A properly built and sincerely flooded bathhouse becomes a place for relaxation, communication, replenishment of energy. Water procedures in it are a ritual that brings joy and health. The bath is of particular value in the cold, dank season. During this period, the insulation of the room is checked and the front door often turns out to be a weak point: from it, even cold penetrates into the heavily heated bath along the floor.
To eliminate temperature discomfort in the dressing room, to make the door impervious to frost, warming measures help. Depending on the approach, they can be capital or simple, but effective:
- door insulation with special material;
- the use of thermal curtains;
- installation of a second door;
- complete replacement of the door frame.
The use of insulation
Choosing a door insulation, they are guided by the special conditions in the room and high environmental requirements.
- Fire safety. Rags from old coats, a cotton blanket are flammable. Styrofoam and polystyrene do not burn, but melt with the release of toxic substances.
- Vapor permeability. The use of vapor impermeable material leads to condensation, gradual rotting and deformation of the door. The design will have to be repaired regularly. The accumulation of condensation and the movement of droplets down form permanent puddles on the floor.
The most suitable materials are felt, ecowool with fire-resistant treatment. Of modern, technological heat insulators - foamed polyethylene with a foil layer. Lightweight and flexible, it does not make the door heavier, it forms an additional sealing overlap.
Installation methods for door insulation
There are two ways to place insulation on the door: internal laying and surface mounting.
- External fixation. On the perimeter of the surface of the canvas, bars with a cross section of 1.5-2 cm are formed, forming a frame. Insulation is fixed on it. In the space between the insulation and the door, it is possible to lay the hardboard.
- Thermoflex insulation. Energy-efficient, flexible and lightweight insulation for pipes will cope with the thermal insulation of the door, its fastening on the door will take little time. You can firmly attach it to the surface with a construction stapler, make additional fixation from metal battens.
Door Curtain - Air Curtain
This is a simple but effective way of warming any front door, it is suitable for a bath.
- First, around the doorway make a sealing frame of strips of soft insulation. At a distance of 2 cm from the door frame they are nailed with small nails. A frame of timber is filled on top of the insulation strips. The width of the strips, exceeding the width of the beam, wraps the tree, turning away in the direction from the door and is fixed by cashing of the slats, the excess is cut off.
- The curtain is made of dense fabric - tarpaulin, dermantine. A drawstring for a beam with a section of 2 cm is stitched on the canvas, and rings are sewn along the upper edge. One side is fixed to the wall with a beam placed in the drawstring. Two screws are screwed into the wall, a wire is attached to one. The edge of the wire is pulled through the rings and secured on the other side. A curtain that fits snugly against the sealing frame prevents the door from fogging and crusting with ice.
Bicameral cloth
A more laborious way of warming is to add a second door. This requires a well-thought-out design. For example, a jamb designed for two doors. The air between the webs will serve as a heat-resistant layer. An additional door does not eliminate the need to insulate the first. A complication of this method is the appearance of moisture inside the space between the doors.
A simple two-chamber door to smooth the temperature contrast at the entrance to the bath can be made independently using fiberboard and an inch board. It will also need insulation.
- An inch board is cut along in half and planed to one and a half centimeters. If a quarter rather than 4 cm is selected in the door block, you can not plan the board.
- Of the pre-prepared bars, two frames are made.
- Three billets are cut from the plate. The first of them face down is laid on a horizontal surface. The door frame laid on top of it is filled with light synthetic insulation. The middle workpiece is made of two parts, fasten them in the middle on the plank of the door frame. A second frame is laid on top of the second workpiece, the voids are filled again. Everything is covered with a third workpiece and firmly fixed with screws or nails. Fasteners do not pass through, but only to the middle of the frame.
- The ends of the door are treated with sandpaper, primed and painted.
Door Frame Replacement
High humidity in the bath leads to rotting of the door frame. Corrupted sections of the threshold or wood in the corners allow cold to enter the room. To eliminate permeability, the door frame is completely changed.
To remove the entire structure, a threshold and a lintel beam of a door frame diameter are sawn. If the side racks are also damaged, they are cut in half to remove the box from the nest. At the same time, it is better not to saw off the spikes for fastening the beam, which are responsible for fixing the door frame.
- Grooves are cut out in a bar by a mill according to the size of the doorway. After manufacturing the door frame parts, they are assembled (using a spike method) and fixed from the side of the door narthex. The space remaining between the door structure and the wall should not exceed 0.5 cm, it is filled with polyurethane foam, tow or moss. On the opposite side, a block is attached.
- The box is made without timber. Instead, a 5 cm thick board is used. A quarter for the narthex is left in the board and collected. Fastening is performed with screws, so it will be stronger.
Replacing the door frame on your own is a complex and time-consuming process. It is better to carry out such work in the warm season.
The ideal door for a bath, what should it be?
- The smaller the doorway, the better the heat will be held in the room. A low and narrow door prevents the penetration of cold air into the room.
- It should open out. This is a safety rule for visitors to the bathhouse. In the event of an unforeseen situation, quick opening with a push will help you quickly find yourself in the fresh air.
- The best material for making the door is hardwood. Coniferous species are durable, but emit tar.
- All elements of the door frame must be perfectly fitted without gaps or crevices.
- The best material for making a door is a grooved board 4-5 cm, a board with a selected quarter. Boards are mounted on the key. The size of the wings is intentionally made 0.5 cm smaller: when they swell, opening the door will be difficult.
The optimal size of the door to the washing compartment is 60 x 160 cm, in the doubles - 80 x 150; threshold height - 30 cm to retain heat. The ideal material for making door handles is natural wood.