A neighbor made a sauna in an apartment on the balcony with his own hands: building a mini-sauna with step-by-step instructions
Having your own steam room in an apartment or house is no longer a luxury, but something that everyone can do. My neighbor invited me to visit. He said that "take a steam bath". He thought he was joking, but when he saw that there were shelves on the balcony like in a sauna, he was surprised. I asked him everything about the construction of a sauna in the apartment.
First of all, it is necessary to remove all drywall walls (if any). The source is a clean room and a moisture-proof floor. You can cover the floor with tiles, cement or vinyl. You can also use plywood, but it is better to use tiles under a heater or in a place where water accumulates.
Building a sauna in an apartment (step by step)
First stage sauna construction: electrical wiring.
Work on conducting electricity should be carried out in conjunction with a specialist, especially if the bath is gas-heated. You will have to take into account the thickness of the pipe and the number of other devices separating the gas pipe.
Second phase: insulation.
Insulation is indispensable. It is needed to keep operating costs down. You can use insulating material R-11 (it is suitable for indoor use), R-19 is suitable for outdoor work. The width of fiberglass insulation can be different, you choose at your discretion. Insulation will help keep the sauna warm, so this step is very important. In addition, it will create sound insulation, which is important for a comfortable time in the sauna.
Stage Three: use of foil for heat reflection purposes.
Sauna foil insulation adds a useful factor and acts as a vapor barrier. It is necessary to sheathe the entire inner surface with foil - walls and ceilings. Usually, when joining, the foil is overlapped one on top of the other, this helps to do the job without the use of foil tape. It makes no sense to replace foil with another material, since this material is not prone to melting and odor release.
The steam that will hold thanks to the vapor barrier helps to sweat perfectly, but you need to take into account the humidity it creates, which should be removed from the other part of the apartment.
The outlet of excess steam is, of course, a vent hole. In order for the sauna to dry faster, you can leave the heater on; some sauna lovers keep the heater on for longer.
Fourth stage: sheathing.
Fortunately, today the choice of materials for bathing is large. Linden, pine, cedar - choose according to your taste and wallet. Planking work should be started on one side of the ceiling, with wooden panels attached parallel to the ceiling beams. If the light is on the ceiling, remember to cut a hole for the light box.
The panels are nailed over insulation and foil. The very first row of boards is nailed to the studs horizontally according to the rule: tongue up, groove down. Here you should start from the bottom, going up in stages. This method will hide the nails with a groove covering it. When attaching panel boards in rows, be sure to check the leveling every few boards. After putting the grooves on the tongues, work should be continued up the wall.
During the work period, it is necessary to take into account the location of the junction boxes for electricity, cut out places for lamps and switches. We are completing the installation of panel boards and in the last row, resting on the ceiling, remember that it is not at all necessary to be extremely accurate. The gaps are easy to close with a wooden panel.
Fifth stage: sauna heater on the wall.
In the material under consideration, a wall heater is provided, for example Polar HMR 60, it has four screws for mounting on the wall - two long and two short. Long should be used first. We attach them to the wall from above, as they will more securely attach the heater to the wall of the sauna.
Let's make the markings for inserting the 2 upper screws, but don't put the heater on right away. You should also wait a little while screwing the short screws into the lower brackets.
After the heater is mounted on the wall, a 2nd pair of bottom screws can be added. It remains to connect the heater to the power source (remember that only a specialist should deal with connecting electricity to electricity).
Sixth stage: installation of the sauna heater.
The heater must be installed strictly in accordance with the enclosed installation manual. When building a sauna, some people pay too much attention to ventilation. Many people overdo it. It must be remembered that the most optimal option is the presence of 2 ventilation holes, but if you make one and place it behind the heater, it will also be enough. For example, for some, even a wide gap under the sauna door is sufficient.
Absolutely all heaters come from the manufacturer with instructions describing the height of the location. Consideration should also be given to the space for enclosing the sauna heater if it is close to where you will be moving or if the heater is too close to the doorway. In this case, a fence is necessary, it will help prevent burns or accidents.
Seventh stage: Equipping the sauna heater with stones.
Cleanliness comes first! Here are the stones intended for installation on the heater, before they are used, they must be washed. This will help to eliminate dust, which can give off a very unpleasant odor when heated. An important point is the choice of the location of the stones. They should be located behind the heating element, as temperature sensors may indicate an unreliable temperature.
Before going to the sauna for the first time, turn on the heater for about an hour with the door open. When heated, the preservatives on the elements may give off a small amount of smoke. Then you can attach the heater grate to the top of the appliance.
Eighth stage: Installation of the sauna bench.
Usually the choice is between high and low benches. Both options can be installed. Helpful hint: make the lower bench double in width for more convenience. Much attention must be paid to the strength of the boards.
Interior decoration also needs attention. Some bath attendants like the lamps installed under the benches. If you veneer the bench, then such an arrangement of the lamps will give a special charm to the sauna.
After installing the door, the final step is finishing the corners of the sauna room. This is required to close sloppy joint seams. If your corners look neat, you can leave it as it is. For greater comfort, the sauna can be supplemented with headrests for the legs and back, a deck for the walkway, a thermometer, and a hygrometer for measuring humidity.