Insulating the roof of a bathhouse with your own hands: how to properly insulate and with what

It is advisable to insulate the roof of the bathhouse not tight materials such as mineral wool, polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam. These are good heat insulators, affordable and easy to install. But along with the advantages, they also have disadvantages. How to choose the right product and how to perform insulation in different ways is described in the presented article.

Choice of insulation

First of all, it is important to understand how to insulate the roof of a bathhouse. The choice of materials is quite large, and each has its own pros and cons. Below are the most common insulation materials and their features.

Mineral wool

This is a group of materials with similar properties. The main types are:

• glass wool;
• slag;
• stone wool.

The advantages of using such insulation are obvious. They protect well from the cold and are resistant to temperature changes and fire. On average, cotton wool lasts up to 40 years because it does not decompose or rot. But when studying how to insulate the roof of a bathhouse, you should take into account that the material can be seriously damaged even by drops of moisture. Therefore, during installation it is important to consider good waterproofing.

Expanded clay

The roof of a bathhouse can be insulated with your own hands using expanded clay of different fractions. It has its advantages:

• good heat protection;
• fire resistance;
• does not absorb moisture;
• does not rot or decompose.

However, expanded clay is always poured in large quantities. Therefore, such insulation is suitable only for a durable bathhouse roof, with permanent structures. It is also important to provide waterproofing. Expanded clay is not destroyed by moisture, but it takes a very long time to dry.

Polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam

Another way to insulate the roof of a bathhouse with your own hands involves laying polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene. They have similar properties, but the latter is denser. Among the advantages of such materials are the following:

• light weight;
• excellent thermal insulation;
• low water absorption;
• resistance to mold, fungi;
• affordable price.

The only significant disadvantage is the lack of resistance to elevated temperatures. This is an unsafe material in the event of a fire - it quickly ignites and begins to burn. Therefore, if you consider how to properly insulate the roof of a bathhouse, you must take into account building codes. If the room is old, it is better not to take risks and use other insulation materials, for example, expanded clay.

Ecowool

You can also insulate the roof of a bathhouse yourself using ecowool. It also protects well from the cold and provides several important advantages:

• resistant to temperature changes;
• has low weight;
• durable;
• resistant to pests and fungi.

But the installation process itself is quite complicated. If possible, it is easier to call a team of professionals, since special equipment will be required.

Instructions for insulating ceilings

Having figured out the best way to insulate the roof in a bathhouse, you can move on to considering how to carry out the work. The technology depends on the type of ceiling. The easiest way to insulate a floor covering, it is more difficult to insulate a false ceiling and especially a panel ceiling.

Flat ceiling

So, we make the roof of the bathhouse with our own hands. The most affordable option is a floor-type ceiling, i.e. without installing beams. Floor boards are placed on the walls and thus form floors without installing intermediate supports. The design is suitable only for a small bathhouse. At the same time, the insulation must be light - otherwise the boards may not withstand it.

During installation, proceed as follows:

1. First, the planks are fixed to the ceiling. If the material will lie high, it is necessary to arrange sides of appropriate sizes around the entire perimeter.
2. Install an insulator. If we talk about what is the best insulation for a bathhouse roof, in this case polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or different types of mineral wool that are not very dense are suitable.
3. Lay a layer of vapor barrier, for example, a foil sheet (metal part down). The strips should be overlapped by at least 10 cm. The seams are fixed with tape.
4. Place waterproofing, for example, a thick film. This also needs to be done with an overlap of 10-15 cm and all joints secured.

Fixed ceiling

Having assessed which insulation to choose for the roof of the bathhouse, you can move on to installation work with a false ceiling. This is a reliable structure, which can even be covered with a large layer of dense expanded clay. The laying technology is as follows:

1. They go onto the roof and lay a waterproofing film over the beams. It is attached to wooden supports using a stapler. The strips should be overlapped by 10 cm, and the joints should be reinforced with tape.
2. On top of this film you need to put boards or plywood. This will be the attic floor.
3. Next, the attic of the bathhouse is insulated from the inside, placing material between the beams.The number of layers is determined independently - minimum 2. Lay again overlapping.
4. Install a vapor barrier by laying the material so that it overlaps and extends onto the surface of the walls. Moreover, the “breathing” side should be turned down. The work is carried out carefully to prevent ruptures.
5. Slats are laid on top across the beams and the ceiling is already hemmed onto them.

When using bulk insulation, a different method is used. First, the rough ceiling is hemmed to the beams and its cracks are sealed. Then a vapor barrier is installed, insulation material is filled in and waterproofing is applied. Finishing – ceiling covering.

Panel ceiling

When choosing which insulation to use on the roof of a bathhouse, it is necessary to study the most complex installation technology, which is implemented with a panel-type ceiling. In this case, follow the following sequence:

1. First, they make a shield from boards that corresponds to one cell of insulation. The sides of the required height are stuffed on top.
2. A vapor barrier with an overlap is first placed in this box and secured with a stapler.
3. Now comes a layer of insulation, preferably mineral wool or polystyrene foam (light weight).
4. A vapor barrier is placed on top of it.
5. There is no doubt whether it is necessary to insulate the roof in the bathhouse. This is a very important finish that will come in handy during the cold season. After installing the shield, similar panels are made and raised to the ceiling.
6. It is recommended to lay a solid wooden board under the panels, which will serve as a ceiling from the inside of the room. Exactly the same finishing is done on the outside.

As a rule, it is planned to insulate the roof of the bathhouse with mineral wool.But if there are doubts about the quality of hydro- and vapor barrier, it is better to use polystyrene foam or a similar material that practically does not absorb moisture. There is also a folk method of insulation using sawdust and clay, but it is not so durable.

Therefore, when considering what can be used to insulate the roof of a bathhouse, and how to do it correctly, it is best to choose proven materials. They should be light and have good thermal insulation properties. These requirements are met by different types of mineral wool, ecowool and expanded polystyrene.