wool loses its heat-insulating properties when wet. Its ability to retain heat also decreases over time as a result of increasing density. For the same reason, it is important not to wrinkle the mineral wool during installation.

This material is produced in the form of sheets or rolls.

Pay attention! If mineral wool is used for insulation in particularly cold areas, it is spread in several layers.

2.​ Another popular insulation material is polystyrene foam.

This is due to its light weight and low cost, as well as a number of other positive qualities:

• good sound and heat insulation;
• waterproof;
• Microorganisms, including molds, do not multiply in it.

The disadvantage of polystyrene foam is its fragility, easy flammability, and the release of gases that paralyze the respiratory system as a result of combustion.

This material is sold in sheet form. The thickness of the foam layer for insulating the ceiling in a bathhouse should be 50-100 mm. To fasten the slabs to each other and to the base, dowels, thick cement mortar or special adhesive compositions are used.

3.​ An alternative to polystyrene foam is penoizol. It is also called carbide foam. It is a liquid substance that is sprayed over the surface. This allows you to carefully fill all the cracks. Penoizol is inexpensive material, and its thermal insulation properties are higher than those of classic polystyrene foam and mineral wool.

4. Along with mineral wool, expanded clay is the most popular. Its significant advantage is its natural origin. To insulate ceilings, granules with a fraction of 5-40 mm are used.

This material is environmentally friendly, non-flammable, and has high noise and heat insulating properties. However, when using it, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances:

• since expanded clay is hygroscopic, it is necessary to take care of vapor and waterproofing;
• The height of the expanded clay layer should be on average 0.2 m.

Pay attention! It is best to insulate the space around the stove pipe with expanded clay or mineral wool. In the latter case, the pipe must first be covered with sheet asbestos.

The choice of insulation depends not only on your preferences, but also on the method of laying the ceiling in the bathhouse.

Options for installing a bath ceiling

Currently there are three ways to lay the ceiling in a bathhouse:

• laying is the simplest method;
• hemmed - high-quality and not very expensive ceiling;
• during installation panel ceiling the help of 1-2 people is required, but such ceiling system very reliable and durable.

Step 1. At the first stage, boards 50 mm wide are laid on the ceiling from the side of the room. They must be laid very tightly, without gaps, and be supported and secured with the edges to the wall of the bathhouse.

Step 2. A layer of vapor barrier is spread on the plank base, overlapping the walls of the bathhouse. If expanded clay serves as a thermal insulation material, then sides are made along the perimeter of the ceiling on the roof side.

Step 3. Insulation is laid on the vapor barrier. For this method, mineral wool or expanded clay is most often used.

This type of ceiling is only suitable for small baths without an attic: the width of the walls should not exceed 250 cm. Another disadvantage is the lack of protection of the thermal insulation from external moisture. And when replacing floor boards, the layers of vapor and heat insulation are broken.

Although such a ceiling requires more time and money, it is more reliable. Moreover, its construction is easy to do on your own.

Step 1. Load-bearing beams with a cross-section of 5 cm by 15 cm are mounted on the walls of the bathhouse. A frame of beams must also be created around the chimney. To do this, grooves for the main beams are cut out in small beams that are laid across the main longitudinal ones. The frame is a square with a side length of about 380 mm

Step 2. From the inside, the ceiling is covered with eurolining or tongue and groove. When installing sheathing to beams, it is better to place fasteners not in the central part of the boards, but in the grooves.

Step 3. Place a vapor barrier on the sheathing and secure it to the beams with a stapler. The insulation must extend 15 cm onto the walls. If you have to use several vapor barrier sheets, then the edge of one should extend 20 cm onto the other sheet. The joints are secured with aluminum film on an adhesive base.

Step 4. Place thermal insulation between the beams, for example, mineral wool, expanded clay and polystyrene foam. If you use the latter, then the space around the chimney is covered with expanded clay. When laying mineral wool, cut it strictly to size and try not to wrinkle it so that this insulation does not lose its properties.

Step 5. The thermal insulation layer is covered with waterproofing, which can also be aluminum foil, polyethylene film, etc.

Step 6. Lay a deck of boards on top, which are fastened with wide-headed nails to the load-bearing beams.

If mineral wool or foam plastic is used as insulation, then the assembly of the false ceiling can be done in the opposite direction: first, the beams are installed, the external flooring is attached to them, insulation is laid between the beams, a vapor barrier is stapled to the beams, then the slats are mounted to the beams, onto which they are attached sheathing

This ceiling is an excellent option for bathhouses with an attic.

From the name you can guess that this type of ceiling is assembled from panels. They are prepared in advance according to the scheme described below.

Step 1. Place two beams at a distance of half a meter from each other. They must lie strictly parallel. Their edges rest against the rail.

Step 2. Boards 60 cm long, lying tightly together, are nailed across the beams.

Step 3. The structure is turned over. It turns out to be a kind of box, which is lined with a vapor barrier from the inside and secured with a stapler.

You can assemble the panels completely, but it is better to stop at this stage, which will facilitate transportation and installation of the panels.

Pay attention! To protect the panels from distortion of the geometry during movement, slats should be nailed diagonally on the side free from boards.

Scheme of a floor ceiling in a bathhouse

The installation of the panels can be described step by step as follows.

Step 1. A tourniquet is laid on the walls of the bathhouse. It should also be laid on beams if the installation will be carried out on them.

Step 2. Lay the panels one after another.

Step 3. Place a layer of thermal insulation in them, which is covered with waterproofing.

Step 4. The space between the panels is filled with moisture-resistant heat-insulating material, for example, felt with a layer of foil.

Step 5. The top of the panels is covered with a flooring of boards, which simultaneously connects the panels to each other.

Step 6. From the inside, the ceiling is decorated with clapboard.

This option has only one advantage - the ability to use cutting boards. Otherwise, installing such a structure is much more difficult and impossible by one person. Therefore, experts recommend choosing a false ceiling.

In rare cases, lighting is installed on the ceiling in the bathhouse. Heat-resistant lamps must be used in the steam room. Under no circumstances should energy-saving or fluorescent lamps be used. It is best to use traditional incandescent lamps. The lamps are covered with wooden grilles, which protect them from contact with the lamp. But it is preferable to install lighting under the ceiling, for example, in corners.

At this stage, the installation of the ceiling in the bathhouse is considered complete.

Video - Do-it-yourself bathhouse ceiling

Video - Insulating the ceiling in a bathhouse